I am such a HUGE fan of the design site HOUZZ! I could spend hours looking through gorgeous images and catching up on their informative articles.  I also have my own STUDIO TEN25 page on Houzz where you can see my latest projects and learn more about what I love.

I often get emails from readers asking “what is it really?” And “What should I look for on there? ”   I also refer many of my design clients to the site so that they can find the inspiration for their project, it gives us a great way to communicate visually!   So, today I am so excited to welcome Becky from Houzz on the blog! Becky is going to break it all down for you and give you the tips, tricks and scoop on how to use Houzz. BEWARE, you may become addicted!!   ENJOY!!!!

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Hello everyone! My name is Becky and I’m a contributor at Houzz, a home design site focused on helping design professionals and homeowners manage the remodeling and decorating process. Thanks so much to Abbe
for having me!

Abbe asked me to talk about something I happen to know a lot about: how to use Houzz when you’re planning a renovation, looking for inspiration, trying to find an architect, designer or contractor, or simply have a design dilemma and want some community input. Here are three easy ways to search the hundreds of thousands of photos in our database to find new ideas, advice and the right professional for your job.

Let’s start with a simple search. Let’s say you want to gut your old 1960s bathroom and replace it with a fresh and unique design. All you need to do is click on “Photos” at the top. Next, look to the left side and click on “Eclectic” under “Filter by Style” and “Bathrooms” under “Filter by Space.” Thousands of pictures of eclectic bathrooms will come up. If you’re looking for local design, you can filter even further by choosing your metro area under “Filter by Metro.” When you see work you like, you can click on the designer’s name to find their contact information.

As you’re browsing through the images yielded by your search, click on “Add to Ideabook” on any of the pictures you like, and create a “Bathroom Renovation Ideas” ideabook. You can create as many ideabooks as you like and share them with the professionals you hire or simply keep them for your own inspiration. Likewise, professionals can create Ideabooks to show clients their ideas. In addition, we have a products section full of hundreds of thousands of the best home products that you can peruse and add to your ideabooks the same way.

You can also filter your results by simply searching styles, furniture, colors, lighting and just about anything you can think of in the search box at the top. For example, a search for “zebra rug” brought up thousands of images for me to look through, including this beautiful living room that Abbe designed.

In addition to searching the photo database, you can also search for articles written by experts on thousands of topics, from D.I.Y. instructions on building a firepit to advice from an architect on how to keep your remodeling project on budget.

Another way to find designers and other pros is to go to the top of the page and click on “Professionals.” Next, look to the left side of the page, choose your city and then choose the type of professional you are seeking. For example, a quick search for Kitchen and Bath Designers in Atlanta turned up 638 of them. You can browse through their portfolios, link to their websites and read recommendations that their clients have left.

Finally, if you have any remodeling questions of your own, post them on the Houzz Discussions Board and Houzz community members will chime in with opinions about how to solve your problem. Once you’re over on the boards, you’ll likely find yourself chiming in on others’ design questions as well.

Find more inspiration from interior designers and more design professionals at Houzz.

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Don’t forget to stop by Joss & Main and take a look at my “Graphics & Glam” Curator’s Collection! If your not a member (it’s free to join)…use my personal invitation link HERE to get the hook up!

Today is the big day!!!  My “Graphics & Glam” curator’s collection on Joss & Main launches today and will be available for the next 3 days!! If you are not a member yet (it’s free to join), just click HERE to get direct access to the fabulous site so you won’t miss my collection or any of the other collections they have running daily! I hope you love all of the graphic and glamorous pieces that I have selected for the collection!!!

And because I love you guys so much, I wanted to share a few of the preview looks for the collection!!!

Here are my favorite pieces from the collection…

As a designer I am always focused on my client’s budget.  Keeping my eye open for budget friendly options that give my client the look they want with out draining their pocket book is an everyday challenge.  Just last week I was on the hunt for a fabulous backsplash for a commercial client’s break room. We needed something that wasn’t going to cost them $75 or more per square foot and would still give them the look they wanted.  I was so happy that my rep suggested one of the latest products from a vendor that was super affordable and looked like the $75 per square foot product they loved.

I thought it would be fun to share the options and to see if you can tell the difference between the high end and the low end backsplash. I love the high/low rooms that some of the design magazines do and it always surprises me how sometimes you just can tell the difference.  Take a look at the overall pattern, almost exact right?  And the details….both have similar textures, small cut pieces and fabulous reflectivity.

If you guessed that Backsplash A was the high end…YOU ARE RIGHT!!  Although the overall look and pattern are almost exact, this option contains hand cut and fitted pieces of mirror and artisan glass that is part of the Ann Sacks Chrysalis collection. I am a HUGE fan of anything with mirrored surfaces but when you are on a budget, those details are no longer an option.

Here is the all mirrored options…LOVE THIS

But, the Liberty product we are going with fits the budget and still looks pretty darn close to the look my client was after. It still shimmers, has lots of texture and is made from 75% post-consumer recycled glass. Gorgeous and Green!

My sales rep Tamara at Ann Sacks was able to use an App that inserted the product in the photograph of the client’s break room….Um…SOLD!  You can see more of the Liberty colors on Trend’s website. I hope to share pics soon!!!

And don’t forget to check out my curator’s collection (Graphics & Glam) on Joss & Main tomorrow! If you are not a member (it’s free to join), pop over from HERE so that you can take a look at all of the fabulous pieces I have selected.  Sale starts tomorrow!!!!

I’m excited to announce that I have curated a fabulous Graphics and Glam collection for Joss and Main!  Next Tuesday, May 15th is the big day and I can’t wait for you to see what I have pulled together.

If you are not familiar with Joss & Main it is a premier members-only site that offers limited-time sales on the world’s best brands for your home and life. UNFORTUNATELY, they have a waiting list to join. LUCK FOR YOU, you  are reading this blog post and have a direct link to a free me membership from me!  Just click HERE to get direct access to the fabulous site so you won’t miss my collection or any of the other collections they have running daily!

Their carefully curated events – usually lasting just 3 days – showcase distinctive designs and trends, along with the talents of noted influencers from the interior design community. It’s free to join, and the site offers insider access to the highest quality housewares, furniture, décor accents, lifestyle accessories, giftables, and more at prices up to 70% off retail.

Here is a sneak peak at a few of the pieces from my collection….more details as I countdown to the sale!!!

Nothing jazzes up a space like a healthy dose of animal print! Even the smallest hint of these “wild” patterns magically transforms a space into something edgier, sexier, and more dramatic. Just like adding a leopard print shoe or a zebra print handbag to your outfit, the same is true of your home as well! The shop has a few spotted pieces of it’s own for sale. These are my current favorites that even I’ve been eyeing!

1.Croc Drum Pendant 2.Croc Round Pendant 3.Giraffe Pillow 4 Zebra Pillow 5. Leopard Pillow

6. Modern Pony Accent Chair 7. Grey Croc Rug 8.Zebra Stool

Remember me talking about the fabulous watercolor wallpaper from Black Crow Studio’s on the blog a few weeks ago? Well, we have narrowed it down to a few of our favorites. I love the organic pattern that we have decided on…now we just need to pick our favorite.

We are looking for the perfect combination of fuchsia & orange to tie in the the overall color scheme of the room. What do you think?  Which one is your favorite?

This is mine…. Option #1

And the other options. This is a tough one, they are all so fabulous!!!

Option #2

Option #3

Last summer the Texas heat was so obnoxious and overwhelming that we are having to replant the entire east side of our yard this year. I thought it would be no big deal to have the new sod put in but wow, it makes a HUGE difference and I love the way the new grass looks so fresh, bright green and it’s super soft!

Our backyard is a different story, with two bird dogs running around the grass takes a beating. So much of a beating, that we have considered having turf put in.   Once we began to investigate the cost and options out on the market today we were surprised to see what people do with turf and faux grass around the house too.  Grassland has to be one of my favorite finds! They use dried grass panels to make anything from grass walls to grass letters for logos and FABULOUS lighting.

Here are a few of my favorite faux grass look!  It’s amazing what people come up with, I think the grass like rugs are the most functional. I love the way they bring in a crisp modern look.  We used them on a client’s patio project and they brought in much needed texture and color while keeping the modern look….anyone else feel a sneeze coming on?

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On the rare occasion that the heat here isn’t stifling and a breeze is gently blowing, there’s nothing I love more than to sit on the porch with a cold drink in hand and my puppy dawgs beside me! The world just seems right when you take a moment to relax like that. Of course, part of the joy of being outside on the porch is the environment you create for yourself. Today’s Weekend Window is a collection of indoor/outdoor items from the shop that I think would make a lovely patio setting!  I have taken on a few fabulous covered patio spaces in The Studio and love the way they become an extension of the client’s home.

If your like me, you find it frustrating to find outdoor pillows, rugs and lighting that aren’t scratchy and boring.   I love spending time on our screened porch but since it is protected from the elements,  I just scotch guard my pillows so I guess I cheat a bit.  Adding pattern and color through trow pillows can completely change a space so I just decided to go for it.  And yes, that rug can be used outdoors… isn’t it incredible how far outdoor furniture has come?!

1.  Three Glass Vase Holder 2. Driftwood Chandelier 3. Outdoor Ratan Sofa 4. Lime La Fiorentina Pillows 5. Orange Zig Zag Pillows 6. Wangright Green Lacquer Table 7. Turquoise Garden Stool 8. Bird Branch Coat Hook 9. Florin Blue Rug

By now I’m sure most of you have discovered Houzz.Com and have become as obsessed as I have!  As a designer, I love that I can upload project images and interact with other members about design details.  The amount of information and inspiration is fabulous! HERE is my Houzz page for Studio Ten 25.

From time to time, Houzz will feature one or more of my projects when posting about a specific color, style or trend. The content is great and I love seeing all of the fabulous images they select to get the visual side of the story across.  It is always flattering and exciting to see that someone finds inspiration in something I have worked on. Here are a few of my favorites from the past week…

Buzz Worth Yellow & Black Interiors

This bold office space was a blast to work on. The mix of graphic patterns like flame stitch, hexagon and greek key are my favorite details in the room. Of course I have always wanted to use bright yellow drapes and they look even better than I imagined on the glossy black walls.  I love the energy in this room!

Images Via: Studio Ten 25 & Melanie Johnson Photography

Eco-Friendly Fabrics

Soft, soothing and touches of glam make this a great room to relax in. The organic pintuck duvet from West Elm is super soft and it brings in a little bit of texture without going overboard.

Images Via: Studio Ten 25 & Melanie Johnson Photography

Ikat Patterns

This small and casual dining area was looking a bit bland and need a little something to brighten it up. Adding a fun turquoise Ikat graphic fabric on the seat cushions brought in some much needed color and pattern. Sometimes you don’t have to do a lot to achieve a bold yet simple look…and it’s always nice when you get a bit of function too!

Images Via: Studio Ten 25 & Melanie Johnson Photography

I have been working on a new boutique the past few months and am so excited to see my client’s vision come to life.  The construction is coming to an end and all of the fabulous details are being finalized and installed over the next few days. Today I thought I would share one of the inspiration boards for the space.  Hope to share images soon!!!

Gorgeous Watercolor Sketch | Turquoise Chandelier | Dhurrie Rug

White Lacquer Table | Orange Ottoman | Greyhound | Purple Suede Wedge