Designing Diva Interiors

These awesome finds need a home! Unless otherwise specified each item is new and in top condition. Designing Diva Interiors purchased these items for clients but for various reasons still has them and I need to make room in the office!

If you are interested in anything you see here please contact Jennifer Hicks at Jennifer@decorateokc.net. Local buyers only. Credit/debit cards and cash only. Remember, there is only one of anything so move quickly!

Irridescent finish looks great on vanities, tables, even ottomans to display your favorite trinkets!

The size for the tray above is 11″ x 15″

Mirrored tray is utterly feminine & only $45

The size for the mirrored tray above is 13″ x 18.5″

Set/3 zebra candleholders $40

 The sizes for the above candleholders are 8″, 10″ and 12″ tall.

Go wild with this 12"x12" vase: copper on top, purple alligator print on bottom! $20

June 15-July 15, 2010

Stop by Cedarburg Square in Bethany, OK for your home decor shopping needs, spend $100 or more and enter to win FREE interior design service from Designing Diva Interiors, LLC!

Drawing Rules:

Winner to be announced no later than July 17 th, 2010. Free design service will expire six months from drawing date. Free design service is transferable but may not be turned in for cash. Designing Diva Interiors, LLC is not owned, operated or employed by Cedarburg Square. Free design/decorating service may be applied toward any service DDI offers including Custom Holiday Decorating Service and Home Staging.

My mom loves to joke that “it must be nice to get paid to shop”. Of course I love the thrill of the hunt, the victory in finding the absolute ideal item for a hard-to-please client, but I spend a great deal of my week shopping off the clock just to stay on top of what’s new. Scouring the catalogs, online sources and the Dallas Market Center helps me provide my clients with a shopping edge.

Here I have listed a few of my favorites that can be found in local stores now.

OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES could use a little extra TLC this time of year since this is where everyone wants to be. I love Pottery Barn’s Riviera Double Chaise ($899) because it simply begs you to come and relax with a glass of lemonade. Pair it with their Three Tiered Umbrella ($119) and use their Ceramic Garden Stool ($159) in blue, cherry or white to add additional seating, tabletop space or to display pots in the garden! I currently have one available in my Designer’s Attic in a teal/turquoise for $99.

KITCHENS might not be used quite as often in the summer months but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored completely. Add a fresh look to your dining table or island by filling clear glass vases or canisters with lemons, limes or oranges. These can usually be purchased at my local favorite bargain shops like Ross, Tuesday Morning or Target for under $20.

BATHROOM lighting tends to get a bit drab if you stick to shopping at the standard outlets- chain home improvement stores. Add a personal touch here with Ballard Designs’ customizable chandeliers and pendents, great for above the tub or vanity! Shop www.ballarddesigns.com to find the perfect fixture and fabric for your bathroom!

People tend to believe that their decorating problems are unique; that they are the only people on the block with outdated furniture, with a bad room plan, with a themed room gone wrong. But truth be told I hear a lot of the same complaints from homeowners and that is never more true than at this time of year. Holiday decor has always been a mish-mash of collected items from over the years, in my home and in most homes I visit.  I don’t know anyone who has a perfectly coordinated Christmas look– sure, your gift wrap may match your ornaments but that’s as far as most people get. I’m not encouraging a Stepford Wife approach to holiday decorating, either, I’m simply saying that most folks have common issues with their holiday decor and its my job-I mean joy- to solve them! The most common gripes include “Everything I have is hand-me-down and nothing matches,” or “My Christmas decorations are so old, I don’t even know what’s in style this year.” My solutions to these individual households are very customized but in general you could safely stick to these rules:

1) If you have a collection of odd and end decorations, work with it! Its called “eclectic” (or “Bohemian” if you’re from the east) and it works because it looks effortless! This usually ends up looking very colorful and its okay if every ornament isn’t color matched or if you have pink ribbon in one room and green in the other. Think more “Dr Suesse” than “Martha Stewart” and you will easily pull off this playful style on a tight budget.

2) Add a little sprinkle of “new” to your decor. So obviously the kids’ reindeer cutouts from kindergarten have to go up but there’s nothing stopping you from adding a few new pieces to give the room an entirely different look from years past. But be disciplined and make a list before you go shopping otherwise you will get easily overwhelmed and end up purchasing more than you had intended. I recommend replacing the garland every two years depending on its quality. Replace the tree skirt every year (3-5 yards of fabric will do the trick and is only $8 compared to a $50 off-the-rack skirt. Tuck under the raw edges and no one will notice!) and the silk floral arrangements every 3-5 years.

3) For a more tailored look, choose three colors. Two will be your main colors (what your ornaments, tree skirt, gift wrap, candles, etc will be in). The third will be your accent color (use on throws, candle holders, decorative plates, ribbon– smaller doses). Carry these color scheme throughout the home for a designer look.

4) Stick with classic pieces and ornaments if in doubt. Trends are..well, trendy, but if you haven’t shopped for Christmas decorations in several years you could run the risk of going in the very extreme opposite direction (having very outdated decoration to having very modern decorations all over the place, which looks forced) in the middle of the excitement.  You can never go wrong with glass ball ornaments in clear urns, vases, bowls, etc. 

*Photos by Cheryl Meares of Captured By Cheryl Photography www.capturedbycheryl.com, Edmond, OK.

Receive your $20 OFF coupon for booking your holiday decorating service by November 15th! Remember, you do not have to have your home decorated by the 15th, you simply must schedule your desired appointment by the 15th.  

Who is DDI’s Holiday Decorating Service for, anyway? You don’t need a huge home or an overflowing bank account to get a professionally designed room for the holidays! We do it all, large or small: tree decorating, fireplace/mantle decor, decorating for dinner parties and more.

Use your current decor or allow Jennifer Hicks to design a new look from the ground up and at an affordable cost to you! Take it easy this year and let us do the hard part for you.

*DDI and temporary holiday assistants are insured.

* Includes interior design only, exterior decorating jobs accepted at designer’s discretion.

                                              See “Contact Us” link on homepage.

…to receive your $20 OFF coupon for booking your holiday decorating service by November 15th! Remember, you do not have to have your home decorated by the 15th, you simply must schedule your desired appointment by the 15th.  

Who is DDI’s Holiday Decorating Service for, anyway? You don’t need a huge home or an overflowing bank account to get a professionally designed room for the holidays! We do it all, large or small: tree decorating, fireplace/mantle decor, decorating for dinner parties and more.

Use your current decor or allow Jennifer Hicks to design a new look from the ground up and at an affordable cost to you! Take it easy this year and let us do the hard part for you.

*DDI and temporary holiday assistants are insured.

* Includes interior design only, exterior decorating jobs accepted at designer’s discretion.

If you have a question, Designing Diva Interiors has the answer! In the comment box below, leave your home improvement/design question and get it answered by your favorite interior decorator or one of her expert panelists in fields such as carpentry, faux finish painting, landscaping, and others!

When you ask people what their favorite room of the house is you will get a variety of answers: for the workaholic it may be the cozy yet cluttered home office; the busy mother finds solice in her guest room-turned reading room while the chef retreats to the kitchen. Though the answers are varied there is always one area of the home that gets passed over: The foyer. In smaller homes this space is called an entryway as a foyer, by definition, includes an “entrance hallway”.

 Many clients hire me because they’ve spent hundreds, if not thousands, decorating the other rooms of the home yet still complain of a “cold, uninviting” environment. It never takes me long to spot the culprit– an ignored entryway or foyer is often to blame. This is the first thing your guests see upon entering your residence. For many of us its the first thing we see when we come home from a rough day of work and the last thing we see before heading out for the day. Why put all of your energy into every room but this one? Here are my solutions to the most common problems I see:

Dead space: Try a console table but refrain from the demilune (half-table) style if you have a narrow space. No room for a table or chest? Try a bench instead, which come in a variety of sizes and styles. This comes in handy for removing shoes upon entering the home (a must if you hope to prolong the life of your carpet).

A “closed in” feeling: A large mirror or a collection of smaller mirrors will make your small entryway seem much larger instantly. Even if you have a small entrance, go ahead and opt for the oversized mirror. Sometimes a small mirror in a small space is the same as doing nothing at all.

Builder-grade walls: You’ve painted your bedroom, faux-finished the bathrooms and added beadboard paneling to the living room. It all looks lovely. So why is your entryway still white (or whatever boring tan color your builder selected)??? The paint color you choose for this space is perhaps one of the most important ones. Go too dark and you create a “cave” when you wanted “airy”. Too light and the walls run together with no clear definition and little interest.

Clutter: For those of us who use the foyer/entryway rather than entering through the garage, this area can quickly get out of hand. Shoes on the floor, coats, purses, change, car keys, mail, it all ends up here if you’re not intentional about the design of your space. Try attractive, durable baskets on the floor (under your new table?) for shoes/toys/dog leash/etc. Petite trays, bowls or platters can be purchased inexpensively to hold keys/phones/mail. Chances are you already have a serving dish in your kitchen that will do just fine. Hang hooks for the coats, briefcases and purses. If you inherited OCD from your elders like I did, two seperate trays mounted to the wall will serve you well: one for incoming mail, one for outgoing mail.

Boring decor: No need to cram every pretty object you own onto the foyer table. Keep it simple and pretty. Fresh flowers go a long way and don’t have to be pricey. Most grocery stores now carry a decent selection of flowers year-round.

The guests will be here soon, what are you waiting for? GO, GO!

For more decorating ideas, visit the Designing Diva gallery at www.decorateokc.net.

This authentic white coral on acrylic stand sits at approximately 24″ x 24″ and is absolutely a conversation piece. Because it is genuine coral a few tips have broken off during its lifetime but it has been well cared for and would look stunning on a night stand, foyer table, or cocktail table. Origin unknown.

REDUCED PRICE: $58.00

Will not ship due to vulnerability of coral. Local buyers (OKC Metro) only, please.

This gorgeous tapestry comes from a client who is downsizing into a smaller home. It has been well cared for and is in like-new condition. For additional details: http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/hsh/1326273684.html

Reduced price: $50, all sales final. Cash or check accepted.