Yummy Color

Okay you already know how much I love organic milk paint. We have been using the milk paint finishes on a variety of our furniture for a while now - but mostly with a historic palette. So I am thrilled that Anna Sova's line will be re-launching soon. Her color palette is so extensive it's definitely sparking some imagination. It is, in a word, amazing.

I just now pulled a few colors from the Anna Sova website for an adorable footstool in a room, complete with cute floral fabric and girliscious trim. Yummy and Beautiful.

 

Enjoy!

Lise

A Creative Home

She was sourcing products from various time zones in countries she's never visited. Trying to find the things that fit into her idea of a creative home. A creative home beckons you like a well kept secret, perhaps beyond a vine-covered brick wall just past a wrought-iron gate. It is a home that is definitely customized for the people that live there, life-inspired, friendly, approachable and memorable...

So for the last several weeks, she's been asking herself what kinds of beautiful things go into a creative home? And here's what she mentioned to me...

She intends to provide the raw ingredients for creativity like trims, buttons, and notions from all around the globe. And vivid fabrics. Some screen printed by hand, some imported from far away lands with authentic designs that can't be found locally. And many more fabrics that are domestically produced by independent design studios and artists.

She's discovered a few products that will allow you to design and redesign your creative home to your heart's content. Portfolios to carry and keep your notes, photos and dreams about your home and your life.

And then she remembered that she's downshifting into a lifestyle of simplicity. She has made a point to keep the things she loves, pull them out of her storage bin and live with them every day instead of buying new every time. And perhaps others were as well. So she created a few project kits for creating unique and quirky mixtures of textures and textiles, including the ability to remix your own vintage fabrics.

But because she can't cover everything with her vintage fabrics, she found some paint that doesn't require her to work outside because of the smell. Eco-friendly paints, dry pigments, stains, glazes and patinas - all to help her color her environment and make it her own.

She has a great appreciation for tradition and loves the feel of letterpress stationery and hand embroidered linens; but she requires a more modern and whimsical design. So she's found a source to help her customize some luxurious towels, bedding, and paperie with some very creative monograms. Things worth saving for her children to use when they marry and move away.

However, it seems the thing she loves the most are the ribbons. She has been dreaming of ribbons made of velvet, silk, and cotton. How she loves to embellish...

oh and then there's the art....

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The e-boutique at Artistic Lifestyling is launching soon...

Salon Project

I thought I'd share the new photos of the salon we finished today. I think the longest part of this was the taping and the overnight drying time for the base coat. Other than that the lime wash and glaze project went pretty smoothly and the finish works so well with the lines of the curved wall.

And the best part is that we think Chris, the salon owner, really loved it. :-)

Big thanks to Melanie and Tracy - faux finish experts indeed.

So.... what did you create this weekend?

Lise

Evaluating Fabulous Products

I have spent these past few weeks evaluating products for a couple of new online e-tailing ventures. (more on those later)

Yesterday I received a beautiful package of paint colors. Thank you to Laurel from YOLO Colorhouse for sending me these fabulous family cards. Laurel is great.

It's a wonderful feeling when you absolutely know what you're meant to do with your life. I could literally not help staring at these vivid paint colors and envisioning where I can use these. This package made my day. So much potential. Such a wonderful product. I especially love the Petal and Sprout pages. I think these colors are so beautiful - especially when used in a child's play or work space! (or even used for an adult with a childlike outlook :-)

In all honesty, the YOLO colorhouse company has done an amazing job with the presentation of their products. Their website is awesome, but the colors on these pages are not to be missed. And any walls with these colors have got to be just dazzling. So my next step is to try a can of paint for one of my upcoming projects. Can't wait.

Be creative!

Lise

Inspire Me Thursday - Fun & Games

Hola!

With many projects going on at once - forcing me to multi-task; I wasn't able to participate with IMT for a little while. So I'm really glad to be back to participate with this week's topic - Fun and Games.

So this is actually my idea of fun. Part of the reason for creating this art is that I am manifesting my little dream cottage studio for a cottage industrialist. Lots of fun and games will be going on inside this dream studio. I am having fun choosing the colors for the outside sample - imagine what the inside will look like! For my sample I chose shades of lime, chartreuse, cream, sky blue and purple.

Truth be told I really am keeping my eyes open for a craftsman home with all the details I drew; so that I can do a complete reno and paint it funky colors. Now in some parts of Raleigh I think the preservation committee would have a wee problem with my color palette. So I'd have to go with a more subdued traditional color on the outside and express my creative side on the inside.

So much fun.

Enjoy.

Lise

Creative Dorm Rooms

So my oldest son is off to college this year. I had forgotten how small, and shall we say, unadorned a dorm room can be.


Now of all my children Chris is the least interested in design; but even he had to admit that he wouldn't mind sprucing up his room. Ah, the last convert....




One of the biggest and least expensive changes we can make is to the walls. Since we're not allowed to paint anything in the room; the next option is to cover the walls and cabinets with removable things. Here are a few ideas:

• Big flags and multiple pennants. Ok this is a standard dorm decoration. You can find a ginormous flag or pennant sets; hang up on the wall with duct tape or velcro, and you're ready for class



• King size (light-weight) quilts and sheets offer a quick fix for drab walls. If the room has those cork hang strips you hang from there with T-pins. If not, attach the fabric with heavy duty velcro strips.





• Shower curtains - WHAT? Yes. Hang a shower curtain with a cool design from those sticky-but-removable wall hangers.





• Paper - This is a really inexpensive option but you need to think creatively. Try your hand with patterns made from post-it notes. Or forget the tedious hanging job and buy several pages (or a pack) of beautiful scrapbook paper. There is a pattern to please everyone. This option is also great for those with allergies, as fabric options may collect dust.



• Fun prints - Convert your photos to wallpaper. Print black and white photos on legal size (or larger) paper and hang with double-sided tape.




• Fabric - You can use fabric as a background or a foreground. There are plenty of discount fabric stores offering great bargains for your quick fix. I love the look of burlap - it offers a natural texture, low cost, and functional camouflage.

• Wall decals - Since we can't do traditional wallpaper; try the large removable decals. blik makes some that are really fun. Including this from the late artist Keith Haring... How's that for unique dorms?


• Plywood - painted of course. Get a big piece of wood and a can of chalkboard paint. Paint a few coats and lean the board against the wall. This is more of a hassle to move at the end of the year than the other options, but can be cool for leaving personal notes and fun drawings throughout the semester.
  
• And of course, you can always make your own art...

I love that I can put many of these elements into the first care package I send off to school. But since Chris is just over an hour away from home; I may pop in one Friday afternoon to hang some wall adornments myself :-)

Enjoy,

Lise

The Kid's Sunday Project

I wanted to plant something new, the kids wanted to paint. So we teamed up and this is the end result...

Materials:

Paint and Metallic Glaze
Foam brush
Dirt
Clay Pot - 18"
Vine

Style Points: Silk Paint & Home Furnishings

So in a previous post about milk paint, I received quite a response both on and offblog. Who knew it was such a popular topic?!? So this week I though I'd take a quick look at silk painting and it's use as a decorative home furnishing.

One of my planned projects is of a brownstone building on silk. Brownstones have always been one of my favorite architectural images. Painting this particular image on silk will give the building an interesting finish; mostly because of the resist. Once the silk is painted, I'll frame it within a border of richly-colored velvet fabric; not only to compliment other dye colors chosen, but to give it weight as a wall hanging.

To paint on silk you'll need the following basic materials:

• Silk Fabric


• Silk Dye


• Resist


• Stretcher Frames or Hoops & Brushes

Silk painting doesn't require an extensive art background. It's pretty easy because you use the resist to outline your pattern, and use the dye to fill in the lines. Painting on silk is similar in some ways to watercolor painting because the dye tends to spread on the silk in the same way that watercolor spreads on paper. But it doesn't spread beyond the resist (gutta) lines. The color of the dye tends to show up very vividly; making a striking addition to your home decor.

If you want to give it a try, visit this link for more information; I've found that the directions are very comprehensive.

Once you've made a few silk scarves, try creating the following projects to decorate your home:

• Custom Decorative Pillows


• Screens to divide rooms


• Wall hangings -Both large quilt-sized pieces, to smaller framed or unframed silk scarf size


• Lamp & Chandelier shades


• Art
  
  
• Custom Drapes (Silk is a delicate fabric and will fade. Drapes should be lined to give weight to the silk)

Resources:

Workshops:

Susan Louise Moyer

Silk Painters Guild

Books:

The Silk Painting Workshop: Painting, Marbling and Batik for Beginners

Silk Painting (Craft Workshop)

Style Points: Milk Paints

This week I'm exploring paint colors for new walls. My favorite of the moment happens to be milk paint. I like the low-luster of the paint. A completely flat finish that will do well to hide wall imperfections. It is also one of those paints that won't come off easily, so it's best to do your research and a bit of experimentation.

Milk paint can be created using simple ingredients at home if you wish - this is one historical recipe:

1. Powdered pigments or universal tinting colors, in the color of your choice
2. Non-Fat Dry Milk
3. Water

Finding the exact color you want is sometimes a trial and error process. Try creating a small batch first by using 1 cup of powdered milk with a small amount of hot water. Add the pigment or tint to create the desired color. Take careful notes about how much tint you used for the mixture. Once you have the color just right, test on a sample board and then mix up a larger batch.

Some recipes for milk paint require the addition of 1 oz. of hydrated lime for every quart of liquid. You are cautioned to use only hydrated lime and not quick lime. Hydrated lime will not react with the water.

Though I like to experiment with the colors you can obtain from the pigments. If you don't wish to experiment, milk paint comes in powder form as well. All you need to do is add water.

Milk paint can be used on walls, cabinets, furniture and craft projects. It is often layered and used with glazes. It can be used on non-porous materials, but you may need to add an extra product to make it adhere better.

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Be Creative!

Lise

Can you paint it? Yes you can! More ideas for creative walls...

When we were kids, my cousin Melanie had permission to write on the door to her room. Before the door was eventually painted over, she has created a collage of graffiti-like names, drawings, and sayings. It was cool, but in my childhood home, it was definitely prohibited. Even though I was encouraged to paint and draw, my creative activities were mostly limited to paper. Walls and doors, even in my own room, were not an option.

Today it's different. Walls and doors are just another canvas. We use chalkboard paint on entire walls to keep track of schedules and to create transient murals. We have large bulletin boards on our doors for collections of fabric, trim, color swatches, and party/event concepts. Walls are the perfect canvas for creating on a grand scale. And even though it's never really permanent, it is very visible to everyone that enters your home and this, my dear reader, is where people become fearful, hesitant and doubtful. Deep down, many of us long to create something on our walls. Murals, wall words, etc. But instead, we freak out and hire an artist to do it. Sometimes, the only difference between you and the artist may be a lack of creative confidence.

Here then, are the baby steps we can all take on our way to our own biggest, grandest wall project ever:

• First give yourself permission. That's what your mom and grandmother had to do when they first marked on the walls to track the growth of the kids and grandkids. Even if it was in pencil.
  
  
• Then make a list of all the things you'd like to create. Don't edit yourself. You can do one or all of the projects you identify. Keep adding projects to the list, save it in your project inspiration file.
  
  
• Next - go shopping. Gather your materials you'll need for your project at online and offline craft, artist/hobby shops, home decor and home improvement centers. Don't forget your friends. Sometimes all you need is a small amount of paint. Your friends may just have the colors you need sitting in the storage bin. It never hurts to swap supplies and save money!
  
• Next choose a spot for your project. There are many locations that would be ideal for a creative project. Besides the largest walls and doors in your room, try the space over your doors, the unadorned step risers, the area over your washer and dryer or bathroom mirror, or trim around your windows or doors.
  
  
• Take a deep breath, relax, and map out your project. You're now building your Creative Confidence! You can use chalk to outline directly on the surface, or create a design concept board or sketch. Experiment with the colors and decide what will be your most dominate color. Even though you've made a good plan, some of the best projects happen in the moment. Remain open to your possibilities while you're in the process of creating.
  
  
• Ok, so this whole idea of freehanding may still be a bit scary for you. And if that's the deal, you can minimize the fear by creating (or purchasing) stencils for some uniformity. I mention purchasing hesitantly - not because there aren't great stencils on the market, but because I think you'll achieve a greater sense of satisfaction when your project is done. You can also use tracing paper - I think I've mentioned that in another blog post...
  
  
• If you're still nervous about creating directly on the walls; or live in a place where you're prohibited by a lease or other restriction, then create on canvas. A large canvas is just as good as a wall mural - and you can take it with you when you move. Using an unstretched canvas you might also try to create a mural for your floor (also known as an art floorcloth).
  
• When you're done, document this success in your project files and start on your next project!

Be creative and enjoy the process!

Lise

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Style Points: Color Trends

Every year, Pantone creates a list of the top fashion colors for the coming year. This year the company has forecasted 72 standalone colors and wonderful combinations. These color choices will dictate home and fashion products in the next several months. They will appear in pillows, wallpaper, appliances, and now Pantone has even created a delicious line of paints.

For anyone considering a new paint color for their environment, please ask your designer to show you the expanded collection of palettes!

Here are the Pantone Color Institute's top 10 modernized colors for next year:

SILVER PEONY
TARRAGON
OPAL GRAY
GOLDEN APRICOT
HOLLYHOCK
GREEN SHEEN
GRAPEMIST
CAFE CREME
STRAWBERRY ICE
SKY BLUE

If you're interested in taking your color selections a bit further, I am conducting a complimentary online color workshop in the next few months. Send me an email and I'll add you to the participant list.

Enjoy!

Lise

Style Points: Making your Home Ready for Resale

I have been in no less than 15 houses on my quest to find my next home. While this journey has been fascinating, I bet many of these homeowners would like some information on why the average buyer would not be interested in forking over top dollar for their homes.

Here is my top 10 list of reasons why your house may not sell for what you want:

10. I love color! But strong wall colors do not make buyers happy. White is safe, but also a bit boring. Choose a beautiful and sophisticated wall color that makes even a small older home warm, inviting, and ready to sell. Neutrals are safe, but they don't have to be boring. Check out the Farrow & Ball designer paints. My favorites are Bone, Light Stone and String with a crisp white trim. And speaking of trim:

9. Many older homes have stained trim. I know some people are afraid to paint stain-grade wood, however most homes I've seen lately would do better by having the trim painted in a lighter and brighter color (white, off white, shell white). It really helps visually heighten the ceilings.

8. Mirrors. I'm thinking here of one particular home that was really very lovely except for a wall of mirrors in the dining room. Forget the 80's mantra that mirrors extend the living space. Unless you are selling a dance studio, take the mirrors down, paint the wall, and hang art instead.

7. Carpet issues. If your carpet is old and worn out, replace it before you list your home. In some cases, having your carpet cleaned will do wonders, but be careful of the ring around the room. (Yes, carpet rings will appear on lightly-colored carpets where the carpet cleaner can't reach.) Also, bubbles and lumps, frayed, worn or just unsightly won't help your cause either.

6. Popcorn ceilings. A personal pet peeve. Popcorn ceilings are great for builders, but lousy for sellers. This foamy paint mixture is simply sprayed on the ceiling. Quick, easy, cheap - and if that's what you intend for your home sale - great.

5. Mess. This includes messy yards, rooms, furniture, closets and kitchens. Especially kitchens. Pare down and remove clutter.

4. Inconvenience. Hey seller, if you actually want to sell your home, make it convenient for the buyer to see it. A motivated buyer in this market may be difficult to find at a time that works for you. Consider that many buyers are in town for the weekend, or have many houses on their list. This isn't about you or your family, if you don't want to sell, don't list the property. Ouch.

3. Finishes. Nothing dates a home like the finish on light fixtures and hardware. Brass hardware screams old. For an instant update, consider switching out your light fixtures in key rooms to a more updated oil rubbed bronze or brushed steel. Definitely change lighting in the master bedroom and bath, kitchen and dining room. Fixtures are found at many price points, so this is not an expensive change. It's well worth it. While you're at it, add a few chandelier shades for an opulent touch.

2. Cracked or scratched vinyl floors. Replace individual tiles or vinyl that has seen better days. A current look is better than a worn one, so if the makeover budget is small, you're still ok with the numerous choices on the market today.

And now my #1 reason your home may not sell for what you want - Smell. The first home I visited was at the top of my list given the realtor's description. But I nearly ran out of the home because of the horrible scent of dog and mildew that permeated every square inch of the space. If you live with pets and can't detect a problem, call an honest friend for a sniff test.

Well I've got to run and get back to staging my own home!

Be Inspired,

Lise

Trouble choosing color?

I have friends that are so afraid to choose wall colors that they will live with white walls forever. And really, I'm all for taking your time and choosing carefully. But there comes a time when you really need to stand up straight, take a deep breath, and choose a color or two.

Here are some ways to take the fear out of selecting your wall colors:


- Forget pictures

Look for inspiration in real life. Go outside to choose colors from nature. Prefer the color red? Look in your kitchen or at the grocery store. Search for tomatoes, beets, cherries, spices, pomegranates. You name it - just BE CREATIVE! The more samples you collect, the more confidence you gain. The process - well, it's fun - I promise. And the benefit in choosing colors this way is that you won't be at all intimidated by a piece of fruit. Though you might be by some very posh designs depicted in the pages of a magazine.

- Forget perfection

What may happen during this process of selection, is that you purchase a can of paint, put it up on the wall and find out that you hate it. Aside from the cost of the paint and your time, you can always start over. But please live with it for a few days though before you repaint and decide what you don't like about the color, as well as what you do like about it. This will help you tremendously when you decide to fix things. If you don't want to make a commitment of time or money, choose a company that offers small paint samples and paint one or many samples in a large area on your wall, and then decide.

- Forget the rules

Trim does not have to match from room to room. Wall color doesn't either. Please experiment, and make it your own.

Creatively yours,

Lise
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When does it make sense to Do-it-Yourself?

I buy furnishings from sources around the world. However, I am an advocate for encouraging everyone to take on their own creative projects when it makes sense to do so. For various reasons, I suggest you start with projects you never thought you could do on your own. Usually they require a certain leap of creative faith and may also include paint, brushes, fabric, embellishments and an eye for detail. But be reasonable about what you can tackle.

Case in point - before my son was born I bought a stepstool and custom painted it for him. It has his name dead center. It also has pictures of a wizard, a bee, sailboat, bunny and a scruffy dog. It is not what I consider my best work technically or artistically. However, it became a conversation starter with my son, a game of naming objects, and a useful piece of furniture. It's also destined to be with him for the better part of his life just because of the sentimental value. So this project - decidedly worth it! These types of projects build what I call your "creative confidence." For some of us, this is so important!

Once the creative confidence is firmly established, it sometimes makes better sense to buy rather than "build."

Mainstream retailers such as Home Goods, Target, Marshalls, and others offer some fairly creative ideas for your home at reasonable prices. Target in fact, runs an annual sale with global furnishings. These are fun, and rather inexpensive furnishings. A bit more creative than the standard fare. Take a look at the Target stuff. Insider secret: Some designers shop retail - especially the redesigners!
So at a high level, when trying to decide whether to do it yourself. The first question I ask is whether it's worth my creative time and investment in the work vs. the cost and function - (e.g. can I find it elsewhere at a better price) - OR will I gain such happiness from doing it myself at maybe even a higher cost? Then of course there's the other option of buying another artisan's work! But more on that later...

Send me pictures of your projects that have been worth doing yourself.


Creatively yours,

Lise
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Hailstorm