Loving Out Loud: CB2 Galvanized Metal Planters…..

I have received numerous emails and comments about where you can find the galvanized metal planters I used on my patio last year……

They were sale purchases from last year’s CB2 outdoor line and until recently, I couldn’t find anything similar to share with y’all.  Fortunately, CB2 saw it fit to bring them albeit in slightly different shapes…..

The square planter comes in three different sizes and are a great price.  However, this style does not come with a liner which is highly important to prevent corrosion.  The Titan planter is the closet to what I currently have and does come with a liner.  At $90, it isn’t cheap but still less expensive than some of the other alternatives on the market for a rectilinear metal planter.

Today I am planting bulbs to see if I can soften a rather barren corner of the patio.  I am not sure if it too late in the season for planting, but I figure it’s worth a shot.  So do you have any gardening goals this Summer?

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Joyus Recap: Why Did He Do That……

Hey y’all !

It’s the  final week of voting for Joyus.com’s Viewer Choice Challenge!  I thought it would be fun to recap the process and explain some of my design decisions .  To give a brief reminder of the contest, myself and 6 bloggers were given a blank “white room” in which to create a living room space.  Each blogger was given access to artwork, furniture and accessories from a variety of companies such as H.D. Buttercup and 20×200 from which to decorate the room in 4 hours.

I opted to go with the idea of color, pattern and texture for my space after spying a great rug that I thought could be the unifying item for the space.

In all truth, that rug was a god-send as it helped me quickly cull through the various furniture and accessory options.  It took me about a half hour to pull the items I wanted to use in the space.   The rug inspired my selection of the purple chairs and grey couch as well as the inlaid trays.   With selections made it became a job all about staging and accessorizing.

So to address the “elephant” in the room – the vase with the tray on it that I used as a side table.  I have read through the numerous comments  on Joyus.com and to address the concerns actually, it was pretty stable.   But in all likelihood if I was to do this in a room that was not for “show”, I would epoxy the tray to the vase for added stability.  However, I think the point I made was valid – look for items you already have in your home and recycle them.  A tray plus an old pot could just as easily become an end table …… think outside of the box so you don’t have to dig inside your wallet.

I also got some flack for my “ban the bookcase” (BTB) comment but I still stand by it.  Unless bookcases are staged correctly, they become a catchall for clutter –and clutter my friends destroys even the best designs.  By stacking the books under the chairs, not only was I giving the chairs additional visual heft, I was using space that would normally be overlooked.  I love stacking large art books beside chairs, under furniture or in little niches.  I think of them as sculpture.   Honestly I can’t say the number of times I have found people sitting on the floor flipping through a new discovery.  As for them getting dirty, I have a dog who sheds so I dust once a week and have never had an issue with damage.

However, what surprises me most is the feedback I have gotten on the gallery wall.  Evidently, the votes are evenly split – folks either love a gallery wall or hate them with the same passion as they reserve for telemarketers.  Personally, like french fries, I have yet to meet a gallery wall I did not love.  Let it be noted that we weren’t given any large-scale pieces of artwork to use, so I opted to fill the wall space ala gallery style.  It allowed me to use the variety small prints we had on hand and create a unifying theme via their frame finish.  Using the paper templates were a quick and easy way to get the pictures perfectly placed in a quick manner.

Overall, I am still happy with the room I created.  Are there things I would change about it?  Sure!  I would love to have fresh flowers and real plants.  I would love to have a large-scale art piece for above the couch.  I wish I had added another end table beside the purple chairs.  And that list could go on…..

In the end, this was an exercise in thinking on your feet, using what you have in  interesting ways and sharing some tips on how to navigate the tricky terrain of decorating for yourself.  What I can say is that I had a TON of fun and learned a lot about how to work on camera.  My biggest takeaway from all of this is my newfound respect for Ryan Seacrest.  Honestly how he smiles for the camera, remembers what to say and doesn’t sweat like he just ran a 5K is beyond me.  I bow down to his overly tanned, slightly plastic self…….

Okay peeps, I am officially solidly in 3rd place.  I harbor no notion that I may win this thing, but I just don’t want to come in last.  I will even take Mr. Congeniality (which we all know is a cop out for the person they feel least threatened by).  I just don’t want to be last, so if you can help a brotha out, I would appreciate it.  Voting closes April 23 and each time you vote, you are entered to win a $1500 shopping spree from Joyus.com.

Okay I am off to see if I can precariously place any more trays on wayward vases!

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Loving Out Loud: Christopher Guy

Within many fashionable circles, many say that you should judge a lady not by her entrance but by her exit.  Anyone can make a splashy show upon entering a room and have all eyes on them, but to leave a room and have its inhabitants wanting more…well that my friends is a skill that is equal part charm, finesse, intelligence and sex appeal.

So when I saw this chair by designer Christopher Guy, I was impressed by the front, but was seduced when I was able to glimpse the back…….

Mr. Guy puts extreme care in ensuring that his furniture pieces look fantastic from all angles.  Some may call his work showy or a mildly extreme, I see his pieces as jewels that you sprinkle throughout your design.  A room full of his signature pieces would be hard to swallow, but a set of the above chairs as you enter a room or one of his seatees in an entry way is a fantastic way to make a bold statement using very little……..

I am filing away his Earring Chair in my “Must Use” file for just the right client.  Heck, I just may bite the bullet and use it for myself!  So tell me, do you like your furniture to make a statement or do you prefer everything to live  in harmonious unity?

So I never got around to sketching pillows yesterday so I am doing double duty today with homework and real work.  I will be quite happy when this class is over!  Okay off to start the day…..

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