Styling Part 5 of 5: The Princess of Styling

I'm not sure if it's because I am entrenched in Wedding mania...Royal Wedding mania that is...but I can't help but crown Emily Henderson the Princess of Styling.

I've posted about her before on my blog when she won Design Star Challenge and launched her new HGTV show Secrets From a Stylist.

Well after doing my recent dive into accessorizing and stylizing rooms, I realized there is really nobody as great as Emily! Look how she styles the rooms below with high and low accessories...she finds most of her pieces at vintage stores and flea markets, and mixes them with some high end furniture. Although a lot of her furniture pics are also vintage that she recovers.

All hail Princess Emily!

 All images above by Emily Henderson.

Check back tomorrow for pics from my Royal Wedding viewing party :)

Styling Part 4 of 5: How to style a bookcase

Happy Wednesday!

This is going to be the last post on styling before revealing the princess of styling...although that's not a fair hint since I've gushed about her many times before on this blog. But from the photos I post tomorrow you'll understand why.

The same tips for styling a table top can be applied toward a bookcase. Of course books are the main course in any bookcase, but think of decorative objects surrounding books like the garnish!

Objects can include:

• photo frames
• candles
• book ends
• vases
• boxes

This is a great way to display your treasures without seeming too cluttered.

Check out these beautifully styled bookcases. And my favorite trick is to paint the inside of the bookcase a contrasting color to your walls. This will give your books and accessories a beautiful backdrop to pop against.

New Online Design Magazine - House of Fifty

There is one more online design magazine to add to this every growing industry...House of Fifty! This issue is absolutely beautiful...and once again I am so happy that all of this great design has become so accessible.

I am completely in love with one their feature on creating a Provenceal Farmhouse in your own home.

Check out these photos below...and read the entire article and tips for creating this space here. How perfect would this be in a guest room!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Great Thrift Find + Paint = New Media Cabinet

Happy Monday everyone!
It is absolutely beautiful out today, I've already been to the gym, and now I'm sitting down to enjoy a cup of coffee and write this blog...by far my favorite part of the day!

The other weekend I found this amazing piece for my living room. I have been looking for a great media cabinet that is:

• low enough not to overwhelm the fireplace
• of course glass so your remote can work through it, and 
• a great price

I was debating on the Rhys Media stand from Potterybarn:

since I already own the console and end table...

But I have such an internal issue with matchy matchy furniture the same room...obviously Ryan does not :)

Anyway...I found this great piece at one of my favorite thrift stores for $30!

It's perfect! It has glass doors, and holes in the back to hold all of the TV's unsightly cords.

I don't love the finish, so I've decided to paint it white.

And now I am thinking of painting the shelves a bold color, or maybe even use some graphic wall paper.

I came across this amazing DIY project on one of my favorite blogs, Little Green Notebook. Check out how Jenny transformed a boring shelf into a super chic piece with inexpensive molding and bold paint colors!

Little Green Notebook

Little Green Notebook

Little Green Notebook

Little Green Notebook

Little Green Notebook

What do you think? I'm thinking a white cabinet with charcoal (the paint in my dining room seen here) shelves?

Sabrina Soto -- Please run in to me at Target in Rockville :)

Happy Friday everyone. Let me tell you getting back from vacation mid-week is brutal on your body. I don't know which side is up, and I am definitely looking forward to being a homebody this weekend!

Plans include sleeping, watching The King's Speech (again), and finally hanging my basement wall gallery.

But in the meantime, I came across this past article in Bethesda Magazine about Sabrina Soto and I almost spit out my Grande Non-Fat Cinnamon Dolce Latte when I learned that she lives in my town! Well technically she now lives in Bethesda, and I live in Falls Church...but we did both live in Dupont Circle for 3 years at the same time together...and we both shop at the same Homegoods and Target in Rockville!

Photo credit: Stacy Zarin-Goldberg

I know I have professed my love for Sabrina many times on this blog. She is such a rock star. I especially love when she pushes the male homeowners aside on her show, Get it Sold, to rewire and hang chandeliers, and do yard work, all while looking super cute in ballet flats!

I also love that she moved her mom out to this area to be her official shopper. My mom and I always talk about how cool it would be to stage homes.

And now that she is a home style expert for Target, offering design advice on the company’s website and in catalogs and TV commercials, and a home scent designer for Procter & Gamble’s Gain laundry and dish detergents and Febreze air fresheners...we are going to be seeing a lot more of Sabrina...everywhere!

I just hope I run in to her in Target....I will literally start crying and try to hug her :)

To read the full article, click here!

Styling Part 3 of 5: Styling a tabletop step-by-step guide

I love this post from Eddie Ross, where he walks you through how to style a tabletop (vignette) step-by-step...and as always...it is ALL ABOUT LAYERING!

 

Although not extremely practical since half of the mirror is covered, this tabletop is absolutely stunning.

Speaking of realistic styling...Styling does not always mean practical. For instance, that super fluffy Potterybarn bed you loved in the store? Well that bed is packed with about two times the amount of bedding you actually buy. Two duvets folded in the duvet cover to make it extra padded and fluffy...about 12 pillows on the bed, etc. Not completely realistic, but beautifully styled.  

If you want to have a good laugh, make sure to check out Catalog Living. CL gives a fictional glimpse into the exciting world of the people living in your catalog! Which really means they feature stylized rooms found in catalogs and shine a light on the ridiculously unrealistic setup--that we subconsciously love and wonder why we don't have in our house. It is a hilarious reality check!