Patio Roundup: Pillows and Chairs

So here on the east coast we got hit with a pretty crazy snow storm last week. The word blizzard was even used. I know that I should know better, having lived here my entire life, but I had let myself be tricked into thinking spring was here because we had a few glorious days where the temperatures reached the 60s and the sun was magical.  In that brief window I may have ordered some patio furniture. (Target, WHY must have you have such great sales when we all know winter isn't over here!?) 

The table I ordered actually got delivered today and unfortunately, I still have quite a bit of snow on the back deck. If you live where you are already enjoying warmer weather, you can go ahead and laugh when I tell you I considered shoveling it off so I could unpack this thing. If you still have snow too, I'll trust you totally understand. 

Anyway,  while browsing I came across a lot of good stuff that's out this season and decided to pull together a round up of my favorites. This week I've gathered some of my favorite outdoor pillows and chairs.

one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight |
nine | ten | eleven | twelve

Behind the Scenes Style: Colette Wright

I am so excited to introduce you to this lovely lady! Interior design blogger by day, labor and delivery nurse by night, not to mention being a wife and momma--Colette Wright over at Restyle It Wright may be fresh to the blogging scene, but she's taking it by storm! 

I absolutely adore her style, practical tips, and of course, our shared love of gold spray paint! As my wee one grows, she also should not be surprised if I flood her inbox with desperate pleas to spill her secrets for how she manages to do everything she does. (Don't say I didn't warn you!)

Keep reading for a behind-the-scenes answers about why Colette started blogging, her go-to sources, as well as a peek at her gorgeous, down-to-earth home!

 

Being a labor and delivery nurse and blogging about interior design seem like very different passions--what made you decide to start blogging?

Ha! Great questions. These two worlds couldn’t be any more different right? I’ve known since high school that I wanted to be a nurse and that was the career path I chose and pursued for 10 years. In nursing school I realized my passion for Labor and Delivery and fought hard to land my dream job and now here I am, welcoming babies to the world weekly!

When my husband and I bought our first house together in 2007 we were young and broke. We needed to make our family our 4 function in a 1300 sq ft space in a ‘work with what ya have’ way. This is when my creative juices started flowing and turned into my passion for home décor and DIY. Friends and family were excited with how our projects turned out and started asking me for help with their own spaces. This is when I realized I had something to offer the ‘ol interwebs and decided to create a space to share our tips, tricks, and inspiration.

Ikea Coffee Table // Restyle It Wright // Blogger Interview

What is your favorite room in your new home?

My favorite room currently is our living room because it’s the most complete. I love everything about it from the handmade console table behind the couch, the Ikea hacked coffee table, and our oversized perfect-for-cuddling couch. Once the front (formal) living room is complete I suspect it will be new favorite room. I love the natural light pouring in from that room along with the vaulted ceilings.

What space in your last home were you the most sad to leave behind?

Oh don’t make me cry Sarah! I miss everything about that home and the memories created there. I’m a sentimental sap. The space I most miss has to be our living room. It’s where we spent the most time as a family. The view from the picture window was home to my favorite tree, a flowering crabapple that looked gorgeous in the Spring.

Crab Apple Tree // Restyle It Wright // Interior Design Blog Interview

You mentioned loving gold, do you have a favorite gold spray paint project?

Boy do I! I keep a stash of about 5 cans of gold spray on hand at all times, you know, just in case the mood strikes me.  I didn’t do a post about it (pre-blogging), but you can see the Ikea Vittsjo shelves in my daughter’s current room were spray painted gold. I also love to spray paint furniture knobs and picture frames for an instant glam effect. My next spray paint project will be some furniture feet for our bedside nightstand. That will be a post for sure!

Who are three of your favorite design bloggers?

So many great ones to choose from! My all-time favorite blogger is Jennifer Jones from I Heart Organizing. I love her style and organization tips. She also has amazing photography skills!

John and Sherry Petersik from Young House Love are another favorite of mine. I love their sense of humor and no-nonsense approach to decorating. They mix thrift finds, DIY, and splurge pieces to really make a room look polished.

Another great décor blogger I love is Cassie from Hi Sugarplum! Her bedroom is swoooon worthy. She makes bold color decisions that would intimidate the heck out of me but she makes them work beautifully. I admire her decorating courage and eclectic style.

Where are three of your favorite places to shop for home goods?

It’s no secret I love Ikea. The price and versatility of their pieces can’t be beat. It’s rare I buy something from there and leave it alone…I just can’t help myself!

Home Goods and TJ Maxx are great places to look for décor accessories for bookshelf styling and the like. They also have great prices on baskets and bins.

West Elm and Anthropologie tie in my book.  I love the modern style of West Elm and the bohemian style of Anthropologie. Those are two places I will save my pennies and splurge! My anthro curtains in my bedroom are heavenly and I love my West Elm duvet. I stalk those places like crazy for sales and then swoop in!

Master Bedroom // Anthropologie Curtains // Blue and Gold // Restyle It Wright

What current design trend are you loving?

I’m currently loving a mix of metals and wood with pops of color and white.  I love the glam of the metal and the rustic nature of the wood. The pops of color bring it all together for a chic style I absolutely adore.

How would you describe your design style?

This is a tough one! I’ve often asked myself this very question. It’s sometimes easier for me to identify with what I’m not. I know my style isn’t country or farmhouse and isn’t all together modern or bohemian.  I would describe my style as glam and chic. Bright pops of color, light walls, black and white accents, a mix of metals, and a touch of rustic are all my jam.

When you aren't working or blogging, what are your favorite activities?

Between the two there is hardly free time it seems! I love going to support my kids in their sporting events and musical competitions.

I also love thrifting and working on projects around the house. Finding that diamond in the rough and fixing it up to give it new life is so rewarding.

Finally, spending quality time with good food, family, and friends is what life is really about and I enjoy every second of doing that.

What is your biggest source of inspiration?

My biggest inspiration are all the beautiful blogs I read daily like yours Sarah! I love seeing photographs of how others decorate their spaces. It inspires to look at my own space in a new way!

I also find inspiration in home décor books and magazines like Domino and HGTV.

You can see more of Colette's home projects, chic design sense, and warm personality by following her on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. 

Our Name: an Origin Story

I've had quite a few people ask where the name "5 O'Clock Design Co" came from so I thought it would be fun to tell you a little bit of the meaning behind it and why we settled on it as the name for the business and blog. I'm also excited about the opportunity to show you a little bit of who we are and why we do what we do.

Naming a business is no easy task! It was important to us that the name had meaning and conveyed a sense of our values and design philosophy. It also needed to indicate what our business does while leaving us room to grow into future ambitions. Some designers, whose work I greatly admire, have gone the route of using their own name as their brand. I like this, but it didn't really tell the story I was hoping to.

We want to help you tell your story, not ours. 

Quote about going home // Home is where the best, and sweetest, and more real parts of the day happen

We really hope that you love your job and your co-workers--that if your profession requires you to put on real pants and walk outside your front door every morning, you are passionate about what you do and derive great pleasure and satisfaction from doing it. BUT, even if you are working in your dream career, we would bet that you still look forward to coming home each evening. 

Because we all know there is something special about coming home. 

Maybe children clamor for kisses when you walk in the door, maybe your furry friends are waiting by the window, perhaps dinner is already sizzling on the stove, or maybe your favorite chair is waiting with open arms--whatever welcomes you when you walk in the door, home is the place where you are loved and accepted for your truest self. 

We understand that not everyone starts work at 9am and heads home at 5pm, but even if you've never been caught in rush-hour traffic, we're sure you'll understand the metaphor. 5 O'Clock--the time you exhale whatever the rest of the day may have held and let yourself relax.

Quote about going home // At the end of the day, there's nothing quite like going home.

Your home should be your retreat, a place of rejuvenation and inspiration. When things are cluttered, chaotic, or just "not you" it's hard to get excited about spending time there. We love helping you identify how your home best suits you and how you can create a place you can't wait to come back to.

We design spaces that celebrate all the reasons you love coming home. 

A few ways we accomplish this are:

  • We really listen when you tell us what is important to you and then make sure the finished design reflects your priorities.
  • We set the desired mood and tone of your home by choosing appropriate colors, scaling furniture and accessories accordingly, and then layering just the right number of details.
  • We remain true to our design philosophy: People Matter Most.

Because we think having a place to call home (and really feeling like you fit there) is so important, we've also made it a part of your mission to give back to the community in ways that directly impact this idea. You can read more about how we do this on our community page. 

So there you have it--while there are no silly stories about scratching the business name on a cocktail napkin while sipping happy hour specials, (yes, someone asked that) we were pretty excited when the inspiration struck, and we're pretty proud of what it stands for. 

If you need help making your home your happy place, we'd love to chat!
We offer a variety of In-Person services, and our E-Design options are a convenient way to access custom design solutions no matter where you are located. 

Little Lovelies

Thrifted Vintage, Bargain Treasures, and a New Design Book

Sometimes you have such a great week you simply have to share all the little things that made it lovely. (Clockwise, starting with the top left)

  1. I was hunting for vintage globes at an antique show this summer but they all seemed a bit pricey. This beauty was a mere $6 at a thrift store and I love the colors in it!
  2. My long-awaited copy of Emily Henderson's new book, Styled arrived and I devoured it in less than 24 hours front to back. I highly recommend it! The style quiz was a blast and the results were spot on! Stay tuned for an in-depth review in the near future!
  3. Isn't this wreath amazing?! I think it is the texture that really does it for me. I also enjoy that it can work with both fall and winter decor. YAY for double duty! The best part, when I found it at Christmas Tree Shops, I fell so in love I took a deep breath and knew that even for $30, a little more than I typically spend on an impulse decor purchase, I had to get it. Then, when I got to the register, it rang up at 1/2 off!!! 
  4. This vintage Steelcase office chair was another big win. The castors are in beautiful condition, a little gold spray paint, some new upholstery, refinishing of the wooden arms, and this chair will shine! Did I mention it's also incredibly comfortable?
  5. I was surprised to find this hanging basket lamp at Goodwill. It was on a top shelf and either no one else realized how easy it would be to update that ancient electrical wiring (I just switched it out with this $5 piece from Ikea) or the thrift store gods were guarding it for me. Since I moved the table lamp that was originally there, I think this will go perfectly in Grey's nursery!
  6. This marble base and glass dome were another thrifted treasure. I'm excited to pick out a few little baby succulents to display in it!

Design Blogs You'll Want to Follow

I am constantly being inspired by others in the design field. I love seeing the unique approaches that are used to creatively solve design challenges and create cohesive styles. Today I wanted to call out some of my favorite interior design blog all-stars and tell you why I think they are each so awesome. 

Photo Credit: David Pascolla 

Sarah, of Sarah M. Dorsey Designs, is one of my all-time favorite DIY interior design bloggers. Here's why I think you'll love her too: Sarah's projects are always super high-quality! She takes the time to be incredibly thorough and she tackles some really impressive pieces. Her husband, David, often helps with the detailed plans and measurements and then they are kind enough to share them in their blog posts, meaning it's easy to follow the instructions and get great results! These gorgeous geometric DIY lights are a great example. Another thing I love about Sarah is her style. Check out her home tour and you'll see what I mean--isn't her office to die for!? 
Okay, enough of me telling you--go see the awesomeness for yourself!

 

Photo Source: Amber Interiors 

Next is Amber Lewis, of Amber Interiors. This girl has some serious style! The crisp, cool, clean, modern-meets-bohemian vibe that is signature of her work is truly inspiring. I love checking out her before and after shots--like this girls room for Client Sandy Castles, (Oh yeah, she also gives her clients awesome nicknames!) or this guest bath for Client Freakin Fabulous. If I lived in L.A., Amber Interiors is who I would have design my entire house! Check out more of her work and then comment below to share what your faves are!

Photo Credit: LK Griffin Photography

And last, but certainly not least, is Emily Henderson. Emily's design philosophy is one of the warmest, most authentic approaches to design out there. Without compromising her own sense of style, she delivers designs that are truly all about her clients. Take a peek at her portfolio and you will see that the breadth of her talent and styling ability are not to be rivaled. Emily and her team also curate The Flea, where you can purchase some amaaaazing vintage treasures that are truly one-of-a-kind! Then, if you're like me and can't get enough of Emily's savvy style, check our her HGTV show, Secrets From a Stylist. 

Make sure to follow these rockstars on Pinterest, Bloglovin, Instagram, and Facebook so you don't miss any of their awesome work! Want to see more of what inspires us? Follow 5 O'CLOCK DESIGN CO. on Pinterest.