Fave Finds: Home {and} Decor Apps

I have recently stumbled on to some great apps for the home that I am a wee bit obsessed with, so I thought I'd share them with you in case you are looking for more things in your day to suck up your time. Oh and by the way, all of these have full websites as well. So go check 'em out and learn new things!

BRIT + CO is a great inspiration and tutorial site that encompasses all things domestic. Brit and her team post on everything from decor to recipes to fashion to health to style and even technology. If that's not enough she sells BRIT KITS where you receive a month of DIY projects filled with materials, instructions and surprise goodies.

Here are a few examples of what you will find on BRIT + CO:

Like I said before you can check out the site on your computer or as an app on your phone or tablet. Be forewarned it can lead you down the rabbit hole pretty quickly. I have no idea where some of these entrepreneurial ladies find the time to pump out all of this great info, but I'm glad they do.

Gadget Flow is a site run by three people who scour the interwebs and report back on the coolest gadgets they can find out there. I got seriously lost on here a few days back. It was too fun and now I have a new bookmark folder filled with future purchases waiting to happen. FYI, a good number of the items on the site are super geeky but that's why I love them. I think its a great place to find unique gifts that bring out the inner-geek in all of us.

Bright Nest is a kind of to-do list helper for your home. You know all the things your are supposed to keep maintaining in your home but you never really do. Well Bright Nest helps you keep track of those things and lots of stuff you've never thought about. They have articles about maintaing your house and give you the how-to's along the way. They break it down by how long it will take you to do it and how difficult the task might be. You can favorite the article to come back to later when you have time or you can be more diligent and put it in your Bright Nest calendar with reminders and all. 

I Love My Job: Inspiring New Works from the Kitchn

One of the best things about my job writing and photographing for Apartment Therapy/the Kitchn is getting to work with so many creative and inspiring people from around the country.

This is a big month for two of the Kitchn Editors and I'm so excited to share it with you. First we have Executive Editor, Faith Durand's book 'Bakeless Sweets' that is hot off the press this week. It's filled with recipes for delectable no-bake treats from puddings to panna cotta to icebox cakes. For a sample of one of her fabulous recipes check out this No-Bake Lemon Cream Icebox Cake.

Next comes Recipe Editor, Emma Christensen's book 'True Brews: How To Craft Fermented Cider, Beer, Wine, Sake, Soda, Mead, Kefir and Kombucha at Home' that is ready to hit the market on May 14th. Need I say more?

Two incredible books by two talented ladies on desserts and drinks. These are my absolute two favorite subjects to ingest. I can't wait to try lots of these out this spring; I think a party will have to ensue.

Oh...and if that isn't enough Sara-Kate Gillingham and Faith Durand are in the process of putting together the first Kitchn Cookbook chock full of 150-recipes, many of them new, to be released fall of 2014. 

Before {and} After: a Basement Bathroom Reveal

When we first looked at the house and I saw the bathroom in the basement it icked me out so bad that I never stepped foot in it again for the next 6 months. This bathroom renovation was one of those massive diy projects that was always in the back of my mind, but I was just dreading it. Then the time had finally had come when Matt's company shipped Halo 4, that they had been furiously working on for years, and he was gonna get some time off. I figured that would be a good time to begin this nightmare. And so began the bathroom renovation. 

My dream for this bathroom was for it to be modern, serene and spa-like. To achieve this feel I went with clean lines, and a minimal palette with natural elements. Preserving as much space as possible was also a major concern since it's such a small space.  Since we ended up having to tear the walls down near the ancient and filthy cast-iron tub we decided to replace it with a new modern one instead; we knew that it would be our only chance to do it before the walls were tiled back up for years to come. So even though it wasn't planned for, it ended up being the best decision we have made.  

This project began with modest intentions, like most projects do, and then quickly turned into a whirlwind of stumbling blocks. We ended up having to completely rip down the walls of the bathroom. For all the frightening details stay tuned for the 'bathroom-in progress' post shortly to see what it took to get us from Point Nast to Point Pleasure.

Now Matt had never built a room before, nevermind a bathroom, so with google at his fingertips he persevered through and did a great job. Then I was ready to begin tiling. This was my second go at tiling, and the subway tile in the kitchen was a breeze compared to this. I had my heart set on hex tiles on the tub walls which is very untraditional. You always see them on bathroom floors for a retro look. I love the shape but didn't want the retro vibe and having them vertical created a modern pattern. Well, as I quickly found out there is a reason they don't go on the walls, when the mesh gets wet the tiles start falling off. But I was determined and worked all night to make it happen. There were many points of the process that looked like a three stooges episode, but I eventually conquered those hexes.
 
Luckily the floor tiling was a cinch. We then moved on to some other projects like patching up an inset vanity, building the counter and installing the sink (all how-to's to come).

In conclusion, although this project took much longer than expected and was a major headache, I can't tell you how happy I am that we pushed through. Now it is one of my favorite places in the house. All the stress that went into that room just melts away when I light my candles, prep my bath with salts and lavender, and sink into my new tub. I wouldn't change it for the world.

May 2013 Pantone Calendar: Palettes and Patterns (free)

In celebration of Pantone's 2013 Color Of The Year, I'm designing a free monthly downloadable calendar that showcases the lively and radiant Emerald Green.

April showers bring... Well we all know the saying and it never seems to fail us. It is this month that spring starts to fully awaken and become vibrant all around. Flowers are well on their way to becoming their best selves and gardens are beginning to come to life. There's really nothing like it. It could be chilly, rainy or grey but if I pass a fully blossomed pink cherry tree on a walk or a porch filled with colorful hanging baskets it just makes everything in my head stop and puts a big smile in my mind. Flowers are my eye candy, a love I have developed from my mom and grandma, and I really can never get enough. So in honor of all the newly blossomed flowers all around I am dedicating this months Pantone Calendar to pure sugary sweet eye candy.

Each 4x6 calendar card features a different Emerald Green color palette and pattern in hopes that it'll inspire you to find ways to incorporate it into your lives. Be it through paint, decor, pillows, accessories, or clothing a little vibrant green can't do you wrong.

All you need to do to get your free calendar is download the May Card Here, print it on a thick piece of card stock, and cut it out. You can put it on your fridge, pin it to cork board, or stand it up on your desk with a memo clip or small easel.

Stay Tuned for the upcoming month's calendar on the last week of each month.   

May Palette: Eye Candy

Illustration: alysha findley

Lighting 101: tips for a perfectly lit home

Lighting is one of the most important elements in a home and can often be overlooked. It's one of the first things I notice in any space I enter, and if it's way off it can completely change the outcome of my experience. It really is an easy and dramatic thing to alter with minimal effort.

All lighting is not created equal in every situation and should be addressed on an individual basis. When your lighting is beautifully balanced it can completely transform your space and mood. 

So let's talk lights: There are a few different kinds that you should keep in mind that are used for different situations.

  • Direct or Task: this type of light is focused on the space you are working in.
  • Ambient or Indirect: this is used for ambience and overall lighting of a space.
  • Overhead, Recessed or Track Lighting: think of the feeling of a conference room where you can get 'lighting fatigue' because it is so bright and shadowless. There is nowhere to focus and no place for your eyes to rest.

    I am really not a fan of this type of light in a home. It may create a bright and evenly lit space, but that isn't really the type of scenario you need to achieve in a home. It ends up washing everything out and creating a very bland diffused environment that can be very unflattering. It personally makes me edgy and gives me a headache.
  • Mood Lighting: Changes with the room and events that take place in it. Having individual lamps that light up specific areas and create different moods for different occasions can create a number of rooms in one.

Color Temperature: Understanding the basics of color temperature is a really important step for balancing the right ambience in your home. Color temperature is measured in Kelvin Degree's. To make it simple just try to remember two numbers, and everything else falls in between.

  1. 5500K: This is bright white light. It is the measurement of sunny daylight at noon and also the flash in photography. This light falls on the cold side (bluish) and isn't really flattering in the home. Think of the light of a CFL when they first came out or even florescent office overheads.
  2. 3200K: This is a warmer (orange) more pleasing light. It is the color of sunrise and sunset. This is more of what you would see with older more traditional light bulbs.

Tips:

  1. Use a range of lighting in varied heights and locations.
  2. Use different brightness levels in different parts of the room.
  3. Dimmers: If you have overhead lighting as your main lighting source, consider putting in dimmers. They will dramatically affect your ambience in a variety of ways.


Questions to ask yourself:
What is your goal for lighting this room? Is it for a specific task, for reading in a corner, to relax, to work?  Your lighting should set the right mood as well as serve the correct function.

Framing Frames: a Twist on the Gallery Wall

Gallery walls are something I often despise in a gallery but love in a home if done right. There are a few ways to go about it: you can make it modern and minimal with the same color frames and even spacing, or go for a more bohemian look with a mismatching of frames, images and spacing. I think the choice really depends on your style and decor. I went the latter route to add a little warmth to a room that leans toward minimal and modern.

So, why did I frame frames? Good question; here's the back story. I used to be a framer. When I was in grad school in Santa Barbara I framed for an art gallery and we built our own frames. That means we bought the frame in length and cut and joined them in the studio. When we would clean out the left over scraps I would make odd sized frames for myself out of the beautiful and often costly moldings.

Well, I had been carrying these frames around with us from place to place for the past thirteen years. Matt always made fun of me for it and wanted me to get rid of them, but I just couldn't bear to part with them. Being a framer I knew how much those frames cost. I would slowly frame things one by one with them throughout the years but a stack still remained.

So maybe about two months ago I was looking at this big blank wall I’d bought a large painting for that just didn't work. I thought about my frames and said, "huh, I'm gonna try this". I half did it just to make Matt laugh and half because I was in a get rid of everything mode and it was gonna be their last chance. I started composing my frames within each other and then adding some framed images in between. When I was finished I stepped back and thought, "see that's why I've been lugging you guys along all these years". So with that the new frames within frames gallery wall was born.

Get The Look:
If you like this look but don't have a stack of art frames that you have been hoarding like me have no fear just take a trip to your local thrift shops and grab a few catch your eye. There is always mirrors and odd thrift store art that you can take out easily to salvage the frame on the cheap. You may also go to frame stores and see if they have sale bins with fancy frames that were cut the wrong size.

Dip-Dyed Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

Ok all I'm back! It's been an insane two months but we did it. We somehow pulled it off and finished the inside of the house. It feels so good I can not even tell you. Is it all 100% perfect and will never be touched again? No, but it is in a great place where everything else can come slowly and with leisure. After working furiously for ten months straight we are ready to come out of hiding and enter the world again!

So after all that hard work (that you will see soon) what better way to make my return than to get down and dirty with a little home decor inspired sugary delight. Dip-dyed furniture and objects have taken the world by storm over the last few years and I say that it's due time they share the spotlight. So go get a drool bib and say hello to dip-dyed chocolate marshmallows! 

I made these cute little suckers for my baby welcoming festivities last weekend as a thank you to all my wonderful guests. They were so easy and fun to make and even better to look at that I pretty much couldn't stop staring at them. I may just have to make some on a regular basis to hand out to strangers just so I can see them again.

What You Will Need:

  • Jumbo Marshmallows
  • Small Bowls
  • Food Coloring Dye
  • Wax Paper
  • Chocolate
  • Food Sticks
  • Clear Food Bags or Ziplocks (without the lock)
  • Bag Ties and/or Ribbon

How To:

  1. Set out some wax paper.
  2. Fill a few small bowls halfway with water.
  3. Add a generous amount of dye to your water. Test the color out on a marshmallow and if you want it darker just add more.
  4. Dip your marshmallow in the dye (I did mine diagonally). Leave it in for a few seconds and keep steady to get a nice crisp dye line. (try dipping them with different patterns or letting them dry and putting a second color).
  5. Carefully place the dyed top facing down on the wax paper to avoid drip marks. Since you will be covering that part in chocolate it's if it gets a little messed up.
  6. Let the dye dry and then flip them over onto a clean piece of wax paper to let the bottoms dry.
  7. Now you can begin melting your chocolate. I used dark chocolate Ghirardelli chips and melted it in a saucer on the stove on a low temp. 
  8. Dip the top quarter of the marshmallow (the part with the messed up dye) into the chocolate. Now don't be stingy here, put it on nice and thick.
  9. Carefully place them back down on the wax paper trying not to make a mess with the chocolate.
  10. Allow the chocolate to dry and harden. I waited till the morning.
  11. Then carefully twist the sticks into the bottom of you pops without making marks on the dye or chocolate. (I was careful to only hold the white part of the marshmallow with two fingers and gently twist the stick in slowly).
  12. To finish up simply wrap them in a plastic food bag, tie them with a ribbon and wait for the big-eyes and smiles to come. It's the best thing to make everyone feel like a kid again.