HAPPY FRIDAY

Catnum wants to wish you a wonderful weekend!

See you back Monday!

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: GREAT ANTIQUE FINDS

As I have mentioned before, I love antiquing! It is fun to not only discover amazing quality pieces, but great priced pieces are even better!

Here are my recent finds:

Antique French Chest

This chest has found a new home in my kitchen. What I love about it are the details! The beautiful inlay and burlwood to the lovely brass accents and overall gorgeous shape. A great plus is the deep top drawer and storage space below with shelving. We need all the storage we can get in our house!

Occasional Chair

Now this was an awesome find! It is made by Maitland-Smith and is truly unique with its beautiful rolled arms, gold accents and caining on the sides. This piece makes me happy- and you should always have at least one piece in a room that makes you happy. Although I plan to reupholster this, it is in good shape so I am not in a rush! I usually find it "tacky" to share costs, but I can't help myself! These chairs usually range from 1600 to over 2000 dollars. Mine- $150 at a local antique store.

Have you discovered any great finds lately? I'd love to hear!

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...TASSELS

Tassels are one my favorite things- they are fabulous!

These have a long history! It was in France that they became a symbol of great style. During the 17th century, the Palace of Versailles and the extensive French Royal Court of Louis XIV had a huge influence throughout Europe in interior decorative style and fashion. It was in this time that silk, linen and wool tasssels were commissioned to decorate furnishings and costumes of royalty. So, yes, I am not the only one that loves these-Louis XV of France was a great fan and used them everywhere for decoration and style!

How to use these in your home? Tassels are a great finishing touch on chests, armoires, duvet covers, door knobs, hutches, consoles, buffets, etc. They look amazing on the corners of upholstered seating, such as benches and sofas.

I find that a great place to go in Columbia for tassels is Meeting Street Interiors located off of Meeting Street in West Columbia (across the Gervais Street Bridge). They have a good selection with an array of colors and combinations. You can find these scattered throughout their store, with a great selection hiding in a small closet upstairs!

Agraia is a company from San Francisco that makes unique perfumed tassels. The best part is that your tassel comes in a cute box-fun gift idea! You can find Agraia online through their website and Neiman Marcus.

Have a great day!

IT'S ALL ABOUT TURQUOISE IN 2010

Not sure if you heard, but turquoise is the hot new color for 2010.

Turquoise is beautiful! As a member of the blue family, it offers an unexpected twist with some green. Love it!

How to add this color to your home? Of course, the power is in your hands. You can add small to large doses. It would be beautiful as an accent with pillows, lamps, large prints, etc. Another idea is to buy a used chair with great bones from an antique or consignment store, and reupholster it in a bold turquoise fabric. For those not so daring, you can always choose a fabric with a dash of this unexpected color! It would be beautiful! If you really want to make a statement, add a splash of turquoise to your wall with paint or wallpaper. Turquoise looks great with browns and neutrals, as well as, the reds. It can liven up greens and blues. So many possibilities!

You might be asking who decides the color of the year? Let me give you a crash course.

Every year Pantone, the world-renowned color authority located in New Jersey, decides which color will be #1. Their decision affects everything! They pretty much control the colors used in the manufacturing process. Designers in the interior design, home furnishings and apparel industries look to them for selecting colors in textiles and fashion.

It is quite a process in deciding which will be the color of the year. Possibly looking at our current state, Pantone does explain, "turquoise transports us to an exciting, tropical paradise while offering a sense of protection and healing in stressful times."

Pretty fascinating, huh?

CIRCLES AND SQUARES

House Beautiful

No. I will not be discussing the difference between a circle and a square. However, knowing how to balance the two in a room is important.

Circles and squares pertain to all the different angles of objects that are in a space. How you choose to balance the two in a space may portray your design style. For me, my personal design style is transitional-traditional with a dash of modern flare. I find myself first drawn to objects and patterns in fabric with “clean lines” and sharp angles–the squares. For example, when beginning to work on a room in my home I felt that the room was headed too modern for my liking. At that point, I began incorporating rounded and curvy objects-the circles. It was amazing how the space instantly became more cozy and transitional-the way I like it!

It is important to remember that circles and squares are not limited to furniture in a space. You can find them in frames and artwork, window treatments, lamps and shades, plants, rugs, architectural elements, patterns in fabric, table top accessories, etc.

Let's visualize the two in rooms:

Elle Decor

This room instantly feels modern. Notice that there are more squares than circles. Can you find all the angles? They are on the coffee table, stainless steel benches, sofa, pair of chairs and artwork! They are everywhere in this space-that's what gives it such a cool, sleek, modern feel.

House Beautiful

This room feels less modern. They chose to balance the circles and squares more in this space. Do you see the circles-the rounded edges? The two coffee tables, the rounded arms on the sofa, the globe, the dogs' heads in the artwork, the lighting, the vases, etc.

So, if there is something that you just don’t like about your room and you are wanting to capture a particular style- step back and examine the use of circles and squares. You may be surprised!

THE EVER SO FABULOUS PETITE BENCH

Benches are fabulous! They look even more chic as a pair.

Petite benches look great in front of a fireplace, coffee table, at the end of a bed, or even tucked under a console table. They work great as a footstool and even as an extra guest seat! What's not to love?

Veranda

Small benches are a great way to add a fun pattern in a space. Animal print is so chic!

Make sure to keep a rag nearby to catch the drool as you see these beauties!

House Beautiful

This bench is from Suzanne Kasler's Collection for Hickory Chair. I love the beautiful silk striped upholstery and distressed finish! It makes such a bold impact using wide stripes.

Sherrill Furniture

It's all in the details with the nailhead trim on this bench by designer Dan Carithers.

House Beautiful
Now this is amazing. Alright, I am sucker for claw feet! This mirrored bench is defintely an eye catcher!

James Sansum
What a beautiful pair of Louis XV style benches! France, circa 1950-1960. Yummy!

Williams-Sonoma Home

It's not everyday you see a bench completely covered in leather! The clean lines give this Williams-Sonoma original such a tailored feel.

Mecox Gardens

This vintage blue velvet bench with nickel nailhead trim is amazing! This is only sold as a pair...stunning!

Have a great weekend!

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL…

Veranda

Mirrors have great impact! Mirrors capture light, add drama and open up a space. They can easily transform a dull area and make it into something exciting. An interesting mirror can be artwork and add the unexpected element in your room. Think outside the box- choose round over the ordinary rectangle. The possibilities are endless...

Here are ideas for the sometimes overlooked areas in your home:

1. Replace that frameless mirror in your bathroom with a framed mirror. If you are thinking that your restroom/bathroom might need some updating, it’s a quick fix that really adds a designer look!

2. Break up the matchy-matchy dresser and mirror combo in your bedroom. Replacing the mirror will make the furniture look more collected and interesting. Remember the key is to not make it look like you purchased your whole house in a one stop shop!

3. If you can’t afford a large expensive painting to go over your mantel or if you find it to be bare, fill in the space with a great mirror.

4. A smaller scaled mirror can add something interesting over a doorway or bed. Right now I am drawn to small round starburst mirrors- yes, they make me happy!

You can’t pull off these looks if the scale isn’t right. Remember to make sure the mirror is narrower than the furniture it hangs above.

Here is some fun inspiration:

Veranda

Veranda

House Beautiful

Veranda Veranda

House Beautiful

Southern Accents

Veranda
Veranda

Veranda

Southern Accents

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: GREAT ANTIQUE FINDS

My personal style involves using traditional, timeless pieces with young, modern flare. For me, mixing classic pieces and unexpected elements bring about an interesting, layered and cozy feel to a space. No better way to find timeless pieces than wandering through antique stores. It’s safe to say that antiquing is in my top five favorite things to do! There is much fun in finding a diamond in the rough! I am learning that the more you go, the more you will train your eye to appreciate things of great quality. The best part is that the prices in most antique stores are negotiable. An owner once told me to remember that the prices are “written in ink, not blood.” May be a bit dramatic, but I sure remember it!

Here are some of my recent finds:
Marbled top brass accent table
I am using this recent find in my powder room. The ball and claw feet are fabulous! I am usually drawn to beautiful pieces that will serve some function.

French jewelry/lingerie chest with fancy brass handles and ormolu trim
Now this was an incredible buy! I love the burl wood and gold accents. There are even little claw feet! So french!

Floral Arylic Painting
What I like about this piece is that it really ties in the colors of my home. It also has a beautiful chic gold frame, which can be challenging to find when searching for a good price!

There are more great finds to come...

WELCOME IN STYLE

One of my favorite things is potted plants. They are chic and never go out of style!

They are especially beautiful when they flank front doors.
Front door plants are a wonderful way to make an attractive welcoming statement and express your style. It’s amazing how quickly symmetry can create balance
to an unruly and uninviting area.

Much of the look you pull off is in the pot and color you choose.

To save money I chose a pair of unfinished pots at a local nursery. After cleaning, bleaching and painting, they were ready. Using plants in contrasting colors and graduating sizes and heights can be stunning! I tend to counterbalance tall plants by integrating trailing plants around the edges of the pot.
Of course, the key is keeping your plants alive!
After a heart to heart with a salesperson at Lowes, I learned that people (as in I) tend to kill their plants by not watering enough or overwatering. He suggested purchasing

moisture control soil.

Here are some fabulous potted plants:

Veranda

Traditional Home

Southern Accents

Southern Accents

Veranda

Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Let your front door make a great first impression for you!