though YOUR front door: official launch!

A few months ago, a wonderful reader contacted me, inquiring about a paint color in an image I had posted.  One email led to another, and before long, we were knee deep discussing the design of her beautiful mountain home.  After several emails back and forth, she sent me a particular email that grabbed my attention; she suggested I start some sort of q&a series on my blog.  Today, that q&a series is being launched.  Deborah, thank you for the inspiration.  Ladies and gentlemen....“Through YOUR Front Door.”

At this point you’re probably wondering what exactly “Through YOUR Front Door” is.  Well, it’s quite simple.  Do you have a pesky design dilemma in your home that you just can’t seem to solve?  Maybe the color you painted your wall just doesn’t seem quite right.  Perhaps you can’t figure out how to arrange some of your furniture in a tricky room.  Or maybe, you just have an empty space that you don’t know what to do with it.  That’s where “Through YOUR Front Door” comes in.      

“Through YOUR Front Door” is a two-week series, taking place every Monday.  During the first week of the series, I will go through all the dilemmas you guys submitted, pick one, and then post it for you all to see.  When the second week rolls around, I will post my advice/design/solution for the aforementioned dilemma.        

There are several ways to submit your space.  I was lucky enough to get to work with the oh-so-lovely Dana from five30three to help show you how.  

For Bloggers

The first way to submit your space is to write a blog post describing your design dilemma (and be sure to post at least one picture of the problem space).  Then, scroll to the bottom of my blog post, and link up!  For those of you who don’t know what that means, grab the button at the bottom of the page, put it at the top of your post, write your post, and then put a link to your post back on my page (click where it says "click here to enter" and follow the steps).  Each week, you will be allowed to add your link until Thursday at 11:59pm, so that gives you four days to write your post and join the club.  To see a wonderful example of how to do this, hop on over to Dana’s blog. 

For Facebookers

If you aren’t a blogger, don’t worry – you can still join the party!  All you have to do is like Kirsten Danielle Design on Facebook, post a picture of your space on the wall, and describe your predicament.  Again, please do this by Thursday at 11:59pm.

For Everyone Else

If you aren’t a blogger AND you aren’t on Facebook, just send me an email (kirsten@kirstendanielle.com) describing your design dilemma…and be sure to attach your pictures.  While any of these methods work great, I would LOVE if you would do one of the first two options.  That way, other people can see what is all being submitted, and maybe even vote on the ones they want to see the final results of.   

Now that all of that mumble jumble is out of the way…let’s get to the fun part: the series!  Here is a snapshot of our first dilemma.  To view the whole story, head on over to five30three.  

Everybody, meet Dana.

Dana is the mastermind behind five30three.  She lives in a two-bedroom condo in Chicago with her husband and ADORABLE little baby.  When her little bundle of joy was born, their office turned into a nursery, forcing all of their office-y smart people books out onto shelves in the living room. 

Since her condo has an open floor plan, these shelves are visible from all of the public areas.  When she's entertaining, she wants to have some pretty things to look at instead of just books.  

So, Dana’s design dilemma: 

How do you create stylized bookshelves that are both beautiful and functional? 

To see the results, click here

Don't forget to submit your spaces by Thursday!  Below is the button to include in your posts.

<center><a href="http://kirstenerickson.blogspot.com/p/through-your-front-door.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Through the Front Door" src="http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j256/kiRstYbaBe23/TYFD5.jpg"/></a></center>

Want to help spread the word?  Grab the code for the blog hop and share that on your post too!

a little sunday love

I should really be studying...but I keep getting distracted.  And, I have some seriously exciting news: my spoon ring tutorial is going to be published!  Like for reals.  In an actual magazine.  HOW CRAZY IS THAT?!  I'm SO excited.  Although now I have to think of a title for the article I'm writing...and I'm drawing a blank.  Any ideas?

On another note, I have some amazing friends.  One of my beautiful best friends Emma co-hosts a radio show every Saturday morning over at MyTalk 107.1 called the Weekend Dirt.  It's hilariously entertaining.  And even though she's in Minneapolis, you can stream it online from anywhere in the country...so do it.  Saturday mornings, 9-11 central time.

Well, I was packing and moving yesterday, and I didn't get a chance to listen.  So this evening, when I was doing homework, I decided to put it on.  Here I am, studying and minding my own business, when all of a sudden, I hear Emma give a shout out to my blog - the spoon ring tutorial in particular!  Oh Emma, I love you.  I feel like I know a legit celebrity.

Last thing before I make myself go back to the dreaded books.  TOMORROW is the big launch of "Through YOUR Front Door!"  Are you excited?!  Dana and I have been emailing back and forth all weekend getting ready, and we can't wait.  See you back here bright and early?

PS...look over there ---->  We're almost at 500,000 page views?!  Whoa.  You all are so wonderful!

suitcase storage

Aaah I'm so in love with this Friday's favorite item.  Those of you that know me know about my unhealthy obsession with the color turquoise, but what you may not know about is my even worse obsession with the store Z Gallerie.  Hands down, no questions asked, every time I go into the store, I want to buy EVERYTHING.  Their designs completely resonate with my style - it's a match made in heaven.

So, without further ado, my favorite item from this week: Z Gallerie's Veneto Suitcases in Aquamarine.

 

I love the idea of finding creative alternatives for storing your items, and these beauties would make a lovely accent in any room.  Let's be honest, if you took that picture below, added pops of turquoise with the luggage above, you'd be left with nothing short of amazingness.   

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I hope you all have a lovely weekend...and don't forget to check back here on Monday for the oh-so-exciting launch of "through YOUR front door!"

antique inspired frames

Have you all seen this adorable picture floating around Pinterest?  I think it just to die for, and it showcases just one of the many ways that you can use fun, vintage frames in your wedding decor.

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I am head-over-heels in love with these frames and think they should be used everywhere...and when I say everywhere, I don't just mean your wedding.  They are so versatile that they can be used in nearly every room of the house.  Don't believe me?  Then check out Michelle's AZ house over at 4 Men 1 Lady.

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Painting an ornate frame a fresh, bold hue adds a modern twist to an otherwise vintage element, and acts as the perfect accent piece for any space.  And while I can't speak for you, I can say seeing that adorable frame would definitely make my hand-washing more fun. 

 
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If bold colors aren't your thing, painting the frames white or black can give you that same pop you're looking for.  Or, if you just aren't one for contrast, try the white on white approach.  It's a great way to break up the wall without overwhelming it. {ps - don't you just adore the trellis pattern Michelle stenciled on the ceiling?}

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So, am I right or am I right?  Michelle's house is absolutely breathtaking, isn't it?  To see the rest of it, head on over and take a look!

a closet catastrophe

I can't believe it...I only have two - count that - TWO more weeks in Colorado.  How sad is that?!  It's so bittersweet.  I'm excited to get back and see everyone in Minnesota, but...I absolutely adore Denver and don't want to leave.  Seeing as I'm moving in two weeks, in between trying to finish up final projects and get ready for finals, I'm doing the thing I detest more than anything: packing and moving.

Somehow, I've acquired SO MUCH STUFF, and I've even sent suitcases upon suitcases home over the past few months.  Nearly all of my clothes are now back in MN, which brings me to the main reason for this post - our closet.  We are fortunate enough to have a generously sized walk-in closet...but despite that, now that my clothes have been put in there as well as Noels, it literally looks like a bomb went off inside.  I had a picture to share with you, but now it has somehow disappeared (which is probably for the best).  However, this is what it looked like before all of Noel's clothes were in there, and before any of mine were.  Just imagine this, with clothes literally piled to the ceiling.  It's awful, I know.

There are two main reasons our closet is such a disaster.  First of all, we both need to do some serious purging.  Nope, not just me, both of us.  I happen to be blessed with a fiance with more clothes than your typical girl.  Add that to mine, and our home is exploding with clothes.

The other reason it's such a catastrophe is because although our closet is a decent size, there is NO storage in there.  So what is it going to take to get this closet it tip-top shape?  We'll add two levels of hanging space along the left, and then install several shelving units along the right wall...and hopefully end up with something beautiful like this:    

Closet Inspiration by kirstendanielle featuring Zara brooches

love your state

We're kicking off a new series today called "Friday Favorites," where each Friday I'll share my favorite find from the week.  What's up first on the hot list?  These beautiful watercolor paintings by Poppy & Pinecone.

 "Minnesota Love"

"Lake Superior Love"

"Colorado Love"

I'm in love.  And I want all three. 

wedding wednesday: doilies

Back when doilies were first created (by an English dude named nothing other than Doily, for real) their main purpose was to act as a mat beneath objects.  However, as their commercialization occurred, their versatility grew and now doilies are used for everything...especially in weddings.

Love this invitation featured on Oh So Beautiful Paper.

While I am all about repurposing old items and creating something new, today for wedding wednesday, we're going to bring it back home.  Since doilies were originally used to be placed underneath objects (mainly to protect the woodwork below), here are two ideas you can use when you're entertaining to add a touch of elegance to your table.

Doily Placemat Name Cards
This idea is so simple and easy, yet it adds some serious glam to your tabletop.  If you're hosting a large gathering and don't want to do dishes, you can use clear plastic plates and it will still look stunning.

Martha Stewart always has such clever ideas.

All you have to do is buy large doilies (just slightly larger than your plate), write each person's name in the middle, set the table, and enjoy!  Easy as pie!

Doily Table Runner

Another way to bring doilies to life on your table top is to sew them together (the fabric ones), and create a table runner.  Super fast, super easy, super beautiful.

To view the whole tutorial, check out Under the Sycamore.

Helpful hint: looking for a place to buy the paper doilies?  Check out my amazon store.
Happy Wednesday!

three steps to achieve the open cabinet look

It is a well known fact that when remodeling your house, you get the biggest bang for your buck in kitchens in bathrooms.  With kitchen remodeling being all the rage, it can get very easy to get carried away.  One thing turns into another, and before you know it you are looking at a $70,000 kitchen remodel.  Sure, everything looks gorgeous and wonderful, but the likelihood that you'll be able to recoup that value?  Very slim.

With all of that being said, one of the driving forces that leaves a kitchen feeling dated is the cabinets.  New cabinets can cost thousands of dollars, and while if you don't get carried away it can be completely worth it, here is another approach you can try for far less money.

Open cabinets are a huge trend that have been showing up all over the internet and in design magazines everywhere.  The clean, streamlined storage solutions gives off a contemporary vibe that will instantly update your house.  However, if you are going to do it, you need to do it right.  So here are three pointers to help you get the job done.

1.  Keep clutter to a minimum.
When you decide to opt out of cupboard doors, you are exposing your mess to the world.  You want to keep the items you display simple and clean, and you can accomplish this in a number of ways.  First of all, group like items together.  Stack plates and bowls, and anything else that can be easily organized.  I would suggest picking a color scheme and sticking with it.  One example would be to display all of your white dishes and vases.  If you want to add some accents, stick to 2 or 3 colors, or keep everything all within the same color family.  The moral of the story is to make everything looks cohesive.  Instead of thinking of these shelves as a place to store your dishes, think of it as one large artwork display.

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Above you can see how a select number of colors were stratgically used in the items displayed on the open shelves, and the number of items displayed were kept to a minimum.  Simplicity is key.  

2. Add contrast.

To make the items you are displaying really pop, paint the back of your shelves a different color.  I also love the added touch of the beadboard that lines the back of many of the cabinets.  This helps the cabinets to feel like they are their own entity, instead of just some cabinets you took the doors off of.  If painting the back of your cabinets a bright color is too bold a move for you, you can achieve the same contrast in the accessories (as you can see in the second image below).  

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If serious contrast isn't your style, you can still achieve a similar affect by using a color that is just slightly darker than the color of your cabinets.  This provides slight visual difference, without going to an extreme. 

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3.  Make the shelves look like built-ins.

If you simply just take the doors off of your cabinets, its going to look like an afterthought.  It won't have the same effect as built in open shelves that were intentionally put there.  As I said earlier, you want to treat the items you are displaying as artwork, so if your dinnerware is the art, your cabinets are the frames.  If all of your cabinets are open to one another (as you can see in the top image) the cabinets don't feel built in, and the center posts feel unnecessary.  So you have one of two options: get rid of them, or build them out.  Personally, I like the idea of embracing them, and just adding a little more wood behind them.    

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Although I think the image above could benefit from a little addition of wood behind the center posts, I must say the display techniques of the items is wonderful!

By building out the center posts and making them span to the back of your cupboards, not only have you achieved a more custom, built in look, but you have successfully "framed" the artwork you wish to display.  The picture below depicts this idea beautifully.  If you look back up through all the gorgeous examples, you can see just how well the cabinets are framing their contents.

 
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 With that, I wish you the best of luck with your kitchen remodeling...and as always, let me know if you have any questions!