TheDesignFile

Sunday roundup: A fun DIY, mantel magic & more

2010-03-21T08:00:00-04:00

I was so excited to see that Craftynest's Monica Ewing is back posting again after a short break and naturally she didn't disappoint with a fantastic patchwork bulletin board project.

This is a DIY that really anyone can accomplish. The materials and tools are simple and the instructions are simple.

"This pin board project started with a friend’s broken, holey bulletin board and some free fabric samples," Monica writes. "I just added copious amounts of hot glue and some white paint.

"It reminds me of Pottery Barn Teen’s Style Tiles — which are $340," she said. "Mine only cost me about $7."

Find the instructions and materials list at the full Craftynest post.

Here's what else to check out this week:

Apartment Therapy has a great how-to for rejuvenating a butcher block countertop.

The great DIY blog Curbly had a post about 10 items that will update your home instantly, a list taken from Canadian House & Home. (Curbly also featured a post this week from The Design File, thanks to our great DIY friend Shelly Leer, known there as ModHomeEcTeacher.)

My fellow Hoosier bloggers Beckie of Infarrantly Creative and Sarah of Thrifty Decor Chick hosted a Goodwill Shop & Hop in Central Indiana last weekend. I had to miss it because I was working at my full-time newspaper job, but both posted about the fun they had. You can check out Sarah's post here and Beckie's post here.

Layla at The Lettered Cottage posted a great redo of her mantel, which she accomplished using flea market finds with a few cheap purchases thrown in. She gives you step by step instructions for achieving the same look, which you can see at right. Layla also posts more mantel ideas here.

Country Living: Special Gardening Issue preview

2010-03-20T08:00:00-04:00

You know it's early spring when tulips begin gracing magazine covers. That's why I was excited to see the cover of the April issue of Country Living magazine.

Check out the cover at right of the Special Gardening issue and see what's inside below:

Special Gardening Issue: What to Plant Now, Favorite Plant Combinations from Experts, and Six Inspiring Ideas from one Glorious Garden .
Trisha Yearwood’s Family Recipes: The country singer stays true to her Southern roots, offering dishes culled from cooks on both sides of her family.
Do Right By Nature: Your home can look great and do right by Mother Nature. Country Living’s 30 finds boast earth-friendly cred. See some recycled craft ideas here.
Set a Sweet Easter Table: Natural touches make this setting just right for the season.
A Fresh Take on Florals: Get ready for another bloom boom! Only this time the flowers come in an incredible array of colors and sizes. Plus they’re popping up everywhere—from shoes to pillows to teacups. See some floral home accessories here.
Get Crafty! Easy Easter eggs, decoupaged desk organizers, and a terrarium made from photo frames. Check out some Easter projects here and terrarium projects here.

Summer fun from IKEA - for a limited time!

2010-03-19T08:00:00-04:00

I told you in a post earlier this week about a few of the new products at IKEA but today's post showcases the store's summer items, which are available only while supplies last.

First up is IKEA's new tools for the grill.

"Barbecuing is about mouth-watering delights and good times," IKEA says. "With the right gadgets it’ll be a lot easier, too. Like stainless steel barbecue tools with long silicone-coated handles help to avoid burns while creating yet another delicious dish."

Above left is a set of utensils ranging in price from 99-cents to $5.99.

At right is a barbecue wok for $9.99, paper plates at 18 for $2.99, paper side plates at 18 for $1.99, red wine glasses for 4 for $2.99, disposal mugs at 18 for $1.49, assorted color plates at four for $1.99, colored bowls at 4 for 99-cents, and a green and red tray for $7.99.

IKEA has also come out with a line of sunny yellow products that just make me yearn for summer (even though I'm kind of a winter girl). I love the bathrobes below for $29.99. Too bad they only come in small or medium. I also like the bath towels for $12.99 each, the two-piece twin duvet set for $14.99, and the plastic-coated fabric for $7.99 a yard.

But not everything is about the sun! The cool candle holders and other items below are designed to bring a little life to your summer evenings! These items below left range from $2.99 to $9.99. Below right is a set of three blue glass vases for $16.99 and tea light lanterns for just $4.99 each.

Finally, there's nothing like big, bold colors to make a great summer party. The candles and candle holders below would be just the trick. The striped tealight holders are $2.99 for a five-pack, the candles in square glass holders are $1.99 each, the small colored vases are $4.99 for a three-pack and the striped block candles are $1.99 each.

Remember, these are seasonal items and so they won't last too long.

Check back in a few days and I'll have more of IKEA's new products!

Modern design custom made for two cats

2010-03-18T15:00:00-04:00

Regular readers know that I'm a huge fan of Moderncat, a blog that gives cat owners great ways to make their contemporary homes feline-friendly.

So when Kate at Moderncat posted this fantastic video about designer Russell P. Granger's 800-square-foot apartment in Brooklyn, I knew I had to share it. Granger created the space to be a one-of-a-kind haven for his kitties Dodger and Oliver, complete with a secret hideaway and carpet-covered catwalk.

Isn't that cool?

By the way, the apartment is now for sale. According to Kate, it's listed at $679,000, a price that includes the built-in cat accommodations. "And for a bit more, you can even keep all the uber modern furniture!" she said.

Giveaway: A Kichler pendant, chandelier or bath light -- the winner gets to choose!

2010-03-18T08:00:00-04:00

I've got an amazing giveaway for you -- compliments of Kichler LIghting, a company that offers fantastic fixtures for all areas of your home.

I featured some Kichler bath lights from the Montara collection as part of a post last month about choosing the right lighting for your bathroom mirror. Now, the great folks at Kichler have decided to reward a reader of The Design File with a light from that same Montara collection.

You can see one of the choices -- the three-light island pendant -- at right.

In all, there are seven options that range in retail value from $210 to $417. The winner picks his or her favorite.

Here are the options, with their retail values:

Three-light island: $387 (shown above)
Convertible pendant: $195
Wall sconce (you get two): $210 total
Inverted pendant: $417 (shown at left)
Two-light bath bar (you get two): $396 total
Three-light bath bar: $282
Four light bath bar: $375

You can see photos of all of them below. I think the Montara collection is fantastic because the style will blend well with so many types of decorating -- contemporary, rustic, arts & crafts, country and others. That means there's no reason not to enter!

You can get up to FOUR entries for this great giveaway. Yes, I said FOUR entries. Here's how to do it:

First, you MUST comment on this post. Nothing else you do counts if you don't comment on this post and tell us which fixture you'd like to win. And if you qualify for additional entries, you have to tell us so in your original comment OR in subsequent ones.

You get another entry if you post the following on Twitter (and tell me you did so in your comment): I signed up to win an @KichlerLight fixture from @TheDesignFile! You can enter too at www.TheDesignFile.net.

You also get an entry if you sign up as a follower of @KichlerLight (and, of course, tell me so in a comment below).

Finally, you get another entry if you receive The Design File's daily email. If you already do, leave me a comment saying so. If not, sign up! Look for the box in the upper right corner of the blog, enter your email and make sure and respond when you receive a confirmation email. Then, leave me a comment saying you signed up.

That's it. You can have four entries to win one of these beautiful fixtures. (The two-light bath fixture is shown above right.)

Here are all the choices. Remember to identify the one you want in your comment below.

1. Two-light bath bar (you get two). 2. Three-light island pendant. 3. Wall sconce (you get two). 4. Inverted pendant. 5. Three-light bath bar. 6. Convertible pendant. 7. Four-light bath bar.

You can sign up to win through noon March 26. I'll alert the winner by email -- so make sure the email you provide with your comment is accurate!

Etsy pick: Vintage pieces for a contemporary home

2010-03-17T13:00:00-04:00

I love homes that use vintage pieces to help create a contemporary look. That's why today I'm featuring the Hindsvik shop on Etsy.

The shop is full of fantastic used pieces that are just perfect for so many different areas of your home. You can find designer furnishings like the Knoll Tulip Chair below or smaller items like the modern white teapot, also below.

"Our shop Hindsvik comes straight from the heart and is a collaboration of curated objects and collections we find," say shop owners Daniel and Valeria. "Each and every item on the store is something we love, and we don't believe in adding things to the shop that we don't love or that isn't usable."

The couple is in the midst of renovating and redecorating a 1940's home on a budget and blogging about it here. So many of the items they choose for their shop are the types of things they'd love in their own home.

"We try surround ourselves and live with beautiful objects both in our home and in everyday life," they said. "We also try to think outside the box when it comes to decorating, storage solutions and home renovations and immerse these ideas into our shop."

You can see just a few of their items at right, but you there are 228 more items at their Etsy site.

From left to right, top to bottom:

Vintage Sampton chair, $225. Metal drawers, $25 each. Gas station number, $18. Modern white teapot, $210. Large wooden letter E, $125. Knoll Tulip Chair with stool, $1,400.

Indiana Design Center alive with new tenants

2010-03-17T08:00:00-04:00

The Indiana Design Center in Carmel is really coming to life with new tenants and now a grand opening is planned for summer.

Forty percent of the showroom space in the newly built brick center is now leased with another 35 percent in what developer Pedcor Companies says is "under serious lease negotiation."

Trade Source, Albert Square Ltd./J. Baker Interiors, Outré and Julie O’Brien Design Group (who designed the bedroom at right) will occupy showrooms in the building.

Angie Fischer Design Group, Deborah Marr Interiors, Design Studio Vriesman, NEW Brand Development Studio, Jay Slifer Design Group, April Willy, and Ecotots will relocate their businesses to the building’s professional office suites.

The Blu Moon Café will also open in the Indiana Design Center and be promoted as the preferred caterer for design center events.

“We are very excited to have strong tenants join the Indiana Design Center,” said Melissa Averitt, vice president and director of marketing and sales for Pedcor. “Each business is a leader in the interior design industry and will bring their loyal clients to the Indiana Design Center as well as Carmel Arts & Design District.

"The showrooms and design firms will offer an array of decorative choices and design perspectives, helping the Indiana Design Center to further its mission of providing a premier collection of design resources to professional designers and their clients,” Averitt said.

Here's more information, as provided by Pedcor:

The Trade Source (Showroom Tenant - Now Open)

The Trade Source signed a lease with the Indiana Design Center to occupy a 15,000 square foot showroom. The new showroom opened in February. The photo at right is compliments of the center's Indiana Design blog.

The Trade Source, owned and operated by Susan Crockett, specializes in selling decorative fabrics, drapery hardware and specialty wall coverings to design trade professionals; top-selling lines include, Lee Jofa, Brunschwig & Fils, Kravet, Duralee, Donghia and many others.

The Trade Source offers over 100 lines of fabric and attracts over 400 of central Indiana’s design professionals. The showroom moved from its Hancock Street location in Carmel.

"We love our new location at Indiana Design Center, in the heart of the Carmel Arts & Design District," said owner Susan Crockett. "Our brand new showroom offers an improved experience for our clients and allows them access to other design center showrooms and resources relevant to their design projects.”

Albert Square Limited/J. Baker Interiors (Showroom Tenant - Now Open)

Owned by Jim Baker, Albert Square Ltd. is a furniture and accessories showroom that features furniture brands like Kindel, Stanford, Hancock & Moore as well as Chapman Lighting. J. Baker Interiors is a full service interior design studio and designed the room at right in the Indiana Governor's Residence.

The showroom and interior design studio is located on the design center’s first level and now open.

Outré (Showroom Tenant - Opening in April 2010)

Outré is a family owned custom furniture store that strives to push the limits of creativity with the products they offer their clients. Outré will be relocating from their downtown Meridian Street showroom to the Indiana Design Center.

Check out the firm's Morgan sofa, shown at right.

Julie O’Brien Design Group (Showroom Tenant - Opening in April 2010)

Julie O’Brien Design Group is a full service interior design and interior architectural firm. With a national portfolio of clients, owner and principal Julie O’Brien’s work has been published in numerous regional and national publications and broadcast in five episodes of "Homes Across America" on HGTV. You can see one of her spaces at right.

Julie is equally excited about the firm’s new location. She said that by moving Julie O’Brien Design Group to the Indiana Design Center, "we’ll have access to design industry showrooms and resources within a single building. We look forward to sharing this space with our clients and continuing to create exquisite and very personal homes.”

Blu Moon Café (Opening Summer 2010)

The owners and operators of the popular Logan Street Marketplace in Noblesville, IN, Brian and Shelley Jordan, are set to open a café in the Indiana Design Center that offers fresh fare, including panini’s, deli sandwiches, salads, soups, specialty coffee drinks and desserts.

The café will be open during regular design center business hours, have indoor and outdoor patio seating and be the preferred caterer for all Indiana Design Center events.

Others:

Design Studio Vriesman (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving Spring 2010). A residential interior design studio led by Principal, Tom Vriesman. Tom is also the Director of Design Community Relations for the Indiana Design Center.

NEW Brand Development Studio (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving March 2010). NEW Brand Development Studio is led by Principal, Matt Ganser.

Angie Fischer Studio (Office Suite Tenant - Arriving Spring 2010). Angie Jakad Fischer, owner of Angie Fischer Studio, leads her interior design business with an “eclectic chic” style.

Deborah Marr Interiors (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving May 2010). Deborah Marr Interiors is a full-service residential interior design studio led by principal, Debbie Marr. Debbie is an Allied Member of ASID and she has been designing residential spaces in the Indianapolis area for 21 years. Debbie’s work has been featured in "Better Homes and Gardens Country Kitchen Ideas" and "Indianapolis Monthly", and can be seen in this year’s St. Margaret’s Guild Decorators Showhouse.

Ecotots (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving June 2010). Eco-friendly modern furniture and furnishings for kids. See photo of the Ecotots project table at right.

Jay Slifer Design Group (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving June 2010). Interior Architecture · Product Design + Development · Sourcing.

April Willy (Office Suite Tenant – Arriving June 2010). Fine art and children’s book illustration. See her painting "Family Resemblance" at right.

A flat-pack, 3-seat sofa and more new IKEA stuff

2010-03-16T14:00:00-04:00

Yesterday I received an email packed full of everything that's new at IKEA -- and I do mean packed full. There are so many new things I'm going to have to spread them out through several posts.

I'm going to start with the popular EKTORP armchairs and two-seat and three-seat EKTORP sofas, which have been remade so they pack essentially flat. They take up half the packing space as before, which makes them easier to take home from the store.

"All this without tampering one bit with how comfortable it is," IKEA says.

The EKTORP also comes in some new, gorgeous colors.

I love this new Idemo light brown color (above) and the darker Svanby brown (swatch at left). There's also an Idemo black and red.

Meanwhile, IKEA has introduced new versions of the reliable KARLSTAD sofa. There are new styles and new colors -- and even head rests for folks who are tall.

Above right is the KARLSTAD in tufted, Grann dark brown.

And I love this new collection of mirrors, which range in price from $14.99 to $99.99.

And how about these great looking boxes and bags? "Seasonal clothes, magazines, old records, bills, soft toys...boxes and bags, in all kinds of sizes and looks," IKEA says. "Keep chaos at bay."

There's so much more to show you. I could fill up the entire blog with new IKEA items. But I'm going to save most of it for later. The last thing I'll show you today is some of IKEA's new textiles.

There are now lamp shades to go with the calming ALVINE collection below left and with the colorful RENATE collection below right.

Tune in later this week for more!

Design Translation: Picking a chair for our room

2010-03-16T08:00:00-04:00

It's time for the next choice in our virtual makeover of a fun bedroom from an HGTV Dream Home and today we'll be focusing on lounge chairs. The inspiration chair has a great red print on a natural background and I couldn't find anything quite like it. But I think I've got some decent options for you. You'll find all the details and pricing if you keep reading.

Remember, we're trying to pick a chair that isn't a replica of the one in the inspiration room (which is a good thing because I couldn't find that).

Instead, we're looking for something that creates the same feel and works with the other choices we've already made. You can see those below -- along with the inspiration room. Click the collage for a better look.

Those choices leave us with $1,499 left from our $2,750 budget to finish the room. We need to get the chair -- plus an ottoman, cabinet, lamps, and wall art.

I think we're doing pretty well. Still, try to think about the budget as well as the other choices we've already made.

Here are your options:

1. The Joselin Chair in Bellingham red floral fabric from Ballard Designs is $865. I like this pattern because it's kind of a natural, golden color on a red background. It also has a smaller profile, which is perfect for our bedroom.

2. The Swoop Arm Chair in floral from Target is $190. This chair is a fantastic price and I think the black and white would look great in the room. I'm a little less certain about whether the pattern and style of the chair match as well, although I like both.

3. The Bucktown Chair and Ottoman is upholstered in crimson microfiber and is $500 from Target. The great thing about choosing this chair is that we get the ottoman too, which is one fewer thing we have to buy! But I think all that solid red might be a little bit much and the ottoman might be too big.

4. The Daisy Chair from Pier1 is $300. Isn't this an adorable chair! I love the way it has a modern fabric with more traditional lines. It's just cool. Now, whether that pattern really works in the room is another question. I don't know the answer and can't wait to see what you think.

5. The Wing Back Chair from Plow & Hearth is $400. This chair is shown here with an ottoman but the price doesn't include it and so neither will we. I added this chair to the choices at the suggestion of a friend who thought it would make a great fit. I still haven't decided whether I think the color is a good match. But again, I defer to your better judgment.

So what do you think? Vote for your favorite chair below and make sure to tell us why you picked the one you did by clicking on "comments" below.