completing mom’s guest room…$100 challenge!

We are currently camped out at my parent’s house in Connecticut while we await the closing on our new house in Florida; the big move is happening on May 12th! So naturally, I’ve decided to take on a few projects at my mom’s house while we’re here. You’d think as an interior designer herself there wouldn’t be much to do in my mom’s house, but that’s not quite the case. You know the old saying, “the shoemaker’s children have no shoes”? Well, this is a little bit like that. My mom is so busy with all of her clients (and playing with her new grandchildren!) that she hasn’t spent time completing her own house. So, this month I’m going to be helping her with her 2nd bedroom and in July when we’re back up north we’ll tackle her 3rd room.

She already has great basics, such as the beautiful gray velvet bed from Wayfair, it’s really a matter of details and finishing touches. So because of that, she didn’t want to spend much more on this room and I’ve decided to try to it all for just $100!

As you can see, it’s really a pretty blank canvas. In need of art, curtains, pillows, and the furniture (other than the bed) could use some freshening up too!

She wants to keep it pretty soft and subtle, so we won’t be doing many bold pops of color. Just a few blue accents and then a lot of gray, white and light blue.

 

In order to keep it under budget, I’ll be using this yard of sample fabric my mom had for two of the pillows.  The horse photo will be a cheap DIY, which I shared a month or so back here. The curtains will likely be from Lowe’s (Allen + Roth) or Home Depot (Martha Stewart), they actually have some very good looking, very affordable options!

Believe it or not I found this cute number at Walmart for $14!!! Apparently, you can only find it in store. With a little paint job, this is going to be perfect.

I’m hoping to have the project finished by end of next week, so stay tuned for the completed photos!! Any other suggestions for super budget friendly options much appreciated! xoxo

 

 

how to add color (for color-phobes)

Adding color to your home can be intimidating. How do you choose a color? How do you combine colors? What if you spend a lot of money on one color scheme and decide you no longer like it in 2 years?

This is why I always advise investing in classic neutral basics (gray or gray/beige are best) such as a sofa, rug, coffee table & side tables and then layering with color from there. That way, if your tastes change or you want to make swaps for a new season or holiday, you can easily start over with a classic foundation.

Now, how to add color? For newbies, I recommend building your color scheme around a piece of art or a pillow that you love.

In the pink room, I’ve taken two beautiful watercolor paintings and drawn out four colors – light pink, dark pink, peach and orange – in the fabrics and accents. I also brought in some additional greens. Lots of different textures make the room feel feminine and sophisticated.

The next room was designed around the colors of the beach and the photograph which has so many beautiful hues. I love working with blues because you can mix many different shades and they’ll still look good together. The middle pillow has two of the many shades (dark blue and turquoise), and it really helps bring the whole room together.

In the last room, I picked the colors first (primary red & blue) and chose the pillows. When mixing patterns always choose one large pattern and one small pattern, so that they don’t compete. From there, it was easy to add other red & navy accents that worked well with the pillow combo.

Don’t worry about trying to achieve a complete look all at once, either. Let it build over time. Start with a piece of art and let it be for a few months before you choose your pillows and other accents. I also recommend taking a picture of your room/art on your phone, so that when you’re out shopping you can refer to it to see if other accents will work. And remember, you can always return, so don’t be afraid to give something new a try!

one room, 3 ways to add color // alongcameollie.com

To my decorator friends & bloggers, how else do you recommend ‘colorphobes’ introduce color?

planning ahead

Now that I’ve shared the full house tour from our previous home, I’m excited to start showing my plans for the new house! Each week I’ll reveal one or two room boards (starting with the overall concept today), and as soon as we get down there in a month, the fun will really begin!

Coastal Cool Home – Concept Board by alongcameollie featuring a crystal globe

The basic idea for the house decor is navy & red coastal cool. As I’ve mentioned before, Gary likes warm tones and I like cool tones, and our family room scheme is primarily red. I didn’t want this house to have a warm, rustic feel (that would just be weird Florida), so I decided that red & navy nautical elements would be a good way to make it work. The main floor will be a mix of red and navy, and as you go upstairs things will lighten up to more light blues and corals. I think it’s going to be great and cannot wait to see how it all turns out!

With this big move and all the decorating involved (not to mention getting my business going) a lot of moms have been asking me how do I manage it all while raising a one year old without any childcare?

I thought about it and I think it comes down to three things: planning ahead, working when O sleeps, and optimizing my time.

1) Planning ahead – I am a planner by nature, I love having a calendar and organizing my week. Not only does it make me feel put together, but it also provides satisfaction and anticipation know whats to come. For blog posts, I generally have 5-10 topics ideas the calendar and at least 3 drafted for the coming week. When I think of blog posts ideas, I’ll jot it down in my notes and then slot it into my calendar.

2) Working when Ollie sleeps – nap time is my friend. I’m always either writing, photographing or DIYing while Oliver naps. At night, I usually work for an hour or two, but always make sure to stop 30 minutes before bedtime or I won’t be able to fall asleep.

3) Optimizing my time – I’m always thinking of ways to multitask. After I make Oliver breakfast, I generally blog while he eats. When we go out, I’m always thinking of errands I need to run that are along our route. If I’m cooking, baking, party planning or doing anything home decor related, I try to find a way to incorporate it into the blog.

That’s really what it comes down to for me! And of course, loving what I do doesn’t hurt either! I highly recommend figuring out what you love to do, and go do it!

Cheers and happy hump day 🙂

so fresh and so clean clean

I am ALL for kids spaces – they are my favorite thing to design because you can really get creative – but sometimes (from what I see on Pinterest) kids rooms & playrooms are trying to be fun and childish and they end up just plain ugly. Ehh. Especially kids bathrooms. I’m here to set the record straight that you don’t have to sacrifice style to have a fun kid space!…OK, rant over, moving on…

So, when we make the big move down to Florida this summer, Oliver is going to have a bathroom attached to his room. It’s already got good basics – white wainscoting, walls, cabinets, and a nice white tub. But it is a kids bathroom so I do want it to bring in some fun colors and cute art. I’m thinking I’ll do a periwinkle blue on the walls (above the wainscoting) and then accents of navy & white, with lots of colorful accessories and art.

Here is what I’ve picked out so far:

Fresh & Clean Kids Bathroom by alongcameollie featuring white furniture

West Elm bath rug / White furniture / Children’s Wall Art Octopus Bathroom Print / So Fresh and So Clean Clean, INSTANT DOWNLOAD, Kids Bathroom Art,… / Turtle Personalized Kid Art Print / Nursery Art Print Whale Art Print in Navy Stripes I Whale Always Love… / Serena & Lily Tassel Shower Curtain – Navy / Serena & Lily Mercado Baskets – Navy (Set of 2) / Custom Wall Print Poster

I love the Etsy art – it’s from a few different artists but it all has the same, simple & cool vibe. I think periwinkle, navy and white is such a “fresh & clean” color combo, and with some more pops of color (in towels, soap dishes, etc it will really be fun. What do you think? What else would you add to make this bathroom equally stylish & fun?

In truth, the bathroom design is really all for me because something tells me this little guy will be happy with anything…as long as there’s a bath tub!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend…xoxo

On trend: Abstract in Decor

I love that abstract art has made a comeback, and lately the style has also been popping up all over different types of decor. Personally, I love the look and I think it’s perfect for spring (especially with all of this pink!). Here I’ve picked 9 abstract pieces for the home that I love and are under $100:

 

On trend: Abstract by alongcameollie featuring handmade rugs

Assembly Home handmade rug / Abstract beach painting / Paper wall art / Throw pillow / Blue wall art / Home decor / sun shadow Throw Pillow / Abstract Muted 3 / Decorative Matchboxes – set of 6

My favorite piece is the Britt Bass print on the lower left – she is so talented and every single piece is perfection! Also loving the pillow on the upper left…from JCPenney!?! Who would have thought? All of these picks would be especially great for a guest room,  a feminine office, or an entryway. And what I love about abstract is that you can find it in any color combo! One way I find specific colors is search easy for “abstract” plus my desired colors – you will find a wealth of options. Or better yet, be your own abstract artist – I’ve been seeing lots of great DIY’s all over Pinterest (like this one) lately.

Any of these picks would be welcome in my home…what do you think about the abstract trend? 

P.S. – Today is Day 1 of moving day…still can’t believe we’re doing this!!!

the house tour begins!

Now that we’re officially moving, I decided I had to photograph and post pictures of the house once and for all. I’ll be sharing a little bit each week over the next month, so let me know what you think!

First up – our family room. When we first moved in and started decorating, Gary & I quickly realized that our tastes clashed a little (OK, a lot). Being from England, he is partial to cozy, warm hues and a more masculine feel. As I’m a New Englander who grew up on the ocean, I tend towards casual neutrals & blues with feminine pops of color. We were newly weds at the time, so it was very important to me that I find a way to ‘marry’ our styles (my thoughts on this have evolved over time, see below). Anyway, I found this amazing red ikat that had both warmth and a casual feel to it. I knew it would go great with our white built-in and neutral couch, and it could easily be mixed up with other fun prints. Now, I have to say, I love it and we’ll be keeping this theme in our family room in Florida.

Red Chair: vintage family heirloom

Pillow: Arianna Belle

Coral: Furbish Studio

Toy basket: Home Goods

 

Couch, Pillows, Cubes: Ethan Allen

Ottoman: DIY

Tray: West Elm

Topiaries: Home Goods

Lamp & Frames: Pottery Barn

Art: DIY

Vase: Home Goods

Now, back to my thoughts on marrying style with your spouse. First, I have to say, I am very, very lucky to have a husband who cooks, cleans and is a wonderful dad. Not so lucky in the “husband doesn’t give a shit about decor” category, but I guess this one’s not as important! Still, it makes things a little more challenging when your passion is interior design & you’re starting a decorating business. What I’ve learned, though, is that at the end of the day the answer is NOT to compromise by meeting in the middle. Meeting in the middle results in both parties being less than happy. For instance, I learned that when I want a white wall and he wants a red wall, the worst choice is to ‘compromise’ with a beige wall. Instead say, ‘how about a white wall with red pillows on the furniture?’ Or, ‘how about we paint this room white, and your study can be red?’ Determine what is important to each person and let them have some ownership over that. For Gary, he really wants a masculine formal living room, so we did that and the family room is more neutral & casual.

And over time men will forget what they wanted anyway and you’ll be able to change everything without him even noticing 🙂

homegoods hunting

Last week, O and I took a trip to HomeGoods looking for a toy basket and some accents for the house. I have to say, our HomeGoods in Westport just keeps getting better and better! I was pretty stoked with all the goodies I found.

Love the color & pattern of this $59 garden stool…contemplating going back for it!

lots of stylish baskets to choose from

cool burlap cork board with nail heads (for 12 bucks!)

chic side table, pricey for HG but looks expensive too

beautiful $60 side table with silver branch legs, reminds me of Michael Aram

As tempted as I was to take all of those things home with me, I stuck to my mission and managed to purchase just what I came in for – a cute throw pillow for the guest room, a beautiful mini silver vase, the burlap corkboard, and a great toy basket for the family room.

What are some of your best HomeGoods finds?

Oh and stay tuned this week for lots of fun posts and a big DIY reveal!!!

summer dreams: the coolest pillows for summer

Blue accent pillow / Surya throw pillow / Ethan Allen navy throw pillow / Trina Turk LA blue home decor / Jill Rosenwald blue home decor / Ivory throw pillow / John Robshaw traditional home decor / Ikat home decor

We’re off to Florida this weekend for a much needed getaway. Just thinking about being outside in the warm 70 degree weather has me dreaming of summer inspired interiors. There are my picks for summer throw pillows – which is your favorite?

Tranquil Luxury Master Bedroom

Tranquil Luxury Master Bedroom by alongcameollie 

The thing my dreams are made of is interior design, specifically how incredible my bedroom is going to be after we finally finish the much needed renovation. We’ll be starting it this August/September and moving to a rental, which will be a HUGE pain in the butt. BUT, when all is said and done, this is my vision for our bedroom…

We already have the major pieces – bed, side tables, bench, lamps – it is really a matter of painting, accessorizing, and bringing it all together. I chose this design mainly to marry my style which is all about neutrals with bold accents and glam accessories with my husbands preference for warm, bold, masculine decor. With the dark velvet curtains, the fur blanket and beautiful heather grey chaise, I think I’ve brought that. Now don’t get me wrong though – I’m sure in a year when we’re finally ready to decorate, my plan will have evolved…I’ll update you then! You can find all of the furniture in the link below the picture.