Designers Scrapbook: Sewing Room in Black and White

It’s Craft Week on DesignTalk! We’ve been touring stylish sewing rooms, cleaning craft rooms, and giving away super storage solutions for both. We’re also opening the design scrapbook to share some our favorite creative spaces.We loved finding a feature on artist Magda Trzaski’s studio in the recent Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion magazine. Shedding the usual [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Craft Your Way to a Retro Living Room

It’s Craft Week on DesignTalk! We’ve been touring stylish sewing rooms, cleaning craft rooms, and giving away super storage solutions for both. Now we’re looking at crafty ideas for the rest of the home.Here’s a weekend redecorating project inspired from the Fall ‘07 issue of Adorn magazine. Their feature on “That ’70s Craft” shares how-tos [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

We (Heart) Plastic Hearts Sewing Room

The next stop on our blog-world tour of sewing and crafts rooms lands us at the cheery studio of Melissa. Melissa is the creative mind behind the Plastic Hearts Etsy shop.Two things immediately catch our eye — the fresh green wall color, and the colorfully organized wall shelf. Again, we see the use of [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Lazy Janes Red Sewing Room

Continuing the DesignTalk Sewing Rooms tour, here’s a quick peek into the sewing room of Lazy Jane. The red wall is a gorgeous backdrop against the white sewing desk — and the wall art is the perfect touch. Look closely, and you can see that Sarah Jane made them by stretching colorful fabrics in various-sized [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Sewing Room Tour: Pretty in Pink

One our favorite places to find inspiring rooms is from the creative clickers at Flickr. This week, we’re highlighting some of our favorite craft and sewing rooms from the Craft Rooms group photo pool.We love this lovely pink studio from quainthandmade. Since we blogged earlier in the year about the pink palette of queen-of-crafting Martha [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Blog Hopping: Adorns Crafty Spaces

The next hop in our tour of the crafty pads of the blog world takes us to Adorn Magazine, and their fun series called “Crafty Spaces.” The most recent tour featured the craft room of Sarah Neuberger from The Small Object. We recently saw Sarah’s adorable “little people” at the Renegade Craft Fair, so we [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Blog Hopping: Craft and Sewing Rooms

It’s sewing and crafts week here at DT! We’ve been scouring the web to bring you some of the prettiest and most inspiring creative spaces out there.Today’s tour is a jet tour through the blogosphere, to highlight several bloggers’ recent craft room updates.Starting with Tanya in the South of France, whose handmade by moi blog [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Designers Scrapbook: Creative Spaces

In the midst of a series on creative people, I’ve been thinking about the spaces that inspire the creative process (I’m thinking of sewing rooms, craft rooms, and artist studios). For the next week we’ll be looking at some incredible examples of those spaces.But inspiration came today from creative minds of a different genre because [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Design Help for Your Craft and Sewing Room

Have you been following along this week at DesignTalk, as we feature some our favorite craft and sewing spaces? Well, stay tuned, because there are more creative spaces ahead.In the meantime, we have plenty of ideas for designing your own workspace. Whether you have an entire room to transform, a closet to claim, or a [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Giveaway! Organize Your Craft Room

After a week of fabulous finds from the Renegade Craft Fair, we’ve been bitten by the crafting bug. The only problem? Our craft room is an unorganized mess.While we dig out from the piles of projects, paper, and pretty fabrics, we’re busy shopping for stylish storage solutions for our soon-to-be organized room. And we’re sharing [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

DT at Renegade: Bright Lights, Little City

Continuing our adventures at Renegade last weekend, we couldn’t miss the colorful booth of Bright Lights, Little City. The bright ideas are the custom, handmade creations of Heather Wells, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. Heather made the trip from Massachusetts to Chicago’s Renegade with her mom (another crafty lady whom [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

DT at Renegade: Emily Kircher, Recycling Artist

Strolling down Division Street at the Renegade Craft Fair, our next stop was at the booth of Emily Kircher, Recycling Artist.Making the trip to Chicago from Madison, Wisconsin, Emily had a colorful display of rugs, mosaics, and unique handcrafted objects. The catch? All of “EKRA’s” items are created with recycled materials — thrifted objects like [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

The Pencil Post Bed is Simple but Elegant

The Pencil Post Bed is Simple but Elegant. Give Your Room a New Look with a Pencil Post Bed. Designing our bedroom is one of really personal and fun activities we have in decorating our homes. While doing it we get a chance to express our personalities and our creativity in a way that we don't when decorating the public areas of the house. You don't need a lot of elaborate and intricate furniture to have a great looking bed room. But if you are planning your bedroom, your bed will surely be a focal point so you should spend some time considering the type of bed. One of the classic American designs that people love when it comes to beds is the pencil post bed.

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

DT at Renegade: Dan Grzeca

Before we arrived at the Renegade Craft Fair, we expected to see a certain amount of needle-and-thread cuteness. What we didn’t expect was the amazing creativity of the print artists displayed as well.Like artist Dan Grzeca. Our son, the music fan and general surveyor of cool stuff, spotted Dan’s booth first. And we’re so glad [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

DesignTalk Chicago

Mom always told us not to talk with our mouths full.So there’s been a little less talk around here the past few days, as we’ve been on the unofficial Chicago “Food Tour.” From pizza at Lou’s (can you handle more than one slice of deep dish?) to cinnamon rolls from Ann’s (almost as good as [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

DT at Renegade: Pink Loves Brown

One of our first stops at Renegade was to the beautiful booth of Pink Loves Brown, owned by Nicole and Brandon from Chicago’s own Oak Park. We instantly recognized them from their delightfully-designed website, which we found by accident while researching ideas for our posts on pink and brown bedrooms several months ago. We were [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

DesignTalk at the Renegade Craft Fair

This weekend we went toddlin’ around Chicago’s Renegade Craft Fair. What a subversively stylish crowd! In perfect fall weather, we had a terrific time meeting the creative minds behind the more than 200 vendors that arrived between Division and Damen street to display their wonderful wares.As we sort our shopping (and bandage our budget), [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Wrought Iron Canopy Beds: A Traditional Bed for A Unique Bedroom

Wrought Iron Canopy Beds: A Traditional Bed for A Unique Bedroom. Consider a Canopy Bed to Create a Bedroom Just for You. Our beds are one of the most used and often the most overlooked piece of furniture in our home. Aside from providing us with a comfortable place to rest our bodies in at night, they can also provide a great addition to the aesthetics of the room.

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

Decorating Tips for a Move: Mixing Old and New

Welcome to a special feature at DesignTalk, where today’s top designers bring a cameo appearance and unique perspective to reader questions. We’re pleased to include one of the blogosphere’s leading designers, Linda Merrill, to our guest lineup.Linda Merrill is an interior decorating consultant and writer. Her design firm, Chameleon Interiors, serves the metro-Boston, South Shore [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Domino Magazine Decorating Contest

Speaking of contests, have you been watching the entries roll in over at Domino magazine’s decorating contest? Though we love looking at picture-perfect designer rooms in magazines, there’s something so inspiring about seeing real-life decorating solutions like these from the contest. These are rooms that real people have wrestled with, have obsessed over, and have [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Make Guests Feel Welcome with a 5 Piece Daybed Set

Make Guests Feel Welcome with a 5 Piece Daybed Set. And Create Beautiful Day Time Day Bed Seating. Having guests can be fun, especially if they plan on staying around for a couple of days. But if you don't have a spare bedroom, this can pose a problem. You want your guests to feel welcome. Making them sleep on your couch or letting them sleep on the floor wouldn't be saying much about your hospitality. Not if you're over 25 anyway.

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Leigh Ann in Tennessee, who is the winner in our “Poodles in Paris” giveaway contest. Leigh Ann, we will be sending you the fabulously French prize package, including:The complete “Poodles in Paris” bedding set: quilt, bed skirt and sham plus the coordinating accessories: Eiffel Tower pillow and Jet Set “Bonjour” print!Thanks to [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Living Room Decorating Ideas: Brown and Black

Melanie writes: Hello…I just moved into a new townhome. My coffee table, end tables, and bookcases are black. I found a sofa sectional chaise I love, BUT it is chocolate brown. Is there ANY way to make this work? If so, how? THANK YOU!DesignTalk says: Don’t give up on that [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Welcome Back, Susan!

Our favorite kitchen designer, Susan Serra, has just returned from a jet-setting tour of Denmark, and we’re almost as excited to have her back as we are to see the fabulous photos she brought back. From the fabulous home interiors posted on decor8, to the inspiring restaurant interiors posted on design*sponge, this slice of Danish [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

DesignTalk Interview: Elizabeth Ingrid

Welcome to a special feature at DesignTalk, where we meet up with talented artists and designers for a glimpse into their lives and an introduction to their work. From what inspires them, to how they decorate their own homes, we’re peeking behind the canvas to bring you the stories behind some of today’s freshest new [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Fab Friday Finds - More for Pink and Green Rooms

Since posting our original pink and green rooms article several months ago, we’ve kept our eye on these bright and fabulous colors. We’ve seen several funky new products come across our desk since, so we thought it was time for another pink and green product roundup. Enjoy!And stay tuned later today for an interview with [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Back to School is a Pain in the

From sitting all day in uncomfortable desk chairs, to hauling heavy backpacks, to spending hours “unwinding” with video games in the afternoon — going back to school can be a real pain.Thankfully, the gurus at Family Fun magazine have provided some help to straighten out our everyday ergonomics.For example, they suggest providing balance or exercise [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Living Room Decorating Ideas: Red and Blue

Joanne writes: We just painted our living room cherry cobbler. We have oak floors, a cream leather sofa, and a patterned area rug with cream/dark navy/dark red. I don’t know what color to go with for drapes. I don’t know if navy will make the room too dark, and the sofa is [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Lunch Lady Land

If getting lunch packed for the kids in the morning is slowing you down, here’s a great idea from Organize magazine that will get your day rolling a lot faster:“A simple rolling cart with drawer, can be key to keeping your sack lunch supplies and after-school snacks under control. In the top drawer, stash your [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Artist Interview: Juliet Gilden, Young Collectors Art

Welcome to a special feature at DesignTalk, where we meet up with talented artists and designers for a glimpse into their lives and an introduction to their work. From what inspires them, to how they decorate their own homes, we’re peeking behind the canvas to bring you the stories of the artists behind some of [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Designers Scrapbook: Organize Magazine

Have you seen the new Organize magazine yet? When our first issue arrived, I literally stopped cleaning my sock drawer to devour its hundreds of tips and tricks. In fact, I marked so many pages as ideas, that I ran out of tape flags. That is a great magazine.In fact, we’ve been so busy reorganizing [...]

Read More...

[Source: Designtalk]

Is There One Perfect Pillow for You?

Is There One Perfect Pillow for You. How Many Pillows Do You Want. How Many Do You Need? You will read, even here, about getting just the right pillow for having the best night's sleep. I totally agree that having one pillow that you don't need to pummel, scrunch, toss and flip is the way to go. Even so, you may find that you still need more than one pillow and more than one type of pillow to keep you happy.

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

Living Room Decorating Ideas: More for Brown and Blue

Charles writes: Hi! Can you help me decorate my living room? How should I decorate the stand under the LCD in the living room and the center table? The furniture is a black-brown, and I have big light blue and beige to brown sofas. Also, what kind of art should I hang over my dining [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

A New Look for a Contemporary Platform Bed

A New Look for a Contemporary Platform Bed. Make Your Simple Platform Bed the Center Point of the Room. Here is an easy and fun thing to do to make a contemporary platform bed stand out in your bedroom. It will make your bedroom look more bright and airy and more spacious.

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

A Wood Platform Bed for Simplicity and Style

A Wood Platform Bed for Simplicity and Style. If you are looking for clean cut lines and the warmth of natural products, consider a wood platform bed for the centerpiece of your bedroom.

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

Bedroom Decorating Help: Purple Carpet

Terry writes: Hi! I made a bit of a “mistake” in choosing a “mellow purple” carpet for our bedrooms. The rest of the house has wood floors. Our bed is a mission style red oak. I don’t know how to deal with the other colors in the room. I did a “Brazil Nut” on the [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Harry Potter Sleeps in a Wood Twin Canopy Bed

Harry Potter Sleeps in a Wood Twin Canopy Bed. Are you a Harry Potter fan and have you seen the movies? Do you remember those terrific wood canopy beds that the students of Gryffindor get to sleep in?

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

An Antique Look from New Furniture

Shelley writes: I have a lot of small antique items in my laundry room - thread spools, old irons, wash boards - and I am looking for cupboards, counters, etc. that would blend with these as we finish off our laundry room. Any suggestions where I might look for some unique (i.e., not vinyl or [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Know Your Egyptian Cotton

Know Your Egyptian Cotton. A Little Egyptian Cotton History. If you have ever wandered through the sheet department in a bedding store, you probably saw the words "Egyptian cotton' used on many of the higher priced sheet sets. What is Egyptian cotton and why do you pay more for those two little words?

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

Bedroom Decorating Ideas: Apricot and Green Apple

Edie writes: I am looking for ideas for a master bedroom. I want to go with peach/apricot tones and light pastel greens, but I cannot find any picture samples to let me know if this is a good idea or not. I also would like to find duvet covers and other items that would bring [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Dress Your Metal Canopy Bed the Way Patti LaBelle Does

Dress Your Metal Canopy Bed the Way Patti LaBelle Does. Is Your Metal Canopy Bed Too Plain? Did you choose a beautiful metal canopy bed for your bedroom? You thought that simplicity of the bed frame would create a serene look but now you feel it is more austere or unfinished looking than you wanted. Taking a cue from R&B singer Patti LaBelle, with just a few small changes, you can make your bed a real comfort zone as well as showing off the detailing on your bed frame.

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

How Change a Pillowcase Quickly and Easily

How Change a Pillowcase Quickly and Easily. Do you have trouble getting your pillowcases on so your pillows don't look like formless rumpled blobs? It doesnt have to be difficult and the process need not take a long time.

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

Four Tips for Purchasing Bedsheets

Four Tips for Purchasing Bedsheets. These Bed Sheet Tips Will Save You Time. Maybe your plans for creating your bedroom are coming along; maybe you're just not there yet but want to do something to declare that your bedroom space is your special place; maybe you just want to shift the mood.

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

Top 10 Hottest Posts: #5 Black and White Rooms

With a summer heat wave spreading across the country, we’re taking this opportunity to highlight DT’s top 10 hottest posts of 2007.Listed in reverse order from 10 to 1, these are the posts that have scorched the stats. From cool blue bedrooms to jet black bathrooms, these posts are smokin’. So grab your favorite cold [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

Choosing Flooring for Black and White Bedrooms

Georgia writes: Hi, I have a dark black-brown bedroom with a beige bed cover. I’d like to use vinyl flooring, would you help me choose the color? Also, what kind and color of curtains should I consider? I will be putting my first baby bed (white color) as well next to the window. Many thanks!DesignTalk [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

How to Mop the Floor

Welcome to a special feature at DesignTalk, The Nesting Diary. For every mom who has ever scrubbed the kitchen floor when she can’t even see her feet. For every mom who has folded “just one more load” of laundry, while in labor. For those moms who’ve been there, and the husbands who’ve lived through it. [...]

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[Source: Designtalk]

How to Make a Bed Like the Professionals

How to Make a Bed Like the Professionals. Got luxury bedding? Wonderful sheets for your great bed? Then you make up your bed and it looks nothing like those photos in the magazines. Want to know how to make a bed like a pro? Try these tips to make your bed look perfect.

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

Two Perfect Bedroom Color Tips

Two Perfect Bedroom Color Tips. If you'd like to feel that way when you wake up, be sure that the color you select for your bedroom is the one that makes you the happiest. I've had to repaint more than one room when I chose what I thought was a great color but found it was a great mistake when it was on the walls.

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[Source: The Perfect Bedroom]

Lunch Lady Land

If getting lunch packed for the kids in the morning is slowing you down, here’s a great idea from Organize magazine that will get your day rolling a lot faster:“A simple rolling cart with drawer, can be key to keeping your sack lunch supplies and after-school snacks under control. In the top drawer, stash your [...]

Read More...

[Source: Designtalk]

Designers Scrapbook: Organize Magazine

Have you seen the new Organize magazine yet? When our first issue arrived, I literally stopped cleaning my sock drawer to devour its hundreds of tips and tricks. In fact, I marked so many pages as ideas, that I ran out of tape flags. That is a great magazine.In fact, we’ve been so busy reorganizing [...]

Read More...

[Source: Designtalk]

Bedroom Decorating Ideas: Apricot and Green Apple

Edie writes: I am looking for ideas for a master bedroom. I want to go with peach/apricot tones and light pastel greens, but I cannot find any picture samples to let me know if this is a good idea or not. I also would like to find duvet covers and other items that would bring [...]

Read More...

[Source: Designtalk]

Bedroom Decorating Help: Purple Carpet

Terry writes: Hi! I made a bit of a “mistake” in choosing a “mellow purple” carpet for our bedrooms. The rest of the house has wood floors. Our bed is a mission style red oak. I don’t know how to deal with the other colors in the room. I did a “Brazil Nut” on the [...]

Read More...

[Source: Designtalk]

Living Room Decorating Ideas: More for Brown and Blue

Charles writes: Hi! Can you help me decorate my living room? How should I decorate the stand under the LCD in the living room and the center table? The furniture is a black-brown, and I have big light blue and beige to brown sofas. Also, what kind of art should I hang over my dining [...]

Read More...

[Source: Designtalk]

Artist Interview: Juliet Gilden, Young Collectors Art

Welcome to a special feature at DesignTalk, where we meet up with talented artists and designers for a glimpse into their lives and an introduction to their work. From what inspires them, to how they decorate their own homes, we’re peeking behind the canvas to bring you the stories of the artists behind some of [...]

Read More...

[Source: Designtalk]