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Simple Holiday Decor

So, you love all the berry branches and amaryllis flowers that are abundant in stores right now.  But how do you use them without putting them in the “usual” tall vase?  How do you incorporate simpler elements to your holiday decor?  Here’s what I did with one of my favorite hurricanes to give it a holiday “facelift”…

empty hurricane...what should we do?
candles, flowers & berries, oh my!

I purchased a large white unscented candle which burns within.  This is important as you don’t want wax dripping on the botanicals surrounding the candle.  Unscented is also a must if you are entertaining a lot.  It allows you to burn the candle without interfering with multiple aromas such as perfumes or yummy entrees!  Lastly, notice the scale of the candle.  Sometimes I bring my candle holders with me when I shop for candles so I don’t guess and have to make several trips to the store!

Okay, I also have some winter berries and these beautiful white amaryllis stems.  My idea is to chop the amaryllis really short and frame them around the candle at the base of the hurricane.  Time to cut…wire cutters or strong scissors are a must!

time to cut...

So,  unfortunately, my idea didn’t work so well.  I only cut one to test and it was too squished once it got closer to the base of the hurricane…now what to do with it.  Well,  I have this cute little red vase that I normally don’t put flowers in but figured it worked nicely for the season.  I cut a second amaryllis stem and situated them so they offset the shape of the vase nicely.

looks better here!

Okay, back to the hurricane…how can I incorporate the berries?  I remembered I had some black rocks leftover from another project and pulled those out.  I love how the black creates a nice base for the candle.  You don’t have to fill the rocks too far, just use your best judgment on proportion.

hmm...black rocks may work
almost done!

Now for the finishing touch, I must say this is harder than it looks.  I cut off 2 parts of the berry branches and I still have enough leftover for a future project; that was the easy part.  The hard part was placing them ever so gently in the rocks without them scratching the candle or falling over.  I ended up using scotch tape to hold them together, only from the back so you wouldn’t see the tape.  I love how it turned out and I can’t wait to see how nicely it burns!

voila!
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Inspiration Collage 101

A key part of making your house a home is developing your signature style.  This is similar to developing a fashion style.  We all see trends come and go but over time we learn which styles flatter our figures and mirror our personalities.

Creating an inspiration collage is something I encourage people to do, even when not working with a designer.  It is important to gather images of rooms, furniture, colors, accessories that you love and edit to help shape your vision.  As you move forward in purchases for your home, this collage will serve as a blueprint for your style.

I have a framed corkboard that I change out periodically to reflect my focus at any given time.  I’m starting fresh in several aspects of my life and this is my inspiration at the moment.

my inspiration collage

 

I rearranged some accessories in my apartment as well as pulled new concept photos for my board.  This is always an easy trick to reinvent bookshelves, coffee tables, etc.  Moving things into different rooms gives your accessories and photos new perspective and saves money!

Here are my inspirations at the moment…

I love flowers: real, fake or in photos.  It is too expensive to get fresh flowers, so I settle for realistic-looking fake versions.  Love these from Pottery Barn!

I love looking at photos of my close friends & family, especially my sister Tabs.  I have lots of framed pictures of the two of us all over my apt.  She’s my best friend; can’t imagine my life without her!

I also adore my Patch NYC butterfly plate from West Elm. It is such a cute shaped platter and the free-hand feel of the butterfly sketch is simply beautiful.

Inspiring poems and quotes are included in my collage along with photos of places I would like to live someday.  Outdoor spaces are especially inspirational to me; I love watching nature.  The photo of the crystal chandeliers over the simple vases of tulips shows creative balance.  The Prada sunglasses ad in the center represents how I would like to be perceived: a juxtaposition of an intense & playful spirit.

As I pass by this space, I feel uplifted and hopeful.  I hope you enjoy making your own inspiration collage!

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K News: Autumn 2010 – A Fresh Start…

Happy Fall Everyone!

I always think of New Year’s as being “the” time to make a fresh start.  It just seems logical, right?

So, I was at World Market last week and fell in love with the new Barbie calendar. (love the sketches of the vintage Barbie “couture” and the idolized woman she represents).  I bought it, of course, no hesitation.

 

vintage barbie
vintage barbie

When I got home, I realized that it was a 2011 calendar but it had a combined page for September through December of 2010.  Hmmm…I doubt a lot of “Jersey Shore” fans are buying vintage Barbie calendars.  I guess “back to school” also applies to grown-ups!

I don’t know about you, but the last 6 months have literally flown by!  I barely know where I spent my energies.  Now that it’s September, I feel like I am finally able to take a breath and refocus my business and personal life.  Coincidence that it lines up with the start of school? Which got me thinking, maybe January isn’t always the time for a fresh start.  Maybe, it is just whenever you feel ready for a change.  Sometimes, it’s starting a new project, new job, new year, new haircolor, whatever you determine is your “fresh start”.

Here’s an update on my summer and what I am looking forward to for this fall.

First, from K Designs’ standpoint, I am very fortunate to work with a great family moving here from Arizona.  They are wonderful clients and their house is really starting to become their new “home”.   I am lucky to be a part of the process!  Along with this large scale project, I have had lots of smaller milestones with my existing clients, including new grandbabies, grown kids branching out and rooms being rediscovered by new generations.  All in all, I love being able to create these environments where my clients and their families make memories!

first look - a client's living room

Second, I have been working with a very talented team of creative people to execute a few DesignSpeak events and brainstorm for the future!  We had another successful homeowner event this summer as well as our first networking happy hour for industry professionals!  We are currently working on a revamp of the website to simplify and deliver the freshest ideas to you!  I’m also proud to announce that I’ve been asked to be a permanent blogger on St. Louis AT HOME‘s new website, launching this fall.  Thanks to everyone that has attended our events and especially to my team!  I’ll keep you posted on more exciting happenings this fall as well as spring of 2011!

evidence of our first designspeak "speakeasy" event

 

some peeps at our first "speakeasy" event!

Third, I am still “obsessed” with jewelry as my sister loves to point out!  And you cannot tell me that you are not obsessed after viewing the fall collection from Stella & Dot.  Love it! Love it! Love it!  I am focusing on booking lots of parties for the holiday season because I want everyone to have this jewelry!  It’s fabulous!  People used to refer to my trademark sunglasses but now I can be seen sporting the latest Stella & Dot trends as well. Wow, this necklace is gorgeous!!!

 

metropolitan mixed chain necklace

Lastly, I am considering this a fresh start on my health.  As I approach a semi-milestone birthday this fall, I realize that I need to establish better habits to get me through stressful times.  And frankly, I’m excited for the opportunity to challenge myself physically!  Stay tuned for a more enlightened and slimmer Kimberly…

Thanks for being in my life & I wish everyone a wonderful fall season!

K

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My Dream Office

So, it has been a couple of years and I am still obsessed with the color white.  It is the absence of color which has a very clean, soothing effect if executed properly.  The key is to balance the textures and lines of the space to create the warmth normally found in a room with more color.

Here are a few images I pulled together as concepts for my future office space.  I love the lines of the furniture and the crispness of everything.  I can already imagine the uncluttered backdrop to allow me to create beautiful spaces for my clients!  Mixing in weathered wood elements, satin silver finish, natural raffia and classic white marble offset the sleek white lacquer furniture fabulously.  Of course, the room would not be complete without my accent color “du jour” in the form of bright pink area rugs!

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My Dream Kitchen

I admit, I don’t like to cook.  Mainly, because I don’t know how to “whip up” a creation and I don’t like to do things where I don’t excel.  I do, however, know how to “whip up” a creative environment.

Without owning my own home, remodeling my kitchen is not in the immediate future.  But someday in a place far, far away… i will own a kitchen inspired by these elements.  Hopefully, inspiring someone else to cook!

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