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Kitchen Renovation Under $1,000 – In 2 Weekends
I’m so happy with my newly organized kitchen, thanks to Apartment Therapy’s Kitchen Cure. I thought I’d pitch in and share a kitchen renovation I did for less than a thousand dollars. Ready?
The photo, above, is the completed project. Unfortunately, it doesn’t show the right-hand counter or the tiny range. But you get the idea.
This was my first show house. The Junior League gave me a tiny kitchen that had been part of a mother-in-law’s apartment. It was so depressing, I think I may have been the only designer who bid on it.
As you can see, the floor was Ick! The cabinets and counters were a snore. The hardware was cheesy “brass”. This was one ugly kitchen. I love a challenge and could see the potential just waiting to be brought out.
If you have an ugly kitchen, you can transform it too. I overhauled this one in two weekends for under $1,000. Here’s how I did it.
MORE!
Decorating On The Cheap
Today’s New York Times ran a brilliant and funny article about a $1,000 redecorating project gone wrong, then right. I thought you would, too. You’ll also enjoy seeing the room designed by HGTV’s Ron Marvin.
Ron is the host of Small Space, Big Style. He agreed to redecorate a woman’s living and dining room for free with a budget of only $1,000. Did she appreciate getting saving a $6,000 design fee? Not.
To read the article and see more images, follow this link. But first, here are some of my favorite bits from the story.
Mr. Marvin offered solutions for nearly all of her design problems, all for $1,000. Ms. Sperling, however, seemed upset. “I don’t want to totally say no,” she began, before pessimistically questioning nearly all of his recommendations. When told the dark sideboard would be repainted white, she asked “what kind of white?” When Mr. Marvin said the top of the dining table would be replaced with glass, she asked, “Isn’t glass expensive?” And as for the coffee and end tables from Ikea, Ms. Sperling wanted to know, “Is it made well at Ikea?”
later…
He was also perturbed that Ms. Sperling suggested spending more money. “She was being so detailed and picky about the whole budget,” he wrote in an e-mail message to this reporter, and now she is “adding more things!”
still later…
The next day, Ms. Sperling e-mailed back a lengthy explanation for why she wouldn’t be able to make it to Ikea for another week, how she didn’t like any of the three rug options Mr. Marvin sent, and why, according to her calculations, the mirror or a lamp would have to be cut.
Jeez! Thankfully, she liked “99%” of the finished room. I’ve been so lucky to have had great clients. But, there was this one lady….
Portfolio Profile: Interior Designer Marlaina Teich
Everyone loves a designer show house. I do. Fellow interior designer, Marliana Teich, sent me these “before and after” photos of her bed & bath combo in the Brookville Show House.
Pretty nifty, what? Marlaina teaches us a lesson in the importance of contrast. How did she do it? The silver armoire was her inspiration for the design. Marlaina highlighted the high ceilings with an elaborate Mother of Pearl fireplace wall, which was created using 12″x24″ tiles of capiz shells. That’s a cool idea, isn’t it?
The shimmer continues with the bed upholstered in pearlized “leather”. She framed the windows with silk. Using panels on either end frames the bed and removes any awkwardness of the bed in front of the windows.
The biggest design challenge – the bathroom – was completely outdated. The walls were painted cloth. Moisture on cloth? Eeewww. To update the bathroom, Marlaina added an oversized trellis-patterned wall covering in charcoal gray and painted the trim a fresh white, and also built a custom wood surround for the tub.
To see the rest of the show house, follow this link. What do you think of the rooms? I think she did a great job and showed real creativity in the space planning and the shells on the fireplace wall. Designers pay for everything that goes in a show house room. We hope to sell enough of the furnishings to break even. Unless we own a furniture store, designers beg and borrow to create a room. Which is what I’ll begin doing in a few short weeks at the Junior League Show House here in Grosse Pointe.
6 Decorating Ideas For Stylish Living In A Single Room
How do you live in one room and maintain a sense of style? Having once lived in one myself, I can give you a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Jennifer’s Tips
1. Buy a few bold pieces instead of lots of little things.
Lots of tiny things may seem like the way to go, but they’ll actually make the room look smaller. Your eye won’t know what to rest on and will be buzzing around. The large, graphic artwork in this room works really well. Also, notice the careful selection of furniture. Not too much!
2. Define “rooms” with translucent fabrics and/or area rugs.
You might want a bit of privacy in the bedroom. Even if you’re alone, being able to close off the bedroom will create a cozy feeling that’s easier to sleep in. IKEA makes a great system that suspends from the ceiling.
3. A vibrant paint can define a separate space with-in-a-space.
A large block of vibrant color can visually separate a space. If you’re living in a rental, painting only one section makes it easier to return it to “Decorator White” before you move out.
4. Buy furniture that does double duty.
A dining table can be a desk. An ottoman can be a coffee table. A coffee table could also hold some storage.
5. Light colors will make the space appear larger.
If you want to go with color on the walls, remember that cool colors recede and will make the room larger. A pastel will also reflect more light and work to that effect even more.
6. Finally, mirrors are an old stand-by for tricking the eye.
One-foot square mirrors are sold at Lowe’s and Home Depot. Why not create a mirror wall? Your room will double in size in an instant.
Do you have a tip? Sharing is caring.
images: visiondecor, 200 Water St, Venturska
Design Dilemma: Rachel’s Dining Room
My friend, Rachel Perls is a color expert and writer of Hue. She wrote to me about a month ago asking for help with her dining room decoration. She’s got the color down solid – a nice complimentary scheme of orange and blue The walls are orange and she covered the chairs with a nice blend of blues. She’s planning on painting the trim a dark brown.
So, we’ve got our color scheme. Rachel needed some help with furniture placement, a buffet and some finishing touches. So here we go.
The table needs to be placed with the short end facing the entrance. As you can see, it makes a better traffic flow into the kitchen and around the table. That’s simple! The next place to go is the area rug.
The walls, table and floor have orange tones, which can look monotone. The large window and the wide doorway on the other side cut down on the saturation. Still. I felt it would be a good idea to go with a neutral carpet to cut back on the orange without clashing with the blue patterns on the chairs. The 5′ x 8′ sisal carpet ($158) is from Pottery Barn). It has a bound edge and fits nicely under both the table and chairs. Next, we need a buffet.
I’d like to see Rachel and her husband some pieces they’ll keep forever. I love this Chinese Butcher’s Table from Wisteria ($1,499). The age on the antique buffet gives the room tons of character. Plus, it can serve as a buffet table – terrific for entertaining. Since Rachel is lucky enough to live in San Fransisco, she can shop the antiques in her wonderful city for just the right thing and keep this in mind while she shops. Lucky girl!
We need some simple accessorising. Rachel already owns this tiled mirror. The color ties in perfectly with the blue chairs. I’d hang this over the buffet. She’s going to need some artwork on the other wall as well. I suggest starting an art wall with a variety of photos, art work and other elements. To see how to create this look, read my earlier post on the topic.
I’ve added a hand-painted Talavera plate from Novica as a centerpiece on the table. Two would be even better.And that’s it! A simple plan for a beautiful, colorful room.
Jennifer’s Tips
- Always start with the item that has the fewest options. Here, I would have started with the rug and then chosen fabrics for the chairs afterward.
- Neutral goes with everything! Duh. The beige sisal cuts back on the orange and creates a nice extra layer of decoration.
- Don’t freak about matchy-matchy. Please! This room will look really great with a mix of styles. The only important element is the scale. Keep all the pieces the same scale. Say no to a giant chair with a tiny table.
Okay, let’s hear your tips. How would you decorate Rachel’s dining room?
8 Great Bedside Tables
And the 1 reason that makes them all terrific.
Most of us will agree that a bed needs a bedside table. We need a place for a lamp, a book, the remote. A really great bedside table needs just one thing (besides style) to meet my requirements. It needs a drawer. At least one. Perhaps more, but at least one.
You need a drawer to stash those private things that we all need handy at night. Medication and condoms are obvious. Your dog-eared copy of Lovely Lying Lips might be less so. At any rate, you need a drawer. Here are 8 styles that fill the bill for me.
1. Wm. Sonoma’s Hudson Table
This lovely style from, Wiliam Sonoma, also comes in a dark stain ($895). I like its simple lines.
2. Ethan Allen’s Maison Chest
A chest of drawers is terrific, if you have the space. This is from Ethan Allen ($949).
3. De La Espada’s Weekender
De La Espada’s 643 Weekender bedside unit is low and chunky. Perfect to partner with a platform bed.
4. Wisteria’s Moorish Chest
At 34.5″ high, I think this beautifully inlaid chest from Wisteria ($2,999) would look great with a tall bed, like the one I’m lying on right now. The mattress has to be high enough so you’re not reaching up too high to access the hot oil.
5. Tealan’s Chinese Antique Table
This is a steal. Tealan sells Asian cabinets that are perfect for by the bed. The even have a drawer. This one sells for $375. You can find some in pairs.
6. Max Alto’s Thronos table
This is lovely in its simplicity. Designed for the Max Alto division of B&B Italia (one of y super faves), Thronos even has a drawer, believe it or not.
7. Shine Home’s Bing Table
I like the Bing side table – a colorful option. I see it in a dramatic bedroom with some large lamps. It’s from Shine Home where it comes in 3 colors.
8. Horchow’s Deco Side Table
For an eclectic, feminine touch, Horchow’s Deco Table is a good choice ($1,199).
My favorites are the William Sonoma table and the Moorish chest from Wisteria. One plain, one fancy. Which one is yours?
Interior Designer, Fiona Davies, Fixes a Bedroom Design Gone Wrong
British interior designer, Fiona Davies is my guest blogger today. Fiona trained as an Interior Spatial Designer, and set up her own interior design business, Flame Interiors, 2 years ago. Like me, she’s passionate about all things Interior Design. She works in both residential and commercial projects – especially hospitality (hotel, etc.) design. She’s an approachable designer who creates detailed, bespoke and colorful concepts, designed with enthusiasm and likes a quirky twist. In other words, Fiona is my kind of designer.
Take it away Fiona!
I love to design bedrooms! People really want to get involved in the design and are much more open to expressing their personality in the bedroom. As a designer I love the challenge of meeting the design brief as well as getting the mood and ambience right.
For example, a couple who needed my help approached me. They’d spent a lot of money on built-ins. Their beautiful Victorian, double aspect bedroom was packed to the brim with wooden furniture and looked like a room in Travel Lodge. They hated it and were devastated. We decided to keep the wood. They couldn’t justify the cost, and I couldn’t justify ripping out brand new furniture. My plan was to work with the existing space by softening the rest of the room so that the wood would blend in and look less harsh.
It was a pretty simple fix. I created a feature wall out of the chimneybreast, fireplace and the two new fitted wardrobes either side using bold wallpaper we chose together. My clients went for a hot pink color. We added gold to the color mix and chose new fabrics for a bed throw, cushions, a window seat and curtains. The warm tones complemented the wood tones, which softened the look of the built-ins.
To finish off, we choose a beautiful chandelier, bedside lamps and mirror to create the right kind of lighting within the room. I also wanted to add something feminine to counteract the masculine feel of all the built-ins. 
It was amazing how different their room felt when it was done. Best of all, the clients were incredibly happy with the result – and so was I!
Thanks Fiona! The end result does look amazing. To hire Fiona, visit her website. Or follow her on Twitter.
How To Shop for and Wash Sheets with SFERRA’s Paul Hooker
Welcome to Part III of my three-part (obviously) interview with SFERRA president, Paul Hooker. This is a man who knows his yarn. You can read Part I, in which we discuss the whole thread-count issue, by following this link. Read Part II, all about style here.
Paul and I ended out discussion with some dirty talk. How to wash the sheets, that is. He’s got a few tips on shopping as well.
DH: Is it important to wash linens with special detergent?
PH: What you have to watch for in detergent is chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach kills cotton fabric. It not only yellows the fabric, but it breaks down the fibers, causing the sheets to have a shorter life. They pill and rip more easily. There are many good detergents on the market. Just avoid any that contain chlorine bleach. Use an oxygen bleach instead. We have a page on our site dedicated to this subject.
DH: I iron my sheets, which has spoiled me forever. What makes an ironed sheets feel so much better?
PH: It brings out the crispness of the cotton or linen of the sheet. The same way a nicely pressed piece of clothing becomes the person, the nicely pressed cotton or linen makes one feel “extra special” when crawling into bed. It could also have something to do with the fact that extra attention was given to get this fabric just right.
Paul’s Tips on How to Buy and Wash Bed Linens
- Educate yourself about the various types of sheets. Do you want percale or sateen? A specialty store can tell and show you the difference.
- Know and trust the merchant who is selling you the sheets. If it sounds too good to be true, it generally is. Will they stand behind their product? Have they been in business a long time? Will they be there tomorrow? Those who have a long history tend to take the business more seriously, and offer better quality than others. Sometimes price leads the way. If it doesn’t, shop at a specialty store that carries the best quality possible.
More shopping tips and all about washing after the jump. (more…)
How To Make the Bed with SFERRA President, Paul Hooker
Welcome back to the second part of my interview with Paul Hooker, president of SFERRA, a premier linen and beddings company. You can read the first part here. Today we’re discussing sheets and how to dress the bed.
DH: What are the benefits of purchasing from SFERRA. Do your products last longer?
PH: People spend a third of our lives between the sheets. Shouldn’t that be a wonderful experience? Of course, the mattress makes a huge difference, but next comes what is next to your body. And those are the sheets. For over 118 years, we have worked with the world’s best textile artisans to create the very finished sheets in the world.
DH: What are your personal choices when it comes to making up the bed? Do you think white rules? Is there a special color or style combination that you especially like?
PH: I am from the Midwest, and I guess I like things rather basic. My favorite sheet is our white Celeste, which dollar for dollar is The best Italian percale in the world. It is chamois soft to the touch, and launders beautifully, and you just cannot get out of bed when sleeping in Celeste. It is the largest selling item in our company, and has been since I created it in 1980.
DH: Getting a little personal here, do you prefer a top sheet or just a duvet?
SH: I prefer to sleep with a bottom fitted sheet and a duvet only, no top sheet. The top of the duvet cover generally has some texture (matelasse for example) and the bottom is our Celeste percale. I don’t use a top sheet, preferring the freedom of just a duvet. It is what you find in most hotels in Europe.
DH: What’s your favorite way to style a bed? For example, decorative pillows in front of sleeping pillows, with a folded duvet?
PH: There are so many ways, and none are wrong. It totally depends on what the person likes. Generally though, you’ll sleep with a blanket and a blanket cover. Or, with a duvet and a duvet cover – unless the duvet is folded at the end of the bed. You generally use a top sheet with both.
For pillows on a king bed, for example, we like to put 2 king pillow shams across the top, with 3 Euro shams in front of them, and then decorative pillows to accent the bed.
Tomorrow, we rounf things up with Paul’s laundry tips! Be sure to stay tuned for that. Questions for Paul? Leave them right here.
An Inside Look at Luxury Sheets with SFERRA President, Paul Hooker
I had the chance to discuss luxury sheets with Paul Hooker, the President of SFERRA, one of the oldest linen producers in business today. I was curious to know the reality behind the mystique. After hearing Paul’s thoughts I think you’ll agree that it’s time to overcome our intimidation about considering a high quality sheet for your bed. After all, as Paul says, we spend a third of our lives between the sheets.
DH: Why are sheets in general so expensive?
PH: Well, in general, most sheets are not that expensive. The better ones are. As with all other products, you truly get what you pay for. The price, if considered high, may reflect the quality of the yarns used, the quality of the bleaching, dying, and washing. Also, it may reflect the quality of the cutting and sewing. As with a very fine automobile, some are better than others, and you often pay for that quality.
DH: Where do most people purchase their sheets – Target, K-Mart, department store?
PH: Yes, I would say the majority of Americans buy their bed linens from the stores you mention, but of course, these are not where the luxury sheets are offered.
DH: SFERRA has a reputation, among the general public, of being very expensive. Are your linens actually more expensive? If so, what makes them worth the extra price?
PH: Actually, that is not the reputation that we should have, because we are not the most expensive. The best? Yes. The most expensive? No. We have always considered SFERRA as affordable luxury for we source better than anyone else in the industry.
We are textile people; we design and construct all of our own creations. We buy directly from the best weaving mills in the world. We bleach, dye, wash, and finish directly. We also cut and sew directly. We go directly to the source on all aspects of our creation, so we feel we can buy the best and create it for a very fair price.
Perhaps the perception that we are expensive comes from the fact that we don’t sell to any big box stores, or any stores that ends in “mart.” We sell to the finest specialty stores in the world, and perhaps therein lies the perception.
DH: So I guess that means we need to get over our intimidation and start shopping in those specialty shops. What is the difference between a 300 thread count sheet from Target, Restoration Hardware and SFERRA?
PH: Generally, there are 3 things that differentiate us from our competitors.
- The yarns we use for the weaving.
- The finishing recipe that we use on the fabric to make it silky-soft, smooth, never pilling. And…
- The detailing we use in our sewing of the product. We source our entire SFERRA collection in Italy, where we can work with mills that have been doing this for hundreds of years. Keep in mind we have been doing this continually since 1891.
DH: How important is the thread count when it comes to linens?
PH: Thread count, as a guide to judge quality, is meaningless. The length of the staple (or fiber) is really the most important aspect. The longer the staple, the better the cloth will be. Long staple Egyptian cotton can only be grown in certain regions of the Nile, and of course, SFERRA buys the very best of the Egyptian cotton available.
DH: So it’s true that Egyptian cotton is the best?
PH: Egyptian cotton, as a whole, is considered the best in the world. It is grown along the very fertile Nile River where the soil and climate is unlike any other in the world. But like all things, there is good, better, and best when it comes to Egyptian cotton.
In addition, the longer threads are much finer than cotton grown elsewhere. Combine the length of the staple (over 30 mm is considered a long staple cotton) with the fineness of the yarn, and the soil from whence it came, and there you have the best cotton available.
Part Two of my interview will post tomorrow. Do you questions for Paul? Leave them here.
Redecorating the Bedroom
All this month I’m going to be talking about bedroom redecorating. I’ll also have lots of other useful tips for around the house, including 2 great design dilemmas. But I’m just finishing a much needed spruce-up of my own bedroom and thought it might be fun to focus on the room we spend so much of our time. The bed, below is from Portuguese company, Jet Class.
I’m asking all my readers to help me out. What questions do you have about decorating bedrooms? Trendy and soothing color palettes? Storage? Small spaces? How to add a little romance? Let me know what’s on your mind and all questions will be answered. Here’s what you can look forward to:
- An interview with SFerra, a premier linen company. Their sheets are a dream to sleep on.
- My take on decorating for teen and children’s rooms.
- How to dress the bed.
- Color and lighting to add softness and drama
- And lots and lots of bedroom photos to inspire you.
Take a moment to think about your own bedroom. Is there room for improvement? Are there products you’re searching for? Or, is your bedroom design perfection? Send me a photo or a bedroom design dilemma . Ask me a question. Let’s make August what it ought to be - a restful and relaxing month.
Friday Favorite: Jane Hornsby Cushions
I’m dedicating this Friday Favorite to my friends, Jeremy and Mariana. He’s from London, but loves his new home in the US. Even so, I think he’d like these beautiful cushions from Jane Hornsby.
I like them because they’re not the usual souvenir sort of thing. They’re made with velvet appliqués. And they’re fun as well as good looking.
Jeremy, or his wife Mariana, might like this cushion. I do.But Mariana is from Australia. Hmm…
Some Love anyone? Love the color combo here.
This may be a little too feminine for Jeremy. If Jane makes a Manchester City cushion I know he’d buy 20 at least.
Jane Hornsby’s cushions come with a feather insert at start at about $99.00 US. Shipping is free in the UK. She ships everywhere.
Cushions are a terrific way to change the look of a room. Or add that little something extra to round out your design. But I have a feeling you already knew that. Right?