Design Class!

Bright and early this morning, aided by my can of Diet Coke and my enthusiasm for design I went to Design class at Pottery Barn. This particular class was on decorating with what you already have for a fresh start in your home. They focused on mantels, pillows and table tops for different ways to use texture, depth and natural objects to make your space more visually interesting, pulling from your home or your friends, your basement or your attic to find things you may have forgotten about and could reintroduce. I thought this idea was great, not just because of the 'current state of the economy' (sigh), but also because as a college student there is only so much I can afford. Fortunately, because I took the class I got a 10% discount today. I also took a lot of pictures. Some of the high points for me are not only learning and enjoying the class but also meeting other people who are interested and passionate about Interior Design, just like me. To them, it's not just 'rearranging' your furniture or this stupid frivolous thing that I think some people might think it is. It's the career I want to have and what I am most passionate about. I love this field and I love what I learn.
The best moment of the morning was when the instructor had let us know if we had any suggestions or ideas and she had brought in this chinoserie/oriental style bowl for a plant or balls of moss, wire, rope, ferns, whatever.
Here's how It looked Before:

I suggested that she put some of the faux hot pink peonies from a different vase in her bowl and they looked amazing! Sorry the picture is blurry/bad, I was far away from the vase.
Here's a picture of what it looked like afterward:

There were a whole bunch of people (like 30 at least) in the class and at one point when she put the flowers in the bowl they all turned their heads and I heard this kind of collective 'ooh' noise. It was really nice for the first time to have my ideas noticed like that and have a good reaction, especially in an arena that is so new to me and I feel like an amateur at. I really want to learn everything that is out there and want to be taken seriously, even if I am young. I knew I would be the youngest in the class, but that's okay. I hope people are surprised by me and that they at least consider what I have to say and respect me and I think they did and I really appreciated it. It was just a really big, defining moment for me today and I think I just had that thought running through my head that whatever hesitation I had about going to this field is gone, this is where I'm meant to be and this is what I'm good at and passionate about.
Bring it on, world. Bring it ON.


Here's some of the other pictures from the class, just basic things that I put together. At one point I found the beautiful pink flowers and a great blue plate and some glass blue cups and rearranged their display, which I'm sure Pottery Barn probably didn't appreciate, but I wanted to show it here. So here are two of the ideas with the pink & blue.


These are some of the other pieces I fell for. Some great Ikat pillows that were on sale 75% off, a great rose paperweight, some orange cups from the mariposa collection (I love orange right now) and a great egg plate for deviled eggs that can be used for eggs, decoration or even for use for holding jewelery.




I also took a picture of the plates I really liked up close so you could really see the design and took pictures of white flowers, which I am feeling quite inspired by because they can be both winter & spring and pull in both elements and still be fresh. Overall, I'm a huge Pottery Barn lover, which only makes me inspired more. Thanks PB for the great class!






Happy Sunday:)
-Heather

Winter Blues....

This is what it looks like in the Bahamas:

This is what it looks like in Rochester right now:

Because of the cold freeze brought upon us in the Northeast, I felt a little stir-crazy and felt the need to find out what was in stores for Spring 09. I found bright banana and cream yellow in Pottery Barn, Oranges, pinks and lime green in Victorias Secret and really really bright, hot colors in Express. These are few of my favorite stores, though not all design stores (a girl's gotta shop). I was most inspired by the colors for Express's Spring 2009 campaign. I really like the hot pink, cerulean blue, bright yellow and royal purples contrasted with laundry clean stark white and dark as night black. It was sexy, reminded me of spring break and a breath of fresh air compared to the dreary Rochester weather.




(Images from Express & Victoria's Secret Online)
So, I found myself wandering the store and wondering how I could incoporate this, tastefully, into my house. Tie Dye is pretty in for Spring Fashion, and I think if you use it with bright colors and contrast it with the white, like Express did, it can be tasteful and hot.

That is a picture of my friend Jessica and I, and I'm wearing this great pink and white tie dye scarf I got on sale a few weeks ago at Express and I would really like to incorporate that somewhere. For now, I think it goes pretty well with my bed, which is a white down comforter and my bright pink pillows..
Here's how I would transfer my Spring break style into room design, some things from Pottery Barn:




French Knot Embroidered Duvet Cover & Sham

$179.00 - $229.00 SALE $59.99 - $99.99




Sunburst Crewel Pillow Cover

$42.00






De-Lite Table Lamp Base + Ribbon Trim Shade

$35.00 - $39.00



Nouveau Floral Rug

$129.00 - $599.00

New



Kensington Floral Duvet Cover & Sham

$29.00 - $99.00 SPECIAL $25.00 - $99.00

Urban Outfitters:

Velvet Tufted Headboard - Apple Green
Online Only!
$300.00

Filigree Rose Quilt $29.99


Kissing Birds Wall Art by Masha D'yans

$40.00


Tie Dye Pillow

$36.00



Cotton Velvet Pillow

$24.00


8" Graphic Plates Series 8

$6.00

Hot Colored Wicker....yay or nay?

I had this fantastic dream the other night about wicker. I often have a bunch of interior design dreams, and sometimes I get totally inspired, like the other night. My parents have this great backyard that has been overgrown with an old garden for the last ten years, and a patio that they have done nothing with. I thought it would be cute to mix turqoise and fuschia wicker chairs and a glass table (all of which they have, would just have to rearrange and possibly paint) and it might look pretty cool. Heres some pictures of what I want to do to my parents backyard!

I would have chairs like this on the sides of the tables, painted Fuschia. (4 of them)

Then maybe 2 chairs in the mom/dad ends of the table like this in bright turqoise.
The glass table would look like this:

I think some paper lanterns in bright colors would be great as well and of course lots of candles everywhere for atmosphere.


Here's some other wicker ideas I like...(all of these images are from mainecottage.com)

Baby its Cold Outside...Let's redecorate my bedroom?

Here in Rochester we're currently stuck in the mother of all blizzards, so being the little martha I am I've decided to redecorate my bedroom. I am going for a romantic modernist theme, but there are a few things I adore that must be kept.
1.) My picture frames (I may buy some new silver ones)
2.) My candles (can't live without them, and nobody should.)
3.) My down comforters.

4.) my glass lamp (I may get a new shade)

But, apparently I have a wrought iron frame:) My mom said I have one in my attic that I completley forgot about that is from the 1930's. This is the closest I could find of a picture of it.

It's black and fabulous and it is MINE!!! So I'm taking that, my down comforters, deep plum sheets and my tapestries from london (they are indian and beaded) and this wonderful dark wood dresser I inherited from my grandparents.
I'm going to paint either one accent wall or all my walls this great Benjamin Moore for Pottery Barn color called Graphite. This is a room from Benjamin Moore's site that I really like that is done in the graphite color.