Y’all, to say that Sandy was beyond a biotch is putting it mildly. This gal had BIG plans for most of the mid and northeast and for some, sadly, it seems she’s still not done with her ‘reveal’. Dyl and I are so blessed to have made it through safe and sound… We sit, just awestruck, at some of the images we’re seeing and stories we’re hearing about here in NYC as well as New Jersey and further afield — most seeming like they’re straight out of some post-apocalyptic movie, not possibly real life. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have endured such tremendous loss and devastation. God bless.

And for those of you who have the means and feel compelled to do so, here’s a link to the Red Cross where you can make donations… it sure looks like they could use it, as this recovery will be massive:

Donate here y’all

So it is that the Barn has spoken and if you’re looking for some hot new wares for your space I suggest you look no further than the new Pottery Barn catalog…uh huh, those Pottery peeps must be exhausted with all this new style they’re slaying us with! Check this shiot: (more…)

Earlier this week I’d posted about repetition of pattern and how I was going to apply this technique in my own bathroom, gettin’ all kinds of D.I.Y.-dirty on y’all…here’s the pattern I’m working from:

(more…)

Y’all it’s been bed bath and BEYOND forever since our last Disa episode– so sorry!!! A cliffhanger was never intended for the season, but sometimes a telenovela like ours can get turned around– y’all know how it is…decorating is DRAMA! What follows is a culmination of the past several visits (& projects) to Disa’s Maplewood manse on our road to completion served up in one scrumptious video feast…savor it y’all! Massive holla shout out to Dylan, btw, who made this masterpiece possible…love you! Cue fog machine:

Sometimes I see things in this town that are just beyond genius and worth sharing…this window sign is one of them:

I have no clue why someone took the time to create this sign…it’s an old store front in Brooklyn– are they referring to their business going bust??– but you can tell a lot of thought and time went into it… And the font is incredible!

Y’all, I often have moments in my projects (& LIFE) where I feel the exact same way, but I always try to find the silver lining & the positive, even when it seems like its the furthest thing from my grasp…ideas don’t always turn out like we want or expect, but just being open during the process can often yield more genius then you ever thought you were capable of in the first place!

Y’all there are tons of things to do when family comes to visit in NYC, but one of the best, by far, is Dylan’s Candy Bar!!!

There’s all kinds of sweet treats to enjoy but even more decorating ‘lisciousness to be had…look at all this yummy:

Talk about color and pattern inspiration?!? Or what about making your own custom candy light box, like those stairs– genius! Or imagine a wallpaper accent wall done in THAT pattern?! And yes, this is a gumball tabletop– incredible!

True that, y’all! Enjoy!!!

Y’all, it’s time to get some full-on eye candy! The office is complete, woohoo, BUT before any hot reveal action can occur, have to let y’all know about a slight curve ball with the design plan/furniture solution.

I’d found those awesome Ikea desk/combo units (see previous post for pic) which my client was totally on board with. But then she wasn’t liking the fact that when configured in the space, they would partially block the inspiration boards that would be retrofitted over the existing soundproof windows. And baby just can’t have ANY kind of blockage…ok? Y’all know that’s right…flush IT! So, with some slight design adjustments, each worker will now get to rock these as their desks…

Desktop:

Base 1 (right side):

Base 2 (left side):

I love this new solution! The butcher block desk tops will give us warmth…the bases will serve us lots of yummy storage (hide those computer towers whenever y’all can, biotches!)…mix them all together and you’ve got yourselves some kind of sassy-chic-home-away-from-home PR/communications office realness!

And just so y’all know how hands-on I am with all my projects…take a look at this mini mountain that I was pushing around Ikea:

But trust that mountain was conquered and an office was born, y’all:

Obvi, chairs will move in along with computers and the other inevitable office trappings, but this baby is ready to rock and roll! I’m really pleased with how it turned out and more importantly, my client (& her staff) have had their new office dreams AND destinies fulfilled! What more could I ask for in life, y’all?

My client threw me a conundrum, or tried to anyway, when she tells me that she needs me to decorate her new office. For a staff of four. In one room. Short sentences with periods equal drama.

The pics are in the previous post…here’s my plan of attack:

If y’all can’t tell what in hell is going on with my sketch, here’s the actual product sheet:

I love these cool Ikea desk/bookcase combo units! The lamps are just tres chic, no matter what day of the week it is. Cute cork and metal desk organizers. Clients’ existing office chairs are gorg, so they’re being re-used, which we love, not only for the environment, but also for the budget. And can we all just writhe around all over that cowhide rug? Go ahead, y’all writhe!!! YES! Clearly, I’m going for a very black and white/neutral color palette. Client is in PR/Communications…she’s way hip and way savvy. I wanted to keep her workspace light and airy and unfussy. Let the color come in with her custom inspiration boards…oh, wait…I didn’t mention those yet?

So, y’all saw the pics of the atrocious interior soundproof windows…I’m proposing we retrofit them as giant inspiration/bulletin boards! Made from what? C’mon y’all…HOMOSOTE!!! Call back!
That’s right, we’re gonna just cut some homosote to size and take those odd windows and make them work for us! I’ll upholster these with a nice neutral linen and frame them out with some chunky molding/trim…and since there are two windows in the space, this new office will score double bulletin board value so client can pin her PR & communications for days on end!

We’ll just re-use the existing window treatments and give that space a fresh coat of white paint…and voila– new office! Stay tuned for more process shots as it all comes together!

One of my interior clients needed a new office– fast and cheap (like my lovers)! As most of y’all know, that’s a challenge I’m always up for…sassy scandals! Oh and this room has to comfortably accomodate four peeps…here’s the new spot:

Uh-huh I’ve always taken issue with interior windows in spaces, but actually, y’all, this is a former recording studio, so those are actually pretty standard fare. It’s soundproofed and hung on a weird angle, that you can’t really see in the pics, but I’ve got a plan for that mess…here’s more BEFORE office eye candy:




Stay tuned to see my design solution(s) on how I’m going to make this space really sing!!!

It’s time to get down and DIY dirty, y’all, with some hot bulletin board action…here’s what we’re making, in case y’all are too lazy to click to the last post:

Here’s what y’all need to do:
-measure out your inset panel, height and width, or whatever area you want to create a bulletin board in…and then measure it again…of note: this area should be at least 1/2″ deep, if you plan on insetting a bulletin board into it and then framing it out…this will make more sense later, keep reading…
-get yourself to a home center or building supply store to purchase the following:
* homosote (hee, hee…I typed HOMO y’all!) This is the material that will become your bulletin board. It’s normally used for soundproofing and it comes in 4′ x 8′ sheets (1/2″ thick) for around $25-$30 per sheet. Homosote is a great material for bulletin boards b/c it’s cheap, extremely durable and can be painted or upholstered to suit your style. Check this guerilla footage of me cutting my homosote right in the Home Depot PJcuttinghomosote, shot by the uber-talented genius, Chris White Here’s what I ended up with:

*molding/trim- y’all can get as fancy here as you like, I chose a more classic, simplistic profile to stay in line with the existing architecture of my apt so the look is more seamless when completed: Trimming your bulletin board out isn’t necessary, but it will give you a much more polished look. You’re basically making a picture frame for your bulletin board, like this:

This requires cutting the trim using a miter saw. If you aren’t comfy doing this, see if you can bat your eyelashes or push up your ‘girls’ or ‘boys– whatever you’re rockin’– and persuade an associate at home center to cut trim for you in the dimensions you need. You can also purchase a miter box and handsaw kit that’s really easy to use and less drama than a power tool.

*construction adhesive

*finishing nails,countersink & wood putty

*hammer

*level

*paint and/or fabric & batting, staple gun

Once you’ve gotten your goodies, it’s time to get your construction on.

*Apply small dime-sized blobs of adhesive to the inset area on door. Next place your piece of homosote carefully into the panel and hold firmly for a good 20 to 30 seconds. Kind of run your hands all over that shiot to make sure the adhesive blobs spread out and begin to work their sticky magic.
*Next, line up your pre-cute molding/trim to one side edge, the trim should slightly cover part of the cut edge of bulletin board AND the door. Be sure the length of molding matches up to the length of the seam you’ll be covering…test that the top piece of molding fits at a perfect 90-degrees when held in place to the side edge molding piece.

If y’all have a doorknob that you want to cut around, carefully remove the doorknob. Holding your piece of molding in place on the front side, carefully trace the curvature from the backside– through the existing doorknob hole– make sense? Cut away curvature from the trim. Now, nail your finishing nails every 12″ or so, through the molding into the door. Countersink them. Fill with putty, let dry and sand. Fast tip: y’all can use a drywall spackle in place of wood putty for filling the nailholes– it dries faster, and it’s paintable! Here’s what I’ve got:

If y’all don’t want to paint your bulletin board, you can upholster it…you’d do this BEFORE you install your trim. Wrap your board with batting, then your fabric of choice and staple. Super easy.
Now this is what I call a BULLETIN BOARD!!! (Note: I use t-pins in place of more traditional push pins b/c I like how they look and since they’re so long/strong, I can pin up a lot of shiot without them popping back out at me!)

I love how it turned out and the fact that I have this much more space for my pinning pleasure is incredible! Remember, I also did the same project on the backside of my closet door, here’s what that looks like:

I’m not gonna lie to y’all, this project will take a minute, but it’s totally worth it! Remember to always measure twice and cut once! Now go get your bulletin board on!!!