Wood Furniture for Your Creative Space

I love the plastic products from The Container Store and I also dig the particle board modular stuff from Ikea. But sometimes I just want some solid wood pieces in my work space. Nothing suits be better than a big wooden desk and a set of vintage drawers or wood book shelves.

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Studio Tour | Misty Spencer

I'm not usually an envious person. Sure, there are things I see out in the world and think, "Wouldn't it be nice". But usually I can simply admire and move on. Then last week, I met designer and entrepreneur, Misty Spencer, at her home in Fort Worth, Texas for a Houzz.com photo shoot. (See my full Houzz tour HERE.) And oh my, oh my, the envy kicked in big time. Spencer's home studio is a dream. 

Misty, who recently launched Objects Living out of her home, believes that good looks can come at any price. She says, “You don’t have to have money to create a beautiful design. Design isn’t about brand names; it’s about having things around you that make you happy.”

One need look no farther than Spencer's own studio to see that she speaks the truth. Black walls, layered rugs, vintage pieces, books galore, pink accents, bling-y bits of gold - it's a gorgeous mix. The best part about working from home? Spencer's adorable four-year-old daughter, Stella, can get be mama's design assistant! Take a look... 

Make sure you head over to Houzz.com to see the full tour of 

Misty's amazing Fort Worth Craftsman Bungalow. 

Find Misty elsewhere...

website

blog

instagram

pinterest

facebook

twitter

Dreaming of the Sea

I don't know what bit me, but I was a painting fool last week.  

I love life in Dallas, but I think I am missing my native coastal California.

Here's a look at my most recent work.

Then There Were Four   -   36 x 48 acrylic on canvas   -   SOLD

And please don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Click HERE and enter to win an original art print from my shop.

DIY for Your Favorite Quote

A few months ago at a yard sale, I picked up a large frame with a faded piece of art.  The frame was gorgeous, but the artwork was beyond repair. I bought it for four dollars with the intention of painting over the canvas.  Since I'm still waffling over what to paint, I decided to write out my favorite quote (from poet Louise Bogan) and hang it in my office for a little daily inspiration. I'm sure I'll paint over it soon, but until then, this is a lovely incarnation.

Oh... I forgot to add...

The canvas is exposed and there is no glass over the top of the art.  I painted with an acrylic paint directly onto the existing artwork. I let it dry and hung it up. I didn't seal it or treat the canvas in any way before painting.

Studio Details

I've so enjoyed having my own studio space this fall.  It was definitely worth giving up our guest room. As with most home studio offices, the room is shifting and changing to meet my creative needs. Furniture is removed, lighting is added as editing is always a process oriented endeavor. I feel like this new space is starting to settle, though, and I'm finding a rhythm. Here are some shots of the space as it exists in this moment. 

My artwork can be purchased HERE. 

Studio Time

Happy Monday! Yesterday, I spent the day painting my living room! For those of you who were wondering, the hubs and I finally decided on Symphony Blue by Benjamin Moore. I'm not quite finished, but I will be posting a full tour of the newly revamped space on Friday - so make sure to check back. This week, in addition the usual schedule, I'll be writing and painting in my studio... 

Painting on the easel for sale HERE

Have a great day!

The Art Studio of Cara Livermore

Cara Livermore is an artist who sells her beautiful wares at SewIndieShop on Etsy.  Her studio was featured a while back on the Etsy blog but I wanted to share it here as well. Her studio is located on the third floor of an old home in Rochester, NY. When asked why she needed to create a studio for herself, Cara says, "I finally decided that I needed to live my life the way I always wanted to; I needed to make art full time or I wouldn’t be happy."  Read the full article HERE.

You can also find Cara on Pinterest or at her home site, HERE.

How does the room feel?

I am not interested in recreating the look of the rooms below, but rather the feel of these rooms.  I'm in the process of tweaking some things in my home, one of which includes painting the walls of my living room. When I redecorate my own home, I usually only use what's already in the house. And if there is something I want to change up, then I can put an old item out on Craigslist in return for money towards the new item.  But for now, I'm brainstorming and this is the direction I'm heading in...

I want my living room to feel like the photo below:

elegant

bohemian

moody

comfortable

old world

layered

 

I want my studio office to feel like the photo below:

library-like

bright

creative

inviting

stimulating

layered

accessible

artsy

 

I want my master bedroom to feel like the photo below:

luxurious

natural

sexy

cozy

soft

simple

uncluttered

serene

A Room of My Own - New Studio Office

Remember the THIS post from Saturday: "A Someday Home Studio"?  Well, it turns out that "someday" wasn't that far away.  My amazing husband read the post and gave me the green light to move my home office from the tiny cramped room off our kitchen to the guest room.  Our agreement was that I would ONLY use things I already had on hand in the house and that I would not spend a dime.

So, I spent all day Sunday hauling books, moving furniture, choking on dust bunnies and basically rearranging the entire house. The guest bed went into my son's room (he scored on the upgrade). I took the bookcases from the nursery and replaced them with the homeless twin bed from my son's room.  I worked from 9:30am-1pm on breaking down and reassembling furniture and then spent a few hours in the evening pulling it all together.  Here are the results!

Drum roll please...

The desk lamp is a thrift store score from the summer. I found this lattice-work Blanc de Chine lamp base for five dollars! The print on the easel ("Nude with Coral Necklace" by August Macke) was a gift from iCanvas Art. I'll be hosting a giveaway for them in the coming weeks so be sure to check back. You too could snag yourself a piece of awesome art!

 

The table next to the bathroom door is actually two file cabinets butt to butt.  I don't particularly like the look of it, but it will serve for the time being. I covered it in a piano shawl and propped a one-dollar yard sale painting on top. This part of the room will have to evolve a bit before I'm satisfied.

I had this green velvet slipper chair (Crate and Barrel) in another room. The gray chevron pouf on the floor is by Aletafae. I won it during a blog giveaway last year. The two Picasso prints are among my favorite pieces of art EVER. The top one is "Margo", a portrait of a prostitute at a bar Picasso frequented. The other is from his blue period called "La Vida" - a couple standing face to face, the woman with their baby and the man with his lover.

The desk is an antique breakfast table that my husband purchased before he and I were even dating. Its a creaky, wonderful piece with two leaves and lots of character. Oh and remember that thing about not spending a dime?  Well, I broke my promise and bought the potted pink orchid at Ikea for 4.99 - it was half price because one of the stems had broken off. But the room needed something alive and surely my sweet man can forgive five dollars, right?

So that's the whole shebang!  I am so excited to have such a beautiful room for writing, reading, painting and puttering.  And I'm so grateful that I have the kind of husband who says "yes" to my cooky whims.

And just a reminder

to enter the Shabby Apple gift card giveaway this week!

To enter, click HERE.