DIY Kitchens and Paint…

By Christabelle…

With the cooler weather coming toward us full speed ahead, get your creative juices revved up and DIY your pad in style (and on a budget!).

When inspiration strikes, grab it! That can often be easier said than done when it comes to remodeling and updating your home, but not anymore.  From the popular Do It Yourself magazine comes Do It Your Self: Kitchens and Do It Yourself: 100+ Paint Jobs.  These books will not only guide the home remodeler to success but inspire anyone to make home renovations themselves.

Do It Yourself: Kitchens – Stunning Spaces on a Shoestring Budget  (Wiley Paperback; $19.99)                                                     

• This do-it-yourself guide to kitchen remodeling presents an array of inspiring kitchen makeovers for $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000.
• Real-life before-and-after photos include budget breakdowns, solutions to common problems, and space-planning tips.
• Hundreds of ideas from adding a paint-on message board, how to shop at unexpected places and incorporating personal touches are given to make creative changes to your kitchen.

Do It Yourself: 100+ Paint Projects – Fresh Ideas for Your Home (Wiley Paperback;  $19.99)

• This book covers everything a DIYer needs to know about paint, from how to pick the right paintbrush to the best tips for painting walls, woodwork, furniture, fabric, and more.
•  It features more than 100 paint projects, from creating decorative paint effects on walls and floors to stamping and stenciling window treatments to making over a piece of furniture.
• Learn how a simple can of paint can transform any room

Building a Nest…a PetitNest

By Christabelle…

PetitNest's Sophie Dresser/Changing Table

As a woman, your internal “baby” clock goes off without you doing a thing, right? Well, mine just went off as I perused the online store of PetitNest‘s  modern collection of nursery furniture (a brainchild of actress Tiffani Thiessen and designer Lonni Paul). The line made my eggs do a dance in hopes of someday living in a room filled with these delicious designs.

PetitNest, eco-friendly and made in the USA (go American pride!) – include not only a sublime selection of cribs, changing stations and gliders – but are soon to also sell a bevy of fashionable pillows, bedding collections and sheets for le petit YOU. Your bebe will grow up enveloped in ecologically hip craftsmanship and when it is time for “big kid” furniture, PetitNest’s all wood designs can easily transition into another room in the home (I see myself reading a good book in that Luc glider sans a baby and those stunning bird decals flying over my own “big girl” bed!).

actress Tiffani Thiessen and designer Lonni Paul

Breaking out of the traditional, formula of “pink” for girls and “blue” for boys, PetitNest opens up a child’s world by offering the full spectrum of the color palette for their room. With the growing trend of couples waiting until birth to learn the sex of their baby, PetitNest provides the ideal solution to the design challenge of creating a baby’s room that is equally suited to a boy or a girl. The collection empowers families to maintain the same high standards of style and design throughout their home in their children’s rooms by creating environments that seamlessly integrate into their homes.

All products can be purchased on the PetitNest website.

Local to Miami, Florida? Check out the collection in person at:

Give Wink
2570 NE Miami Gardens Drive
North Miami Beach, FL 33180
www.givewink.com
877.494.wink or 305.705.3341

Queer Eye for AMAZING Bedding Goods…

By Christabelle…

In my former PR life, I had the joy of meeting Thom Filicia , when he was a part of the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy quartet and fell madly and deeply in love. Seriously, what more is there to love about Thom – he is handsome, hilariously funny and has impeccable taste. Thanks to the folks at QVC, I was enlightened to yet another thing I needed to obsess over Thom about…HIS NEW HOME COLLECTION. Yes, you heard me right, home goods and they are even more amazing than the man himself. OK…not quite, but damn close!

This Emmy-award winning television personality, best-selling author and renown interior decorator Thom Filicia launched his first bedding collection for QVC in February of this year and I have been snuggling with every piece I can get my hands on ever since – loving each gorgeously printed element better than the next. In a word, Thom and his line are MAGICAL!

Priced between approximately $28.00 and $250.00, the Thom Filicia line includes an assortment of bedding pieces, including comforter sets, decorative pillows and throw blankets that are perfect for updating any living space from a mansion to a dorm room. They are versatile, beautifully made and are designed with – well, an exquisite eye.

My personal faves (and your MUST-HAVE-GO-RIGHT-NOW-AND-BUY) are:

Thom Filicia 50″ x 70″ Throw

Like a big pashmina for my couch…have been snuggling in this so much, I haven’t gone to the office…hope my boss isn’t reading my blog today. Throw this into the mix. A lovely accent for your decor, this acrylic throw is also soft and cozy for snuggling. Ash and Blue Surf are my two personal color choices, but all are perfect for any room in the house!

Set of 3 Floral Vine Decorative Pillows

Could this bed look any more luscious…Thom’s new Floral Vine Decorative Pillows add just enough pop for the female in the house, with enough male form, function and base color palette for the man in the house. My man welcomed these into our home to help balance what he calls my overly “girly” bedroom decor.  Thom’s inspiration was wildflowers and their lush foliage. From the softly bending leaves of the purple iris, to the delicate stems of Adirondack wildflowers, the bedding evokes an organic, easy, botanical feeling. Not to mention, they are actually soft, yet sturdy if someone uses it for more than just “decorative” purposes.

2’6″x8′ Griffith Park Handtufted Wool/Viscose Rug

Walk all over my floors with this stunningly designed runner rug …Thom really won over my heart with this addition to his collection. This Emmy-award winning television personality, best-selling author and renown interior decorator Thom Filicia launched his first bedding collection for QVC in February of this year and I have been snuggling with every piece I can get my hands on ever since – loving each gorgeously printed element better than the next. In a word, Thom and his line are MAGICAL! Anyone who has tried to source the perfect runner for their home knows – there just aren’t too many fabulous ones out there. Not to mention there are full sized rugs to match – talk about tying up a perfect design story from room-to-room.  Made in India, The Griffith Park rug’s allover chevron pattern is a bold accent in any room, while its soft mixture of New Zealand wool and Viscose fibers feel amazing under your feet. What are your friends going to say when the first thing they see upon entering your home is this breathtaking runner? I already know…and it is ALL GOOD.  It is impressive beyond words…looks and feels way more expensive than its $230 price tag.

Another notable “need-to-have” from Thom Filicia’s QVC line:

Floral Vine 8-PC Comforter set (to match those schnazzy throw pillows mentioned above) – soft (and NO WRINKLES) 300TC, includes comforter, flat sheet, fitted sheet, two pillowcases, two shams, and one bed skirt.

Thank you Thom and QVC for allowing us all to decorate our homes in such style and class!

How to Save Your Small Space…Thank you Ikea!

By Christabelle…

Let’s face it, NYC living (or any city living for that matter) can be not only expensive, but cramped and at times not very “user friendly”…But our friends at Ikea have come to the rescue with some space-saving kitchen ideas that will make you jump for joy (and make your wallet sigh happily!).

NYC KITCHEN - BEFORE

NYC KITCHEN - AFTER

Our client’s space came with a small kitchen – I mean SMALL…tiny, miniscule. And for a typical female, New Yorker, probably not a big deal – except, this client is a cooker. Not pop a can of soup in the microwave, but Food-Network-Iron-Chef create a magical meal from scratch cooker.

NYC KITCHEN - AFTER (2)

With a small addition of 2 Ikea Expedit bookcases (one Expedit 2 x 2 unit in white, bolted to the wall and one Expedit4×2 unit on its side), we were able to not only maximize existing wall space and otherwise wasted floor space, but created an ideal cutting surface and storage space for our queen of the kitchen. All for under $300!

With a small white shelf we also picked up at Ikea, we maximized the open space above the stove and moved the microwave. This opened up a large space for our client to install a countertop dishwasher.

Best of all – she was so happy with her kitchen make-over, she spent the money she saved on her home repairs for a kickin’ home cooked meal for the Christabelle team!

Thanks Parker – we hope you are in love with your new space as much as we are!