daily decorator » My Home Design

Everyday Design…The Centerpiece

TS — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:40:52 +0000

While I wait for the flowers to return, here is a centerpiece idea that I use in my home.

It’s simple but sweet and great for everyday! Just fill an apothecary jar with reindeer moss & your favorite shells and you are good to go!

To get a similar look, check out the shops below.

surlatable.com, crateandbarrel.com, somethingmorestore.com

What do you think? What’s your favorite centerpiece? Let us know!

Wall of China

TS — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:50:58 +0000

A quick way to design a wall is to display some of your favorite china. It is an affordable and simple way to add a little color to your wall. Here is what I did in my dining room.

Here are some other pretty plates for inspiration.

Select images for source information.

Let There Be Light

TS — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:30:18 +0000

O.K. I was able to check off one other thing on my to-do list today. I installed the new light above my newly stained & painted table in our “den”. (And when I say I , I mean the handy, dandy electrician actually did all the work.) That is one thing I stay far away from. When I was a newlywed years ago, the hubby tried his hand at installing an electric dryer and nearly blew the place up! So we stay far, far away from anything electrical! Remember when I was trying to decide which light to choose? (click here to refresh your memory)

Well, I chose “b” (Orion Pendant) because I needed the chain so that I could center the light easily above the table. I am really happy with my choice. My one worry is that the shade is made out of glass which is of course breakable. Just have to keep the footballs out of the room. One little tip when installing hanging lights…always use a dimmer switch.  Here is the beautiful light which I purchased from CSN Lighting above the newly updated table.

And a closer look…

Little by little the projects get done.

The Right Light

TS — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:45:51 +0000

Living in an old house you never know what will be in need of repair or replacement at any moment. Sometimes this leads to a big job like when water damage in my bathroom led to a much needed reno. Today I find myself e-shopping for a new light fixture. As luck has it, our old wiring to our (much-hated) ceiling light in our “den” was smoking this morning. Certainly an emergency thankfully no firetruck needed just a quick call to the electrician. Now I am in a mad rush to find the perfect light fixture to hang above our casual dining table. This den was originally the back porch to our home. It is right off the not-so-eat-in kitchen so we use it for our everyday casual meals. The room also does double duty as the kid’s tv area. I think a nice pendant light would work but I have to be careful about balancing my modern likes with the colonial style of this home. I have narrowed it down to the following choices…

There are soooo many to choose from which makes it a daunting task. My goal is to choose something under $150 since there is also the cost of the electrician. The 1st row of pendants have a classic yet modern style to them.  I like d, but I think the shade needs to be a crisper white. Now e and f have that farmhouse feel but might work better in a kitchen area. Loving the organic sawgrass in f! There is a small collection of these with various plants–nice look! Last but not least, h has that simple look I’m going for unfortunately it is at the very top of my budget.  What to do?? Decisions decisions! I’m leaning towards b because the shade is made of glass (washable surfaces get a bonus point from me). I’ll post again when the decision is made and I’ll share pics on the final look. Back to obsessing about design here at the daily decorator!

{Sources: a. lampsplus.com $149 (b-h all csnlighting.com) b. Kenroy Home Orion $126 c. Quoizel Downtown Piccolo $124 d. Kenroy Home Endicott $106.20 e. Hudson Valley (11″) $199 f. Elk Modern Organics Green Sawgrass $135   g. Progress Lighting Brookside Brushed Nickel $117 h. Meridian Medium Pendant $151.80}