Favorite Shops & Spots

A long time ago, I worked for a small design studio as an assistant...). I learned all sorts of things about running a design business from the lead architect. Most of which are things I would place into the category of "What-NOT-to-DO". His number one motto was "A designer should NEVER reveal their resources". So here I am, revealing a bunch of my favorite shopping resources all over the Internet. Oh well....

Here are a few of my favorite places:

Shopping In & Around Atlanta:

Anthropologie-This shop just feels so good. I feel inspired every time I go here. I like to shop here for plates and accessories.

Webb Marstellar-Fabrics, Wallcoverings (amazing selection with good prices), Furniture etc. I have been shopping here for the past 6 years and they never disappoint. It is on the high-end side, but stop in for that WOW piece for your house.

Bungalow-Everyone who knows this store, just loves it. If I were to choose a shop in which I would want to live forever---it would be Bungalow.

B Braithwaite-This is a great children's/baby store. They are located right next to Bacchanalia (another fav. spot for eating) and have fabulous cribs, bedding, clothes, toys, books etc. You can also find some high-end baby gear here. I love to just walk around in this store--although I always end up with something for Baby G.

Lewis and Sheron-Looking for a fabric to recover that ugly sofa sitting in your basement that your husband just won't let you part with? L&S has been in the fabric biz. forever! There are 2 floors of fabrics, 1 furniture area, trims galore....love this place. Plus, the same people have been working there for seriously 10+ years and always are willing to help.

A couple others to check out local to ATL:
Ballard Backroom
Paris on Ponce

Shopping Online:

Horchow is a company that carries just about everything. They have fabulous art/furniture/accessories etc. Horchow carries a lot of my favorite designer pieces as well.

Junk2Funk is a duo of the ultra funky (lovely friends of mine) Shana & John. They hit up antique shops, estate sales and thrift shops to find super cool finds---then they re-create their treasures into usable furniture, art and accessories. If you are looking for something eclectic and (like me) don't really love hitting up the junkstores to look through it all, check out their site on etsy.

Serena and Lily is pretty well known for their ultra-chic (and pricey) baby bedding; however, I love their whole furniture line/paint/bedding/accessories etc. The two super-cool women that own Serena and Lily have fantastic taste. Definitely check out their site.

Room and Board What I especially love about Room and Board is that they have the "rights" to sell a lot of mid-century modern pieces. They carry some of the big names like Knoll, Herman Miller, Eames. Most designers know that oftentimes you have to go through a dealer to purchase from these companies. Need it fast and don't feel like going through a designer (unless you want to call me of course:-), go to Room and Board.

CB2 Not everyone knows about the funkier, more contemporary (and less expensive) store owned by Crate and Barrel. This one is a keeper....although they do not give designer discounts...which I am still just a little bit upset about.

Neiman Marcus Who knew that this big name clothing store would have great pieces for your house. They do, check 'em out.

Enjoy just a few of my favorite shopping spots!
XX,
Chelsea

Big Impact Design

Hello design lovers,

I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted on my blog! 2 weeks. It has been a really crazy summer. I am very fortunate to be busy with some fantastic clients and some really great design projects going on currently. I have been neglecting my blogging recently for a really fun project. It is an insurance agency called Brightway Insurance which has a whole new spin/concept surrounding the boring world of insurance. We are working hard to stay on a pretty tight budget, but to also create a fun environment for her employees.

Here are some of the ideas that I have found have a big impact, with a pretty small price tag. Most of these things can even been done without the help of a contractor or a professional painter.



This is an original inspiration image that my client sent to me. I think it's a great way to make a big, big impact using only paint. I am using the idea in the main office area. We have a huge wall and guess what---can't afford artwork. What's the next best thing? A massive painted wall with ultra-bright stripes along the entire wall. Guess how much it costs...under $200. Try this instead of a headboard or if you are feeling very adventurous, anywhere else in your house!

Ok. I know everyone loves Ikea....but this place is seriously cheaper than Walmart. Crazy right?! This is a huge impact canvas for $49.99. When I say HUGE, I mean this thing is huge. Check it out. 30x50 Zebra Canvas

I just love this room in general. There are a couple of things that I love here. Remember Monica from Friends? Mix-matched chairs in her breakfast nook? Am I the only crazy that a. remembers that b. that still watches Friends c. that still loves this idea? Anyway, try mixing some pricey chairs with some Ikea chairs! Makes you look very edgy and cool, while saving money!
Try choosing some uber-cool light fixtures like these and placing them above a very cost-friendly table and chairs. Nobody will notice the furniture. It's ALL about the chandeliers.
Check out the wall in the back. Grab a paintbrush, give one to your toddler (ok, maybe not), and your non-artistic husband. Ta-Da...modern art:-)

I need to start this off by saying that this is NOT going into the office design. Look at the painting over the bed....guess how it was created....it involves a canvas on the floor, an adventurous better-half, and some naked time. You guessed it! http://www.loveisartkit.com/. Cheap, fun, and a fantastic end-result (I guess that depends on you).

What's up super cool decal?! Even the baby thinks it's cool! This costs a total of $65. You install it yourself and it adds a fun focal point to the room. I have seen some really, really bad decals. My recommendation is to check out Blik and don't ever buy cheesy decals with inspirational quotes on them....PLEASE.

I just hate to keep plugging IKEA, BUT come on.... a kitchen for $800? Amazing. Notice the tower cabinet on the left? This costs $100 and provides a complete pantry for the office-while looking great. Check out the 2 silver shelves in place of wall cabinets. These cost $14.99 each and you can stack bright plates (see below) and hang cute little tea cups from them. Keep in mind that you are only allowed to place adorable dishes on these shelves. Open shelving can go downhill very, very quickly.

I thought these were way cute. They are from West Elm and you can mix them with some white dishes to save on cost. Why can't we mix and match dishes if we are mix and matching chairs?

XX,
Chelsea

Scott's Antique Market

Scott's Antique Market is an all-time favorite designer hotspot that also happens to be baby and husband friendly, in Atlanta. There is a lot to see and do (and great designer deals and finds) for the entire family. This is a gathering of random antiques, mid-century modern pieces, refurbished furniture pieces, rugs, jewelry, art accessories, oh and yes---Fair food. Bring cash or checks, because the food is cash only and most vendors prefer checks.

Take a look at a few of our fun finds.

Gorgeous Paintings by a local artist. Ranging from $1500-$1800. It's tough to tell but they are acrylic paintings cut up and glued back together in a quilt pattern. They looked gorgeous and can be customized.

I love these shelves...I want to paint them white or coral lacquer.

Re-paint and re-cover these dining chairs and they could be really interesting.

Love this chandelier! I am seeing these everywhere lately. Dress them up with some silk shades or keep it simple with the exposed candleabras.

I have no idea where I could ever use this dresser---maybe in a little girls room? Love it either way!

Check out the mid-century modern shout out...not sure if this is an original or not, but still fantastic.

I am always looking for leather-bound books to fill clients shelves. I found the jackpot at Scott's.

I thought this was a stunning piece. It was over 9' tall and was around $1800.

This is an original piece from the 1700's. They sanded and re-finished to create an updated look. LOVE, LOVE.

This was such a unique mirror...I thought it would be perfect for a cute little powder room.

Intaglias are EVERYWHERE these days. You can get a better deal at Scott's.. Cute little carvings stuck to fabric. Could be a great do-it-yourself art piece if you are feeling inspired.

Great for a basement bar.

This is my adorable friend Carrie (aka. photographer extraordinaire). I think she was planning to stick a cute little baby in this bucket as a photography pose.

XX,
Chelsea

Family day-trip + design fix

A great way in Atlanta to combine a design-fix trip and a family day is to attend the Georgia Aquarium. It is one of my favorite spots in Atlanta, because my family LOVES it and the design is ultra-fabulous. I used to work for the tres-chic firm (tvsdesign) that was responsible for the interior design when it was built several years ago. I was not one of the designers on the project, but nonetheless it is a gorgeous design.

This last week was a crazy one. It was my husband's birthday, and he is big lover of scuba-diving. I can assure you that there aren't many places in Atlanta to scuba-dive---SO, I arranged a scuba-diving adventure for him in the large tank at the Georgia Aquarium. By the way, it was a great day for everyone...my 9 month old pretty much thought it was the best day ever.

Recently Completed Project

I thought I would send a few images of a recently completed project! I worked on this project with a good friend and fellow designer-Melissa Morgan. It took about a year, with a lot of stops and starts in between. Check out the initial proposed floorplan and some final photography (taken by my dear friend Carrie Gantt who actually specializes in Infant/Child Photography Carrie Gantt--I am sure you will be seeing a lot of her work on my site, she is ultra-talented).

For my fellow designers out there, the drawing was produced in Microstation and the rendering was done in Photoshop



Before....

This was how it looked when it was completed. The only thing that we are missing are the gorgeous custom drapes that weren't installed quite yet when this image was taken.



Before...

We took their existing dining table and chairs and had them painted and sealed. We placed a rug underneath and added a centerpiece...Ta-da! Much improved, for not a lot of cost!



I absolutely LOVE their dining room. This dining table and 4 chairs belonged to the clients' grandmother. It was a stunning collection of furniture! We knew that it had to be used in the space. We dressed it up with some fabulous Restoration Hardware Chairs and recovered the old chairs with a blue/grey paisley fabric. Everything else is completely new from the Ballard Mirror and Rug to the centerpiece from ZGallery. I will tell you a secret...6 items in this room came from Walmart! I am typically not a design on a dime kind of gal, but I am all about adding some value with some inexpensive pieces!



Note the drawing above! The library/piano room was a completely blank canvas. Our client had a ton of books and really wanted a reading room that was feminine and felt cozy. I drew up this custom millwork and our contractor built it out for us. We had it lightly faux finished with an antique glaze by our painter http://www.mdcinteriors.com/. I think we achieved the "cozy" look that we were going for.

That's all for today!!
XX Chelsea