"Please Allow Me to Introduce...."

Hi all!  I'm so excited to announce that I have a new intern! I cannot tell you how great it is to work with dedicated and hard working design enthusiasts and students that volunteer their time in order to gain some hands on experience.

 

Let's face it, since Chelsea and Kasia moved on, there has been a void at Dwell by Cheryl.  Having someone working with you that understands your language is priceless.  That's why I'm so happy to introduce you to my newest Professional Intern....

 

Shawna Anderson

 

Here she is in her own words to tell you a little about herself. 

 

"Hey - my name is Shawna, and I'm so excited to be joining the Dwell by Cheryl design team!  Ask anyone who knows me well and they'll tell you I LOVE interior design.  As a kid I was caught regularly redecorating my bedroom, and often switching rooms altogether.  Now, whenever I find a free moment, you'll catch me pouring over design blogs, magazines, TV shows, and either dreaming up or executing any number of ideas for decorating my home, or that of a friend or family member.

Straight out of High School I landed in the Staffing world of Corporate America, and I feel incredibly grateful to have worked almost ten years now in an industry where my love of people is the foundation for what I do.  My true passion, however, has always been interior design.  My hope is to not only work with people, but inspire them on their path to creating an environment that truly expresses themselves and meets the needs of their family.  I'm so excited to support Cheryl as we bring accessible design to everyone.  Just as she so aptly put it, '...everyone deserves to Dwell in a space that they absolutely cannot wait to come home to.'"

Please join me in welcoming Shawna to Dwell by Cheryl.  Have a great weekend!

See It, Like It, Do It: DIY Tray

 

One of the best things about entering the blogosphere has been connecting and following some pretty awesome bloggers.

I can't tell you the number of ideas and inspiration I get from reading other design blogs.  You can check out some of my favorites to the right on the sidebar menu.  One of my favs is Dwellings by Devore.  Her totally practical and chic approach to decorating and diy is fantastic. 

 

The other day I was totally inspired to "borrow" the acrylic lucite-look tray she made.  You can check out her post HERE, but I wanted to share how I used it in my recent project. 

 

 

First off, the project was too simple and too inexpensive not to try.

 

An acrylic frame, some Mod Podge and paper/fabric of my choice.  As suggested in Dwelling by Devore's post, I picked all of these up a Michael's with a 40% off coupon.  You know how they like a coupon. Lol!

 

 

 

I opted for these burlap sheets that I thought were pretty cool.  Didn't even know they made these.   

I followed the simple process of coating the front of the frame/bottom of the tray with Mod Podge...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and simply adhered the burlap sheets (cutting them to size) to the tray.  I made certain to ensure that the edges were glued down, especially since burlap frays. 

 

 

The Mod Podge dries clear so don't panic, it looks bad at first.  In the end, you've got a lovely acrylic tray that mimics the look of much more expensive lucite options.

 

 

 

So, how does the tray come in to yesterday's revealed project?

 

My client had an unused spot in her kitchen that seemed like a great place to incorporate some additional storage.  We were able to find a vintage piece that was the perfect size that offered great storage. With the help of The Painted Chair and the addition of a vintage chalkboard, a mercury glass lamp and the DIY tray, it took on a whole new attitude.

 

 

 

 

 

Super simple, super cheap, super chic! I saw it, I liked it, I did it...and so can you!

 

Client Project Reveal: "Twist on Traditional"

It's always exciting to reveal another completed project with you guys.  I know some take a long time to complete and trust me, I await the end result as eagerly as you do.  Today, I'm excited to be able to share a project that began back in the late Fall.  It's a Family Room that needed a little sprucing up.  The color scheme was dated and the family was in need of storage.

Apparently, I'm the world's worst "before" picture taker, so I will spare you the side by side comparisons. 

BEFORE

In order to provide the client with a sense of my vision for a more updated twist on traditional, we began with a mood board that provided modern elements like a Moroccan trellis rug a tufted ottoman and a large scale metallic mirror.

I'm still always amazed by how quickly color can update a space and that was certainly the case here. A complete transformation is within closer reach than most would imagine.

So, without further delay, here's the result....

AFTER

Photos courtesy of Jill Preslar Photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Family Room opens to the kitchen so we wanted to tie the two rooms together as much as possible.  I'll talk specifically about some of the transformations later this week, but for now.....

 

 

 

I would be remiss if I didn't thank my fabulous design team.  I could NOT have done it without them.  They worked tirelessly to get everything pulled together in a timely manner and I owe the success of the installation and shoot to them.

 

Left to right: Marisa Wilson, Me, Shawna Anderson and Phyllis McGalliard

 

Special Thanks to:

 

Photography by Jill Preslar of Jill Preslar Photography

Marisa Wilson

Shawna Anderson

Phyllis McGalliard

Mark Baity of Baity's Custom Upholstery

Tracy Owens of The Painted Chair  

 

 

So, what do you think?  By the way, thanks for the comment luv yesterday, and welcome back.  :  )

"If Her Outfit Were a Room: 2013 Oscars Edition"

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since my first If Her Outfit Were a Room: Oscars Edition post. 

This year, I'm back with another outfit-to-room interpretation of the fab fashion from last night's 2013 Academy Awards.  This year's red carpet presentation did not disappoint.  Here are a few memorable looks translated to incredible designer spaces.

For starters, I don't love either of the black and gold gowns worn by Salma and Nicole... 

E! Online

...but the color combo makes for fabulously glam room.



Traditional Home Office design by Other Metro Interior Designer Atmosphere Interior Design Inc.

Naomi Watts had me at sparkle.

E! Online 

How about a little bling in the kitchen?

Contemporary Kitchen design by Charleston Interior Designer Linda McDougald Design | Postcard from Paris Home

Two of my favorite Southern girls showed up in royal blue.  Love it! Such a vibrant color.

via of E! Online/Yahoo!

Obsessed with this cobalt tiled shower...

Eclectic Bathroom design by Nashville Interior Designer Marcelle Guilbeau, Interior Designer

I think it's hard to wear white and formal and not look bridal, but Charlize and Jennifer hit it out of the park....

 

E! Online

Nothing says fresh and clean like and all white luxurious bath. 

Traditional Bathroom design by Vancouver Kitchen And Bath Armadio Kitchen & Bath Ltd.

Here's to all the winners!

"I'm Ditching Disqus"

Just wanted to let you know that I've gone back to the original comment platform.

Via

I thought Disqus would make leaving a comment easier, but the people have spoken.

The fact is, I miss hearing from you guys.  A one-way conversation is not fun, so we're going back to the old way.  If you need a little help remembering how to leave a comment, revisit this post.

Blog Following 101:  Leaving a Comment

 

Welcome back!!

 

 

P.S.  I've got a great reveal coming soon......

"Friday Find: Fiddle-Leaf Fig"

Since the new year, I've had a big dark corner in my living room. 

Now that the Christmas tree is all put away, there is a huge void and let's just say, it's driving me crazy. 

I hate that the corner is not only bare, but it's also dark.  To be honest, I'm a little stumped by how to fix it.  I may need to rethink the furniture arrangement.  I can't put a floor lamp there, which would seem the obvious choice, because there is an end table with a large lamp just to the right of the chair.

via

I've been contemplating purchasing a Fiddle Leaf Fig tree.  Have you seen them?  It seems like every time I open a catalog or magazine, there one is. 

via The Loft on Broome

via

 

 



Modern Living Room design by San Francisco Architect John Lum Architecture, Inc. AIA

Contemporary Family Room design by Chicago Interior Designer Sean Michael Design

Modern Kitchen design by San Francisco Architect Feldman Architecture, Inc.

Traditional Family Room design by Dc Metro Interior Designer Haddon Interiors



I recently read where one blogger called them "chic greenery".  You've got to admit, they do look pretty darn chic and let's face it, they put the traditional Ficus to shame (this one is actually a Ficus too).  I've also noticed that they always seemed to be positioned near the window.  So I checked, and they like abundant but not direct light (whatever that means). You can read more about care HERE. 

They are available at places like:

• The Home Depot
• Lowe's

It's a thought.  But, it's not like this is going to solve my dark corner issue, but it would be pretty cool to have one.  What do you think?  Where's Bonnie, the gardening expert, when you need her?

Happy Friday!
By the way, I've got a big install on Saturday, wish me luck....

"And the Winner Is...."

This weekend I had an opportunity to visit Nancy to pick out some fabric for my new (to me) sofa.  I'm finally ready to upgrade.  I knew I wanted something with a natural look but that was totally durable.  I love the look of this, but linen is completely out of the question.

via

This isn't a formal living room sofa, I actually live on it, nap on it, blog on it, and eat on it. Durability is a must!

While perusing, I came across several contenders.  This first option was nice.  I like the texture and the weight but it looked too light to me.  I could see me waking up from a nap only to realize that my mascara had smeared on it.  Lol!

This next option was SUPER soft, but again way too light.  Both worked well with the current accent pillows though.

The third option was darker, but not too dark, which I really liked.  Unfortunately, its taupe hue seemed to clash with the pillows. 

And finally, there it was, the perfect fabric for my new sofa.  I knew immediately we had a winner.  It's light but not too light, textured with flecks of gold (not very visible here), that work perfectly with the existing throw pillows.   

Best of all, it's going to look GREAT on this...

via Craigslist

Yep, I think I finally decided on a sofa too.  I know, just trust me.  It's going to be great!  I think I'm skipping the tufting.  As much as I love it, I think it might be too busy with the print pillows and do I really want to be vacuuming fried chicken crumbs out of the tufting every other week? I know, I should probably eat at the table, not to mention back away from the fried chicken.  : )   I'm also planning to add a nailhead trim to jazz it up a bit. 

Highland Park Furniture

So excited to be changing out the oversized sofa.  Big Red has done her job and now it's time to pass the torch.

Off to Craigslist she goes....

New things to come and I can't wait!!!