Where to find inspiration?

Finding decorating inspiration is easier than you think.

I absolutely LOVE the HGTV.com website, the Rate My Space is great. You can view beautifully decorated rooms completed by homeowners/renters just like you! In fact, my son's nursery color/theme was inspired by a room by a room I saw on HGTV.  The internet is filled with FREE inspiration, you just have to know where to look!

Additionally, I  have a tendency to be a bit of an magazine addict. I am in love with Architectural Digest, Sunset, Coastal Living & House Beautiful (to name a few); I tear out pages and put them in a notebook to keep as inspiration. I will even tear out pages of my Pottery Barn catalog, they have GREAT wall arraignments and pictures of great storage ideas for small spaces. However, don't forget to write on the page WHY you tore it out. Sometimes I might look back and think... hmmmm why did I tear this out? Now, I leave a little note "love the color scheme", or "love the wall arrangement", to remember what I liked.

A little advice: When you are decorating two rooms that connect, use complementary colors in the two rooms. You want the rooms to flow together, not seem like two different people decorated them. For instance, my friend Victoria's dining room and kitchen connect; we are working with a complimentary color pallet painting the connecting wall contrasting color. (pics to come soon!). She found her inspiration from a set of coasters at a local Bed Bath and Beyond.   You just never know where your inspiration will come from!

Happy decorating! Erin

Easy Updates on a Dime

I had a BLAST at the Long Beach Flea Market today! Unfortunately the "pillow lady" I was looking for did not have her booth out today BUT I did find a beautiful pillow for my bed for only $35.

I have found the least expensive and easiest way to update or change the look of a room is to change the window treatments and add new throw pillows with fun fabrics. The pillows don't have to be "matchy-matchy", have FUN with them take a risk... as long as the colors coordinate with your over-all style you can't go wrong. Just by watching shows like "Design on a Dime" will give you helpful tips on changing the look of any room.

Free stuff and flea market finds..

A wonderful FREE place to find amazing free decor for your house and garden is Freecycle. You will belong to a yahoo group page and when ever someone is getting rid of "trash" they post it and it becomes your new "treasure"!

Just today I was able to come by three vintage suitcases which I turned in to a side table next to my favorite chaise in the living room. I stacked the suitcases and they are the perfect height for holding my glass of wine and my favorite issue of House Beautiful.

On a second note.. this weekend 2/21 is the Long Beach Flea Market, held every 3rd Sunday of the month. Some of the very same vendors who have a booth at Rose Bowl Flea Market are at the Long Beach event for a fraction of the admittance fee AND the parking is free too! 

Search Google to find monthly flea markets in your area.

Here are a couple of great books on flea market finds!