photo courtesy of TobiFairley.com

I believe there is a lot that can be learned from studying the work of others. One very noteworthy “other” is famed designer Tobi Fairley.

Named one of the Top 20 Young Designers in America by Traditional Home Magazine for 2009, Ms. Fairley also happens to be the designer who showcased the chandelier I was blogging about in my last post.

One look at her work, and you begin to see a definite trend. She is all about getting big bang for your buck with pops of color.

Tobi Fairley’s interiors aren’t complicated. Instead, they are stunning because they are simple and elegant while capitalizing on a few very well-placed WOWs.

That, my dear friends, is what frugal decorating is all about!

Study and enjoy. Then, take it all back to your own space.



photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy





photo courtesy of Coastal Style Living





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Wallpaper is just plain fun. But let’s face it – it can also be quite costly. Especially when you’re a bit fickle about your home design. (Blush) The thought of dropping $1000 or more on some drop-dead gorgeous wall candy only to be seduced by something new a few months down the road makes FDG’s stomach turn.

That’s where stenciling comes in. Now, we’re not talking your Grandma’s apple stencil border. Instead, think big. Think modern. Think glam!

Most recently, I was struck with this amazing bedroom project using modern design stencils inspired by the Imperial Trellis pattern:



photo courtesy of Hello Gorgeous blog

So struck, that I am actually considering taking on the challenge myself in the entryway of our home! (Gulp)



Just in case you want to join in the fun and try your own large-scale project, here are some sights offering modern design stencils:



Cutting Edge Stencils



Stencil Library



Stencil Planet



Royal Design Studio



Royal Design Studio



Stencil Ease

Now that you’ve got your modern design stencils inspiration…here is a great “How To” video courtesy of Stencil 1:

5 Comments | In: Cool Finds, Design Tips, Wallpaper Ideas | | #

Remember our chat about decorating with pops of purple? Well, check out this fun and frugal photo from the April issue of BHG:

Look at the WOW factor of adding the color at the ceiling with the all-white walls! A lot of bang for your buck!

Scroll down to read more about using fun and frugal details to make your home decor POP!

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Hmmm…the light fixture from this post got me thinking. Just how does one go about choosing chandelier lighting?

For me, it’s all about eyeballing it out. I just seem to have a picture in my mind of what the end result should be – visually speaking.

So how do you explain that to someone else – especially when that someone else is your DH…who doesn’t always share your same “vision”?

I found this rule-of-thumb for choosing chandelier lighting in Traditional Home Magazine from an interview with Alexa Hampton. Let me know if it helps you:

Do the math
“Chandeliers are famously tricky for people to figure out because they’re hanging in the middle of the room with no points of reference against which to gauge for size. A great rule of thumb that I learned years ago is to take the width of the room in feet, double the number, convert it to inches, and that is the minimum dimension for your chandelier’s diameter. I say minimum because it can always be fun to oversize a chandelier, but one should never have it look dinky. Finally, for utility’s sake, make certain that a chandelier never hangs too low over a dining room table. Always keep in mind that you want to look at your dinner companions, whether they’re family or guests.”

Here are some beautiful photos of chandelier lighting from the web. Enjoy!

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A little while back, I wrote about decorating with purple – and while purple is still hot, it’s even hotter when the combination is purple and green!

I just adore the room above. I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend the day lounging around that?

But please remember…this color combination is not for beginners. Think Black Diamond difficult!

There is the right way to do purple and green, and there is the wrong way to do purple and green.

Forgive me - but this is just WRONG!

Whew. That is just nasty.

Here’s the right way to do purple and green. Enjoy!

photo courtesy of Harmony and Home

How cute!? photo courtesy of Zimbio

photo courtesy of Decor Pad

photo courtesy of Saucy Help

photo courtesy of Decor Pad

Do you have a room decorated with purple and green that you think looks pretty hot? Send a photo in to FDG, and we’ll add you to our wall of fame.

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This is one of those “Why didn’t I think of that” moments.

Everyone (yes…everyone!) looks for fabulous kitchen decorating ideas – and designer Rebekah Zaveloff is selling them. Cheap.

Pure genius was her decision to start designinabag.com, which offers material samples for your cabinets, counters, and tile as well as paint selections (geez – let’s not forget to mention the 3-D images of what it will all look like when it’s put together.)

For about $100, you receive a perfectly coordinated look. It’s like Garanimals for your kitchen! (Oh…am I dating myself??) Who cares. It is! It’s like Garanimals for your kitchen – or bath. Yes…they have bath selections, too. (Although, truth-be-told, I think the kitchen samples are more fun!)

This totally goes down as another Frugal Find. Forget the pricey Interior Designers. Forget the costly mistakes of picking out the wrong everything. Kitchen decorating ideas in a bag. Seriously. Why didn’t I think of this??

Check out the designinabag.com site and then let FDG know which grouping is your favorite. Mine is Le Muy!

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photo courtesy of House Beautiful (02/10)

Part of being frugal with your residential interior design is knowing where to put the pop!

Notice how each of these photos makes use of just one really cool design element to grab your attention! Everything else in the room – while pretty – is fairly neutral.



I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The fundemental secret of being frugal with residential interior design is simply understanding where to spend the money.

What’s your “pop?”

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The color purple is popping up everywhere these days, so why not try a little “pop” of your own?

For some, the idea of purple paint is too overwhelming. That is completely understandable…afterall, decorating with purple is not for the faint of heart.

Try thinking out of the box. Throw a little purple pillow on your couch as an unexpected accent, or use purple paint to wow guests in your main-floor bath.

Decorating with purple is a sure-fire way to start the year off with a bang!

Check out the way purple is used in these inspiration rooms – and if you decide to try it out in your own home, send along photos!

love, love, love these purple chairs

a little purple passion for the bedroom

this dining room makes a statement

great combo of purple and gray

little pops

just fun

this is not your barney purple

Here is a variety of purple paint you can try at home – courtesy of the January issue of Real Simple magazine. (Click on the image for a better view!) Remember that when decorating with purple, the best way to keep the color from looking overwhelmingly eccentric is to pair it with neutrals or complimentary colors of a more “earthy” palate.

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photo courtesy of point click home

As I mentioned in an earlier post about decorating your mantles for Christmas, I often rely on frugal decorating with fresh greenery.

Tucking fresh-cut pine here and there not only looks fun and festive…it makes the house smell terrific!

Some of my favorites spots for decorating with fresh greenery include the mantle, tablescapes, glass-front cabinets and small vases spread about the house here and there.

Another great idea for decorating with fresh greenery is to use the boughs and sprigs to enhance your silk or faux arrangements. For instance, this year I draped garland along the banister to the second floor. Garland at the local nursery was running $29+ for 25 feet of greenery – which certainly does not jive with my idea of a frugal decorating budget for the holidays! Instead, I found the same length of garland at SAM’s Club for $13. Unfortunately, the boughs used were really pretty skimpy.

My frugal solution? First I ran the banister with a length of faux garland – which by itself, would have looked cheap and pretty darn fakey. Next, I ran the realy, but skimpy, garland from SAM’s in front of it – following the same line. This made the skimpy garland look fuller, and covered up most of the fake stuff.

I wasn’t finished yet. For the final touches, I tucked in real boughs collected from the ground at the local Christmas tree stand. You know – the extras that fall off or get snapped just before a tree is sold. If you don’t have a friendly stand nearby, you can always collect some from your own back yard or use the fresh-cut boughs from the bottom of your Christmas tree.

When I was finished…the banister looked lush and complete!

I employed a similar tactic in the guest bath. My mother was tossing a faux arrangement that had magnolia leaves, pincones and a few glittery balls. By itself, it looked pretty tacky. Once I started decorating with fresh greenery in and out of the arrangement, it looked brand-new and quite realistic.

I was so pleased with the results, that I started adding fresh greenery to some of the fake holiday wreaths I have strung with pretty ribbon and left hanging from the kitchen windows. A sprig here and there made even my husband do a double-take. He was sure I had somehow gone wreath crazy and purchased fresh wreaths for the entire kitchen!

Decorating with fresh greenery is fun, festive…and best of all, frugal!

Enjoy these inspiring photos!

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2 Comments | In: Decorating for the Holidays, Design Tips, Frugal Finds | | #

photo courtesy of BHG, December 2009

Why stick with the traditional red and green when choosing Christmas colors this year? Kick it up a notch with fun and unexpected Christmas colors to reflect your personality or compliment your home’s existing decor.

Here are a few examples on non-traditional Christmas colors that will turn heads this holiday season:



green and yellow (BHG 12/2009)

blue, red and brown (BHG, 2009)

bright and vibrant (Creative Home, 2003)

black, red and white (Raz Imports)

aqua, green and brown

hot pink, red and green (Raz Imports)

lime green and silver (Raz Imports)

For more information about using non-traditional Christmas colors, watch this short clip:

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