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Habitat ReStore ReStyle DIY Event

Where oh where did this week go?  I feel like I say that every week, but time just seems to keep moving a warp speed. 

Recall last year when I blogged about the Mooresville, NC Our Towns Habitat ReStore's Restyle event  HERE and HERE?  Well, it's that time again and it's your opportunity to show off your DIY skills. 


The ReStore ReStyle Design Challenge is a great way for DIYers to showcase their resourcefulness in repurposing and ‘upcycling’ items into fabulous home décor. Featured designers will be competing for three awards: the Judge’s Choice Award, Best Use of the Mystery Item and the People’s Choice award.

Here's a look at some of the past winners.

2012 Winning Space

2013 Winning Space



Applicants should have a knack for seeing unusual uses for ordinary items, and the artistic ability to integrate transformed items into daily living spaces. This event highlights the broad range of household goods, furniture and other items available at our two ReStores (Mooresville and Cornelius). The event was built upon the 3 R’s of the ReStore: ReUse, ReCycle and RePurpose, and raises awareness of how, with a little bit of ingenuity and elbow grease, we can save our environment, beautify our homes, and help families in our community!

The deadline to apply is March 4th at 5pm. For more information and to apply visit http://ourtownsrestore.org/restore-restyle-2014.

Oh yeah and guess who's a judge this year.  Yep, ME!! Yippee!  Happy Friday!

On the Books: Modern Master

Hope you guys had an awesome weekend.  We had beautiful weather, so I took advantage of it by getting some of those not so glamorous projects done.  

I'm excited to have another client project on the books.  All systems are go for this fun modern master bedroom project. 

I'm dying to work with this color scheme.  I mean this pillow alone makes me so anxious to pull this one together.

via Etsy
Surprisingly it was one of the client's favorite parts of the plan.  And to think, I almost didn't add it because I was afraid it might be too much.  Yet another example of why your should always trust your instinct. 

Have a great day!

ReStore Guest Post: Ideaboards

 

I'm blogging over at the Restore blog and I'm sharing one of my go to design tools.  Here's a hint...

 

Click HERE to be redirected.

And don't forget, to register for the ReStore ReNew event that I'll be hosting in Hickory, NC on Saturday, March 15th. 

Behind the Scenes with Maureen O'Boyle

Just before the holidays I had the amazing opportunity to work with Maureen O'Boyle on a story about budget decorating from the Habitat ReStore.  Missed it?  Check the video out HERE.

Maureen was awesome to work with and we've actually stayed in touch since.  Today I'm sharing her experience from an upcoming feature in South Park Magazine.  Maureen is a HUGE bargain hunter and loves a deal, especially on furniture and home decor.  Needless to say, she's definitely a girl after my own heart.  
via Maureen O'Boyle WBTV Facebook page


Click HERE to check out Maureen's WBTV story recapping her experience and to find out why she shops local thrift stores and resale shops for great deals and unique finds for her gorgeous home.  The article includes a slide show of behind the scenes photos from the shoot. 

Oh yeah!! Did I mention it includes a shout out to yours truly?  Hehehe! : )

Until next time....

Two Day Adventures

I'm convinced that thrifting, yard sale-ing and estate sale-ing should all be two day events.  It seems that every time I partake in one of the above adventures I'm always haunted by the things I passed up the day before.

This weekend my blogging buddy Jennifer and I headed out to an Estate Sale and to a couple of thrift stores.  This place was packed with lots of great deals. 





The problem however is, sometimes in the midst of the shopping experience you don't have time to really process the potential of some of the items you're seeing.

For example, we spotted this $17 drop leaf metal work table.
 
 
Nothing special, right?  WRONG.  We both knew it had potential, but neither of us could wrap our head around how we could use it. 

Turns out, it's actually a vintage typewriter cart.  Whatever it is, I know that with a pop of fun color on it, it would be a great piece.


I eyed this set of milk glass cups at the estate sale and thought they were nice, but I couldn't think of a need for them.   Now I'm wishing I had them for their vase potential alone.  I also saw these awesome ceramic lamps while thrifting. 


The photo doesn't do them justice.  I was immediately drawn to them, but questioned if they'd actually work in my space.  Of course, after thinking about it, I realized that they'd be great on my entry table.  Urghhhh!!!

 
 
I figure if these outings were two day events, you could scope out all the great finds, think about how they could be used in your space and then return to purchase what you shouldn't have left in the first place.

Oh well, all was not lost,  I did score some great finds. 

 
Happy Monday! 
 
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"Loving my Living Room"

 
Well, I think we're finally done with Snowmageddon 2014.  Wow!  I've never seen so much snow in our area.   It was fun while it lasted, but this girl has got things to do, people to see and places to go.
 
Since I was stuck in the house for three days, I was able to take photos of some recent updates I've made in the living room. 
 
 
 
After taking down the Christmas décor, I realized that I didn't want the red and green scheme for Spring and Summer.  When I looked around, it was pretty apparent that with very little investment I could completely eliminate the red altogether (at least until the Holidays).    I decided to go with pink. Surprise, surprise.  It's really more like fuchsia or magenta, but I love it.
 
 
 
I started by adding new pillows in with the existing ones.  I fell in love with this pink velvet months ago. I purchased a yard not knowing what I'd even do with it.  Such a good example of how you should buy what you love.  Don't over think it.  If it speaks to you (I mean really speaks), get it. The use for it will come. 
 

 
I had my seamstress use the pink and the gold velvet together on this one, and I love the result.   I'm still in the market for a couple of additional pops of pink.
 
I also finally took the time to style my new étagère.  I'm so glad I decided to get it.  It's the perfect addition to my space. 
 
 
It gives me the perfect spot to place all of those little treasures that I've picked up thrifting. 
 
 
I was intentional with the use of pink and green to help tie in the colors for a cohesive look.
 
 
 
Styling shelving is tedious work and I'm not sure it's ever actually done.  I like how it's come together, but I'll be keeping my eyes open for items that may work better. 
 
 

I still need to move the mail/message center over, change the finish on the metal hardware and possible add a piece of art, but it's coming along. 
 


The new color scheme certainly has me ready for Spring, not to mention it's perfect for Valentine's Day.  Happy Friday!

 
 

 

Habitat ReStore ReNew: Part 3

 
I cannot tell you how excited I am to announce that it's finally my turn.  You may recall a few weeks ago I blogged about the ReStore ReNew series I was participating in with my fellow ReStore Bloggers.  Well, it's my turn!
 
I think the most exciting part is that this event is taking place at my FAVORITE Habitat ReStore, the Catawba Valley ReStore in Hickory NC. 
 
When I say that this place has an awesome selection of new and gently used furnishings, fabric and accesories, believe me.  It's pretty amazing.  Look at some of these beauties from their Facebook page.  

Amazing right?  I also love that they often run weekend promotions where the entire store is 25-50% off!  
 
Sorry, back to the event.  As I mentioned in my previous post, the Habitat ReStore ReNew series puts each of the Metrolina ReStores bloggers as the headliner in a 1/2 day workshop in a local ReStore. The events allow our followers a chance to participate in a special event; one that celebrates our passions for all things vintage, organizing and interior design. 
 
While I haven't yet worked out the details, my seminar will likely focus on how to find the "good stuff" at the Habitat ReStore.  I know that so many of my blog and social media followers always comment on the great deals I score while thrifting.  I don't think there's any magic to it, I just think it requires a little training. 
 
If you live in this area, you've got a little over a month to plan, but trust me, you don't want to miss this event.  Space is limited and tickets are officially on sale and selling already. 
 
You can get the details and purchase tickets HERE
 
Check out the event press release!
 
I hope to see you there!!

"Bringing Brass Back to Life"

Hope you had a great weekend.  First, thanks for all of the love last week.  You guys are the BEST!

On Saturday,  I had the pleasure of attending the second of three Habitat ReStore ReNew events at the Gaston Country Restore.  My Metrolina ReStores blog sister Donna Scott a.k.a. Mod Bettie did a super job breaking down mid-century modern for the class attendees.  Such a great era with such timeless design.  However, I have to be honest, my favorite part of these events is the shopping.  They just give me an excuse to check out what's new at the ReStore.  
 
 As usual, I found some great finds even if I did have to fight for some of them.


That brass conch shell was so awesome.  No idea how Jennifer spotted it before me.  Thankfully, she graciously let me have it and it has found its way to my new brass étagère, also from the ReStore.
 

I also eyed these cute brass boxes. 


Jennifer informed me that they were actually cricket boxes.  Apparently, in Chinese culture, it was believed that carrying around a cricket would bring you luck.  I can't think of a better way to carry them around than in a cute brass box with decorative cut outs. 

 

The ones I spotted at the ReStore were in pretty bad shape.  I picked them up and put them back several times before finally deciding to try my luck with one.  After all, it was only $1.00. 


via
I got it home and thought I'd give my good ol' Brasso a try.  I've not had the best luck with Brasso, but I've seen the results it had on other bloggers projects.  Much to my surprise, it worked like a charm. 



You can easily see the difference with the Brass applied on the top left.
 
 
What a difference!  Of course, now I'm wishing I had purchased both of them. 
 
 
Hope your weekend was a fruitful as mine. 


Best of Houzz 2014!

I can't think of a better day than Friday to announce this great news.  Looks like we've moved from celebrating a small victory to a bigger one!  Drum roll please....

Dwell by Cheryl Interiors has been awarded “Best Of Houzz” for design and customer satisfaction by Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. We were chosen by the more than 16 million monthly users that comprise the Houzz community.
 
The Best Of Houzz award is given in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Customer Satisfaction honors are determined by a variety of factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2013. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the more than 16 million monthly users on Houzz, known as “Houzzers,” who saved more than 230 million professional images of home interiors and exteriors to their personal ideabooks via the Houzz site.
 

 
I can't tell you how thrilled we are to have been awarded this distinction.  Houzz has be instrumental in developing brand awareness for Dwell by Cheryl Interiors and it has provided a steady stream of fantastic clients in the Charlotte Metro area, and now this!
 
 
How's that for ending a work week.  I must thank all of my wonderful clients, and my fabulous team including Anna, Marisa, Shawna, Phyllis, Paul and Camilo.  Thanks  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

"Celebrating Small Victories"

In this world of blogging, you have to celebrate the small victories.  The truth is, there are a thousands of people out there on the World Wide Web (as my Mom calls it) that are talking about the exact same thing I am.  Sometimes it’s a struggle to even feel the need to keep blogging  You can easily get sucked into the dark hole of thinking, “I don’t have enough followers”, “I don’t have the right connections”, or even feeling like your content isn’t as fresh or as sexy as your fellow design bloggers. 
 
I often have to remind myself that when I started this blog, my aspiration was not to become a professional blogger (yep, they exist), but to use this as a platform to share my love for interior design and to establish brand recognition for Dwell by Cheryl Interiors.  Even still, it’s hard when you’re constantly viewing other blogs and you see their national partnerships, magazine features, book deals and media exposure.  Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely grateful for all of the blessings I've received related to this venture, but there is the tendency to compare yourself to others.  Nevertheless, I keep my eyes on MY prize, which is developing my skills as a designer and doing what I know God has gifted me to do.  That said, when you have even a small victory, it’s worth celebrating.  
 
Yesterday while visiting one of my favorite blogs to find the link for a recent post on house plants, I noticed that she had published her monthly Before and After link party.  A link party is basically an opportunity that a blogger provides for other bloggers to link their blog post/projects on a published post.  Linking up, as it's called, simply provides added exposure.  I typically participate in the Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After link party each month.  However as I just happen to land on her page yesterday, I scrolled through only to see that I was one of her featured projects.  Now, just to give you a little perspective, Thrifty Decor Chick has over 99,000 followers through Google Friend Connect alone.  Insane!  She was blogging way before blogging was cool, and her blog is one of my favorites. She's the master of DIY.  Needless to say, when I saw that out of the 300 bloggers that linked projects last month, she chose mine as one of seven to feature, I was floored.  I may have even squealed.  You can check out the full post HERE.
 
In celebration of this feature and just as a reminder, I'm sharing some never seen before images from the project.  
 



 
 
So grateful for all of the small victories like this one, that reinforce the fact that I'm on the right track.  Have a great day!

"Half Priced House Plants"

Lately, I’d been thinking about adding some greenery to my home.  I have to confess, I’m great with gardening outdoors, but indoors is a different story. However, my recent Fiddle Leaf Fig purchase (and this blog post) really has me wanting more of that natural look indoors. 

 
 
 There’s just something about a lush green plant that makes a room…. come alive. 
 



Don’t you agree?
 
This weekend I headed out to Lowe’s on a hunt for a plant or two.  I figured the size I wanted would be pretty pricey, so I was only looking to purchase one or two.  Well, much to my surprise they must’ve heard I was coming, because when I arrived nearly the entire house plant section was HALF PRICE!  Woo hoo! 
 
 
 
 
It took me forever to decide on a few.  Given the most expensive (and largest) were only $11,  I had my pick of the litter. 
 
I ended up with one large, two medium and two small plants for $28!  Now, I’m on the hunt to find some baskets for use as pots.  I know they’re going to make watering them a pain, but I love the look of a basket instead of a pot.  Ideally I’d like to find them while thrifting, but I don’t think I’m going to be patient enough for that.  We’ll see.  My plan for care is simply to follow the instruction.  Novel idea, I know.  Wish me luck!
 
 
Are you a house plant fan?  If so, what’s your advice for keeping them alive?
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