The Pink Pagoda

Orange and Turquoise

2012-02-24T09:54:00.001-06:00

Before Pantone announced the color of the year, we were already seeing lots of orange. After the pronouncement of Tangerine Tango, I see orange everywhere. I see it paired with turquoise more than any other color. My perspective on color is also influenced by my store. It's always so interesting for me to see what colors are selling. I sell a variety, of course, but the orange/turquoise combination is very popular. Does anyone know the process by which the color of the year is chosen by Pantone? I'm sure I could find it in a matter of clicks, and I'll try to remember to work on that. I think it would be fascinating to know more about that process. The influence Pantone has, and the effects of their color choice are huge. I put together a fun collection of orange and turquoise Etsy items, along with these gorgeous photos for you to enjoy. Happy Friday!

Kendall Wilkinson

Tobi Fairley

Caitlin Wilson

via Architectural Digest

Kimberley Hall via COCOCOZY

House Beautiful

via Lonny

Color Made Easy Magazine

Orange and Turquoise

2012-02-23T22:14:00.000-06:00

'Orange and Turquoise' by thepinkpagoda

Quadrille Alan Campbell 20&q... houseofpemberl... $109.00	Peacock watercolor painting ... Splodgepodge $15.00	Orange pebble leather handba... artoncrafts $125.00
Low Large Bowl in Newport Ga... jillrosenwald $180.00	Personalized Note Cards Chin... LetterLoveDesi... $25.00	Fused glass bowl, Optic POD ... biolumglass $78.00
Blue Pillow - Modern Geometr... Mazizmuse $65.00	Dog Leash......Add a Matchin... BowWowCouture $22.95	Chunky Turquoise Necklace - ... WildflowersAnd... $47.00
NEW Greek Key Accent Pillows... FestiveHomeDec... $30.00	Retro Pagoda Style Turquoise... TheBountifulBi... $48.00	Hermes ORANGE Lacquer Etager... tweakedhome $450.00
Tangerine Orange Elephant Si... thepinkpagoda $30.00	On Backorder: Turquoise Brac... delezhen $89.00	Indoor/Outdoor Decorative De... nenavon $35.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Interior Designer Ana Antunes Home Styling

2012-02-23T09:24:00.001-06:00

Ana Antunes is a lovely and talented interior designer from Portugal. She's celebrating the one year birthday of her gorgeous blog Home Styling. I admire Ana's work and have so much appreciated her support. She's been a customer, has featured my work on her blog, and has The Pink Pagoda in her blog list. I always enjoy emailing with Ana; she's such a gracious, friendly person. Congratulations on a very successful first year of Home Styling, Ana!

These gorgeous photos are from her portfolio and many more can be seen on her blog.

Sarah, from Duchess Fare, featured my store and blog here. Thank you so much Sarah!

Thank you to Marci, for featuring my store and One Room Challenge on Stylesson! You can see it here.

This beautiful Palmer Weiss room is featured on the Pinterest board of Jenny Schnabl called Lovely Items for Home and Life. I'm a big fan of Jenny's blog The Foo Dog Ate My Homework. Be sure to check out both her fabulous blog and Pinterest boards.

One Room Challenge Final Week

2012-02-22T12:57:00.005-06:00

It's the final day of the 6 Weeks One Room Challenge I've participated in with a group of bloggers. I chose to complete my laundry room. It's a very casual, functional room for our family. When I started this challenge, I knew I wanted to keep the room very casual as it's where the giant cat spends lots of his time. I also knew that I wanted fun, vibrant, and happy. The photo below shows the view of the room from the hall before I started the challenge.

This is the gallery wall I put up after having removed the built-in ironing board. Six of the prints on the wall were purchased from Etsy sellers. I posted about them here last week with the exception of the pink cyclamen in the blue pot print which hadn't arrived from Israel. It's from Etsy seller The Joy of Color. The rest I created myself for the wall.

This photo shows the wall opposite the gallery wall before the challenge. I wanted to add something here that could help us with organization.

I created these prints and framed them. We write on the glass with dry erase markers just like you would on a dry erase board. It's been helpful to have a "Buy It" board for groceries and such, and a "Do It" board for phone calls, errands and the like.

Here's the window before the challenge. It's on the other side of the extra refrigerator we keep in the laundry room, so the handy hand-held vacuum was out of view. Really the window is too unless you go all the way into the room and look around the refrigerator. Regardless, I removed the vacuum and added a valance and a roman shade. I designed the fabric for the valance on Spoonflower and posted about it here.

The photo above shows the unappealing fan/light that was probably here since the eighties. I now have recessed lights which make the room feel more spacious.

I'm so happy to have completed this room! Without Linda, from My Crafty Home Life, organizing this challenge and inviting me to participate, I'm sure that my laundry room would be exactly as it was six weeks ago. Thank you, Linda! Be sure to go check out her room, along with all of the other participants. The links are below.

Saved By Suzy

Dutch. British. Love.

Trapped in North Jersey

Nicole Scott Designs

Kim Macumber Interiors

A Lifestyle Thing

Lovely and Green on Etsy

2012-02-21T19:17:00.001-06:00

'That Curious Love Of Green' by DonnaBella64

Inspired by the March issue of House Beautiful, I have put together a collection of items in various shades of green. Put more green in your life: as a color in your decor, and not just your lifestyle.

Pair Alabaster Lamps Italian LIVvintage $425.00	vintage teapot Wedgwood chin... pinkwilly506 $234.00	Vintage Emerald Green Pheasa... PatinaVie $28.00
Vintage Distressed Finish Lo... BrandonNeffDes... $550.00	Ming Chinoiserie Ginger Jar ... thepinkpagoda $40.00	HOLLYWOOD REGENCY Green Lacq... tweakedhome $350.00
Olive green round serving tr... highstreetmark... $28.00	Chartreuse Green Trellis Dec... PopOColor $48.00	Vintage Japanese Porcelain B... LaBellaVintage $14.00
Vintage Lime Green Glass Bot... carnabyhome $149.00	sea shell in a shadowbox chaptersvintag... $45.00	Pair of Green Dorothy Draper... houseofpemberl... $515.00
Malachite Green Tray with Gi... TheGildedTasse... $36.00	FABULOUS monogrammed/monogra... Pinktique $138.00	Peony Vase in Hampton Links ... jillrosenwald $58.00
Drum lampshade in Waverly cr... LampShadeDesig... $70.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Interior Designer Kathleen DiPaolo

2012-02-21T11:03:00.000-06:00

While playing on Pinterest, I started noticing a name that kept popping up. It seemed that a user named Kathleen DiPaolo and I had remarkably similar taste. We were pinning lots of the same images. I knew I recognized her name, so I went through my list of customers on Etsy and found her. I looked more closely at her boards and realized that she's an interior designer in California. I was excited to have these lovely images to share with you and know about a new (to me) and talented designer.

All of the above images are from her website.

Be sure to check out her gorgeous boards on Pinterest. I'm showcasing two of them below. The first is a photo from her board "Girls Rooms" and was pinned via VT Interiors.

The second is from "Dining" and was pinned via House Of Fifty.

Blue and White Monday High or Low Contrast?

2012-02-20T11:03:00.001-06:00

D Home

Happy Monday! I've noticed as I put my blue and white posts together that I consistently choose images that have high contrast. I love a crisp look. With the prints that I create, that shouldn't come as a surprise. Looking around, I know that lots of people enjoy the lower contrast rooms like the one in the photo below. The photos I'm featuring today, with the exception of the one below, show the bolder, crisp look I love. Obviously, neither look is better; it's just a matter of person taste. Do you like both, or prefer one to the other?

Unknown

T. Keller Donovan

Celerie Kemble

JK Place Hotel Capri

David Lawrence

Southern Accents

Pink and Pretty from Carolyne Roehm

2012-02-19T11:53:00.000-06:00

I hope you're having a lovely Sunday. I was enjoying coffee and Pinterest this morning and came across such beautiful pink florals. I thought they'd be perfect Sunday inspiration. These are all from Carolyne Roehm. Enjoy!

More Barrie Benson Gorgeousness

2012-02-18T09:29:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I featured the interior designer Barrie Benson, from Charlotte. I'm a huge fan of her work. These photos are from her website. Enjoy!

Interior Designer Barrie Benson

2012-02-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

I'm enthralled with the style of Charlotte, North Carolina interior designer, Barrie Benson. She is doing exactly what I'm wanting to happen in my house. I love her clean lines, use of color and modern look combined with traditional. All of these photos are from her website. Enjoy, and have a lovely weekend!

Product Suggestions, Please?

2012-02-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

Jennifer, of Belclaire House, purchased a cell phone case (I have the same one) I created on zazzle, and featured it on her blog. The photo above is from her house and shows her phone case and her awesome books and accessories :)

Here's the case from the zazzle site. Designing products is really fun, so I did lots of cell phone cases.

Then, I moved on to postage,

pillows,

kitchen towels,

placemats,

and mugs.

There are lots more items I've designed on zazzle. These are just a few examples. Other products I could create include napkins, water bottles, ties, binders and on and on. Do you have any suggestions? Any images you think I should use from my store for these products? I'd love to add to the inventory and would appreciate any ideas!

One Room Challenge Week Five

2012-02-15T12:40:00.001-06:00

If you're new to my blog, I'm participating in a six week challenge to complete one room. I've chosen to finish our laundry room. The photos above are prints I've purchased for the wall below.

When I had the built-in ironing board removed, I had a large space to fill. I've been wanting to do a gallery wall somewhere, and this is my perfect opportunity. The issue of original art came up last week, and happily for me, along with lots of other artists, many people are purchasing and hanging prints. If it makes me happy to see, and it's significantly less expensive, a print is a fantastic option. I'm still waiting on one of the prints to arrive in the mail so that I can start framing and hanging. I can't wait to see the wall full! I've long admired the Etsy stores where I purchased the prints above, and I'm thrilled with everything I've received. The photos were taken with my phone, and the lighting wasn't the best, so know that everything looks perfect in person.

What I'm doing for the window isn't ready, but it will be up next week. I'd love for you to come back next Wednesday to see my completed laundry room. Please visit the sites below to see the progress of the other bloggers "One Room Challenge" rooms.

Saved By Suzy

Dutch. British. Love.

Trapped in North Jersey

Nicole Scott Designs

Kim Macumber Interiors

Happy Valentine's Day and Candy Recipe

2012-02-14T06:00:00.005-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! My daughter made candy for Valentine's Day teacher gifts, and took photos while she worked. This is a recipe everybody always LOVES.

Start with 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl. Put it aside.

In another bowl, add 1 cup of peanut M&Ms in Valentine's colors.

Add 1 cup of butterscotch chips

1 cup of pecan halves

And 1 cup of Heath toffee bits

Put this mixture aside and put foil or wax paper strips down on a countertop or table.

Microwave the chocolate chips for 60 seconds and stir. They don't have to be completely smooth.

Add the contents of the other bowl and stir. You don't need to completely mix, and it's better if you don't (the color of the M&Ms won't show). Microwave for 30 more seconds and stir just a tiny bit more.

Spoon whatever size you want onto the wax paper or foil and let harden for a couple of hours.

This candy is great to put in cello bags and give as gifts, or it looks pretty on a dish at a party. We make it every Christmas with red and green M&Ms. Happy Valentine's Day!

Blue and White Monday with Belclaire House

2012-02-13T00:16:00.010-06:00

Please welcome my guest, Jennifer, of Belclaire House, for Blue and White Monday. Jennifer loves blue and white as much I do. I found her fantastic blog when she featured one of my blue and white prints in a blue and white gift guide she created. Her selections were all lovely, and I knew right away that I'd found a new favorite blog. I'm so happy to have her here today sharing some of her favorite blue and white photos with us. Enjoy!

James and Whitney Fairchild via Mark D. Sikes

Mark D. Sikes

Mary Mcdonald

Oscar de la Renta

But I also love it when people really go for it and commit to a totally blue and white room. It's bold and fresh and fun. Here are some of my favorites.

Carolyne Roehm

Sara Gilbane

Tory Burch's Dining Nook

Tinsley Mortimer's Bedroom

Aerin Lauder

I look upon these rooms with little pulsating cartoon hearts in my eyes - pure love and happiness.

And finally, since I'm always looking for an excuse to do a mood board, here's a blue and white room I would like for myself after I win the lottery.

Did you spy The Pink Pagoda prints? Don't they look fab? Thanks so much for letting me guest post this Blue and White Monday! Have a lovely day!

Thanks so much for being my guest today, Jennifer! I'm showcasing Jennifer's fabulous Blue and White Pinterest Board today. Please go see other beautiful blue and white images and be sure to follow her. I've been keeping up, and she adds lovelies all the time that you won't want to miss! Here's a pic from the board.

See her amazing board here.

Tangerine Tango on OKL

2012-02-11T13:42:00.000-06:00

We're seeing this shade EVERYWHERE after Pantone announced it's the color of the year. People seem to either really love it, or really don't. Are you a fan? If you like it, would you like this much of it? See this regency set of chairs and table here.

Chinoiserie Gifts and Blog Love

2012-02-10T11:12:00.001-06:00

These lovely little candles are all between $25-29, and can be found at One Kings Lane today. I think they would make wonderful gifts for anyone, or for yourself!

Chinoiserie Chic has a post today that features pink in the entrance hall. She has gorgeous photos that you can see here. The above is one she's featured from Parish Hadley.

Aesthetic Oiseau featured this room by Katie Rosenfeld this week. I think the colors in this room are absolutely beautiful. She has a photo featured that shows the colors better. See it here.

This photo is from the Pinterest board of Taylor Holmes and is called CHIN (Chinoiserie). If you're a Chinoiserie fan, you will want to repin all of her photos. See it here.

Before and After Breakfast Room Chairs

2012-02-09T11:28:00.004-06:00

Do you ever shop consignment stores? There are several in Dallas that I enjoy checking in on from time to time. I'd been wanting new chairs for our breakfast room, and had been on the lookout for a long time. I was looking for six, I wanted Queen Anne, and I wanted heavy, sturdy chairs that were in good shape and would hold up easily to everyday use. I found six of these for less than $100 for the set. I had them sprayed and reupholstered with an outdoor fabric from Kravet. This photo doesn't represent the color that well. The paint is a true red. On Consignment is my very favorite consignment store in Dallas. You can stop in every day and see lots of new things. If you're here in Dallas and know of a great consignment store, please share!

One Room Challenge Week Four

2012-02-08T06:00:00.002-06:00

Thank you for checking in on my progress in The One Room Challenge. If you've been keeping up, you know that I'm involved with a group of bloggers in a challenge to finish a room in six weeks. I've chosen to finish my laundry room, and I've got some fun progress to share. The photos above show the fabric I'm going to use on the window in the photo below (please just ignore the mini-vacuum; it will find a new home very soon). Are you aware of Spoonflower.com? It allows you to upload a design, choose the fabric (this is a linen/cotton blend) and then your fabric is printed and shipped to you. It was really exciting to get the package in the mail and see how it turned out. I was very happy with the job they did. I used about eight different images I've made prints from and combined them to create this fabric design. Isn't it incredible that it's possible to design fabric and have it printed? I'll definitely be back at Spoonflower in the future.

I had mentioned that I wanted to use the space on this wall as some way to have a family message board. I thought about chalkboard paint and ideapaint, but I saw a post on Gorgeous Shiny Things that gave me this much easier idea. I made these prints and framed them in a couple of extra frames I had. The glass works just like a dry erase board. The below photo shows one of the framed prints with my dry erase marker list.

And finally, I had my recessed lights installed. Big improvement on the ceiling fan. I love not having anything on the ceiling. It makes the room feel much more spacious which I'm enjoying. And I will be doing something about the hideous yellowish smoke detector.

Next Wednesday I hope to have more progress to share. I've got a blank wall to fill and the window to finish. Be sure to visit the blogs below to see what interesting news these ladies have to share on their rooms.

Saved By Suzy

Dutch. British. Love.

Trapped in North Jersey

Nicole Scott Designs

Kim Macumber Interiors

Beautiful Blue and White Chinese Porcelain

2012-02-07T10:43:00.000-06:00

These amazing pieces are for sale on One Kings Lane today. They are as pricey as they look, and I won't be adding to my blue and white collection today. But, it's so much fun to look! I didn't upload all of the blue and white they have, so be sure to go visit and see all of the treasures.

Blue and White Monday

2012-02-06T06:00:00.003-06:00

Via Eclectic Revisited

Last Monday I featured different blue and white porcelain designs. I'm still thinking about porcelain this week, and the Double Happiness pattern, as seen above, is really growing on me. I've chosen photos to feature this week that show gorgeous blue and white porcelain. Enjoy!

Susan Cohen

Barclay Butera

Katie Rosenfeld

via Veranda

Bunny Williams via Decorati

via The Bright Life

Lilian Kan

Aren't these photographs gorgeous? They are the work of fashion designer Lilian Kan. She did the designing and sewing herself.

This highly recognizable photo from Carolyne Roehm's A Passion for Blue and White, is on the lovely Pinterest board The Land of Blue and White by Diane Variali. See it here.

On One Kings Lane Today

2012-02-04T15:09:00.001-06:00

Do you think this faux-bamboo brass lantern is as pretty as I do? I'm really tempted! See it here.

Elis Cooke Abstract Art

2012-02-03T13:16:00.002-06:00

The painting I'd ordered on Etsy from Elis Cooke arrived. She was great to work with and the canvas arrived in perfect condition beautifully packaged. This is a photo I took with my phone. I'm thrilled with it! It's for the re-do on my daughter's bedroom, and she loves it, too. Aren't the colors lovely? And can you believe the photo quality of the new iPhone? The Etsy finds I shared in my last post contain another of her gorgeous paintings. Be sure to see it below.

Lovely Etsy Finds

2012-02-03T06:00:00.003-06:00

Cobalt Blue Ocean Beach Sea ... UneekGlassFusi... $58.00	chinoiserie mirror joannekimdesig... $1200.00	Sanderson Chinoiserie Lumbar... Aurelia6311 $25.00
Hollywood Regency Chinoiseri... duchessfare $485.00	Child's Chinoiserie Dres... Pinktique $450.00	Lee Jofa Groundworks Kelly W... houseofpemberl... $109.00
50s MODERN Hollywood Regency... fabulousmess $2495.00	Storm V Original Painting Mo... ElisCooke $105.00	Large Handpainted Heavy Gard... tearinguphouse... $166.00
chinoiserie painting joannekimdesig... $1100.00	chevron oval lamp in navy jillrosenwald $395.00	Hollywood Regency Console Ta... LIVvintage $425.00
Vintage Blue Ming Style Hors... estateeclectic $46.00	Kravet - Thom Filicia - Popp... MarleyMaterial $55.00	Exotic Blanc de Chine KUAN Y... EclectiblePart... $110.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Chinoiserie Valentine Gift

2012-02-02T13:56:00.000-06:00

I created these Chinoiserie pink and red facing elephant mugs and posted them for sale on Zazzle. I ordered six for Valentine gifts, and the photos above show one of them. I couldn't be happier with the end product. I'm going to fill cello bags with candy, tie them up with a grosgrain bow and put them in these mugs. And if you're interested, all mugs at Zazzle are 25% off today with the code MUGFULLOFLUV.

Chinoiserie Chic's Dragon House

2012-02-02T12:44:00.000-06:00

Chinoiserie Chic has created a stunning addition to her I'm a Giant House. In honor of The Year of the Dragon, she's used the dragon motif and theme, which I love. It's amazing that she's able to create these houses and fascinating to read about the details. See it here.

One Room Challenge Week Three

2012-02-01T12:17:00.001-06:00

So, it's week three of The One Room Challenge. If you're coming in new, I'm involved in a challenge with a group of bloggers to finish a room in six weeks. The room I've chosen to finish is my laundry room. I'm making progress, but it's slow. I'm going to have to make some things happen quickly to finish everything in three weeks!

The built-in ironing board that was never used is gone.

Lots of blank, blue wall now.

This fan is gone.

I wanted a ceiling fixture that wouldn't make me feel claustrophobic like the fan did. The ceilings in the room are only eight and a half feet. My husband installed this IKEA fixture. I like the fixture a lot and it's only $15. Also, it's something my husband can handle installing. It's not going to work, though. It doesn't create enough light. At night the room is not nearly bright enough. I like lots of light. I think what we need is to have the electrician come install a couple of can lights.

This is the side door from the driveway into the house. It's the door we always use. When you walk into the house here, the laundry room is what you see if you look into the room on the right. Specifically, you see the wall below.

This project is what I'm most looking forward to having completed. It's what we see all the time, and it will be such an improvement not to look at the built-in ironing board or a blank wall.

And here is the reason I can't have cute accessories like garden stools in the room. No breakables with the 20 pound cat!

Be sure to visit the other participants in the challenge. They have lots of interesting progress to share.

Saved By Suzy

Dutch. British. Love.

Trapped in North Jersey

Nicole Scott Designs

Kim Macumber Interiors

Dallas Interior Designers and HGTV

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

The four photos above are Michelle Nussbaumer

The four above are Jan Showers

Mary Anne Smiley

These five are Martensen-Jones

Cathy Kincaid

A couple of weeks ago I happened upon an HGTV show that I'd heard about, but hadn't seen. Since the show has "Dallas" in its title, I was curious and watched. I was very surprised to learn (Google) that the designer the show features is really not based in Dallas, and the homes she decorates aren't either. She's actually in Bedford, which is 40 miles away. The home she was working on in the episode I saw was somewhere far outside of the city. There was even footage from that episode that I recognized from Fort Worth. I looked at HGTV's site for the show and saw that it talks about Dallas homeowners pimping out their homes and bringing on the bling. I'm not sure what I think about HGTV being so blatantly misleading with the title and premise of this show.

Dallas has so many amazingly talented interior designers. I posted the photos above to show examples of some of their lovely work. There are so many more incredible Dallas designers that this post could go on and on.

The three photos above are all from Horchow.com and are toned-down examples of the aesthetic of the HGTV show. Can you see any difference in the style of the show and the look of the Dallas designers' work I've shown? My feathers are a bit ruffled by this. Have you seen this show? Is it okay for the show to misrepresent like it does? Do you have a favorite Dallas designer? I'd so love to hear what you think.

Blue and White Monday with Canton, Double Happiness and Hawthorne

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

Canton from Antiques and Fine Art

Canton from Kenneth Van Blarcom Auctioneers

Double Happiness from Horchow

Double Happiness from 1st Dibs

Double Happiness from Wisteria

Hawthorne from Les cahiers d'Alain Truong

Hawthorne from Red School House

Hawthorne from Petrie-Rogers Gallery

As you know, I'm a huge fan of blue and white porcelain. That does not make me an expert though, by any means. I would like to learn more about patterns and their sequence, and have been reading and learning online some recently. I need to find a good book on the subject to have on hand. The three patterns above are easily recognizable and I love them all. Canton and Blue Willow are very closely related, and I think that's my favorite. Double Happiness is growing on me, though. Below are some iPhone photos I took around my house. Everything is Canton with the exception of the last photo. I'm seeing that pattern referred to by several different names. Does anyone know what it's called? What is your favorite pattern?

Mottahedeh Platter

Mottahedeh Lamp

Framed Needlepoint

I found plates, platters and bowls of the above and below at an antique mall here in Dallas about 15 years ago for around $2 each. I used them for a big wall display in my kitchen after I purchased them, but now they're in the family room in bookcases.

This beautiful photograph is from marksikes.com, and is on the amazing Pinterest board of Debbie McEntire. It's called Blue and White and you can see it here.

Giveaway Winner and Weekend Coupon Code

2012-01-28T08:45:00.001-06:00

Thanks so much to all who participated in the giveaway! I appreciate all of the lovely comments I received. Below is the giveaway winner information. Congratulations, Heather!

Prize ID	Winner ID	Public Info	Random Sorting ID
1: 100	1091241	Heather @ Sunshine and Some TeaJan 24, 2012 06:16 AM	008CDFA3-A432-4CB8-A34F-64728A7F2F09

For anyone who'd like to shop my store at a discount, the coupon code WEEKENDCC15OFF can be used at checkout for a 15% discount from now through midnight Sunday night.

Happy Weekend!

House of Fifty

2012-01-26T13:58:00.000-06:00

House of Fifty

The new addition of House of Fifty is out, and it should not be missed. Everything in it is engaging, helpful, and the photos are gorgeous!

There are lots of fabulous articles I'll be mentioning. The beautiful photos above come from a very informative, comprehensive article about kitchen design. That article is followed by a great article about necessary kitchen tools, and then followed by some scrumptious looking photos with recipes. Make time to enjoy this amazing edition.

One Room Challenge Week Two

2012-01-25T14:10:00.004-06:00

After my first post on The One Room Challenge, Beth, at Chinoiserie Chic, had fabulous suggestions for my room. How I wish I could just copy her ideas! What a lovely laundry room I'd have! I should have explained some parameters in my first post. First, we have a crazily large (20 pound) cat that has the run of the room and jumps all over the washing machine and dryer to get away from the 5 pound dog. So, obviously I can't have anything breakable. Also, the ceilings in that room are only 8.6 feet high. With my husband being 6.2 and me at 5.10, that eliminates cute lantern options. And, I'm in the middle of the more important project of my daughter's bedroom. The laundry room is going to have to be more of a "Design on a Dime" project. However, with those limitations, I'm determined to have a finished room that we'll enjoy in just a few weeks.

The built-in ironing board that we never used is gone, so that's some progress! I'll have more for you to see next week. Please be sure to check out the other ladies who have lots of interesting things to report. Their links are all at the end of the post.

Yea! It's gone! The paint's still wet.

Saved By Suzy

Dutch. British. Love.

Trapped in North Jersey

Nicole Scott Designs

Kim Macumber Interiors

Giveaway at The Pink Pagoda

2012-01-23T20:14:00.005-06:00

I'm so happy to have you here for my first giveaway of the year. What's available to win is a $100 gift certificate for your choice of fine art prints and stationery in my store. I will keep the directions for entering simple.

Each of the following gives you one chance to win. You can do two of the following for two chances and so on. Four chances is the most possible. For each one, please leave a comment containing your email address.

1.) Like me on Facebook.

2.) Follow me on Pinterest.

3.) Follow my blog by clicking on the Google Follow button on my sidebar.

4.) Follow me on Twitter.

The giveaway will close at midnight January 26th. Saturday, January 28th at 9am, the winner will be announced on my blog. Thank you so much for participating!

Don't forget to go back to Nesting Place to see the other offerings.

The Comments are now closed and the winner will be announced Saturday morning. Thanks so much for participating!

Happy Blue and White Monday

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001-06:00

Rodarte

via Habitually Chic

Roberto Cavalli

BHG

Manolo

via Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper

Porcelain inspired gown

via VT Interiors

Porcelain Dress

New from TPP

This is from Pam Callahan's Pinterest board Blue and White. She's clearly quite the blue and white fan. You won't want to miss all the lovely images she's collected. See it here.

Happy Monday!

At Joss & Main Right Now

2012-01-20T10:16:00.002-06:00

Joss & Main

Loving Mitered Stripes

2012-01-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

Etsy store InMaterial

Kari Fisher Designs

What do you think about mitering stripes for pillows? There's something about the graphic geometry that I really like. When I was getting new things together for my family room 4 years ago, I showed my designer a photo of a Jonathan Adler Bargello pillow as an example of what I wanted. The Adler pillows didn't come in colors that worked for me, so we walked through every showroom in Dallas trying to find fabric that would work. It would be so easy to find now, but four years ago it just wasn't out there. I ended up finding a stripe in great colors for my room and having the fabric mitered to create the punch I was looking for.

To have this done, you have to have a very experienced seamstress. To get the stripes to line up nicely is not easy. I think these Etsy sellers have done a lovely job on their mitered pillows.

I know I'm talking pillows today, but in my perusing of mitered fabric I ran across this mid-century ottoman. How could I not share?

This photo comes from Paige Ward's Pinterest Board Fabulous Fabrics. See it here.

Happy Weekend!

Pink and Red

2012-01-19T12:04:00.002-06:00

Miles Redd

Mary McDonald

Audrey Hepburn via lamb and blonde

Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

Diamond Baratta

via shelter

Unknown

It's less than a month until Valentine's Day and I'm seeing lots of pink and red. Which I LOVE.

This photo comes from the Pinterest board I'm showcasing today. It's by Taylor Holmes and it's called pink AND red. I'll be going back to repin so much on this board. If you're a fan of these colors, don't miss it.

One Room Challenge

2012-01-18T00:36:00.003-06:00

Linda, from My Crafty Home Life, invited me to participate in a blogging challenge that would involve other bloggers and require everyone to complete one room in six weeks while sharing the progress. I thought it sounded like a great challenge and a fantastic way to force myself to finish our laundry room.

When we bought our house, the laundry room had no cabinets, no sink, no hamper and the tile was black and brown streaked linoleum. This room would only used for laundry, so we wanted it to be utilitarian. We were looking for function, not luxury. We'd rather put money in the living rooms. We put in tile floors, added an extra refrigerator, and painted. After a year we added Sugar to our family.

We really needed a sink for the laundry room to give her baths and such. So, we took that opportunity to add all of the cabinets. There were several other things I wanted to do to finish the room, but became distracted by life. That was a few years ago, and I'm ready to complete our laundry room. I'll show you a few things on my "to do" list.

This photo shows the door that leads out of the room. I'd love to do some kind of family communication/list making bulletin board/chalkboard idea. We could use a place to leave notes, and I'd love for this wall to have a use.

This window is on the other side of the refrigerator, so no one sees it from the inside but us. I think it would be nice to have a shade. It would make the room more finished and add some possible color and pattern. At the same time, it's a laundry room, no one sees it, and it's nice to just wipe the dust off the shade. I'm on the fence on this one. If I go with a shade, the Dyson has to go somewhere else. I'll want to enjoy the fabric without looking at a vacuum.

The built in ironing board in the middle of the wall was here when bought the house. I should have had it removed when we did all of the other work. I don't think this photo allows you to see the scale of the space very well, but it would be an unusual person that could iron comfortably here. What I'm most excited about with this project is that I'll have a great space to hang some art. The extra color and pattern will be fun.

We had this cabinet added over the refrigerator. The fan/light was here when we moved in and it creates a problem when I need to open the doors. That's very rare, but still annoying. Obviously, the fan has to go. That will mean some other light source, and I don't have anything in mind yet.

I hadn't even noticed the ugly smoke detector on the ceiling until today! I must be much more tolerant than I knew. That's an easy fix.

Any ideas? I'm sure there are so many possibilites I haven't considered. Please share any thoughts or advice. I have six weeks to finish, and I'll keep you updated every Wednesday. Be sure to check out the other ladies participating in the challenge!

Saved By Suzy

Dutch. British. Love.

Trapped in North Jersey

Nicole Scott Designs

Kim Macumber Interiors

Spotlight on Etsy Art

2012-01-17T06:00:00.002-06:00

The photo below shows a painting I bought last week from Elis Cooke's Etsy store for my daughter's bedroom. I can't wait to see it in person. I think Elis is very talented, and have my eye on other paintings in her store as well.

This is one of Elis Cooke's paintings that I'm visting often.

This is by Amanda Collis. Her Etsy store is Mossmottle, and I've featured her work several times. Her colors are beautiful and the paints look so luminous.

Mossmottle

Design du Monde's abstract painting has lovely, delicate color. I love the varying pinks.

Laura Trevey's painting has the freshest color. The orange is amazing.

The blues in this Karen Faulkner fine art print are just so beautiful and vibrant.

I've featured Eastwood Art several times before. She has one of my favorite stores on Etsy for abstract art.

This pretty fine art print is from Splodge Podge. I'm having a color crush on pinks with grays.

I love the texture in this painting by Tracy Kafka. I've featured her store before, too.

So, what do you think? Which is your favorite?

The photo below is from Melissa Jordan's Pinterest board For the Home. I love the art and the lacquered Chinese Chippendale table. In fact, you'll find lots of Chinoiserie to love on this board.

Blue and White Monday with Chinoiserie Chic

2012-01-15T06:00:00.004-06:00

Happy Monday! I'm so excited that Beth, of the amazingly beautiful blog Chinoiserie Chic, is a guest here today sharing gorgeous blue and white with us!

Delftware Plaque

Thanks to Jennifer for inviting me to do this Blue and White Monday post. I love blue and white rooms, but only when they have an element or two of Chinoiserie. Without Chinoiserie, I generally find a blue and white room to be either too beachy, or too country, or too cold, or too something. Chinoiserie adds character, style, whimsy, fantasy, history, and presence to any space, especially the blue and white room. Who could ask for more? Here are some examples I'd love to inspire you.

Jennifer Dengel

Aerin Lauder

Mark Sikes

Ginger jars from 1st dibs

Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon wallpaper and fabric

Scalamandre Chi'En Dragon fabric

Meg Braff's Brighten Your Pavilion wallpaper

One of my favorite ways to add Chinoiserie to the blue and white room is with Jennifer's chic, elegant, classic, and whimsical blue and white Chinoiserie giclees -

The Pink Pagoda

A happy Blue and White Monday to all. ---- Beth of Chinoiserie Chic

Amazing Finds Around Town

2012-01-13T00:49:00.002-06:00

I went to one of my favorite stores in Dallas yesterday. It's called Again and Again, and it's owned by Leslie Pritchard who has a love for mid-century. She has an incredible eye and knows just what her customers will swoon for. She has a wall of fabric books (really lovely just might die for fabric) in case you find the perfect sofa or chair that needs new upholstery. She has upholsterers on site that do beautiful work. If you find a piece that needs to be painted, she can easily take care of that, too. Sorry for the phone photos. Had I known I'd be running down to the Design District, I would have grabbed my camera.

This photo doesn't do justice to the paint on this incredible credenza. It's got more blue and it's brighter.

I have a Hepplewhite sideboard in my entry, and I want this instead. It's so much more fun.

This is so amazing for a breakfast room. The mustard upholstery's not working for me, but find some indoor/outdoor raspberry fabric and it would be perfect!

What color would you like to see these chests? I'm thinking the shiniest, slickest black or white would be just right.

Don't you love these pink twin headboards? I wish my daughter wanted pink and orange instead of blue and green!

I'm wanting to lacquer everything. What color do you see working well on this credenza? I'd love to see how it would look with high gloss emerald green.

LOVE these two arm chairs.

There are four of these and are sold with the two arm chairs. The paint on them now is off-whitish. I can imagine so many wondrous possibilities. What are your thoughts?

This photo is terrible. The piece is actually beautiful. The hardware is unbelievably fabulous.

Again and Again has a fantastic website that you should see if you have an appreciation for mid-century. The photos are much better and you can see so much more than just my few pics. You can also learn about what this jewel of a store can do for you. See it here.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and come back Monday morning first thing to see my surprise guest. As you know, Mondays are reserved for blue and white loveliness here at The Pink Pagoda. With this guest, you can count on a fantastic Blue and White Monday that will start your week off in quite a chic fashion!

This is a pin from the Pinterest board I'm showcasing today. It's called Fun and Flirty, and EAS did a really amazing job putting it together. I love it all, and you should go see it here.

Happy Weekend!

Pink and Red Love

2012-01-12T10:43:00.000-06:00

Pink and red are not just for Valentine's Day. Look at the color in these amazingly gorgeous rooms. I think red and pink apparel can look smashing, too. I LOVE them together. They're happy, bold, and perfectly paired. What do you think?

via House Beautiful

via Nest

Flor.com

Suzanne Kassler

Sarah Jessica Parker

zinc door

via Pink Wallpaper

via Mimi + Meg

Valentine Cards from TPP

Valentine or anytime elephant mug from TPP on Zazzle

Postage from TPP on Zazzle

I would love to have my bedroom be EXACTLY like the second photo. Do you like this color combination?

The pic below is a pin from the Pinterest board I'm showcasing today. It was beautifully put together by Christine. See it here.

Teen Bedroom Decorating with inspiration from Ana Antunes and Lynn Morgan Designs

2012-01-11T06:00:00.018-06:00

The photo below is my daughter's bedroom. She's turning 14 this month and let me know in December that it's time for an older looking room. In fact, she asked if that could be her Christmas and birthday present. So, creating a room that she's happy and comfortable in is my biggest home goal for the year. Hopefully, this will be completed in a couple of months. I can already see that it will be a disruptive process!

These are the fabrics and paints she's chosen. Instead of buying expensive designer fabrics, she chose these at City Craft here in Dallas. They're both under 10.00 a yard and she loves them. She wants to add some apple or lime green with accessories. Can you tell she's opinionated about this? I blame HGTV. Specifically, Design Star, Million Dollar Decorators, Secrets From a Stylist, Design on a Dime and Sarah Richardson. Oh my.

The below photos show the look she's after. Clean, simple, lots of white with pops of color.

Lynn Morgan Designs

Ana Antunes

Wish me luck with this project -- I'll need it!

The photo below is from the Pinterest Board I'm showcasing today. It's called Slumber, and Haymarket Designs created it. Its theme is bedrooms, of course. You can see beautiful bedrooms here.

Head back to the Open House Party HERE.

Sarah Briggs

2012-01-10T13:00:00.003-06:00

Usually, the finds I share are interior design related, but you need to know about Sarah Briggs if you don't already. I had seen her gorgeous jewelry in press, but hadn't met her until I did a holiday market in December. There were lots of talented jewelry makers at the show with booths displaying beautiful and tempting pieces. I probably could have resisted the jewelry shopping spree had my sister not been with me. I'm so glad she was because I got to meet Sarah. She is engaging, fun and unpretentious. Her entire booth was filled with incredibly lovely pieces at amazingly reasonable prices. My sister and I both bought several items and are wearing them on an everyday basis. We'll both be back for more here!

The photo below is from the Pinterest board I'm showcasing today. This is a pair of Sarah's earrings shown on the board of her friend Lynette Eldridge. See her fun style board here.

Happy Blue and White Monday!

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

via decor pad

I know you've seen this before, but I can't resist the navy and white wallpaper with the amazing shiny red console table in front. Red and blue together are gorgeous.

Isn't the simplicity of the Saarinen table with the tulip chairs refreshing?

Roger Davies from Southern Accents

Anyone know what this wallpaper is?

Horchow.com

JK Place Hotel Capri

via Pinterest

I love the bold stripes with the porcelain.

via Apartment Therapy

My Pinterest Board Showcase for today is Blue and White from Mel H. of Georgica Pond Blog.

The above photo is from her fantastic board. I love the bold contrast of the white chair silhouette on the navy paint. Be sure to go visit her beautiful blue and white board!

Organizing for 2012 with IdeaPaint, DIY Magnetic Chalkboard, and DIY Wall Calendar

2012-01-06T00:31:00.001-06:00

We've decided to have an organizing weekend at our house. We're going to go through closets, drawers, and cabinets. I'm hoping by Monday morning I'll have lots to take to Consignment Stores, Salvation Army and Goodwill.

I'm wanting to put some new tools in place at our house to stay more organized. I really am looking for ways to keep lists organized and up on walls where I can see them easily and they're always in the same place. I'm also looking for effective large wall calendar solutions. Here are some interesting options.

The four photos above are from the IdeaPaint website. Their paint will turn virtually any surface into a dry erase board. If you know anyone who's used this, I'd love to hear about it.

This photo is from Linda at My Crafty Home Life. I am very jealous of her as she can do basically anything you could ever think of. In this post, she explains how to create a magnetic chalkboard and then trim it out with trim that holds the chalk. She made this in her basement for her kids, but something like this could be also helpful in an office.

This is calendar wallpaper available here.

I love this idea except for the chalkboard dust. It's a blackboard calendar and a great DIY project.

Kelli Ford and Kirsten Fitzgibbons are Sisters and a Design Team

2012-01-05T01:04:00.002-06:00

Monday, I posted about the house featured in Veranda's newest edition. From what I've seen online, it looks like there's a lot of interest in the house. In my post I mentioned that I would be sharing more of the work of the sister design team Kelli Ford and Kirsten Fitzgibbons. I've included lots of photos of their work here. You may see a piece of art or two that you recognize.

The floor design is David Hicks-esque and is stunning.