I met Laura Carson Miller last year and was honored to be a guest blogger on her site a few months ago. Laura is freelance lifestyle writer in Atlanta, writing for magazines and the web. Her favorite subjects include beauty, health/wellness, and financial issues. She is also an avid cook, gardener, fashionista and interior stylist extraordinaire.

I wanted to share this article she wrote on She Knows {Home and Garden} about Decorating with Pillows. I was able to show off a few of my design projects and talk about the impact pillows can have in your space.  Thank you Laura!

I been working on a new Home Away From Home project converting a nursery to a toddler room and playroom and have been on the hunt for the perfect rug. Having access to SHOP TEN 25 is a blessing and I find my self “shopping”  in my own store.  We recently added a full like of children’s rugs to the shop so I wanted to share my top pics for this project.

The baby girl’s nursery is a pink, white and green color palette and her mom wanted to keep the existing paint and drapes. We are adding a new “big girl” bed and replacing the carpet with hardwoods so we need a great statement rug now.  Modern birds are the theme for the room and I found just the rug for the space.  This rug is perfect, it brings in the modern bird theme and works with the pink paint and white drapes…I’m thinking a green or turquoise chandelier may find it’s way into the room too! I’m working on the inspiration board over the next few days so stay tuned!

The playroom space is just outside of the room and now that the hardwoods are going in, we need a fun run to soften the space up.  This is a family of three, two boys and the baby girl so we need to bring in a rug that is durable, stylish and affordable.  We are looking at a poly/acrylic blend hook rug for the space. Acrylic hook rugs are soft under foot and can also be used outdoor, they are durable enough to stand up to little kiddos and all of their spills.

This modern animal rug is the top choice so far. The colors are easy to decorate around but branch out from the typical primary color palette that you see in many kids area.

So if your in the market for a rug that is durable enough to stand up to you kiddos…check out our options in The Shop

When Julie asked me to help get her house in order before the holidays, I was really excited! The master bathroom & kitchen were recently remodeled and the new hardwoods are going in soon! Everything was coming together but the house just needed a few finishing touches. Since Julie and her husband will be welcoming family for Thanksgiving, I thought I would get the guest bedroom completed first.

Julie’s style is transitional/modern/eclectic so finding pieces that worked was easy.  The bedroom only has an iron bed and is currently used as the “catch all” and storage space in the house.   Let’s get into the details and start with the overall look of the room!

Guest Room Product Resource List

HEADBOARD:  Home Shopping Network.  I love this pattern and it’s graphic without being too modern and it is the jumping off point for the entire room!

BEDDING: This organic pin tucked bedding from West Elm is super soft and very chic. It can also look good folded up at the end of the bed to show off the yellow coverlet or blanket!

THROW/COVERLET: Add a coverlet between the top sheet and duvet for a pop of color or use this throw on top of the bed for the same look.

ACCENT PILLOWS:

These blue velvet pillows from Crate and Barrel will bring in the wall color and accents from the headboard. Place two of them on the bed and then add this fun 14×36 mongolian lamb pillow in front.

The geometric yellow and white pillow will look perfect in the accent chair and on the bed too!

NIGHT STANDS: These parsons tables from West Elm are the perfect size for the bedroom. I love the white finish but if you want to warm the room up, they have an espresso finish as well.

LAMPS: I love these yellow lamps from Lamps Plus. The color is not too YELLOW and the chrome base is good. You can find yellow lamps in many stores now so just go with what you love.

ACCENT PIECES FOR THE WALLS: These small starburst mirrors would look perfect over each nightsand and hung just over the lamps. The light will bounce off of the beads and create a sparkle!

ART: This tall piece from Sugarboo Designs has the perfect mix of colors in the room and the softness will be a good contrast to the leather accent chair!

LOUNGE CHAIR: This chair looks like a million bucks! The price is awesome (under $300 and $2  shipping!! )and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the detailing on the sides! A classic corner piece that is a bit oversized but the white will keep it visually simple.

ACCENT TABLE: Bring in a simple white accent table next to the chairs. These to paired with the yellow pillow and art will pop off of the China Blue walls! Set a small stack of colorfull books on the table for a finished look.

DRAPES: Amazon.com  96” length white velvet drapes $51.99 each panel. Any white drape will do, I love the texture of the velvet, but you can use linen or cotton too.

Baby Hope is on her way!  In preparation for her arrival this winter her mom and dad are itching to complete her nursery and asked us for help. Since they are struggling to mix both of their styles, we combined the best of both to give baby Hope a hip, chic and stylish place to dream! Take a look at their letter and Hope’s nursery finish board!

Hi Abbe,

My husband and I are expecting our first child this winter and with our busy schedules, we have had no time to shop for Hope’s nursery!  I have to admit that we are putting it off because we can not agree on the style of the items we want. My husband wants simple but I want a bit of frill. We need your help to complete her nursery before she makes her big arrival this winter.  We tried to start on the room and the only thing we have been able to agree on has been painting the room a warm beige color.  I want to keep the walls neutral, as Hope grows up and we change her bedding I really don’t want to repaint the room. We both love some color but are unsure how to pull things together without it looking crazy.  Here is a list of what we want for the room:

1. No pink, we want to go with a brown and green color scheme

2. We love the “modern baby” look of clean lines, white furniture and wood accents (We need a crib, changing table & rocker)

3. A few “girlie” touches please. I am drawn to more frilly things and my husband wants things more natural and simple. Helps us combine our two styles. Enclosed is the bedding we have purchased, it is white with a floral pattern. My husband let me win that one!

4. We need a bit of art to hang in the room and help with a layout. Three of the four walls in the room are full. The first has the closet, the second has the windows and the third has built-ins.

We are so excited to see your ideas and know you can help us resolve our style differences so baby Hope will have a perfect nursery!

Thank you,

Brandi & Jeff

As my clients look for ways to cut cost with out compromising good design, I am constantly looking for better “budget” options.  It seams like the big trend in decorating/ design is getting “the look” for less.  And with HGTV and the Style network bringing so many fabulous designers and their unique shows for all of us to drool over…great design and fabulous rooms are no longer a dream. Right now I am working on a few bedrooms that require high style but come with tiny budget.  I love to shop for bargains and am  fortunate to be in the fabulous and resourceful city of Dallas, TX.  There are tons of budget friendly finds to be had at places like Ikea, Target, Walmart, TJ Maxx homegoods & Marshall’s just to name a few. Not to mention many of the high end “outlet” stores where fab pieces from last season go to be re-discovered again. Places like Horchow Finale, Last Call Neiman Marcus, Crate & Barrel outlet, the new Lam Lee outlet  and I could go on.

I was recently asked to create a room similar to the one my client gave me (below)..only on a budget. I wanted to stick with the budget friendly stores for the basics and I was able to find almost everything in the room at WAL-MART and Target!!  Getting great deals is great, but I do still believe that you need to invest in quality pieces that will be classics and be able to withstand a few relocations along with average wear and tear. Her is her letter

Hi Abbe,

I am a new college grad with my first place and am in serious need of new furniture in my bedroom. I have decided to sell most of my awful college furniture and replace it with a more chic grown up look for my first place. I have just moved into my new apartment and would love to get started on my bedroom right away. I have a brand new mattress set (queen size) and a few pieces of art that I love and would like to use in the space. I am including a picture of a bedroom that I totally LOVE and want for my new place. I have started to look at things similar to the items in the picture but am hitting a wall and have no idea how to pull it all together. My budget is small ($1,300), I have money stuck back from graduation gifts and would like to use that without dipping into my  new paycheck! Hopefully  you can help me find things to create the look, I am open to anything you suggest but my one request is to find the wallpaper. I know it’s an apartment and I shouldn’t put up wallpaper but I really think it will make the room. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Thanks, Stephanie

Stephanie has fabulous taste and I can see why she is not wanting to budge on the wallpaper! With a few clicks and free shipping as a bonus, Stephanie will be right on budget to create the look she wants. Now this college grad can come home and relax in style! Here is the finish board, I usually don’t get detailed on pricing and the location of the items I suggest but this is such a fabulous price!!

Here is the run down on cost:

1.King Ivory Tufted Headboard: Walmart $269.00

2.Netural Bedding: Walmart $49.99

3.Faux Silk Pillows: Walmart $12.88 each

4.Chrysanthemum Wallpaper: Target $74.99 double roll

5.Black Nightstands: Walmart $104.75 each

6.Glass Base Table Lamps: Walmart $76.00

7.Pinch Pleat Drapery Panels: Walmart $31.88 each

8.Canary print Chair: Target $299.99

9.Blue Accent Pillow: Target $24.99

Total approximate cost: $1093.9