Design Projects

4/13/13

DOGGIE GLAMOUR

The big blue plastic bowls that my dogs consumed their dinner from daily were not aesthetically pleasing.  I replaced the ugly bowls with metal decorative bowls that have the same vibe as the rest of the house, and I LOVE IT!  It's the simple things that make all the difference.

http://flirtingwithdisasteranddesign.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_28.html

From this Side of Design,
Rhonda



4/13/13

 WINE PLATTER

Have you ever you had an impromptu gathering of friends for drinks on the patio and need to throw together a plate of munchies?  Here's an simple yet elegant wine platter idea you can put together in no time at all.

http://flirtingwithdisasteranddesign.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_28.html

Cheers!
From this Side of Design,
Rhonda


3/10/13

 SCREENED-IN PORCH SHEERS

I love the very simple idea of hanging green sheers in a screened in porch area. The fabric creates such a warm cozy feeling! Simple and easy and completely transforms the space!!


From This Side of Design,
Rhonda



3/3/13

CANDY WRAPPER ART

Most kids carry a blanket around, but not my child.  He carries a box! You heard me right, a BOX!  He finds value in what some people may consider trash.  He carried "Boxie" around for over a year and filled it with candy wrappers.  It was quite amusing!  Occasionally he would ask a friend if he could have the candy wrapper of the candy they had just consumed.  The kid looked at the candy wrapper as if he had forgotten some small morsel of goodness.  Once he discovered it was indeed empty he had no problem relinquishing the "trash."  The look on the child's face was priceless!  One day I asked my son if I could make him something special with his collection.  I was delighted that he granted me permission and went to work on my idea...Candy Wrapper Art.

To get started I purchased a canvas board, glue, and a paint brush. I brushed some glue on the canvas, added a candy wrapper on top of the glue and then brushed the top of the candy wrapper with more glue. I continued to add candy wrappers until the entire canvas was covered.  When it was completely dry I add a picture hanger on the back so we could hang the canvas.  My son LOVED it!!!   He loves showing it to his friends (especially the ones that contributed to his masterpiece)!

From This Side of Design,
Rhonda




2/20/13

LITTLE THINGS

I had more junk drawers in my house than any one person should be allowed to have!  I was always searching for a pen, a battery, a candle, etc.  I could never find anything!   I needed an easy way to keep track of and find all those little things at a moment's notice as these are items my family uses daily. 

First I measured the space where I wanted my drawers to be (height x width x depth).  I put my drawers in the laundry room but if I had a large walk in pantry I would have put the drawers there. You want the drawers in place that you will be able to access easily.  Being the type A personality that I am, I made a list of anything that would fit in a small drawer.  Once I finished my list I counted the number of drawers I needed.  I headed out to shop for my supplies.  I found a small 3 drawer container (10"h x 11"w x 12 1/2"d ) that worked for my space.  The 2 shelves in my laundry room accommodated 3 across and 2 high stacked on each shelf.  I was able to have a total 36 drawers!!!  I went to a craft store and bought black vinyl letters to label my drawers accordingly.  Then I labeled the drawers and put all my "little things" inside.

This is a super easy project and has genuinely had a fantastic impact on my day to day life!!! I hope it finds you well!!!

From this side of design,
Rhonda



2/15/13

FRONT PORCH MAKEOVER

The front porch of my home is quite average...nothing grand about it.  However it is mine and I love it!  Since the front porch is the very first thing people see when they come for a visit I wanted to make a statement.  I wanted my guests to feel welcome into my home before they even put one foot across the threshold.

The inspiration for my whole porch started with the black and white polka dotted pillow.  Everything else feel into place around that.  Sometimes having just one piece that you really love can inspire you to create a whole room that you love to be in. 

I found a glider bench and topped it with a green cushion.  By the way green is a great neutral color! You can use green with cool and warm colors alike.  I threw a few complimentary pillows on it and wa-la...a great inviting place to sit, watch the kids play and have a glass of wine. 

 

I chose to use an over-sized outdoor utility mat instead of a traditional door mat because it is my personal opinion that larger items have a more powerful impact.  All I did to the mat was flip it over and paint white polka dots and one green flower on the underside of the mat using outdoor paint to match my theme.  I used a stencil, but you can free hand it if you have mad skills.  You can create any design you want! 

I utilized an old wreath that I have had for years.  To freshen it up I sprayed it with a coat of green 

spray paint (the same color I used for the green the green flower on the door mat).  From a craft store, I purchased a wooden letter M and spray painted it black.  From the same craft store I purchased a roll of polka dotted ribbon.  I tied the ribbon to the letter M and here is your finished product. 

From this side of design,
Rhonda

2/4/13

WRAPPING PAPER STATION

I got so tired of taking my cloth hamper apart to wash it so I bought a metal one for my laundry room.  Now I'm left with this ugly, stained hamper.  Hmmmm, what can I do with it?  I know, I'll put my wrapping paper in it!

I washed and dried it so the surface would be clean. Then I spray painted it.  I used Krylon Metallic Gold paint for mine.  You can go wild and paint it whatever color you would like.  Have fun and get creative!

Allow it time to dry before you add your supplies. I let mine dry for 2 hours. I added rolls of wrapping paper, gift bags and tissue to mine.  Even though I know I won't wrap the gift until I am walking out the door, at least I know where to find all of my supplies.  Baby steps, friends, baby steps.

What will you use yours for? I would love to hear from you!

From this side of design,
Rhonda


  


1/30/13

INTRODUCTION

 

It is my personal goal to create a home, over the course of the next year, that I can walk into after a long day, throw my keys down on the counter, look around and let out a BIG sigh of relief. I AM HOME! A clean, clutter free, organized home...that is my goal!

I would like to personally encourage you to take this journey with me. Cleaning and organizing a house can be so overwhelming! It is not going to happen overnight...don't be discouraged. Through small steps and MAINTENANCE (completed projects need to be maintained to remain completed projects), we will achieve a home that is ready to enjoy what life has to offer at a moments notice. What a liberating feeling!!!

So, it is now February of 2013 and I'm getting started. Each project that I undertake, I am going to share with you. A lot of the projects that I will be doing will be small, but collectively they should have a GRAND impact.