Circus Nursery

Cool ceiling and wall stripes in this circus baby nursery! The artist did a terrific job creating the look of a circus tent with paint! I like the way the artwork is centered on the white stripes. The bold red and orange furniture and accents work well in this room. Depending on the look of your nursery, modern or classic, here's elephant and giraffe artwork that would look lovely hanging in the baby nursery.

Designing for Kids with Confidence

The most fun you can have in decorating your house is with your kids’ rooms. Here are a few tips to help you design with creativity and confidence…

Tip #1 – Be Courageous
One of the most common questions I am asked is “Should my child’s room flow with the rest of the house?” This is a valid question, and the answer is if you want it to. This is a design decision that has no right or wrong answer. My own personal opinion, though, and I won’t hold back here – is let your creativity really shine in this area. Your children are wondrous, expressive little beings, and although black teen walls and acid yellow ceilings may be out of the bargaining range, with a little compromising I believe that both you and your kids can come to a happy medium on all design decisions.

Tip #2 – Color Has No Gender
Pink and blue, pink and blue, zzzzzzzzz… I know that we’re all brainwashed in this area, partly because bedding manufacturers are keeping it alive with limited selections. There are so many wonderful colors in the spectrum, try to think outside the box when choosing your children’s color schemes. Greens, golds, oranges, reds are also colors that want their time to shine! Your boy’s future manliness will not be stunted if his room is red! Nor will your daughter’s femininity be at risk if her room is periwinkle. Find a comforter that they love and build from there. My 15 year old son (who is very manly, by the way) refuses to give up his Caribbean colored comforter from when he was two years old, even when I pointed out that it has some hearts on it…Tip #4 – Plan for the Long Term
The cycle of child development and the “I hate my room” syndrome seems to go like this:
Girls:
□ Infant room (whatever Mommy wants)
□ Big Girl room (5-7 years old, which includes princesses, fairies, Disney character themes, gardens, slightly deeper pastel colors like rose and lavender, etc)
□ Teen room (11-14, which includes BRIGHT COLOR, plus all their favorite things that make them them)

Boys:
What room? Seriously, plan on changing your daughter’s room at least twice during her short stay in your lives. By the time she gets to Teen Room, even though she may only be 11, the choice really should be hers (mostly). This is the time when her self expression is at its highest; she is discovering who she is and how that fits into the world. Give her plenty of places to write down her thoughts (white boards, chalk boards, graffiti walls) and hang her pictures (cork walls behind the door work really well). Try and give her some furniture that is mobile so that when she wants to re-arrange her room (this could be weekly), she will be able to have some play in that area. My daughter’s desk, night table, and dressers are on wheels, which also make it easier for her to vacuum hint, hint!

Boys are so easy - for the most part, it’s about their favorite team or hobby. Be careful not to get too themed because when they get tired of the particular favorite they will be too shy to tell you that they hate their room (unlike your daughter). My son was a chess champion at age seven (yes, I’m bragging) and I wanted to do a huge chess mural in his room. By the time he was nine, he was into juggling, so I was really glad when he said “no thanks” on the mural offer. Most boys just want a “cool” color (browns, greens like olive, sage, or gray-green, or grays are nice alternatives to blue). Resist the urge to give in to painting their room the colors of the favorite team – be careful because Dad will back them up on this – team colors are STRONG and will not create a good environment for anything but video game playing or wrestling.

Most of all, have fun, listen to your kids, and use the wonderful tools of decorating books and magazines that are available everywhere. If you get stuck, just call on the pros, we’re here to help!

Written by Susie Kades of 4wallscolordesign.com. And remember, "better living through color"!

Creating objects with blankets

Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone.

Do you remember building forts as kids with blankets and chairs? This photo of an elephant made with blankets and objects reminds me of my forts as a child. You don't need to go very far to create stories and travel to new worlds. itfashion.com/blog/?p=859

Mom Sparks Holiday Gift Guide

Mom Spark has featured us in their 2008 Holiday gift guide. Amy from Mom Spark spent a lot of time creating such a wonderful holiday guide for everyone to view. Make sure to check out the gift guide - there are some great discounts being offered! Thanks again Amy!

DIY How to make an invisible shelf

Have you ever wanted an invisible bookshelf? Now's your chance - check out this tutorial from video jug on how to make an invisible bookshelf. Great fun for a Harry Potter room.

Thanksgiving Place Cards

Thanksgiving will be here next week. Fun idea for Thanksgiving place cards by Shannon Zickel. Click here to check supply list and view more place cards.

Great Idea - Chandelier Project

Here are before and after pictures of my great idea project. Since I had forgotten to take a "before" picture, I found a similar picture on the internet of a chandelier that had been hanging in my dining room. When we purchased our home there were a few things I had to get rid of - this light fixture being one of them. This traditional colonial chandelier is certainly a classic style - just not my style. Before:

So I decided to replace my daughters very ugly room light (didn't even want to search for that picture) with this brass chandelier. But of course, not without spending a little time and money on it. Pink spray paint, black checkered ribbon, black roses and some crystals - totally transformed this chandelier for my daughters pink, poodle parisian room. For approximately $25 and 2 hours of my time this is what I came up with:

How-to: clean any dirt or dust from the chandelier, remove light bulbs and sleeves (white plastic removable covers covering the candelabra base) Use painters tape to cover the empty light bulb socket. Lay down newspapers and spray in a well-ventilated area. Cover light fixture with spray primer. Rotate chandelier so all side and bottom get covered with primer. Once primer is dry - spray with the color of your choice - you'll need 2 cans of spray paint for this size chandelier. Make sure you cover all areas of the chandelier including the chain and electrical wire - you don't want to see a missed spot once it's hung:) Remember to paint the ceiling canopy (this hides the brackets and ceiling box). After paint is completely dry remove the painters tape.

The lampshades - I used the basic white shade that came with the light fixture. Got out my trusty glue gun and hot glued the ribbon around the circumference of the shade. Tied a large bow and glued that on separately. The black silk roses were then glued in the middle of the bow. Crystal were found at Home Depot or Lowes can't remember. Make sure there is no ribbon or flowers that could touch the light bulbs. More photos of this bedroom here.

Fire Truck Bed

What little fireman wouldn't want a fire truck bed for his bedroom? I've included 4 various fire truck beds - one is a do-it-yourself project and the other 3 are finished beds with simple assembly. This bed is a toddler size bed available for purchase and ready in time for Christmas. Click here for more details.

Look at the following fire truck bed. What a unique bed - complete with real working gauges, retractable fire hoses, etc. There is even a 360 degree spinning water canon - of course without the water:).

Here is an inexpensive toddler size bed - click here for details.

This bed is a do-it-yourself project built like a classic fire truck. There is a secret storage compartment under the hood and a pretend ladder on the side of the fire truck. Twin size mattress fits in the truck bed. Dimensions for the bed - 92" long by 44" wide. U-bild.com is a company that provides woodworking plans. Their unique "trace, saw and assemble" designs feature simple-to-follow patterns that allow even beginners to achieve professional results. Each plan features detailed step-by-step instructions, full-size traceable patterns, in-progress photos, complete materials lists and cutting schedules. This fire truck plan is $9.95 - great price to save hours of time trying to figure it out yourself.

Wood Awning

Isn't this the cutest window awning? Mary is a talented artist who owns Blooming Ideas. She painted this wood awning for the outside of her home. Check out her blog for more photos and some funny stories.

Window awnings are a great way to add a visual element of interest to the outside of a home. But what about the inside of a home? I have personally used window awnings as indoor window treatments - they make a statement in a bedroom or playroom. Awnings look great made out of fabric or wood and really dress up a window. I designed and made two wood window awnings-one was made for my daughters room and one for the playroom. Well actually - I made one wood awning and had my contractor make the second one. Due to the fact the first one took me all day to design and make, yes all day! I had no d-i-y plans - it was trial and error. The second awning I got smart and hired my contractor to make it and install it. If you have instructions, it's actually not too bad for a do-it-yourself type. Someday I'll post instructions on how to make a wood awning.

Great Idea - Pillow Tutorial

Check out these darling pillows that are fairly easy to make and would look beautiful in a child's room or teen bedroom. Sandi Henderson of Sandi Henderson Design posted this pillow tutorial on her blog. Sandi is a fabric designer who has debuted two fabric lines - Ginger Blossom and Farmers Market. These fabrics look so yummy and refreshing. Click on the images/instructions to view a larger format.

Thank you Sandi for allowing us to post your images and instructions. To find more sewing tutorials go to Sandi's design blog.

Decorating a room with a Sharpie

Check this out - a room decorated with $10 worth of sharpies! Who would have guessed? Adding depth and dimension to cream colored walls with some simple strokes of a sharpie, artist Charlie Kratzer completes his basement art.

Very cool - this idea would be fun to create in a childs playroom or bedroom. Here is the link to view more of this fabulous basement.

Playful, Compact and Stylish

When great design comes together it just clicks! This Klick chair is the perfect desk for children ages 3-7. For moms and dads the true beauty of this form is revealed when the little-one's play is done. With the works conveniently stored under the seat the entire unit closes to cleverly minimize, and thus maximize the home aesthetic. Available in orange, green and red.

Design Plan Elegant Nursery

Elegant Nursery Design Plan
1. Princess Carriage Crib
2. Chandelier
3. Child size chair and tuffet
4. Benjamin Moore Bouquet Rose 2172-50 paint color
5. Sweet Roses Art Work
6. Teacup Lamp
7. Rosebud Rug
8. Crib Bedding

This elegant nursery design plan was created and designed by Joliot Palmes. Joliot is a freelance interior and event stylist. She graduated with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies but interior design has always been her passion. She lives with her husband Allan and daughter Chloe in the suburbs of Illinois.

Tangram Bookshelf

What is a tangram? It's a puzzle with origins from China. It is formed by dividing a square into 7 pieces. You try to form a figure with the pieces. Lago has come up with a tangram bookshelf. The only limit is your imagination. Great idea!

Teen Mod Bed

The almost floating bed. There is no price given with this bed - it probably is very pricey. But a fun idea for a 60's vibe teen room or a simplistic mod teen room . The bed is suspended between the wall and one support piece in the middle of the bed. This would surely eliminate a lot of junk from under the bed or would it??? The company Lago has some interesting products, if you read italian you'll understand their website much better than I.

Wall Mural Headboard

Great idea! Love this mural painted to look like a headboard. Place bed in front of the mural to create the headboard look. Sweet addition to a kids room with endless possibilities. Mural painted by the talented Leigh Watson.

Fabric Storage Cubes - Tutorial

Need storage cubes and cute ones? Organize your child's bookshelf or dresser with some darling storage cubes. This project is perfect for leftover fabric. To see the entire tutorial with more photos and clear instructions go to crazy mom quilts.

Animal Farm Playroom

Think clever, organized playroom with forts. Add to the mix a playhouse and secret hideway and voila you've got the cutest playroom ever. Click here to see more photos. Designed by Kelly Glanzer.

Fun and Funky Grass

Think fun and funky. An Italian based company Gruppo Strum, design and make interesting seating. Made from polyurethane that's been painted and created to resemble a tall patch of grass. This chair allows you to figure out the most comfortable lounge/seating position. On the plus side no need to worry about cutting the grass or sneezing due to grass allergies! Great idea for a bug or garden playroom. Unfortunately, with a price tag of around $14,000 it probably isn't happening. Adirondack chair anyone? 

Fun and Funky Rock

Here's another chair made out of polyurethane...a moon rock.