Loads of bright & festive colors, graphic patterns and modern designs {think square bowls and plates} make throwing together a spring or summer-inspired soiree a total snap.  Don’t these make you want to sit out in the sun with a {very large} margarita?

From left to right, top to bottom: 1. Ruffle Chargers; 2. Square Dishes; 3. Square Plates; 4. Sorrento Melamine Dinner Plates; 5. Dipping Bowls; 6. Loire Plates; 7. Bianca Melamine Dinner Plates;  8. Whim Plates; 9. Focus Bowls; 10. Square Dishes.

If my husband wouldn’t divorce me, you can be sure I’d be loading up on these babies, particularly the turquoise melamine dinner plates with a few of the dishes from the “square” series thrown in for extra pizazz.  I swoon.

You can check out even more springy additions to the C&B dinnerware collections right here.

Back in my lawyerly days I was mentored by an awesome attorney, one of the smartest chicks I know.  She recently switched firms and wound up in this glamorous office.

But there is a bright side – her firm actually encourages the lawyers to decorate their offices.  Imagine my delight when I got an email from my former mentor asking for a little design advice!!

Although she really wanted fun colors like hot pink, lime green and orange, she worried that such vibrant colors might be too much for a law office – so she requested a variety of options, some including the fun colors and others with more traditional “office” colors like warm reds, greens and tans.  Keeping a “traditional but not stuffy” design scheme in mind, her only other requests were for a lamp, some artwork and new, matching in/out boxes.

Design Quickies don’t usually include 10 options – not gonna lie, I got a little carried away!!  If you have the strength, check out the different goodies I whipped up for her:

Option 1: artwork 1, artwork 2, artwork 3, artwork 4, artwork 5, artwork 6, frames, lamp, shelves, trays (from See Jane Work, no longer available - try this or this instead).

The artwork in this design is a more affordable, somewhat DIY version of a very popular set of art from Crate & Barrel, as well as Ballard Designs.

{ You’ll notice that these floating shelves make an appearance in each design – they are super long and will look awesome on that long wall by the bookcase.  I would stagger them so that the upper shelf extends over the bookcase a bit, and the lower shelf is scooted to the left (towards the door) at least two feet.  That way there will be room to lean diplomas, add a narrow vase, personal photos, a book, etc. }

Option 2: artwork 1, artwork 2, artwork 3, artwork 4, frames, lamp, shelves, trays.

Option 3: artwork, lamp (from Target, out of stock – try this, this or this instead), shelves, trays.

{ This print is a steal as compared to an almost identical print from Ballard Designs. }

Option 4:  artwork 1, artwork 2, lamp, shelves, trays (from See Jane Work, no longer available- try this or this instead).

Option 5: bull dog artwork, basset hound artwork, lamp, shelves, trays.

{ Disclaimer: I definitely didn’t expect her to pick this option, but when I came across these quirky prints I just had to concoct a little design with them in honor of her bull dog and beagle pups. }

Option 6: artwork, lamp, shelves, trays.

Option 7: artwork 1, artwork 2, lamp, shelves, trays.

Option 8: artwork, lamp (base & shade sold separately), shelves, trays.

{ The Bed Bath & Beyond artwork is a an affordable alternative to the Z Gallerie piece. }

Option 9: artwork, lamp, shelves, trays.

Option 10: artwork, lamp (from Target, out of stock- try this, this or this instead), shelves, trays.

Whew!  Still with me after all that?  If you were redecorating your office, which option would you choose?  And speaking of offices, what’s your office situation?  Do you work from home, from a cube, from a corner office?  Or maybe your office days are behind you?  Do tell!!

Click on the following link to snag some design advice of your very own – Interior Design Services.

I knew that I wanted new throw pillows on our sofas – the old Pottery Barn ones were fine, but I’d tired of the tan and red color scheme and started craving something a little more exciting.

See?  Nice, but nothing to write home about.  But I knew that I didn’t want to buy 7 brand new pillows, which could easily have run at least $200 – ouch!  So, I got a little creative.

I was at Crate & Barrel the other day picking up a wedding gift for a friend when I spied these funky napkins and matching placemat.  It was instant love, and I knew they could be transformed into some awesome pillows for our den.  I stopped by the fabric store on the way home and snagged some gorgeous teal linen, and then I got to work!

I spread the project out over a couple of nights and made 4 20 x 20 pillows and a long 12 x 36 lumbar pillow for the oversized chair.  I’m thrilled with how they turned out!

Here’s how you can whip up a brand new look for your space with just a few napkins and placemats:

1.  Take stock of what you already have. I priced out new pillow forms for my pillows and they ran about $10 a pop!  I did find a better deal at Ikea ($2.99), but I didn’t want to make the 45 minute trek to our local Ikea.  So, I just reused the old pillows and covered right over them!  They look just the same as new pillow forms, and it saved me some dough.  And when it comes to fabric, look through your stash of napkins, placemats, and leftover fabric to see if you have anything that you could turn into a pillow cover – not only will it make you feel awesome to find a use for your old fabric, but it can keep some extra coin in your pocket.

2.  Snag your fabric. In my case, I didn’t have any fabric or napkins on hand that struck my fancy so I bought some new goods.  When I bought the napkins and placemat, I already knew that my pillows needed to be 20 x 20, so I was able to make sure (before I bought them) that the new napkins were the right size to cover my pillows.  And have a little fun while you’re at it – pillows are a great place to take chances since you can make them so affordably, so play around with pattern, color and texture!

3.  Put it all out there. In the case of the lumbar pillow, I knew that I was going to use both the placemat and some of the teal fabric to create the pillow cover.  After I split the two sides of the placemat apart using a seam ripper, I laid one piece of the placemat across the middle of the original pillow cover – that way I could measure how much of the teal fabric I would need for each side.

4.  Pin and sew. Once all the pieces were cut, I just pinned the teal fabric to each side of the placemat – at that point, I had two long strips, each constructed out of teal fabric then the placemat and then more teal fabric.  Then I used my sewing machine to create the seams and connect the teal fabric to the placemat.  The next step was to sew the two long strips together to create the pillow cover – you’ll want to pin the pieces together with the finished side of the fabric facing in:

5.  Flip it. I sewed each of the 3 sides of the pillow and about a third of the way across on each corner of the fourth side – when I flipped the pillow cover right side out it looked like this:

The whole reasoning behind leaving part of the fourth side open is that it lets you put your pillow into the pillow cover without having to sew in a zipper.  Alternatively, you could create an envelope enclosure, tie the unfinished side closed with ribbons, or close it with buttons.

6.  Finish it off. Now you can go ahead and shove your pillow into the pillow cover!  The last step is to hand sew the rest of the fourth side closed – and now you’re done!!  Go enjoy your fabulous new pillow.

So there’s my quick tip on how to DIY your way into a spiffed up new space.  Got any tips for us?

This post is shared with DIY Day on A Soft Place to Land.

Stephanie and her new hubby just moved into their home a little over a month ago, and Stephanie is itching to transform their living room into a casual space that is perfect place for this duo to either entertain or just kick back and watch a little TV.  Here’s a quick peek at the “before” of Stephanie’s living room:

As you can see, there’s tons of great features to work with in this room.  Gorgeous hardwoods, oodles of space (12 x 18!) and a big, beautiful window provide the perfect foundation for a top-to-bottom transformation.  Keeping their budget and preference for traditional-yet-streamlined furnishings in mind, I created this cozy and casual oasis for our newlywed pair and their friends:

Since Stephanie and her hubby love calming tones in blues and greens, the jumping off point for this design plan is a pale, blue-grey wall color like Glidden’s Stargazer (available at Home Depot).  The light wall color will instantly brighten the room, making up for a lack of overhead lighting.  Complemented by clean-lined furnishings in deep chocolate wood tones, this custom plan is sure to provide Stephanie with the living room she’s been longing for.  Here’s how it all breaks down:

Furniture.  Stephanie was open to a slew of new furniture, but she wanted to make sure that any new pieces would last her and her hubby a good long while.  Here’s the 411 on the snazzy (yet sturdy) pieces that make up her new living room.

• Sofa.  Stephanie has two great options for her comfy leather sectional.  Simply removing a few sections to create a 3-seater sofa and adding a neutral beige slipcover like this will instantly (and cheaply) update the sectional and allow it to fit right into Stephanie’s new space.  On the other hand, Stephanie could replace the sectional altogether with this gorgeous sofa in an easy-to-care-for microfiber.  With rolled arms and sleek wooden legs, this sofa is the perfect combo of hip and traditional – and at under $500, it’s an absolute steal.  Whether Stephanie chooses to slipcover her existing sectional or replace it with a new sofa, this piece will look amazing centered in front of the big window about 6 inches out from the wall (and radiator).
• Side Tables.  Stephanie and her hubby want to embrace modern decor, but their hearts still lie with traditional furnishings.  Although they’re torn between two design styles, they don’t have to choose – these side tables have the clean lines of modern design but are constructed out of dark wood, a hallmark of traditional style.  Flanking either side of the sofa, these side tables will ensure that a drink, book or remote is never out of arm’s reach.  And the shelving underneath provides a great place for baskets like these that can be used to store magazines, Stephanie’s knitting supplies, or anything else the couple might want nearby.
• Coffee Table.  Stephanie is not a big fan if their current coffee table, a slate-covered piece her husband bought awhile back.  This switcheroo is a no-brainer – the coffee table has a sturdy surface that the couple’s guests can feel free to put their feet on, and the slatted shelf underneath the table top gives Stephanie great additional storage.
• Media Cabinet.  Stephanie and her husband are planning on buying a flat screen TV later this year, which will look dynamite on this chocolate media cabinet.  The glass-front cabinets are perfect for storing DVDs, and the center console is just the right size for a DVR or cable box.  The long wall across from the sofa and the window is the ideal place for the media cabinet, giving the couple a perfect view of the TV.
• Console Table.  Stephanie already owns a great console table that she currently uses as a mail center – as it is in a natural location near the stairs, the console table’s going to stay where it is.  It’s deep wood-tones complement the furniture that’s being added to the space, so it will fit right in with all of the new goodies.
• Slipcovered Chairs.  Since this room is used both for lounging and entertaining, extra seating is a must.  These chairs, slipcovered in bright white, will be awesome placed on an angle on either side of the media cabinet.  The rounded back and arms are cozy and inviting, and the slipcovers couldn’t be easier to clean.  The bright white of these chairs will really pop against the pale blue walls and contrast nicely against the dark wood tones of the media cabinet.

Here’s a quick look at the updated layout of Stephanie’s living room:

Rug.  Stephanie was dying for a rug, and this 8 x 10 stunner is an ideal complement to the new design of Stephanie’s living room.  This whimsical beauty is reminiscent of traditional floral patterns but is updated with a bold, graphic design – perfect for this young couple.  The grey-blue tones in the pattern will play off of the new wall color, while the amber and bronze tones will look amazing with the honey-colored floors and chocolate wooden furniture.

Lighting.  This room has no overhead lighting and very little natural light, so lighting plays a big part in this design plan.  Stephanie’s existing silver floor lamp with the beige shade will go behind the slipcovered chair by the fireplace, creating a cozy reading nook.  These unique, glass bubble lamps will give the room a hint of shine, and will look perfect on top of the new side tables.  I’m in love with this hammered silver lamp, which will brighten up the mail center by the stairs – like the glass bubble lamps, this silver lamp will sparkle oh-so-nicely.  Finally, this awesome star light is a fun, quirky addition to the room, and will add a touch of interest on top of the media cabinet – its shape also mimics the graphic pattern on the rug, tying things together in a subtle way.

Curtains.  While the room already has a set of blue curtains, the existing curtains are rather flimsy-looking and aren’t quite the right shade to work with Stephanie’s new color palette.  These luxurious dupioni silk drapes will add a touch of formality to the room without being too stuffy.  And since they’re on an awesome sale, Stephanie should be sure to snatch these 50 x 84 panels up fast!  And these curtains will look amazing with the woven wooden blinds that are currently dressing the window.

Artwork.  Stephanie currently has a colorful print of the Venice canals in the space, which will look fabulous to the left of the front door in the empty space between the front door and the curtains.  This print and this print (both by Van Gogh) will be hung in dark frames above each armchair, on the left and right of the media cabinet.  Each print adds touches of color to the space, and ties in nicely with Stephanie’s existing artwork.

Fireplace.  Stephanie has a gorgeous fireplace – it will tie into the room beautifully just by painting over the red brick with a neutral beige, and spray painting the fireplace surround with a coat of glossy silver paint.  (Here’s a quick tutorial on how to spray paint a fireplace surround).  Now that the fireplace has been transformed, these three starburst mirrors will be a stunning focal point over the fireplace.  Hung in a staggered, vertical pattern, these mirrors subtly mimic the graphic star/floral pattern that is repeated throughout the space.

Accessories.  Two of these sky blue mosaic pillows will look amazing in the slipcovered chairs, and provide a quick hit of blue that will connect the chairs with the rest of the room.  By adding two of these gorgeous, white pleated pillows to the sofa, these pillows will mirror the white of the slipcovers across the room.  Subtle hints of white around the room, like with these bud vases, will keep the eye moving around the room.  A shaggy green fern to the right of the fireplace will add a welcome touch of nature.  Finally, the area to the right of the front door is begging to become a pulled-together mini-mudroom.  By adding two pairs of these twig-inspired key hooks high above the magazine rack from Stephanie’s grandmother, Stephanie will have the perfect place to hang her purse and toss her shoes after a long day at work.

So there you have it – Stephanie’s fabulous new living room!!!!  I hope you all love it (especially Stephanie!).  And if you have a room in your house that is begging for a little TLC, just click here for  a little design advice of your very own.