DIY Tips & Tricks ~ Wine Crate Kitchen Cabinets

Ohhhh, check out this FUN eco-friendly project over at Readymade. The article is about a couple in Barcelona that made their kitchen cabinets out of wine crates!

Dandy Chandy Tuesday ~ Inspired Lighting

Check out this gorgeous, inspiring collection of lighting from Sharon Marston. And take a peek at the various projects section also for hotels, private residences and restaurants also.

Design Tip of the Week (3.29.10): Miami Style

Hello Everyone! In honor of my vacation to Miami this week (YEAH!), Here are some great inspirational photos of exteriors and interiors with Miami style ~ Enjoy!:


(photo via architectural digest miami}



{photo via planetware.com}



{photo via architecturesdesign.com}



{photo via destination360.com}



{photo via avramrusuinteriors.com}

Friday Finds ~ Flowered Enamelware

Lovin' this Flowered Enamelware from VivaTerra. So great for your outdoor patio. How exciting is it to think about being outdoors after this brutal winter?!?! :)

Art Smart ~ Lucky Cricket Designs

Check out this really cute set of handpainted coffee cups from Marissa of Lucky Cricket Designs. Marissa & I (Jen) had middle school art classes together....and Choir right? Yikes who told me I could sing?!

Marissa is also fellow graduate of The Corcoran College of Art & Design, so I vouch for her artsy awesomeness! Currently Marissa lives in Denver, Colorado, where she design's handmade and hand-painted items in her home studio. If you are looking for a specific design, contact her for custom requests!

Our Faves!: Buddha Time

Needing a little more tranquility in life lately, I came across this great buddha sculpture. Doesn't it make you just want to sit and be calm, even if for 2 seconds? :)

Dandy Chandy Tuesday!

Put some shades on your chandy! Love this Chrome and Black 6-light Crystal Chandelier from Overstock....and its 80% off the original price. SALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Design Tip of the Week (3.21.10): Find Your Garden Style

The warm weather is getting us thinking about how we want to spend our warm days. Here are some wonderful garden design ideas for different spaces and styles.

Asian Inspired Zen Gardens
Create an Asian inspired garden by incorporating some of these traditional elements: water features, bridges, oriental statues, stones, dry pathways, lanterns, and trees (like Japanese Maples and Magnolias). The design focuses on balance, meaning no one part of the garden should over power the other.

{Photo from Pond Paradis Design, Inc.}


{Photo from The Garden Central}

Roof Top Gardens
Don't have a backyard? Build your garden towards the sky. City living never felt more relaxing than with an urban oasis at your disposal. With a deck like feel, plants, unique space saving designs like built ins, you can have a garden in the concrete jungle.

{Photo from The Garden Central}


{Photo from Blue Sky Landscapes (UK)}

English Gardens
Arbors, pergolas, and archways are key elements of an English garden; adorn them with climbing plants to provide shade for a walkway. English gardens also have a focal point, these can include a statuary or a nice bench. Winding pathways that form sections of the garden, also called garden rooms, are what make English gardens cozy and intriguing.

{Photo from Courier-Journal.Com of Louisville}


{Photo from www.PoeticOneirism.blogspot.com}

Friday Finds (3.19.10): Clothes Pins and

Love these French script clothes pins from The Shabby Chic Cottage. Only $7 for 10! Use them to hang pictures or if your really fancy, hang your laundry ; ). I'm buying them for my newest DIY project...stay tuned for the finished product on our DIY Tips and Tricks.

Art Smart (3.18.10): Watercolors to Bring in Spring!

One crab, two crabs, blue crab, red crab! Enjoy the vibrant watercolors by Laura Trevey.

DIY Tips & Tricks: Herbal Remedies

The season for planting has arrived! An herb garden is a great DIY project to beautify your outdoor space and bring some fresh ingredients into your kitchen.
Need some pointers? Here are some good resources for getting your garden cultivated!

~The Herb Society of America has a beginner's herb garden guide.

~How to grow an herb garden from How Stuff Works.

And to get you motivated, here is a refreshing herbal drink recipe from The New Homemaker

Pink Lavender Drink
6-8 servings

2 ½ c Water
1 ½ c Sugar
½ c Frozen or fresh, hulled strawberries
¼ c Fresh Lavender flowers chopped
2 ¼ c Fresh Lemon juice
2 ½ c Water
½ c Sugar

In a saucepan, blend 2 ½ cups water, sugar and strawberries.
Bring to boiling mark, stir to dissolve sugar.
Lower heat.
Simmer 5 minutes to extract pink from strawberries.
Remove from oven.
Stir in lavender flowers.
Cover and cool.
Strain cooled liquid into large pitcher, gently pressing juice from strawberries.
Add remaining 2 ½ cups water and lemon juice.
Stir well.
Add ½ cup of sugar.
Add ice cubes.
Garnish with lavender flowers.

If you want alcohol try to add Vodka!

Dandy Chandy Tuesday!

When I saw this Chandy on Daily Candy I almost passed out. YES, it is made out of gummy bears, well acrylic ones. It is available from the very fun Jellio.

Design Tip of the Week (3.15.10): Outdoor Living Rooms!

The weather is getting warmer, outdoor season is upon us, so why not move your living room outside? Here are some inspirational images to get your backyard paradise moving.


{Photo from the Outdoor Room Guys}


{Photo from Build-a-Patio.com}


{Photo from Beau Monde Villas}


{Photo from Coastal Living}


{Photo from HGTV Pro}


{Photo from AWH Photo and Design}

Sigh....

Friday Finds (3.12.09): We Heart the World

Buy a bunch of these Decorative Globes from Crate and Barrel and put them in a huge glass vase for the study! PERFECTION.

Art Smart (3.4.10): Art History 101

The Tin Man hand-salvages old ceiling tiles and creates a work of art. Hang them on the wall, use them as a back splash, or just get creative with these small pieces of this country's great history. Some tiles, as seen above, have the original paint in tack, sealed with wax, so you can see the layers of paint that mark its lifespan. Other tiles are grouped together to form unique designs. Check out Tin Man's collection and brush up on your art history.

Our Faves! (3.10.10) ~ Recycled Paint Swatches!

We love pouring over paint samples. Love the thousands of colors, the rainbow of options, the many possible shades of white that exist (its truly amazing). Its so sad that they have no other purpose, they are so disposible...until now!

Paint Sample Journals by Lolipoopdesigns

Dandy Chandy Tuesday!

P4D's logo! Yes, we love chandeliers so much that we took it on as our identity...and then we wanted to put it on some home products! Bring a P4D chandy into your home by visiting our cafe press store.

One of my faves...the Chandy Coaster! I love to put my glass of vino on it!

Design Tip of the Week (3.8.10): Reclaim Your Dining Table

Selecting furniture that is built from reclaimed wood is a great way to save a tree, reduce waste, and have a unique piece in your house that showcases the beauty of aged wood.

Here are some tables made from reclaimed wood that you are going to want to claim for your dining room!

After the Barn ~ Natural Chestnut Table from reclaimed barn wood.


Wood Land Creek Furniture ~ Barn Wood Table Tree Design


Lorimer Workshop ~ Bradley 66x38 Organic Table


Restoration Hardware ~ The Provence Beam Table

Friday Finds (3.5.10): That's a Hoot!

Love the Owl Letter Holder from Urban Outfitters. For only 24 bucks you got yourself a new letter carrier!

Art Smart (3.4.10): The Art of a Redwood

The Exotic Redwood Burl Decorative Vessel from JustAGoodTurn on Etsy is mesmerizing. Your eye is just drawn to the patterns in the wood. Redwoods are awe inspiring, this piece really maintains the wow factor of the material that it is created from.

I even loved a quote from their profile, "I turn wood to reveal the hidden natural treasures within a tree as it is said that the Divine is reflected in things created by Nature."

DIY Tips and tricks:Create a One of a Kind Work Space

Create a personalized workspace just for you! Check out how at ReadyMade

Dandy Chandy Tuesday!

Design your own chandy! Pottery Barn's Wakefield Chandelier lets you customize your light fixture. The three tier, iron frame has 35 clips on it for you to create a collage of stationary, cards, or any clippable memories. And the best part, its on sale for 100 dollars less!

Design Tip of the Week (3.1.10): Looking at Colors...Again

In August of 2008, P4D brought you a 101 on color and its impact. As I plot out paint options for my own redesign I wanted to return to an oldie but a goodie for some help....

Color can have a significant effect on how you feel both mentally and physically. This is why it is very important to think through the colors you use in your house to create an agreeable color palette that meets all of your needs. Here are some of the basics in the psychology of color:



*Cool colors, located on the blue side of the color spectrum, are often described as calming. Certain shades of tranquil blues actually cause the body to produce calming chemicals and can also reduce a person's pulse rate. This is why blue is a very popular bedroom color.



Green is also a common color used to cool and soothe the mind. Hospitals tend to use light green in their rooms to provide a calming effect on the patients. Green is also the easiest color for the eyes to process.



Another functional use for cool colors is to open up a space. Cool colors recede from view so it makes the walls feel like they are further away. This is a good tip for those trying to create the illusion of more space in their homes.



*Warm colors, located on the red area of the color spectrum, creates a cozy feel and brings warmth into a room. Colors such as reds, oranges and yellows are used to create energy in a room.



Yellow is associated with optimism and concentration, but be warned, it can sometimes be hard on the eyes.



Red is the most energizing colors on the color wheel, it has been found to raise blood pressure. Warm colors are also appetite stimulants, this is why you will find these colors in many kitchens and restaurants.

P4D will follow-up with this posting to present more interesting facts on color and how you can use it effectively in the home. We will profile individual colors and share with you how these colors effect your psychology as well as the best ways to use them.