From Textile to Table A big reward for a bit of creativity. That’s what Rachel in Pleasanton, California celebrates tonight with her $50 Michael’s gift card. Rachel ran away with the From Textile to Table Challenge by doing one thing: giving it a whirl. Plus she has her delightful serving dish to keep. This Challenge asked us to look to a fabric design as inspiration […] Read more »

SeeItYourWay Kitchen Design Challenge What a blast we had designing our kitchens. For weeks now, the Design Junkies have been clicking around choosing cabinets, appliances and flooring. They’ve been picking out tiles, lighting and more. We enjoyed reading about what people wanted in a kitchen and why they made their choices. Heather carefully chose products and finishes for her upcoming kitchen renovations, Vanessa found a […] Read more »

My Aunt Patty is the consummate bargain hunter. Her home is lovely mind you; one would never know the source of some of her decor. But neighborhood garage sale? She’s there. Got to have a grape-shaped serving dish? She’ll scour her favorite thrift and consignment joints ’til she snags you one. Patty—who you’d never guess as my aunt because she’s so young—delights in tracking down […] Read more »

Here’s what’s up with the Challenges this week. 1. What a thrill! We ended up with nineteen entries for the SeeItYourWay Kitchen Design Challenge. The kitchens are so diverse; it’s been a kick to see your varied tastes. Voting for the best combined kitchen design and description has been ongoing all week, and we have only today left. So pop by and vote for your […] Read more »

Today I want your reaction to the innovative Cut it out! rugs from UK product designer Marina Ralph. Ralph designed the 100% wool felt rugs with perforated lines for decoration, and to allow the buyer to adjust the rug’s size and shape to fit the room. Rug a little too big? Want to move it from your den to a smaller bedroom? Snip away. Does […] Read more »

Artist Profile — Kristi Taylor I have always admired people who can pick an interest and stick with it. Not that it’s bad to dabble—we learn so much that way. But focusing on an avocation or even concentrating on a certain theme can result in impressive work. That’s how it is with abstract artist Kristi Taylor and her Tree Views series of paintings. Her kaleidoscopic […] Read more »

by Leona Gaita What a fabulous week! Today it is my pleasure to introduce you to Leona Gaita, HomeWorkshop.com Interior Design Expert and our newest Contributor. You’ll adore Leona’s inspiring, creative and resourceful posts for HomeWorkshop and those for her popular Gaita Interiors blog. — I’m constantly knocked out by the stunning creativity of textile designers! Every time I go to the Decoration & Design […] Read more »

Good wine and good lighting come together with this trend. Some of these have been around a bit, but we are seeing more—and more interesting—light fixtures and lamps made from wine bottles. My favorite is Pottery Barn’s Wine Bottle Chandelier that my friend Marie at Decorator on Demand mentioned on her blog. The ring of suspended green bottles is simple and impactful. FCL Style’s take […] Read more »

by Diana Durkes We are in for a treat today, when furniture makeover and upcycler specialist Diana Durkes joins us as a HomeWorkshop.com Contributor. Diana gives “New Life to the Tossed and Found” at her blog, Fine Diving in Chicago. I’m a plaids and stripes kind of person. Something about vibrant colors arranged in sensible lines and angles will have me forever gravitating to a […] Read more »

Much is happening on the Challenges front; here’s your update. 1. Megan from Melbourne ran away with the Slice It Up Challenge; so this terrific decorating book is on its way Down Under. 2. There are thirteen diverse entries (so far) for the SeeItYourWay Kitchen Design Challenge—check them out here. And to get in on this kitchen-design-a-palooza, do it pronto. It’s easy and fun! Your […] Read more »

by Susan Serra, CKD Today I am thrilled to welcome our HomeWorkshop.com Kitchen Design Expert and Contributor, Susan Serra, CKD. Known to many as “The Kitchen Designer” for her popular blog, Susan is an award-winning Certified Kitchen Designer, with a national clientele. — I believe in changing my kitchen (or any) interiors every once in awhile to suit my moods or a new point of […] Read more »

Home Decor Drives Nursery Decor A Room that will Last and Grow A Comfortable “Mini Apartment” Interesting, Personalized Artwork — The other day, I had a great conversation about nursery decor and design with acclaimed designer and southern gentleman Kenneth Brown. The host of HGTV’s reDesign, new dad Kenneth spends plenty of time in his own baby daughter Harper’s nursery. Kenneth’s clientele for his celebrated […] Read more »

NOTCOT’s story raced across the blogosphere like wildfire. You see, the folks at The Standard Grill in New York’s Standard Hotel covered their floor with a mosaic of thousands of pennies. It’s just not a common sight. I decided that rather than a straight report on The Standard’s floor, instead we should use it for inspiration for our next Challenge. Heck, we can cover things […] Read more »

Slice It Up Many people read about it. A bunch thought they’d give it a whirl. But Megan in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia shared her sliced-up artwork with us, and she’s scored a new book! Megan and her husband are lounging on an old dock in Guatemala in her photographic take on pointillism (above). I like the misty, relaxed feel of the piece. And the close […] Read more »

This is a wondrous time for creative peeps. We can design and have printed our original fabric Retro Pink fabric. We can snap an iPhone photo of neighbor Marge’s delphiniums and buy perfectly-matched paint for the Master bath. Computer tools like this let us visualize our redesigned rooms before we shell out the bucks for a single appliance. And we can design our original furniture […] Read more »