Gummi Love

Do you like Gummi Bears enough to have a chandelier made out of them?  There are only going to be 10 of these made and each will be a little different so all one of a kind on many levels.

Each chandelier will have apx. 5,000 ACRYLIC Gummi Bears so don't think you can pull one off and snack on them when the craving comes.

Due to the amount of work involved in creating these they do take 2 months to complete so order now...Oh you probably want to know the price at this point....For this custom Gummi Bear chandelier you are looking at it setting you back $9,500.00, but with that price you get the artist delivering it personally to help set it up.

Now if you are thinking at this point those are too rich for my blood but I do love the idea of those little Gummi Bears lighting up my space here is a small GummiLight to check out....

These little lights (7"h x 4"w) are soft and rubbery, again not to be eaten even though they look soooo tempting.  They have tiny LED's in their butts and are battery operated so you have no cords to worry about.

They come in great colors...Red, orange, purple, blue, etc. just to name a few.  The best part of these is the price, they are $125.00 each or $500 for a set of five.  I promise that they will wipe away add some fun to any room.

Walls of Stone

A lot of times people think in terms of changing the feel of their room with wall color...How about changing the texture instead, in a BIG way?

(EmberWall: Before and After)

This stone veneer takes your "boring" walls to "wow" walls!

(ArtWall: Before and After)

Have you ever considered a stone veneer, such as these?  Or do you immediately think "cool, but it is probably cost prohibitive and hard to do...."

(CandleWall: Before and After)

Eldorado Stone's GemWalls have made this not only pretty simple but also an affordable way to transform your own spaces.  Watch this quick video to see the simple steps here.

I think this bathroom was already beautiful but now look at it...

So if you want to add some warmth and romance that only stone can add, consider this great looking stone veneer for your space(s), and of course send me some pictures if you do it too.

(VinoWall: Before and After)

In regards to this last picture shown...Did you study it like me, there is alot going on isn't there, but look at how it really warmed up that room....

This Stairway IS Heaven

I just got my camera fixed and I am in the process of taking some "afters" to share with you, so this is "hot off the presses".....I took these last night, not that I was anxious or anything, ha!

This particular client's 1991 home has always had carpet on the stairs.  Though my client loved the carpet she was tired of it being on the staircase.  Truly it didn't bother me, but the staircase was feeling a little tired...I mean even though 1991 feels like just the other day to some of us, it was almost 20 years ago...Has that sunk it yet? ;)

A lot of people use the terminology incorrectly when discussing staircases so here is a little picture guide to help explain things a bit better as I go through the details of this job....

Back to the staircase....

We replaced the carpet with hardwoods, not just the tread but the riser as well.

Did you just notice that gorgeous hardwood border inlay on the floor as you were glancing at the above picture?  Well here it is up close....Isn't it beautiful?  We replaced all the oak hardwoods to these floors which is the color combo that inspired us for the staircase.

The open partial treads were the same tired yellowing oak as the banister so we darkened them up to match each other.  (Picture of the tired oak hardwoods)

Now look closely on the 2nd picture "going up", those partial risers are still white.  I don't think it looked bad with the balusters but it drove my client crazy because going downstairs they looked rich and beautiful but once you were down the stairs and looked up you saw "white", so we fixed them....Cue the faux painter....

(going down)

(going up)

...She painted them to look like the wood that we just stained the yellowing oak.  I love all the tricks faux painters have up their sleeves.

Because of the style of the home we decided on keeping the balusters as-is, well I mean with a fresh coat of white of course.  

So big improvement?  We think so.  This staircase has at least another 20 years in it. 

#23!!!

Now I think this is something to blog about, a top 100 list for interior design enthusiasts.    Notice #23...Not that I am blowing my own horn, but it's sooo cool when you see your blog surrounded by so many other great interior design blogs.

I hope you click around and enjoy some of the others out there in blog land, I know a lot of those other bloggers and they are great!  We all love followers and comments so swing by and say "hi" to any of us and of course if any of you have any design questions we are here for that too.

Fun facts and history about April Fools day because it is April 1st after all...Oh my gosh I just realized something, what if the Top 100 list is a prank?  Ha, then it's a good one and I have been had. ;)  Oh and speaking of, have you been to Google yet today, read this.

Sensomatic

Isn't that fun to say?  Maybe it's just me....

Can you tell in this picture what's different from other faucets?

It's a touchless/hands free faucet, pretty cool huh?!

They are headed to the home market for your kitchen and bathrooms.  They do have some benefits.....

*Less touching means better hygiene
*They stay cleaner
*Reduces water and energy
*Helps people with limited dexterity or for kids
*Preset temperature that can be adjusted
*Handles are an option if space is a concern

The new ones for homes aren't like the finicky ones that drive me crazy at let's say the airport. Manufacturers are creating them now with more reliable sensing technologies that don't feature an infrared beam so they are more attractive for your homes.  The entire faucet acts as a magnetic field so as you move your hand towards the faucet it will activate the water.  Most have handles so it's an option to turn on your water.

I don't have one nor have I put any in my clients homes, but who knows, they are starting to look better and better.....Lots of finishes, and styles too....What do you think, would you ever consider one?

Oh by the way, I am sooo excited my camera is back and ready...Now I need to get some "afters" taken of my clients homes to post, stay tuned.....

When Size Matters...

....And a king bed is simply too small, here is an option to consider.....The  EXTREME UltraKing beds!

These beds are for people who don't think a King is big enough....Which sometimes quite frankly is me, when it's just me and my hubby no biggie, but when Calvin our dog climbs in with us (he may only weigh 55 lbs but he stretches to 6' and is all legs, need I say more?)

Of course they hail from Las Vegas but you know they could've hailed from Texas too where everything is bigger.

(Woman from picture optional...JUST KIDDING, but this woman in the picture gives you a  better idea of just how HUGE these beds are?)

Check out who has this bed here. Which for the most part makes perfect sense, NBA and NFL players...I am surprised that Hugh Hefner who doesn't seem to leave his bed much, isn't listed on here as having one.  But on a serious note, really being 5'9 1/2" I have slept in beds that were too short and were very uncomfortable, so I can only imagine how being well over 6' would be for sleeping in most beds.

On their site, you can buy everything from the actual bed to the mattress right down to the giant bedding.

I just realized something...Making this bed would be a BIG chore and even bigger than that would be getting the sheets into my washing machine and dryer, now how does that work?  Multiple loads?

What do you think?  Are you or someone you know in need of some extra space and could use a UltraKing?

How Do You Feel About Pot Fillers?

Okay, you know I probably shouldn't say this but I just have too...I think Pot Fillers are cool and I think they look oohhhh sooo sexy on that backsplash over the stovetop, but if you are seriously thinking it's going to save your back from hauling a heavy pot over to the stovetop you still have to haul it the other way after you are done cooking. :)

So do any of you have a pot filler and if so, do you use it and love it?

If not, would you consider one in the future?

Family Photos

This is wallpaper, isn't it cool?

It is from Sandpiper Studios and is called Versailles "Frames".

Here is a cool idea....You can cut to shape and paste some of your own family photos in these wallpaper frames for a creative way to show off your own family.

I love cool ideas like this don't you?

Oh and on a personal note..I broke my camera...Stupid me I rode with it attached to the horn of saddle the other day and when I got off it wasn't working, boo hoo...Sooo it's at the Drs (repair shop), no word yet on what is wrong..I am almost too scared to call and see....Anyway, I am delayed in taking recent photos of some great client jobs that are just now finishing up...So please have patience and I will try too, I can't wait to share them all.

Solution Soak

These tubs may not sexy by any standards but if you or someone you know can't soak in a tub for physical reasons does it matter?

All of us want to "age in place gracefully and safely" but most likely your or someone you know has medical reasons that just lifting your leg and balancing and not slipping into your standard tub is not going to happen without a lot of stress and/or injury.

If you or someone you know has problems like this, you need to check out this great company for walk-in tubs.  They are easy to use and comfortable.

I can easily get into and out of my bath tub anytime I want.  Quite frankly before some of my clients in the last couple of years inquired about some tub solutions, I had no idea that getting in and out of a tub would ever be a problem....Well it is....Read some of their  stories here, and be enlightened like I was.

If you think you don't have room for one, think again with 37 different models out there and most of these replacing your standard tub/shower these have been made to fit.

Don't we ALL deserve a nice soak once in awhile?

Winey Women

I love Kathy Womack's art and her "Women and Wine" series in particular.

Not only does she use great colors but I can relate to almost every one of her pieces from this collection....Whether it's my mom, me and my sister; or dear friends...

You can't help but put yourself in these paintings and that is why I think this particular series is soooo popular!

She has ones that represent baby showers, Christmas parties and birthday parties too....

I dare you to look through this series and not find one that represents you and and your girlfriends. ;)

Oh and of course she has the "girl trip" represented in Cabo with of course Margaritas in hand...

So next time your girlfriend, sister or mom has a birthday you may want to consider getting one of these for her....I love that even if you don't have the funds for an original piece you can get a stretched canvas  in various prices, oh and they ship too if you don't happen to be in Austin, Texas.

Sooo snoop around and let me know what one moves you the most, I would love to know.