the frugal decorator

yup, that's right, i have actually been frugal in the past when it comes to decorating our loft. i have never been into the whole matchy-matchy look to begin with, so decorating with a more eclectic flair is more up my alley than copying a page out of a pottery barn catalog. 


i wanted to share pictures directly from my loft so you can get an idea of what i've been up to since we moved in four and a half years ago.


if space is an issue with you, like it is with us, using your imagination can really help when decorating your home. storage solutions are key. to start, check out these perfect containers with magnets for spices which go directly onto your refrigerator. they're perfect and now it frees up an entire drawer where i once kept all of my spices.

each container costs $1–$2

below is a solution for this crazy little nook by our front door—it has always driven me crazy because of the wasted space that was there. so what better space saver than old style gym/school lockers. each little cubby houses many items such as winter scarves, gloves, hats, etc. and others are just filled with random items like replacement paper for the printer, envelopes, books, etc. it's a perfect solution for a perfect little space. it took me a year to find the perfect lockers on craigslist, so when i finally found them, i knew i had to have them. besides, my daughter loves to use the dry erase markers and color on them to decorate them as her own.

cost on craigslist - $60

this next frugal item is the cheapest by far—it was free! i found it in a dumpster. in our previous loft, we lived right next to a hair salon. i was looking out my window and remember seeing one of the employees dragging it out to the dumpster. as soon as they left, i immediately dragged my husband out and we carried it upstairs (begrudgingly, i might add). the top round circle is where the logo of the hair product line, TIGI, was located, so i immediately painted over it with some funky design and colors, and voila! instant bookshelf. 

cost - FREE

now, since we live in a loft, i thought it would only be appropriate to maintain that urban/raw feel throughout. i really wanted the decor to reflect this look, so when it came to buying a container for the dog food, i immediately gravitated towards this 'trash can' as a solution. it wasn't as cheap as i would have liked, but it was still a reasonable price and a much more attractive interpretation than some of those hideous plastic dog food containers.

cost from the container store - $35

i loved this look of the 'trash can' so much, that i decided to actually use a trash can for our trash can and our recycle bin (located outside on our patio). you can't beat the cost, and they're available at home depot.

 aluminum trash can as our regular garbage bin purchased 

from home depot cost - $12

larger version of this aluminum trash can purchased from home depot - cost $14

this next frugal decorating idea is a little more 'clean' than the previous items. 

re-used wine bottles for olive oil, red wine vinegar and basil flavored olive oil. not only do they add a lot of color to our countertops, but they're quite practical at the same time. i love having these within reach while i'm cooking (which isn't very often, unfortunately) and because they're not labeled, per se, i always know that the green bottle is for the basil flavored olive oil (get it, green for basil..), the yellow and orange bottles are for the plain olive oil and of course, the red bottle is for the red wine vinegar.

once you're finished drinking your wine, just peel off the labels and voila! a colorful useful bottle. pop in pour spouts (you can find these at any liquor store or home decorating store and they only cost $1–$2 at the most) and it's ready to pour. 

it's a perfect solution at an inexpensive price.

cost - $10+ for a bottle of wine 

(don't remember the name of the wine, but you can't miss them)

i know most of you have already seen my coveted gumball/candy machine, but i wanted to share it again because i feel it's completely appropriate for this segment of my blog. as you can see, this space at the end of our bar was boring and bland. once i added the gumball machine, it gave it new life. now it holds delicious m&m peanut butter candy so in addition to looking bright and colorful while mouthwatering at the same time, it's like a piggy bank as well!

you can find these all over eBay at a very low cost.

cost on eBay - $20 + S&H

my recent frugal addition—vintage billiard balls. don't ask me why, but i love the look of them. i love their color combinations and love how they really add so much life to a once boring coffee table. 

since i don't play pool, nor do we own a pool table, i figured it would be easy to just look on eBay for vintage billiard balls. i personally love the yellowing patina that the vintage look gives while displayed in a triangle. and in my glass bowl, there are two sets of mixed and matched billiard balls—one set is very vintage (as you can see from the pictures) and the other set is just an older mixed set of balls that were selling on eBay. 

before i put the balls in the glass bowl, i never really had any idea what to fill it with until i purchased the vintage balls and left them in a triangle on the table itself, and realized how cool it would be to fill the bowl with a plentiful amount of balls as well—both old and new.

i love the end result.

cost on eBay - vintage set in triangle $20 + S&H, 1 set in bowl - $15 + S&H and 

2nd set in bowl $5.50 + S&H, triangle cost on eBay $7.99 with free S&H

i don't know about you, but i hate having DVDs and games lying around in a mess in my home. since we have a small space, i always feel like having too much junk lying around makes it look even more cluttered. so for another space saving solution, i use these old galvanized bins to store blankets and the controllers and games for our Wii. they easily fit underneath our large glass coffee table, so again, another perfect space saving solution for our household.

cost at pottery barn teen - $30

 this bin, although not cheap in comparison, is the perfect size for games and controllers for our Wii, and easily tucks underneath our coffee table. 

i never knew what to do with this ice tub that i purchased several years ago, so i took it out of storage and now i use it to store our blankets for when we're watching TV or just lounging on the sofa. i have never been a fan of blanket throws over our sofa, so for us, this is perfect! like the bin for our Wii games and controllers, it easily tucks underneath our coffee table.

having the Wii balance board and the two bins underneath our glass coffee table is another resolution. it works for us and it works for the larger table and keeps things within reach, without cluttering up your living area at the same time.

last, but definitely not least is this commercial shelving unit that we use for our daughter's bedroom. since her bedroom is small, we wanted to create another space saving solution where she can put her dollhouse (bottom), her hamster cage, TV, and games and other toys easily within reach. naturally, it had to look cool, too!

cost from sam's club - $79

i hope this post can give you some excellent space saving and cost saving ideas for your home, and realize that you don't need to spend a lot of money for your home decor. just use your imagination and some research—like craigslist in your area and eBay, or local estate and garage sales. 

but most importantly, have fun while decorating. i love being on the hunt for these great finds as you never know what you'll find.

color in a beige world

i love color. i truly do. so it only seems appropriate for me to not just discuss how color makes us feel, but how it makes everything look and how it can brighten any room or decor!

i have always incorporated color into my home some way or another. and as i got older, i added more and more within my surroundings. it made me happy. it filled my world with bright, beautiful vibrant colors all around me. i have always believed that color can affect a person's mood or their overall personality when they're surrounded by it daily. color isn't just a visual mood, it's an emotional one, as well.

what we don't understand is, bright colors in the home aren't just for a childs room, but it can be ideal for the entire home as well. do you ever notice when you go into a home that is filled with beige walls and taupe upholstery, how it doesn't project the same feeling that it does when you walk into a colorful child's room? there's a reason for that. not just because there are toys strewn about, but because of the array of bright colors permeating throughout. it's a feeling that i cannot explain, but always like to convey visually.

you just know.

i admit, since i studied color theory in college, i am a bit biased on the subject, but i truly believe if everybody assimilated some splash of color into their home or office environment, not only would their frame of mind feel transformed, but their overall attitude would as well.

the use of color in your personal habitat can definitely bring a sense of sublime, and not just on an emotional level. as an artist, i have always been a firm believer in creating the type of surroundings that not only make you feel at home and at ease, but comfort.

which leaves me to ask—why don't the majority of people add more color to their interior environment? is it the fear that it could be too bold or a fear of being too overwhelming? or simply put, they don't know how? regardless of what the reasons are, give it a try—if not splashes of color here and there with maybe a colored vase, a colorful chair or ottoman, a small area rug—regardless of what you choose to add that little bit of bright to your life, color that you might not normally appreciate, can make a huge difference to your beige decor. even if white is your decorative hue of choice, adding a splash of color can brighten any room from afar.

so please, add some color into your life. you'll be happy you did.

pantone rubik's cube - color matching for nerds

fusion by wet water basin

it's all in the package

as a graphic designer, i am frequently approached about my taste and opinion on specific things in life—color scheme, layout, where should i hang that picture—the list can be endless. but one thing i am never asked is how do i choose a specific product for my home. i'm sure it's under the assumption like the rest of society, that how we choose our favorite product is strictly based on its use which is suitable to each individual's needs.

unfortunately, this is where i differ from the average consumer. i am a little more choosy when it comes to picking my everyday household products, such as shampoo, dishwashing liquid, toothpaste—the possibilities are infinite. how i look at this dilemma is simple—if it looks good out in the open, i'll buy it. regardless of what i choose, the packaging is a huge contributing factor to my ultimate decision. i will even go as far as paying more for a product, as long as the packaging is "cool" and has the right look in my home. to most, this is a foolhardy approach when purchasing an everyday product such as tampons, but for myself—the quintessential artist and designer—i am much more particular.

there are reasons why the product companies go to such lengths to hire expensive—sometimes aloof—advertising agencies to design their next cool package. because they are in search of the few picky consumers like myself, only to fall prey to their beautiful, modern packaging in hopes of owning such a “masterpiece.” considering within each store, there is an overabundance of products to choose from. how does one choose? what better way than with cool packaging to “jump out” at the consumer.

as we know, this is the ultimate goal of a particular product and its advertising affiliates. but the majority of consumers don't care about how the package looks, but simply, how it works. i would say that advertising execs would refer to me as their "ideal consumer." going shopping in search of that ‘perfect’ bottle or box. intoxicated by the superfluous of bright colors on the shelves, looking out at me, wishing i would pick it up, if only for a moment, to appreciate and enjoy.

i immediately place it into my shopping cart beaming as i am en route to the cashier. i have—albeit momentarily—fulfilled my goal.

at times, i admit that occasionally i will have to bend my rules and purchase a plain and simple bathroom cleaner or deodorant, perhaps something a bit more user-friendly, if only for practical purposes. i assure you, they will be hidden out of sight with the rest of the ‘packaging rejects’ to not take away from my bright, polychromatic loft.

pantone colored buttons

innisfree

method mop by target

lisa & chad wine bottles

student project: erica hill

six fruit drink

student project: erica hill

spectrum art supply line

mugo mp3 player

designed by aaron atchison of feed the beast

cravendale milk

french rabbit wine