holiday wreath time

Halloween is officially over. 

You know what that means....

Christmas explosion in every store that sells things. And this exceptionally chilly fall weather really gets you in the mood to start the early decoration (unless this is your official time of year to decorate, anyway). 

So let's talk about another design pet peeve of mine (how many are there?--I may never know): 

Tacky Wreaths...

Front doors are your home's first impression. How you decorate them takes it a step further. So let's keep it classy. Timeless. No sparkles, no loopy monograms, no chevron bows. Let's get serious, people. 

Wreaths are one of those things that bites a little in the beginning. They're not cheap, but they're a good investment. If they're preserved correctly, they will last you several years. And a good one won't go out of style quickly. The reason they cost what they do (for a good one) is because someone put a lot of work into it. I made wreaths once for Christmas gifts and it took FOR. EV. ER. I don't really wanna talk about it...

Instead, let's take a look at some good-looking front doors, shall we? So you know what I mean when I say a GOOD wreath...

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Classic boxwood with a nice ribbon (which could be changed out seasonally)

This one has a lot of elements to it (that normally I wouldn't like), but the wreath-maker kept it monochromatic, with an interesting pop of color in the green apples. 

Love thinking outside of the box! A basket with greenery! 

A nice evergreen wreath with a few small pinecones. Loving the color of that door, too!

Grapevine is popular because it's easily found at craft stores. However it quickly becomes the poor target of a Pinterest DIY and it's simple beauty gets lost. Here is a great way to mix in a bit of greenery that's not overdone.

I'm not against a yarn wreath. They can be elegant, and they speak to my quirky/artsy side. But you've gotta be careful with these too. They can get too elementary or too busy really fast.

Side note: I love the wire basket planter idea!

I mean, if I had chickens, I'd give them a coop wreath, too.

Not a front door, but if you have a lot of windows, you may want to decorate those, as well!

Ok, so, now maybe you want to know how to stray away from a tacky wreath. Here's a few guidelines to help you out:

1. Less is more. When in doubt, go with something simple. Weed out the snowflakes and the fake woodland creatures and the ribbons and the sparkle pears. You can still have a lot of detail and interest by just using one or two elements.

2. Stick with natural materials when possible. If you don't think you can pull off a crafty ribbon, yarn, or felt wreath, then don't. Natural ones are more classy and timeless. And you have a ton of options in this department: evergreens, olive leaf, bay leaf, twigs, grapevine, holly, flowers, pinecones...

3. Choose faux materials wisely. Make sure they aren't too fakey--that's a given. No one says you have to go with real greenery, but keep an eye on them. Groom them, dust them, and if it fades in the sun, replace it. Don't be that person with the grayish-teal wreath that used to be a nice evergreen color.

4. Go with the pros. Unless you're REALLY good at crafting, don't follow a Pinterest DIY (trust me on this one...just trust me), and don't buy your wreath from some festival crafty booth that seems to be drawing in all the college students. If you are not a college student, don't dress your front door like a dorm room. The same goes for cutesy knick-knack stores. You know the ones. Buy your gifts there if it suits you--not your wreaths.

Need help finding a good wreath? Gotcha covered there, too. Check it out.

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Most of these aren't too bad cost-wise, considering you should get a lot of good use out of them. And some of them are preserved natural materials--even better! 

If you're into shopping local (which I always recommend), many of the florists around town should have good natural wreaths. And if you have a great farmers market, I bet around this time a few vendors will have out bay leaf, olive leaf, or evergreen wreaths. 

Spot any good wreaths out while doing your holiday decor shopping? Leave a comment and tell us where! 

Until next time...

Bar Carts and How to Style Them

Now is the time of year when everyone is entertaining in their home.  Aside from having a beautiful dinner table (you can purchase our table setting packages here if you haven't already), I love a nicely done bar cart.  If your space and budget allow, I think these are a great investment for entertaining--they are fun, stylish and portable...what's not to like?  I've compiled a list of a few of my favorites below.  For smaller budgets, tray tables are a great option.

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1 ($499) // 2 ($249) // 3 ($349) // 4 ($399, also in polished nickel) // 5 ($299) // 6 ($129)

Once you have your cart, you need to set it up right.  This can be easily done with these essentials.  So grab the necessities and interject your personal style for a cart that you and your guests will enjoy.

How to style a bar cart:

• Small decorative bowl(s): For snacks or drink garnishes
• Straws: Paper straws are my favorite, and they come in every style/color you can think of these days.
• Florals/greenery:  A great way to add color and life to your cart.  You can keep everything else on the cart the same and simply change out the flowers for an entirely different look.
• Glassware:  Forgo the plastics and get a set or two of essential glassware.  West Elm is one of my favorite places to find these, and they just so happen to have their glassware on sale (with free shipping!) right now.
• Ice bucket (and tongs):  Because no one wants a hot drink.
• Cocktail shaker: Another no-brainer.
• Bar tools: Purchase a jigger, stirrer and bottle opener if nothing else.  You can often find these tools sold in a set.
• Mixers: Have your favorite mixers on hand for quick pouring. Swap juice containers for glass carafes and cohesive look.  
• Alcohol: Unless you prefer the virgin variety of course.  Serving liquors from decanters instead of cheap looking store-bought packaging is optimal (especially for style points).
• Decanters:  See above.  
• Coasters:  Protect your furniture and add your style with a personal monogram.  I love these options from Mark & Graham.
• Tray: They are a great way to corral your glasses and alcohol and keep your cart looking organized even when full.

The wonders of paint

To kind of pick up  on Dana’s last post, paint is such an inexpensive way to transform a space.  As also a realtor, I often have to remind my clients of the wonders a can of paint can have.

Take for example this foyer belonging to Liz of Decorating the Ville. By painting all the brown trim and doors white, it instantly brightened up the foyer and transformed it from the 70's to classic.

Here is another example of painting over dark trim.

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This person really transformed her doors by adding a little picture molding, coat of paint, and new handles.

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For a more sophisticated look, the same can be done using black or charcoal paint.

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Paneling is typically a huge turnoff for most people but look how great it looks when painted.

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Not in love with your cabinets but they are still in good shape? Paint them and add new hardware.

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As a temporary fix, I painted my guest bathroom cabinet which you can read more about it here.

The same can be applied to furniture.

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Did you know you can paint tile and tubs? Rust-Oleum makes an epoxy acrylic for tubs and tile. I haven't used it before but I have paid in the past to have a tub and shower tile professionally painted and was pleased with the outcome.

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Well, I hope you have been inspired. If you are ready to tackle a paint job but not sure what color to paint, when in doubt, paint it white.

Until next time, lovelies.

Pulling off Dark Walls

I have a conflict of interest when it comes to wall color. On one hand I love a good crisp white and a minimalist design scheme. But on the other hand, I like the coziness of bold & dark room color with an eclectic cottage-y feel.

So let's talk about the latter for a bit. Seems appropriate for the season, anyway!

My bedroom walls (as most of you know) are navy. But I've also seen a lot of good charcoal walls lately. And being it's one of our business brand colors, we're a little biased towards charcoal at 3A :)

Dark colors--although tricky--are nothing to be afraid of. I've laid out some guidelines and different approaches that make it a little less scary, and I bet you can pull it off much more easily than you may think.

Let's take a look:

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1. Use a lot of natural light. No-brainer here. Keeping your window treatments light and airy will help allow more natural light into the space, so that it doesn't feel too dark or closed in.

2. Use color along with texture to set a mood. Dark neutrals like charcoal can be very earthy, yet bold. So play on that. Use other earth tones, natural wood finishes, and dark metallics. Use it in a room where you won't spend long periods of time, or one where distractions are minimal--where you might settle in for the night, or enjoy a book and coffee.

3. Use metallic accents. Gold is our personal favorite accent with charcoal (they're our business card colors, after all). Golds and warm metallics help create a sophisticated feel when using charcoal.

4. Go with a monochromatic color scheme. If you're not so great with color blending, then keep it simple. Use whites, grays, and blacks in the rest of your decor. It will give the space a crisp, modern, yet balanced feel. 

5. Stay safe. Go partial. Paint an accent wall. Install a wainscoting and paint the upper portion in the charcoal. Use it for some built-ins. If you're still hesitant about taking the plunge on a whole room, then by all means, start slow. If it grows on you, you can always paint more later.

6. Mind your floors and ceilings. Very important. Your floor and ceiling are the top and bottom of your space. The bread on your sandwich. The beginning and end. They have to relate to what's in between them, yet they are all too often neglected. Most charcoals are a cool or neutral on the color scale (meaning they have very little reds or yellows in them). When picking your charcoal, keep in mind the color of your ceilings and trim. Are they off-white? Antique white? Because they will be looking much more yellow-looking with a charcoal wall. So make sure to get several color swatches to paint on your walls. 

This photo shows off-whites used well.

Floors, on the other hand, can look great when they are golden enough to contrast nicely with the charcoal. 

And don't forget a rug that compliments the feel of the room. A light rug can reflect a light ceiling very well, helping open up the feel of a room with dark walls.

And last but not least....

7. Layer, create interest, and decide what you want the focus to be in your room. Mallory had some great tips on how to do this in her last post. If you want your walls to stand out, make them stand out. Don't make the room too busy, or use too many colors. If you want them to be a backdrop, then focus on balancing the room with accents and light colors. 

How many of you have been pleasantly surprised at your ability to pull off a dark color in your home? Tell us about it!

Still want to achieve a bold look, but need help? Drop us a line or scroll to the top of the page for a list of services.

Until next time!

Coastal Bunk Room

As I mentioned last week, we have been working on a coastal bunk room design. Our goal was to create a fun, gender-neutral room that celebrates being at the beach. The subject room has nine feet ceilings and will hold two sets of custom bunk beds, which will be painted white.

Tongue and groove paneling is going on the back wall of the bunks as well as on the bunk ceiling and on the bottom half of the room's walls. Both sets of bunk beds will have three drawers for linens and guest storage. The drawer pulls will be made out of leather to add an unexpected element to the design and because of its soft material we won't have to worry about little toes getting stubbed while climbing up and down the bunks.

The jumping-off point for the design was actually the lighting. The Katy sconce by Ro Sham Beaux, has the perfect mix of nautical and sophistication.  

We then decided to go with Thibaut's, Resort collection wallpaper in "Shore Thing". It’s the perfect backdrop, and I love how it makes the macramé pendant from Shades of Light pop.

The bedding is by Pine Cone Hill.  For a custom look, we paired the Town and County striped pillowcase with the Marina quilt in sky blue. The circles on the quilt resemble sand dollars and pick up on the circular shape found on the macramé pendant.

We thought the nautical themed pillows, by illustrator Wayne Pate for Serena and Lily, would be a fun way to add a little differentiation to each bed.

Here is the resource list for the other items:

Roman shade - Pottery Barn Teen

Woven basket - Tango Zulu

Leather pulls - can be an easy DIY or purchased here

Wooden hooks- From the Owl

If you are looking for a more affordable alternative to costume bunks, many retailers now offer great looking bunk beds. Here are a few.

Pottery Barn Kids / Belden Bunk Bed

PB Teen Oxford Bunk Bed

Land of Nod Terrace Bunk Bed

We had so much fun designing this room and look forward to the opportunity to create another bunk room.

If you need help designing a space that you will love, drop us a line here. We would love to talk to you.