Before and After: From Old Dresser to Vintage Circus Changing Table

Part III: Project Baby G's Room.  I am getting pretty excited- Baby G is due in three weeks!  I am looking forward to her little chubby cheeks, her gummy smile and her little feet.  Oh, there are going to be lots of dirty diapers, too, you say???  Hmm, it sounds like a new project to me!  My mission: To find a vintage dresser and convert it into a changing table.  

I wanted the finished dresser to look beach-boardwalk-y, bright and cheerful, and I wanted it to compliment the fabulos-o circus tent ceiling that my friends already painted in the nursery. Dougie diligently searched Craigslist, and within a couple of weeks he found the dresser.  Craiglist shopping wins again! This dresser was the ideal size for a changing table, it had that vintage circus look, and it had plenty of storage underneath (always important in a small living space.)  I knew I wanted to paint it, so I didn't mind that there was a hodge-podge of hardware.  

Design Thief: Christmas Cheer I "Borrowed" From Union Square

I admit it: Yesterday I was feeling a little bit Bah-Hum-Bug-ish.  I was walking my dog, Jasper, and was looking for a little Christmas inspiration in my neighborhood.  I saw a few trees in windows and a wreath here and there. They did look good....but....nothing was looking truly inspired.  When I am fresh out of ideas and inspiration, I like to get out and see if I can find some ideas to "borrow".  I headed down to Union Square.  First, I stopped off to see the Macy's Christmas Tree.

Now, THERE'S a tree topper!  It's big, bold and cheery.  

Before and After: When People Treat Their Furniture Like Criminals

Have you ever gone into a room and wondered what kind of egregious crimes that the furniture must have committed to deserve being placed up against the wall under arrest? Look around your house: is a lot of your furniture under arrest?  Unless your goal is to discourage conversation amongst your guests, or your furniture really is naughty, then it may be time to consider a little rearranging!  In this Piedmont Redesign project, our Revival Room team was able to create balance and conversational seating by rearranging the furniture and artwork that the client already had.

Three of the design crimes that were evident in this living room "before" were:

1.  The classic fireplace, which is the natural focal point of the room, was not being featured.

2.  The furniture placement was off-balance.  

3.  The rug....was just a tad too small for the space!

Let's Get This (Paint) Party Started! Project Baby G's Room, Part II

Question:  What do you get when you add 3 awesome friends + Paint + Supplies + Pizza + music?
Answer: An Amaaazzzing paint party and a Completely painted Circus-Themed room for Baby G!
I want to thank Amy, Molly and Pips for spending their Saturday helping Doug and me give our second bedroom a fabulous makeover that was a small miracle to complete in a day!  We could not have done it without you ladies.  Here is what Baby G's room looked like before the Dream Team arrived:

And here is a photographic diary of our wild and crazy paint party!

Design Thief: This is NOT Your Grandma's Collection!

Sometimes, collectors really get a bad name.  If you've seen the show Hoarders, then you know that collecting can go seriously awry.  You may get visions of dusty boxes filled with baseball cards, ridiculous shoe collections, shelves full of creepy dolls, or even those as-seen-on-TV Stage 5 hoarders.  Well, I was walking around San Francisco's Hayes Valley Shopping District yesterday, and I have to admit that I saw some pretty cool collections.....

I went into Cisco Home, which has a remarkable selection of green and sustainable home goods.  Robert Pintozzi graciously showed me the customizable furniture, reclaimed tables, bedding, pillows...and AMA-zing lighting. These gorgeous Genie Lamps are sold individually, but why not get a few of them, and hang them in big and beautiful cluster?

How Baby Rooms are Just Like Bar Rooms (+ Why I Love Them Both)

What do you think bar rooms and baby rooms have in common?  If you are thinking that they are the two best places on earth to meet a vulnerable woman- then you are wrong, Buddy.  What a sick-o!  The correct answer is:  They are the two places that are BEST suited for decorating with fun, no-holds-barred interior design themes.

After a long urban hike around the City, I love to dip into a whimsically themed bar and get whisked away to a far away place.  My favorite theme bar in San Francisco is Big Foot Lodge.  It's lodge decor and life size Sasquatch provide a fun escape from the gritty streets.  A beer or two later, and then...it's back to reality!

 I used to play make believe ALL of the time.  My sister and I would embody synchronized swimmers in the pool, and my brother and I would spend afternoons running away from "bad guys" in the "dangerous woods".  Now, however, I am an grown up.  Mwa, mwa, mwa.......booo!!  As a grown up, the opportunities to dress up and play make believe are few and far between.   Nowadays, most of the time I like to "pretend" that I am pretty refined.

However, there is good news!  I am expecting a baby girl in January.  (Appropriately, I met her dad, Dougie, while working at the famous Pete n Peters (Sports Themed Bar) in Tahoe City, CA.)   Dougie and I are both so excited for our new addition, with all of the new adventures and challenges that she will bring.  As an added bonus, I can get creative and completely THEME OUT Baby G's room!  Over the past couple of months, I have taken the first three big steps to designing Baby G's Room.

Here are the First 3 steps to designing your own themed room:

Before and After: Worshipping at the Church of BBQ

Confession time:  I stepped into a Catholic Church for the first time in 10 years yesterday to take this photograph.  Hail Mary, Hail Mary, Hail Mary!  I promise you, Lord, that I will do better.  That said, let's talk about how beautiful and classic church pews are.  I came across two pews in front of a church a couple of months ago, and I stopped in my tracks.  They were for sale for $100 for the pair.   I knew that they would make perfect benches for our back yard renovation project. 

After studying the benches for a while, I decided that racing stripes were the obvious choice for their revival.  

Making Craigslist Your BFF. 8 Do's and Don'ts of Decorating with Craig

Craigslist can conjure up a lot of negative images when you think about it- what with all those Scammers, Creeps and Killers stealing all of the Craigslist headlines!  But I am here to tell you that Craigslist really can be your BFF.  Some of my most treasured furnishings, and the ones that get me the most compliments, came from CL.  With a little savvy, you too can use CL to help make your home resonate with that old + new combination that creates a comfort and style that you just can't get by shopping at a One-Stop design store.  Here are a few Do's and Don'ts to make you a Craigslist pro.

Craigslist 1910 Original Signed Vintage French Political Cartoon

San Francisco Style: A Crissy Field Color Palette

108.  That's the number of days a year that San Francisco is foggy.  Not that I am complaining....but...when there is a clear day like this in San Francisco I just want to jump for joy!  I spent the morning at Crissy Field yesterday and was inspired by the bright and sunny color palette. I went home and found just the paint colors and accessories to bring these warm and cheerful colors into your house for those foggy days ahead...

Color:  Vermilion by Benjamin Moore #2002-10.  It would make a vibrant and welcoming dining room color.

Floor Pillow:  Pottery Barn

A Snazzy Graphic Mural Peps Up a Plain-Jane Wall

Do you have a big booooring wall at your place that could use a major color boost + a little bit of spunk?  Here is an bright and bold graphic mural that you can paint yourself in one weekend.

Revival Room Weekend Project DIY #1

Graphic Mural Tutorial

Before and After: My, What a Rude Couch You Have!

Do you ever walk into a room and feel like the furniture is shunning you?  Furniture can seem down right rude when it turns it back on you.  In this Pleasant Hill Redesign project, our Revival Room team was able to make this family room look and feel completely different in one day by artfully rearranging the furniture and accessories that the client already had.

Who Broke My Hummel!??? A Household WhoDunnit.

A couple of days ago, I opened my boyfriend's tie drawer, and I found THIS in the back of the drawer.

I yanked out the two pieces and my mind went racing.  Who was the culprit?  How did it happen?