Happy Thanksgiving Week!

If you haven't seen The Blind Side already, go see it this week! It's incredible! Wishing all of you a very HAPPY Thanksgiving.

Antique Reading Chair

With the help of Hallman Furniture, I've recently custom designed a chair for one of my client's (A.K.A. My Mom). If you've ever done work for your family, you know that it's a no pressure, no expectation kind of job--just kidding. Of course, I want to do the best work for all my client's, but there's an additional desire to please when it comes to Mom.

She'd been looking for a couple of years for a cozy chair to put in the corner of her family room. Since 2007, she'd been eyeing Anthropologie's Corrigan Chair (who wouldn't?).

She liked the low seat, tufted back, castor legs and the feminine shape. Unfortunately, Anthro's Corrigan Chair costs an arm and a leg, and it never went on sale. Plus, she disliked the green leather.

I said, "why don't we custom design a chair for you based on the one that you like from Anthropologie?"

She said, "Great!"

We picked out a beautiful cotton/polyester blend fabric from Fabricut in the chocolate shade that she had originally wanted. I worked with Hallman on the design, making sure that the seat was the right height and depth proportions that Mom wanted.

And here's what we ended up with...

Success! Mom's happy, I'm happy...what could be better?

This Ones for You, Mom & Dad: Children's Rooms

Move over Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware, your kids room's can't compete with these!

One of my client's introduced me to two awesome children's room retailers, and I've fallen in love with them. Rosenberry Rooms and The Land of Nod would make Mary Poppins smile from ear to ear. They have so many imaginative and creative pieces of furniture, accessories and decor that could make any child's room into a magical playground of a room.

Here are some of my favorites from The Land of Nod

And these are AMAZING!

All I wanted growing up was my very own playhouse, dollhouse or treehouse. For a while that's all I asked my parents for for Christmas. They said it wouldn't look good in our back yard. They were right, because what I had imagined was basically a 'storage shed turned dollhouse'.

But if they only had what I'm about to show you back then, I could have had a beautiful playhouse to enjoy (it's such a hard life...I was so deprived as a child).

THIS WAS (and STILL IS in BIGGER scale) MY DREAM HOUSE!

AND this treehouse!

All of these playhouses are available to purchase as a kit of parts that you put together yourself from Rosenberry Rooms!! There are some that are pretty reasonably priced, but as you can imagine, some may require you to take out a second loan for the mortgage.

This one's for you Mom & Dad, I'm still waiting for my dream dollhouse...Christmas is coming soon!

Ikea Makes It Easy

I was in Atlanta this past weekend to do some shopping for some of my clients, and I ended up spending the most time at Ikea (5 hours!). Ikea makes it easy--on the shopper, designer and the client's wallet! I found so many wonderful things that I filled my entire car from floor to ceiling with boxes, pillows, mirrors, cushions, fabric, lamps and just about anything else you can think of to decorate a room. Here are some of my favorite finds.

Love this kitchen! The butcher board countertops are inexpensive, practical and designer-friendly! The mini chandeliers are a beautiful touch!

These industrial looking metal kitchen shelves are a great way to add extra counter and storage space to any kitchen in a home, condo or apartment! The casters make these units super functional.

I love these wine racks!

Great shelves for storage in a kitchen pantry, industrial looking office or clothes closet.

There are so many chairs to choose from...

And look at the inexpensive prices...believe it or not, Ikea's furniture holds up well! I've had great experience with their solid wood and resin pieces.

Wow...sorry Arne Jacobsen, I'll buy this Egg Chair Redo at $399 any day.

Look at all the fabulous pieces for an office!

Love their lamps!

Ikea has wonderful fabric patterns that you can purchase by the yard! Can't beat the designer graphic prints and the price.

Thanks, Ikea! You've inspired me yet again!