Decorate Beautifully AND Have Pets – Part Four

Hard durable flooring is ideal for pet owners. Sealed stone, hardwood, or vinyl flooring will hold up well. If you do choose to have carpeting, get the cut pile variety. Loop pile carpet can be snagged and unraveled by a rowdy pet. An alternative to carpeting is buying several stylish area rugs. These can be cleaned easily, unlike carpet, where the carpet padding can never be fully cleaned if an animal has an accident on the carpet. Just don’t buy rugs that are too expensive, if you do you’ll be stressed out about them getting dirty. Carpet tiles of the sort often used in commercial spaces are another way to go if you want to have carpet. This way, if one square gets dirty, you can pull it up and replace it.

Brushing your pets often can really lessen the amount of hair that ends up in your home. I bought a brush called the furminator that works great on my dogs, I get a lot more hair off of them than I do with a regular brush.

Giving your dog plenty of treats is another way to help keep your furniture looking nice. If they have appealing things to chew on, they’re less likely to chew on your stuff. I go to thrift stores and stock up on small stuffed toys for my dog a couple times a year, much cheaper than buying very similar stuffed toys at a pet store.

This blog is brought to you by dialysis nursing.

Decorate Beautifully AND Have Pets – Part Four

Hard durable flooring is ideal for pet owners. Sealed stone, hardwood, or vinyl flooring will hold up well. If you do choose to have carpeting, get the cut pile variety. Loop pile carpet can be snagged and unraveled by a rowdy pet. An alternative to carpeting is buying several stylish area rugs. These can be cleaned easily, unlike carpet, where the carpet padding can never be fully cleaned if an animal has an accident on the carpet. Just don’t buy rugs that are too expensive, if you do you’ll be stressed out about them getting dirty. Carpet tiles of the sort often used in commercial spaces are another way to go if you want to have carpet. This way, if one square gets dirty, you can pull it up and replace it.

Brushing your pets often can really lessen the amount of hair that ends up in your home. I bought a brush called the furminator that works great on my dogs, I get a lot more hair off of them than I do with a regular brush.

Giving your dog plenty of treats is another way to help keep your furniture looking nice. If they have appealing things to chew on, they’re less likely to chew on your stuff. I go to thrift stores and stock up on small stuffed toys for my dog a couple times a year, much cheaper than buying very similar stuffed toys at a pet store.

This blog is brought to you by dialysis nursing.

Inexpensive Nature Prints

Botanical prints can be expensive. A great way to have them (or any beautiful artwork for that matter) without paying a fortune for them is to find books with prints in them & tear out or photocopy the pictures & frame them.

I was lucky enough to find a beautiful book of botanical prints at a yardsale & have used lots of the prints in my home. I also scour second-hand stores for unique frames-usually with pictures I don't care for in them that I remove. I purchased all of the frames pictured (above &below) for $1.50- $3.00 each.

Here are some coral & lobster prints I used for a bathroom-in-progress in my dad's lake house:

I do mostly long-distance decorating since it's in Antioch, Illinois, but when I visit, I try to accessorize as quickly as I can on a serious budget. The prints are a great way to accessorize a lake house since they're so fitting and I only had to make 1 purchase so my dad doesn't gripe about me spending too much on decorating every time I come!

Here's a close-up of a fully opened page. You can see the fold in the center, but I think it sort of adds to the charm. Eventually I plan on matting all of the prints, but that's another project on another trip!

Happy hunting!

Decorate Beautifully AND Have Pets – Part Three

If you’re a big sucker like me, and you like your animals to live in the lap of luxury, consider getting a fashionable piece of furniture just for your pet. If you can get your pet to use it instead of the human furniture, you’ll have a lot less couch cleaning to do. Leather bean bag chairs are a good option that I’ve seen dogs fall in love with. This same idea goes for cats too, if you buy a piece of cat furniture with a little cubby in it or a platform up high where they can lounge they won’t sleep on your furniture as much. I made my cat a little hideaway under an end table and he sleeps there faithfully every day. If you do allow your pets on your furniture, it will probably be worth it to you to buy a small hand held vacuum. You can store it in a convenient place, such as under an end table next to the couch and even keep it plugged in. This way, it’s easy to get out and vacuum your couches often. Another option is to buy slipcovers for your couches that you can wash frequently. Slipcovers are actually in fashion right now, and they come in quite a variety of styles and fabric types.

These days there are plenty of pet accessories to choose from that will match your home. There are stainless steel food and water dishes or ceramic dishes to choose from.

Check back soon for part four of this blog.

This blog is brought to you by locum tenens.

Decorate Beautifully AND Have Pets – Part Three

If you’re a big sucker like me, and you like your animals to live in the lap of luxury, consider getting a fashionable piece of furniture just for your pet. If you can get your pet to use it instead of the human furniture, you’ll have a lot less couch cleaning to do. Leather bean bag chairs are a good option that I’ve seen dogs fall in love with. This same idea goes for cats too, if you buy a piece of cat furniture with a little cubby in it or a platform up high where they can lounge they won’t sleep on your furniture as much. I made my cat a little hideaway under an end table and he sleeps there faithfully every day. If you do allow your pets on your furniture, it will probably be worth it to you to buy a small hand held vacuum. You can store it in a convenient place, such as under an end table next to the couch and even keep it plugged in. This way, it’s easy to get out and vacuum your couches often. Another option is to buy slipcovers for your couches that you can wash frequently. Slipcovers are actually in fashion right now, and they come in quite a variety of styles and fabric types.

These days there are plenty of pet accessories to choose from that will match your home. There are stainless steel food and water dishes or ceramic dishes to choose from.

Check back soon for part four of this blog.

This blog is brought to you by locum tenens.

Mirror Magic - Part 1

Not much has been written about the merits and sheer magic of using mirrors as focal points and works of art in rooms. So I would like to dedicate this post to the beauty, genius, and magic of mirrors. Everyone has either seen or heard of the famous Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, built by Louis XIV in 1678. The principal feature of this famous hall is the seventeen mirror-clad arches that reflect the seventeen arcaded windows that overlook the gardens. Each arch contains twenty-one mirrors for a total of 357. In the 17th century, mirrors were among the most expensive items to possess and at the time, the Venetian Republic held the monopoly on the manufacture of mirrors. In order to maintain the integrity of the French philosophy of mercantilism, which required that all items used in the decoration of Versailles be made in France, several workers from Venice were enticed to make mirrors at the Gobelins Factory in France. The expense in manufacture of mirrors has come a long way since those days, and now mirrors have become a staple in every home.

Versailles - Hall of Mirrors

Mirrors over fireplaces:

One of the places in a home most adorned with a mirror (other than the bathroom) is over the fireplace. It is the perfect focal point in a room to strategically place a mirror. Depending on the room and the orientation of the fireplace, a mirror hung over the fireplace can reflect other important areas of the room and create drama and atmosphere. In the picture below I used a "laser" cut mirror above the fireplace, which echoes the filigree pattern in the framed wallpaper panels on either side of the fireplace. I painted the wall behind the mirror a deep chocolate brown to further define the edges of the mirror. The curtains are the same rich chocolate brown color and are made of silk taffeta which further adds to the shimmery effect at night. You can see more pictures of this home here.

Patricia Gray

The picture above and below I took on my recent trip to Florence in the wonderful Hotel: JK Place. (You can read my Posts on this City here and here). If you ever go to Florence I highly recommend this Hotel. It has style and class oozing out of every crevice, and the staff are very friendly and accommodating. I love the way the mirrors flank the fireplace in the picture above. Notice the interesting corner detail on these mirrors. In the picture below the mirror frame is covered in Zebra skin.

Mirrors in Bathrooms:

Bathroom mirrors come in every size and configuration. In my designs I try to come up with something unique, while still being very functional. The picture below is a bathroom I designed for a client. The mirror on the right is a 3 panel - 3 Way mirror. So handy if you want to get a 360 degree view of yourself. The mirror over the vanity is double sided circle, that echoes the shape of the matching back to back sinks. The mirror is attached to the ceiling and to the vanity at the top and bottom with clear glass. You can see more pictures of this home here.

Patricia Gray

Patricia Gray

The picture below is of my own bathroom. What do you do if you have a window in front of your vanity? For window coverings, I love the look and feel of California shutters. I designed the room so that the sink was centered on the length of the window. I had the stile of the shutters made to line up perfectly with the center of the sink, then I had my glazier design a special mounting that would allow the mirror to be attached to the stile, while still allowing the shutters enough space behind the mirror to open and close. The mirror appears to be floating in front of the shutters. The end wall of the bathroom is also mirrored. The floors are quarter cut travertine, the vanity and ceiling light box is espresso stained rift oak, plumbing fixtures are Dornbracht, the toilet is designed by Phillipe Starck. The mirror reflects the wall of tile in my shower, which is made of pieces of glass tile and Crema Marfil marble

Patricia Gray

I had also considered hanging my mirror from the ceiling from rods as in the photo above, but I think that attaching the mirror the way I did with no visible mountings is a more effective treatment.

Mirrors in Dining Rooms:

This is a picture of the breakfast area in my own home. The mirror helps to enlarge this small space and bring in the view of the garden. By placing a lamp on the table in front of the mirror it creates the illusion that the room continues. The lamp also creates some drama and makes it a cozy spot to sit and linger in the evenings. You can read more here, where I talk about my Lucite lamp and mix of chairs.

Patricia Gray

Patricia Gray

The mirror in the picture below I designed and had built for my client's dining room. It perfectly reflects the magnificent Murano glass chandelier hanging over the custom built large square dining table. It also captures views of the adjoining living room for people that are sitting with their backs to it. When you are making mirrors this large make sure that they will fit through the front door. I made that mistake once and that was enough to learn a very valuable lesson: check and double check every detail!! The draperies are made of chocolate brown silk taffeta with a padded valance, the ceiling inset is lit around the perimeter and painted with gold leaf, the chairs are white ultra-leather with chrome nail studs just on the corners of the legs.

Patricia Gray

In the same home (as shown in the picture above) I placed a large mirror in the breakfast area: 1. To bring in views of the garden outside 2. To highlight the Phillipe Starck Ghost chairs around the table 3. To mirror and highlight the Italian designed lighting fixture hanging above the table. In small spaces mirrors can virtually double the existing space and create interesting vistas.

Patricia Gray

In the picture below I placed a mirror on the wall of the dining room to reflect the spectacular city skyline. When the clients dine in the evening, they don't need candles as the lights of the city sparkle and are reflected in the mirror.

Patricia Gray

Mirrors in Bedrooms:

In the bedroom below I placed a full height mirror for the client that she uses for a dressing mirror.

Patricia Gray

Mirrors over Desks:

My Desk - I have a vintage gold frame, that I have had forever, propped up against the wall. The arrangement in front of the mirror constantly changes, depending on my mood, the season, the flowers, the projects that I am working on. Right now I have branches from the garden with leaves that are just starting to turn that beautiful autumn color. I have stood one of my antique Thai dancer statues in front. The crystal chandelier is a new addition and I love the way that it is reflected in the mirror. The Picasso book is my cool new mouse pad. The picture below is from the spring with lovely orange Parrot tulips being reflected in the mirror. The picture below that is my desk piled up with samples and items that fill my desk on a daily basis.

Patricia Gray - The Color Orange

Patricia Gray - Current Project

This picture is from one of my all time favourite movies - The Devil wears Prada

Top row left to right: Araby Mirror by Ironies, www.beachdwelling.com, Z Gallerie
Second row left to right: Oly, Oly, Patent Mirror frame Vivre

Stay tuned for more in my on going series on "Mirror Magic"

Patricia Gray writes about Interior Design inspirations, emerging trends, and the world of Design. 
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e-design

I'm now offering e-design services! I'm really excited to start it up & I'll keep you posted on how it's going. Check out www.thepurestyle.com/edesign.html for details.

E-clients fill out a questionnaire and then send in photos & room measurements. Pure Style creates a Design Plan accompanied by a Design Board (above) and a Shopping List. Everything the client needs to create the room is provided via email within 2 weeks.

Pass it on if you know anyone interested- thanks!!

Decorate Beautifully AND Have Pets – Part Two

Pick your color scheme carefully if you have pets or anticipate having them soon. Stay away from white carpeting, curtains, or furniture, they won’t be white for long if you own pets. Black fabric and upholstery shows light animal fur really well, and it can be hard to keep it all cleaned off, so try not to use very much black in your decorating. Bold or bright colors also show fur easily. The best colors for us animal lovers are soft neutrals, any color within the range from light tan to chocolate brown will stay looking nice with pets fairly well.

Don’t use flat finish paint if you have pets. When they rub against the walls (or run into the walls as my dogs sometimes do) it will be harder to clean flat finish painted walls. It is best to avoid white walls if you can. This will force you to think about your style a little bit more, and your home will probably end up looking better if you paint them colors other than white.

Your tables and end tables will need to be sturdy. Where you have animals you’ll have play and they’ll inevitably run into your furniture. Also, keeping a lot of knick knacks on your tables probably won’t work well if you are going to own pets, clutter free is best, that way there is less to be knocked over.

Ideally, you’ll have a pantry in the kitchen where you can store your pet’s food. This way, you can keep it hidden instead of having to either display it or go out into your garage each time you feed your pets.

Check back soon for part three of this blog.

This blog is brought to you by rehab jobs.

Decorate Beautifully AND Have Pets – Part Two

Pick your color scheme carefully if you have pets or anticipate having them soon. Stay away from white carpeting, curtains, or furniture, they won’t be white for long if you own pets. Black fabric and upholstery shows light animal fur really well, and it can be hard to keep it all cleaned off, so try not to use very much black in your decorating. Bold or bright colors also show fur easily. The best colors for us animal lovers are soft neutrals, any color within the range from light tan to chocolate brown will stay looking nice with pets fairly well.

Don’t use flat finish paint if you have pets. When they rub against the walls (or run into the walls as my dogs sometimes do) it will be harder to clean flat finish painted walls. It is best to avoid white walls if you can. This will force you to think about your style a little bit more, and your home will probably end up looking better if you paint them colors other than white.

Your tables and end tables will need to be sturdy. Where you have animals you’ll have play and they’ll inevitably run into your furniture. Also, keeping a lot of knick knacks on your tables probably won’t work well if you are going to own pets, clutter free is best, that way there is less to be knocked over.

Ideally, you’ll have a pantry in the kitchen where you can store your pet’s food. This way, you can keep it hidden instead of having to either display it or go out into your garage each time you feed your pets.

Check back soon for part three of this blog.

This blog is brought to you by rehab jobs.

Decorate Beautifully AND Have Pets – Part One

I’m an animal lover and live with two dogs and two cats, but that doesn’t mean my house has to look worse for the wear. Sticking to a few rules when decorating your home can allow you to have a home that looks good and pets simultaneously. In fact, a home that is decorated to be durable and stylish may reduce your stress levels when guests or kids are over, you won’t have to worry about messes as much.

Stay away from decorating in fabric types that attract hair. If a fabric has any tendency to have static, it will attract animal hair like crazy. Velvet is another fabric to steer clear of, you will have a hard time keeping velvet hair free. Certain fabric types like microfiber are easy to keep fur off of. Ideally, you would choose fabrics that are close to the color of your pet’s hair to minimize visible fur on the fabric. There is a new fabric type called crypton, designed to resist stains and smells. It comes in many colors and styles and you can check it out at www.cryptonfabric.com. Leather is a good fabric choice for pet owners too. It is easy to clean and very durable. Pleather will work well too. Ultrasuede feels like real suede and is very good for pet owners too.

Check back soon for part two of this blog.

This blog is brought to you by dialysis nuring jobs.

Decorate Beautifully AND Have Pets – Part One

I’m an animal lover and live with two dogs and two cats, but that doesn’t mean my house has to look worse for the wear. Sticking to a few rules when decorating your home can allow you to have a home that looks good and pets simultaneously. In fact, a home that is decorated to be durable and stylish may reduce your stress levels when guests or kids are over, you won’t have to worry about messes as much.

Stay away from decorating in fabric types that attract hair. If a fabric has any tendency to have static, it will attract animal hair like crazy. Velvet is another fabric to steer clear of, you will have a hard time keeping velvet hair free. Certain fabric types like microfiber are easy to keep fur off of. Ideally, you would choose fabrics that are close to the color of your pet’s hair to minimize visible fur on the fabric. There is a new fabric type called crypton, designed to resist stains and smells. It comes in many colors and styles and you can check it out at www.cryptonfabric.com. Leather is a good fabric choice for pet owners too. It is easy to clean and very durable. Pleather will work well too. Ultrasuede feels like real suede and is very good for pet owners too.

Check back soon for part two of this blog.

This blog is brought to you by dialysis nuring jobs.

Pumpkin Carving – Part Four

There are special pumpkin carving kits available at many stores. These kits are a lot easier to use for carving than knives that you happen to have around the kitchen, and a decent kit can usually be found for a good price. Kits usually include tiny serrated blades in several different sizes that make cutting intricate patterns easy. If you intend to really get into carving the details, having a drill on hand can make your task easier.

Candles look the most authentic inside carved pumpkins that are displayed, but the heat from the candles often causes pumpkins to shrivel and age prematurely. To prevent this, consider buying some lights meant to go inside of pumpkins. You can get lights that have tiny batteries in them so you don’t have to worry about finding an outlet. You can also get lights that flicker to look like a candle flame. These don’t usually cost more than a dollar per light, and they’re easier than candles too since you can leave them on instead of having to remember to light and blow out the candle each night.

There are a few unique things you can do with your pumpkin if you want it to stand out. You can put wax paper inside the pumpkin covering the design, this will create an opaque look when the pumpkin is lit. Tin foil inside the pumpkin across from the pattern makes the light emitted from the pumpkin look brighter.

Check back soon for part four of this blog.

This blog is brought to you by occupational therapy jobs.

Pumpkin Carving – Part Four

There are special pumpkin carving kits available at many stores. These kits are a lot easier to use for carving than knives that you happen to have around the kitchen, and a decent kit can usually be found for a good price. Kits usually include tiny serrated blades in several different sizes that make cutting intricate patterns easy. If you intend to really get into carving the details, having a drill on hand can make your task easier.

Candles look the most authentic inside carved pumpkins that are displayed, but the heat from the candles often causes pumpkins to shrivel and age prematurely. To prevent this, consider buying some lights meant to go inside of pumpkins. You can get lights that have tiny batteries in them so you don’t have to worry about finding an outlet. You can also get lights that flicker to look like a candle flame. These don’t usually cost more than a dollar per light, and they’re easier than candles too since you can leave them on instead of having to remember to light and blow out the candle each night.

There are a few unique things you can do with your pumpkin if you want it to stand out. You can put wax paper inside the pumpkin covering the design, this will create an opaque look when the pumpkin is lit. Tin foil inside the pumpkin across from the pattern makes the light emitted from the pumpkin look brighter.

Check back soon for part four of this blog.

This blog is brought to you by occupational therapy jobs.

Accessorize with Balls

I was looking around our house, doing a little rearranging and I realized how much I use balls in decorating. It sounds odd, but whenever I'm out shopping, I'm always drawn to all the differnt types of pretty balls I see. They add a little life & fun to a room & they're so easy to swap around & change the mood of a room. Check out all these different balls you can decorate with.

Moss Balls:

We had moss balls all over our wedding & now have a ton of them! They're great for the Spring & Fall: (Image above from Aidan Gray Home) I must say though, my mom thought they looked like moldy bowling balls-- I disagree... or maybe I just think moldy bowling balls would be pretty.

Our Wedding Centerpieces

My grandparents lived in Hawaii a while ago & the family used to collect Japanese Glass Bobbers that would wash ashore. They're unique & just show how old utilitarian objects can be really beautiful.

Antique Japanese Fishing Bobbers:

image from wikipedia

I like to put the aqua ones in bathrooms:

Twig balls: Tuck them around your displays for the Fall. They'll give your home a relly natural feel.

Aidan Gray Home

My house:

Here are some gorgeous wooden balls featured in Domino Magazine. They're so architectural & warm.

And these seashell balls from seahellworld.com have been around for ages. How pretty does it look on the wooden stand?






And terra cotta & porcelain garden balls don't have to stay outside. Bring them inside for a Garden-feel.

terra cotta graden ball from momui home

ceramic garden balls from Germes Online

And, of course, fruit! Everyone knows that a bowl of oranges on the table makes it look pretty & clean. Think of all the differnt fruits you can use in your home: (Perk: you get to eat these balls!)

Aidan Gray Home

On a final note, Aidan Gray Home offers so many beautiful wire baskets, topiaries & urns that go really well with balls of all shapes & sizes. The company has that Neoclassical-Garden feel I love.Got any more ball decorating ideas? I'd love to hear them!