Cheap and Chic Item of the Week - $39 total room transformer

A good Shower curtain is hard to find especially at $39 - Thank you West Elm. My son's bathroom has pink tile everywhere so I was thinking of painting the walls navy and using this curtain to boy it up. I also love a stripe -  it reminds me of the cruise photo shoots and collections I have assisted on and called in for over my many years at magazines. 

5 Area Rug Rules you need to know and What not to do!

1.  Arrange your furniture first - The size of the room means nothing!


2. Personally I am against having an area rug under a dining room table - It's yucky to think about all the food that drops into it - Unless it is the Bolon Mat but if you do believe in the rug under the table make sure the chairs are on the rug not half on half off.
Happily Rug Free
Chez Meg Ryan in Elle Decor

I can't deny that this is chic
Jonathan Adler for Liz Lange

DO NOT go Too small

3. Under the bed - at least 12" to the right and left but at least 18" for a king or queen

This Works:

This does NOT!

4. Furniture should be all on or all off an area rug - not half on half off.
Good : All on Via Elle Decor

Good:  All off Chez Amanda Peet Via Domino

Not Good : half on half off

Or this - WAY to small - soooo bad!

5. In the bathroom - smaller is better wall to wall SUCKS - I'm living with it now. And what the heck is that extra rug on top of the rug that people put around a toilette -  gross!

Do This!

And definitely NOT this: OMG who puts an area rug on the toilette? And aren't you glad this isn't a scratch and sniff blog? The other one is tooooo small. 

PLEASE comment and tell me your rules- Would LOVE to know. 

Golden Globes 2011 Fashion Hit or Miss

This Morning on Access Hollywood

An Area Rug that will change your life!

The two chicest decorators I know who shall remain nameless have impeccable apartments even though one has dogs and the other 3 kids.  What is their secret - The Bolon Mat - It looks like a perfect area rug but it is actually more like a placemat for your floor.  You can mop it with water and it is impermeable!  Heaven!

4 important Pillow Rules and how not to commit pillow Overkill!

There is such a thing as pillow overkill - Here are some great rules I found written by Carla Jordan Via Elle Decor  where she quotes 
Heather Kearsley Wolf, designer and president of Kearsley, International, Ltd. on the Pillow Do's and Don'ts


On a twin bed, instead of a standard pillow, add one king pillow because it spans the width of the bed; and one to two accent pillows.

Not This - No Comment

For a full size bed, Wolf recommends two standard pillows, two standard or Euro shams and one to two accent pillows.

Not This

Queen beds can easily hold two queen pillows and two queen shams, plus two to three accent pillows or a single bolster.

On king beds, a good combination is three standard pillows and two king shams, plus three smaller accent pillows or three standard pillows with three Euros.

DO NOT

Too Many

Too Small

What is your pillow pet peeve?

Top 7 Bookshelf Styling Tricks and what not to do!

1. FRAME on Top :  Throw a frame on top, a couple busts and go horizontal and lateral with the books - the neutral black white and brown makes it  simple and chic Via HGTV

2. BREAK IT UP:  Whatever you do - don't JUST put books on the bookcase - love the toys, boxes and a ladder for no reason ! 

HGTV

3.  PLACE AN OBJECT ON TOP:   Whenever possible put a huge piece of coral on top of a horizontal books or some random oriental object - a Buddha, foo dogs always add drama. 

HGTV

4.  EVEN  ON HEIGHT: Keep the height of the books relatively even Via M Design

5. COLOR COORDINATE:  whenever possible - It looks organized and neat. Via Poorboys and Pilgrims 

6. CONTRAST PAINTING:
Paint the inside black - I more than LOVE this !!!!!   Via Dovetail

7.  ADD STORAGE BOXES - and not just for storage! Via Our Humble Abowed

DO NOT:

1. Let books takeover your home - Donate to your local library and if you miss it go back and borrow it :)

2. Forget to Edit and organize - frankly I think all paperbacks don't need to be put on display and is this a kitchen/medicine cabinet crafting station or bookcase- OY!

3.  Never put the paper side out - Binders should always face out! 

And The Color of The Year 2011 is......

The Pantone Color Institute...... yes it exists has just picked its color of the year and it is Honeysuckle!

All Images Via HGTV

 Walls and Room Miles Redd

 Chairs Pieces 

 Elle Decor 

Have you ever used this color? Would you?