People often ask us “What’s the next big thing???   Soooo thought we’d share some Spring thoughts on things we are loving right now…..

Neutral Neutral Neutral!!!!  It’s kind of the next big thing coming in design (although we LOVE color)!  Check out restorationhardware.com and note the AMAZING Belgian Linen extravaganza on sofas, chairs, ottomans.  Don’t miss their crazy Umbrella Chair!  We have had one of these on the studio vision board for a while….If you don’t hear from us for an extended period of time, assume we bought a few and are each tucked into one with our Ipods and the latest issue of Vogue.  Don’t worry, we’ll be out sometime before summer. 

ballarddesigns.com has teamed up with designer Suzanne Kasler from House Beautiful Magazine.  Check out their online catalog, shop her beautifully styled rooms and steal some of these great ideas!  Really people, a trip to Goodwill, a can of COMFORT GRIP off -white spray paint, a little burlap and you too can transform your home into the latest greatest neutral palette straight from the Paris flea markets! 

Okay, it’s no secret that I have had it bad for cowhide rugs for awhile.  But Sarah has shown me a whole new level of creativeness when she introduced me to the STENCILED ZEBRA cowhide.  Unless you are interested in dropping about $6000.00 for a real zebra (and lets face it, don’t they look better hanging out on the lush green savannas of Africa than on our living room floors?) these are a great alternative.  Jaysonhomeandgarden.com has an a beautiful one, but you can check out less expensive ones on cowhidesinternational.com   

Texture… When the palete goes neutral, it’s a great time to bring in lots of texture.  Check out the great pillows on westelm.com  LOVE the deconstructed rose pillow, very shabby chic… the Mongolian Lamb pillow covers are fun and unexpected on a traditional or contemporary sofa.  Oh, the Handknit Throw is CLASSIC.  Soft, nubby, tactile… all make you feel good when you touch them. 

Paint and paper… Spring makes me think of bright colors.  But I tend to like things a little softer… so here’s a few slam dunk colors combinations for you!  These are all Ben Moore colors… Castelton Mist (HC-1) is a soft ferny green and easy on the eyes.  Pair it with Beacon Hill Damask (HC-2) and you’ll absolutely love it.  They’re great bedroom colors and we would love them in a warm kitchen or sun room too.  Hawthorn Yellow (HC-4) is a great soft color… a go-to easy on the eyes warm tone that translates easy into almost any space. 

What about that neutral trend you say???  We have a few of those for you too.  Pair Ben Moore’s Grant Beige (HC-83) with Horizon (1478) for a soothing grey/blue background.  Perfect backdrop for your Belgian Linen Umbrella chair and zebra rug!

Can’t let spring go by without a nod to grasscloth wallpaper… it’s such a testiment to the addage “everything old is new again…”  Yeah, it was around in the 60’s and 70’s so those of you with nightmarish memories of it,,, just skip this part… however it’s made a great comeback, and we’d encourage you to take a look at your local wallpaper store for some books on it.   It’s another texture to be used in a neutral palette.  Sure, it’s not cheap but we have a few ideas to cut your budget a little.  First, use it sparingly.  Wallpaper the back of your shelves with it… use 1/4 inch half round moulding, create giant squares on a wall and paper the inside of them for a cool architectural look.  Better yet, just do one or two walls in it.  Another cost saving idea…check out the commercial wallpaper products, we found one through Colour and Design Co. “OBANA”,  it’s vinyl but the colors are great (we like the wicker color)  and it can pass for a tight weave grass-cloth (at a distance).  By the way, we’ll let you in on a little secret.  Commercial wallpapers are pretty inexpensive…. and you get a lot more to the yard than you do with residential papers.  Don’t rule it out! 

Alright everyone, now that you’re armed with the latest greatest spring trends, go out there, get creative, make it your own and encourage each other!!!!  Show us your pictures, facebook us and let us know how it’s going.  It’s fun and inspiring to get your home in the shape and style you want, and hey, summer’s right around the corner and  we have some ideas for a few parties you can throw!  More on that later…..Suzi and Sarah

We know that meditation is good for us right?  Clearing the mind does wonders…..but sometimes when life occasionally gets busy and grabbing that 20 minutes in the early am (when we prefer o do it) is difficult-  here is an alternative!   We LOVE Thich Nhat Han’s book  “Peace is Every Step“.  This book will show you how ordinary daily events and activities become opportunities for mindfulness/meditation.  Who knew that driving a car or vacumming could be all that?????

I have been thinking a lot about clutter lately, and you know, Mother Nature does not have a problem relieving herself of the flotsam and jetsom of everyday life.  Things die and blow away, leaves fall off trees, and much of it gets recycled by Mother herself.  I noticed as much as I started to gather up winter’s leftover bounty, it was easy to dump most of it in the woods, let go of it all and enjoy the pristine feel of a clean lawn and garden as the wind blew the rest of it away.

Back inside….Even though I don’t think I have a huge clutter problem, I was stuck by how much of it managed to work it’s way into my life over the winter!  Suddenly the difference between how nature disposes itself of clutter and how I did was painfully obvious.  Nature removes clutter because it begins to restrict movement.  Where would the new leaves on our beautiful Sugar Maples go if the old ones didn’t fall off first?   But why is it that when I am tripping over old toys, jamming more things into my cupboards, or cluttering up my shelves I do not see this as restricting my movements?  Not to mention causing a general irritation and discomfort with my home.

So I am challenging myself to begin de-cluttering  some things in my life, it’s one thing to be restricted when we can’t help it (blizzards, heavy jackets, ice and snow), it’s another thing when we do it to ourselves!  What’s restricting your movement?  Whether it be physical or emotional clutter, why not throw things away, recycle them at Goodwill, let them dry up and blow away.  I’m taking a cue from Mother Nature and making room for what’s next!

 Abraham -Hicks

Look around your house!  Hey, you probably already have some sort of a collection.  Without realizing it, when we have a great buying experience… (we call it a CLEAN KILL!), we tend to repeat that experience again and again.  In other words, we do what works for us.  If you happen to have a bunch of ONE THING, for example, blue and white china, old candleholders, black and white photography…. bunch it all together on a tabletop or hang it on a wall.  What we love is that CUMULATIVE effect of lots of commonality.  Generally you can make a big impact without spending a lot of money this way.  So, look around!  See what you already have and express yourself with your own personal Pez collection.

Since we’ve been posting a little about accessories.. thought I’d share with you some ideas that I really love.  I am all about things that are really raw, natural, rustic and charmingly simple.  Nature is like that and I tend to find most of my inspiration there.  There is something pleasing about taking an everyday object that is simple and familiar to all of us, and finding a way to use it, display it or combine it with something unexpected.  Putting things at different heights is an easy way to keep the eye moving around the room, so I will often put objects on lifts or levels to create interesting and thoughtful presentation.  These are robin’s nests I found on our property, and by placing them in these little silver compotes (picked up from Goodwill or Salvation Army for about $7.00 ea) takes the simplistic form of a bird’s nest and elevates it (literally!) to a new level.   Suddenly, it’s a study in natural history, purity and organic form.

I have always loved antlers.  When I was a kid it seemed like they were everywhere!  They were everyone’s basement, garage, cabin, spare bedroom….What I didn’t really like was the stuffed head attached to them!  No disrespect to the graceful animals that were once on the business side of the horns, but I just prefer the smooth, natural look of a shed horn.  Once again, placing these in an unexpected arena… mounted on back of a shelf, or thrown into a mercury glass bowl, creates movement, texture and interest. 

One of the best things about nature?  It’s free if not cheap.  Generally antlers by the dozen can be found in antique stores or flea markets.  Birds nests are free for the taking, there is a bounty of ideas out there.  What about nature inspires you?   Mother Nature has no rules, and no time for artificiality… so whatever you choose to do, it will be beautiful!  (that’s how nature intended it right?)  -suzi

One my favorite things in the world to do is rearrange my furniture…. one of my second favorite things to do is rearrange accessories, buy accessories, find accessories…..and create interesting tablescapes.  I love the idea of taking something I love and displaying it in an unusual way.  This is a wasps nest that I found on a fishing trip in Canada, it’s really tiny and has a lot of texture and an interesting shape.  It rattled around on my shelves for awhile, then rested on top of some books in our living room.  I never really found a good way to evoke it’s specialness.  Finally, I found a small bell jar, a lamp base that had been separated from it’s lamp, and an old spindle.  Now I feel that it looks like the natural history study that it actually is.  Really, this whole thing cost me about $24.00.  I think the bell jar was the most expensive part.  

In the black frame (Target) is a piece of paper from an old railroad ledger.  On top of that is a piece of thin fan coral.  I love things that have movement and feel architectual.  It’s also one of a kind.  Once again, the whole thing probably cost about $25.00.  In front of the bell jar is an angel wing box I found at TJ Maxx.  It was a silvery grey,,, I felt it needed to be gold so I just painted it gold and distressed it a little with some fine grit sandpaper.  A tall lamp with a glass globe (TJ MAXX) anchors the whole thing and provides some nice ambient light.   I made the burlap skirted tablecloth, you can also buy this at Ballard Design or Wisteria. 

Alright everyone, we want to see some of your amazing tablescapes!  Tell us what you are doing, share your ideas and we promise there is much more to come on the subject of accessorizing.

When you are feeling stuck-  try this sure fire technique to transform how you are looking at the problem…..