Art That Sticks

If you want to add some oomph to your painted walls and wallpaper isn't an option, have you considered vinyl art/decals?

I have used them now enough times to know that they are a really nice option for some of my clients because they are not only easy to customize (not just the size but color and direction too), they are easy to install and best of all well priced.

Dezign with a Z has some great decorative decalz! Here are just a few of my favs...

Cherry Blossoms

Ring Circles (set of 16)

3 Deers (Isn't this great? Wonder what my Texas friends would say about this?)

Baroque Headboard (No banging your head on this headboard)

USA Map Chalkboard

As much as I love a professionally designed kids room, I think it's cool when parents understand it's the kids room and they should be able to decorate their room their way. How many times have you heard Interior Designers interviewed as adults and they say that they knew they wanted to be designers when they were a kid and wanted to constantly move the furniture around in their own rooms?

So a safe recommendation to clients who want to unleash their kids creativity in their rooms, is vinyl art/decals.

Some of my most memorable times have been working with my clients kids in helping them choose their theme, art choices and color for their rooms with these decals. The kids LOVE it and I think the parents do too!

They are so easy to hang that most of the times the kids end up placing them where they want and actually hang them all by themselves, better them than me, ha! (By the way, I took the 2 following with my camera phone so not the best resolution).

Say it with words....I like going to Vinyl Attractions when I want a poem, quote or personal message on a wall, their options are ENDLESS for that.

A etched glass look, easy and quick transformation

How sweet is this?

This client wanted a certain saying done and we added it to her breakfast room, she gets compliments on it ALL the time, and that was about 4 years ago.

Have you ever used vinyl art/decals before? If not, what is the hold up?

Jewelry Box Bathroom

I had a very dainty and pretty client who wanted to update her master bathroom without changing the footprint. I say that so you all know that in a perfect world I would've knocked down some walls to enlarge this space but sometimes I don't win those battles. ;)

Money wasn't an issue necessarily, mess was so I came up with what I thought was a great solution....Make this room as pretty and shiny as possible so everywhere you look it's beautiful!

Here is what I had to work with...The "afters" just don't seem as special without seeing the "befores" first....

We had to first lose those dated fur-downs and fluorescent lighting.
The angles in this bathroom are crazy, as you can see.
Yes those were Pergo floors which she DID love. She also was lacking a lot of storage in this bathroom.
Oh this shower was sooo dark....

And now the "jewelry box"...

We claimed the corner of her countertop and did a built in with of course a mirror to blend in with the rest of the bathroom. It's not a lot of storage, but as women know a little is better than nothing.

The countertops are marble and I found the cutest crystal cabinet knobs for her, she LOVES them.

If you noticed in the before pic there was no medicine cabinet....We tried to utilize every little space we could by putting one in here. She then had no place to hang her hand towels and she suggested hanging them in the door....Not my favorite choice but it's her bathroom, so I gave in, it actually doesn't look so bad.

Have you noticed yet that ALL of the walls in the entire bathroom are the glass tiles from the shower? I did that to break up some of the lines we were dealing with originally, too many surface choices felt way to choppy in this little bathroom.

We laid the travertine tiles on a diagonal to make the room look bigger and yes there are those glass tiles again at each intersection, she now loves these floors much more than her beloved Pergo.

I used chrome in this bathroom for it's shininess, it really compliments the glass don't you agree?

This client LOVES her bathroom! She said that every time she goes in there now she feels pretty and wants to stay in there all day long, so my work here is done.

None of my surfaces; glass tiles, marble and travertine were inexpensive, but remember when you don't have the option of changing your footprint and your bathroom is on the small side your material doesn't cost as much as if you were doing a big bathroom and that is how I rationalized it to my client, oh and that fact that it would be like showering in a jewelry box helped too, ha!

Now This Blows

Did I get your attention?

Good, because you'll want to check out this GORGEOUS blown glass from Blown Glass Platters, headquartered in beautiful downtown Seattle.

I have always loved glass and seeing what artists can do with it. Michael Church is no exception. As soon as I saw his beautiful work I knew that I needed to share it with you.

This was installed in his clients home in Punta Gorda, which I think is a perfect setting because they do look like they are inspired with what I see under the sea when snorkeling...

The colors and shapes he creates are simply amazing. I love how this art turns a boring wall into a WOW wall! 3D art!

If you are wondering at about this point how they are mounted, here you go....Easy enough....
So many clients homes have these kind of art niches nowadays...This is a great place for Michael's art. It really draws your eye up more than any other art piece I could think to put in those areas.

Which of these are your favorites? I can't decide.....They are all sooo gorgeous!

Beauty + Practicality = FLOR

I have been purchasing FLOR modular carpet tiles for at least 6 years now and love their products. As the years have gone by, their design choices just continue to grow.

Here are just a FEW of the examples of what you can design and do with their carpet tiles...

One of the great things about their products is the ease in replacing. If they are in a high traffic area, there's a pet accident, or even what I am know for, spills..its no problem. I simply pull mine up and rinse under water and 95% of the time that takes care of the spill, but for that other 5% of the time I have extras to plop down and replace the tile gone bad.


FLOR is an inspired system of carpet tiles with easy to coordinate colors, textures and patterns.


The carpet tiles are 19.7" x 19.7" each and using adhesive "FLORdots" to connect to each other-not your floor. You can create rugs, runners or even go wall-to-wall.

Most of their tiles can be recycled (by them) back into new tiles.


You can buy single carpet tiles or multiples based on your needs. You can also buy their "rug kits" as shown.

They also now have a FLOR BIZ division that are customized for your workplace.

GRRRR......

I am really not sure if I chose this picture because I like the idea of carpet in the garage or this Corvette caught my eye or both.... ;)

Have any of you used these before? If so, do you have any comments to share?