Happy Easter! Some Beautiful Easter Tablescapes & Some Last Minute Easter Gifts!

It's Easter!  I love this holiday because it's a harbinger of spring and warm weather - and you really don't have to go crazy buying a million gifts like you do at Christmas time.  It's just a lovely holiday that you share with your family and friends.

It's a great time for decorating...so I thought I'd share some great ideas for tablescapes and more.  I'l be sharing some great places to buy last minute gifts and decorations also.

With Easter table settings, you can express your creativity - and more is more. So bring out your pastel tablecloths (a soft pastel paisley tablecloth would be great!) and napkins, white dinnerware and cups - and head over to Michael's for some inexpensive faux daisies, forsythia etc.  Check out the wedding aisle for some tulle and other fabrics that you can fill an inexpensive vase with - and you're on your way.

Oh - and don't forget some pastel M&Ms and other goodies!

An "aerial view" of the tablescape by Courtney & Phronsie Dial from CourtneyOutLoud blog

If you would like a more vibrant way to dress your table, this setting (in my favorite color combination of green and orange) would be right up your Easter alley.  A clear glass vase with cloth carrots is a creative centerpiece.  I adore the dog topiary with the orange and white bow!  If you have some patience and time, you could make one from a foam model and then stick faux greenery through it.  Add a checkered tablecloth and white plates (love the square ones used here), personalized orange and white Easter baskets with name tags - plus some white tulips (faux or real) in milkglass vases and you have a beautiful setting...ready for guests.

Courtney & Phronsie Dial from CourtneyOutLoud blog

 

Courtney & Phronsie Dial from CourtneyOutLoud blog

You could also add these little numbers of you are a great baker.  My friend and dynamo realtor - Dianne Scalza of Netter Real Estate in West Islip NY could whip these up in a heartbeat.  She is such a talented baker - among other things.  And probably as I am writing this, she is whipping up some conconctions.  If so, I'll add them to this blog!  But even if you're not a baker - how easy are those skewered Nabisco's Marshmallow Sandwich Cookies.  I could do that!  You could also just add your own creative toppings to a plain cupcake!

Susan Herrin from the blog BetweenNapsonthePorch

Continuing with the green theme - but adding more kid flair, add some decorated egss on faux grass in pastel colors on a plate...with a beautiful plush bunny as the centerpiece. Use colorful plates, green napkins, placemats and stemware - and a colorful cookie to greet your guests. 

If you are looking for a more ethereal, natural tablescape - here is a great inspiration for you.  Use a clear, glass vase and take some curly willow or some long, bare twigs from your yard and add some beautiful butterflies to it here and there.  I purchased some great, inexpensive ones from Michael's around Christmas time - hopefully they still have them.  But you could use clip on birds or bees - anything natural would do to attach to the branches. In smaller clear vases, add some white flowers and have some curly willow flowing from the centers or sides. 

This is a fun and easy tablescape to do.  A natural runner is the starting point, with a serving tray with with a bed of straw (or you could use faux grass), with a wire bunny, eggs - and for fun - some faux ants!  The surrounding plates are easy - with a napkin folded underneath the teacup filled with a pear - or you could have colored eggs or candy.  I see that the faux ant makes an appearance on one of the cups as well.  Hanging from a chandelier could be an egg wreath with grapevine wound around it.  You could place a bunny on either side of the table as well.

All images above are from HGTV where you'll find other ideas as well.

You might want to shop for some other goodies and fun items (or perhaps get crafty and make some things for you and your family).  Here are some great. last-minute ideas...

Some decoupage eggs from Pottery Barn

Some copper cookie cutters from Sur la Table

Some decoupage eggs from CatnipStudio.com

Easter egg candles from Pier 1

Egglings from Urban Outfitters - which have herbs in them...how lovely on a windowsill

A pretty basket for the chocolate lover from Red Envelope

Don't forget your four legged friend with this Hop-A-Long outfit from Etsy

Some Mommy & Me matching aprons from Sur La Table

Some Easter Bunny glasses from CB2

These are just a few ideas for you to consider - so use your imagination and unearth all your pastel table items - and have wonderful and decorative Easter.  And - Happy, Happy Passover to all my Jewish friends as well.

In my home in Great River, NY, I will be fast at work the next few days - getting my tables ready for Easter.  I'll be borrowing some ideas like these above.  It's fun to finally bring some bright, happy colors to the table after the dreary winter we had on Long Island.

If you would love to have some beautifully decorated rooms in your house, call me at 631 793-1315. 

Kitchen Cabinet Makeover: From Drab to Fab

One of my favorite things to do is to redo kitchen cabinets.  It's a great money-saver and it can really transform your kitchen.  Here's one that we did not too long ago.

First, we had the homeowner add some crown moldings - then we did a base color and the first coat of glaze

Here I am putting the first coat of glaze on...

I then did a oak woodgraining that matched the cabinetry.  Since the tones of the oak were different in some places, I had to change my recipe a bit here and there!  I then did a border stencil to look like inlaid wood on the soffit to bring your eye up - and to be more decorative.  

It really changed this kitchen!  The cabinets appear taller and it's a more modern look disguising the soffits!  This is a great idea for anyone who wants to update their kitchen...but especially when you are selling your home - this can really make a difference to a potential buyer.

We are doing another kitchen makeover like this the end of this month - only we are doing an antique cream finish over oak cabinetry. I will post those pics as soon as the project is finished!

If you would like to transform your Long Island home creatively, call Linda at 631 793-1315 for a complimentary design consultation.

Studio of Decorative Arts has two locations:  Great River NY and Huntington NY. 



The Colorful Life with Studio of Decorative Arts: Stencilmania: How a Simple Stencil Changes Your Walls, Furniture, Floors and More

The Colorful Life with Studio of Decorative Arts: Stencilmania: How a Simple Stencil Changes Your Walls, Furniture, Floors and More

Stencilmania: How a Simple Stencil Changes Your Walls, Furniture, Floors and More

I love stencils!!  I remember the first time I ever tried to stencil, I was living in the Pacific Northwest and I bought a few stencils to liven up my bathroom.  Well, true to form back then - I didn't read a manual or book or anything on how to actually use a stencil...I just tacked the stencil up on the wall, took a stencil brush and put some paint on it - and away I went.  Well - the paint seeped through the stencil (because I didn't "offload" the paint) and, in short, my project came to a schreeching halt!


I've since learned how to work with these beautiful bits of plastic and there are never ending ways to use them.  Melanie Royals - who is my go-to designer whenever I want a stencil - has the most incredible line of stencils in her online store Royal Design Studio.  There you can find very traditional stencils - like damasks and other allover designs...as well as some more modern, transitional patterns that would fit in beautifully in today's interior designs.  She has come out with a new line of stencils that I feel the younger, more contemporary homeowner would love.

This is "Chain Link" from her new collection. It looks very modern and "today, " unlike what many people feel about stencils - old and grandma-like!  I just love using geometric patterns in interiors.

This is "Linked In" - how's that for being current?  Again, a great overall geometric that many of my younger clients would gravitate toward.  It's subtle - but it has a great energy to it.

This is "Hollywood Squares" - and it's, again, geometric but there's a definite Hollywood glam and retro feel to this pattern.

This is called "Feather Damask," and it has a modern Swedish kind of feel to it, I think.  This can be used as an accent wall - perhaps with a neutral gray on the other walls.  Add some yellow and gray and cream fabrics and you have a simple but elegantly modern room.

Here, just taking one single motif - in black and white...over a stried glaze and you a have a modern interpretation of a traditional pattern. 

Another pattern I see a lot of (and I love) is the Suzani pattern.  But this time instead of being on a bed or a pillow - it's on an entire wall. This is refreshingly beautiful.

This is the Donatella Damask - a beautiful, more traditional pattern.  It looks lovely in a bedroom in soft, hushed colors.  Using it as only an accent, as above, is a very inexpensive way to add some pattern and spohistication to a room.

And finally, for the true traditionalist, how about adding a poem in French on an accent wall!  I have always loved this French poem.  I've used this on dressers and on tables as well to give them that special touch! You can read more about this beautiful French script pattern here - we used this stencil in a Designer Showhouse last year,

If you would like to give your home a special look and feel, call Linda at 631 793-1315 for a consultation.

Emily Henderson & Secrets From A Stylist on HGTV: Part II

Well, after watching the premiere show last week I have to say there were things that I thought were great - and things that I was a bit puzzled about.  I loved the final room creation and the way that Emily was able to meld the husband and and wife's styles - but I had a little trouble with the fact that Emily painted the entire room blue first - only to completely change the color later.

The first incarnation from the premiere show,

which was more the wife's style - a Hollywood Regency look

This is a gorgeous look, but it suited the wife's style more than the husband's.  So - Emily went into her "change the wall color etc" mode...

Living Room...After.  This brought more of the Hollywood Men's Club look that the husband loved

With the wall color change plus some of the furniture and accessories changes - I think she really achieved a beautifully blended look that suited both the husband's and wife's styles.

After seeing Episode 2, you begin to get the real method behind the madness theme in this show - The first look is supposed to be good and the second...better. If my clients ever start making me change the wall color after approving one - I would be out of business! However - on Emily's blog - we learn that the production company is OK with this and the cost to re-do is included. 

Emily with the Ravals from Episode 2

If you notice the orange accent wall in the picture above, that was the "re-do" wall in this episode.  Emily says that men love accent walls.  That must be so because my husband had accents walls all over his house (that I changed after moving in!).  Most were done with wallpaper (nothing worse than wallpaper for a decorative painter!).  In this episode, Emily painted the accent wall orange - for the husband.  It really wasn't good - and I am a lover of that hue.

The first incarnation - the orange accent wall that the husband favored somewhat

The second incarnation - that retains an accent wall - but softened and

more in keeping with the wife's style

All images from "Secrets" from HGTV

I love what Emily did here - the ikat pillows and the chairs (and that great velvet chair in the corner). She brought in more the Madmen look into the room - but softened it to suit the wife's aesthetic. I am still not in love with the door that remained in a wood tone - but it does blend with the floor.  I would have painted both the moldings and the door in the soft gray because I think it stands out too much and it's not a great standout look.

On the Accent Wall Change. On her blog she tells readers that the accent wall looked great on TV but the wallpaper (an Asian grasscloth) installer did a really bad job, complete with seams showing etc.  She had to bring in another installer (a woman who she said she would never give out her name because she's so good and she's be afraid she'd get too busy!).  Oh brother - I hope my clients don't feel that way!  But, I digress.  This installer came in and removed the badly done grass wallpaper and re-did it perfectly. 

I think she did a beautiful job.  I am really starting to love this show.  Would love to hear what others think!

Speaking of grasscloth/fabric looks on the wall.  I just love the look of grasscloth etc on wall...accent wall or full room walls.  It's a lovely way to bring in texture to your room.  At our studio, we do install wallpaper - but one of our specilaties is doing faux fabric and grasscloth looks on walls and other surfaces.  In the Hamptons, we did a beautiful raw linen look/parchment on nightstands, so it's a great effect even on small accents in your home.

A faux raw silk finish that we did in Garden City NY

A pearl silk patterned finish that we did in a sitting room in Bay Shore NY

This fabric/grasscloth look is really beautiful.  I am even doing this look in my mudroom. When I'm finished - I will post!

If you would love to have these beautiful looks in your home, call me at 631 793-1315 or email me for a free consultation at Linda.Leyble@gmail.com

Will "Secrets from a Stylist" Bring Me Back to Watching HGTV?

Tune in Tonight: I am hoping that HGTV's new show "Secrets From a Stylist" will renew my spirits so that I'll start watching this channel again.  I used to be very addicted to HGTV - but the channel has lost its lustre for me over the years.  Too many cheaply created or formulaic programs (endless Househunters ad nauseum) had me switching the dial to find other prograns more worthy of my time.  So I hope that this year's Design Star winner, Emily Henderson, will create a buzz on that network.  Then I'll gladly return to watch!

Emily Henderson, with Glee co-creator, Ian Brennan

She has a modern., yet traditional take on designing - which I am looking forward to.  I like the way that she can take an unused, non-functional room and create a useful and beautiful space.  Practicality - not something over-the-top  - is what people really need to see on television today. 

Emily with Ian in his newly designed living room

I love her style and I am rooting for her.  Just hope that she has taken some diction lessons - and that she starts to speak a little more slowly. Let's see how she does tonight - Saturday at 9PM.  Let me know what you think of the show!

Do it Now: Some Thoughts and Words from a Chronic Procrastinator & the Red Dining Room

The Clock that I Need, from the Blog - Come Full Circle

As I sit here, looking on the Internet for that perfect color and idea that I want to present to a client for a dining room re-design, I came across this image quite by accident.  I need this clock...badly.  If I procrastinate any more with this client - I may lose her. I have the idea for her dining room in my head already - but I don't think I have ever seen it.  So - I started searching for something close.  The client is pretty color fearless (thank goodness!) and she'd love to have a red dining room. 

Beautiful use of red and orange by the design team at Nahemow Rivera

This image may help her see an entire room - but her space is not as grand as this and she has 9 foot ceilings. An entire red room would close up her space too much. 

Here is another beautiful dining room, but again there's quite an expanse of white moldings and built-ins that allow the room to be light and bright despite the rich color

A beautiful pinkish red dining room by Mark Morris Design Group

Again in this beautiful room, the tall ceilings and windows allow the use of a deep saturated color.  So I have been thinking that the red hue could be beautifully used on the upper portion of the room - and we could create a beatiful cream or white painted wainscot treatment below.  It's a very formal and traditional look for a dining room. That would work - but then I remember that she purchased a large wrought iron chandelier and perhaps this this treatment might be a bit too formal.  The client has a young family and the room will be used for homework on weekdays.  Nothing like trying to clean scuff marks off the light colored wainscoting (not to mention the banging chairs!).

So I think that I have to come up with a durable finish for the wainscoting - perhaps a beautiful deep, rich semi-gloss red.  To create a lighter feeling, I'd like to have vertical panels above - that feature a grasscloth wallpaper in a honey tone (or I could do a faux grasscloth, if the cost of the wallpaper is too dear).  That way my client's room will look taller and the room won't look as closed in and the look will be less formal - and more durable. 

Not a dining room - but this is closer to the idea of the wainscoting and panels (below and above).  The above picture shows a longer horizontal upper treatment, whereas I would like to create vertical panels on the upper portion.  Having a lighter tone with the grasscloth inserts would help lighten the room - plus the client would like to have a yellow, honey toned living room, which is adjacent to her dining room.  The colors of both rooms would go beautifully and the red wouldn't be coming out of nowhere.

I had also suggested to my client that we should do something special with the ceiling.  Perhaps a gorgeous design to tempt your eyes upwards...

Ceiling design by artist, Kay Allen

Or I could paint and antique a beautiful Anaglypta (raised wallpaper) and trim it with molding to create a faux tin ceiling panel (only in a copper and perhaps with verdigris) that would keep it traditional but more informal.

Anaglypta wallpaper, from Southern Living

I can see some beautiful gold and red striped silk panels (or faux silk, if we're being more practical) to finish the first few parts of this room. 

So, now I think that I'd better call my client.  Blogging has helped me figure out the room for my client - and I have some visuals that will help her to see what I'd like to do in her room.  All without sketching (which I still may have to do!)...but at least now I have killed two birds with one stone - a blog post and a mood board!

Wish me luck!