Be Brave, Not Beige

The design trend these days is all about beige, and frankly, I hate it. It seams like everything has to be the same old neutral-neutral and it just looks boring. I've noticed that everyone has the same micro fiber, cafe-au-lait colored sofa (and I bet they bought it at the Brick or Leons) with chocolate brown painted walls, and a faux leather ottoman/coffee table. I think we all need some inspiration fast because in 10 years that look is going to be SO OUT DATED! Believe it or not, it is possible to use color and still have a calm and neutral-ish looking home.
Design Inc

HGTV.ca Coastal Living

All You

Just a Touch of Love

I love houses that have a personal touch, instead of the "I just bought the living room display" look. A house should say "look who I am" NOT "look what I have." One of my hobbies is quilting. I know it sounds old fashioned especially coming from a 26 year old, but it's addictive and I love the look of quilts. I was pretty intimidated at first, but then I discovered something amazing. The fabric companies are coming out with something called pre-cuts and it's exactly what it sounds like. You can buy an entire collection of coordinating fabrics that have been pre-cut into squares, strips, or triangles of various sizes. It makes putting together a quilt way faster and easier. Visit http://missouriquiltco.com to see some great fabric. I also found some great tutorials on YouTube tha taught me everything I needed to know.

Here's a few pictures of my quilts. I think they add so much warmth, texture, and color to my home!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Save Money Painting

The second I walked through my new house I knew painting was a MUST! I wasn't a fan of the muddy brown walls in the living room, the golden color in the kitchen, or the sponge painted gold-green-red in the bathroom (gasp!). I facebooked my friend Jason, who's a professional painter to ask his advice. He said that Benjamin Moore paint is the only stuff he'll use. He said that the cheaper stuff is absolute crapola. He said that the cheaper stuff is harder to work with and you'll end up needing more coats and therefore buy more gallons and spend more time. Plus, it isn't durable at all and if you wipe it down, there's a good chance you'll also be wiping off the paint. I know this to be true because the previous owners used cheap paint. I was cleaning the wall and a bunch of paint came off on my cloth and now my wall looks like crap.

Now here's the dilemma. Benjamin Moore paint (and other high end stuff) is really expensive. It can be around $50-$75 a gallon. So what can you do? The answer is NOT buying cheaper stuff.

Here's a few tricks to getting your paint for less.
1. Do you know a painter? Ask them if they get a discount anywhere and if you can take advantage of it. That's what we did when bought the paint for the living room.
2. Visit the dump! Yes you heard me correctly! In the spring time, the hazardous waste section of the dump has gallons and gallons of unused paint. My Mom painted our entire house with free paint from the dump. I'm totally serious! She got designer paint for free and in really nice colors too!
3. Check out the mis-tints at the paint shop. Benjamin Moore has a big section at less than half price. You might not always find the color you want right away, but keep on checking. You'll probably find something sooner than later, and they can always add a shot of more color if it's not quite what you wanted.

We're going to the paint shop soon to get something for my daughter's room. I'm thinking a light purple, but a sophisticated shade, not a lucky charm marshmallow shade. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll have some in the mis-tint section.

Happy Painting!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

How CUTE is This?!

As mentioned before, I LOVE Sarah Richardson from HGTV Design Inc, Sarah's House, and Sarah's Cottage. Well, a few years ago she decorated a nursery for triplets and it was so freakin adorable! My favorite thing in the room was a DIY mini wall mural. She ordered the alphabet in vinyl wall stickers (custom orders available through etsy.com) and used them to make a tree. She then bought sample pots of paint - which by the way is a GREAT idea if you're planning on doing some decorative painting - and painted cute leaves. My description isn't very good - just check out the picture! I seriously love it!If I have another baby, I'm going to make something like this for the nursery. I love how she coordinated it with the other colors in the room. I think I might have a girl crush on Sarah haa haa.

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

Guess What's Happening This Friday?!

I'm so excited to let you all know about Ikea's Midnight Madness this Friday! It starts at 6 pm and goes until, midnight (obviously). All summer furniture and accessories are half price!!! I think I'm going pick up a cute outdoor bench and some chairs, and the cushions to match.

Last time I went to Midnight Madness it really was MADNESS!! They were slashing prices all night. I remember walking past an oven and it was on sale for 50% off. 10 minutes later I walked by and it was 70% off!! I also got a slipcover for my Ektorp sofa and it was the best deal of the century, haa haa it was amazing! They normally sell the slipcover for $230 and I got it for..... drum roll please...... $1!!! Yes that's right $1.00! How amazing is that?!

I'm hoping that this time around I see more and more amazing deals because who doesn't love an amazing deal?

Here's a picture of my sofa slipcover (and my baby bunny)

Let me know if you go and what you picked up!

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

What's that SMELL?

Whenever I walk into someone's house, the first thing I notice, before the wall paper, before the hardwood floors, before the antique dinning set, is the smell of the home. It can either be "ahhh, what's that lovely smell" or (holding my breath and trying not to gag) "oh, do you have a dog?" Remember my post a few months back about keeping your house clean? Remember when I said that even if you have the most expensive furniture it won't matter if there's crap lying around all over the place? Well the same thing goes with odor in the home. You can have a picture perfect home, but if it smells like a barn, nobody will want to hang around, AND they'll think your home is dirty, because really, what is that smell?!

The Solution?
No, it's NOT air fresheners. Air fresheners, might smell good, but they are full of toxic chemicals that you absolutely DO NOT want in your home. Besides, they're just going to mask the odor temporarily any how.

1. The BEST way possible to purify the air in your home is by ozone treatments. When oxygen is charged with electricity it becomes O₃. This elemental form of oxygen is called ozone. In nature, ozone is created by either the sun's ultra-violet rays or by the electrical charge resulting from lightning. The fresh clean smell in the air after a thunder storm is the effect of ozone cleaning the surrounding atmosphere. The advanced Ozone generating equipment mimics this natural process, converting ordinary air into Ozone (O₃). The electrified oxygen treatment will eradicate smoke, pet, strong cooking and other unwanted odors. In addition, the treatment will kill mold, mildew, and the bacteria that make your family sick. Best thing is that ozone won't harm you, or the environment! Trust me, this works 100%! We had our car treated after our daughter threw up and the smell was gone after just 25 minutes. For more information click here.

2. You can also open up your windows on a daily basis to air our any smells lurking in your home.

3. Also, use a beeswax candle (beeswax will burn clean) add a couple drops of pure essential oil to the melted wax and you'll have a pleasant scent to in home.

4. A bouquet of fresh flowers will not only make a room smell lovely, but it also adds a welcoming, pretty touch to any room.

You don't want people judging your house because of a strong odor, the second they walk through the door. A beautiful house, smells beautiful.

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth

If THIS Doesn't Inspire You, Nothing Will!

I can't believe I haven't mentioned this before today. Like this has been an obsession of mine for the last 4 years at least. There's a designer out there that I absolutely LOVE and would hire in an instant if I could afford her. I just spent the last two days watching her online videos on HGTV.ca and I am totally, TOTALLY inspired. I have to say that lately I've been loving her work even more because her last two projects were an AMAZING cottage, and a BEAUTIFUL farm house. I seriously love antiques and country looking designs, so her newest projects make me want to run out to an antique market and buy cute, unique, and rustic pieces for my entire house. She also uses color, patterns, and fabrics in the smartest ways possible. I mean, really, everything she does makes me say "wow!" Alright, so I could go on and on (really, just ask my husband) but instead, I'll just give you the link to her videos. Although her budget for decorating rooms is WAY higher than I could ever afford, there is always something that can be learned from all her projects. So, set aside some quiet time and prepare yourself for the ultimate in home decorating!

Meet Sarah Richardson! www.HGTV.ca/video/ and click on Sarah Richardson!

Let me know what you think!

- Elisabeth