It’s been tough, but I’ve narrowed the field to 6 finalists, and I think I may have even decided on a winner.  My criteria is pretty simple – the fabric has to introduce a new color into the mix (not just olive and chocolate), it has to be patterned (spills are a doozie in the dining room), and it has to be fun.

Here’s a rundown of the finalists:

1. Turquoise Peacock.  What’s not to love about a peacock print?  The turquoise is a fresh and welcome addition to the existing color palette, but I’m a little worried about introducing yet another animal-inspired print into the room.

2. Fuschia Ikat.  Love ikat, love fuschia.  Love that it adds in a bit of turquoise, too.  But is fuschia in a dining room too much?

3. Confetti Squiggles.  I’m smitten with the fact that this fabric introduces a plethora of colors to play with, but I think the pattern is a little too distracting when paired with the rug.

4. Confetti Damask.  I think this pattern is gorgeous, and I’m particularly drawn to the traditional design with an updated color palette.  But unfortunately, I’ve learned that money doesn’t grow on trees (darn!) and this fabric is wayyy out of my price range.

5. Olive Trellis.  The trellis pattern has been a fave of mine for awhile, but for some reason it falls flat for me in this dining room, probably because it doesn’t introduce that all-important third color.

6. Eggplant Ikat.  This one is the winner for me – it’s fun and funky, but maybe not as wild as the fuschia ikat.  And while I typically don’t like colors in the purple family, I’m really digging the deep eggplant of this fabric.

So now that you’ve checked out the fabrics for yourself, what do you think?  Is there a clear winner for you, or do you think I’ve gone off the deep end and need to keep looking?

I was seriously contemplating them for our den, and I really do think it would look fabulous.  Unfortunately, I did the math and an 8 x 10 made out of these suckers would come to $713.66 (for 34 tiles at $20.99 a pop).  Boo.  For that much money, I’ll invest in a rug.

Oh well, I’ll still admire them from afar!  What do you guys think of them?

Image courtesy of Flor.

We started out with the micheladas – enjoying a frosty beverage while slaving over a hot stove always makes things a bit better, don’t you think?  And don’t worry, I didn’t know what micheladas were either (and I’m a Texan!) until I visited my friends Jen and Kyle in San Antonio last weekend.  Basically, a traditional michelada is like a Mexican Bloody Mary made with beer instead of vodka – you can learn how to make one here.  But these are no traditional micheladas – nope, they’re made with passion fruit juice!  Sounds fancy, doesn’t it?

Here’s all you need to make this delicious drink – 2 Mexican beers (I love Dos Equis), some passion fruit juice from the grocery store, and 2 frosty pilsners from Ikea (that last part’s optional):

Here’s a demonstration of my preferred beer to passion fruit juice ratio – my guess is that it’s 3 parts beer to 1 part passion fruit juice.  Feel free to keep adding until it tastes right – the fruitier the better, if you ask me!

Trust me, it’s delicious!  Even Jason became a huge fan, and he’s one of those guys that feels like beer is best left untouched by anything but a frosty glass.  Go try it out tonight!

And while you’re at it, you should definitely give my friend Tessa’s Not-So-Sloppy Joes a try – we were wooed by this grown-up version of the classic many months ago when Tessa invited us over for dinner.  It was almost embarrassing how much we liked these sandwiches.  And now that we have the recipe, we can make them whenever we want!!

With my michelada in hand, I set out all my ingredients and went to work.  You’ll probably already have most of these goodies in your fridge and pantry, which is a total bonus.

The first step was chopping up the onion and red bell pepper and throwing them in a pan along with the garlic and some olive oil to get all sweet and delicious.  I used jarred garlic instead of chopping up a clove because chopping garlic is just about my least favorite thing to do in the world – anybody else feel that way?  The jarred stuff gets the job done and lets you keep your sanity.  And if I were a better person I probably would have chopped both of those veggies a little smaller, but the food police never showed up so I think it was okay.

After the veggies cooked down, I tossed in the ground beef, cinnamon (yes!), chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and tomato paste.  As you can see, the result is not-so-sloppy as your average Joe.

We piled this tasty goodness on top of toasted Hatch green chili buns that we had on hand from the grocery store and topped it off with shredded dheddar and light sour cream (I’m aware of the irony).  We each had 1.5 Joes because they were just that delicious.  Along with a side of grilled corn (and our trusty micheladas), these Not-So-Sloppy Joes made for a seriously awesome and fun meal!

I know, I need to work on my food photography skills.  Anybody know a good food stylist?  But seriously, give this recipe a try tonight:

And it’s one of those recipes where you can totally play with the spices to get the exact taste you want.  Next time, I’ll probably add some more chili powder and maybe even some red pepper flakes – this girl likes her spice!  If you guys give either of these recipes a whirl, let me know how you like them!!

But enough of that food stuff.  Now it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for – the winner of that gorgeous rug from the Gnarly Giveaway!!

As you can see, Random.org picked entry 43 as the winner:

Ellen Price!!!

Congrats, Ellen!!  I’ll be in touch to get your info, and you’ll have your beautiful rug in no time!!  And thanks to everybody that entered this giveaway, what an awesome turnout!

This post is shared with Hooked on Houses.

My client had recently purchased a clean-lined microfiber sofa in chocolate and a pair of contemporary sage green swivel chairs with rounded backs that she absolutely loved – unfortunately, she realized that her awesome new furniture just wasn’t working with the mismatch of furnishings that she currently had in the room.  Here’s a quick peek at the “before” of my client’s living room, which is open to the kitchen and dining room:

Since the living room is where my client and her family hang out and entertain, the goal for this room was to create a comfortable yet sophisticated space that is perfect for either family game night or a room full of guests. Working with the existing palette of chocolate brown and sage, I added touches of metal, glass and wood to create this inviting and contemporary design that her whole family is sure to love:

The backdrop for this room is the existing beige wall color – it acts as a great neutral base for the rich tones and pops of color that will be brought into the space. Here’s how the rest of the plan breaks down:

Rug.A fabulous rug can be hard to find, and this gorgeous piece anchors this space and ties the whole living room together. By replacing the existing burgundy rug with this 7.6 x 9.6 contemporary, lighter-toned rug, the living room is instantly brightened and feels more cheerful. The sage and brown accents tie in perfectly with the chocolate sofa and sage green chairs, while the blue introduces a beautiful and somewhat unexpected accent color into the room.

Floorplan. My client and her family have tried numerous furniture arrangements and are comfortable with their existing floorplan, so we’re leaving it like it is – with just a few minor tweaks. Moving the sofa several feet out from the wall will narrow the gap between the sofa and the swivel chairs, and keep the ottoman from floating out in the middle of the room. The extra space behind the couch can now be used for a console table that provides the perfect opportunity for a little personality (we’ll get to that later).

I also provided the client with an alternative floorplan (below), in case they ever decide to shake things up a bit.

Furniture. My client already had some great basic pieces for this room, and I was super-excited to find new furniture to complement the existing sofa and chairs and really up the sophisticated and contemporary vibe of this room. Here are the details on her gorgeous new furniture:

~ Ottoman. The family of five needs room to spread out, so this tufted leather ottoman is perfect for extra seating during Wii tournaments, or they can just put their feet up and relax. I especially love this ottoman because of the slatted base which provides an awesome place for woven baskets filled with games and Wii controllers, folded blankets, or cushy floor pillows. A silver, hammered tray would be beautiful on top of the ottoman and would provide a sturdy place for drinks.

~ Media Center. The long wall across from the French doors is begging for a sturdy entertainment unit. This affordable combination of a media stand and etageres will give the family ample storage for DVDs, and still allow them to display personal photographs and accessories on the open shelving. In a deep chocolate brown, this piece will balance the sofa and add some needed weight to that side of the room.

~ Console Table. This glass and metal console table is sleek and stylish, and its curved metal base is pretty sexy. Centered behind the couch on the back wall, this console table will anchor a gorgeous vignette that the entire family will be able to enjoy from the kitchen and throughout the room.

~ Side Table. I love this side table – its metal base is rustic and the curved legs are so unique. The maple tabletop helps blend the light-toned cabinetry in the kitchen with the rest of the space – and it’s always nice to have a place to set your drink!

~ Dining Table. The existing dining set ties in beautifully with the maple cabinets in the kitchen – however, I’d love to see my client stain the table in a deep walnut tone to blend the wood tones in the kitchen with the chocolate woods throughout the living room. Now they’ll have a beautiful contrast between the blond, graphic chairs and the rich, stained wood of the table.

~ Dining Chairs. This striped outdoor fabric is the perfect choice for reupholstering the chair pads for the dining chairs – easily wipeable, this beautiful cloth can stand up to three kids while it adds another layer of interest to the dining area.

Lighting. Lighting is the perfect way to create a cozy ambience in a room, and my client is sure to love these beauties:

~ Capiz Table Lamps. A pair of these shimmering capiz lamps on each end of the console table will instantly add texture and interest to the room. This duo will frame a beautiful art print (discussed below) that will be hung above the console.

~ Metal Floor Lamp. The addition of this bold, metal floor lamp will brighten the corner to the left of the barstools. These touches of metal throughout the room provide nice contrasts with the smooth, rich woods around the room.

~ Wood & Chrome Ceiling Fan. While the existing white ceiling fan is certainly functional, this contemporary, lighted fan ensures that every aspect of the room is cohesive (and adds a bit more light!).

~ Contemporary Chandelier. This pair of chandeliers is really a star in this design. Centered above the dining table, these sculptural chandeliers are totally unique and exciting, and the glass shades will add a touch of sparkle to the dining nook.

Curtains. Tying in perfectly with the swivel chairs in the living room, these sage green curtain panels will look fabulous hung wide and high on either side of the French doors, as well as the window in the kitchen. The curtains can be drawn during movie-time to ensure that everyone can enjoy the show without a distracting glare. Black or oil-rubbed bronze curtain rods would totally complete the look. If my client wishes, bamboo blinds can be used to add another layer of texture to the French doors and window in the kitchen.

Artwork. Since my client already has beautiful artwork that she loves, I have blended her existing art with a new piece. It would be a great touch for all of the artwork to have coordinating frames and mats – the existing frames can be spraypainted a chocolate brown, and cream-colored mats would look fabulous.

~ Multi-colored tapestry. The colorful tapestry that is currently unframed will look amazing framed and hung on the wall behind the dining table.

~ Framed text. My client already found a great location for her framed text (by the bar in the kitchen), so it’s staying put!

~ Triptic prints. The set of prints is also staying put – kind of. With the lamp placed in the corner, it would look best if the prints were rearranged in a vertical line to the right of the lamp.

~ Abstract art print. This piece is perfect for the space – the blues and greens tie in beautifully with the rug, chairs and curtains, while the unexpected splash of red keeps the living room from looking too “matchy-matchy.” As an added bonus, this colorful piece is a great complement to the existing artwork.

Throw Pillows. The final touches to the space are throw pillows for the couch and chairs. These off-white pillows are crisp and clean and pick up the cream in the rug. – two of them will look great on the chocolate couch. The brown and cream crewel pillows are my favorite, and by placing one on each chair the chairs will instantly mesh with the chocolate sofa.

So there you have it!! A fresh new living room that really captures the family’s style and needs for the space. What do you guys think?

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

Images courtesy of cb2, Pottery Barn, World Market, JC Penney, Fabric.com, Overstock, Contemporary Rugs, Home Depot, and Art.com.  Floorplans by Floorplanner.com.

He’s got it all.  Fun colors?  Check.  Lively stripes?  Check.  Ridiculously affordable?  Double check.

I made him mine for a grand total of 36 bucks (including shipping!!) from Dash & Albert.  What a score!!  This little rug is now bringing a much-needed dose of personality and life to our newly remodeled kitchen.  I love how the earthy colors of the rug play off the cream and chocolate tones in our granite (and looks pretty great with the mossy green backsplash – sorry no picture!), and will work equally well in the summer and winter.  And no more puddles from drippy dishes on our hardwood floors . . . ah, life is good.

I’m also digging those cute little magenta cone flowers by the sink – they’re from our backyard, and I’m constantly (and pleasantly surprised) by the fun flowers that I find popping up back there.  Kudos to the former homeowner!

But I digress – back to the rug!  If we ever want to switch things up, our snazzy rug would look great in our entryway by the front door for a little splash of color.  Recognize that fab oversized glass vase?

Found any awesome deals lately that just made your day?  Got any advice on where I can find a rug that’s just as cute (and hopefully as affordable) for our living room?  Spill the beans!

For the full line of Dash & Albert’s gorgeous and totally affordable rugs, click here.

After searching for awhile, last week I read about how the nifty homeowners over at Young House Love got an awesome deal (i.e., $34) on a snazzy, striped jute rug for their kitchen from The Company Store.  This information got me all atwitter so I decided to check out The Company Store to see if it has any cheapo (yet awesome) 8 x 10 rugs – turns out they do!!  I immediately fell in love with these babies:

These “Mirage“ rugs are an absolute steal at $143 for an 8 x 10 (plus $25 shipping), and the cotton rag material is casual yet chic and perfectly soft underfoot  - I knew one of these gems was going to be mine.  But which one??

I have a slight obsession with the color green, so I was instantly drawn to the chartreuse rug – but the rust rug is an awesome shade of orange and the red rug would coordinate perfectly with the throw pillows from Pottery Barn that we already have in the den.  See?

Such a serious decision!!!

After much debating and convos with the hubby, I decided on the chartreuse.  I know, the red rug would have matched the pillows, but I’d been wanting some new pillows so the chartreuse rug presented the perfect opportunity for a little updating.  Now I just had to wait a week for this spunky guy to be delivered!!

This fun package was waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday:

After I snipped it open, the kitties couldn’t wait to get their little paws on it – here’s Lexie waiting to pounce on her big fat brother:

Of course, I soon realized that what looked like a springy, cheerful green on the website photo was semi-blinding in person.  No worries, I’m sure it will calm down once it’s in place under the tan couches, right?

No such luck.  Too much green is too much green.

This sucker is going back, and I’m sad – such a great deal!!!  I haven’t lost hope for The Company Store, though – now I have my eye on some of these fun (and ridiculously cheap) goodies from their Clearance section – all under 50 bucks!!

Wire Stools

Adirondack Cushions

All-Weather Wicker Ottoman

Contemporary Lanterns

Contempo Table

Mercury Glass Candleholders

Metro Storage Bench

Retro Ogee Rug

Tribeca Storage Ottoman

Urbino Ottoman

(Ok, so that last one’s not under $50, but it’s pretty darn close – only $58, and how cute for a patio!!)

Had any similar “whoopsies” where the item that arrived didn’t quite match the picture you had in your mind?  Hopefully I’m not the only one to make that mistake . . .  What do you guys think – am I making the right decision by sending the rug back?  Got any ideas for a rug that would look great in our den?  Can’t wait to hear what you think!

Images courtesy of The Company Store.

Lauren’s cozy home is filled to the brim with her husband, beautiful baby girl and Chihuahua-mix pup, so it’s no surprise that Lauren and her fam are desperate to move to larger digs within the next few years.  Lauren contacted me for a few inspired (and affordable) ideas for making her home both livable for her family and attractive to potential buyers.

Lauren requested that the TV, leather furniture and large bookshelf stay in the room and said that she would love a rug and curtains with a traditional, Pottery Barn-feel with splashes of color.  Here’s the “before” of Lauren’s living room:

Lauren’s living room already has very traditional bones with a brick fireplace, beautiful crown molding and warm wood floors, so that was a great jumping off point for this project.  After taking Lauren’s requests into account, here is her custom design plan:

As you can see, the foundation of the design plan is a neutral, beige wall color with fresh and inviting splashes of a bright, mossy green.  This color palette will give Lauren’s living room an updated and welcoming feel, while still staying neutral enough to appeal to those potential buyers.

Here’s the plan for putting this custom design into action:

Layout. The layout of Lauren’s living room is begging for an easy switcheroo.  I’d love to see the chair moved from the bay window to in front of the window where the couch is now – the little side table will stay right where it is, the perfect place to set a drink while reclining in that comfy leather chair.  The couch will then slide in front of the bay window, facing the fireplace and leaving enough room to walk between the sofa and the bay window.  That glass-topped coffee table’s new home is centered in front of the couch, in line with the leather chair.  The bookshelf by the front door will disappear, while the bigger bookshelf next to the fireplace will relocate to the left of the chair, near the bay window.  The console table is already in the perfect spot, so it’s staying right where it is.  Here’s a little visual of the new layout:

That recessed area in front of the bay window will serve as the new home for all of the baby’s goodies – toys, rocking chair, etc.  One or two woven chests like this one would be perfect for storing loose toys and books for a clutter-free look.  When the house is ready to go on the market, switch out the kiddie toys for a simple wooden desk and chair with a table lamp to show potential buyers that this living room can also function as a home office.

Rug. I love, love, LOVE this rug.  It is unbelievably priced for its size (8 x 10), and its simple geometric pattern and jute fibers are new and fresh-looking, while the pattern of light and dark fibers will look amazing with Lauren’s dark wood floors and leather furniture.  This rug is neutral in color, so it will work even when Lauren decides to move.  And as the mom of a young one, Lauren will love that this rug is fully reversible so spills and scuffs are no big deal.  The rug should be positioned so that the front legs of the couch and chair are resting on the rug.

Windows. Lauren hates the mini-blinds that were left by the former homeowner, so I’m bringing in bamboo roman shades.  The warm wood tones of these blinds will look beautiful with Lauren’s wood floors and leather furniture, and will bring a natural, cozy feeling into the room that you just can’t get with mini-blinds.  Some of the windows in Lauren’s room are at varying heights, so the blinds should be hung at a consistent height throughout the room to give the appearance of uniformity.  This means that the blinds over the shorter bay window will be “cheated” up just a bit, but you won’t even be able to tell once the blinds are hung.

These white sheers are ridiculously inexpensive and will really pop from Lauren’s tan walls and warm wooden blinds.  The curtains will look amazing hung with the curtain rod at the same height as the top of the blinds, with about 12 inches of curtain on either side of each window.  The bay window is a little pesky, but I would recommend hanging a curtain panel on either side of the large bay window, and only one curtain panel next to the two smaller windows in the bay window.  This will give that little nook a cohesive and unified look.  This curtain rod is a great black/brown that goes with Lauren’s color scheme, and can be shortened to any length with a cheapo tool.

Throw pillows. These pillows (1, 2 & 3) are really what brings this whole room together – the punchy, summery green is the perfect balance to the rich, dark leather of Lauren’s couch and chair.  TIP: when shopping online for pillows, keep an eye out for whether the price of the pillow includes the pillow as well as the pillow cover.

Accessories. Bright, mossy green is the accent color for this room, and beautiful little accents like this vase can typically be picked up for a steal.  I would love to see the tan lampshades on Lauren’s three lamps switched out for new ones in either bright white or green to match the pillows.  And while we’re talking about lamps, let’s take that floor lamp that was near the couch over to the left side of the fireplace – the wooden piece of furniture that’s there right now can switch on over to the right side of the fireplace.  And all of those books and movies that are in the bookcase would look amazing with this simple trick – just organize them by size and color.  Now Lauren’s books and movies will make a visual statement and have an element of both style and function.

Artwork and photographs. Lauren has really beautiful artwork and photos.  I would love to see the floral painting that is currently above the console moved to the right of the leather chair, centered between the edge of the curtains and the doorway.  The Paris photos that are currently to the right of the sofa would look amazing hung in a vertical line (with only about two inches between them) on the right of the fireplace.  The photograph that is currently to the right of the couch near the bay window would look great to the immediate right of the front door.  Finally, Lauren’s photos on the console table would have awesome impact if they were hung in an abstract grid pattern above the console table.  This collection can be supplemented with other framed photos, and mismatched frames can be spraypainted on the cheap for an easy, cohesive look.

That’s it!!  Lauren, I hope you love it and I can’t wait to hear what you guys think!  (And don’t be shy with those “after” pictures when you’ve put the plan into action!!)  Click here for your very own custom design plan.

Images courtesy of West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Pier 1, Target, Ikea, and Pottery Barn.

Okay, so you’ve torn up all of your old carpets and put in beautiful new hardwood floors – now what do you do with all of that old carpet?  Don’t throw it out!!!!!  While carpet is cheaper than some other flooring options like hardwood floors it can still be pretty costly to purchase, so leftover carpet that is in decent shape can actually come in pretty handy.

Here are two great uses for your leftover carpet:

1.  Bind it up.  If you’ve ever looked into buying a rug, particularly a big one like an 8 x 10, then you know that they can be really (and I mean really) expensive.  So why not save yourself a little cash and have your leftover carpet bound into a few ridiculously cheap area rugs?  You can have pieces of rug bound for about $1 per linear foot – that’s less than $40 for an 8 x 10 rug, compared to almost $200 for a similar rug from Home Depot.  If you’re in the mood for a DIY project, this company even sells a product that helps you bind your own carpet.

We had tons of leftover carpet from our house after we put in hardwood floors, and the carpet was in perfect condition (seriously, the seller must have recarpeted the entire house about 5 seconds before she moved out!!).  Now, instead of being wasted, some of that leftover carpet from our house is living the good life as an area rug in my brother’s living room.  Pretty cool, right??

If you don’t have leftover carpet of your own to bind into an area rug, you can easily find carpet remnants at any store that sells carpet – at a great discount.  This is a great way to get a new area rug on the cheap.

2.  Fork it over.  Even if you don’t have a use for your leftover carpet, someone else probably does!!    Why not save a friend some money and help them give a room in their house an instant makeover?  In just a few hours, their old, dingy carpet can be removed and replaced with your awesome leftover carpet.    Everybody wins!!  And if you don’t know anyone that wants the carpet, you will have no problem selling it on Craigslist to someone who does.

TIP:  When the carpet is being removed from your home, remove it in pieces that are as big as possible – preferably avoiding making any cuts in the carpet.  That way, you will have nice big pieces of carpet to either reinstall or have bound into a rug.