Happy Earth Day.

With the constant push for going green, and reduce, reuse, recycle, the design industry has taken a big turn in that direction. One of the easiest things to see and for you to enjoy is organic fabrics. Organic cotton is a huge market. This cotton is defined as being grown with as zero earth impact as possible without use of chemicals, and by only using non genetically modified plants. Today, help celebrate Earth Day and take advantage of the free shipping and sales on organic bedding and towels from Pottery Barn.

No said organic fabrics had to be boring! Take a look at this Woodland Organic bedding from Pottery Barn. Buy purchasing organic, not just fabrics, you can help to reduce the use of harmful chemicals leached into our earth. Another great design tip that helps with the three R's is buy thrift, vintage and antique. By reusing something already created you can reduce the amount of energy required in making new items. Take something old and add a new twist with paint. Sherwin Williams offers an amazing selection of paint colors with low VOC's, volatile organic compounds, that are vaporous gases harmful to the earth. This is not only going green, but allows you to personalize and tailor items to your own taste and style. So get out today and celebrate Earth Day. Clean up some trash, plant a tree, promote going green through design, or just be outside and enjoy everything the earth has to give us.

Im back.

After a long time away, I have returned, better than ever. I have many things to share with you. To start off with, a little bit of inspiration. Spring has sprung and the birds are chirping. Speaking of birds, to incoporate a little bit of springtime into your home try adding some aviary touches. Birds have recently become a huge trend in interior design. Try something small and changeable to bring newness into your decor. An item I am currently craving is these euro shams by Shelley Hesse.

These shams feature parrots, maccaws, and cockatoos. The variety of colors will blend with many color palettes and adds an instant whimsy and bird trend. Try using these on a couch rather than just for a bed. The shams, availabe at Anthropologie are $98 for the set and also have a matching duvet option for someone striving for more of a bird impact.

Room Redesign.

I decided to redecorate my bedroom at my parents house in Hayesville, North Carolina. I have been staying there a lot lately and decided it needed refreshing. I did not even think to take before pictures,I was just so ready to get started on the project! I had Chinese red lacquered walls that took days to sand down. Then I added several coats of primer and three coats of Sherwin Williams Aloof Gray. The bedding is from the Martha Stewart Trousseau Collection. Next I got out to hit the local consignment, thrift and antique stores. Here are the results so far.


I found a great yellow ceramic lamp at a thrift store and added a black fabric shade from Wal-Mart. The commode came from the Reach thrift store in Hayesville. All it needed was a coat of paint. Sherwin Williams Caviar.

I found this great frame also at the Reach thrift store. It got a quick coat of white gloss spray paint. I loved my apple and rose arrangement so much, I created one for my bedroom.

I found this awesome chandelier at a consignment furniture store in Young Harris, Georgia. Third Time Around. I left the shade distressed and yellow, but painted the lighting portion a matte black.

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I got this great little black table at Wal-Mart as well. The concrete planter came from the Antique Tobacco Barn in Asheville, North Carolina. The topiary was a great find at the local Ingles Supermarket. The floor to ceiling gauzy white curtain panels came from Ikea and the simple black rods were also from Wal-Mart.

My room was starting to have a very Parisian feel. I really love the herringbone pattern hardwood floors, famous in so many french apartments. I decided to recreate this effect in some art. I hand painted the pattern in yellow and dark grey, then added a crest and monogram to add some personalization. I think the result was very Lavish.

I found this great mirror at an estate sale. It only needed a new mirror insert, the frame was in amazing condition. The candle sconces were another thrift store find. I purchased a white crocodile tray to keep all of my objects in, and a bowl from my great-grandmothers Chinese porcelain collection serves as a catch-all. I added a simple table lamp, from Wal-Mart. It is set off by a carved gazelle my grandparents brought back from Africa, and my childhood silver piggy bank. The prints, by Gustav Klimt, were just brought back to me from my parents trip to Austria.

I found this amazing dresser at Christian Love Ministries thrift store, in Young Harris, Georgia. It was already black and distressed and for thirty dollars, was my favorite find!

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I needed some simple art for the wall opposite my bed. I found these great frames also at Wal-Mart, kept the mats, and then attached sheet music to black poster board to frame inside the mats.

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And lastly, to pay a little respect for the city which I started to draw inspiration, I found these great framed prints of Paris at Molly and Me, one of my favorite stores in Hayesville. They have great ornate frames and the simple greys, greens, browns and brick tones really add a simple touch to finish off my room.

Lavish College Room.

My sister just moved into her first house as a sophomore at Clemson. She is living in a great home in Chimney Ridge. It is a two story home with an open living, dining, cooking concept, and four bedrooms. The walls are painted an excellent oatmeal color and the glossy white, super bulky moldings and baseboards are perfect. We have been working on creating the perfect room for her at school. She is a pre-med major and really needs a nice soothing, yet fun retreat, to really get away from the stress of class. We have dubbed the room a Garden Tea Party room. It is really starting to come together very Lavishly. These are just some of the before pictures, the room will be finished in a few days. The after pictures will follow.

This is the wall where her bed is going. The headboard is being creating out of three garden trellis from Big Lots. The side table was a great TJ Maxx HomeGoods purchase. The Lavish yellow lamp was a great find at a local thrift store.

This corner is the future home of a great workspace.

This is the closet wall. The closet boasts a large walk in area with built in shelving. This wall is going to be an excellent spot for a chest of drawers.

Her room and home are going to be a great place for socializing, entertaining and relaxing. What a Lavish life a college student lives. Check back for pictures of the finished transformation. Sante.