Friday Faves-Mirror Mirror On The Wall…

Who's the fairest of them all…

I couldn't resist the photo of this cute kitten looking inquisitively at itself in the mirror!  Mirrors offer an interesting reflection of our surroundings.  Mirrors can be used as functional elements or can be used to create focal points and add a bit of glitz and glamour to a space.  The most functional use of mirrors is to reflect light within a room and they can also give the illusion of more space if properly placed. 

Here's some interesting and creative uses for mirrors…

Placed as a grouping or as a collection of vintage mirrors they add visual interest as well as reflecting light. 

        

Simple and inexpensive, full length closet mirrors hung horizontally make a great statement as does the grouping below.  No art needed!

The use of mirrored walls goes back a long way in interior design history and gives a formal and dramatic ambience to any space

This layered mirror design not only adds interest but also reflects the light even more from the sconces.

As the next few photos show, adding mirrored panels to doors is functional as well a beautiful.  This can easily be done to existing closet doors or any plain Jane door!

Oversized mirrors are my favorite, although they can be pricey I think they give a simple elegance to any space.  No fuss, no muss, no clutter!

This oversized mirror is used as a room divider, hung from the ceiling with the reflective side as the headboard, fabulous!

Even in the garden!

So, if you want to add some bling, reflect some light, make a space feel larger or you just want to look at how pretty you are…

More Friday Faves as well as photo sources can be seen on my Pinterest board here.

Until next time!

Tina

Spring Has Sprung…Time To Add Some Curb Appeal!

"Spring has sprung …the grass has riz…I wonder where the flowers is!"

This may not be grammatically correct, but it is a little poem I can remember my mother saying to me as a child and I've recited the same jingle to my grandkids over the years!

I am so thankful for the springtime and new life unfolding before my eyes!  As a gardener and overall outdoor enthusiast I relish the felling of finally getting out and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine after a long winter.  This winter was not so bad here in the Northeast, however I am glad I can finally put away the coats and boots! Today was a typical spring day, warm sunshine gave way to a rain shower, followed by more sun…..now, as I write this there is a gentle rain falling that I can hear from the opened window in my office.  With the warm weather now is the time to spruce up the curb appeal a bit outside.  With a few simple projects you can create an inviting "Welcome" for your friends and visitors.

Here are a few of my favorites that I've saved on my Pinterest board "welcome home". check it out!  Here's hoping you get some great inspiration for your curb appeal.

Adding some simple potted flowers and accessories to the front entrance will make a welcoming feel.

An inviting and comfy place to sit is an easy project.  A simple bench and pillows is all you need.

Planters and a wreath make this a curb appeal hit!

And of course….color is key to adding the pizzaz!

 The red door and accents make this porch entrance really POP!

 Just look at the drama this upper window planter creates! I'm swooning over this one!

 Symmetry is a way to give the entrance a formal feel.

Flowers and more flowers I say….one mass planting is all you need to make a big impact!  Even if neither of your thumbs are green you could pull this one off!

My hubby and I did this project last summer to improve the front entry of out home and we are happy with the result!

So, roll up your sleeves and get started on your curb appeal project!  I'd love to see pictures!  You can post them to the Facebook page! If you're not sure what to do or where to begin contact me, I'd be happy to help get you started!

Until next time!

Tina

Friday Favorites-Fabulous Furniture Finds

This week is the Highpoint Furniture Market in North Carolina and although I'm not attending this year I will be keeping up on all the latest furniture and design trends this season.

While researching and sourcing furniture for a project I'm working on this week, I came across a few fabulous furniture pieces I want to share with you!

One of my favorite furniture and accessory companies, Uttermost is launching a new line called Revelation, a fine collection of exclusive designs in furniture, lighting and accessories that I am very excited about!

Here's a peek at a couple of my favorites.

Rasa Bookcase

Baines Coffee Table

Odell Sofa

There are so many more favorite pieces, but this is a quick post so I'll share more another time!

Another of my favorites is Design Seeds.  Designer Jessica Colaluca creates beautiful color palettes from our natural surroundings. She recently added a new palette to the "a door tones" group that I love and decided to create a room design using this color scheme and some of the fabulous furniture pieces  I discovered recently.

DesignSeeds (A Door Tones)

And here is my rendition of the color scheme featuring pieces from Uttermost Revelation.

I call the design Urban Sophistication!

So, what do you think? With some careful planing a complete room design can be created from what is seen around us!

Until next time!

Tina

Old Cabinets And Ceiling Get New Life-Kitchen Project Update

Transformation Tuesday!

For the last few weeks hubby and I worked on re-surfacing our old plaster kitchen ceiling, not an easy task, but far better than taking the old one down and adding drywall!  I planned on doing this originally with textured wall paper that looked like bead board but thought that it would not hold up as well as the real thing.  After careful planning, and re-planning…and more planning, the design was established.  There were many considerations on the placement of the batons and where they would fall in relation to the cabinets and vent hood as well as covering the seams of the bead board sections.  I knew I wanted to keep the design simple due to the kitchen being small.  It only measures 11x12 feet so this was an important detail. We ended up with a center rectangular section with four plinth blocks at the corners and the outer sections meeting the walls.  A crown moulding was added around the perimeter to complete the design.  But my thinking didn't stop there….

I got to thinking….glass doors would surley open this space up a bit more and since I love the look and function of open shelving….let the cutting begin!

Crown moulding, glass inserts and bead board give these old, but sturdy, cabinets new dimension.

We added bead board and glass inserts to these cabinet doors

I've always loved the look of a carraige light and this one I found at one of my favorite thrift stores for just nine dollars!  A little electrical magic and pooof…..a fixture over the table!

There is still more to come in this makeover project…new counter tops and flooring coming soon, but for now here are a few of the highlights and progress photos of the project so far.

Stay tuned for more project updates. And please feel free to ask questions about any of the details you've seen here. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Tina