Classic with a Twist

Doesn't Every Woman Deserve a Craft Room?

Rainy afternoon in Texas and spending the day with an icepack and knee propped on pillow... again!

Arghhh! I think I threw out the crutches a bit too soon and I'm thinking the trips up and
down the stairs at three client's homes in one day might have been a contribution to the
new pain and lovely swelling that appeared.

I'm following the doctor's orders, listening to my thoughtful nurse:),
and wishing I had one of these!

As I think of all the 'things' I should be doing instead of sitting here, I start organizing in

my head. I will use the excuse that if I had my own Craft Room then I

would be one of those Scrapbook Ladies.... hmmmm.... ???

My client, Mrs. Cave Dweller, did have her own craft room in her newly built home

with an work island in the middle along with gorgeous draperies we designed.

Martha always does it right as you can see...by the niche below-

I love this DIY project found on the blog, Simply Grove. The turquoise and red is so

fun and the organizational methods are plentiful.

I'm sure we all can adopt at least one of these ideas for our

"Craft Closets or Cabinets"!

Here's a sewing room from Apartment Therapy...

check out the custom height table on cinder blocks... whatever works!

More sewing rooms by Quaint Handmade

The big idea**** A Space for Everything ****

You hear me talk about using your vertical wall space so often and here are

a few examples of wall systems... a few as easy as painted pegboard.

Last but not least, Home Decorators Collection has come out with an

entire line designated for all your craft needs....

So if you are in the mood, get out your empty containers and get after it!

I'll be right behind you....

Until next time,

Sunday, January 16, 2011 Comments: 1

J Lo and Moi: Separated at birth?

Your new American Idol judge has great talent... and great taste as well!

Jennifer Lopez's newly furnished California home is sophisticated and stylish-

and caught my eye instantly.

I think I could move right in-

This is probably my favorite pic of the bunch.

I LOVE:

*the detail on the glass cabinet fronts

*the chandelier

*the tufted, nailhead chairs

*the painted finish on the buffet

*the black and white contrast on the table

Veranda posted this photo shoot and it doesn't disappoint-

J Lo hired Michelle Workman, a designer to the stars, to complete the project in just 10 weeks.

Michelle mentioned that Jennifer knows what she likes and makes decisions fast... hmmmm.

They added a bit more of a masculine look for Marc in the family room:)

When designing with a soft color palette, it makes it even more important to add great textures.

Since the colors are not making the statement.... the feel of the room can take over.

They used velvets, leather and silks to bring in a nice feel-

Lots of Global Views items in this room... love it!

Lighting is key! Check out this fixture and I love the combo of chairs. Simple and elegant... but it does not give the feel of over the top- which I'm sure you'd feel anyway walking into her digs.

Lucite legs with a leather tufted top on the bench- ahhhh...., my favorite type headboard- classic linen with simple nailhead and a FUN light fixture!

p.s. With the boxed pleat valance and full panels, it looks like the draperies may be operable. Line with blackout and sleep everyday until noon!

Check out this beauty from 1st Dibs... you can have one too!

Back to the bedroom...Traci's pick:

Herrringbone pattern inside the fireplace.

It's all about the details!

More lucite and wallpaper...yes!

The house has a bit of an art deco feel... a bit of forties... and a lot of Serene Glamour!

So, is it just me or do you have a favorite element in this house as well?

Good luck, J Lo... it's a tough crowd!

Until next time,

Friday, January 14, 2011 Comments: 2

With crutches in hand, I managed to pull off a window treatment installation yesterday.

My knee is the swollen like a balloon today, but I'm so glad we fit this in...

and really all I did was sit with an ice pack

and boss people around!

I'm very pleased with the treatments for my client, Janet Jackson.

She is sweet like the real JJ and I bet she can sing as well... wink wink.

In the pics above and below, we installed one of my favorite window coverings...

Woven Wood Shades~ I'll show you below why-

We had to bring some color into the brown and brown color scheme and

the simple scalloped valances in the family room did the trick.

(Note: I'm turning over a new leaf with purchasing ready- made pillows more

often than custom... if at all possible. There are so many stylish choices out

there including these cuties from my go to source Homegoods~

which will discuss in another post~ an addiction of mine).

Janet Jackson has a Hill Country vibe going on in her house so we needed to keep it simple by adding flat trim and metal buttons from a great new online source I found...

As Cute as a Button.

We carried the pumpkin color into the kitchen with this soft valance with

fabric by Greenhouse Design

and twisted hardware by Design Elements

Let's chat about the trim.

I'm not a "trim" kind of gal, but JJ is surrounded by men in the household and we

needed to add a special feminine touch. We both went for this trim only because it has a

rustic flair with the metal beads and matte finished spheres.

Now let's take a look at the wovens...

This is a closeup of a shade without a liner. It is "light filtering",

however, you can order them with a lining that gives more sun protection.

Such a classic look- an alternative to wood blinds and draperies if that is not for you!

Color and texture options are endless-

The top piece (valance) can be customized as well. Lots of texture going on in this room-

a tribal look with a punch of color

Another benefit is some offer a continuous loop cord and most

have very small stack depth when pulled up...more view for you to enjoy!

Don't think twice about using woven woods with your modern decor either.

I'm lucky enough to have only one ww shade in my house. It is on a lonely window

in my kitchen which is the perfect solution for an odd window placement.

With our professional measuring and installation

(and of course professional designer advice), you'll love your new look!

Try them-

Until next time,

Traci

Images via* www.theshadeshop.net, www.sunbornshading.net, www.orlandoblindsshutters.com, www.bestblindsusa.com, moi

Friday, January 7, 2011 Comments: 4

I got quite the kick out of this news story! If you read my e newsletter today, you know
that I had my knee scoped yesterday and have been bed bound for the last day...
which means a lot of television!

The 6:00 pm news came on and the very first feature story was called
"Focus on Furniture"
and showed a picture of this chair~ which I instantly recognized!

It is made by Indiana Furniture and my fingers were crossed that the news story was
not a negative one... but it actually made me chuckle.

Dallas City Hall purchased 16 of these for over $540 each and taxpayers are having a fit! Council members raised taxes this year and laid off 46 workers. They said the chair purchase doesn't "sit" well with some council members... hee hee.
Other members were positive about the purchase stating that someone fell over in one of
the old chairs and it broke (oops)... and that these were adjustable.

Now, since they are there to make such important decisions for the
City of Dallas,

shouldn't their chairs be comfortable?

I proposed the Energi chair shown above to a commercial client, however, we thought that the Elation was a much better fit for this sleek Law Firm located in Frisco.

Must have been a slow night for news in Dallas...

From the tone of the newscast, I think that Dallas City Hall will be keeping those great chairs for many years to come... they want to get their money out of them!

If you need some new chairs for your office, you know where to find them:)

Until next time,

Traci

Images via* Indiana Furniture, Moi, WFAA