Un-Neutralize Your Room - Shosh Shows You How Wednesday A.M.

Hello fellow lovers of all things fun and creative!


Is your room too neutral for you?  Get that color back into your space with simple tips I will share on WFMZ TV 69 News At Sunrise this Wednesday at 8:40 am.  And of course I will share cool DIY ideas.  If you miss it, check back with LOVEYOURROOM at the end of the day to watch the video and get a break down of where to get the products I used.  I will have 3 surprise guests.  .........and let me know what you think of my new haircut and color.  


In the meantime, check out these timely trends in interior design and decor topics I wrote for Houzz recently (just click on the title below) :


Color: Dressing Up With Navy Blue
 - Add Sophistication to Upholstery and Walls With This Seductive Hue

Mixing & Matching Bedding 
- 10 Tips on How To Outfit Your Bed With Contrasting Patterns

Hang A Tapestry 
- Add Warmth and Drama to a Room With a Beautiful Fabric Wall Hanging


Check Out This Series On Creating Rooms That Showcase Your Style & Not What Is 'In Style'
Dining Rooms With A Personal Stamp Of Style 
- Let Loose With Favorite Colors and Finds On and Around the Table



Living Rooms With A Personal Stamp Of Style
- Get Inspired to GIve Your Main Hangout Space a Look That's Yours Alone
Bedrooms With A Personal Stamp Of Style
- Connect With Your Space With Color, Collections and Accessories With a Story

The NEW LYR Studio is shaping up nicely!  This is a peek at our progress (the chandelier above the table is causing some shadows to appear on the stripe treatment).  The rest of the space is currently filled with boxes, catalogs, samples, and tons of this and that EVERYWHERE.  Want to see a little more?  CLICK HERE.


It has been a slow renovation because of the traveling our team has been doing.  I should have a t-shirt made up that reads "Please bear with us as we renovate."  In the meantime, if you are looking for some brilliantly bold decor ideas and advice, I highly recommend this little cute book Jonathan Adler wrote:

It is not expensive either.  I am a huge fan of Jonathan's because he infuses fun with chicness into every space he designs.  I hope Jonathan would agree with the series of idea books I just completed for Houzz that centers around the belief that homes should be decorated with looks that applaud not our good taste, but our personal, creative take on design.  You can view the features here- BEDROOMS and LIVING ROOMS (DINING ROOMS will be published soon).


There has been a great deal of positive comments from Houzz readers agreeing with this approach to design.  Of course, as I just found out today, along with a positive force of creativity, comes negative spirits.


I just received a 'not so nice' comment to a post idea I had on my LYR blog.  At first I was as sad as the cats whiskers as David Bowie says (who wouldn't be).  Whenever you have the guts to put yourself out there, there is the chance some one will voice a negative opinion.  BUT it means they took notice, so to the negative 'commenter', I want to say thanks for visiting my blog and reading it.

This comes on the heels of a crazy day that began with gum on the shoe in the mall parking lot, and ended with this.  My poor Pilot:

After carrying my car home over my shoulder (because Honda never gave me the special key tool needed to unlock my lug nut). I am throwing salt over my shoulder and moving on.  


Safety Tip- look at the lug nuts on your cars' wheels.  If one looks like this 

that means it requires a special key tool to remove it.  This type of locked lug nut keeps your wheels and tires from getting stolen, BUT also keeps you from being able to fix a flat tire.  MAKE SURE you have this key tool with you when driving.


Let your imagination rule today!

I'm Back With A Lot Of Ideas

Hello friends!

Sorry I was gone for April.  It has been one of those fly by night months, gone faster than a speeding bullet.  I missed blogging so much so I am christening this post with a glass of champagne!  I can't wait to share with you all the projects I am working on and the fantastic people I have met!  I have been all over the place.  I wish I could get car mile points like the airlines give out.  Sadly no, just spending lots of dough on gas which goes up so fast; it is up five cents as I write this-now ten cents!!

For this blog post I am attempting to recap all the bits of fun design info I have been involved in since my last post.  I have a before and after to show you that made me so happy because it has been a year since I did the design; Also I included articles from some amazing print publications I have been involved in for March and April that are full of great tips on some timely topics.  And have you heard of Houzz.com?  It's a great place to get detailed ideas on every design and decor dilemna you can think of.  I am writing featured ideabooks for them now (so fun!!).  Below I have shared a DIY that was featured today.  

April wasn't all work and no play for me.  I also flew to Florida for some family time (first vacation in a year!).  That is my cool Dad in the blue hat.  This was the first photo taken of me without a drink in my hand!

1. THIS JUST IN!

I was just told by Roeshel, creator of DIY Showoff, a wonderful and popular blog all about renovations, before and after home improvements, DIY design and decor on a budget, that she will be including a link to my how-to create a photo gallery in tomorrow's post!  Thank you Roeshel! And thank you to all those DIY lovers who stop by!!  CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW TO CREATE A PHOTO GALLERY POST.

2. IT'S DIY TIME

If you ever wondered the wall of circles in my home office was created, or just want to know how to re-use a pizza box, you can see step by step instructions featured on Houzz.  

3. Publications I Was Featured In Recently

Get all my tricks and tips on how to make A SMALL ROOM FEEL LARGER published in the Hakol Newspaper March 2011- CLICK HERE to read it (pg 2-3)!

Get my easy to add ideas on HOW TO CREATE A MEMORABLE GUEST ROOM published in the Hakol Newspaper March 2011- CLICK HERE to read it (pg 8-9)!

Care For Your Outdoor Furniture- Refurbish And Replacement Options

As the days get longer, it¹s getting on time to pull the patio furniture out of storage and plant it next to the garden for the spring and summer. If it’s looking worn, you have a choice: refurbish or replace it. Read what to do in The Morning Call Newspaper Sunday Feature April 11, 2011 edition- CLICK HERE.

4. A designs by Shoshana Room Transformation

A Master Bedroom Transforms From A Bare Space To A Deep Rich Tuscan Getaway

My clients Kelly and Wayne wanted to create a haven that mixed their taste of a simple natural feel and their love of Italy.  They also had a major request to incorporate a sentimental quilt and pillows hand made by Kelly's mom.  This was a challenge for me because I wanted to use the rich warm colors found in Tuscan style.  The beautifully made quilt was crisp white with soft green and bits of yellow in it.  My solution was to use the quilt at the end of the bed as an accent throw and tie it in with the walls through the soft green.  

Here is the beautiful quilt-

Here is the BEFORE and AFTER 
taken with my new iphone

AFTER

The changes made were cosmetic-easy to achieve! To add the richness that the Tuscan style is soaked in, we added tons of golden Mediterranean colors in brilliant golds, dark bronze (the chandelier and lamps) and rich reds.  We kept the furniture, because heavy warm chunky wood works well with a Tuscan feel.   We used a lighter tone of green on the ceiling and man does it bring up the comfy level in the room!

The focal point became the space above the bed.  As soon as you walk in, it pulls you in.  All we did was find a calendar that had gorgeous pictures of Italy.  They were framed and hung in a tight grouping.

We played up the embellishments, true to Tuscan style, by using fringe on the pillows, layering the window treatments with a creamy diamond patterned sheers, and tassels on the armoire, and beaded trim add to a multi-layered look.

BEFORE

AFTER

5. PROJECT I AM FINISHING UP TOMORROW WITH SJ

If you recall I went on television in March talking about my design for a little boy and a little girls bedroom CLICK HERE to see the news segment.  SJ, Designs by Shoshana's amazingly talented coordinator, and I, have been hard at work executing the plan.  Here is a peek into the DIY pillow solutions for the bedrooms.  Stop by again May 18 to see the bedrooms come to life and the DIY ideas, step by step! - and I can't wait for you to meet SJ.  Soon.  Very soon!!! 

Yes it is vinyl and so fun!!!!!!

6. PRODUCT I AM SO DIGGIN'

I know this is not a design recommendation but this is a new love of mine that I want to share:

Would you like a coffee that packs a powerful packet of hot chocolate in it?  Then welcome to my K-cup Cafe Mocha addiction - who would have thought that something so small could make me so happy!

Voted One of the Top Bedrooms by Houzz Readers & My Headboard/Canopy Ideas Are On HGTV.com

Thank you Houzz readers for voting my master bedroom one of your 16 Top Bedrooms of 2010!  Houzz is a great interior design site to get ideas from.  It is filled with photos taken by designers, decorators, architects, contractors, builders, and anyone else who wants to share a room they created with people all around the world.  To read what went into creating my 'bedroom retreat' CLICK HERE.

And thank you HGTV.com for featuring two of my bed canopy designs on your “Decorating With Bed Crowns” photo gallery. CLICK HERE to see this gallery.  And  for also featuring my headboard idea in your “Budget-Friendly Headboards” photo gallery. CLICK HERE to see this gallery.  These galleries are live on HGTV.com and will be the main galleries on the page when the headboard package launches in early 2011.

To see step by step instructions on how I created the budget friendly guest room headboard CLICK HERE. 

I have more designed spaces that will be published and will blog about them soon.  It is an honor to share my take on design and decor, and almost cooler than the pink, orange, purple, yellow, and blue outfit my 6 year old dressed herself in today (almost every bright color was represented).  You go girl (snap snap)!

Also if you missed my Fave-O-Fave list, CLICK HERE to watch my news segment.  It is jam packed with decorating and decor product ideas! I have  received a lot of positive feedback from viewers and readers.

Ok, time to get down off this high and do the vacuuming that I have been putting off, then back to the office.  I have a living room presentation in two days and I have been too busy getting side-tracked with wrapping gifts, baking cookies and finishing a 500 piece puzzle.  Hope you have a great day!!  


-decadently yours, Shosh