A New Hue, A New You: 5 Great Paint Colors to Refresh your Spaces for 2014

Happy New Year, Folks! 2014 is here- a new year, and many things afresh! Typically we just 
focus on weight and habits as areas of change for the new year, but sometimes a shift in your 
atmosphere or in the space around you can bring about a refreshing change too. 

Do you have boring white walls that you are so over? Or maybe some boring taupe ones that 
you just cannot stand to look at for another year? Or perhaps even a hideous wall paper that 
just simply must go bye bye? Well, pack their bags because plain and boring aren't welcomed 
anymore! If you are opting to bring change to every other area of your life, why not bring it to 
your living area? Or dining area? Adding new wall color is often just the touch needed to 
reinvent that room space! A new hue, a new you!

Here is a list of 5 of the colors that I deem trendsetters and staples for this new year, and that 
if you are looking for a new hue, you just might love! 

1.) Indigo

Color Energy: relaxation, renewal

Indigo is one of the hottest new color trends out in paint and home decor. It is a classic, but one

with lots of pizazz and flavor! Try an indigo accent wall, as shown above in the UK's popular, 

Sunday Times interior design feature. Set it off with neutral furnishings and linens, or 

accessorize outside of the box with colors such as coral or mint green! Check out these great 

designs by Better Homes and Gardens.

2.) Gray

Color Energy: space and more space

Grays enlarge your space. Try your favorite of the many shades of gray, there are way more 
than fifty, and add depth and enlarge your space. Grays open up the room and are the perfect 
neutral to pair up with other fun colors each season with its versatility! The photo above, 
courtesy of decor pad.com, shows off  Benjamin Moore's popular color- Galveston Gray, and 
paired with a fun yellow and white! 

Here is a very well done gray bathroom space done by Shea McGee interior designs. 

3.) Yellow

Color Energy: joy and serenity

When you think yellow, think sun! Yellow, from light shades to darker ones, are fun and add 
brightness to any room! Yellows are bold, but paired with warmer colors, such as red oranges, 
or even neutrals such as gray, they can be toned down and can transform spaces into 
contemporary, fashion-statement-makers.

Here is another beautiful example from the amazing Elle Decor!

4.) Orchid

Color Energy: playful, yet sophisticated

Purple is a color symbolic for royalty. And when I see orchid, I think atypical purple, atypical 

class and elegance! This shade of purple is a beauty, and isn't too subtle and not too over the 
top! Try pairing orchid with a chocolate brown and mustard golds, or combining it with darker 
gray or pewter furnishings! Check out the fun room display above from Benjamin Moore.

5.) Turquoise

Color Energy: vacation, rejuvenation

Ok so we have a few months or so before good, yummy summer vacation begins! But no need to
fret, a little turquoise added to that office space or tv room space paired with a little frozen 
drink and you just might mistake it for a day on the beach! There are countless, beautiful 
shades of turquoise that you can go with! Start light if you don't want to go too extreme, too 
fast. Any hue will do! Pair your turquoise with a few of my personal favorite other color buddies 
such as: navy, coral, orchid, chocolate, khaki, or alongside color duos such as gray and white or 
black and white. The photo above was a beautiful design done by Style at Home. And 
Designshuffle.com and inspire bohemia did an amazing job with these lovely turquoise 

splashed spaces!

So, you have a little over 360 days left of this year to go bold! Start with one of these five ways!

Until next time,

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A Garage Sale $1.00 Lamp Shade Turned Trendy Treasure

Greetings!

How many times have you stopped at a garage sale or estate sale or maybe even thrift shop and seen tons of old, dusty lamp shades like these?

There are usually masses of these little puppies sitting around at these spots- old and beat up and no more than $3.00 or so each. Often times, we just see the lack of trend and pass them by. But, what if I told you that these very little trash finds can be made into something cute and chic with a little rope, a glue gun, and a hair barrette?

Yep! That's what I said. Get your materials and let's do this!

The sisal rope can be found at any craft store and even some hardware stores in rolls. It depends on the level of shabiness that you are striving for. Some sisal is not trimmed or designated specifically for crafting, so it is naturally rough and ragged. While some sisal is cleaned up specifically for crafting and art. It is up to you! I recommend a high power glue gun for the best results, as sisal can be heavy and you want something durable to make sure that it adheres well to the shade. Lastly, find a fun barrette, flower, or trinket to add your personalized flair at the end.

This project is so simple, seriously! I first tried this project when I purchased a few trash lamp shades over a year ago and I had spools of sisal rope that I had bought for a craft but had not used. I got curious and decided to experiment a little. And it literally was a trial run and a home run of a project all in the same. 

Simply begin by, starting at the bottom of the base, gluing the rope down around the edge of the interior lining of the base of the shade. Circle around completely, and then continue gluing the rope down but now moving out along the rim of the bottom of the base. DO NOT cut the rope if you do not have to!! Just continue circling it around. Here is a photo of what this looks like.

Once the rim is completely encircled, continue gluing the rope down along the exterior rim of the of the  base. Continue to glue the rope down, circling around and around the shade, working your way up to the top. Again, DO NOT cut the rope if you do not have to!! Just continue circling it around until you reach the top. 

Once you make it to the top of the shade, find a good stopping place, a place where the original exterior fabric comes to an end. Cut the rope and neatly glue the end piece down. Finally, add your embellishment, barrette, or flower to the corner of your choice of your shade.

Give it as unique gift this holiday season or elect to spice up your own space with it! Another trash find turned treasure! 

Until next time,

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A Quick Facelift: 5 DIY Tricks and Tips to Reviving Your Rooms

Greetings!

Every now and then I get an itch to spice up or revamp a room in my home. I refuse to start from scratch and completely redo everything because I just want to add a little kick to it. Well, there are 5 tricks that I have used for several years now to make an old room, a new one. These are 5 tips that will not require you to make expensive purchases or to hire high end interior decorators, but simple and practical things that you can add to a room that can literally transform the space and of course satisfy that itch to redesign.

1.) A pop of wall color: Accent walls

I dont know what I would do without paint in my life, seriously ha! One can of paint in a jazzy color on one wall and you are in business. Adding touches of color to your room by means of an accent wall allows for the creation of bold and vibrant flare, while not requiring you to go out and purchase outlandishly expensive pieces of furniture in wild colors that will not be in style in a few years. My motto as a designer is that walls really do talk. They truly "say" what that room is all about, and that message is up to you! Here is an example:

This is a photo from a living area in which the major color themes in the linen and furniture were pretty neutral- tan, black, white, and a little bit of red mixed in. I could not just leave the wall white, so I thought to myself, "What do I want this room to say?", and I came up with three words: Inviting, homey, and warm. Since I was already working with neutrals, I thought I would keep it in the same family, but do something out of the norm and against the rules. So, I got bold and paired brown and black. I used a fun, medium chocolate brown as the accent wall color and it changed the room completely. Everything on the wall became highlighted simply because of the striking color that it was contrasted against. One $30 can of paint created a new room!

2.) Fun Pillows

Maybe the honeymoon is over and the thrill is long gone between you and your sofa or love seat.....
The love that you once had for it is just, well, not there anymore....

But you can bring the fire back! Try pillows! Pillows are fun and inexpensive. There are countless designs, styles, colors, and sizes that you can find them in that can add that zest back to that old sofa or chair. I loathe sofa covers. Unless they are custom made to fit perfectly, then leave them on the shelf. There is nothing worse than seeing a sofa in a bad outfit or one that does not fit. Instead, I recommend just adding and/or removing pillows.

Here was a sofa before "pillow rehab." It was a beautiful, classic tan piece that needed a little life to it. So, it was Ahava's job to make that happen. See what a few fun little plush puppies did for it!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Dare to add pillows with bold colors, prints, or, as I used here, some with quotes or words.

3.) Find a new way to display your photography

I dont believe in traditional, boring frames just adhered to the wall or sitting on a side table. There are countless fun ways to display those family photos that can save space, add flare, and make them stand out even more. Here are a few tips within this tip that I, personally, fancy most:

Wall Shelves
Use wall shelves to display your photos. These are one of the trendiest and most inexpensive ways to utilize wall space well and to show off those kiddos' school pictures. I created this wall shelf by combining several short wall shelves from IKEA and making them into a long one.

I included mixed media on this shelf as well which breaks up the monotony of just plain photos. I included an oversized book and a hand painted cross along my wall mixed in with my photos. Although this photo was shot in black and white and it cannot be seen clear, the photos were printed in black and white and some in color to liven things up a bit as well.

Photo Collages

The first time that I completed a wall collage was for a commercial design project and I fell in love. Building a photo collage really allows for artistic expression and creativity, and can be as clean and classic or as bold and chic as you want them to be. From frame styles, to frame colors, to the wall positioning of the frames, photo collages can be personalized and become your own personal work of art. Here are a few examples:

(Photo provided by www.projectphxhome.com)

(Photo provided by http://www.pinterest.com/fizzahraza/creative-ways-to-display-photos/)

4.) Get loose with the lighting

Have fun with your lighting! I am a little biased and believe that you should shop Ahava Design's lighting, but you can find funky new lamp shades to add just the right touch to that living space. Lamps and lighting are where you can go bold or super contemporary, without retrofying the entire room. Look for shades of different shapes and sizes and ones made from various materials. Try a fabric for your shade that is outside of the box. One of the most gorgeous new trends in lighting is the burlap look. Here are a few Ahava Designs in burlap.

Or, try something even more daring such as these contemporary top sellers shown, the chevron and grey skies prints, also by Ahava Designs.

5.) Unique and crafty accent pieces

The last trick is the most fun. Break up the known in that room with something unique and unfamiliar. Odd accents pieces can make for trendy additions to those boring or traditional spaces. I am a huge antique and thrift shopper, and I recommend taking a second look at some of those random vintage pieces you pass by. Here are a few that I have bought here and there from antique malls or trade days that have stamped my spaces with a special uniqueness.

An old vintage birdcage

An old book turned picture frame

An old ceiling tile turned wall chalkboard

A fun quote or saying as wall art

There are so many things that you can do to revive what you have quickly and without breaking the bank; but these 5 are great ones to begin with. Small changes can indeed make big differences in your space. Save money and feed the creative, decorative niche within you and DIY!

Until next time,

XOXO


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Music Lover's Delight: DIY Vintage Music Sheet

About a month ago, I shared a photo of a project that I created in my home and my inbox became flooded! Everyone wanted to know how to do it or how to get me to do one for them ha! So, I felt it would be totally appropriate that this next DIY project be just that. Here we go!

You will need:

• A copy of your favorite sheet music
• A frame (size and style of your choice)
• 3 foam brushes
• brewed coffee
• A bowl
• A plastic tarp or plastic painters drop sheet 
• Plastic gloves (if you don't like to get your hands a little dirty)
• A jar of original Modge Podge

Step 1:

Select your favorite music sheet and obtain a copy of it. Get a frame, size and style of your choice, that will hold your final product.

QUICK DISCLAIMER:
Please follow all appropriate copyright laws and regulations for the reproduction and printing of your music sheet selection. 

Once you have done that, take your music sheet to your local print and photocopying shop and have your music sheet enlarged to the appropriate size to fit your frame. I selected a frame for this project with a matte in it from Ikea. 

Step 2:

Brew yourself some coffee and enjoy a cup, seriously! Ha! Then, let the extra coffee cool completely down before you use it. I let my coffee sit for an entire day, as the longer it sits the darker it gets, making for a better stain result on your music sheet. The entire project will require 1- 1 1/2 cups. 


Step 3:

Lay out your tarp or drop sheet, then place your enlarged music sheet on top. Soak one of your foam brushes in the coffee. Then, from top to bottom, paint the coffee onto the paper. Paint the coffee onto the paper in its entirety. 

After it is covered, take another dry foam brush and slowly run it back over the entire music sheet, soaking out the excess coffee in which the paper had not absorbed. Then let it sit for about 25-30 minutes. Then, repeat the entire step 3 once more.

Step 4: 

After you have completed step 3 two full times, let the paper dry overnight or for at least 6-8 hours. This ensures that the moisture is completely dried. Next, gently crumple the paper as little or as much as you would like to give it the weathered, vintage look. Then, flatten back out as much as you can to be able to position it in your frame. Use a few heavy books to lay on top of it for an hour or so if you need to, to help flatten it pretty good in order to frame it.

Step 5:

Finally, before you frame it, with your last foam brush, gently brush a thin coat of Modge Podge from top to bottom, over the entire music sheet. Let it dry good for about an hour or so. Then, frame your music sheet and hang that little lovely in your favorite spot! 

You did it in just 5 steps!! 

Until next time,

XOXO


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