I Could Work Here...

yeah in my dreams. Somehow I always seem to need a surplus of desk space so I can stack "junk" all over my desktop. It's the way I roll.

However, someone else, especially someone with a laptop (I still possess a huge desktop monitor, not even a flat screen!) could really love this desk.

I just saw this cute setup, the Trovato Office-in-a-Box, on the New York Times website and saw that it was available at OfficeMax of all places for only $150. Compared to similar setups available (without the stool/storage cube) like the Jay desk & hutch available at West Elm for $330, this is a true bargain.

Would you like to win FREE design services?

Who wouldn't?



Dwellings by Mail, based in San Francisco, looks like a great way for renters and homeowners to utilize professional design services for their home without the expense of full-service design services. Their consultations are done via email, fax, telephone, and postal service; so you can live anywhere.

I love these types of services for the cost and the convenience. You receive a detailed idea board, a space plan, shopping guide, and fabric & finish swatches of their ideas. From there you can choose according to your personal tastes and budget what to take from it and what to leave, if anything. Also since all items suggested by the designer are just suggestions, if you find a similar piece at a lower or higher price, then it's up to you to choose. They basically open your eyes to the possibilities in your rooms that you may not have been able to see.

Well, if that didn't already sound great; for the month of April, the company is offering a free Dwellings By Mail room makeover package! Since their services normally start at around $300, this is a truly incredible deal.

They just need a little bit of information from you, so check their blog Domicile House for more contest information. Good luck!

Let's take a look at the softer side...

of Sears.



I was searching retailers for examples of something to show another blogger when I ran into this picture of a dining set from the Ty Pennington collection at Sears. Not bad.

This Costa del Mar dining table is now on sale for $180 (from $340) and is very similar to other industrial looking tables talked about recently on Apartment Therapy.

I was also impressed in the lamp department. Though most of their lamps were not my personal style, they definitely had style. The look was in the vein of Restoration Hardware but without those high price tags. Classy, sophisticated, and looked far more expensive than they actually were.

By the way, when I was looking at the site I noticed an ad that would take you to the Martha Stewart Everyday collection at Kmart. Did Sears buy Kmart or are they in a partnership? Please don't tell me this is something that happened a long time ago and I just didn't know about it.

The Company Store scores for the thrifty

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but if you love color like I love color, you should check out The Company Store.

They are the only company I know that consistently offers brightly colored sheets and towels year-round. While other companies decide brights are in fashion every other spring season, you will be able to find colors like Mediterranean Blue, Tangerine, Key Lime, Daffodil, and Bubblegum. These colors and more are all available in in cotton towels and in sateen, percale, flannel, and jersey sheets.

Well, the Company Store has for a while offered some end tables and accent furniture pieces. Now they are really stepping it up though. Here are a few of their new products.

Mercer chair & ottoman, $349

Bristol console, $119 and mirror, $59

Carmen nesting table, $129

Corduroy Floor Pillows, $15-$29

A little more exotic:

Suede Ottoman, $99

Casablanca, $109-$469
Casablanca side table, $109

They are even moving into custom upholstery with padded headboards and beds! In addition, if I were you, I would definitely check out the clearance section!

Decorative Items for the Thrifty

Here are beautiful decorative mirrored furniture available at lower prices.

JCPenney Venetian Trifold mirror for $199

Compare it to this one available from Casually Elegant Home and Ebay for $500 or this Horchow version for $350.

JCPenney mirrored vanity table for $400...

as compared to this more expensive one from Horchow at $899. Yes, these mirrored pieces are still pricey but the point is you can get the same look for less money.

I started this post this past weekend and Design Sponge posted about mirrored furniture pieces just today and she choose some of the same cheaper options that I did.

I also have some DIY options. Creative Homes magazine from BHG printed an article a few years ago showing how you could use simple unfinished wood tables and apply your own finishes and custom cut mirrors to emulate some of these same looks. Instructions to transform unfinished pieces like these below


into these


are available here.

P.S
I found much better instructions and scanned a PDF for you. However, it seems I need an outside server to add it my post. Therefore, I can e-mail it, so if you would like those instructions, just leave me a note. Thanks.

The Sofa Show Down and Showroom

Whenever someone starts writing about buying a sofa on Apartment Therapy, a conversation starts about price, quality, and wanting a sofa that will last 20 or so years. Therefore, "they" say you should not buy a sofa for less than $1,000, as if that's the sign of quality. Hah!

Even though I'm older than a 20-something, I just can't see needing a couch that will last me 50 years. I see myself growing and changing much more than that. My style is not that staid that the same sofa would satisfy me for that long. No way. So I'd be pretty happy getting a beautiful couch that will last me the next 5 years.

They are out there, good sofas cheaper than $2,000, $1,000, even $900. How low you go is up to you, however, the one thing I hold to when buying anything is: always test it out yourself, if you can. Sit on it, lounge, lay on it the way you would at home, feel the construction underneath, test its legs by wiggling it, and run your hand over the fabric, with and against the grain. Then, if all that works out, buy it.

From Overstock.com:

 
Eldredge Sofa in Chestnut ($589) and Flint ($579). Size: 31.5 in. H x 72 in. W x 31 in. D

Spencer sofa in Bamboo and Biscotti for $419. (I think this is the discontinued CB2 Shelter sofa seen here.) Size: 31.5 in. H x 72 in. W x 31 in. D

Evan sofa in Toast, Asparagus, and Biscuit for $500. Size: 31 in. H x 72 in. W x 32 in. D

Jane Convertible sofa in Chocolate and Black for $959. Size: 34 in. H x 45 in. D x 79 in. L


Boudoir chair in Honey and Berry for $300. Size: 36 in. H x 37 in. W x 36 in. D

Apartment Recliner chair in Sage and Clove for $300. Size: 39 in. H x 30 in. W x 29.5 in. D


Salon chair in Eggnog for $300.
Size: 40 in. H x 33.5 in. W x 28 in. D

Not bad for variety, huh?

Retail gifts for the creative and thrifty

In my sidebar, you can see some of the resources I use for home items and sometimes just for ideas. When answering different comments or questions on other blogs, I usually pipe up about one of these sources. I find if you are trying to achieve a specific look that you have seen in a magazine like Domino, instead of pinning away or scrimping and saving for that particular piece, why not look for a good replica in your price level?

The furnishings industry is doing a great job replicating the same looks for more budget-minded folks. Sometimes it's even the same merchandise, just marketed through a different name brand with a slightly different fabric, color, or name and a huge decrease in price.

So while, I'm still getting my actual place together* this week, I'm going to post some of the great finds that are out there RIGHT NOW** from some of my favorite resources. Have fun!

*You would not want to walk around my minefield of a living room, there are pieces of freshly painted furniture drying alongside picture frames I still haven't taken out of formation for my picture wall on the floor.
**Meaning: go now before they are gone!!

Tiny Showcase!

Want to have unique art in your home instead of having to frame pieces of wrapping paper, fabric scraps, or museum art posters, but still not pay a lot of money? Well, I just saw this in an archived post at Minor Adjustments.

Tiny Showcase

The founders wanted to find a forum for their talented friends to showcase their talent and make a little money. They also decided that the pieces would be smaller in size. So each week they pick a new tiny piece, that they have reproduced in limited print runs on acid-free paper (for a long archival lifespan). But best yet, because of the size, the pieces are priced low (from $12 to $40) yet a portion of the price is still donated to a charity chosen by each artist.

To give you an idea of what might be available, here are a few images of their earlier offerings:

caught up Jen Corace SOLD OUT
Landscape Matthew Curry SOLD OUT
Story Katy Horan SOLD OUT



On the Lounge Marci Washington SOLD OUT
Distant Folly #3 Brad Kendall SOLD OUT
I love you Camilla Engman SOLD OUT