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Transformed: Thrift-Store Side Table

May 11, 2010

Things are pretty busy here at Dwelement! No time for a blog post today, so I'm going to share a nifty before-and-after post from a brilliant French blogger-acquaintance of mine. Marianne has a great eye for finding thrifted furniture and turning it into beautiful, affordable pieces for her home. She's expecting her first baby soon, and this table transformation for her nursery caught my eye. Read the full post for details on how she did it here on her baby blog. Also check out her home-decor blog for creative decor ideas and some amazing cut-paper craft inspiration: Noces de Coton. Enjoy! —Diane

BEFORE

AFTER

TAGS: thrifted furniture thrift store transformation before and after pictures chalkboard paint nursery ideas

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Style Steal: Industrial Mod Barstool

May 07, 2010

{Short & Sweet Friday}

Does your kitchen need a little sass? Or maybe you've been sitting on that tired old office chair far too long. Here's a perfect Dwelement Style Steal: a barstool that's functional, beautiful, made with solid materials, and has a price that real people can handle. Solid wood seat swivels over a height-adjustable iron hairpin base. It would look great in a rustic modern kitchen or a sedate home office that needs a little touch of whimsy.

Check out this wood-and-iron beauty for only $109! Grab it while it lasts at Signals. Then cozy it up to your counter or desk and let it inspire a whole room makeover.

I offer Mini-Makeovers for any room in the house for just $95. Or get yourself a comprehensive custom design plan with 3D renderings, space plan, color plan, furniture and accessory spread with live shopping links, and a To-Do list for $400-500. And it doesn't matter where you live! Send me a few photos and a rough floorplan, fill out my detailed style questionnaire, and within 7-10 days you'll have a vision and a plan for a room that's all about you. Email me for more info, or just order your plan here. —Diane

TAGS: style steal signals industrial barstool stool bar stool counter stool deal bargain rustic modern farmhouse mod

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Announcing the Winner of the Mini-Makeover Giveaway

May 05, 2010

Some very worthy entries showed up in my in-box this past week (actually, most of them just yesterday!) but the winner chosen by random.org based on order of entry is:

Linda O. of Traverse City!

Here's Linda's living room, before. She has big plans for an addition above the garage that will hold all of the kid stuff. (And there's plenty of that, with four in the house!) She thinks it's time to declutter and get this most visible room in the house looking good. Linda will complete my online style survey and then I'll put together a Dwelement Mini-Makeover to help her make the most of the stuff she already has. She'll get a custom color plan and space plan, plus a list of recommended improvements that won't break the budget. Congratulations, Linda! I'll be in touch.

Thank you to everyone who entered! Watch the blog next week for the unveiling of Linda's plan, and stay in touch on my Facebook page to be notified of future giveaways and discounts from Dwelement. Have a friend who might like my blog posts and budget decorating tips? Please recommend my Facebook fan page to them. —Diane

TAGS: room design blog giveaway contest freebie mini makeover edecorating e-decorating edecor e-decor redesign room using only what you have budget decor space planning color plan affordable decorating advice

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Find: Factory 20, if only for the browsing

May 04, 2010

Rarely do I find a website that satisfies that inner craving for a day of flea-market browsing like the one I recently stumbled across with a Google search for "modern industrial shelving." This site strips away the pedantic conventions of virtual antiquing and brings online the thrill of discovery that's usually only experienced between the musty shelves of a roadside junk shop. (Even if the prices are a bit higher.)

Factory 20 sums up their purpose best: "Factory 20 is a multi-disciplinary art and design collective which strives to create an ever-evolving nonlinear consumer lifestyles collection. Discovering intrinsically valuable decorative arts and furnishings to convey a different impression of 20th-century design. Reclaiming salvaged materials, using uncommon combinations and adhering to modernist tenets we are confident that we can give to you the unexpected and the unforgettable."

That they do, very well. Browsing the site is refreshing. With a scroll-for-days list of inventory anchored at the left of the content area, it's easy to blindly click through the offerings and wonder at the vintage beauty that unfolds. The photography is superb— a real treat for Ebay-weary eyes. There is a loose categorical setup: tables, storage, seating, lighting, mirrors & wall, art, fashion, objects, oddities. Beyond that, you're on your own to discover industrial furnishings, reclaimed objects, cast-off office furniture, primitive cabinetry, chippy metal stools, all manner of lighting fixtures, shapely mirrors, one-of-a-kind art, giant gas station signage… you get the idea.

While the prices may seem steep at first glance, compare them to similar new items and then account for the uniqueness factor. After all, it's hard to put a price on authentic patina or a piece with a story. Here's a small sampling of my favorite finds for the home from Factory 20. Happy browsing! —Diane

Half the fun is in the finding, so I'm leaving these images linkless! Head over and see what you discover yourself.

Last day to enter the Dwelement giveaway! Email me three photos of your room to have a chance to win a free Mini-Makeover!

TAGS: factory 20 vintage modern industrial 20th century antiques unique unusual home accessories mod moderne one of a kind

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TC Readers: Don't miss the Small Works Exhibition and Sale

May 03, 2010

There's nothing like original art to give a room soul and character. But one-of-a-kind will cost you, and rightly so. Here's a unique event where even the most budget-conscious art lover can afford an original. The Small Works Exhibition and Sale at the Dennos Museum in Traverse City features works that measure no greater than 5"x7"x1", and all are priced at $50 or less.

Joan Richmond, North to Kew, 2010, gouache on paper

Dennos Museum Small Works Exhibition and Sale

Reception and sale open at 5 pm on Thursday, May 6, 2010. Sale continues Friday and Saturday, May 7–8, 10 am–5 pm; Sunday, May 9, 1–5 pm.

Check out the exhibition and bring home your favorite tiny painting, then check out my previous post about hanging small paintings in your home. —Diane

TAGS: dennos museum small works exhibition and sale traverse city mi tiny paintings art affordable original art

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