Sneak Peek: Learn and Grow Nursery

Rather than soft, subtle, and sweet, this nursery rocks out the bright, bold colors and geometric forms. It is an amazing space for little ones to grow up in, and it will easily grow with them through toddlerhood and beyond.  Playful, imaginative, adventurous... Baby Milne, your momma and daddy are going to have such fun with you in this space! 

Nursery Design Board // bold, primary colors: red, blue, yellow and green // modern geometric shapes

1 – DIY Magnetic Wall
This brilliant DIY will provide hours of fun as your wee one grows! It also creates a bright and inspiring statement wall. For additional play opportunities, paint all or part of the wall with chalkboard paint!

2 – Red Cube Shelves
The geometric shape and cubby depth add visual interest and reinforce a creative, imaginative vibe. Because of the depth, be sure to hang these in an area where you won’t bump your head on them! These are a bit of a splurge, but they are something that will work wonderfully in your child’s room for years to come. A less expensive option would be to use Ikea spice racks, paint them a bright cherry red, and use them to hold books as shown here.

3 – Wooden Bead Maze
There are some classic toys that every child needs—this is one of them!  

4 – ABC Wall Art
This unique, handcrafted piece is truly a work of art! Playful letters in bright green are a cheery introduction to the alphabet. If used over baby’s crib, be sure it is securely fastened to the wall and out of arm’s reach.

5 – Curtain Fabric
Simple green triangles make a big impact on this simple, but gorgeous fabric! The scale of the print is the perfect balance of readable, but not loud. Use white fabric to line the back of curtains for a polished look and to filter more sunlight. Hang curtain rods halfway between the top of the window trim and the ceiling.

6 – Wall Paint Color
“Icy Blue” is the name of this wonderful wall color by Benjamin Moore. This paint can be purchased online or from a Benjamin Moore retailer near you. (Color code is: 2057-70)

7 – Handcrafted Wooden Mobile
This adorable, handcrafted mobile is available for purchase on Etsy, or use as inspiration for your own DIY version!

8 – Crib
The clean, modern lines of this crib compliment this nursery aesthetic perfectly. The drawers underneath provide extra storage (always a bonus!) and the mattress can be set a three different heights meaning this bed can change to accommodate your wee one as they grow.

9 – Canvas Bins
These yellow canvas bins are a great place to store toys, blankets, and many other things. As baby learns to crawl and begins to explore their room, you can rest assured they’ll be safe digging through these with their soft sides! This style bin can also often be often found at your local TJMaxx or Marshalls in varying prints and sizes. 

10 –  Overlapping Triangles Throw Pillow
This bright throw pillow reinforces the green triangles from the curtain material and is the perfect size to tuck behind your back or under your arm while rocking baby.

11 – Yellow Triangle Pillows (set of two)
Use in addition to, or as an alternative to the pillow listed above. I personally feel you can never have to many throw pillows!

12 – Rocking Horse
Another classic toy, this rocking horse is a darling toy for hours of imaginative play.

13– Red Table Lamp
Whether reading stories before bed, or feeding the wee one in the middle of the night, it’s nice to have a small light nearby. The cherry red is a gorgeous pop of color that ties to other red elements in the room. 

14 – Ikea Poang Chair and Custom Cover
The Poang chair offers a comfortable rocking motion and is less expensive than many traditional gliders. The custom cover is simply a gorgeous addition to the room!

15 – Yellow Spindle Side Table
This great little side table is the perfect place for a lamp, pacifier, and anything else you need close at hand while rocking your little one. The spindle feature of the table adds a great textural element to the room. This is also a great place for a DIY project if you have a small side table you would like to use instead. 

16 – Animal World Map
This beautiful art print is a one-of-a-kind piece that provides vibrant color and content that is sure to inspire many conversations about this great big world we live in!

Like this style for your little one? Check out these DIY architectural building blocks too!

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. 

Craigslist Search Tips

Trying to decorate on a budget or curate a unique style for your home? Craigslist can be a trove of buried treasure if you know how to find what you're looking for! Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks for finding great pieces and scoring sweet deals! 

 

Looking for something in particular? Try these tips:

Broaden Your Definition – Not everyone knows what a “credenza” is, think about how else you might describe it and search using those words. For example, “dresser” “sideboard” and “side table” may turn up something new.

Be Specific – I know this seems like it contradicts the tip above, but if I am looking for a set of dining chairs I intentionally search for “chairs” with the “s” – if I’m looking for an accent chair and don’t want a matching pair, I leave it off.

Narrow Your Criteria – Personally, I only search for listings that include pictures. Descriptions can be misleading, but pictures don’t lie! (Well, sometimes they do, but you get the point.) Use a dash to exclude things you don’t want to see. A search for “rug –shag” will exclude any shag rugs from your search results.

Decide How Far You’re Willing to Drive – Sometimes when you’re on the hunt for the perfect _______ (fill in the blank) you would drive across the country if you found the one. I’m not necessarily suggesting that, but searching a town or two away might be worth the miles for the right piece and price.

 

Just treasure hunting? Give this a try:

Search by an Era or Style – If I’m just browsing, I’ll use keywords like, “mid century” or  “Danish” just to see what turns up. Using the name of well-known designer for a style you like is another sure bet. When searching under “Eames” I often get a seller describing something as “Eames era” etc.  and even if they're not authentic, vintage pieces, sometimes  I stumble across treasures I didn't even know to look for!

Search by a Material or Component – Again, you never know what treasures may be hiding behind weird descriptions. Try searching for elements of really great pieces! “Marble,” “velvet,” and “teak” are just a few examples of search terms that are likely to yield high-end treasures. Keep reading for a handy list of key words and terms! 

Search in Categories Other Than Furniture – I often peruse the furniture category of craigslist, and granted, while that’s where I have found most of my big wins, I’ve also had great luck poking around the Materials, Household, and General sections. You can also narrow the furniture category if you prefer not to see pieces by dealers. 

Look for Potential, Not Perfection – I have often found amazing deals on pieces because they needed some serious TLC. I'm not afraid of investing a little elbow grease or taking a chance on something if the price is right. A great example are these end tables/nightstands that were totally boring and in pretty rough shape when I found them, but were able to be totally transformed! 

 

How to Haggle:

Etiquette – There are some un-written rules of price negotiation. The first is don’t low ball—we all want a great deal, but it can turn a seller off to selling you the item at all if you aim too low in your initial offer. Second rule: agree on the purchase price before you go pick up an item. Unless the condition of something is drastically different than it was described and portrayed in pictures, don’t offer less once you get there—no one likes to be put on the spot. That being said, if an item isn’t quite what you expected once you get there, don’t be afraid to politely back out. Until you hand over the cash, you haven’t purchased the piece and it’s not too late to change your mind if something feels off or was misrepresented. Just don't intentionally be misleading about your commitment to buy--that makes you "that guy."

When to Offer Less – AFTER you have been complimentary! Seriously, don't be aggressive or snotty--the only deal that will get you is an un-answered email. The longer something has been listed, the safer it is to offer less. Just be sure you're getting a deal, not buying crap no one else wanted! If something is nicked, scratched, torn etc and the price does not reflect this, feel free to point out a flaw or two and make your offer. If a seller states "OBO", go ahead make a (still reasonable) offer! On the flip side, if an ad states "non-negotiable" -- please don't try, that's rude and tacky! Lastly, (this is the tricky one!) when you fall in love with a piece that is out of your price range, if handled with utmost respect and honesty, it is okay to explain how much you love the item, state what your max budget is, and ask them to contact you if it doesn't sell and they would consider your offer. Be polite and know that it might not be in the cards, but done graciously, it's okay to ask. 


Tried and True Craigslist Search Terms:

Eames

Saarinen

Knoll

Heywood Wakefield

Cooper Hewitt 

American of Martinsville

Mahogany

Lucite

Chippendale

Brass

Rattan

 

Danish                       

Vintage

Mid-Century

Modern

Rustic

Ornate

Authentic

Craftsman

Scandinavian

Persian

Dovetail 

Velvet

Tufted

Teak

Marble

Down

Cane

Bamboo

Leather

1940s, 1950s, etc

Art Deco

Hollywood Regency

 

Here are Some of My Favorite Craigslist Finds:

Don't be fooled by the need for re-upholstering or some touch-up! If you're local to the Syracuse, NY area, you should hop on over to Craigslist and scoop up some of these beauties! 

DIY Sofa Table

With the wee one learning to crawl, I decided it would be a good idea remove the glass coffee table from the middle of our living room. I planned on replacing it with something more toddler-friendly, but having the open space has been perfect for him to play and I've enjoyed the visual openness too. I contemplated end tables, but our living room just isn't big enough for that much furniture. We do need a place to set a coffee cup or water glass down though, so I began focusing my attention on sofa tables.

I decided this would make a great DIY project and started scouting materials. I settled on a pair of bifold doors that we removed from a closet and we no longer had need for. These were a great solution for a few different reasons. First, the doors are pretty cheap, generic versions, but for this use, that was actually great because it meant they are hollow and therefore lighter. The weight was important because instead of using table legs, I opted for go with wall-mounting hardware. The height of these was also a perfect fit for our sofa and the depth is more than sufficient without being bulky or obtrusive. 

Here is the process of their transformation from closet door to sofa table!

I only needed one panel so I took off the hinges and removed the pieces used to hang it from a track in its former life as a door. I then used some wood filler on all the holes before giving it a good sanding. 

Because the doors were hollow, I needed to add something to attach the wall bracket to. I cut pieces of wood to size and used wood glue and clamps to adhere them to the underside of the soon-to-be shelf. I cut the wood strips a few inches shorter than the overall depth so that they wouldn't show from the front. I also used a triangle to place the strips so I could be certain they were straight. 

After the glue dried and pieces were firmly in place, I wiped everything down and painted it this gorgeous cobalt color. Rather than giving everything a first coat, and then a second, I painted two coats on the underside and edges before flipping it over and painting the top. This way the top was never face-down on un-cured paint. 

When attaching the metal wall brackets, I offset them about 1/2" from the shelf rather having the shelf be flush with the wall. This provides a narrow channel for the cords from table lamps to tuck neatly behind the shelf instead of resting on top. 

Overall, I love how it turned out! I also really like the color--its the perfect pop with all the black and white. I think some throw pillows with a little color will be then next project and the finishing touch for this space!

Sneak Peek: A Big Girl Room for B

My sister just bought a house and I couldn't be more excited for her and her sweet little family! Previously, all three of their girls were sharing a bedroom, so Bridget is pretty pumped about having her own space! She's only 4, but since kids grow up so fast it was important to choose a style that can grow with her.  When selecting a wall color, we went with something that was neutral enough to carry through and use in the other bedrooms as well. This consistency, even with different accents, will go a long way to provide a cohesive look throughout the home. 

So... here's the sneak peak! I love the cheeriness--I think it matches B's personality perfectly!  

Big Kid Bedroom // Coral, Teal, Navy, and Gold