Million Dollar Budget!

So, if you had a million dollar budget, which decorator would you choose?


NATHAN TURNER

















MARY McDONALD














JEFFREY ALAN MARKS

















KATHRYN IRELAND

















MARTYN LAWRENCE-BULLARD

















I think I would choose Mary McDonald.  So who would you pick?

Fashion and Design

I have been enjoying some fashion blogs lately.  I have always loved fashion.  Did you know that when I first started college my major was fashion merchandising?  Yep.  It was.  Anyway, I like fun cheerful colors in my home and my wardrobe too.




Can you believe that Jamie from Thrifty Threads got this darling skirt at Goodwill?!  Such a cute outfit!




This outfit reminds me of this room, with the orange and pale blue and minty green.






I love this room from Megan Young.  Traditional, but young because of the fun colors.




I love this outfit from Kendi Everyday.   She bought that fun pink blazer from a thrift store!




I love the combo of the pink, blue, white, and gold with natural shoes.  It kind of reminds me of this room.



This room from Megan Young has touches of blue, white, and gold interspersed throughout with a bit of pink, and a natural rug.  Love it!




Kristina J. has awesome style.  She actually took two shirts to create this dress!  That's talent!



I love the mix of the floral dress with the navy blue and white striped sweater with the sparkle belt.  It reminds me of this room from Megan Young.



A nice mix of floral chairs with the navy blue and white graphic rug and the silver pouf and lamps.


So, has your wardrobe inspired any decorating lately?

Kitchen Talk and a Recipe

Hubby and I spent the 4th of July weekend painting in the kitchen.  Let me rephrase that.  Hubby spent the 4th of July weekend painting in the kitchen.  I did make seven layer dip and margaritas though!  And I did let him leave to go watch fireworks!

We updated our kitchen about 5 or 6 years ago, and it is time to be updated again.  Our cabinets are white and our island and vent a hood were an antiqued pale blue, left over from my French Country days.  We really didn't like that faux look anymore, so hubby painted them white and it made such a difference!  We also took down the hanging pot rack from over our island and it really opened our small kitchen up.

Up next, new counter tops to replace our granite tiles, a swinging door going into the dining room, and some wallpaper!  Would love to do something like this from China Seas.  Of course I am looking for the budget version!






I will keep you posted.  Anyway, here are some cottage style kitchens that I really like from Southern Living.




Great lucite bar stools, blending modern with traditional.



I love the backsplash, the counter tops, and the modern pulls.  These details keep this kitchen from being boring!





LOVE the collection of white cake stands on the shelves!  What a great idea to put on those open areas on top of the cabinets!



What a cozy eating nook.  So stylish!




Chic gallery wall!  Don't leave artwork out of your kitchen.  And you don't even have to use a rooster motif!

Ikea has a saarinen style table for under $200 if you like that look for your kitchen!










This kitchen is another favorite!  The dining room is a great example of mixing modern and traditional with the antique display case and the lucite chairs!  Love it!

If you like that look, Ikea has some similar chairs to the ones in the dining room.



Pair them with an old dining room table found at the thrift store!




I love the huge ball lighting!  So much better looking than florescent!




Open shelves are perfect for displaying everyday objects like coffee mugs.  Use all white mugs for a more cohesive look!


I do appreciate a modern, streamlined kitchen, but these cottage kitchens that blend new and old are more my style!  All this talk of kitchens has got me hungry.  Here is a recipe for Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie that my family loves!  It is from Paula Deen, so you know its good!  And I always leave out the hard-boiled eggs, and it still tastes delicious!

Designers Who Inspire. #5 Palmer Weiss

Palmer Weiss is a southern lady who lives in San Francisco.  Her interiors reflect her southern roots, but with a modern west coast edge.

All images from Palmer Weiss' portfolio.



The lovely Palmer Weiss



I admire the lighting choices that Palmer chooses in all of her interiors.  The pendant lights over the island bring a modern touch to this traditional kitchen.




The kitchen eating area has beautiful windows and a fun, happy color palette!  The large lantern above the table is a great choice!




I love this wallpaper!  Wallpaper has made a comeback which I am happy about.  I have wallpaper in both of my bathrooms, but I would love to have it in every room!




This living room looks so fresh and cool.  Not your mother's living room, unless your mother is fresh and cool.





Notice how she uses a sculpture on the wall instead of a picture.  It adds great texture to the room.  It  looks like something from the 70s that I might find at the thrift store.  I mean that in a good way!  Actually, I think it is a Curtis Jere wall sculpture that is probably from the 70s.  So if you see something that looks like that at the Goodwill, buy it!






Don't be afraid to use a chest of drawers in the living room.  It is a unique design element in this room.




Palmer could have gone with a more traditional chandelier, but this sphere makes a dramatic statement.  Have fun with your lighting.



Here is a similar look at Home Depot.



The gloss white buffet is a striking contrast to the brown grass cloth, and it ties in to the chairs.




This kitchen is a more modern style.  Check out these Bertoia style bar stools here.




I am longing for a booth in my kitchen, but it is not big enough.  I saw one in a show home back in 1998 and have wanted one ever since.  The pendant light is reminiscent of this one from Ikea.






The sputnik chandelier in the hallway is awesome, but they don't come cheap!  Lamps Plus has a good one that is reasonably priced here.








This modern living room has a 70s bohemian vibe to it that I like!




Never too early to start teaching the kids about good design!  Palmer has two young kids, so her interiors are family friendly.




Sleek bathroom!




A more traditional room!  The color palette of orange and robin's egg blue makes it interesting.




Looks like a cozy place to relax and watch tv!




The zebra print runner adds a touch of drama to this entry way!





A sweet room in raspberry, pink, green, and white.  I love the chandelier with the bare bulbs.  Bulbs without shades is a trendy look these days, but is best used with a dimmer.  If you like the look, buy this one from Ikea and paint it white, or whatever color you desire!






I love the icy blue with the emerald green.  Must incorporate this color combo into my home somewhere.  Immediately.




A traditional room with a more modern style lamp.







I love this room!  I am using this as inspiration for my daughter's bedroom!




Oh my gosh!!  So cute!!!  This room could easily go from a 5 year old to a 15 year old.




I love the mix of the mid-century modern chest with the double gourd lamp with the wallpaper and the seagrass carpet.  Traditional meets modern!




The chair is another modern touch to keep the room from being too sweet.

So do you have a favorite Palmer Weiss room?  Check out the rest of her work here.

To see other Designers Who Inspire, go here, here, here, and here!