Sumptuous Saturday

Hola Fall!

SH/CH is now adding Sumptuous Saturday's to my weekly Creating Home blog and posts. I want to share an easy recipe and help set the table for some family time! This week we are taking fall south of the border. Always a family favorite!

Please feel free to share your favorite family recipes.

Create a special setting, even if it is just a Saturday night!

 Nothing welcomes the cool evenings of fall like a warm bowl of soup. This week I am sharing one of my quick and easy soups with you, Cheesy Taco Soup.  
Muy Delicioso!

Recipe:

2 cans of chicken broth

1 can of water

1 can Rotel Cilantro Lime flavor

1 package of Old El Paso Cheesy Taco seasoning mix

1 cup of corn

1 cup of black beans

2 cups of pulled rotisserie chicken

Serves 4

Combine all ingredients (you don't have to be exact with the measurements) in a large pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with corn chips and sour cream for a yummy topping. 
You can double the recipe to serve more - and have left overs! 


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Creating Cozy!

Bright and Airy Summer Decor

Goes warm and cozy for the cooler months!

Pillows From World Market all under $100

I have to admit, I was a little worried about how to take my living spaces from my bright fresh light teal blues and greens to the warm and cozy feeling we all crave in the colder months. Here's the easy of it all. Just change out your pillows! Pop in a warmer color and add deeper versions of the colors you already have! It will work I swear! My light smokey teal pillow paired beautifully with burnt orange and deeper teals to create that curl up by the fire feeling I wanted! Then just splash the same colors around the room in candles, fresh flowers, and accessories.

Now all I need is a fire!

 

 

 

I added these cozy orange floor pillows beside the fire place by covering euro size pillows with some left over fabric from another project. Now there is a reason to get cozy by the fire! Other small touches like the deep teal candles and the orange flowering branches, add more of those warmer tones. A homemade spray of leaves, berries and pine cones finishes off the fall look!

See it's that easy! Now go and cozy up those rooms, cold winter nights are just around the corner!

Creating Autumn

This easy-to-make arrangement is the center of attraction in this traditional dining room. Here's all you need: 3 hurricanes with candles, set of three plates to set candles on, stems of fall foliage and berries, small pumpkins and gourds, and large pine cones (from the yard). First, I lined up the hurricanes down the center of the table. Then place the stems of leaves and berries all around. Finally, I tucked in the pine cones and gourds. It was that easy!

Fall colored pottery made a perfect back drop for these stems of berries and leaves. I simply arranged the pottery in a triangle-like pattern, then filled one of the jars with fall berries. I used ready-made fall picks and tucked them in between the pottery. Be sure to use natural-looking picks that are full and colorful for a realistic look.

Coffee tables are the center of attention in the family room and a great place to add a touch of fall. By simply changing the candles to a burnt orange and popping in some fall blooms in the arrangement, I created a beautiful burst of autumn! I love that the birds look like they are nesting in a a bunch of fall leaves: it's a fun touch!

Welcome to Autumn!

How to Avoid Painting Disasters!

Yes, even design professionals don't get it right all the time!

First color was pretty, but way to Palm Beachy!

Okay, yes I admit, I don't always get it right! Decorators even struggle sometimes with the right tone of a color. Sometimes you think you are getting one thing and then you put it in the room and YUK! It turns out all wrong! Here's my advice to you, keep the tones shaded with gray and you are more likely to love it in the long term. Sometimes a truer  brighter hue works, but for me a grayer version of the teal was a much more sophisticated way to go. My big mistake was not getting the sample and I wasted $40! So the next tip is alllwayyys get the samples and test it out, then you know how to tone the color down once you get in the room. Maybe you'll get lucky and strike gold the first time!

SW6214 Under Seas, Perfect!

One more bit of advice. I ended up taking my spa blue pillow back to the paint store this time and was able to get a better match. So when in doubt always take a color inspiration with you. I went for a deeper value than the pillow or darker version to give some contrast, but it was still the same tone.

So for color success: 

• Go for grayer or shaded versions of a color, it's more livable in the long term  (mainly in blues and greens).
• Take something with you to the store for color matching or inspiration.
• Always get a sample to test in the room.

Three Ways to Style a Mantel

Most of us have them, yet are perplexed at how to make this focal point shine!

Let the Fireplace be the star of the room!

Of all the design issues I see when I first walk into a clients home, its how they have styled their mantels! I see the same thing over and over and I want to help! Most of you take this ledge and make it your gallery of keepsakes . Pictures of the family, the ubiquitous figurine, and a clutter of other small objects. The problem is where's the focal point? I am not saying you have to get rid of all the sentimental items, just let me show you how to display them.

Use one key piece of art in your arrangement

This is your basic mantel. By using the hanging art and the 2 sconces you have created a focal point that is in scale with the fire place itself. So now the whole fireplace is one cohesive unit. As you can see the other things are displayed with purpose and in an asymmetrical way. This gives it more interest. But at the same time they match in scale. You could put the 2 planters on either side and make a more symmetrical arrangement as well.

Don't fight the stone with busy art!

For those of you who are lucky enough to have the natural stone as your fireplace, this one is my favorite! Because quite simply the art is in the stone, so the use of simple art, like this one, doesn't compete with the stone. I will typically use an antique mirror to contrast with the muted stone. Candle sticks are always a go to accessory for any mantel, just make sure the size matches the scale of the mantel.

Of course, now a days we have big black boxes, aka the flat screen TV, above the fireplace. One cool way to make it less visible is to paint a darker color on that wall to lower the contrast. See in this picture you notice the fireplace and not the TV! Then keep the accessories simple, to keep it from being too distracting.

Hope this helps!

Destination Style

As a decorator and a Psychology major, I pride myself in figuring people out. The biggest compliment I get from a client is this is so me! I love for the rooms I design to reflect the people that actually live in them and not just create a pretty room. So how do I do it? Well it's simple. I ask the right questions! The one question I ask that really helps me determine a design direction is, "Where is your favorite vacation spot?". Believe it or not this one question tell me a lot! Does the person like beach or carribean vacations or hiking in the mountains or a trip to Italy. What ever it is, it tells me how you want your room to feel. But lets get one thing straight, don't get too literal! I am going to give you some fun style tips for whatever destination you choose.

Destination: Beach!

HGTV Home for Sherwin Williams Coastal Hues

Creating Home client's family room: Classic, with a hint of tropical.

Elements of beach style: Colors Inspiration: Sand and water hues like aquas, teals, blues and greens.  Use natural textures, like rattan, jute, and linen. Keep the feeling light, airy, and casual. A white slip covered sofa with a mix of watery blue and green pillows anchored with a sisal or jute rug, work great for this style. Soft breezy curtains in linen or just sheer would finish off the look! For this room I wanted a hint of a tropical feel, but kept it classic, so it doesn't scream tropics!


 

Destination: The Great Outdoors!

If this is your scene, then I have a style for you!

 

 

NATURE CHIC!

I love this style! It's warm and cozy and pulls colors directly from your backyard. Color Inspiration: leaves (especially in the fall), trees, branches, moss. My favorite color combo is browns and yellow/ greens and punch in a bit of orange to keep it fresh! The key elements of this style are natural textures, mixed with warm and cozy fabrics, and keep it clean and simple. A nature inspired rug would be a great place to start, then pull your palette right from there. Picture a leather chair with an ottoman by the fire draped with a cozy chenille blanket. I can feel the warmth already!

Destination: European Vacation

Deeply routed in tradition this style has staying power! BHG.com

This style is uber traditional and timeless! Think of the lines and details of the European architecture. Color Inspiration: European countryside: Soft olives and blues mixed with warm golds and browns. And what about red? That will keep it alive!. Add in some rustic touches like old shutters and mix in some antique nesting tables to keep the style from becoming too stuffy. I love the artistic treatment on the wall behind the sofa. It gives the room whimsy and interest. I like the way the pillows don't match and the trims are all kept simple. This way it feels more updated and not grandma - no offense Mimi!

So if you don't know your design style. Just close your eyes and picture yourself in your favorite vacation spot. Then pull those elements into your space to achieve destination happiness!

Stylish Storage!

Functionally Chic Storage Solutions

You know you have it! That's right clutter! Everyone has it and doesn't usually know what to do with it. I was focusing on kids spaces this week, so to me this was the perfect topic. Because if you have kids, you have clutter! As a decorator, I am always looking for that functionally chic solution to hide the everyday stuff we all have. So I am going to give you some of my tricks for hiding the stuff we don't want to see! In this family room pictured above from Betterhomesandgardens.com, I love the use of the entertainment center for additional storage. Here are 3 ways to sneak storage into your family room:

1. Pick the right furniture. A simple console table can act as additional storage, if you buy one with shelves or cabinets underneath. I even use a chest of drawers in my family room as a table and the drawers are used for games and movies!

2. Use baskets or decorative boxes under your coffee table to hold newspapers, magazines, and the remotes. They can also be used to hold a few toys for easy access and clean up.

3. Storage ottomans rock! They are the most versatile pieces in a room. Put the clutter inside, flip the top for an extra small table, extra seating in a pinch, and of course, put up your feet!

Dish buckets make great storage for boys!

For kids rooms I like to use baskets and bins, but I wanted to share another budget friendly option. In my 5 year old's room I had 8 cubbies to fill and wicker and a boy just wasn't a good combo, so baskets were out of the question.  The canvas boxes were $7 a piece and I needed 8, that's $56! On a tight budget that wasn't going to work. So, as I wondered down isle after isle of storage bins, I came across these. They are dish buckets! Best of all they are plastic and portable and $1.99 a piece. They are also indestructible and came in a variety of colors. Sold!

Let's visit the softer side for the girls in our lives. Aside from the obvious storage, I like using multifunctional pieces. For our little social butterflies, a storage ottoman (can you tell I love them) works double duty. It's extra sitting if when the friends come to hang and storage for the things she may not want them to see! Hello froggie!

One last little bit of advice. For an unconventional way to add storage use pegboard! I have fallen in love with all the cool gadgets you can get to use on it. Although, it's usually meant for the garage, with a little spray paint you can make a stylish and functional storage wall! Now that's functionally chic!