Find of the Week!

To be truthful, the Find of the Week for this past week was found in the cold and flu aisle. Totally unfair to get both!  But I'm going to shake it all off and move on because I did come across 2 finds to share with you.

We're doing a photo shoot this weekend on an interior project that's not quite finished.  Design projects can take a very long time to really be  photo ready because these are people's homes and there's no rush to be "finished."  We all need to take our time and keep our eyes peeled for those pieces that truly personalize our spaces.  We find some things while travelling while other items reveal themselves when we least expect it and in places we would never have thought to look.  That's a long way of saying that when I'm ready to shoot some pictures, it's not unusual to have to run out and get a few things to fill a nook here, a cranny there.  In that spirit, I found this table at Target:

I love it!  Nice size, made of metal, very, very useful.  Could be an end table or an extra seat in the room.  And it would work indoors or out.  $70!  I tried to find a picture online, but could not.  Target often carries these "global bazaar"items for a short period of time.  If the client doesn't decide to keep it, I may not be able to bring myself to return it because it's just too good.

Here's my other Find for this week.  The Naturalizer Granola sneaker.  A girl should never be too sick to order a pair of shoes.  I love this Converse/Chuck Taylor look, but cannot wear those super-flat sneaks.  These may look flat, but they're not.  AND they have those "gellin" pads inside.  I've never tried those pads and now know that they're awesome!  My feet weren't just fine by mid-day, they were happy feet.

So a good end to the week.  Wash your hands a lot.  Get your rest, take your vitamins and watch what you eat.  Don't get sick.  My Hub took great care of me, but he can't take care of everyone and now he needs a rest.

Ciao,

Anne

Just made me laugh

West Elm's latest ad

This ad from West Elm was in my email today and when I saw the photo I had to laugh.  These are all examples of end tables in the homes of friends and family members 30, 40 and 50 years ago.  What goes around sure does come around!  West Elm has added a couple of fun colors to freshen things up and they're all fairly affordable.  They're also the kind of things many of us look for in thrift shops to buy for a song and spruce up ourselves.  Either way, they've got great, classic lines and can work in just about any room. 

Ciao,

Anne

Transitional interior design, Part 3, Coffee Tables and Accent Tables!

If you've read Part 1 and Part 2, you know what to look for in furniture to get that "transitional" look (reminder--a little traditional, a little modern, a little eclectic) and what direction to take in fabric choices.  Let's move on to the tables, both coffee and accent.  Don't know why this is so daunting to so many.  Maybe it's partly because there seem to be so many choices out there, yet few of them feel right (or they're cheap and cheesey and you know in your heart that they're going to look that way in your home, AND you're right!).  Sorry for all the parentheses, I'll try to stop.

If you want a coffee table that can take a lot of abuse, please buy one with a stone top or maybe a woven rattan or at least put something protective on top, like glass or plexiglass or whatever.  I have nothing against a nice wood surface from Pottery Barn, but that thing is going to scratch up in no time!  Here are some other choices:

Ethan Allen

This one has a travertine top and if you look closely, you'll see that there are 2 nesting tables tucked underneath.  Brilliant.  I do love nesting tables.

Expressions Furniture, Artistica

Oh, this one (above) is SO good.  The top comes in a few choices, but the marble makes me drool (sorry about the drooling).

Expressions

I call this one the Lobster Trap.  Just my own interpretation of the look.  Love the glass, love the wood, love the clean lines and the size.  Guess I love it.

Ethan Allen

The copper top gives a glow to this piece.

Ethan Allen

Expressions

This one is a favorite.  It gives you natural elements and combines texture with a smooth top.  Oh baby.

So by now you get the picture; clean lines, simple design, natural materials = transitional design in the best possible sense. It's useful, beautiful and low maintenance. Buying better quality will pay off in this area. The same goes for end and accent tables. Here's a few:

all end tables found at Expressions

Did you notice that the accent tables were not all clean lines or modern leaning?  Good for you!  Please don't forget to mix in some other shapes. We don't want flat, one-note rooms!  That table right above this paragraph would look fabulous in a more modern room because it brings such warmth to the table (get it? warmth to the table?).  Have some fun with your accent tables.  Don't go overboard, but you've got to have some circles, curves and swirls in a room full of straight lines.  It makes it human, inviting, comfortable. 

While I want you to always look for and choose really good quality in these important pieces for your room, please remember that I also LOVE it when you find a crusty old piece at the Goodwill or any thrift store, yard sale and flea market, take it home and rework it to use in your home.  Many times those old pieces are in those stores because they were good quality in the first place and now just need some updating.

Oh my gosh, the next post is lighting.  Lighting is the MOST important element to finishing a room, so don't skip that one!

And I haven't found a "Find of the Week" yet.  But the day isn't over and I'll try to find one for you today.

Ciao,

Anne