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Rug Flipping!

30 Jan

Yesterday I was vacuuming our living room rug, which I am growing quite tired of, and I flipped it over to vacuum underneath it.

It’s a pretty rug, by Surya: it’s black with gray (cool gray…slightly green) large-scale spots on it, and it fits our colors nicely. It works well as a soft place where my son can build things, like ergonomic stands for the iPad (I am a proud mama). It’s getting older and has been well loved. It looks like this:

Rug Flipping

It’s a fine rug. But I’m a designer, and I get tired of things. Plus right now I’m in a neutral phase (or at least I think it’s a phase, but that remains to be seen).

Anyway, when I flipped it over I saw this: Rug Backing

It’s perfect. Neutral, slightly masculine, simple, and lovely.

So I flipped the whole rug over. My son helped. We talked about how “flat weave” means “no shoes.” He gets it. Completely gets it.

Rug Flipping

I layered a little throw rug on top of it, and there it is. I love it. Thinking this will last for a while…

 

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

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Happy Monday!

25 Nov

This weekend was a good one. I’ve been pretty sick (cold, cough, more coughing, bruised or cracked rib from coughing, horribly painful coughing, more coughing…) but am finally feeling MUCH better, and it was nice to have a break from a month of feeling yucky.

I wanted to share a few pictures from the weekend that I thought were fun. First of all, I was inspired by this DIY paper-bow tutorial I saw on Pinterest. It’s not in English, but it’s very easy to follow via the pictures, which are below.

DIY Paper Bows

2013-11-25 08.03.53 am

 

We made a few bows, and then we put one on the cat. Because why not.

 

Cat Bowtie

 

On Sunday, a long-time client of mine had a rug show at her gorgeous home. I snapped this photo of some of the rugs and a guest’s perfectly color-coordinated shoes.

rugs

 

Colors make me so happy. And so do bespoke cat accessories.

Enjoy the week!

 

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Color Friday is: Teal!

22 Feb

I’m pretty convinced this is the *it* color right now. I have three clients who are using some variation of it on their walls, in their furnishings, and as vibrant accents throughout the home. It’s slowly becoming one of my favorites, too.

Color Friday is Teal!

Doors. Room. Paint (source unknown).

Here are some of my favorite teal picks – many of them are better deals than you might guess! Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Color Friday is Teal!

Lamp. Chair (via Gilt). Pillow.  Rug. Book.  Table (via Joss & Main). Shoe. Blanket.

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Color Friday is: Black!

18 Jan

I haven’t done one of these Color Fridays in a while. So I’ll ease back into it with an easy, looks-good-on-everything color: BLACK!

Beautiful Black Rooms

(Top via Benjamin Moore, Bottom L via Pinterest (source unknown), Bottom R via Elle Decor)

I know black can be pretty dramatic. Some people find it depressing or too dark or moody. But I LOVE it. I think it’s a happy medium between serious masculinity and glamorous femininity. Lots of clients are gravitating toward black floors and railings, which I think is extraordinarily beautiful…dusty and fingerprinty…but beautiful and worth it. I find black to be a wildly sophisticated and easy to work with color, so bring on the black!

Any of these items would be lovely in a room with equally dark walls, gallery whites, or pastel brights. One of the best things about black is its versatility. Not only does it pair well with almost everything, but it is just as at home with grandma’s antiques as it is with the acrylic ghost chair you ordered last week.

Color Friday is: Black!

Clockwise from pendant at top:   Pendant.   Mohair Pillow.   Globe.   Table Lamp.  Chest.   Rug.  Table.   Chalk.

 

Enjoy! And have a great long weekend!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Alternatives to the Traditional Train Table.

3 Jan

I would venture to guess that if you have a child, particularly a boy, at some point you are going to feel compelled to get a train set. And, similarly to what happens when you give a mouse a cookie, if you get your kid a train set, said kid is going to want a train table to go with it.

train table alternatives

In my house, we had to head that off before it even started for a few reasons.

1.) We live in a great condo that has enough space for our little family, but we don’t feel like it accommodates a train table in a way that allows us to still feel like we are adults with adult things, and 2.) given the previous reason, a ten square foot train table is about ten square feet too many of a stationary toy that has a single purpose. So, our solution was simple. We got a rug that serves virtually the same purpose as a train table PLUS a million others. Ours is no longer available, but this one is similar.

Here are five rugs that will substitute for a train table pretty seamlessly. Of course you are still without the train table storage, but a simple cube ottoman in a coordinating solid color will handle that problem quite well.

train table alternatives

 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

The best part about all of these rugs is that they meet my #1 “must” requirement for rugs in childrens’ rooms: they’re not too expensive. Because in addition to trains and cars, you’re almost guaranteed that someone will take a juice box for a spin on it at one point or another.

Now excuse me while I go play trains…

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Color Friday is: Rainbow!

3 Aug

I love this one! I should do it once a month. There are just so many rainbow-colored goodies out there, I can’t resist sharing them with you as I find them. So here are eight beautiful objects, each bursting with color!! (And if you’re hungry for more, check out an earlier Rainbow-themed Color Friday here.)

Rainbow Chandelier, $105 or DIY;  Gift Wrap Paper, $4.50;  Tumbler, $58;  Cosmetic Case, $88;  Tectonic Floor Rug, $299-$399;  Rainbow Chair;  Original Art, $3,000;  Cushion Cover, $7

 
Enjoy your weekend! Hope it’s a good one!

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Pop Quiz: High or Low?

31 Jul

It’s fun to buy things for people. But you know what’s especially fun? To be able to track down an item for a client that fits his or her budget, when they previously believed their preferred “look” was out of reach. Sometimes it is, but usually it’s not. Take these three items below, for example. A fancy settee, a glamorous side table, and a graphic rug. All are truly good quality items, which is important (because when you find a beautiful rug for $500, it’s worth $5 if it falls apart on you), but some will set you back a lot less than the others. Either way, score any of these and you’re on your way to a beautiful room. Can you tell which is the “high” and which is the “low”? If you can, respond in the comments. I’ll post the answers later this week!

 

Here are the rugs: which is less per square foot, but no less stylish?

 

Here are the side tables: how much green are you willing to spend for your bronze?


And here are the settees: one costs a lot more money, but they both only seat two.

 

Answers later this week!  I wonder if you’ll be surprised…

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

 

Land of Nod Steals…for Adults!

11 Jul

Luxury is wonderful. But sometimes, a deal is even better. This simple fact is one of the reasons that I love love LOVE to peruse child-centric designs from time to time: there is always a deal to be found. Provided of course, that your adult-taste is whimsical, colorful, fun, and youthful. On that note, these new Land of Nod products do not disappoint. Here are five picks that would fit in many grown-up spaces beautifully, and for a fraction of the cost of what you’d pay at an “adult” store! Enjoy the whimsy…and the unexpected savings!

1.) Little Twigs Wall Mirror, $219; 2.) Licorice Rope Rainbow Pendant, $149; 3.) Magnificent Metal Letters, $34 each; 4.) Aquarium Gravel Rug, $299 and up; 5.) Camp Throw Pillows, $29 and up

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Mood Boards for Monday!

29 May

I like to share my work on my blog, and there’s nothing I like to share more than the process of design. With many – or even most – of my clients, I like to start off with mood boards. My mood boards are typically the kick-off to a multi-step process, and are usually presented when we’re still getting to know each other. They allow me to get a better handle on my clients’ preferences, and allow my clients to experiment with stepping outside of their comfort zone. Sometimes people go on to buy lots of items that I’ve featured on a mood board. Sometimes we mix the options up and ultimately create a blend of all of the boards. Sometimes they are in love with a particular item that happens to be in price range that is unfathomable, so we use it for inspiration.

This weekend I presented a new set of living room boards to a couple who just purchased a home right outside of the city. I gave them three options, and I’d love to share them with you here. They had a definite, no-contest, absolutely-positively-sure-about-it favorite. Can you guess which one it is?

 

Here’s the first option:

 

And the second:

 

And the third (which was a bonus, as we’d agreed on two):

 

Which one is your favorite? …and is the same as my client’s?

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Color Friday is: Ombre!

25 May

Much like “floral“a few weeks ago, “ombre” isn’t really a color, but it’s a trend that’s pretty popular right now. Therefore, today’s Color Friday is Ombre! The term refers to the slight gradation of color from one shade to another, or from one hue to another. Here are a few examples:

A single instance of ombre can range from bright red to pale yellow (as seen in the flowers above), or from a very subtle green to a rich deep green, which keeps the ombre within the same hue (seen in the chic dresser above). It also refers to a hair color technique that is fairly popular right now, where your highlights or “color” is concentrated towards the tips and the natural or darker color is at the roots: a style which I have unintentionally – but fashionably! – been rocking for some time now. Another place we’re seeing a lot of ombre lately, and I kid you not, is cakes (shown above): the Pinterest crowd surely knows what I mean! 

Anyway…ombre is, in a word, pretty. And gentle. And feminine. And modern. In short: most paint chips you see, with the progression from light to dark, are ombre. Below are some lovely ombre picks. Enjoy!

Clockwise from clutch at top: Bruna Ombre Clutch, $195 (image via Calypso St.Barth); Kevin O’Brien Ombre Lilac Velvet Pillow, $218 (image via ABC Carpet and Home); Ombre Laundry Basket from Umbra, $20 (image via Container Store); Ombre Water Pitcher, $25 (image via Uncommon Goods); Le Creuset Heritage Cast Iron Oval Doufeu, $370 (image via Williams Sonoma); Purple Ombre Rug from Liora Manne, price on request (image via lioramanne.com); Wooden Ombre Vase from West Elm, $29 and up (image via West Elm); Dipped Spice Celler Set from Leif, $45 (image via LeifShop); Wedding Stationery from Paper Freckles, price on request (image via Brides); Silk Ombre Ribbon, source unknown – try any craft store.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

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