Pins of the Week!

Pinterest is quickly becoming the favorite site for collecting and storing images and ideas.  I've pinned so much that inspires me this week, that I thought I'd share some of my favorite pins with you.

There were plenty of inspiring rooms this week.

Table vignettes....

M. elle Design

Loving this yellow-drenched space (not sure about the foot pillow or the funky art!)

desire to inspire blog

I always love a creatively painted piece of furnitue.  Isn't this fun?

Sheridan French

I wish I could tell you where this lovely breakfast area originated (one of the less than perfect things about Pinterest), but I liked it so I pinned it.  Isn't it a pleasant place to have a meal?  (Thanks JL for letting me know that this photo is from Pottery Barn)

I couldn't leave out some amazing artwork.  This just took my breath away!

Emily Tom

This pendant shade from Shades of Light is made from a Fabricut fabric that I've chosen to use in my own Master Bedroom.  I love the colors and the whimsey and it's silk....just lovely!

Isn't this a beautiful color palette...and that it's in soft pretty yarn?.....I'd like to cuddle up with it! (or knit!)

I have grandsons, and this typography just made me laugh!

I think these speak for themselves.  I swear I'm not that bad!!

I pinned way too many dessert recipes this week.....way to many!!  But doesn't this look yummy!! Check out my "Decadence" board for many more!

 "On a stick!" Cookbook by Matt Armendariz

I'd love to have you follow me on Pinterest.  There's so much inspiration there, and I pin alot!  

Sally J. Designs helps you to LOVE your home!

Contact us for in home and online interior design and decorating services.

Designer "Tear Sheet" Thursday

The June Dallas Home Accessories Market is a a great market to attend because all the vendors have new lines to unveil.  We had a great time shopping on Monday, just checking out some of our favorite showrooms for "what's new?".


Followers of my blog know that I love painted furniture, and there is no company doing a better job of that than  Guildmaster.  They are located in the IN-DETAIL showroom, and it's always a treat for me to see what new idea they have come up with.


I zeroed in on this piece.    LOVE!

This is a new piece in their line.  What a great island!  it has a flip top, wine storage and that beautiful painted finish that Guildmaster is noted for.

A theme that I saw in multitple showrooms was butterflies.   They were everywhere!

These plate chargers were a new item in the Guildmaster line as was this fabulous mirror.

There were so many new additions to their line, that I couldn't show them all here, but all  of these items are available through Sally J. Designs, so let me know if you'd like to see more.

Sally J. Designs helps you to LOVE your home!

Contact us for in-home and on-line design and decorating services.

A Blessing for St. Paddy's Day

May the light always find you on a dreary day.
When you need to be home, may you find your way.
May you always have courage to take a chance
And never find frogs in your underpants.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Peeps!

Porte Italia

Market Finds

I love painted furniture.  
I love to use furniture as a canvas.....art on a drawer!
No one does it better to me than Guildmasters, and I took a couple of pics at market last week of  a couple of new pieces.  
I'll admit....whimsey is their middle name ( or maybe their first name!), but they inspire me to bring some fun into every space I design.

Do you recognize this pattern?  It's an open stock fabric pattern that a couple of the big fabric houses have picked up.  This is painted on!  I'm using it for inspiration for an armoire at my house.  I'll post pictures when I finally get it finished!

The neutral tones of this piece allow it to fit easily into many different decors.  Wouldn't it be a fabulous dining room buffet?

OK....you got to really look at this one.  It's a painted dart board, and the handles are all "darts" that have been thrown.  They are even at odd angles just like a real dart would be.  The circles are bottle caps!  Real ones!  How fun would this be in a game room!  

I love Guildmaster!  They are represented at the Dallas Market by InDetail and available through retailers and designers ( like me!)

Sally J. Designs helps you to LOVE your home!

Contact Sally J. Designs for in-home and on-line consultations and turn-key projects.

A little zig and a little zag

 It all started with this rug from FLOR….

“Sophistikat” from FLOR

If you’re not familar with FLOR, they sell carpet squares…..really cool ones!  I love this chevron pattern, and if you lay the squares in different directions, you can have a brand new pattern.  And the part that I like is that if Henry (The Big Dog) gets one of them dirty, I can just pop it out and replace it with a clean one!  How cool is that!

Anyway…I digress.

I’ve become smitten with chevron.

Of course, that sends me out in to cyberworld to see other great designs that bridge classic traditional with modern trends.

Judith Barrett Lennard

This floor is so beautiful, and those of you under 40 might even think it’s a brand new look, but this patterns was found in many upscale homes built in the 50’s and 60’s.  What goes around, comes around, and this awesome floor feels right at home in 2011.

Apartment Therapy

Same floor, completely different look.

Miles Redd

I love to take risks in design, and anything Miles Redd does is great inspiration for me.  This marble tile chevron is crazy! but that’s what separates Miles from the rest of the pack.

Marie Burgoss Design

This looks like it might be a floor cloth…not sure, but that could be a great way to bring the chevron to the floor without having a permanent installation.  I think this could be fun…..for a little while!

Chevrons don’t have to be relegated to the floor…..moving on up to the wall. 

Madebygirl.com

There are tutorials that will show you how to do this paint technique on the wall.  Buy lots of tape and sharpen up your math skills!

It might be easier to hang this amazing wallpaper instead.

JS Interiors

I love the statement that this backsplash tile makes.  Paired with rustic neutrals in this kitchen , they are the star of the show.

(I wonder is Miles Redd has seen this???)

Casa Midy

I think every fabric company has a chevron pattern in their line.  Great for drapery and even upholstery, the chevron pattern always brings energy into a space.

Blount Designs

Atlanta Homes

Rubie Green fabric

  Stephen Gambrell

And then my favorite….the painted furniture!

1st Dibs

 

Sunset Magazine

 What an easy way to get a new look to a vintage  piece!

I’m making way for some chevron in my life this year…..one way or another!

Yeah, this will work too!!

Let Sally J. Designs help you to LOVE your home!

Contact the team at Sally J. Designs

for in-home and on-line consultations and turn-key results.

Technorati Tags: chevron,rugs,Flor,drapery,painted furniture,floorcloths,pattern,Dallas interior designer,tile patterns,backsplash,Miles Redd

Recycle the Sally J. Way

Today is Earth Day.  I'd love to say that my love for redoing and reusing things stems from my deep desire to save the planet, but I'd be lying.

I just love to see something blossom from  a state of disarry and abuse.
I believe the expression here in Texas is  "Make a silk purse from a sow's ear"

We've rescued several wonderful pieces over the years, so I thought I'd share a few before and afters on this Earth Day.

This little antique chair had been upholstered in silk that the client had brought back from China years ago.  It was so fragile and had deteriorated over the years (maybe with a little help from the dogs!)

We still have beautiful silk (Highland Court), but we upholstered the frame in veveteen for it's feel and texture, and also because of the durability.

The cushion and pillow are filled with a down blend to continue that decadence that we began with the lovely silks. 

How's that for dressing up!

I don't have the before of this little chair, but the after was just too much fun not to share.   My client had this needlepoint rug and antique trim and wanted to use it on this chair.  We covered the frame in a coordinating velvet because the rug wouldn't stretch that far. 

 How sweet is this??

My favorite Befores and Afters are in the kitchens that we remodel.

This is one of the most dramatic remodels we have completed.

It was trash time for this poor, outdated kitchen.

Can you say Transformation!!

Paint has the greatest potential for change than anything I can think of.

Look what paint did for this built in cabinet.

Here's the before.

Ta Da !!

We found the center doors at an antique store, added filigree on the base cabinets to repeat the design from the new doors, painted and glazed, and

Voila!  a totally new look.

What are you looking at in your home that could be recyled or reused in a new and different way? 

Now that's the kind of recycling I can get behind!

All images are taken by Sally Hammond for Sally J. Designs.

I'm happy for them to be shared, just please give credit if you use them.

Thanks, Sally

Dallas Blooms!

You know it's spring in Dallas when the Arboretum opens for Dallas Blooms.

The gates open wide on March 6, showcasing over 500,000 blooming bulbs ! This year a 12’ tall Ferdinand the Bull topiary will delight guests, bringing the classic children’s tale to life. Ferdinand will be “smelling the flowers” accompanied by a honey bee topiary amongst a bed of blooming spring flowers.

By now you have a sense of how my mind works.  Pictures of Ferdinand gloriously happy, smelling the flowers makes me think of all the new floral patterns, both traditional and contemporary, that have arrived at the studio in the last month .  The design houses come out with new products in January and February, and we are still basking in the abundance of beautiful fabrics we have to work with...and florals are making a comeback in new, fresh ways.

Duralee, Highland Court, Kravet, Lee Jofa, Fabricut and more....

Of course, now I'm seeing flowers everywhere.  I love the new line from French Bull.  This company makes high quality "Melamine" dishware, aprons, bags and other items that have so much pizzazz and whimsey.  I have a few sets of the graduated bowls with lids that I use to store leftovers.  My frige always looks so happy when I open it !

These are my bowls.

Just a few of their tableware designs.  I'll bet the kids would even eat their spinach off of these plates.....I regress.....back to the idea at hand.....florals!

When you're thinking of flowers,  you have to be reminded of the classic works of art that had floral themes.

Monet's  Water Lilies,

which was really a series of 250 paintings depicting Monet's gardens in Giverny during the last 30 years of his life.  He even did many of the paintings with cataracts in his eyes....maybe that's where the "fuzzy" aspect of his paintings comes from....probably not.

And fabulous works from Georgia O'Keefe, the American master of the large scale floral.   I've always wanted to be like her when I grew up.

She has inspired many to immulate her work.

These painted doors used as art work are from Guildmaster. 

They do great painted furniture!

Love the painted wicker.

This is the Woodlands credenza.  What a statement piece !

I can hear you now....no, it's not neutral...no, you may not love it forever, but oh, how you will love it while you do!

Painted furniture has been popular for centuries as evidenced by this 18th century Italian corner cabinet.

  I've painted lots of furniture in my day, and flowers are always a favorite theme...(I like fruit too, but I'll save that for another post.)

Wallpaper has been making a comeback for the last few years, and florals are a consistent theme....but there's a few twists.

 

Wallpaper made of organic materials like grass, cork, leaves and even enbedded with swarovski crystals....no, it's not your mother's wallpaper!

In this room by Candice Olsen, floral appliques grace an accent wall covered in grass cloth for a unique and graceful wall treatment.

There's a lot of thinking out of the box in wallpaper design today.

The flower theme can go on and on, and we'll never get tired of them as a design theme.  After a VERY long winter (ok, I know I'm in Texas, but it was long and cold for us ), it's really nice to enjoy a spring day, almost 70 degrees with clear skies.....oops, I'm reverting to being the weatherman! Rain is forcast for the opening day of Dallas Blooms but, if you're in Texas, close enough to be there, then you know if you don't like the weather right now, then just wait a minute!