S+S E-design: A Sunny Disposition

So, our most recent E-design client is the most lovely newlywed. She and her hubby have a gorgeous home but wanted a little assistance on what direction to take in their living room. Their space is large, dramatic and absolutely gorgeous. After a consultation and looking through images of both her home and her favorite spaces, we new exactly what direction to take in the room! We knew color, we knew pattern, we knew major impact. 

Let's start with the furniture. Currently, they have a sectional that just does not fit the space properly, so they were looking to sell it and get some new furniture. They wanted to have lots of seating for guests but also keep the costs somewhat low. Our solution? An ikea couch and chaise lounge! The chaise lounge fits a large window area to a tee. And who doesn't love a chaise lounge?! Also, for seating, we suggested two rattan chairs (not seen here), also Ikea, covered with sheepskin throws, also Ikea, to zhush the area up and also create more economical seating. Luckily for us, our darling client is up for DIY's. We have been scouring Craig's list in her area for a credenza and side tables to paint. We are thinking yellow...Repainting existing furniture obviously saves a ton of money and you are left with a unique piece that no one else has! 

On to the wall accessories. So again, we are lucky, because our client already has some fabulous pieces. We decided to create major drama in the room, we are going to do a mirrored gallery wall. She already had some amazingly unique mirrors that were just waiting to be shown off. We cannot wait to see the end result with all of the mirrors together! Another special request from our client, as they are newlyweds, they wanted to showcase some of their to die for wedding photography. We love the look in the mirrored frames. Gorgeous pictures with coordinating colors to the space. 

For the accessories, on the fireplace we love the addition of the turquoise candlesticks, the personalized initial and we are even thinking a large painted canvas for a little pop of art. She also has some amazing graphic prints that we are dying to layer in. As far as the pillows go we went ultra graphic! With the walls being a light creamy grey, we wanted to pull in major pattern and we think we achieved that. Topped off with a gorgeous pop of yellow lamp and some low key graphic drapery. 

We. are. in. love. We hope they are too (well we know they are with each other, but with our design as well!). We cannot wait to see the finished product! 

monday musings: beachy chic

Good morning loves! We hope you all had an enjoyable weekend! I (Stella and Billie's mom) just returned from a weekend in the Outerbanks, so OBVIOUSLY, I have beachy chic decor on the brain. I saw the most beautiful beach front homes equipped with shingled facades and brightly colored adirondack chairs. OBSESSED. I am thinking I now need a beach home. Stat. One that includes organic elements such as shells and driftwood, calming creamy colors and soft textures. I love the relaxed and laid back feel the beach brings, so we are bringing that to you this Monday morning!

We have compiled some beachy chic inspired images for you all to comb through this morning. Warning: These images might spark a sense of depression while viewing. It might bring a sense of unhappiness for sitting at the office rather than the beach. I know that is a weird side effect, right? I mean who would rather be at the beach than the office?! So strange. I know I am once again longing for the beach...

{traditional home}

{decor pad}

{pinterest}

{pinterest}

{traditional home}

{country living}

{interiorly}

{coastal living}

S+S chow: stuffed jalapeno grilled cheese

    A few weeks ago we ran across this jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwich on Pinterest. Can you say YUM?! Oh, Pinterest, how we love thee. Well, that little sandwich got our wheels turning and we decided to transform our all time fave stuffed jalapenos into a sandwich. Insert stuffed jalapeno grilled cheese sandwich {creative name, we know}. This sandwich exceeded all our expectations so we figured we should share it with you! 

      Stuffed Jalapeno Grilled Cheese *makes 4 sandwiches
 Ingredients:

      1/2 lb bulk pork sausage {for more of a kick, use spicy}

 1/2 package {4 ounces} cream cheese, softened

      1/2 cup {2 ounces} shredded Parmesan cheese

      6 large jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

      Butter {softened}

      8 slices sourdough bread

   Directions:

Place jalapenos skin side up on a baking sheet and broil for 8-10 mins {until skin is brown and bubbling up}. Set aside to cool.
In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain thoroughly.

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese; fold in sausage.
Remove skin from jalapenos.
Assemble Sandwiches and grill on either side until golden brown.
Best served with sweet potato fries *here is the recipe we follow!


Happy Friday S+S loves! Hope you enjoy!

Tales of a Painted Credenza

As we mentioned before, we got BUSY a few weekends ago. Seriously. It was a hurricane of DIY projects being dominated. We had the rug upholstered ottoman, the reupholstered chair, we even threw some mermaid nails...you have to be looking fresh while doing all of these projects! Doi! But our last finished DIY project was...(drumroll please!)...the credenza! This credenza was an amazing Craigs List find for under $50. Lindsay (Sadie's mom) knew it had great bones and knew it was just what her space needed. Painted that is...

Here is the fabulous after picture: 

Here is a humble before picture:

Birdie, birdie, birdie.

This was honestly a surprisingly quick project. With a little sanding down and a couple coats of paint...we were good to go. But wait there is more! (I sound like an infomercial). We definitely got some sandpaper out at the end to add a little distressing. But all in all, this is an investment of a few hours of your time. THAT IS ALL! If you have a piece of furniture that is in need of a paint job, try your hand at it.  You might surprise yourselves. 

Favorite Room Feature: Flutter Flutter

We first found Rosa after we came across her TO DIE FOR juju hat diy. As you all know, we love us some juju hats. Rosa is unique and creative and we love her fabulous diy projects. Her washroom makeover was no exception to the rule! We know you will love it too. Take it away Rosa!

Hi there! I'm Rosa, and I'm visiting from over at my blog, Flutter Flutter. I'm so excited to be sharing with you how we transformed our main floor bathroom! Thanks for having me Lindsay & Lindsay!!

I used to be embarrassed to show guests where the bathroom was, with it's aged, utilitarian feel. But, after a year of hunting for the perfect console table on Craigslist I found this! Our "new" vanity! A friend said that it looked like something her grandma would own... and I agreed. But, I had a plan... ; )


When we originally viewed the home our bathroom looked like this:

Thankfully, it now looks like this:

The toilet area looked like this:

But, with a little grey paint and some artwork, it now looks like this:

I am happy to say that I no longer cringe when someone asks to use the washroom!

diy: the upholstered chair big reveal

Months ago Lindsay, Sadie's mom, purchased a chair with NO idea about what to do with it. Shortly after purchasing, she ran across some beautiful fabric for $4 a yard!! Helllllloooo diy reupholstery project! Not going to lie folks, we were scared about tackling this project at first. When we found this how-to from the Creative Maven, we knew it was go time! 

We did the actual reupholstering in a two day period, about 12 hours total. Now, 12 hours included a whole lot of talking, laughing and reminding each other to get the fabric tight like a tiger. It was not 12 hours of straight work. Do not be fooled. However, the stripping of the chair was seriously the combination of Insanity, Jillian Michael's and Billy Blanks workout all in one. Wow. 

The chair cushion took a bit longer. We had some sewing machine malfunctions, ie the damn thing kept jamming up every 5 seconds.  We were half way finished sewing when we decided to see if our local upholsterer would finish the job for us. Sure enough, he was willing. One day and 35 buckaroos later, the chair was complete! 

Here is the chair in it's humble beginnings, price tag and all {classy}, right after it was delivered to it's new home.

                 

And here it is now, in all it's glory. Be still, my heart. A lot of love went into this chair ladies and gentlemen. We are like proud parents admiring our hard work.

Lets just do a side by side comparison.

Ah, much better. Can you even tell it's the same chair?! We can't and it makes us sooo happy!! 

Now for some detail shots.

We were lucky and snagged this chair and fabric for an extremely low price. This kept the cost waaayy down. We re-used the original cushion insert and zipper, again saving some more moolah. 

Cost Breakdown:

Chair $12

Fabric {5.5 yards} $ 25

Upholstery tacks, cording + other odds and ends  $15

Cushion completion $35

Grand Total: $ 87


A new spot to lay Sadie's head? Priceless. That's right folks. This got turned into a Master Card commercial. 

Sadie even gives her stamp of approval! If you've got an old chair lying around that needs some love, do not be afraid! If we can do it, you certainly can too!

monday musings: monochromatic spaces

The title of this post should truly be ROYGBV. Actually, we would have to add a few more letters to that acronym since we are making up our own color wheel here. This is the S+S color wheel RPOYGBVWG. Picking one hue and continuing that shade through the entire scheme of the room creates huge impact. We love the use of monochromatic spaces and the huge drama they bring to a room. By layering varying shades of a particular hue and throwing in texture, it gives a space huge dimension. Here are our favorite spaces following the RPOYGBVWG color wheel.  

First up, red. Some are scared of the color red in a room...but we think these rooms got it right. They look super chic in their own ways. 

{kc interiors}

{anne sage}

Amazingly enough, a room with all shades of pink is not screaming little girls room to us! Loving the mixture of fabrics, textures and shades of the color. The room looks sophisticated and definitely packs a wow factor. 

{stories of a to z}

As you all know...we adore anything orange/coral. These rooms are NO exception to the rule. Both of these spaces used creamy neutral shades as the backdrop for the rooms and then just accented with fun, bright accessories. Would you get a look at that roman shades? The velvet orange headboard? The orange mirror? The orange sink? We cannot get enough. 

{decor pad}

{the zhush}

Okay. Ooookkkkaay. Where to even start on this room. That headboard is absolutely to die for. This space is so incredibly beachy and cozy. The matching yellow ikat benches are the perfect accessory to the end of a plush white bed. Not to mention the adorbs yellow framed bird paintings. 

{pinterest}

Fabulous yellow trellis wallpaper? Check. Fabulous yellow dining accessories? Check. Fabulous sheepskin chair throws? Check. Seriously, how glam is this space? We absolutely love those sheepskin throws on the chair. Definitely saw those at Ikea for about $20 a couple of weekends ago. Kicking myself for not picking one up!

{decor pad}

Such an elegant and regal space! This is the true definition of layering shades of a certain hue. They based the room with a turquoisey-green shade, dressed the windows in green velvet drapes, and added pops of green all over the room. They got monochromatic right.  

{decor pad}

A throwback. For those of you that have been reading S+S for sometime now, may recognize this image. We have featured it before but couldn't think of a better image to feature for blue on blue space. Totally gorg and luxe. 

{s+s}

This space has more character in one inch of the room than most homes in their entirety! It is so whimsical and fun. Amazingly enough, there are so many fun prints in the one area that one might risk it looking a little childish or silly. SO not the case here. This space is totally elegant. 

{belle maison}

Gorgy, luxe lilac closet. What girl wouldn't die for this closet?!?! Not these girls. That quatrefoil chair, is OVER. THE TOP. We can't even start talking about the wallpapered ceiling. Don't get us started. 

{pinterest}

Stark white, done right. Insanely bright, yet relaxing space. We are loving the soft textures the incorporated with the ottoman and the rug. Loving the sheepskin! 

{decor pad}

This room is so on point with monochromatic that it appears to be a black and white photo. No joke. This is a seriously awesome space. The layered gallery wall is completely to die for. We could see this as an amazing guest room or even a boys space. Love. 

{the nester}

and the winner of the Material Therapy giveaway is...

The winner of the fabulous friendship bracelet from Material Therapy is...Allison! Allison said:

Allison said...

SO beautiful! I'm a follower (of course) and LOVE the Wintermint. So fabulous!

July 1, 2011 11:06 AM 

Congratulations Allison! We are WAY jealous of your big win! Thanks to all of you for entering. 

S+S chow: blackberry mascarpone tarts

So it's summer, obvi, and we have been frequenting the farmer's market like woah. I mean produce out the wazzoo. Lindsay's (Sadie's mom) freezer is filled to the brim with blackberries and we are not exaggerating. When we were thinking of recipes for the week we were thinking of something dessert like but with some fresh fruit. Aha! Blackberries. We have a lot of those. How about a blackberry mascarpone tart you say? Well we have got that for you my dears! This is absolutely incredible. DO. NOT. MISS. OUT. 

La Tartine Gourmade

You need: (For 4 tartlets)


For the Amaranth Crust*:

•    1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

•    1/3 cup amaranth flour

•    7 Tbsp butter

•    2 Tbsp fine cane sugar

•    Pinch of salt

•    1 egg yolk

•    3 Tbsp water, cold

*You will have enough dough for 6 tartlets

For the Toppings:

•    9 oz mascarpone

•    1/2 cup (minus 1 Tbsp) heavy cream, cold

•    1.5 oz confectioner’s sugar

•    1 vanilla bean, seeds removed

•    14 oz black berries

For the Light Syrup:

•    2 Tbsp water

•    1.5 oz cane sugar

Steps:

•    To make the crust, place the flours, sugar, salt in the bowl of a food processor.

•    Add the diced butter and egg yolk. Mix into coarse crumbles using the pulse mode.

•    Add the cold water and mix until the dough detaches from the bowl. Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for a hour before using.

•    After this time, roll your dough and place in small buttered molds (or a large one).

•    Make small holes at the bottom and place covered in the fridge again, for 30 min.

•    In the meantime, prepare your blackberries. In a pot, dissolve 1.5 oz sugar with 2 Tbsp water, then add 7 oz g blackberries. Simmer for 3 min then stop the heat and let the blackberries cool down in the syrup.

•    Preheat your oven at 350 F.

•    Take the tarts out of the fridge and precook for 15 to 20 min (with paper and weight).

•    Remove the weight and paper and continue to cook for 10 to 15 min (depending on mold size and dough thickness).

•    Unmold and let cool on rack.

•    For the tart toppings, prepare the mascarpone cream. Beat the mascarpone with the confectioner’s sugar until you have a smooth cream.

•    Add the vanilla seeds.

•    Whip the cold cream and fold it in gently.

•    Pipe the cream on top of the dough.

Top with blackberries in syrup and some fresh ones — add some syrup. Serve immediately.


Don't forget to enter into the Material Therapy which ends tonight! We will be announcing the winner tomorrow! Good luck!

Material Therapy Bracelet Giveaway Reminder!!

Don't miss your chance to win this beauty!!! Enter here. now. The winner will be announced tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow. You're only a day away!!!! 

mermaid nails

Oh, why hello! Let us introduce you to mermaid nails... we are quite sure you'll be as smitten with them as we are!

It was love at first sight for us when mermaid nails hit the scene on Cupcakes and Cashmere a few weeks ago. Bright colors? Glitter? Um, yes please! We had to try it for ourselves asap and we were not disappointed in the least! We keep finding ourselves, and others, staring at our fanciful fingertips! It is really SUPER simple to do. Here is what ya need:

We went with Essie's Turquoise and Caicos but OPI's Bubble Bath and My Chihuahua Bites were close runners up! We were pumped to use our 24 pack of Martha glitter- the polish/glitter combos are. endless.  but we decided on the aquamarine glitter to get a similar look as Cupcakes and Cashmere. 

All you have to do is paint two coats of your polish of choice, add your clear coat to the tip of your ring finger and sprinkle with glitter. Ta-da! Mermaid nails. 

Favorite Room Feature: Danielle Oakey

We loved Danielle's home since the moment we laid eyes on it! Like us, Danielle is determined to get the look for less in her home. Her style is creative, resourceful and unique. Take a look into Danielle's favorite space...her living room! Take it away Danielle!

Hi, I am Danielle from Danielle Oakey Interiors.

I am excited to show you around one of my favorite rooms in my home, my living room.

Since purchasing our condo 2 years ago, I have made lots of changes. Being a medical students wife and a stay-at-home mom, my budget is always small.

Luckily, DIY projects and thrift store finds helped make my design for this room a reality.

Since I have only one window in my living, dining, entry, and kitchen area, I wanted to keep everything light and airy.

I painted the walls a Seafoam Blue from Restoration Hardware and I  made the chevron drapery from this inexpensive fabric.

One of my favorite DIY projects in the room was the side chair.

I purchased it at my local thrift store for $15.00

I then re-upholsered it using fabric I purchased at a discount fabric store.

The whole project cost $42.50, not bad!

You can see the full tutorial here.

I found my light fixture on craigslist for $50.00. 

I love it when I find a good deal!

I splurged on the yellow credenza from Ikea.

I think it makes a big statement and was SO worth the money!

I am still not finished, I have plans for a new DIY coffee table in the near future :)

Thanks so much for having me!

xoxo,

Danielle