Am I Blue?

So . . .  This week, a gazillion of my Twitter friends are heading to NYC to be in the audience of the Nate Berkus Show.  Why?  Well, because they are design bloggers, extraordinaire, and a couple of raving fans of Nate, the Moggit Girls, made this show happen.  There’s even a photo guide for everyone who’s attending. 

(Chanee Vijay, a Charlotte area blogger, created this page.  You can see the fun gal pals from Moggit Girls, Joy and Janet, along with my Twitter friend, Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo, a fab NYC blogger, recently in the process of refurbishing a country home in Connecticut.)

So why am I blue?  Well, if you peruse the photos, there’s one missing . . . .

Now don’t get me wrong.  While I would enjoy seeing the talented Nate Berkus, my demeanor is more about missing a meet-up with folks – and with whom I’ve shared tons of tweets, (even think of some as good friends), but some I’ve never met in real life.  I’m also very blessed to be busy with projects so I’m really thrilled my calendar isn’t overly empty.  It’s just a little bit like knowing there’s a great, school-night party and your parents are telling you to stay home to study for exams.  You know they’re right but it still leaves you in a bit of a funk.

In honor of this cool color, which gets such a bad rap in being often overused for describing a less than joyful outlook, I’ve decided to show it’s sunny side – and mine, too!

Something blue landing in your mailbox?  A handwritten note can chase the other kind away!

Ever heard of the bluebird of happiness?

You could certainly wash the blues away in this fab vintage bath featured on Decorology.

There’s just something plain fun about this not so plain blue milkglass plate!

Have a cup of warm tea in a lovely vintage set from my friend, Juliane, of Norbridge Antiques.  (Another Twitter friend I’ve not met, in person, but feel as if we’ve been close chums for a long time!)

Of course, something sweet always goes a long way in raising the endorphins. . . if not also ones blood sugar level!

Have a fabulous time, all of my blogging buds!

Be sure to tell  I said “hello”!

All my best! ~ Wanda

It’s Nate Day! - And The Moggit Girls Are Rocking It!

Unless you’ve never seen the Oprah show, or you’ve been sent to a secluded desert location, you’ve probably seen this guy – Nate Berkus.  Nate has done over 127 makeovers, during his stint on Oprah, transforming spaces with his enthusiasm for a life, well-lived.  You can tell it’s not just about the design work, it’s about creating something deeper for the recipient of his talents.

Did you know, on September 13th, his own show will be debuted on NBC?  That’s right!  As in many of the talented folks, on the Oprah, folks wanted to see more of him and the buzz has been building, in anticipation.  In fact, that’s where the rest of this story comes into play.

Joy and Janet, of The Moggit Girls, some witty, talented writers, in the world of design blogs, (Moggit Blog), decided it would be a fabulous event if they could fill the audience with decor bloggers, for the first show.  The rest they say, is “totally viral”, with tweets and blogging spreading the world like social media wildfire.  My Twitter friend, Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo, of ABCD Design, has written a great blog post with some of the best information.  You can read it, here.

There has been a list, dedicated to all of us blog-chatty peeps, and you can check it out on #NateDay Bloggers.  Keep peeking back as Joy and Janet are expanding the list.  I can’t wait to read each one.  It’s so much more entertaining than tuning into television . . . unless, of course, it’s the Nate Berkus Show!

Happy Nate Day!

Shouldn’t you experience the best about design?  Wanda

Design Crush: Nate Berkus

Ok, it might be more than just a design crush. Oh, Nate, why do you have to bat for the other team? I think we would get along brilliantly. Your neat. I am neat. You love design. I love design. I can just see us spending weekends perusing flea markets hand in hand in our preppy outfits...come on boo! Well it seems that I am not the only one taken with this handsome designer, Oprah has hand selected Nate to be her go-to decorator and rightfully so. He tastefully blends classic pieces with warm textures in a very sophisticated yet tangible way. Here, see for yourself...

For more on Nate check out his website here.

He also has a new line available on the Home Shopping Network where you can bring home a smidgen of his classic style on the cheap.

Here are a few of my favorite things...

Headboards

I am loving that anything goes in upholstered headboards these days! You can get as custom as you want with the shapes, fabrics and decorative details. What a great way to break up a room full of straight angles and all wood furniture. Hallelujah!

Try a Custom Shape...

Or a Bold Pattern...

Or with Nailheads...

Try Adding Tufting...

Or Try Thinking "Outside the Box"....

~Images: 1) Nate Berkus 2) House Beautiful Oct 2009 Designer Alessandra Branca 3) Everything Leb 4) Domino May 2006 5) Celerie Kemble 6) Tom Scheerer 7) Elle Decor 8) Southern Accents July/Aug 2007 9) Unknown 10) Unknown 11) Lee Kleinhelter 12) Tom Scheerer 13) Unknown

The Art of a Tableau

Select one or two types of items then vary the size

of those items to add interest

Use like items to flank either side of your tableau

to create a sense of balance

Vary items in height, shape and texture

to create a sense of movement

Select a color scheme for your tabletop accessories

Create a grouping of like objects but add a "pop" of

another texture or color to keep it interesting

The final stage of decorating is accessorizing which, in my opinion, is the moment when a space comes alive! While adding on this last layer, it can be difficult to arrange items in a pleasing manner without looking cluttered or haphazard. Design professionals like Kelly Wearstler make this process look effortless. She has the ability to arrange a random assortment of accessories creating a cohesive and dynamic tabletop tableau. A tableau is defined as "a striking or artistic grouping" according to Merriam-Webster dictionary. Here are some attractive tabletop tableau's to inspire you as well as some helpful tips to ensure a harmonious design.

~Images: 1) Unknown 2) Nate Berkus 3 and 4) Kelly Wearstler 5) Tom Scheerer