Stylish Storage

Stylish storage for a small city pad. The pictures has been borrowed by Bride.com and are old Domino Magazine. Storage boxes with numbers make a graphic statement and the storage under the bed is great use of space in a small apartment.

 

Firewood

While I was in Atlanta and staying at my brother's, he got some firewood delivered. And by "some" I mean an ass-load (pardon me). He was nice enough to load up my car with all it could carry (without bottoming out) on the drive back to Charleston. But now I am trying to figure out what to do with it all! I LOVE a fire and LOVE that I have a real fireplace (there ain't nothing like it!) and I have fires often but until I can burn the wood, where do I keep it all???

I typically buy two bundles at the grocery and keep it in my old wood crate like so...

Crates full (said like Cousin Eddie).

Where and how do you store your firewood?

Nate Berkus

House Beautiful

Country Home

House Beautiful

via Apartment Therapy

via Apartment Therapy

via Matters of Style Blog

House Beautiful

Sneak Peek: Big boy's room

Finally, I am ready to show you a corner of my son's new big boy room.  But, only a corner!  The rest of the room is still in progress.  So far, I am really happy with how it is turning out.  Here it is (after):

The walls are painted Benjamin Moore White Dove.  I found the vintage '3' number sign at Anthropologie for 50% off - so appropriate since my son just turned three.  I framed three vintage Guinness post cards that my husband bought in Ireland and hung them in a frame above the built in drawers (My husband is Irish, need I say more?).  

Remember, I was trying to find inexpensive bookracks?  Well, one night I was complaining to my husband that I couldn't find anything inexpensive that I liked.  He, then asked me, "How about I try and build you one?"  And, I was like, "Are you serious?"  And, being the wonderful husband that he is, he said, "Yes."  And, that was music to my ears!
We spent the next half hour or so drawing a sketch (based on a picture I showed him) - him asking me questions here and there.  He did all the math and figured out all the measurements.  And, then he proceeded to take the next couple of nights (after the son was in bed) to build it using all scrap wood we had leftover in our basement.

He used dowel rods (cylinder rods) to keep the books from falling out.  He painted it white and I cannot believe how awesome of a job he did.  It turned out better than I imagined and literally we paid nothing for it.  $0!! He did such a great job.  He used toggle bolts to secure it to the wall and viola, it was ready for all of Luke's books.

Prior to the big boy room transformation, this is a snapshot of the same corner before we painted it (before).

It's come a long way.  I still have a lot of work to do, but I'm really happy with how things are progressing.  Below is a snapshot of some (not all! elements I plan on using in his new room.  I'm not revealing everything,  because I definitely want there to be some surprises!

If you remember, I found the spindle head and foot board for $35 at an antique store.  I picked out a warm brown color, Benjamin Moore's Natura (zero VOC) Maryville Brown and my husband painted it.  The duvet cover is from Ikea.  I plan on doing a framed series above his bed of cut out pages from his favorite book, 'Caps for Sale' in natural Ribba frames .  I found the map at a consignment store and it is perfect because it reflects the colors of his room (yellowish green, warm brown with hints of turquoise and red).  
So, that is it for now.  What do you think?  Stay tuned for more.....hopefully, soon!

Bookracks

I love the idea of bookracks for a kid's room because it not only provides storage, but it is an instant piece of artwork (all the forward facing front covers of the books).  I've been on a never ending quest to find some affordable ones for Luke's room and honestly, they are pricey.  I've considered all of these at one point or another.    

Walmart 

Walmart 

PB Kids 

via Penny Carnival 

via Little Green Notebook 

 via Grace Happens 

And, the MacDaddy:

Kelly Wearstler via Cookie 

At the end of the day, I decided to go the DIY route and am soooo happy I did.  I am very excited with how it turned out.  All the options above were good, but for one reason or another they didn't work for me.  So......stay tuned....more to come!

Who Knew Something So Small Could Come With So Much Stuff?

For those of you that don't know me or have just started reading, I am an interior designer AND a professional organizer (weird pairing?...perhaps). As far as blogging goes, I have been spreadin' the design love but have neglected the organizing love a bit. Soooo, one of my goals for this new year is to make every Wednesday an "organizing" themed post. I plan to show inspiring images of organized spaces, provide organizing tips, illustrate do-it-yourself organizing projects, feature some of my personal organizing projects as well as my client's and much more. But I need your help! Let me know if there is anything specific that you would like me to blog about...just leave me a comment or shoot me an email sidney@eclectic-idg.com. Thanks in advance for your help!

Today, I want to show some creative ideas for storing kid's toys. I know there are a million types of "kid themed" baskets, bins, etc. out there but why not do something a little more stylish? Take some cues from these inspiring images...

via http://mybluehydrangea.blogspot.com/

Domino

Real Simple August 2008

Designer Lee Kleinhelter

Cottage Living Nov 2007

House and Garden

Domino Feb 2009

Designer Candice Olson

Home Magazine

Unknown

I find that the earlier you start training your kids to stay organized, the more likely they are to maintain the order. And be sure to make the organizing process kid friendly-incorporate labels with pictures (instead of words) from their favorite book. Or better yet, have them draw out the images for the various bins like trains, books, dolls, etc. so they will feel a sense of entitlement in their space! Are your kids still resisting? Try making it fun for them...create a game to see who can pick up their stuff the fastest every night before bedtime. Whoever wins gets a gold star. The child with the most gold stars at the end of each month earns a prize (money for their piggy bank, TV privileges, a special day out with mom or dad, etc. ) And with that I say...GOOD LUCK!

(Remember, I don't have children so I can suggest all of these things with ease.)

What a Waste...

Of space that is. Why not use that wasted space under your stairs for storage or display? Take some cues from these smart people. If you are building, plan ahead! Otherwise, it is not too late...just make sure to consult with a contractor before touching a sledgehammer!

~Images: 1) Designer Amanda Nisbet 2) Unknown 3) Better Homes & Gardens 4) Home Magazine 5) Cottage Living 6) Unknown 7) Cottage Living 8) Pottery Barn Book

BookCases and Storage

spine wood bookcase

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Solid-wood shelving is ideal for narrow spaces.Ten shelves. Assembly required.

newkirk media tower

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Versatile storage for media equipment and more. Wood construction. Some assembly required. Open shelving for storage and display. One adjustable and one fixed shelf.

rectangle cutout bookcase

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A combination of open and closed storage, perfect for revealing and concealing. Designed to accommodate west elm’s canvas storage collection. Wood construction. Assembly required.

A frame bookcase

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Graduated open shelves scale bold new heights. Versatile, modern design in wood construction with oak veneer. Assembly required.

stacked modular bookcases

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Open stacked shelving does double duty as a room divider. Wood construction. Assembly required.

room divider bookcase

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Impressively versatile. Tall, freestanding open shelving works double-duty, dividing a room while displaying art, books and collections. Wood construction. Assembly required.

cadman spine bookcase

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Minimalist design maximizes vertical wall space with 14 removable shelves. Assembly required.

parsons bookcase

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Airy open shelving for storage and display. Wood construction.