Monogramming Ideas

(Southern Living)
I've always thought that monogramming adds a special touch to a room.  The above monogrammed headboard is absolutely stunning and makes this room incredible.  Actually, everything about this room is lovely.  The scale is perfect and those swing arm lamps on each side of the headboard are fantastic.   Don't you love how they disguised the lamp cords?  Notice how both sides of the bed don't "match" YIPPEE.  The textures and patterns coordinate beautifully together and the room has charm!!  I would love to be the guest in this house.
 Anyone game to let me use this room as the inspiration for their master bedroom redo?  Call me and I'll get right on it!

Pink and black always says something to me!  Such a feminine font too!  Remember the font is  important, pick one that has style.
Monogramming doesn't have to be in EVERY room but a touch of it here and there is beautiful.  Mix  up fabrics if you are making a pillow.  The casual burlap with the formal black fabric and shiny buttons is a good combination.  Tip:  Use a variety of different size buttons to get the right look.
(WB Pillows)
Wouldn't these 3 pillows be fun to make? 
All it takes is a stencil and some black fabric paint.  You can stop reading now....go to your local craft store and make these this weekend.  Adorable and they will look like you spent a fortune on them.  Make me 3 while you are at it.  I don't have a middle name so that might be a problem for me.
(Designer - Barclay Butera)
Love this room and all its textures.   The monogrammed pillow in the middle of the couch is what makes this room come together.  Barclay Butera spoke at the Design Bloggers Conference I attended last month and he has incredible talent as a designer.  The rooms he puts together always have such substance, color, loads of interest and I'm passionate about all the masculine touches he adds to each room he designs.
(Belkind-Bigi)
Gold on cream always looks so sophisticated.
Yellow and brown, so gorgeous.  The monogramming makes these chairs look important and grand.
Wonderful idea for a baby room.  What a great gift this would be. 

Simple and beautiful....  It doesn't have to be over the top!
(Cote de Texas)
The cording around the chairs that matches the monogram is what makes these chairs look so stylish with this rustic wooden table.  It marries the two together.
(Cottage Living)
Very Classy.
(Horchow)
Perfect for an office or any lonely corner.  I'll take the console in the background too.
(Etsy)
Black and white works every time.
(Houzz)
(Neiman Marcus)
Again, simple and beautiful.
(Izaac Mirazi)
I'm in LOVE, are you?
(Johnathan Adler)
(Southern Living)
What a great way to make a lampshade shine!
I love giving monogrammed kitchen towels as gifts to friends and family.  A set of 8 napkins is always nice too.  Great gift for those that have everything.
What a unique piece of art made from wine corks. This would be beautiful in a shadow box.
Such creativity! 
A fun colorful bag is a great gift for any teenager, college student, teacher or new mom.  I love giving these away to a newly wed couple.  Everyone needs a beach bag filled with goodies.
Just a reminder to incorporate items with monograms, you won't be sad you did.
Visit my website DecRenew Interiors 
to see pictures of the homes I've added my special touch to.

Spring Bird Tassels

I had a fun weekend away with 175 woman at a retreat this past weekend!  Always great to be with other woman that inspire you and make you become a better you.  Nothing like great conversation, good laughter, loads of chocolate and tons of girl time.  Doing life together with friends is the best therapy!

They asked me to teach a "crafty" class during our Saturday free time and I had loads of fun putting together these tassels for my class to make.  The ceramic birds were very cute alone but when I discovered I could add fabric to them and end up with this whimsical tassel, it made me thrilled.  What girl doesn't like a tassel hanging somewhere in their home?

We used lots of fabrics, burlap, ribbon, string & beads and I'm happy with how fun loving and imperfect they are.  You just can't mess something like this up.  I suggested they hang them on a lamp, doorknob, towel rack, armoire or on the handle of any urn.  It's all about these small little details!
They were very easy to  make and fun was had by all!  We had a couple of tiny glue gun burns but that's normal for any project like this right?
Didn't they do a good job? 
 I thought the eyelash trim really made it cute (looks like a nest) and covered up all the glue gun flaws.
Thanks to my wonderful husband who drilled holes in every one of the birds so I could add the loop at the top.  He went through 2 ceramic drill bits and didn't complain at all!  Love his dedication to my crazy insane projects!
Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?  Mathew 6:26
Visit my website DecRenew Interiors to see lots of before and after photos of my design projects.



Exterior Awning Inspirations

I've always loved what an awning can do to a home.  Most of the time awnings are to keep the sun out or protect the window/door from the rain.
  I'm considering putting an awning up over my large entry window just to add some shape, color and interest to the facade of our home.  Here are a few pictures that have inspired me and I thought they would be fun for you to see too.
This entry looks so sophisticated with this awning.  I love how they have incorporated it with the lanterns on each side.
Source

A window with an awning is beautiful. The picture above is an arched window with an arched awning. However, a square window with an arched awning on top of it can add shape to a home right away.  Too often a home is all about the square shapes and has nothing round to make it look balanced and interesting. 

This house is an example of what the arch shape can do!
Why not add an awning like the above to make a whole house appear grander?  Love the black stripe and the black border combination.
These black awnings on this home transformed the look instantly.  So classy.

Red with the white brick is lots of fun if you are brave and have a bold personality.  Imagine this house without the awnings?  Wouldn't have such a WOW factor would it?
The shape and color of these red awnings instantly grab your attention in this backyard!
This adobe home has a great before and after with new awnings!
This entry went from blah to amazing after the black awning was installed.
Love its bell shape.
This very plain home now looks more dressed up with its new awnings.  Still needs some TLC but it's a good start.
Stripes always speak volumes too.  These are subtle but adds a creative flair.
These awnings just add a special detail that makes it look more polished.
Love the front door on this home.  With all the architectural angels, adding the arched door really softened the edges.
Welcoming!
A back door is a great place to put an awning. Makes it look like this entrance enters into something fun and exciting.

  I've got a black and white one over my back door just like the one below and I love the charm it added!
Face lift to this backdoor for sure!  Imagine the window cleaning that you would have to do without the protection.
Before and After to a Tutor style home.  So charming.
This little shed is precious now!
Cute little cabin awning.  Too bad the electrical box is still so prominent.

Source

The above picture is not a canvas awning but one that has been added to match the homes tile roof and I absolutely love this look.  Imagine this architectural element taken away from this home?  It's what makes the whole front of the home look fabulous!  Adds character and charm.

Okay, I saved the best for last!!!
I had a good chuckle at this one!!! Oh my goodness....good for them for trying but this is a little over the top.

Hope you enjoyed my inspirations!

Award Winning Home; Punta Barco, Panama

Our family was incredibly blessed to be able to stay in this award winning home during our recent Spring Break trip to Panama City, Panama.  
This home is in Punta Barco about an hour from Panama City. 
 I mentioned in my last post that I'd give you a tour of this incredible indoor/outdoor home.  Here goes.....don't miss the video of the home at the end of this post!

The home won the 2008 single unit International Property Awards in association with CNBC and New York Times.  After staying here for 6 days, I can tell you it's the best in the area!  An architect built the home so that explains a lot.
The house had direct beach access and amazing ocean views with a totally private beach.  My husband and I were absolutely in awe when we first saw the view we were going to look at all week.  It took my breath away!
These were the lounge chairs we enjoyed on the beach.
We came down this long passage way and wondered what was around the next corner.
It was never ending which made us very curious if we were even at the right house.
The home had 3 levels and there was a surprise around every corner.  This is the first indoor/outdoor living room.  The thatch work was absolutely amazing!
This is the second outdoor living space.  I fell in love with the coffee table. 
The dining room was perfect for our big families.  I loved the built in benches throughout the home. 
This table was awesome for lots of people to sit around and its rustic texture was so practical.
We spent tons of time in this little sitting area which had an incredible view.
The stone top coffee table on a tree trunk was an inspiration to me and I immediately had my husband take note :)
These nautical glass floats added such great interest to this patio and the green glass sparkled in the sunshine.
Isn't it cool how they added this conch shell to the railing?  This was my favorite detail in the home!
We spent a lot of time at this table listening to the waves as we ate the wonderful meals the guys cooked for us. 
The guys loved this outdoor grill. We did grilled zucchini one night and when we all sat down to eat and cut into it, we realized it was cucumber.  When you shop in foreign grocery stores, you guess your way around and we guessed wrong on this one.  It looked like a zucchini but it was a cucumber.   Grilled Cucumber is not very tasty I tell you.  We all had a good laugh though. 
I'm crazy, but I  love the feel of bare feet on tile.  It makes me feel like I'm somewhere tropical.
Patio on the lower level, closest to the beach.  Perfect for morning breakfast and coffee.
This old canoe was just resting on these stones as artwork.
This canoe was underneath this beveled glass counter top in the guest house.  Way cool.
Driftwood pieces that the owner had collected on the beach were all over this home and placed in fun and creative places.
I want one of these planters for my patio.
The towel rack in the kitchen is pure perfection.  Behind it is a broken lid and the knob is used as another spot to hang a dish towel.
Fresh flowers and coconuts from the garden.  Fresh coconut is amazing!  So much fun to try it again after all these years.
These wrought iron spheres were in the entryway above the light fixture coves.  Don't you love the way the light makes it such a focal.  The reflection on the ceiling was my favorite.
The niches all had wonderful, old pieces placed inside them.
There were hand carved wooden columns throughout the house.
Architectural pieces tucked away in little corners.  Loved the variety of stones just laying side by side on display for you to admire.
An old broken pot on the wall.
The kids loved the garden and we parents loved that there was a beach shower!
The Guest house and gardens.
Our good friends that live in Panama came to stay with us over a weekend and their family stayed here.
I even got to see a horse rider on the beach which I thought was an extra blessing.   Read my previous post here (Beach houses and life lessons).
Now that you have seen the photo's, how about a video?  My daughter made a video with her flip camera and it gives you a great idea of what I've explained above.  It's a little shaky but hang in there, it's worth it.  I think she did a cute job and she even added tropical music (it's starts to get a little repetitive after a while so get your mute button ready).  The kids loved their bunk room!
Enjoy!
Click here to see video.  Punta Barco Beach House, Panama
Life is good at a beach house!
Visit my website DecRenew Interiors to see before and after photo's of my work.

Ralph Lauren's Vision

Bruce Weber - Photographer
I just found this coffee table book at a local yard sale in the neighborhood.  I was elated. I sat down this past weekend and just devoured Ralph Lauren's words.  The pictures and content about his life and his work are so inspiring.
I LOVED his vision and have included it below along with some of my favorite photographs from the book.
Bruce Weber - Photographer
Ralph Lauren quotes:  "My vision continues to be as it was in the beginning.  It hasn't changed.
Bruce Weber - Photographer
I am inspired by the movement and the rhythm of the seasons, by the search for newness, the diversity and breadth of possibilities, of what someone could like in a variety of worlds.

Bruce Weber - Photographer

I love the challenge of contradiction.  I love glamour.  I love rusticity.  I love utility.  I love the street.  I love activity.  I love all these things that formed my taste, and how I see men, woman, and the family.
Bruce Weber, Photographer
I love living and dressing for the occasion.  I love dressing down.  I like dressing up.  I like the fun of what life is about, the fun of clothes, not the status of fashion.
Bruce Weber - Photographer
I've always believed one could live many lives through the way we dress and the places we travel to, even if just in our imagination.  The world is open to us, and each day is an occasion to reinvent ourselves.
Bruce Weber - Photographer
What I do is about living.  It's about living the best life you can and enjoying the fullness of the life around you - from what you wear, to the way you live, to the way you love." - Ralph Lauren
Bruce Weber - Photographer
Bruce Weber - Photographer
"My eyes are on my life.  They are my own private camera.  I extend all the experience from my  private life into my work, because living is my library. " - Ralph Lauren

I love Ralph Lauren's vision and felt a complete connection to his work by hearing what inspires him in life.  I enjoyed reading about how he incorporates his personal life experiences, his travels, his family, etc. and how that flows over into his creative designs.  The two definitely go hand in hand. 
Visit my website DecRenew Interiors to see my portfolio of before and after pictures.