Archive | Centerpieces

Tween Bedroom DoOvah

By megan on April 25, 2015 in Bedroom, Centerpieces, DIY, Home Goods, Tween

For the record, there IS such a thing a “Blog Guilt”. It’s that thing where you have all this amazing content to chat about and it takes you a year to get it published to the blog? Blog Guilt. I have it. Big time. But I guess that’s what happens when you are running an interior design business, a product line, and a family. So, here is a fun DoOvah that was photographed LAST April by the amazing Jessica Delaney Photography. Hope you enjoy!

This was a fantastic project for a little girl who had a ‘pinterest vision’ for her space. The reveal was also a birthday surprise which made it super fun. The homeowners weren’t looking to spend a ton of money on new furnishings, but we did splurge on some new accessories and custom window treatments. The walls were painted Benjamin Moore Surf Blue and we stenciled one accent wall in gold damask. We used two IKEA Shelving units vertically and horizontally to “build” a window seat and hid the top with a custom cornice board for a built in look and give her a cozy place to hang out. She wanted to keep her bed (in that direction) and her new Anthropologie bedding, but clearly we needed to make it look as fabulous as she is! The pillows are a combo platter of Home Goods and West Elm with one Jonathan Adler needlepoint pillow thrown in for fun. We made a super simple canopy surrounding the bed that was mounted to the ceiling. So easy to do with a sheer curtain, a cup hook, and a coat hanger. I’ll blog about that someday…maybe a year from now…ya know Blog Guilt.

We shifted the desk over the the area under the window. We painted, or should I say guilded (cauz I’m fancy that that’s how I roll), the IKEA desk drawer taking it from orange to gold. We also painted the pink lamp gold since I had some paint left over. We loved how it turned out! Budget friend design going on here people. Speaking of budget, sometimes you just have to spend a little more to make the design special. That said, clearly we NEEDED to have the Furlicious Rockin’ Roller (I wish I made up that name) desk chair from Pottery Barn Teen and I’m fairly certain no injuries have ensued.

We kept the existing bureau but wanted to create a fun focal point above it. She came up with her slogan “Shine On” and we had a custom neon sign made! How fun, right? (side note: when paying by the letter on the sign we might have encouraged her to come up with a slogan on the shorter side.) We did an ombre effect on the Home Goods lamp shade. Also, I was stoked that her love for Diary of a Wimpy Kid novels worked in our favor with the color scheme. Here are a few other shots of her space! We are so happy with how the whole room turned out.

Loved this little chair we scored at Home Goods!

Mirror was from Pier One, but sorry folks, don’t think they sell that one anymore.

More Fun Home Goods Finds. Oh, and I love you too Jonathan Adler.

She literally dresses this every day! So fun to be 10 years old.

Don’t you just want to crawl in here?

YUP! She loved. Another successful ‘tween DoOvah complete.

I’m Thankful For….

By megan on November 12, 2012 in Centerpieces, Dining Room, Fabric, Fall Projects

BURLAP (among other things of course) But seriously I am always thankful for a fabulous utility fabric that you can use over and over again. This year, I started with a simple white linen table cloth and overlaid it with a few yards of beautiful silver sage burlap (in that fab color…still only $3.99 a yard) paired it with a flannel tartan for an elegant fall tablescape. Did I mention that I didn’t sew ANYTHING?!? That’s right, a couple of yards of flannel fabric with a built in “cut here” line.

The inspiration for this Thanksgiving table setting came from the Blue Moon Squash I found at Idylwilde Farm last week. Did you see my post on facebook? In all honesty, this was to be my first dinner party at our new dining room set (I totally feel like a real grown up now) and I wanted the colors of the decor to match said furniture. Nailed it!

New Squash Meet New Chair

My “newly retired” mom (congrats Peg O’Toole) is in the process of downsizing again, so I inherited her wedding china as well (see what I mean…total grown up territory!)

And here is a close up of a super simple flower arrangement. Hydrangea & Flowering Kale, are some on my favorites for fall centerpieces!

Don’t forget to add moss around the bottom of the hurricane candles for texture!

I was just so happy with how the whole table came together…and the food, well that’s another story for a different sort of blog!

And are you wondering about the numbered pumpkins? Truth be told, this isn’t really my Thanksgiving table…in fact, I’m not even hosting this year! (But don’t totally put it past me to set my table weeks in advance) This post was inspired by a dinner party I was hosting. As each of my guests arrived I had them pick a number which corresponded to seat for suppah! Although some couples actually ended up sitting net to each other, it was a fun way to let fate decide how the night progressed. (And some chairs were clearly more comfy than others).

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Five Festive Fideas

By megan on December 11, 2011 in Centerpieces, Christmas Tree, Front Porch, Holiday, Mason Jars

I’m a sucker for countdowns anytime of year, but especially THIS time of year! Now this isn’t the Best of MK Design 2011 (um…blog idea….yes please!) but, here are the TOP FIVE decorations that I love in my own home this year.

5. Mirror, Mirror, on the Table

For my dining room tablescape, I love the look of mirrors under flowers or candles. I purchased these for about $5 a few years back and have certainly gotten a ton of use out of them. I may change the colors and the scene, but I always love the dimension it adds!

4. What’s Old is New Again

While shopping a thrift store after being completely inspired from Mr. Goodwill Hunting (Thanks Nate Berkus) I came across this beautiful oval vanity mirror dressing table tray. My mom has one of these, and of course, rush in childhood memories of a little girl sampling all her scents and searching through trinket boxes of treasure….I digress! Let’s just say for $2.95 I had to have it. And just when you think you can’t dress up a candelabra, throw it on this vintage tray with some glass ornaments, some fresh sprigs of holly, and it’s even fancier! (Full Disclosure: I have 2 young boys. They are 4 & 7 and, as amazing as they are, they are two young boys. I know I probably should have lit the candles for the photo…but I’m real…and in real life that would NEVER happen. Open flame behind a couch spells disaster in the making, just sayin’. Back to the countdown! )

3. Brimfield Find

Vintage boxes were all over Brimfield last fall, and when I saw this one, I knew EXACTLY were I was putting it. The only problem was, September was SO FAR away from December (OK, it’s really not, but try buying a fabulous new pair of shoes and not wearing them for two months…ya with me!?) Anyhoo, Brimfield was a highlight of my year, so clearly it just HAD to be included!

2. Let It Snow

I am all about the indoor blizzard! Seriously, that fake snow stuff isn’t just for a big mall store trees. Pick up a bag and I’m guessing you’ll have a hard time putting it down. It adds such a beautiful layer to your Christmas Tree and, quite frankly, it’s super fun to apply. I like to call it “Hucking Handfulls”! Even the biggest Grinch’s heart will grow three sizes while throwing handfuls of snow onto their tree. Oh, and don’t worry too much about the mess, I like to think that the snow looks prettier than the pine needles that inevitably drop.

Here we are at my number one favorite decoration this year…DRUM ROLL PLEASE…

1. Pretty Little Lanterns

I bought almost 50 mason jars and filled them with epsom salt then added votives and lined the stonewall along walkway to my front door. They look so purtty as the epsom salt snow glistens with the twinkle of the candles. Such an easy and inexpensive way to add just a little more sparkle to your holiday!

What are your favorite decorations this year? Post pictures to my facebook page…I’d love to see what festive things you are up to!

Simple Elegance

By megan on November 15, 2011 in Centerpieces, Fall Projects, Thanksgiving

Ahhh, the chaos of the holiday season is finally upon us! We all play into it (maybe I am listening to Christmas music as I am writing this post) even the big man himself, he’s taken up residence at the mall before the Halloween clearance items have left the stores. But before you hop on the Holiday Crazy Train, do yourself a favor and take a break this Thanksgiving.

It’s so easy to go over the top when you are hosting a formal Thanksgiving…and trust me I HAVE…

but here it is…PERMISSION to go easy on yourself (and your wallet). You can have a beautiful (and inexpensive) centerpiece without going overboard.

You can simply use votives and gourds to make it festive! Of course, I’m using one of my fall favorites again, a burlap tablecloth. It’s inexpensive and adds another layer of texture!

For the flower arrangements, I used decorative kale and dahlias (local peeps: You can pick up everything used here from Idylwilde) in an galvanized pail from Ikea.

So simple yet so elegant!

Enjoy your time with family and friends this year, because really, isn’t that what it’s all about?!?

Takin’ the Do-Ovah on the Road

By megan on October 11, 2011 in Centerpieces, Fall Projects

A few weeks ago, I attended a vendor fair to raise money for The Tyler Foundation. Although, some people might think the “Do-Ovah” does not really fit into the typical craft fair mold (yes I was sitting next to people selling jewelry, candles, and knit hats) since it was for charity I thought I’d give it a try.

This being my first fair, I had to decide what my tablescape should look like. I knew I’d be putting up some of my design boards, but what else would work? I also knew I’d have a white table cloth, and knowing me, that wasn’t going to be enough. I headed to Joanne’s to check out what fall inspiration I could find. I found this beautiful burlap in the utility fabrics for just $3.99 a yard. For under $10, my table was beginning to look stunning! Burlap is just like my gingham for the fall.

Since I wasn’t selling a product, but rather, a service I decided to come up with a little presentation to show potential clients a little bit of the Do-Ovah in action. Lots of people have been asking me about what to do to create affordable centerpieces. This was the perfect opportunity to show them (and, of course YOU since I knew I’d be writing my first post about it) I scoured the clearance rack of TJ Maxx for the perfect pieces. I started with a large platter and a lantern that would be used consistently in each display.

I decided to make a display that could be used all year, by simply updating a few pieces each month. For September I used some decorative balls covered in seashells…cauz let’s face it, no one is ready to say good by to summer just yet. I also used a book and owl to represent back to school.

For the beginning of October I switched out the seashells with a pumpkin and some gourds. Then, as we get into the spookier time of the month, I took away the owl and added a skull & bones with a bit of green cheesecloth fabric. You are all set for a freaky Halloween!

Finally, pull the scary stuff and throw in a turkey and some kale and, you guessed it, Happy Thanksgiving!

This was such a great event and it was so fun for me to bring a little bit of the “Do-Ovah” on the road. The best part of it all was when people started calling me the “local Nate Berkus” cause, come on, he IS one of the design greats. What a compliment! Hope to see what you decided to add to a centerpiece of your own.