Style Tray

So I’ve been looking around for cute ideas for my little patio at the new apartment. There is no way that I could do something like this picture from Better Homes & Gardens. But I’m putting it on my inspiration tray anyways. I think I want the feeling of comfort and relaxation while still being able to breathe. After all I live in one of the hottest parts of the great state of California. The best thing, I think is to decide on an umbrella that I like, or at least is the style that I’m going for. That way no matter what at least I’ll stay a little bit cool when I’m lounging after work.

Style Tray

It’s technically still Sunday my time so I am not disqualified for BEDA. But to my defense I only found my laptop a few hours ago. Because you know it had to be in the very last box I opened and I do mean the VERY LAST BOX. I’m finally in my new apartment. All the boxes are open, all my stuff is relatively in place and I’m starting to finally relax! Furthermore, I did just finish filming my fivedotnerds video for tomorrow. Which incidentally is all about my moving. Funny how that works huh?

My niece and nephew’s measurements were spot on too. Everything in my apartment fits exactly were I drew it. Though, I did hop on the USS Failboat when it came to my bedroom. For some reason I didn’t think about where everything would fit there. So when the movers came and I told them were everything went I didn’t say any specifics about my bedroom and I paid for it. A day later and I’m still trying to figure out how they got my bed to fit in the position it’s in. Oh well.

The cats are slowly acclimating to the place. One cat is completely comfortable with the move while the other, older cat spends most of the day under the awkwardly placed bed. He only comes out when I taunt him with canned cat food and drinks with little umbrellas. Right now he’s lying on the carpet on his back, ears flicking to and fro listening intently for me to call him. At least that’s what I think he listening for. One can hope that her cat still loves her after a move from house to home.

Style Tray

I got some great news yesterday. I was approved as a participant in the International Sketchbook Project. Basically it is an art project that involves 50 artists from around the world. Each artist gets 4 pages in a sketchbook and then sends it on to the next artist on the list. I can’t wait to do it! Right now I’m the 12th person on the list. Once I’m done I get to send it to Korea. Words do not describe how I feel right now. However, I digress and onward to apartment goodness we go.

Last night I spent most of the evening packing boxes. It was a harsh reality when I took down the curtains that even though I am moving on Saturday I will still be in this apartment for another two weeks. Really, that is the downfall of living in an apartment. When you do move, you have to clean the apartment, fill nail holes, and shampoo carpet in order to get most of your security deposit back. And since we are in an economy that is, how shall I say, not the greatest, a security deposit is like free money coming to you. My deposits total almost $1600 and I hope that most of it comes back. I’ve been good to my apartment; most apartment lovers are good to their homes. After all my security deposits equal more than my tax returns combined.

Having paid my apartment’s rent for two weeks after I move out. I’m trying to figure out the best possible way to go about cleaning it. If I had a little bit more money allocated to the move, I would hire someone to clean it, working full time and volunteering leaves very little time or energy to clean two apartments. However, I think I’m going to do the room by room method. Fix, patch, and clean each room until it’s done, hoping that I get through it in time to have my rent prorated for the last week. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? But what are your ideas? Do you have a way to clean an apartment that is efficient? Let me know in the comments below!

Style Tray

Wow, it’s really a new year. I find that as the seasons change and the months linger on I am changing, moving things around in not only my life but in my home. After I completed my dining room, I moved my room around. Call it winter depression or economic downturn blues, either way I took my home and flipped it around. The main thing that changed was my front rooms. I took my bookcases and put them in my dining room. This well, just MADE the room. I was surprised how much of a difference that was. I love my bookshelves in my living room but when they were up against the Eddie Bower Fig of my dining room wall, it was perfection. I did have to move a few things around, but really it was worth it. After I did that I felt that void in my living room. So of course I had to rearrange my furniture to make it perfect. I flipped my couch to the other side of the room my piano behind it. Changed out the color of my hanging fabric, added some lamps, greenery, and started 4 new paintings to set things right. Though none of the paintings are actually finished, it still feels right. I’m a designer that likes to have the feeling of a refreshing atmosphere, and when you rearrange your own furniture without spending money it refreshes more than the room. It really refreshes the soul.

Style Tray

Being an artist both fine and commercial I find artwork everywhere. One of my best resources though, I have to admit, is my camera and a good roll of film. Since culture has pushed the idea of local everything. Which I'm not downing because face it local+money=A strong town. However, I think local art can be cheesy. When you find artwork that is both affordable and good, it's like a gold mine. I've known of many artist over the years that have one or two locals that snatch up all of their artwork.

In talking with some gallery owners I've been told that you buy art because it 'moves' you. You enjoy it because it 'speaks' to you. In the same way our homes are that way, though if your home is really talking to you you might need a good doctor.

With that said, art in the home. Do you buy art for your home with the express idea of where you will put it? Or do you buy art because it fits your lifestyle? I myself don't buy art as I usually make it for my home. But still in the same aspect I see a wall, the attitude of the wall and paint/photograph what I consider the best piece for that space. For me then, the space speaks to me and I fill it.

Artwork on the walls is a unique situation as artwork for the masses is usually so commercialized that the meaning you are trying to convey in the space is often lost in translation so to speak. However, if you are looking for some great one of a kind artwork you should spot it here at Etsy Art.

Style Tray

I must admit I'm addicted to signage. In college there was one person I aspired to be and that was David Carson. Only after conversing with him over the years did I realize that most graphic designers LOVE signage. It's one of those things that can make you fall in love with a company. Branding through a sign, a decal, even through subliminal messages... Okay maybe not the latter but signage to me is the epitome of design. Anyone can make a layout in any various computer programs, but not everyone can make you say, 'wow! I wonder what's in there' like a great signage can.

You may be wondering where I'm going with this. Well I was thinking of using signage in my kitchen. And not that cheesy 'live, love, laugh' bit but real signage from say a coffee house or restaurant. Now I just have to find my inspiration muse and let her whisper in my ear. I have a few ideas involving a chalkboard and a good book. And since I'm painting one wall the same brown as my dining room reds, whites, and blacks should look lovely!

Style Tray

My picture of my living room was featured on Apartment Therapy how cool is that! I sent it in but didn't think it would make it! :D It actually popped up a while ago but I haven't been able to post about it until now! *does happy dance* that's so cool!
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Style Tray

So this post has nothing to do with my kitchen and dining room but it was just too much to pass up. I got my lanterns in from eBay yesterday. And I lust them. They are perfect for my bedroom. I hung them from the ceiling simply with white ceiling hooks and raffia. What do you think? That means my room is just about done! All I have left is my two palms, one ikea lamp, and the three paintings that I’m doing for over the bed. (It’s quite bare if you can’t tell)

Just for your reference. The bed is from Mor Furniture and is their Mission Styled bed. The red fabric is a 150 ish inch curtain swag courtesy of JC Penney and my Bedding is a mix from JC Penney's and Mervyns.

Style Tray

I don't know if you've noticed or not but I've added a Flickr account to help my journey to a beautiful home. I did want to share with you some of the recent mucking about I did. I had to put my kitchen and dining room on hold until the end of this month. However, I did get to rearrange my living room in order to help break up the manoteny.

I know have my piano away from the wall so I can face people in my living room while playing. That was very important to me. Also I brought out my antique cabinet my brother and his girlfriend gave me. It was hiding away in my hallway where no one saw it. Now it's out and proud. I've had many people comment on my wall of bookshelves. It's amazing what you can do with $120 bucks and chain stores. The 3 short bookshelves are from Target and the 2 tall ones are from Walmart. Both are from the 'basic' collection and cost between $20-$30. Other accent pieces are from Ikea (coffee tables), Pier One (Wicker Chairs), and Ross (Odds & Ends)

The fabric drape that hangs in the middle of the room is simply a Martha Steward window scarf attached to two wooden (painted) dowels from Osh, hung with raffia to ceiling hooks. All the paintings and photography are mine with the exception of the two original Boris Chapialin paintings I found at Goodwill. :D

The full Flickr stream can be found here

Style Tray

Count this under inspiration! Apartment Therapy New York blogged this picture this morning from Architectural Digest. I am in love! Yet it is still not a dining room. Though elements of this relaxing bedroom I will be taking into my dinning room. The lanterns I will find. I'm in love with lanterns. and the blue would complement the room very well. I love the dark brown walls so that might be added into my style tray as well. It's all about the pops of color and the the ocean brings a bit of serenity to the whole kabootal.

Style Tray

I’m still debating on whether to do the deep treatment in my Apartment Therapy or to do the one room treatment. My apartment is pretty much the way I want it except for my dinning and kitchen room. I still have the weekend to decide but I thought I would go ahead and find some images that I liked for dining rooms.

I really like this image, even though it’s not of a dining room it consist of colors I love. This is really the colors of my living room which is directly across from my dining room. I particularly love the way the warmth of the red vibrates so clearly with the coolness coming through the window. I have very little light coming into my home through my windows. To see how well this can work is music to my ears.

The second is well perfection in a restaurant inspired picture. I really like this. The main element that I like is the tables. I love black tables. My room is kind of a beige color so I can really see a dark table and chairs in my room. Right now I have maps covering a part of the wall to add more color (blue) and a bit more interesting flair. I really like the large palm tree in this picture. A palm tree would look so great in my room, though I don’t think there is enough light to support healthy growth. And I’m all about healthy growth.

This image is of the Rainforest Café. While I don’t want my dining room to look like this, the feeling of the Rainforest Café is what I want. The lighting there is spectacular, calming and relaxing. However, I think that most of all its entirely natural, and I like that. I think the more plants I bring into this area will definitely get me into that natural state of relaxation much quicker than if my walls were ‘just painted’. I’m noticing too that I’m a 3D person. Flat walls and a table just won’t do it for me. I love all the textures at the Rainforest Café.

Style Tray: the first

Over the next month you will be seeing some odd posts. Basically I’m merging another blog which I’ve let fall to the wayside, into this one. Posts with the title Style Tray are from this other blog. I’ve taken the best of from that blog and will be posting those throughout the month. This post was taken from the blog almost a year ago when I moved into my new apartment.

Today I sat and basked in the on again off again sunshine, which is, so very not like California. I realized that my apartment, even though messy, and really I’m still living out of boxes, this apartment, is mine. Every so often it’s important that we do this. It’s important that we sit back and realize how much we love our home. It might be a cracker box of four walls or an honest to god real house with three or more bedrooms. In any case we need to show our appreciation for our home. Let’s face it if we own or rent, it’s a fact that we may take for granted—we actually have a roof over our head. With the economy the way it is, we should all take a moment to soak it all in. Go ahead and take that contented sigh of relief.

I truly believe the amount of effort we take in making our home a safe haven, for our journey’s end will reflect in the amount of solace we take, while sitting on the sofa. Do we take time to listen to anything other than the low hum of the accoutrements that dawn our surroundings? Can we sit and read a book, drifting in and out of sleep on a leisurely afternoon as if we were on vacation? Or instead, do we come home plop everything at the front door and flick on the television. Is that really what our home should do? Inspire us to be listless?

It might be that I’m one for a recentralizing to the one place we can find respite. Maybe by finding our homes as a place of calm we can move forward into a place inspiration. Who knows, inspiration may strike as we are sitting quietly in the sun waiting for our apartment to really feel like home.


Photo from singhajaykr25