Flutes + Crowns or Fruits + Clowns = Happy New Year!!

Flutes + Crowns or Fruits + Clowns....However you want to look at this vignette or tableaux. Subtotal of the two = Happy New Year Salutations! With tax = BAD Hangover. {I hope not the latter} And no, I'm not saying we shouldn't pay taxes.

Here's our DIY kitchen all decked out for the Taylor-Made New Years Bash: Pretty primitive...down to the bubbly {in the sink}. I've had people ask me how I live w/out a dishwasher. Well, my response is called kid's chores. I've taught my kids well, since I'm the expert on dishwashing. They say that once you've done something 10,000 hours...you're considered a real expert in that area. I have.

DIY shelves made from scrapping a throw away junk-style cabinet + industrial looking L-brackets.

I made a super simple DIY Paper crown today to put on Beethoven. How do you like it?

Champagne flutes and gifts have been given some felt stick-ons. It's the countdown {in case you didn't notice}. I bought the stick-ons at the local craft store for like $3 dollars.

I'm super proud that I actually got out the sewing machine to sew the kitchen sink skirt all by myself. Fabric is Amy Butler.

Swank Office by Sharon Taylor Designs

Remember the post when I shared the smoke-colored glass desk, upholstered raspberry delight chair, and drapes for a home office I was designing for a client? Well, it's almost done and here it is!

Unfortunately, I don't have any 'befores' of this room. Basically, just picture it empty. With a combination of thrift store finds, Target pieces, some DIY items, a couple splurges, I think we got just what we were trying to get.

It all started with a smokey glass desk I found at a thrift store for sixty bucks. I think the smokey color gives it a mysterious glam vibe.

My client is a young, business woman who owns and runs her own boutique clothing store. This girl's got style AND drive, let me tell ya! We wanted to create a home office that was colorful, mod-baroque, with splashes of Spanish and Chinosiere influences.

I found the cornice board at a thrift store for $25. I kept the original retro fabric upholstery on it, but knew that it needed some extra oomph to lift it out of blahsville... So, I took six yards of black 2" ribbon and glued a big criss-cross on it to give it a classier, more 'Taylored' look. Then I selected a champagne-colored taffeta to coordinate with the cornice board fabric. The black border on the inset just unified the two together perfectly, and gave these drapes the richness that they needed {but not for a kings' ransom}. These drapes cost under $250, w/the seamstress' charge included!

Now keep in mind, these are my own personal snapshots. One is really blurry, but the color was SO right, that I couldn't resist posting. {The real photographer is coming next week}.

I outfitted one wall w/two matching cork boards from Target for $15.99 [awaiting some personalization and yellow post it notes}. I actually like how the two 'blank' corkboards look in and of themselves. They give the wall a decorative, mod, mid-century paneled look. Now that's inexpensive art! I also loved the symmetry of the two and twos {chairs and corkboards}, flanking that darling aqua side table. And the crystal and brass wall sconce placed in-between the two really helps to break all the straight lines, while it adds some very necessary sparkle to the room.

The opposite wall is devoted to a killer spanish piece that is actually a reproduction cast off from a local warehouse. It was formerly, a mucky, faux painted brown and pea green hutch which was probably intended to be used in a 'french-country or tuscan' decor styled home you so often see in these parts..."But I say, Out with that type of stuff!! Out the door, Puh-lease!" Okay, moving on...This piece has great character and lines though. Ser-iou-sly. My instant vision for it included a fresh coat of white lacquered paint. {I mean faster than you can say jack-rabbit is how fast I wanted this thing painted}. I decided to echo the inset with a similar aqua to the side table. All of the tchoskies are thrift store finds, including the Sweet matador that just kept telling me that he needed a home. He fits in quite nicely on this spanish hutch. There is a lot of storage space in the drawers for all of my clients paper work etc.

To mix things up a bit, I chose to infuse some spanish/woodsy tones into the already baroquial feeling room. I devoted a step ladder book shelf {$20 thrift store find} to a careful selection of brass goblets, yak horns {correct me if I'm wrong}, wood boxes, antlers, pine cones and driftwood. I might even add a bit more of these darker elements to the spanish shelf, which to me, is needing a little more drama rather than 'marshmallow clouds'. I'll re-tweak this room and add a few more pieces of art work to the walls before the real photographer comes next week. Until then, what do you think?

I have an installation coming up on Friday. Can't wait! Oh, I do love installation days.

A few other mentions I might add about the office above: The raspberry delight chair was formerly a tired old garage sale find that my client had sitting in her garage. We gave it new life w/nickel tacks, raspberry colored wholesale fabric, and white lacquered paint. The rug is a round braided jute rug that I found at Lowes on clearance for $99. I found the whippet dog at a thrift store for a real steal as well.

Well, gotta run...Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Taylor-Made Funky Silhouettes {Wall Art/Party Decor}

One of my clients asked me to come up with an idea for a dressing room wall. Taylor-Made Idea=Modern Silhouettes. I still have a few more to make for her before full installation, but in the mean time, I've photographed them as a DIY party idea. How do you like the "hot" coffee cup...I thought it would be fun to use this for a fall party drink station sign,.I'll post instructions a bit later.

sharon

Friday's eat, play, love: musical chairs

I pulled together a 'stachio of chairs for tonight's game of musical (hoot) chairs. Baby Syl's assistance always helps. She's a rearranger and a rearranger like me.

Do you like the gothic grunge chair I pulled aside to accentuate my nephew's grafiti? This chair is one of six...a flea market find from the 70's that I had lacquered in black and recovered in white vinyl. Loved the bits of green and grey that are posted over on Snippet and Ink today.

Will post this full-fledged shoot and hoot-of-uh-musical chairs soon!! eat, play, love!!!

x's and o'sies,

sharon

Carameled Apple Tree Instructions

Here are the instructions I promised, along with another carameled apple tree I did recently. I think this project would make an excellent alternative dessert bar for a fall party. You could also use this mural as an escort card station for guests. Just add the guest's table number on the bottom side. (This project is currently being showcased in Staxx Apparel fall window installation) Carameled Apple Tree on Cellar Door You will need the following items for this project: One piece of chalk. $2 Exterior high-gloss, oil-based paint (one gallon Black and one quart of White) Rustoleum Brand paint brushes. Cost: $40 Paint brush (large,all purpose from Lowe's) cost: $5 Artist's paint brush kit from craft store. Cost: $5 A cellar door or any large smooth surface. Image of tree ( I googled the image of The Tree of Gondor) Projector (rentable) Laptop Computer Green apples. Cost per bag: $5 Carameled apple kit (includes the caramel, and sticks) $5 Ink pen. Cost: $2.50 Spool of twine. Cost: $3.50 Roll of wax paper. Cost: $3.50 Hot glue Gun. Cost: $4.00 Hot glue Sticks. Cost per bag: $3 1. The cellar door was first painted black and left to dry for 48 hours. 2. Before painting the image of the tree, I traced the outline I wanted with white chalk. I free-handedly painted this, but a projector could easily be used with an image of your choice...(For this particular one, I used the Tree of Gondor). 3. Granny smith apples were then caramelized using a carameled apple kit purchased at the store. 4. Pop-sicle sticks were personalized with each guest's name using a fine black pen. 6. Short pieces of twine were tied around each stick. 7. Each apple was adhered to wax paper and then hot-glued onto a branch. Table numbers could be written underneath as well (to use for guest escorts) ta-ta 'til tomorrow! sharon

Free Fall Find

Fall is in the air. Here are some lovely flower boxes from around the sweet little hood that I live in. 1st prize must go to the one up top...it's a REAL show stopper, don't you think?

This last image is the front of my house. Earlier in the summer, the flowers had more color. It won't be long though before I add some white pumpkins from my back yard, cornstalks and maybe some bittersweet vines. I LOVE to fill these window boxes to the brim with fall goodness.

Okay, so here's my Free Fall Find:

Yesterday morning I scored some really great FREE finds, and for those of you who like free, here are the goods. I should start by saying that in the harvest season I love to start pulling natural elements from nature to use for decorating the outsides of houses (doors, window boxes, porch posts, etc.). I think vines, berried branches, cedar boughs, fur trees, and pinecones can really add a warm-happy home feeling that's so appealing, inviting, and doesn't have to break the budget at all. These vines and branches also lend themselves to carrying into the winter season...I just keep on layering. Many people ask me where I find these things, and while I won't tell where I find my bittersweet vine spot, I will definitely share with you where you can find a great assortment of all the other little goodies I've been talking about. Here's where the Free Fall Find is at: The leaf compost recycling center out West of town.

I took a beautiful early sunrise trip out there yesterday to discover tons of great dried honeysuckle that I will use for several upcoming projects, events, and homes. It's worth the drive alone, if all you need is a peaceful moment to yourself to see the great country life. If you're after the goods, be prepared with gloves, clippers, and good climbing shoes. I had to do some climbing around to find the score of the day. I was on cloud nine after spotting this great wad of vines and other berried branches! (Stay tuned to see what Taylor-Made creations I will be coming up with).

To top off this little road trip, I treated myself on the way home to some great bluegrass music and a cup of jo. All of this made for a fantastically-fun-free fall day!! Happy Taste of Fall to you all. And call me if you need any outdoor decor goods or styling assistance brought to your home! Sharon Taylor Designs 417-459-8988.

x's, and o'sies,

sharon