Storage 101

Like I said in an earlier post, I think a recurring them in design mags is 'storage solutions.'  Luckily, I have a couple of friends that are interior designers that gave me some free advice.  The best piece of advice of all the advice they gave:  GET RID OF KNICK KNACKS!   

I threw out tons of knick knacks.  Very liberating.

Look at this interesting book I found:

Tadaaaaah!  It's not a book at all!

Giggle!  I was reading about this place on the web where you can order books with genuine titles that are hollowed out for storage.  It's like those movies back in the day where folks would hide secret keys and money and weapons in books.

I hate having a zillion remotes.  This makes everything central and tidy and out of sight.  So clever!

It was only like $8 at T.J. Maxx.

Holla!  :-)

ERR-E-A (Area) Rugs Revisited

Years ago when I first moved to Asheville and lived in a one room hovel, I invested in these matchy-matchy JCPenney area rugs.  I seriously live in a studio apartment.  ONE room living.

The huge rug defined my kitchen area.  The runner defined my hallway to the bathroom.  The tiniest defined my bedroom.

I had no idea then that I was doing exactly what area rugs are designed for . . . defining areas.  I thought the taupe carpet was ugly and boring and needed some color.  I was going for a Southwestern motif.  That's a whole 'nother drama/blog.

Anyhoo, some well meaning acquaintance told me later when I moved to another apartment, that rugs on rugs, (carpeted floors), was just silly. He was way gayer than me when it came to what's what.  So I deferred to his judgment and tossed the rugs and never reinvested.

Cut to 10 years later.  One guy I went out with had area rugs placed strategically in his hovel.  It looked great.  Plus he helped paint the ceiling of the downtown courthouse when they went through their renaissance.

His gay card totally trumped my other friends.

Then another interior designer balked when I told her about not having rugs on carpet.  She said rugs on carpet were absolutely acceptable and done all the time.  So armed with this new info and lots of HGTV, Ikea and free advice from an interior designer, I got to work:

Zebra stripes are dangerously tacky if not done just right.  An entire room with zebra stripes as a focal point to me is very nouveau riche.  But as a rug to add a splash of energy and interest to a bland hallway floor . . . ME LIKEY!  :-)

I read that a rug at about 4x6 by the bed added warmth and unity to a bedroom.  And with all the black and white already going on with the bed, I really wanted to go for that "POP" with red.   And CONTEMPORARY shag carpet as area rugs is so way cool.

This is a perfect square I found at Ikea.  It separates where I park my butt in front of the computer from the kitchen.  It's like a gateway rug.  I read that rugs and furniture can help guide folks where to go.

So if the kitchen sink throws people off, my handy dandy rug is here to assure them, "Yes!  That's the kitchen biotches!".

On my mad dash shopping spree last weekend, I found this little gem.  It's simple and understated yet cute enough to blend with my decor AND keep your paws clean.  It sits in my miniature foyer.

By the way, I learned a while ago that wearing your shoes indoors on carpeted floors is like a major no-no.  Apparently you track in major Major MAJOR quantities of nastiness by doing that.  I try to always take mine off in the foyer.

Another Ikea purchase.  Super cheap.  It's in front of my laundry room.    It's not the cherry red I  like.  But it's hidden behind a mini wall so it could be vomit green and you wouldn't remember it exists once you step inside the condo.

It serves it's purpose:  another place to wipe my filthy paws.

And finally, here's the leader of the pack.  Meet my big ass red shag rug for the living area.  I read the living area rug helps unify the seating arrangement and traffic.

It totally does.  It makes a world of difference and adds character, warmth, energy and completeness to the room.  I got it from Ikea so it's adorable AND affordable!

Bonus!

Next post I'll try to remember to discuss more storage solutions.

Bedroom Drama

So last post I got the eclectic mess thrown out.  Now it more or less looks like this:

I have a big secret I may reveal later.  For now, bear with me.

So thanks to Target and Ikea, I found some stuff to make my bedroom look like a "grown ass man", (thanks for the phrase Mimi), lives here.

I was frustrated looking for literally 'red' furniture.  I kept finding physically brown furniture from 'red' trees.  I wanted to spit.

Patience paid off.  I found lots of naked furniture.  Again, I don't paint.  Period.

I don't even spray paint. I want my crap already done the way I want it.  That's why God created Ikea.

He knew lazy asses like me would want bright fire engine red furniture right off the showroom floor.  Ikea had these bedside tables in their magazine and I fell in love.

I found the comforter set on Target's website . . . I think.  All I know is that over the years I've discovered something about myself:  I love beds with a bunch of pillows.

It looks complete and filling and cozy when a bed has a bunch of coordinating pillows.  I read the only drawback is having to take the pillows on and off everyday to make the bed.

Silly book.  I make my bed once a week!

I call this my 'herd of pillows.'

I read that it's ok to have different patterns mixed together as long as they were the same color or color derivatives. I love that look.  So I made it my own.

Holla!

And some jerk once told me rugs on carpeted floors were nonsense.

Whatever!

One thing I've learned is to listen my inner 'like'.  It's like a Facebook 'like' only you're too scared to like it on Facebook because it's controversial or something.

I was later assured area rugs on carpet are very much OK.  Area rugs add to the cozy quotient.  And I learned area rugs are supposed to define an . . . wait for it . . .AREA!

More next post.

Meanwhile, here's my big secret:

That's right.  I haven't won the battle.  I still have some unfinished clutter business to attend to.

The saga continues!

A Grown-Up Bedroom

I'm the "Friends" generation.  I loved Monica Gellar's eclectic pad.  That was my look for the longest time.  

Eclectic is just a fancy word for, "I can't commit to a style I like so I'm just putting in a hodge podge of crap I like whether it totally matches or not."

I look back at reruns of "Friends"  now and think, for Monica's character to be so anal about things being clean, that is one junky cluttered looking space.  

My bedroom was no exception.  I did always keep the rule to NEVER have a tv in the bedroom.  Something about the zen or balance or whatever.  

I just think it's tacky.  I don't want to ever end up 'living' in my bedroom.

Otherwise it was a pretty random mess.  Hand-me-down rickety end tables with chipping paint and overstuffed drawers in 1970's boring brown.  Hand-me-down dresser I was gratefully able to hide in the closet.  Hand-me-down bed and mattress that I am too embarrassed to admit the age.

At one point I was going for gold and angels.  Shut up.  It looked so much better in my head.  

It never quite panned out the way I wanted.  The comforter was like some gold thing I found at TJ Maxx.  The sheets didn't match the flat sheet.  The flat sheet didn't match the pillow cases.  The pillow cases didn't match each other.

I had angel paintings, wall decor, knick knacks up here and there.  But no one got it because they were too diminutive compared to the size of the room.  

It was a mess that even Monica Gellar would have frowned at.  

I had an idea to continue the red/black/white theme.  Voila!  (details later):

My Bins Have Bins

Storage solutions.  I think that's got to be the most popular phrase in interior design.  Lord mercy!

I abhor, despise, hate, CLUTTER.  I have yet to win the battle completely.  But I'm getting there.

And places like Ikea, Target and Walmart have some sweet, AFFORDABLE ideas and solutions.  Several years ago, another interior designer friend introduced me to shelving and baskets as a storage solution.  It was and IS one of the most clever solutions I've ever used.

When folks come over, they always comment on the shelving/basket system I have going on.   So I got to thinking of how I could incorporate that same idea with my new condo.  Another interior designer friend introduced me to Uline, http://www.uline.com/.

Then I found out about these cool bins Target carries and grabbed every red one I could find.  I needed more and a high school friend got in touch on Facebook and hooked me up.

Here's how it turned out:

So it was open shelving for the stereo.  The designer suggested closed shelving for the tv area:

I went for black shelving from Ikea.  I was looking for red but I had to be careful.  Too much red can be overwhelming.  Too much black can look too heavy.  I had to balance it just right.

I decided the "heavy" stuff would need to be "breakable" black.  That means the shelving would be black but I could break it up with red and white.

White was very important too.  Solid red, solid black and solid white with no pattern would look way too bland and heavy and manufactured.

Breaking up black or even red would help keep the rooms light and airy.  Think of it like the sky.  Just a bright blue sky is pretty, but it's monotonous.  Once you pop in some fluffy white clouds with varied shapes and texture . . . VOILA!  Beautiful sky.  :-)

Doodle Divas Corporate Office

Better late than never.  I've been busy.  I bought my condo almost two years ago and just last week really got to setting it up the way I like.

So maybe I procrastinated a little bit too.  But I have been super busy for real.  Anyway, some folks wanted to see what I'd done, what I would do, etc.

So here goes:

Number one:  I do not like yard work nor dealing with the outdoors.

Number two: I do not like critters.

Number three:  I do not like to hear people stomping their feet above me when I'm chillaxin' or sleeping.

Therefore, it was imperative I have these three items handled with my abode purchase.  I bought a third floor condo.

No yard work.  No critters from living on the first floor.  And I'm THE top floor.  So no one above me.

I got it brand spanking new.  Like I got to choose if I got fans or not, (I did).  Carpet or wood, (carpet).  Washer?  Dryer?  (Yes.  Yes.)

Then two years later, I decided to actually make it look like a respectable human lived here.  I threw myself a birthday party.  That way I was FORCED to get it looking right for the guests.

It's still a work in progress.  But I'll do a post by post of various features.  All in this one post is a bit much.

But here's one:

Color scheme

I knew red would be my main color preference.  I also knew I wasn't painting any walls.  I don't have that kind of patience or focus.

I did a lot of research and an interior designer buddy came over and helped me get things set up a certain way.  Then lots of reading and paying attention to things I liked that I came across.

There are different types of red.  It took some trial and error but I finally figured out I love Love LOVE BRIGHT cherry red.  Burgundy, blood red, or other off-reds just don't cut it.

Ikea and Target typically have the red I go for.  Ikea is hands down my favorite when it comes to sourcing my favorite red.

Once I decided on red, I already knew black and white would be the accent colors.  And since Doodle Divas was all about black and white with a splash of red, the color scheme was perfection.