The All Modern Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Struggler at Struggling to be Stylish! You have won the All Modern giveaway. Random.org selected lucky #9 from the 27 eligible comments.

Also, a big thank you to All Modern for sponsoring this contest! Please drop by and shop their amazing selection of high-quality, gorgeous modern furniture and home products. There is even a big sales event going on - 20% off until September 8th.

Custom Ribbon Message Board for Tween Room

The girl's tween bedroom I am designing is not complete, but is coming together very nicely. To help keep my little client stylishly organized, I created a ribbon message board that will hang above her desk. Here was my thought process and how I did it.

For visual interest, I like to to repeat a pattern here and there in the room. I selected a cotton twill fabric with trellis pattern in coral and thought it worked perfectly with the new Serena & Lily Aqua Trellis Sheet Set shown above.

It is a fairly easy DIY project, but does take some time. First, I staple-gunned the coral trellis fabric with a thin layer of batting under it to a stretched painter's canvas.

Baby blue grosgrain ribbon was laid out in a criss-cross diamond pattern and then staple-gunned to the back of the canvas. Clear floral buttons were sewn where the ribbons crossed. The buttons are darling and add just the right touch of sparkle.

Here's a view of the finished product. It turned out great and I hope my little client loves it as much as I do!

*images from Serena & Lily, Simplified Bee, PBK, Posh Tots

Organizing a Busy Mudroom - Before and After

Recently I helped clients in Lake Tahoe, Nevada organize their cluttered mudroom into a beautiful and functional space. The room serves several purposes including laundry, outerwear storage, business supplies, scrapbooking materials and floral vases.

The picture above is a small space in between the garage and kitchen. As you can see, the coat rack and shelf are packed with items and very cluttered. It's visually exhausting.

We started by taking sorting all the items into categories including donate, trash/recycle, move to garage, move to front closet, stays in mudroom and move to business supplies. Everything fit in a category and then we started putting items in their correct place. We ended up with two trash bags, three recycling bags and five donation bags.

The above image is of the coat rack and shelf after the organization project. The coat rack now houses just coats and outerwear the homeowner frequently needs. We used a basket from another room that fit the shelf better - it now hold hats, mittens and scarves. The long cane basket conveniently holds sunscreen and insect repellent.

Here's the bench as it existed before organizing. The homeowners would use it as a catch all for items such as coats, books, bags and boots.

We found a proper home for all the items on the bench and left it free and clear of clutter. Now the homeowners can appreciate the beautiful custom knotty-pine built-in bench and retrieve items inside easily. And look, you can see the gorgeous slate floor!

The picture above is a view of the laundry area. The counter is covered with boxes, business supplies and scrapbook materials. It was impossible to fold clothes on the counter in this condition.

Now the laundry area is clutter-free and the counter top clear. Isn't this a space you could fold clothes in?

The client had a series of prints from her childhood that were being stored away. We decided to showcase them above the counter.

The utility sink was not being used and filled with scrapbooking materials.

The utility sink is now clear and ready to be put to good use again.

Here is another view of the sink "before."

And here is a view "after." We even had two framed prints from the same series displayed in the laundry area that worked beautifully above the sink.

We even neatly organized all the cabinets. Here is a view of the cabinet above the sink before it was organized. It mainly served as storage for floral vases, so that is what ended up staying.

Here is the same cabinet after organizing. Now floral vases and supplies are displayed orderly and easily accessible.

The open shelves to the right of the sink were also a catch-all for scrapbooking and floral supplies.

To keep the space visually pleasing, I suggested large baskets for the lower three shelves. None of them match, but I think that's okay. In this case, all three baskets should be the same or all different. Because the homeowner already had two different baskets that fit the shelves, so we ended up only having to purchase one.

The homeowner had a lovely collection of white vases that I displayed on the top shelf. Organizing a collection of items by color is always easy on the eyes. It is also nice to have varying heights to add more visual interest.

The project was exhausting for me and the homeowners. It took approximately 20 hours to complete. But, it was worth every minute because the homeowners are thrilled with the results. They can again easily do laundry, hang up a jacket and find what they need.

It always feels good to complete a project. Now off to the next one and Julia's hooked on houses blog party!

A year from now you may wish you had started today.
~ Karen Lamb

*images from Simplified Bee

Healthy Home - The Home Detox Green Toolbox

Where was this product five years ago when I needed it? I spent a small fortune hiring a professional to seek out a potential mold issue in our home. Perhaps the Home Detox Green Toolbox would have done the trick at a fraction of the cost.

This kit conveniently contains:

1. Your Home Through GREEN Colored Glasses - 3-Cd Pack with Sally Jessy Raphael
2. The 9 to 5 Greened: Ten Steps to a Healthy Office Audio CD
3. The Green Nest Non-toxic cleaner - The four ounce bottle of concentrate will make two gallons
of all purpose cleaner.
4. Lead Test Kits - (two tests) - to test toys, cribs, paint, antiques and more for toxic lead - gotta love this if you have small children!
5. The Water Test Kit - test for Iron, Hardness, Copper, Nitrates, Chlorine, pH, Alkalinity, Bacteria and Lead.
6. Bonus $10 Gift Card from Green Nest
7. Indoor Air Quality Test Kit - tests for dust & mold in your indoor air. Includes postage paid
envelope and lab fees.

I think this toolkit would make a fabulous housewarming gift!

Also, a big thanks to Kitty from Zen of Homekeeping for making me aware of this great product. Oh, and there is still time to enter the All Modern giveaway - click here ; and check out the great selection of modern furniture.

*images from Green Nest

Retro 70s Decor - Scottsdale Arizona Condo

My grandfather was from our nation's heartland - Omaha, Nebraska. During the harsh Midwestern winters, he and his wife would migrate south to the Arizona desert. They purchased a condo in Scottsdale in 1973 and because it was the "model" it was professionally designed and furnished.

Recently the three bedroom / two bath condo was sold, but photos were taken of the interior and I thought they would be fun to share. My grandparents never remodeled and therefore it's a time capsule back to the 70s.

Dark red 12"x12" tiles floored the double door entryway which led to a small atrium.

Here is a view of the atrium from the living room. The retro shag lime green wall-to-wall carpet was installed in the living, dining and bedrooms.

The living room's bright, yet cool mix of yellow, green and white was a very popular color scheme in the 70s. The brick wall and fireplace were all painted in neutral white allowing the colors to really pop. Floral patterns were also dominant during this era. The lovely yellow and white floral sofa was purchased for $819 - almost 40 years ago. And the green wing chair green was $219.

My favorite element in this room was the leather top writing desk in a Mediterranean Cherry. It cost $339 back in 1973. The handsome brass and alabaster bookends were $29.

Here is a view of the dining room that was open to the kitchen and living room. I am not positive, but I think the chairs were reupholstered at one point in time.

The round game table in a dark antique finish was in a third bedroom that served as the den. The lighting in this picture is not ideal, but these chairs with nailhead trim are upholstered in a fun retro crushed velvet orange are fantastic - the color is making a comeback.

The guest bedroom had two lovely twin beds each with matching floral quilts. I just loved the faux bamboo headboards in brushed lemon with white. The sweet night stand is also in the same finish.

The master bedroom showcased a beautiful king size bed in a gold and lime throw spread - gotta love the trim! I found it interesting that the stone wall was kept natural. My favorite elements in the room were the matching Italian Faience white table lamps and tufted yellow bench. Both are popular today.

Hope you enjoyed this retro condo tour - can't you just hear John Travolta singing Stayin' Alive?

*images of Simplified Bee

French Inspired Kitchen Design by Beverly Ellsley

Westport, Connecticut designer, Beverly Ellsley has been in the business for over 40 years and designs houses from the ground up. She is best known for her beautiful kitchen designs and most recent projects feature fine woodworking produced in her own cabinet shop.

Recently I read a wonderful interview with Ellsley on Decorati and fell in love with this French inspired Connecticut kitchen. The small splashes of blue in the tile, rug and dining chairs (in a lower photo) in this neutral color palette add to the kitchen's tranquility.

The light and airy kitchen includes an incredible floor-to-ceiling French carved limestone fireplace which is beautifully centered between the cooking and dining areas. The romantic chandelier above the island coordinates nicely with the dark wood of the French woven rush seated barstools.

The dining area has a casual, yet elegant feel. Notice the cabinetry behind the dining table - it's hiding a refrigerator and freezer. The panel of latticework houses appliances that need ventilation. Ellsley states in Decorati that she likes to hide appliances, “Not just because they say kitchen, but because they date one. Stainless steel may be the harvest gold of tomorrow, but the right cabinets for a home’s architecture are always right.” In fact, 30 years ago she designed her own kitchen and has no plans of remodeling.

The large kitchen island evokes charming antique qualities with ornate corner pilasters with shell carvings. The gorgeous top is made from salvaged French parquet flooring.

The farmhouse sink is framed by elegant cabriole legs from Ellsley’s Villa Collection for Enkeboll.

After looking at this gorgeous kitchen for the past few hours, I am ready to book my next vacation to the South of France. And if you need more white kitchen inspiration click here.

*images from Decorati

Hip, Hip Hooray! - An All Modern Giveaway

The wonderful folks at All Modern are graciously giving away one of the following home products to a lucky Simplified Bee reader. AllModern.com has an amazing selection of high-quality, gorgoeous home products Simply leave a comment with the item you'd like to win.

How about a beautiful Chrysanthemums Pillow in gorgeous grey by Thomas Paul?

Coffee lovers, this might be your item. The Season Coffee Serving Set by notNeutral mixes white porcelain with chocolate brown outlines of fauna and flora. It is suitable for service anytime of the year. The set includes a 30oz. coffee pot with lid, 10oz. creamer and 9oz. sugar bowl with lid.

Wouldn't this adorable Blossom Elephant Stuffed Animal Pillow by DwellStudio look great in a baby girl nursery?

Red wine anyone? This lovely crystal Drop Decanter by Rosenthal would look fabulous with any tablescape.

Another stylish pillow from Thomas Paul - this one in a earthy brown Zinnia print.

Or how about Rosenthal's Sunny Day pastel blue 8.5" bowl to dress-up your table?

All Modern has a fantastic selection of modern furniture and home accessories from many leading designers. Part of CSN Stores, All Modern is just one of over 260 retail sites that offer a diverse array of products from office furniture by Herman Miller to wall sconces by Murray Feiss. Due to shipping restrictions, this giveaway is open to US residents only.

I know which item is my favorite. What's yours?

The Contest Rules:

• One comment permitted per person; simply indicate which product you'd like to win. (no anonymous entries are allowed).

• Entry period closes at midnight PST, Friday, August 28, 2009 and the winner will be announced Monday, August 31, 2009.

**Note: The winner will be drawn randomly using Random.org. They will be notified directly via e-mail and listed back at this post using first name only.

Good luck and be sure to drop by the Hooked on Houses blog party!

Designing My Office - Desk Selected

It all started with this gorgeous office by New York-based designer Amanda Nisbet and the Highbridge Desk by Ralph Lauren Home. I love this desk, but it would look too cluttered with my computer monitor, keyboard and all those cords visible underneath.

Then I saw this desk in a bedroom designed by Jamie Drake. The chic white desk with lucite base was a winner! Now, where to find it for less?

Drake's inspirational desk drew me to this sleek lucite desk at Pieces. That darn price-tag!

The polished nickel base caught my eye on this sleek Mason Wood Top Desk by Williams-Sonoma Home. Yet, the pricetag was still not in my budget.

Then I found this white lacquer Jett Desk at ZGallery. It's clean lines, nickel plated pulls and functional angled shelf was just what I was looking for to dress up my home office. The price was reasonable too - $449. I am looking forward to its arrival.

Now I am searching for a nickel starburst mirror like the one in the office designed by Amanda Nisbet. If you have a favorite, please let me know!

*images from Amanda Nisbet, decorati, ZGallery, Williams-Sonoma Home, Pieces