Caitlin's Wish

So I just finished my second room makeover for the Make-A-Wish foundation. Caitlin Caro an extraordinarily resilient young woman has been battling cystic fibrosis since she was born and her one wish was to get her room designed by an interior designer. I was the lucky designer fortunate enough to make her wish come true.

As I interviewed Caitlin, I began to draw inspiration from her personality and interests. Walking out of our meeting a few ideas came to mind. Floor to ceiling mirrored walls to expand th small space while providing ample viewing for cheer leading practice with her girl friends! She also mentioned she wanted bright colors. Luckily I already had vintage headboard, which I reupholstered with a funky colorful floral pattern, which became my inspiration for the color palette. I decided on a deep turquoise for the walls while choosing splashes of bright colors for accents to keep the space upbeat and cheery.

Another thing Caitlin asked for was storage, so I added a lacquered zebra storage unit to hold all of her nic knacks along with a flat screen and DVD player to keep her occupied during her treatments. To make Caitlin feel like a princess I painted the baseboards and doors and antique gold and finished the room off with a custom chandelier and a Tibetan lamb rug.

What a great week, I am so thankful to have met Caitlin and her family. Caitlin's face was priceless when she walked into the room and per her words the room was beautiful! So I guess I did my job.

 

Caitlin we are glad you like you’re new grown up room!

 

To see more interviews with Caitlin check out The Mission Viejo Dispatch or The OC Register.

Scandinavian Surfaces

I came across this company Scandinavian Surfaces and thought it was so cool.  This company was founded by a few designers coming from all types of design backgrounds from set and costume design to applied art.  They fell in love with design and brought their vision to life through Scandinavian Surfaces.

They have many different patterns for all types of surfaces fabrics, wall paper, building facades, interior decoration, accessories, serving trays, and the list goes on and on. This inspired me, now I want to go and put a cool surface on my wall.

I love this pattern!

Be creative every day! ~ Rachel

Easter Decorating Ideas!

Great tips for Easter Decorating!

1.. Lighten Up your Room!
Do you have a heavy looking sofa, or drapes that are just too dark for the room? It's time to change them out for lighter and better looking alternative. Take away the drapes and replace them with sheers. Slipcover the sofa or chairs with pastel tones or florals.

2. Views
Your furniture may be positioned to surround the fireplace, but now with spring coming up its time to think about ways to rearrange the look for summer. Change the focal point away from the fireplace to a view of a garden or water or wherever your best view is at your location.

3. Re-Accessorize
Its time to re- organize your accessories! Clean the dust off the shelves and begin to replace objects with lighter tones and fun bright colors. Bring out your floral china and set up a collection of pitchers, and include plants.

4. Flowers!
Easter is the perfect time to arrange beautiful spring flowers around your table. If you are buying the flowers from a boutique make sure you give them an advance order as this is one of the busiest times of the year. Small pots of prim roses, petunias, hyacinths and a short tulip..work the best with spring. Arrange the flowers in woven Easter baskets and fill the empty spaces with floral moss.

5. Sheer everything!
Sheer curtains, sheer tablecloths, sheer bed skirts, and pillows, all of these are the best elements of spring and summer. Plain, embroidered, or printed sheer designs can all be used for interiors, so look for the one that best fits your interior.

Great ideas for table setting!

Jimmie Martin furniture

We have such an appreciation for designers who bring a bit of modernity and rawness to our world of design. You won't find a typical, cliche or boring furniture piece in Jimmie Martin's furniture collection that's for sure! Each piece is custom, unique, has a personality all its own and we love it! Combine history, art and pure creativity and you've got the perfect recipe for a furniture collection that is exciting, sexy, quirky, and urban while somehow managing to remain glamourous and sophisticated. Modern statement pieces at its best...here are a few...

We love that the feathers on this classic french Louis XVI chair give it a high fashion feel. And although the taxidermy bird is sort of grotesque and gothic, it kinda works and is actually quite funny!

Tagging isn't always unsightly! This Queen Anne chair received a modern facelift with a sharpie and silver leaf details.

It's not enough that the materials for this chair are a rare combo of metallic neon green paint and zebra hide...so Jimmie took it one step further and added the zebra tail. Hmmmm not quite sure what to think about this tail, but I think I'm leaning towards love it.

A simple black armoire with a gold painted candleabra. Classy yet fun.

Wanna really tell them all just how you feel? Get it out with a sharpie and some spray paint! And don't hold your words back...furniture is the new therapist don't you know.

At your command Lamps

How great are these lamps! Cool, fun and creative we think that everybody should own one of these. And the best part is...you can manipulate the bodies in whatever position you'd like as they are all jointed. This could get really fun!
Find them at http://www.freshome.com/

Be creative every day ~ Plural

Gotta love Ankasa

For all of you stylish fashionistas out there enamoured with interiors and fashion, have we got a treat for you! Love the look of embellished pillows? then you will not be disappointed by Ankasa's fashion forward collection. Having only been established four years ago, by a husband and wife team of fabric designers, the line has become a huge success. Inspired by the world of fashion, Ankasa aims to blend fashion and interiors into a unique and luxurious home decor collection.

The designs are absolutely beautiful and are like jewelery for your upholstered furniture! Who would have thunk it right?! This line of pillows is glamorous unlike any other, with hand embroidered designs, jeweled embellishments, fur, patent leather and color pallettes mimicking those coming down the runway each season, these gorgeous pillows are definately at the top of our wish list!

Be creative every day! ~ Plural

Fun dinnerware

A penthouse suite for the price of a dinner plate? Well, not exactly, but these fun plates featuring floor plans are sure to spark conversation at your dinner table. Choose from a studio, penthouse or a luxury penthouse! What a great idea, Love it!

You can find them at http://www.fisheddy.com/

White Kitchens

What is more timeless than the classic white kitchen? Elegantly chic, modern and oh so beautiful! White kitchens have a clean and inviting nature about them that is undeniable and the space always feels fresh and new.

Here are a few of the many great qualities of using white in your kitchen: It is a utilitarian shade that allows you to easily coordinate your other elements such as counter tops, back splash, wall color and accessories. It reflects light, making your entire space feel much brighter. So if you have a space that is not well lit and electrical work is not an option, then white is your go-to color. It makes any color that's paired with it look like a million bucks. Most importantly, the end results look amazing and you will absolutely fall in love with your kitchen.

Here are some of our favorites:

Splash of Color

One of the easiest and most pocket-friendly ways to add a quick change to your home is with the use of paint. Adding color to your existing white walls will transform your space without breaking your piggy bank. Always test out several shades of your fave color on the wall before committing. Lighting plays a big role in the way the paint will look in your space so be sure to view your samples in both natural and artificial light, and at different times of the day.

Tile: Tile is a more permanent way of adding color, but it adds another dimension to your otherwise flat walls. Try adding a wall of tile in a smaller space, like a powder bathroom to get more bang for your buck. Glass decorative tiles are on the hot list right now and come in a variety of patterns, sizes and colors. Think outside of the box, mix and match and have fun!

Be creative every day~ Plural

Spoof up your Bachelorette party!

Recently, I was asked to be in a bridal show to give bridesmaids fun ways to throw a little design in the mix of a bachelorette party. So ladies hopefully these ideas will get your creative juices flowing for your next bachelorette party you plan.

I came across these mannequins and thought these would be perfect for the party. Take two mannequins; spray paint, and some type of flat surface to create a cute table that can display featured drinks of the night or h'orsdeurves. Dress the mannequins to your desire and you have created a fun element to the party.

When it comes to dinner here are some cute ideas to set your table up with. Use handcuffs for napkin rings with whips and for centerpieces I used chains and feathers to keep those fun bachelorette ideas. Remember when planning parties there are fun creative things you can do to make it unforgettable, just don’t forget to think out of the box!

Be creative every day ~ Plural