My "Mom Cave" Advice on HomeGoods

   

I recently had the opportunity to write some fun articles for HomeGoods on how to create the perfect "mom cave."  As a response to the often designated "man room", HomeGoods has created an advertising campaign around the idea of finding a special place in the home--no matter how big or small--and making it a place for mom to get away from it all.

          


I love the idea behind it; afterall, doesn't every mom need a beautiful space to relax and rewind (and read design blogs, watch The Bachelor, paint her nails, eat Cheetos, look at gossip magazines, take a nap, stare into space. . . )?  It's so much better than hiding in the closet when things get crazy :)


So, what does a "mom cave" look like?  Whatever makes you feel happy.  But, here are a few great examples:

                                

Samantha Pynn

HGTV

                

The Art of Doing Stuff

Visit the HomeGoods site to read my articles on "Stylish Storage Options for Your Mom Cave," "4 Tips & Tricks for Creating Your Own Mom Cave," and "Color Schemes for Your Mom Cave."

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I'm also hosting a fun Valentine's giveaway on my Facebook page today through Wednesday.  Print! by Design Editor is giving away a printable Valentine's party kit and some printable Valentine cards.  To enter, simply leave a comment on my Facebook page.  Two winners will be chosen at random and announced on Wednesday, Feb. 2nd.

Where I've Been This Week. . .

 


If you have a chance, I hope you'll stop by and visit some of the places where I've been guest blogging this week. . . .





I shared ideas for incorporating your kids artwork into your decor on new mommy Erin's blog, Domestic Adventure.

image via Velvet & Linen blog

I was honored to be part of a panel series (that included some of my very favorite bloggers and designers) on paint colors hosted by PK on the Room Remix blog.  The posts covered topics from our favorite neutrals to how to choose the right shade.

image via Erika Ward Interiors

And, finally, I wrapped up the week at Decor Chick posting about how I converted our catch-all room into a home office on a small budget.

Thanks for reading!

Our Breakfast Area: Almost Finished. . .

   

After a long process, my breakfast area is nearly finished. It's taken forever--not because it's anything elaborate--just because there's no time to do anything. Ever. I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about and probably feel the same.


Anyway, I should  have things finished up and the before/after pictures for you next week.  Until then, here's a glimpse of our new lantern pendant.  I think changing the lighting has been the best thing I've done for this space.

Here's the fixture we started with, and my determined husband who devoted an entire Saturday learning how to change out lighting:

He always gives me this annoyed look when I make him stop to take a picture "for the blog."  I know, however, that he secretly likes reading all of the comments when you all brag on him.  (Remember this post?  He ate up every single comment.)  So, if you would be so kind. . . I may end up getting alot more projects done around here.

By the way,  you may have noticed in the first picture that I ended up going with a completely different fabric on the windows than I had originally planned.  (Yay for remnant bins!) 


And, of course, there was this crazy idea I had (that ruffled alot of feathers) to use short curtains on these windows.  I'll save the details for the final reveal, but let's just say I went against the majority opinion--and I like it. :)

A Master Bedroom in Progress

    

I'm in the process of finishing up a client's master bedroom but couldn't wait to show you a few pictures I snapped while I was there last week (at night; thus, the poor lighting).  You may remember the original design board and bedding fabrics I blogged about here. 

I won't give you all the details just yet, but this room was purple when we started and still had all of the (recently married) client's childhood furniture.

An IKEA Malm chest with a little added bling:

Maybe it's because they're newlyweds, but the husband agreed to replace the ceiling fan with one of my very favorite chandeliers from Overstock. . .  (He's a good guy.)

More details--and better pictures--once this project is all wrapped up.

Botox for My Blog

You may notice things look different around here today. Blame it on all of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills I've been watching, but I thought it was time for my blog to get a facelift. Thanks to Keely of Luxe + Lillies for coming to the rescue.

Today, I'll be working on making sure all of the links actually go somewhere when you click them.  So, for now, enjoy the view, and I shall return.

New Nightstands and Some Thoughts on IKEA

Last night, I made quick trip to IKEA to buy some bedside tables for our master bedroom. (I'm now using our old ones in the living room, and have been hanging off the bed to reach my alarm clock on the floor for the last several months. . . )  I ended up with a pair of these Koppang chests:

After a hardware change and maybe some added detail, I think they could have a similar feel to these that Tobi Fairley used in one of her projects:

image via Tobi Fairley

More to come on my bedroom updates later. . . In the meantime, here are some other things I'm digging at IKEA:

Clockwise:

1.  the Olunda framed ABC poster

2.  the Molnig chandelier 

This one has been around for a while, but I still like it.  It's a simple, classic style that could be sprayed easily in any color.  And, it's a great way to update your lighting for under $40.

3.  Bjuron plant boxes 

Although these are technically for plants, I think they might be a perfect, stylish option for crayons and other art supplies when grouped together.

4.  the Romantisk tray 

At only $10, this tray goes anywhere--from your vanity to a coffee table.  Would be easy to spray paint, stencil or coat with chalkboard paint.

5.  Punktilig paper napkins 

Such fun prints! Perfect for parties but inexpensive enough for every day.

6.  Glira knobs  

Although they actually look more like cuff links on their web site, they are really pretty, shiny knobs that I've used in a couple of different client projects lately.  I think I may also use them on our new bedside tables.  Best of all, they come in a 2-pack for $5.

7.  the Olunda Picasso picture

8.  Gunilla and Lena fabrics

I'm really liking these black, white and gray fabrics.  They look way more sophisticated than their $7.99/yard price tag suggests.

9.  the Ottava pendant

Fyi. . .this little pendant looks way more impressive in person. 

And, just to keep things real, here are three things I'm currently not digging about IKEA (in case any IKEA big-wigs in Sweden happen to read my blog):

1.  Your crazy carts that make me look like an out of control ice skater trying to get through the store.  Something is just not jiving about the carts and the floors together. 

2.  The fact that your Charlotte store only has dull pinking shears instead of actual scissors (for "safety reasons") at your DIY fabric cutting table.  I'm just wondering how much fabric they actually sell in this store. . . 

3.  Your Merete grommet curtain panels in "bleached" have been out of stock for over two months, and this seems to be an IKEA-wide problem.  I am "patiently" waiting on these for a client project.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Me

Five Ways to Freshen Things Up

Hope you'll take a moment to stop by Southern Momentum, where I recently posted on Five Ways to Freshen Up Your Decor.  If you're like me, late January is usually the time I start feeling a little winter-blah, and changing things up always makes me feel better.



Painting Tips to Bookmark

I often get emails from people asking me advice on how to paint furniture.  Truth be told, most of the pieces I've painted are a result of trial and error.  What I don't know, I either Google or ask the paint guys at Lowe's.  I'm not always meticulous, since I'm usually anxious to see the finished product.  (And, my times with no interuption are scarce, which also speeds up the process for me.)

My friend Katie helped me repaint this dresser for my office.  We had to stop mid-project and run to the paint store to buy primer after our initial coat of paint kept chipping.

Fortunately, there are some very knowledgable, and nice, bloggers who have taken the time to detail their best tips for painting furniture.  These are two I've saved in my favorites folder and are always a good go-to resource.

Bryn posted on "How to Paint Furniture" and has some great advice on when to and when not to sand, prime, etc, and what kind of paint to use when.

Our dining room chairs. . . three coats of spray paint, but worth my time at $12 a piece.

Kate (aka Centsational Girl) posted a great FAQ on spray painting.  I have to say, if it's at all possible to spray a piece rather than roll it, I do it.  Besides inhaling one too many fumes and once painting a basket of my husband's shoes green by accident, it really is the easiest and quickest way to transform furniture (and other accessories.)

 

So, are you painting anything this weekend?

Man-Cave Inspiration (It Does Exist)

The man cave. . .  For me, that simple phrase has long conjured up images like this:

This seriously might be the scariest piece of furniture I've ever seen, but my husband would be in hog heaven if I designed a whole room around it.  Yeah, it's not going to happen. . . .

For a long time, I think man caves have gotten a bad name--at least among us decorating types.  However, I was delighted when I recently found these new photographs in the portfolio of Los Angeles-based designer Jenn Feldman. 

 

It has some of the typical elements you might associate with a man room--leather sofa, sports memorabilia, etc.--but the overall feel is modern, clean and best of all, cozy.

One of my favorite things that she did was to paint all of the walls, doors and trim in the same navy color.  It's a wonderful way to give the room that cave-like feeling, in a good way.

I also like the fact that she didn't paint this campaign chest and some of the other pieces.  The wood shows up so warm against the dark walls.  And, you might notice the client is a huge University of Kentucky fan (like my husband).  Just goes to show you can show your true blue love without putting the recliner monster in your room.

Traditional plaid paired with a modern desk--such a great combination.

If you want to learn more about Jenn and her work, I did a fun interview with her soon after I started my blog.  You can read more about her beautiful home, her design business and her connection to Oprah here.

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PS--My husband happened to look over my shoulder as I was writing this post, saw the UK recliner and said "Am I getting that???"  I think it's safe to say we're not on the same page where the man cave is concerned. . .

Flea Market Finds

This past weekend, I got to take a much needed girls trip to Raleigh, NC.  And, although our husbands didn't believe us, one of the main reasons for our trip was to visit the flea market there.  It was my first time, and I'm pretty much hooked.  I was a little overwhelmed (and cold), but I plan to go back with a plan of action once springtime rolls around.

These are a few things I ended up bringing home (and some other pieces that caught my eye):

My find of the day--a vintage faux bamboo mirror.  I almost squealed when the guy said he would take $30.  Instead, I tried to play it cool and offered $25. :)

I couldn't resist these oversized numbers that came from an old drive-in movie theatre.  Although I don't have a definite plan for them, I thought they might be fun in our playroom.

I bought a couple of pieces of art, including this color chart.

My latest obsession is wire baskets, and I thought these would be great for book storage.  I'm thinking of painting them a different color and mounting them on the wall.

An old iron basket that gives my desk the appearance of being organized.  (I'm also going to spray paint this.)

Just part of a collection of milk glass that I bought. I came home with a box full of white treasures.

Now, for some cruddy pictures I took with my phone.  Try to overlook the poor quality. . .

It's hard to tell in this picture, but we spent way too long combing through this truck bed full of iron work.  They had lots of iron door hooks in fun shapes that I'm kicking myself for not buying.

More iron pieces.  If I make a trip back in the spring, I may pick up a pair of these for our patio.

Our friend Shea (who lives in Raleigh and served as our official tour guide) is thinking of putting a pair of these old church pews in her breakfast area.  (She thinks it will also promote good posture!)

If you're a friend of mine, be prepared to carry my purchases to the car!  (And, they weren't too crazy about posing in front of the sign, either.)

Back to Charlotte with our treasures. . . .