From the keypad of Peggy Pardo…

Hello Everyone!

Lately I’ve been really loving all the burlap pillows with stenciled lettering that I’ve been seeing everywhere. It’s such a simple look, but adds so much interest and style to a room. The other day I was checking out some of these pillows at one of my favorite sources for decorative items, Home Decorators Collection.

Here are my favorites…

Postmark Pillow

Belle Jardiniere Pillow

Burlap No. 85 Wreath

Burlap Floral Bouquet Pillow

Cafe Pillow

Louvre Square Cushion

In the next couple of weeks Regina and I will be creating a burlap lampshade using a stencil. Don’t you think these pillows would be a nice accompaniment? Perhaps this could be a future project…hmmm…..I wonder…..

Cheers to all,

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Subscribe to our Feed Follow Peggy on Twitter Follow Peggy on Pinterest
Become a Fauxology Facebook Fan Subscribe to Fauxology YouTube

I’ll tell you a secret. My Mom and I have a running joke that even though I can handle 20′ walls with ease, she’s the master off all things small. She’s a very creative artist with small boxes, paper projects, picture frames — even when painting rocks with my 8-year old nephew. Whereas me? Eh. Not so much. We took a handcrafted jewelry class together and she took to it like fish to water. The teacher came by and said “Silvia, that’s incredible! I love your choice in stones and colors!” and then she looked over at my hot mess and after a pitying look helpfully said, “Regina…(sigh)…what you might want you to keep in mind is…”. So, yeah. Not my finest moment.

My Mom recently suggested we take a ceramic class together and after squelching the initial mini panic attack, I agreed.  She is, after all, a seriously fun person to take an art class with.  Plus, it comes so easily to her and I love seeing her happy.  Coincidentally, I then spied this in an Anthropologie catalog…

How cute is this?  It’s an allover pattern in bright, fresh colors on a coffee mug with an initial painted right over it.  I totally have that technique down so I’m feeling so much better about the ceramics class.  Here’s a close-up…

The lovely artistry is done for Anthropologie by Samantha Robinson.  She is based out of Australia and creates beautiful porcelain objects.  Then, I spied the following in the Design Inspiration blog by The Stencil Library.  They were showcasing a Painting on China How-To using stencils and ceramic paints.

Helen Morris, owner of The Stencil Library, says the rose stencil is "a sweet, two layer design based on the traditional folk art roses found on canal barges and boats". I'm also enjoying the lettering in both the interior and exterior.

Have any of you tried the process?  It looks great and I’m now really looking forward to the class.  I’m sure it does take a bit to perfect the artistry (I mean, there’s a reason ceramicists spend a lifetime perfecting their craft) but I do have hope that I will not receive a pitying look this time.  Have a great day, gorgeous ones!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to our Feed     Follow us on Twitter     Follow us on Pinterest       Become a Fauxology Facebook Fan          Subscribe to Fauxology YouTube

From the keypad of Peggy Pardo…

This Saturday is St. Patrick’s day; so I thought it would be fitting to celebrate the color green this week. While I don’t have any green beer to share with you, I do have some fabulous photos of rooms all decorated around or with the color green.

This bath is one of my favorites. I love white and green together, even more so when it’s combined in a pattern as beautiful as this wallpaper. The look is so fresh and elegant. I especially like it combined with the rustic sink base – which is a great way to re-purpose an old farmhouse table. You could recreate this wallpaper using a stencil; I found some similar designs here…

Source: House Beautiful

A bright shot of green cabinetry brings this kitchen to life.  If you want to change your kitchen but don’t want to re-do the whole thing, try painting your island in an accent color. Love the gingham print ceiling…

Source: House Beautiful

Let’s move into the dining room now, shall we. The bright green vinyl on the chairs plays beautifully with the traditional styling of the table’s pedestals – I am so loving the finish on these! I wonder if the walls are done with a stencil similar to this one…

Source: House Beautiful

My last inspirational photo from House Beautiful shows an elegant sitting room in a softer green palette. Hanging the drapery higher above the windows then taking them all the way to the floor brings attention to the height in this room, thus making it appear larger…

Source: House Beautiful

This kitchen was designed by Emery & Cie. The blue and green are so calming. And those tiles. Wow!…

Source: Emery & Cie

It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s without Kelly green. This is a bold color, but it works so well with the black and white accents…

Source: Apartment Therapy

Green comes in all shades. The finish on this wall is gorgeous! Regina MUST show me how to do this!…

Source: Traditional Home

By painting the walls, ceiling and trimwork all the same color, this large room feels cozier and more intimate. The large window allows in natural light as well as a view of nature. I am so loving the fact that they added a touch of red in the chandelier…

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

You don’t have to commit to doing the whole room in green. Bring in touches of it, as they did in this room with the green chair and accent pillows. Most of this room is done in neutrals, but the pops of green, yellow and red invigorate it…

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

This had nothing to do with design, but I couldn’t resist this green Kate Spade bicycle. I just want to hop on and cruise around the streets of Paris! By the way, did you notice the Champagne and flowers? Someone has been good…

Source: Adeline Adeline

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth and harmony. It also represents tranquility, good luck and good health. You can use it as the main color or to add vitality to a neutral scheme. Have fun with it!

What is your favorite color of green paint to work with?

Cheers to all,

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Subscribe to our Feed Follow Peggy on Twitter Follow Peggy on Pinterest
Become a Fauxology Facebook Fan Subscribe to Fauxology YouTube

From the keypad of Peggy Pardo…

Let’s see…there’s The Fifth Dimension, The Fifth Element, pleading The Fifth,  being a fifth wheel, Fifth Avenue (the actual avenue or the candy bar, whichever you like)…but today I’m talking about the fifth wall – The Ceiling!

This wonderful piece of “real estate” is often the biggest uninteruppted expanse in the room and the one that most often gets overlooked when working on a room’s design. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to do something awesome with all that space!

To get your creative juices flowing and inspire you, I’ve found a few fabulous ceilings for you to take a look at.

I’ll start things off with the bathroom ceiling of Om Home creator, textile designer Oorbee Roy. His textile designs were used on the ceiling and vanity. I LOVE this ceiling; what a fantastic color. Note how the design extends down the wall…

Source: Apartment Therapy

Salvaged beadboard was used  to create this unique ceiling. The mix of colors really adds to the charm…

Source: Country Living

Interior Designer Annsley McAleer used the ceiling to bring added interest and pattern to this home office space. You can can get the same effect using a stencil. (I found one that is very similar at Royal Design Studio)…

Designer: Annsley McAleer

Bold stripes liven up the ceiling in the Avalon Hotel. Having the rows alternate makes it even more interesting…

Designer: Kelly Wearstler

In India, tiles are often used to decorate the ceiling. Royal Design Studio has many stencils available that allow you to achieve the same type of look as does The Stencil Library…

Source: Apartment Therapy
Original Image: Mountain Label

NCF Studio created this fabulous metallic plaster ceiling…

Source: NCF Studio

This is a floor’s eye view of a gold leafed ceiling done by Garay Artisans…

Source: Garay Artisans

Ceilings are just as much a part of the room as the walls and floors. They shouldn’t be overlooked when decorating a space. The right color or finish can often be just what a room needs to make it look complete.

Take a look around your home. Are there any ceilings where you can try something different?

Cheers to all,

________________________________________________________________________________________________
Subscribe to our Feed Follow Peggy on Twitter Follow Peggy on Pinterest
Become a Fauxology Facebook Fan Subscribe to Fauxology YouTube

From the keypad of Peggy Pardo…

When The Husband and I bought our first house, we had two color choices for our bathroom sinks – white or bone. (The kitchen had the additional choice of stainless steel. Wow.) Thankfully, things have come along way since then. There are myriad options of colors, materials and styles today that give you the opportunity to express your taste and creativity when choosing sinks. Okay, so you already knew that. How about this…

Have you ever thought about using the sink as a canvas for art? Yup. Art. Pretty cool idea, don’t you think? I know I do!

I was looking for some inspiration when I came across a company called Marzi Sink Factory. They’ve been in business here in the U.S. since 1959. They hand carve and paint each ceramic basin according to their clients specifications and the room’s decor. They have some very talented artists on staff. Check out some of their work.

The colors and pattern in this sink are lovely…

Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh was the inspiration for this amazing sink…

Here the artist created a decorative wood finish to match the client’s molding…

And for this one, the look of marble…

This looks more like a lovely serving bowl than a sink…

Looking for the perfect sink for the bathroom next to the gameroom ? Here it is…

Source: All sinks from Marzi Sink Factory

Sinks aren’t the only fixture in the room that you can hand paint. Here the most important feature in the room gets the full treatment…

Source: Hand Painted Talavera Toilet from Mexico, Rustica House

The bathroom sink shouldn’t be overlooked as another opportunity to bring in a fantastic design element – remember, design is in the details. Here are a few ways you can add some pizzazz to your bathroom by way of a decorative sink…

• You can commission the work through a company like Martzi Sink Factory for a one-of-a-kind piece of art.
• Buy one that coordinates with your decor from a company that has a line of ready-made handpainted sinks, like Kohler.
• If you are willing and able to take it on, you could make it a DIY project. Paddy Dugan at Tile Art Ltd. has regular classes that teach how to Custom Hand Painted Tile and Sinks.

Have you ever hand painted a sink before? If so, I’d love to hear more about your experience – good and/or bad – and any tips you may have.

Cheers to all,
Peggy

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Subscribe to our Feed Follow Peggy on Twitter Follow Peggy on Pinterest
Become a Fauxology Facebook Fan Subscribe to Fauxology YouTube

From the keypad of Peggy Pardo…

So, I was talking with Regina about some inspiration photos I was collecting on Moroccan design for my guest room makeover. (Can it really be considered a makeover if you never really “made” it the first time?) She told me about a great book Maryam of the blog My Marrakesh wrote; it’s called Marrakesh by Design, and it’s to be published by Artisan Books. I can’t wait to get my copy!

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to share some of the photos I found that show fabulous examples of Moroccan design. Then in another post, I’ll give you some tips on what you can do to create a room with Moroccan flair.

I’ll start with three spaces that are 100% Moroccan. The tile work is exquisite in this first photo…

My favorite features in this room are the amazing arches and columns…

Here is a closer view of those wonderful columns…

 Source: Borsaat

Moroccan design doesn’t always have to be jewel tones. This entire room is done in softer colors; including the intricate work done on the ceiling…

 Source: Elle Decor via Apartment Therapy

Of course, if you want to stay with the jewel tones there are lots of options available to you. I love the wall treatment in this space…

Source: That Bohemian Girl

This bedroom adds a touch of Moroccan design by way of the silk fabric used on the wall behind the bed and the detailed design on the headboard. Did you also notice the ikat fabric on the sofa…

Source: Design by Lisa Fine, Photo by Simon Upton for the November 2008 Elle Decor

Speaking of Moroccan arches, this room makes a bold statement by way of large arches stenciled on the wall…

Source: Designamour

Moroccan arches aren’t the only way you can bring that style to your room. Check out the design used on this wall. It was done with a stencil from Royal Design Studio’s Moroccan line…

Source: Royal Design Studio

Over at Casa Sugar, they created this beautiful Moroccan inspired wall using a stencil…

Source: Casa Sugar

Bringing a bit of Moroccan design to your space can be done with small touches or broad strokes. It’s all up to you and what you want. I’m looking forward to showing you how to create this look so that you can have the Moroccan inspired room of your dreams. As they said in the “old days”, stay tuned for more!

Cheers to all,
Peggy

__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to our Feed Follow Peggy on Twitter Follow Peggy on Pinterest
Become a Fauxology Facebook Fan Subscribe to Fauxology YouTube

It’s always a pleasure to work on a room for a child.  To see their faces, their happiness as they walk in — it’s truly priceless.  I found a few inspired children’s rooms that I thought to share today…

 Love this – so unique and fresh! Via Minakani Walls

 Contemporary and colorful. The mural helps tie it all in together. Beautiful design by David Scott Interiors.

 So darn cute – there’s really no other way to say it.  Loving those dots on the ceiling! Via Haciendo el Indio.

Really unexpected – it’s as if you’re staring at the beauty of space. Via Attic magazine. The pristine gloss is a nice touch, too.

Seriously. I only WISH I’d had this as a kid. I would have always been bad, if only to be banished to this room!  Do check out more cool pics of this space via Kidtropolis.

This was featured in Elle Decoration South Africa. The plus? They give you a free download of the poodle stencil.

BTW, how cute is this idea?  I see you nodding!  Here’s the How-to via Country Living.

Tell me, have you worked on an inspired child’s room lately?  Would love to hear about it.  Have a fun, playful day!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to our Feed     Follow us on Twitter     Follow us on Pinterest       Become a Fauxology Facebook Fan          Subscribe to Fauxology YouTube