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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

In the theme of Changes....

In keeping with the theme of changes, and promising a blog about decor , and well keeping in mind that I like to do things on a small budget...I was pleasantly surprised when flipping through my Better Homes and Gardens magazine for this month.

 Inside the pages there is always wonderful tips for saving money and finding pleasure in life on all levels, this month was no difference, so my copy is very "dog eared" . One of the articles that instantly caught my eye was one by San Francisco interior designer Grant K. Gibson.


I follow him on Face Book, read his blog on a regular basis as well, and have pages in all my fav mags marked where he has been mentioned and showcased. So how great was it to find a spread about a budget re-do for a living room by him??!

The article was titled "Picture Perfect For Less" . This is what he had to work with.....
And then it was tweaked a bit more.....


 already looking better right??? You can go to his blog to see the entire magazine article, his thoughts on things and the final result, it is all there!! But what I will share with you today is the portion of the article that stated "It's the little things that make for a great look. Here , 6 small changes that add up...." That is what caught my eye , especially since yesterday I posted about making some changes to my body and before that in another post to my mind set, and well my whole life is going through changes as we learn to deal with what has been going on for the last two years and trying to change things for the better.

So here we go..... some of the highlights, you will have to buy the magazine, or read his blog to get the rest ;o)
 "The Stuff" 
 1. Toss in Pattern ! according to the article, it gives a space the fun and personality that a room needs and deserves. 
  
2. Corral it ! Grant Used trays to corral everything, give it a space of it's own and to use even things like a tv remote as part of the decor , and well it keeps things organized. I am a huge fan of trays, baskets, and boxes for all the laying loose items about my space. 
 3. Think Big ! Grant used a small print and put it in a big frame to make it a focal point. We have chatted here before about not going small with scale just because you may have a small space.  
4. Go Lighter! Grant was talking about lighter visually, not in color, so for him the coffee table being replaced with a glass and chrome one, opening up the space visually was what he meant in this instance. 
5. Shop at Home ! This is a standard in the budget decorators arsenal, I know it is in mine. Shop from what you have, move it around , use it in new ways, and give your items and decor new life!
6. Cover Up! In this case it was using a long cloth on a round table , creating a bit of drama and also a new look and well as a bonus extra storage space. But it could also be a new slip cover to breathe new life into an old couch, or maybe a throw tossed over a chair or the end of the bed to create a new , warmer , cozier look. 


 Now for one more thing to share on a decor note, and also from BH&G this month.....a blog to take a look at called Copy Cat Chic  . She shows you the expensive items, and then does all the searching for you and shows you the same item, or one similar for a lot less! She has a FB page too that you can link to from her blog page! 

So that is all for today....have a wonderful day and here is to small changes making big differences!


4 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing... just about ready to do a LR makeover and it's small, so this was just in time...

    Twitter: SolarChief

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  2. Oh I love that living room! I will have to get this copy to see more and check out his blog too!!!!

    Thanks so so much for sharing this!!

    Luvs!

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  3. Thank so much for this Stephanie! It was a fun makeover and I hope that it inspires to do things and that things can be pretty no matter what the budget is!

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  4. Thank you for your kindness, I am very sorry to hear that you also have pain; no one deserves to have such an evil and invisible monster in their bodies. You're in my thoughts and please know that I'll be posting other updates to the clinical trial as I was asked to by many from LBS. I've added you also.

    My insurance does not cover my clinical trial medication and will not consider it, I cannot get it through their free program because I have insurance; even if I was denied I also was denied the free coverage. Such medication was released in 1996 or 1998 I was told so it is not a new drug but one they found with additional benefits. So I must pay out of pocket at 50% less price due to it being for a FDA trial. Even with the discount it's $150 a month, which is a struggle but I've managed to do anything possible to obtain two big smacks to a wallet. I told people that even if I had to walk the streets to get my life back I would. I had a very nice friend cover this month's so I wouldn't have to worry as I was stressing bad and it was leading to other "issues".

    Yes, I was pretty much at the lowest point of low and it was the next day I got the call and made the choice to do this. It was the best thing I could have done for myself and I am also helping others in the process. Thank you for your heartfelt kindness I hope to see your warm heart around my blog :)

    God Bless Prayers Are With You
    Amanda Hollywood Chic

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