Thursday, August 29, 2013

Grandma's house gets a chic design scheme!

Let's start with the guest room. With  minimal budget and one week until the first guest, this was going to be a challenge for Lisa - my new design partner - and I! Hey, but who doesn't love a challenge? Especially, now that I have help!! Yippee!

Here's the before:


First we shopped her house for any thing we might could use to give us inspiration and we found some really beautiful Nautical art. So then we decided the blue and white color scheme would be perfect for her guest room. 


After we determined our design plan, we shopped for the "key essentials" to pull the guest room together:
  • Bedding
  • Window treatments
  • Lamps and a mirror for over the dresser

We were very successful! We found almost everything we needed at one stop shop - HOMEGOODS!

Here's the After!!!!

After we layered the room with our finds, it came together beautifully with her nautical art! My favorite is the Ralph Lauren bedding (shhh...it's a bed in a bag!). We paid $99 for the whole set. To make it feel more layered, we added a contrasting sham we found for $9.99, and DKNY euro shams in solid white $24.99. This trick helps break up the matchy, matchy bed in the bag look! 
Design trick: Got a matchy bed set? Simply go get a set  of contrasting shams to break it up...I prefer Euro's. Then simply layer a throw or solid blanket at the bottom. Finally  throw in a cute boudoir pillow to get that designer look!



We did not however find the drapes, so we came up with the idea of using navy blue sheets. I said, "that's great, I mean fabric is fabric!" and then we added the white grosgrain ribbon to them to give them that custom look. A whopping $60 for the drapes (read on to see how easy that was!). No one will be the wiser...they turned out amazing!
So with a little DIY magic, we got a beautiful look!

My Favorite thing in the room is the lamp, $39 at HomeGoods!

We dressed the room mostly with what her MIL already had.  The budget was limited, so we had to do a little "DIYing"! I made this super easy jute vase for a fresh bouquet of flowers out of a pickle jar and jute! 

Here's how we did our DIY projects for this room:

Jute Jar:
Glass jar
Jute string
hot glue

Simply start the jute by hot gluing it on to the spot you want to start then all you need to do is wrap the jute around to jar the width you want. Lastly, you finish off the end with another dab of hot glue. EASY AS PIE!

This is soooo easy I think I'm going home and adding the jute to all my glass jars and putting them around the house! I love the natural texture it adds to your space.


 Simple Sheet Drapes:
Set of Full flat sheets - 96" long
Roll of Grosgrain ribbon
Hem tape/fusible webbing
Scissors
Hem measure thingy (can you tell I don't sew)



Next, lay out the sheets to iron on the ribbon.  Then you have to follow the direction on your heat-n-bond hem tape. Using the hem measuring tool thingy, space the second piece of ribbon below the other one - we did 3.5 inches apart. 



To hang the drapes just cut a slit in the top edge of the hem on the back of the sheets on both ends, then tread onto your rod. That's it, it's that easy!

WE - I love that I can say that now! - are almost done with the living room! I'll post that room once it's finished  so we can share more simple and budget friendly design tips! 

Happy decorating!

Shannon