latest posts
keep the halloween spirit alive all year
I keep Halloween in my heart all year round! In fact, incorporating off-kilter decor is kinda my thing! If you haven’t read it yet, you should check this article out: No Fail Steps to Make Your House Cool.
weekly roundup: inexpensive tiles
All the blood had drained my body and I thought, “Dear God. I’m in the wrong business.” I then asked him, “What’s the average budget for people who shop for pool tile?” He very coolly replied “Sixty thousand.”
Who are these millionaires?
I then thought — wow, I bet there are other people out there who have even smaller budgets that are currently looking for tile RIGHT NOW. They might not be looking for their pool, but all tile is deceptively expensive and can run you deep into debt.
I’ve gathered my favorite options below — all for less than $15 per square foot. While this is not exactly CHEAP, it does offer an alternative to all of those $25 and up per square foot options you see all over the magazines.
weekly roundup: sofas that are available now and Don’t suck
Hello intrepid interior design rebels! How’s the house coming along? Or are you here for the eye candy???? I am working on two projects right now — the ongoing project that is my home and another, which inspired this Weekend RoundUp today:
Quick ship sofas that aren’t terrible
There’s an old adage: “You can have it good and cheap, but not fast. You can have it fast and cheap but not good. And you can fast and good, but not cheap.” Wow, if I did not repeat that every single day for the last few weeks when searching for a sofa for my AMAZING client who is redoing her garage. We have a November 14th deadline and she contacted me at the beginning of September. I know that sounds like a long time — but it’s very quick in the sofa game. Plus there’s the other thing — I will not buy or recommend a sofa to a client unless I’ve actually sat in a floor model OR its a cheap vintage find that can be revamped. That’s just a little thing I call integrity which I like to stand by when I have the honor to decorate someone’s home.
my favorite wallpaper + art combos
Hello, intrepid design lover! As you may know, I love helping people even if they can’t afford my design services. I think EVERYONE should have a beautiful home.
It might be a little bit weird, but one of my favorite things to do is fantasize about wallpaper… am I the only one? I especially love pairing different themed wallpapers with unexpected art. Like putting a tropical wallpaper with an uber modern print, etc. It’s the unexpected element that gives your space that chef’s kiss. Below, I’ve put together some possible art options for popular wallpaper. Enjoy!
Friday Finds, statement Bedding
If there’s one pet peeve I have as a stylist, it’s finding bedding that matches my style. Sure there’s bedding for every other style out there — japandi, tranditional, farmhouse, contemporary, industrial, global, etc. — but where’s the bedding for people who like giant dragon sculptures and boomboxes as art? Where is the statement bedding? Slim pickings, I’m telling you. But because I’m such an amazing Pinterest-er, I’ve come across some finds that could pique my interest.
Friday finds, Orange edition
Hi there, fellow design rebel! In honor of fall, just writing a quick blog about my latest finds IN ORANGE in case you’re looking for something cool/weird/awesome for your home decor project. I think orange is one of the most underrated colors and I don’t often get to see it celebrated for the beauty and joy it brings. Enjoy!
large art for (somewhat) little money
One of the toughest assignments I give myself as an interior stylist is finding large art that doesn’t suck. If you google “oversized art”, you’ll know my plight. It’s a lot of hotel art and badly pixelized digital prints. And what do you consider large art? I would say anything over 55” on the longer side. Anything huge is simply a matter of luck and a 4AM trip to the flea market. And even then, the likelihood of finding something in pristine condition is low, so be prepared for dings and scrapes.
The other design dilemma is the affordability. If I have over $6K to spend, I’m in business. But often, my budgets are a total of $15K for one room, which includes sofas, chairs, rugs, paint, wallpaper, etc. I can’t spend half the budget on a singular piece of art and leave the rest of the room blank!
So what is a budding interior stylist to do? Well, I get my search engines ready and my filters primed. I’m always on the hunt and here’s what I’ve found lately… my suggestion for you is that if you need large art now, purchase these right away because I have no idea how long they will last.
my top online vintage shops
If you’re reading this blog and are a fan of my work/home, then you know one thing to be true: I love vintage.
About 85% of everything in my home was either thrifted, bought at a consignment store or found lying on the sidewalk (I used to live in a very interesting neighborhood where they just threw a $400 chair out just because it was “old”). I attend the Rosebowl, Long Beach, PCC and other flea markets practically every weekend and ALWAYS find something (I don’t always buy). I’m of the belief that one can find great vintage and flea markets anywhere, but flea market finds do not always fit your exact needs. How many times have you gone out looking for a decorative tray and came back with giant wooden dragon? I’m raising my hand over here and pointing directly at myself.
rainbow-colored faucets that are actually affordable + garage/office/etc plans
Happy Saturday! A little behind the scenes from the MTD camp: I am moving forward with my pool project and getting estimates. I didn’t want to announce the winning tile just yet because I might change my mind depending on much the repairs will cost. Of course, I have my heart set on the MOST expensive tile but maybe I’ll come across a Home Depot tile I like half as much but for half the cost. We’ll see.
More on the garage later… but first! I wanted to do a special post on something that always seems so elusive — both because of price and availability.
ahhhh... Ikea.
Today is a BIG day in the Thomas family household. It happens only once a year typically, and it usually happens on a whim. Today I make my trek to IKEA Burbank. If you live in Los Angeles, you probably have done this once or twice or twelve times before. The showrooms, the wonky carts, the big yellow plastic bags, the aisle traffic rules, the arguing couples, the MEATBALLS. You go in wanting a rolling cart, you come out with a whole kitchen dining set, a few lamps, a quirky objet d'art, and definitely some loganberry jam for those frozen meatballs you never ate from last time. Again with the meatballs... but I do love them and if you haven't tried their cafeteria, the trip is worth it alone.
large scale art
Hello and happy "Day Before You Officially Start Your First Work Week in 2021"! At least that's how I feel. Although, with the new work from home model, more people are working past the regular 9-5 M-F. What else are we going to do?