Container Store Sale

Now is a great time for spring cleaning and organizing your home. To help, the Container Store has a huge sale going on--25% off of everything. I can't believe they don't have a store in Charleston!!!

Image courtesy of Container Store

Treasure hunting

I have decided to make regular posts about treasures I have found at local antiques markets. I tend to frequent the one that goes by that name "Antiques Market" in Mt. Pleasant because I can whiz through before picking up my kids from preschool. It is right down the street. Here are some things I found yesterday. You can see I have an affinity for trays--great for organizing or hanging as wall decor. The small mountain painting is awesome as is the print mounted in the lime green. Nothing pictures here costs more than $45. The blue and white tray and jar were only $16.99 a piece!

Desk

How much would you pay for this desk? $25? A friend of mine found this roll top desk at the Habitat for Humanity Re-store for a mere 25 bucks, coated it with a pretty silver sage paint color, and there you go. Amazing! It's the perfect desk for writing letters, paying bills, or for a kid to do his or her homework.

Using plates as wall decor

Hanging plates on the wall can be an inexpensive, yet dramatic way to adorn your walls with art. You probably have some interesting plates sitting in your cabinets or you can go hunting for some at antique stores, flea markets, or even at stores like Marshall's and TJ Maxx. They don't all have to be the same color or size or shape, just trust your instinct and collect plates you love. It is also fun to mix art or even mirrors with plates. Once you decide where you will hang your collection, use craft paper to experiment with arrangements. When you've decided on how they will look, nail the hook right into the craft paper and then you can tear the paper down when you've finished. Plate hangers can be found at a hardware store or Target. Last night I was browsing the internet for ideas of different arrangements, and I am attaching some pictures of what I found. I collected the pictures so quickly, I did not mark down the sources--sorry. Most of the photos are from Google images. I am currently working with a client trying to figure out an interesting arrangement for over a curved headboard.

Fab mirror

I just love cool mirrors, and thought this was one. It caught my eye at the Antiques Market in Mt. Pleasant--so unique, and an incredible price. I've been thinking a lot more about decorating than organizing lately because I'm helping a friend give her bedroom a new look. It's so much fun to shop around, but very hard to make decisions.

Dash and Albert throws

I love these Dash and Albert throws because of their colors. I've seen them used to create fun and interesting layers on beds. Of course they look great with aqua, browns, and greens and I love that they have a little bit of pink in them too. You can find them on-line or here in town at GDC or Acquisitions.

Wall arrangements

Over the past months I have been busy rearranging the artwork in my house. I have been focused on making more interesting groupings or art instead of just having one picture on one wall, etc. I also like mixing different mediums--paintings, plates, photographs, and even three dimensional art. Here is a picture of a wall in my breakfast room. The photo is fuzzy thanks to the photography of my five-year-old. Except for the German botanical poster in the middle, I had everything else--the plates were my grandmom's, the photo is of one of my favorite restaurants in France, and the sweetgrass basket I purchased on Highway 17 in Mt. Pleasant. Sweetgrass baskets don't come cheap, but I love to use them as art in the house as they reflect local culture and history.