It's All In The Details

When you pay some extra attention to whatever you are designing it can take your project to the next level. Whether it's a room, party, DIY creation, or even a meal, attention to detail makes a difference. 

Today I'm talking about a party. A wedding to be exact! This post features a quick and easy project I recently did for my brother and his fiance. The small details are very important to the happy couple and they wanted something special alongside their guest book that would be a little different, and much prettier, than a boring black pen. Now they have several fun flower pens that match the style and decor of their wedding. I think the guests will get a kick out of them don't you?

I'm not kidding about quick and easy. These pens took all of 15 minutes to make, so grab some pens and a hot glue gun and let's get started!

Step 1:
Gather your materials: Pens, silk/fake flowers, hot glue, jute twine (you could use ribbon), and floral tape (optional). A basic ball point pen works best. Something with a "clicker" top or that requires a cap will not.



Step 2:
Trim your flower stem, leaving about a half inch to one inch of the stem attached.

Step 3:
Put hot glue along one side (as long as your stem) and on the top of the pen. Hold your flower on the glue until it is dry.

Step 4:

This step is optional, but I found that wrapping the pen with floral tape before the twine helped to secure the flower, as well as help the hot glue to stick.

Start at the top and wrap the pen and stem with the tape, working your way down to the end of the plastic.

Step 5: 

Starting at the bottom, add some hot glue and attach the twine. Continue to wrap the twine, adding hot glue as you go, until you reach the flower. Add enough hot glue to trap the end of the twine at the base of the flower and you're done!

That's it - you're pretty flower pen is done and ready to use!

I think I'm going to make myself a whole batch of these in a variety of colors. It will make jotting down that grocery list much more fun!

Mosaic Tile Backsplash

Let's talk tile! Designing a back splash was an important part of this particular kitchen because it's a focal point of both the kitchen and the great room. I knew it had to be striking. I had several ideas though and wasn't completely sure of which direction to go. Should there be a large focal element in the middle, many small details scattered about, or a solid wash of sparkling mosaic tiles? After many sketches and renditions I settled on a large mosaic diamond, framed in a rectangle, with smaller diamonds spaced evenly on each side.

The next step was to choose the tiles themselves. What a challenge! There are so many gorgeous options. We must have visited ten showrooms, some more than once. I ended up selecting a creamy 6"x6" travertine for the field tile. It's a beautiful pale cream color with pretty veining and spots of variation throughout. The cream color picks up on the light spots in the granite counter top and is a nice contrast to the dark brown cabinetry. I used a coordinating travertine bar for the rectangular frame.

Next, I had to find the perfect mosaic tile to complete the design: something with shades of brown and cream that incorporated both glass and stone. Talk about "easier said than done"! The perfect mosaic just didn't exist. Time for some DIY work! I ended up selecting a 1/2" tile pattern that was predominately brown with most of what I was looking for, and another pattern that was mostly cream. The second palette was used to swap out the unwanted gray tones in the brown mosaic. The cream tiles really helped to tie the mosaic design in to the field tile. The tile rep said it would be a simple project, "just pluck the tiles off and trade them out". Not true! It was a tedious process, but well worth it because the resulting color palette was perfect. Keep this in mind when you want a pattern that is completely custom. You don't need to settle for tile you aren't in love with. Just turn on a good movie, grab your pliers, and get to work!

Tile in hand, I met with the installer to work out the pattern. We laid out the basic design and I left the rest to him. Thankfully he was incredibly talented because the design was much more complicated than I originally thought. He did a great job though and we couldn't be happier with the result. See for yourself!



There's one more thing to point out in the picture above - the outlet covers. When possible, it's a great idea to choose an outlet cover that matches your tile. There are some great options now that help to hide unsightly outlets! Those little details can make all the difference.

This particular design element was a lot of fun to create and I'm looking forward to my next kitchen project. With all the shapes, colors, and materials out there, the options for tile work are endless.

Back To The Blog With A Cheerful Pink Nursery

It's been quite a while since I last spent some time here at the blog. Life has been wonderfully busy and time to sit down and write was nonexistent. I'm finally back though and I have so many projects and ideas to share with you that I hardly know where to begin!

How about my latest project? A cheerful nursery for a sweet baby girl - it's my favorite room to date and you'll see why!

It's a room you want to spend time in. It feels peaceful and happy. It's sweet and whimsical and lovely. It's everything a nursery should be! My concept for the room was "Storybook Garden". I wanted it to be colorful and bright with lots of animals and flowers and I think we achieved that. Everywhere you look there are special touches that relate back to that theme: flowers on the monogram, animals on the bookshelf, storybook characters on the wall, floral curtains, butterflies twirling on the mobile, and even a chalkboard toy box where she can draw the backdrops for stories with her animal pals. This room really is a little girl's dream. If I'm being honest, it's this momma's dream too because this is my little girl's nursery! Now you know why it's my favorite project!

OK, back to the design talk! I'll let you in on a trick - if you want a cohesive space, make sure that most, if not all, of your decisions relate back to that overall theme or "concept". I'm not saying that the room must be "matchy matchy". That's completely different. Think of the concept like a category. You want your colors, patterns, furniture styles, and accessories to make sense under that category. I'm having a hard time explaining this...but if you keep that in mind the next time you decorate I think you'll see what I mean.

Back to my "matchy matchy" comment. Something I love about this room is how every piece is unique, yet it all works together. I wanted things that had character and looked like I'd collected them over time (which I did for the most part). I have no problem at all with those cute nursery sets at the baby stores. They just weren't for me. Instead, I opted for custom bedding, curtains, and artwork. "Custom" in my world means DIY of course! Partly because I am a penny pincher and partly because I couldn't find exactly what I wanted pre-made. (I'm planning to write some other posts on how I came up with the ideas for and made various things like the linens, artwork, and furniture so keep an eye out for those!)

Working on this nursery was incredibly important to me. I felt like I was bonding with my baby before she was even here. When it was complete, the pride and excitement I felt knowing that I had created such a special place to bring my baby home to was amazing. The room was done months before she arrived and I couldn't wait to show that sweet little baby the special room created just for her.

I think nurseries are my new favorite rooms to design. All spaces are personal and should be tailored to those who live there, but there's something different about a nursery. It's almost like the room has it's own energy and spirit. I love the feeling I get when I walk into my babe's room and would love to give my clients, and their little bundles of joy, the same wonderful gift. There's nothing better than relaxing in a beautiful room with an even more beautiful baby in your arms. Nothing at all.

As always, thanks for stopping by!
~M


Linking up to Three Mango Seeds

Lake House Remodel - Part 1

The construction phase is finally complete on a renovation project I've been involved with. It started earlier this year and was well worth the wait. It's beautiful! I'll have several posts about this project because there is so much to show you, but let's start with some background on the house and what's been done so far.

The original house was 2100 square feet, had forest green carpet, pink toned cabinetry, minty green counter tops, and a mixture of garage sale furniture pieces. It sounds strange, but the decor was perfectly suited for the house's use. It was a "sit down in your wet swimsuit and walk around with dirty shoes" kind of a place. Fancy hard wood floors and nice sofas would've been destroyed by the herds of kids coming through. When it was time for an update, the homeowners had big dreams for the house. They wanted more space, contemporary style, and a living area that took full advantage of the beautiful lake views. That's exactly what they got.

Here is a brief summary of the major updates up to now:

The back wall facing the lake was extended and the ceiling raised, creating a large living and dining area. The back wall is mostly glass; french doors and large windows frame views of the back yard, lake, and cypress trees. 

                      

The second biggest change is the kitchen. Gone is the confined space with vinyl flooring and outdated cabinetry. The new kitchen is airy with an expansive granite island in the center and plenty of space to work. Dark cabinetry, ornate granite, and sleek stainless steel appliances create an elegant, stylish space. The kitchen was my favorite part of the project, particularly the back splash design. I'll describe that process in another post. The bathrooms were updated with granite counter tops, new fixtures, and ceramic tile. The rest of the house, except the guest room, received simple updates: wood flooring downstairs, carpet upstairs, and a fresh coat of soft tan paint. The second story guest suite was another significant change. We enclosed the balcony to create a much larger room, one that could hold a sofa, bed, and entertainment unit. The walls were painted a pretty blue that is a nice complement to the soft tan in the other areas. I wanted to set this apart from the other rooms as a special retreat for guests while still coordinating the spaces. I did the same thing in the master suite by painting it a slightly darker tan than the adjacent living area. 

When the last finishing touch was complete and the contractors had all gone, the homeowners were left with a gorgeous 2600 square foot house. The first phase of the design is complete and came together just as planned. Now it's time to fill the spaces with furniture, accessories, and mementos to make it a comfortable home. I'm currently working on the individual design plans for the various rooms and can't wait to show off the final project when it's all finished.

These are just a few of the before and after images of the house. There are many more and it was difficult to choose. Visit my flickr page, www.flickr.com/merrickdesigns , to see all the photos. It's quite a transformation!

An Early "Merrick Designs" Design

My parents and I recently had a joint garage sale. It was a good opportunity to go through my old room and get rid of old items that weren't being used. I had fun looking through it all while I was cleaning things out, but one thing was particularly special. In a box of old papers, drawings, and mementos I found some of my very first design plans. It looks like I really am what I wanted to be "when I grew up". 

I've certainly gone up in scale from designing doll houses to real houses, but it was a great place to start. It must have been a big client too. This house had it all: play room, guest room, family room, a parent room, girl's room, kitchen, game room, laundry room, garage, and a bathroom. It also had some very stylish finishes and furnishings. Ok, so maybe my taste in carpet was a little off, but hot pink appliances must have been in vogue.

Here's a perspective drawing of a "Two Room Connected". I'm not sure what that is exactly, but again, it must have been in vogue because it was worth $800.00!

These are some custom upholstery pieces, perfectly accessorized with stuffed animals of course.

I really enjoyed the design ideas that my eight year-old self had and found it very comforting to know, without a doubt, that I chose the perfect career.

I hope you got a kick out of these cute little drawings too!

Not So Wordless Wednesday - My New Catalog Obsession

Lots of people do "Wordless Wednesday" blogs and I think it's high time I jumped on the bandwagon. When the week starts to get busy it can be hard to find time to write a long and insightful story.  Here's the obvious problem though - I have a really hard time with "wordless"!! I promise I'll try to keep it short and simple.

This week I want to share my new favorite thing with you. It's a company called Serena and Lily (http://www.serenaandlily.com/) that I learned about yesterday when I received their catalog in the mail. After I poured over the catalog I went straight to the computer and obsessed over the products online. I want to pull a "Tron" and jump through the computer screen just so I can live in those rooms! In my opinion they did an amazing job.

 I don't know how I got on the mailing list and I don't care. I'm just glad it happened because I can't wait to start incorporating their products into my design concepts and projects. As if you couldn't tell, I get pretty excited when I find great new things to use. You'll be seeing a lot of these things in some upcoming concept boards for my current project. Stay tuned and have a great Wednesday!

Searching For The Mink

A few weeks ago I participated in my favorite local arts and crafts show for the third time. Each show drew a good crowd, but this year was markedly different and undoubtedly the best show yet. That same weekend I also took a lovely trip to Jekyll Island where I learned about an interesting critter living in the salt marsh. As I relaxed at home on Sunday evening I realized that the weekend's events had much more in common than I first realized. Stick with me for a few paragraphs of the back story and you'll see why...

2009 was my first year at the craft show, right about the time that people stopped spending money. Ironically, the culprit was also to blame (or to thank) for my decision to create a jewelry line and become a show vendor. Interior design jobs were scarce, so I transformed my little hobby into a little job. I saw enough success at the show to motivate me and keep me coming back for more, but the sales weren't newsworthy. One of the main things I saw was that most people wouldn't part with more than a few dollars. For most artists who put their heart and soul into their work, that's a tough market.

2010 was better and the sales were higher. Again, nothing newsworthy, but at least it was an improvement. The economy was still in rehab, not to be released any time soon.

This year's crowd was different. This year's crowd was here to shop. Hallelujah - local artists rejoice! Before the show even started I had sales. Within the first few hours some of the higher priced items were gone, as were a number of my newest designs. People weren't strolling by with absent minded expressions. They weren't telling you how beautiful your work was as they walked away empty handed. They were engaged and happy and interested. They were shopping. There is a distinct difference between those who “attend” a craft show and those who “shop” at a craft show and you can spot it from a mile away. The people at the previous shows were not shoppers. They were attendees who were suffering in a sick economy.

As I analyzed the successful show, I had a thought: Was this small event a clue to the overall health of the economy? I know I can be overly optimistic sometimes, but could it really be? Could a tiny island arts and crafts show really provide some insight on the current state of a global situation? I wasn't sure...

I continued to think about the show and my analysis well into the next day while I was vising Jekyll Island. This is a beautiful coastal island in Georgia that is rich with history and nature. I toured the entire island, admiring the beaches, rivers, historic sites, and the marshes. It was at a restaurant overlooking the marsh that I learned about an interesting animal called a mink. Yes, I have heard of the mink before, but I did not know they run wild in the salt marshes of southern Georgia. Did you? I had always thought they lived up north where people unfortunately turned them into warm outerwear. Who knows, maybe that's why the mink went south to warmer territory. It's what any sensible animal should do when it is turned into clothing. Regardless, what I learned about the mink is that environmentalists use this animal to judge the health of the ecosystem. Mink are higher on the marsh food chain and are among the first to go when the environment is ill. They feast on oysters, mussels, and other filter-feeder animals. As the toxins and pollutants are ingested they become more concentrated as they travel up the food chain. Sadly, by the time the toxins reach the mink they are lethal.

I reread this article a few times, partly because I wanted to know where I might see a mink and partly because I couldn't believe the connection I was seeing. This was exactly the question I had raised regarding the craft show and the economy. The tiny little mink is indeed a tell tale clue to the health of the ecosystem. Something tiny and seemingly insignificant is a key marker of a healthy marsh environment.

It's amazing how a coincidence can confirm an idea. After learning about the importance of the little mink I felt quite confident that my local little craft show was a promising sign that our economy is improving. In a world so full of doom and pessimism it is easy to overlook the little spots of hope and promise. Heck, I saw it and still almost overlooked it, doubting my own observations.

Whether my theory is true or simply optimism, it made me feel good and that's all that really matters. I don't expect it to be on CNN, but I feel hopeful that the successful craft show is a sign of good things to come. After all the time I spend stressing over the future of the design industry, feeling hopeful is a welcome change. I'm going to keep looking for those “minks” in the world. They're out there. I am sure of it.

Flock O' Hooties

As promised, here are some pictures of the Hootie flock I mentioned a while back. I received a lot of positive feedback at the craft show regarding their cuteness and my creativity, however they didn't exactly fly off the table like I expected. Some of my favorites did go to good homes and deserving children which was nice. As for the rest, they spend their days roosting in my guest room and posing for their Etsy photos. I added a small detail to their eyes that makes them more expressive. Unfortunately that detail also makes them appear to be saying, "Please don't sell us, we want to stay here!" I guess it wouldn't be so bad if the whole flock stayed with me... After all, I do love whimsical home decor!

 

 *see more photos at www.pepperspaghetti.etsy.com

The Modern Stone Age Family

This weekend I had the pleasure of going to a granite yard to select the actual slabs for my current project. All I can say is, "wow". The warehouse was filled with row after row of gorgeous, colorful, incredibly beautiful granite. There were slabs in every color and some with patterns so intricate and dynamic that you would hardly believe they were dug (or more accurately, exploded) from the earth.

Despite my awe, I couldn't help but think "this reminds me of the Flintstones". I don't know if it was the jagged edges of the slabs, or the big forklifts roaming around us like dinosaurs, or simply the fact that huge pieces of rock surrounded me. Regardless, I felt like I was in Bedrock and Fred Flintstone was about to come around the corner.

The recurring Bedrock image got me thinking that we really haven't come that far from the Flintstones' stone age lifestyle. Our stone choices may be different and notably more stylish, but in the end it's still rock. We still get it in basically the same way. Sure, it would be better if we had some actual dinosaurs, but the overall operation is similar, as is the ultimate application (floors, walls, counters, decor, tools, personal accessories and even furniture). In fact, don't we often define our status by the rocks we own? It happens all the time and is pretty interesting if you really think about it. Here are a few examples that come to mind:

Flintstone fun aside, Granite really is a great material to have in a home. Besides its inherent functionality, I feel there is something special about having an item in your home that is 100% unique, one element that nobody else has. There is also the "cool factor", meaning that this shiny, polished material was once hidden inside the earth, surrounded by jagged rocks. It is truly a "diamond in the rough". If you get a chance, look for a video showing how granite is mined and turned into a counter top. If it doesn't make you say "that's cool", I'll be surprised.

Visiting the granite yard was obviously a lot of fun and a great learning experience, but it was also a necessary part of the design process. Granite comes in a wide variety of styles and colors. Some are pretty consistent from piece to piece, but many are not. This clearly means there's a good chance the small sample you have will not match the actual piece that gets installed. If you have the opportunity it is a really good idea to select your slab in person and rule out the likelihood that it will arrive with a major flaw or unexpected color. Additionally, you may get there and see a variety of granite that you love even more than your original selection. That's exactly what happened to me! I went in expecting to confirm my original selection and ended up falling in love with a completely different pattern.

Overall, the trip to the granite yard was a success. The only thing that would have made the trip more enjoyable is if Dino himself had come out to greet us. I left feeling educated and inspired. I also left with the realization that we certainly haven't left the stone age. We've just glamorized it!

Whimsical St. Patty's Day Decoration

This post will be short, sweet, and Green! I want to share my St. Patrick's Day Hootie with you. His name is Patrick O'Hootie and I'm hoping to have him featured on a great blog I just discovered (Today's Creative Blog). This site has tons of cute ideas and fantastic inspiration. If this little green Hootie finds his way to TCB and inspires someone to make a fun home accent that would be wonderful.

Check out Today's Creative Blog for yourself at:
http://todayscreativeblog.net/get-your-craft-on-44/