Makeover Monday: Insider tips, tricks & expert advice

Lets warm up that minty palate with a dab of sherbet. orange mint

When a pair of high intensity complements are placed side by side, they seem to vibrate and draw attention to the element Not all color schemes, based on complementary colors are loud and demanding -- if the hues are of low-intensity the contrast is not too harsh. Intensity can only be altered by mixing a color with its complement, which has the effect of visually neutralizing the color. Changing the values of the hues, adding black or white, will soften the effect.om1

om2

om3

*rooms from here, FENDI fashion from here

Furniture Friday

On the hunt for the perfect bed…

Bodega Bed

Rustic materials mixed with modern lines in a shade of grey will do the trick!

Name: Bodega Bed Store: Z Gallerie Price: $1100-$1400

Dims:

Queen Bed 64.25W × 92D × 47.75H

Eastern King Bed 80.23W × 92D × 47.75H

California King Bed  76.22W × 96D × 47.75H

“The Bodega Collection has an elegantly modern design with tranquil qualities and streamline contours.  Also available in this collection is a 5 drawer chest, 6 drawer dresser, nightstand, and media chest.”

Thursday’s This + That

Fringe benefits…

black fringe

Swish and swoosh with this Alexander McQueen black fringe clutch and hang that Fringe chandelier from Moooi.

*as always, "Thursday's This & That", inspired by the creative Bekka from Oh Joy!

Wednesday Weekend Warm Up

Did someone say shots? Jello shots! Celebrating someone’s birthday this weekend? Let me suggest you whip up some of these colorful concoctions as your friend duty!

jello shots

ingredients

6 ounces Jello (large package)
16 ounces Water (boiling)
6 ounces Water (cold)
10 ounces Vodka (I like using fruit flavored vodka like raspberry or cherry)

directions

Mix the jello with the boiling water until the powder is fully dissolved and add the cold water and alcohol. Pour the cooling mixture into small plastic cups. Only fill cups half way to get a shorter shot. Place a cherry (multi colored cherries available here) on top! Let sit in refrigerator until shots harden.

*images via here and here

{Tuesday Thoughts}

I’m not sure what the heck is in this southern California air, but some of my dearest girlfriends are moving away from me! San Francisco, England and New York are where three of these lovelies are planting their roots. I wish you all the best Nicole, Keturah and Ashlina! I’ll miss you.

friends 2

friends

“A girlfriend is probably the only person in this world,

who understands exactly what you are saying

even though if you may not really be talking.”

-Anonymous

*all images via Pinterest

Makeover Monday: Insider tips, tricks & expert advice

Now that we’ve completed the bathroom, we’re moving onto the kitchen!

The first step in my process of designing a room (and also my favorite part!) is gathering inspiration images for developing a concept for the space. We’re taking down walls and opening up a lot of square footage in this house, so I’m basically starting with a blank canvas. Custom cabinetry, new flooring, a new layout will be incorporated, and even the ceiling soffit will be knocked out. Luckily, this client and I have similar taste, so it’s almost like I’m designing my own dream kitchen!

Here is the BEFORE:

IMAG0141

Everything is changing! Like their bathroom, we are going to use the same grey and white color palate and mix in bits of yellow, pops of orange and touches of turquoise. A traditional white kitchen with a modern twist is where we’re heading. I’m so excited to see how this turns out! For now, inspiration pictures are giving me much to consider and ponder over. This is what I’m hoping for:

AFTER: (something like these!)

via Houzz

via Houzz

via Houzz

via Houzz

via Houzz

To see more inspiration images for this project, head over to my Pin Board! I’m curious, whether you’re a designer or not, how do you start your own design process? Where do you go to find inspiration images?

Need home fresh look? Let me help! I'm available for design consultations if you're located in the southern California area. My Interior Design office is located in La Verne, California. Please visit my website and email me for rates and more info. As a recent Interior Design graduate, I offer affordable and comparable rates. I'd love to help you make your house a home!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I was feeling creative this weekend. As you may have noticed, I made myself a new blog header and I also gave new life to this guy who I found on the side of the road:

Stay tuned for the AFTERS once it’s installed!

xo jami

Furniture Friday

I don’t care if it’s January…Spring is in the air!

Marais Armchair

Add pops of plummy pinks to your veranda - you’ll be delighted every time you steal a glance out your windows!

Name: Marais A56 Armchair Store: Design Within Reach Price: $525 Dims: H28.5" W18" D15" Seat H 17.75"

“Chantal Andriot took the helm of the French company Tolix in 2004, and through her passion for the brand and innovative approach, this iconic company has been revived. The new perforated collection (2009) was her idea - a brainstorm that came from seeing a piece of perforated steel in the factory. She challenged her team to design a chair that was perforated but still structurally sound. One year, and countless prototypes later, they succeeded. The perforated chairs and stools bring a unique twist to the classic Marais designed in 1934. The Marais Collection will stand up to the rigors of public use, but should be protected from wet weather conditions to maintain the finish. Made in France.”

Thursday’s This & That

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend…
missoni
Warm up your space and add some color to your living room with this Vintage Antalya Kilim rug from Loom and sport your gams in that Missoni day dress.
*as always, "Thursday's This & That", inspired by the creative Bekka from Oh Joy!

Wednesday Weekend Warm Up

What’s on your agenda this weekend? After last week’s delectable delight that I shared with you, I thought maybe it would be nice to have something a little lighter on this week’s cocktail menu. I thought this light yellow cocktail, the Ginger Sparkler, would fit the bill, containing only 3 semi-not-so indulgent ingredients! Cheers!

ginger sparkler

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 bottle (750 ml) dry sparkling wine, such as Cava, Prosecco, or Champagne

Directions

  1. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, boil ginger, sugar, and 1/4 cup water until syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour through sieve into bowl, discarding solids. (To store syrup, refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 1 week.)
  2. Pour 1 tablespoon syrup into each of 8 tall glasses. Top with sparkling wine, and gently stir.

*From Marthastewart.com: Ginger Sparkler - Martha Stewart Recipes, couple image from Oh Happy Day, Spoonflower fabric

Master Bathroom Remodel in Glendora, California

Do you remember this master bathroom remodel I started a few months back for my clients in Glendora, California? This is what it looked like the first day I stepped onto the property:
IMAG0149
IMAG0150
The couple moved into the home at the beginning of summer and decided to a remodel of basically the entire home, starting with the master bathroom and their bedroom. The bedroom has a few details left to complete, so I’ll save that reveal for later, but this is how their master bathroom turned out:
P1150476
The couple decided that they wanted a cool, classic look with both modern and traditional design elements. What I did to achieve this look was choose more contemporary and current finishes such as the Chrome Silestone for the countertops, Ostrich Grey tiles for the shower and stainless steel hardware and mix them with a traditional cabinet door, traditional sconces and beaded oval framed mirrors. The result is a nice combination of old and new.
P1150443
P1150470      P1150468
P1150473      P1150480
I’m really happy with how the master bathroom turned out. You can see the progress of this project in an earlier post I did a couple months back. These are a couple sketches that I drew along the way.
sketches
Here are some the finishes and fixtures we chose:
fixtures
finishes
If you’re in need of an update to your home and would like help remodeling your bathroom, let me help! I'm always available for design consultations if you're located in the Southern California area. My Interior Design office is located in La Verne, California. Please visit my website and email me for rates and more info. As a recent Interior Design graduate, I offer affordable and comparable rates. I'd love to help you make your house a home!

Makeover Monday: Insider tips, tricks & expert advice

TIP: Keep it simple. Use black and white in your home to create a timeless look like the classic Audrey Hepburn.

There’s just something about the black and white color combination that tugs at my “design” heart strings. Just like a black and white photograph, black and white interiors are timeless, classic and can easily be incorporated into your home.

bw1

I love the black painted chair rail in this entry/hallway. The chandelier is a nice crowning jewel and is a bit reminiscent of Miss Hepburn’s do, don’t you think?

bw2

Just like Audrey’s dress, the mostly white room is perfectly accented with bits of black here and there dispersed throughout in pillows and frames.

bw3 

Black and white stripes = classic, classic, classic! Layers upon layers give this space visual interest and keep the eye moving around the room. There’s not a boring corner in this room!

bw4

This bedroom is simple and would be perfect for the college dormer or teen. Greys and creams are a fun twist and infuse a bit of warmth in the space which is perfect in the bedroom.

bw5

The furniture is the focal point in this room as the chairs stand out against the white wooden background. If you have a special piece of furniture such as these, highlight them with a neutral background.

bw6

This kitchen speaks to me and it’s saying, “Won’t you come dine with me? I’m too pretty to eat alone!”. I love the pattern on the floor, the black wall tile, the lighting and the unexpected art on the walls.

bw7

Here’s yet another black and white kitchen that caught my attention. The herringbone tile pattern on the floor is another classic that you can’t get wrong, especially in that dark hue. The contrasting upper and lower cabinetry is a trend that I’m totally digging and would love if my next client requested this look! That oversized lantern is to. die. for.

bw8

You may or may not be a fan of fur or faux fur, but it’s a winner in my book. I’m not sure how I feel about it in the dining room (I’m a meat eater), but I love the warmth and coziness that it adds to this otherwise stark space. The black cow hide on the floor grounds the room nicely.

bw9

This hallway is basically genius. The black on one side mirrored by the white on the other, is a perfect balancing act that gives this space some clever edginess. Imagine if all the walls were painted black – too dark and cave-like. Imagine if the walls were all painted white – boring! Keep this trick in mind next time you’re painting your hallway.

If you’re in need of an update to your home and would like help infusing this classic black and white look into your own kitchen, living room or bedroom, let me help! I'm always available for design consultations if you're located in the Southern California area. My Interior Design office is located in La Verne, California. Please visit my website and email me for rates and more info. As a recent Interior Design graduate, I offer affordable and comparable rates. I'd love to help you make your house a home!

*all images via Pinterest

Furniture Friday

Happy Friday my dears! It’s Friday and that means wrapping up this week’s projects and counting down the hours until a couple days off! Last night, as I sat down to blog, I was feeling a bit uninspired and for the life of me, finding a “Fresh Find” was next to impossible. Instead of blogging, I made a delicious chicken teriyaki dinner and watched Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. That’s when “Furniture Friday” popped in my head. Like the rest of you, I’m on my computer all day, whether it be drawing on AutoCAD, researching design products for clients or Facebooking (smiles). I thought since I was already researching furniture and fixtures most of the day, it would be a nice idea to share some of those finds with you! They might not be the newest, or the latest and the greatest, but rather something that’s just caught my eye and I think is pretty cool. It’ll be a nice way for me to store “tear sheets” of some of my favorites and hopefully you’ll like them too!









Name: Petrie Sofa Store: Crate & Barrel Price: $1,599 Dimensions: 86"Wx36"Dx32"H 

“This time around, it has tufted and buttoned cushions for a more classic, tailored look that sits deep and firm, but lets you slouch in comfort. It's brave enough to make a comeback in white, thanks to a new stain-repellant system that's actually in each fiber. Petrie is authentically styled light and lean with slim top-stitched track arms and trim hardwood legs stained a dark ebony finish called deco.” 

Find it here: Crate & Barrel

Thursday’s This + That

Get your bright on…pink and green

Spring into style in this pair of Sergio Rossi hot pinks with this Burberry Prorsum bright clutch and go to bed with that set of Jonathan Adler Pink Flame bedding.

*as always, "Thursday's This & That", inspired by the creative Bekka from Oh Joy!

Wednesday Weekend Warm Up

Oh yeah, I’m going there…

oeo mudslide

So I know we’re all supposedly supposed to be going on our New Year’s diets and all that blah, blah, blah…but sometimes a girl’s just gotta have a her chocolate (+ vodka)!

Oreo Mudslide

Ingredients
  • 1 oz Vodka
  • 1 oz Kahlua
  • 1 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
  • 2 Scoops Vanilla Ice-cream
  • 1 Oreo Cookie
Blending Instructions:
  • Blend Vodka, Kahlua, Bailey's, ice-cream and the Oreo well in a blender
  • Pour into a large frosted glass

I hope you’re all enjoying your 2011! All kidding aside, I really have been making an attempt to eat healthier, include more veggies in my diet, drink more water and eat earlier at night. Sometimes, by the time we’re finished with everything that needs to get done during the day, we don’t eat until 10pm! Every once in a while, I have to have my chocolate fix and I think this’ll do!

*images from Raspberri Cupcakes

{Tuesday Thoughts}

Cussing’s not my thing, but this is just keepin’ it real.
On a slightly lighter note, Nick and I welcomed an 8 week old kitten into our home yesterday. She’s half black domestic short hair and half Maine Coon cat. Still taking name suggestions…maybe something that starts with a “j” to go along with our pooches Johnny & June.


Makeover Monday: Insider tips, tricks & expert advice

TIP: Dress your bedroom! I don’t know if it’s the lack of color in nature due to the chilly temps around here, but I’ve been craving color! And good thing because guess what’s in the color forecast for Spring…COLOR! Lots of it! Big, bright, bold pieces of fashion are storming the runways and I’m loving it! If you’re needing a punch of color to enhance your mood during this cold and blustery season, why not add some pops of purple, pink or tangerine to chase away those moody greys! Alice + Olivia rocks it right this spring with whisper pinks, shades of purple and touches of tangerine. I can’t wait to incorporate some of these not only into my wardrobe, but my rooms!

dressroom1

dressroom2

dressroom3

*fashion from Alice + Olivia, all rooms via my “color” Pinterest board

a few days to myself

Hello everyone! Just popping in to let you know I’m taking a few days to myself.

No blogging, just working on a few client projects and getting my home office (+garage) organized.

I’ve been feeling a tad overwhelmed by the thought of even tackling my garage, office and closets. Oh how I’m longing for a beautifully uncluttered and organized space like these. I could go for a bit of zebra under my tootsies as well!

Or maybe a gallery wall with tons of inspirational images and a touch of industrial coolness. One thing about all these images I’m digging is the clear space on the desktop!

By the end of the weekend, I hope to have a free and clear space where I can feel comfortable sitting down and spending a good majority of my day. What’s your tip for staying organized? Where is your favorite place to shop for home office furniture and accessories?