I MUST make one for my very own.

This is my current living room color scheme. Greens, browns, ivories, natural wood tones, etc.

I love these colors and I’m consistently drawn to them wherever I go. BUT, I’m interested in branching out to include a few additional colors in my living room scheme. My inspiration is Orla Kiely’s mulit-colored Stem Print pattern. I first saw this pattern a couple of years ago on some design blog and I just love it! I can’t afford $200 + for her Stem Print pillow-but, it’s just too cute! I guess I am going to have to figure out an alternative even if it means hacking my own version. (I’m thinking about attempting this by creating a petal-shaped pattern, cutting petals out of different $.50 felt sheets and ironing them on a linen background, maybe with a little hand-stitching thrown in for good measure. Gimpy? Maybe.)

I love these Marimekko fabrics and I’d love to have one of these patterns in my living room somewhere. Problem is, the patterns are all very large in scale so they wouldn’t do well for pillows. I have been considering adding a bold patterned curtain to my LR windows so one of these prints could work. It’s just that they’re over $50 per yard and I need 5 1/2 yards. YIKES! Not happening. The other option is to get a single yard of my favorite pattern and stretch it over a canvas. This is a really popular way of displaying Marimekko fabrics, probably because they’re so pricey (and they make great art). Hmm…what to do what to do….

A few more MooCard ideas:

We just got this new duvet from Anthropologie over the weekend. I’ve had my eye on it for ages and It was way on sale so I jumped on it. I absolutely love it. The duvet pictured is slightly different from the one we purchased at Anthropologie. Ours has green/yellow/peach birds instead of the blue/orange/gold birds as shown. I’m not convinced that the blue shade on our bedroom walls is working with the new duvet though. The color would have worked perfectly with the other chinoiserie duvet (with the blue/orange birds) but at the time of purchase, I did not realize there were two different color-ways. Oh well. The pattern rocks and I am making it work no matter what even if that means painting the walls. *think* Yes, I will be painting the walls, I just decided. I will be on the lookout for the perfect shade of greige….stay tuned.

Speaking of Anthropologie, I am hoping to infuse a bit of its’ eclectic vintage feel into our bedroom’s decor. For starters, I’m going to replace the ceiling fan with a crystal chandelier. YES, I said crystal chandelier. It’s going to be awesome! It’s from my parents’ dining room in the 1920’s co-op they just bought. I am also going to make a tufted upholstered headboard. ( I’ve had the foam core for months but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.) Next I will get a large 8 x 10 rug which will cover a good bit of the wood floors and soften the entire look of the room. I’d like something very textural like woven heathered-jute.

(By the way, none of these projects will be attended to until the summer time if I have money by then.)

I’m finally going to order some Moo MiniCards. I’ve always wanted a reason to order some and I think they will help me decide if I like the idea of miniature business cards. They are smaller than what I’d prefer, 1.1″ x 2.75″, but they’ll be close enough to give me an idea of what to expect if I decide to get cards that are 1.25″ x 3″. What I like about Moo cards, so I’ve heard, is that they are printed on a thicker card stock than a regular business card and they have a lovely matte finish. You can also order up to 100 different designs, meaning I will be able to test out ALL of my ideas until I find the few I like best. Here are a few more:

By the way, if you’re looking at this, leave a comment with your thoughts about these designs.

Been working on some ideas for my business card. I’ve decided to have them cut to 1.25″ x 3″ instead of the standard 2″ x 3.5″. I will also get them with rounded corners.

Back Side:

Front Side:

Other Options:

What is a mood board? Take a look….

• Paint Colors
• Flooring
• Furniture
• Window Coverings
• Rugs
• Lighting
• Textiles
• Accessories
• and more…. 

The design plan will presented on a concept board, commonly known by designers as a “mood board”. A mood board is a collage of inspiration photos, paint colors, textiles, flooring, furniture, lighting and other elements that make up a room. I create my mood boards digitally using a graphics editing program called Adobe Photoshop. Created this way, they can be viewed from a person’s computer, uploaded to the web, or printed as a hard copy. Anyone can create a mood board, either digitally or physically as in the case of traditional collage making. I encourage everyone interested in home decor to learn how to make their own mood boards. They are an invaluable and inspirational tool for everyone from beginners to seasoned professionals. That being said, not everyone has the time or the know how to put elements together to create a cohesive design plan. That’s where I come in. Clients will send me detailed photos of their spaces, explaining what their dilemmas are. Next we’ll go through a short question and answer session via the internet that will enable me to better understand their likes and dislikes. I will then get right to work creating their custom mood boards. That’s it! In about a week or so I will have designed a plan that they can implement at their own pace whenever they’re ready. Of course, I will be available to help with the implementation process and can be of assistance as a personal shopper for as little as $25/hour.

Common Questions and Answers:

Q. How much does a custom mood board cost?
A. Interior designers are among some of the highest paid professionals in this day and age. In fact, clients must pay literally hundreds of thousands of dollars for design services. My approach is different in that I aim to provide an affordable service that anyone can access, at a fraction of the cost. Rather than paying costly designer premiums, my clients will be able to order their custom mood boards for just $200. However, as an introductory offer I will be designing custom mood boards for just $50 to the first 5 people to sign up. The next 10 people will receive their custom mood boards for $100. This includes a complete visual design plan with specific instructions on every element in the room. The elements will be numbered with the price and source, along with additional suggestions and ideas for each element.

Q. How soon will I get my custom mood board?
A. The turn around time for CMB’s are about a week.

Q. What do I do after I receive my custom mood board?
A. Every element on the mood board will have specific instructions enabling you to go at your own pace and budget to complete the project.

Q. I don’t think I can do this by myself. Can you help me?
A. Of course! For $25/hour including travel time I can come to your home and help you get started. I can even go shopping with you and help you pick out the elements. Whatever you need, even if it is just someone to bounce ideas off of, I can be of assistance.

Q. What if I can only afford to purchase a custom mood board and nothing else?
A. The great thing about a mood board is that it’s an all-in-one, comprehensive design plan. Many people spend months and months making purchase after purchase in an effort to decorate their homes, yet they still wind up dissatisfied and possibly even more confused about what they want. This is because they have not had a specific direction and focused plan of action. My advice? Get a plan FIRST, then at your own pace you can start saving to put the plan into affect. Perhaps you only have a $100 budget. Wonderful! Take that $100 and purchase something off of your custom mood board. You won’t have to feel guilty about making an impulse buy because you know you’ve purchased something that’s a part of an overall design plan. It will all come together in time and having a goal to work towards is so much more comforting (not to mention cost effective!) than being confused and disappointed that you don’t have it all together. Of course, if money is no object, you’ll be able to implement the plan right away, seeing the complete project through in as little time as it takes to purchase and install all the elements.

I will be adding to and editing as time goes along but I just wanted to start somewhere by getting this information posted.