BH&G Establishing a Palette for the Innovation House From BHG Guest Blogger

Today's Inspiration comes from Better Homes and Garden's Style Spotters BHG Guest Blogger.

Hi BHG readers!  My name is Lauren Liess and I’m a decorator from Northern Virginia with a blog called Pure Style Home.  I couldn’t have been more thrilled when the BHG team called and asked me if I’d like to decorate the 2015 BHG Innovation Home!  (The big reveal will be shared in this October’s issue of the magazine.)  My firm began the decorating plans this past Winter and I’m so excited to walk you through our thought process, step-by-step, as we get closer to the big reveal in October!

 

When I began the decorating plans for the BHG Innovation Home, I decided to start with an overall palette for the house that could be carried throughout.  Developing a general palette for a home aids in creating flow and consistency so that walking from one room to the next makes sense and feels authentic.  To keep things interesting, I like to vary up accent colors, rather than shocking visitors with a new palette in every room.

 

We know that BHG readers love color, and I, myself, am nature-obsessed, so I was hoping to relate the color palette of the home to the breathtaking Wisconsin land just outside its door- the big wide open blue skies and fields of green and gold.  A favorite chintz pillow of mine had just the right combination of colors- blues, greens, gold/mustard and earth tones – so I used it as a launching point for the palette and then added in some purer blues and fresh accents to cheer it up a little.

{My starting point chintz for the color palette…  The fabric isn’t actually used anywhere in the house.}

 

Texture also played a key role in establishing our palette as I wanted to make sure that there was a sense of nature woven throughout the home.  We included a mix of natural textures and materials- woven grasses, textural wallcoverings, nubby linens, and various wood tones that are both warm and coo- and these earthier elements help ground the color scheme, giving it depth and keeping it from feeling too “sweet.”

 

Once I’d established a palette, we moved onto determining the style and vibe of the house, which I’ll share next time.  I hope you enjoyed this peek into the design process!

 

{A look at some of the color, textiles & textures we’re incorporating throughout the home}

 

 

 

 

UHeart Organizing: Ice Ice Baby - Getting Organized with Ice Cube Trays From noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jones)

Today's Inspiration comes from guest blogger noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jones) Be sure to check out their blog! As an organizing fanatic, there is nothing better than finding a product that can do double duty.  But what if you found a product with at least 25 helpful uses?  Can you imagine the crazy excited cartwheels that would take place?  Serena, the genius behind Pretty Fluffy blog, has been having a recent love affair with ice cube trays.  You may be wondering why... Or how ice cube trays can really be all that amazing?

Well, no need to question it any longer.  Serena is here to share 25 ways ice cube trays can help you all around the home.  Let's give her a nice and warm welcome!

My love affair with ice cube trays is a new one. While I’ve always used them for ice (duh!) it’s only recently since making baby food for my daughter, that I have jumped deep into the world of ice cube trays and discovered there’s really nothing they can’t do.

Over the last 6 months I have frozen so much you can call me Elsa. I’ve tried all sorts of ice cube trays and found the best ones, and trialed everything from freezing baby food to cocktails. I’ve cleaned out my freezer and now that baby is my pride and joy filled with all my frozen goodies.

I’ve discovered these handy little trays really are a go-to tool for any organized household. They save you money by preventing wastage, they save you time by helping you prepare ahead, and they save you space by neatly stacking away oh so easily.

I hope by the end of this post, you’ll love them as much as me!

ICE CUBE TRAYS – MY FAVORITES

While any old ice cube tray will do, the ice cube trays below have become my secret freezing weapons. There is literally a tray for every purpose…

For: Style Savvy At Home Chefs
Choose: Tovolo Perfect Cube Ice Trays 

I love these trays as they produce perfectly square cubes – each equal to 1oz. So if you love cooking at home, or just want to make meal and snack times easy as possible while looking fabulous at the same time, these trays are for you. The BPA-Free silicon design makes it easy to set and freeze, with your cubes sliding out perfectly each time. Dishwasher safe, I love that they come in a range of cute colors too!


For: Time-Poor Peeps
Choose: Qubies 

Whether you’re a busy executive preparing your morning smoothie, or a new mum like me cooking baby food – you want the job done fast, but don’t want to sacrifice quality. With Qubies upside down ice cube trays, there’s no fuss spooning your mixtures into individual squares. You simply pour into the one tray, pop on the molded silicon lid with dividers and you’re done. Qubies are BPA, phthalate & PVC free, dishwasher safe and their slimline design means they will fit anywhere in your freezer. I don’t have a deep freeze – just a freezer door on my fridge, so these are a godsend when I’m cramming everything in there.

For: The Ultimate Entertainers
Choose: Sunny Life Ice Cube Trays

Sunny Life makes ice cubes fun! Their trays come in a variety of designs (think pineapple, flamingo and seahorse shapes) and vibrant colors. Made from 100% silicone they are dishwasher and freezer safe. Whether you’re making fruity snacks for a kid’s birthday party or cocktails for a summer soiree, these trays will put the fun in freezing. When I use mine they totally have me thinking I’m in the movie Cocktail with Tom Cruise.


25 WAYS TO USE ICE CUBE TRAYS

Here are my favorite ways right now I’ve been using ice cube trays…

For Pets

1. Make your own Pup-sicles! Possibly the easiest way to make dog treats is to freeze them. You can grab my very own Frozen Dog Treats Recipes here.
2. Kong Stuffers for playtime. Grab your Kong or Treat Ball and stuff it with cubes of your favorite frozen treat flavors. Your dog will love this tasty puzzle and it will keep them entertained for hours.
3. Superfood Snacks. Puree and freeze healthy superfoods for dogs – such as carrot, kale, and sweet potato – then warm and add to your pup’s dinner for a healthy and tasty boost.
4. Two-Ingredient Dog Biscuits. The easiest dog biscuits ever made! Simply mix around 4 thawed treat cubes (this works best with ingredients such as pumpkin, apple or sweet potato) with 2 cups of whole wheat flour and you’ve got yourself an instant cookie dough!

For Babies & Young Children

1. Freeze breast milk in smaller portions. That stuff is like GOLD, so this way you can defrost in smaller batches meaning less goes to waste. (Just always ensure your trays are fully sterilized and you defrost the milk safely for your child according to regulations).
2. Freeze Baby Food. A lifesaver to parents, simply whip up a whole batch of purees one weekend and, once frozen, pop into Ziploc bags. There you have it – fresh, healthy baby food done! (PS. For some fabulous baby food recipes check out Baby Foode)
3. Paint Pops! Pour non-toxic children’s paint into trays and freeze with a paddle pop stick in the middle. Once frozen, pop them out and let your kids create a work of art as the paint melts.
4. Toddler Bento Box. I saw this one on Pinterest and can’t love it enough. A great one for picky eaters, just fill each cube with fresh finger food snacks and let your toddler graze away.

For the Home

1. For craft lovers, use trays to organize your bits and bobs associated with your crafting and sewing.
2. A regular ice cube tray is also the perfect size for round eye shadow palettes and lip-glosses. Simply stack them in order of color and clean up that makeup drawer in the process.
3. And because Jen is always one step ahead of the organization game, I cannot forget to mention her fabulous tip for using ice cube trays to store jewelry – love it!
4. Homemade Bath Bombs. These are great for you and for gifts. I love this tutorial by Martha Stewart, and your ice cube tray is the perfect way to make them without needing a fancy pants mold.

For Meals & Leftovers

1. Leftover herbs. I don’t know about you but I hate throwing away perfectly good herbs because I won’t be cooking with them again that week. This way you don’t have to. Simply fill your ice tray cubes about half way with your herbs and then top them up with olive oil or stock. Once frozen pop your cubes Ziploc bags for storage. Then the next time you need that herb simply grab a cube.
2. Leftover stock. Don’t let it go to waste – grab those ice cube trays and freeze away!
3. Leftover yoghurt and buttermilk. Don’t throw it out or left it go past it’s used by date. Freeze it for future use in desserts and smoothies.
4. Leftover wine. In some houses there is NO such thing as leftover wine ha ha! But, if your recipe called for half a cup and you have the rest of the bottle left, freeze it into portions for the next time you’re cooking.
5. Freeze onion and garlic in vegetable stock for quick bursts of flavor to add to meals.
6. Home made tomato sauce and pesto. Make up a big batch all in one go and then thaw as needed.

For Drinks, Snacks & Sweets

1. Smoothie ingredients. If you love smoothies, your ice cube tray will become your new best friend. Use it to freeze leftover berries, greens, coconut milk…you name it, save it and freeze it for next time. If you want to get really organized, freeze your smoothie ingredients ahead of time and pop into labeled Ziploc bags. Then each morning there’s no prep required, just grab your frozen smoothie cubes and pop into the blender. As someone who loves a sleep in, I promise you this gives you an extra 15 minutes with your pillow!
2. Flavored Ice Cubes. These cubes turn a plain glass of water into a party in your mouth! Ideas include – frozen coffee/tea to make iced coffee and tea, frozen lemon slices for a tangy treat, fresh mint cubes, and even edible flowers in an ice cube! These cubes are also great for adding to pitchers of water when entertaining as a tasty and visual treat.
3. Homemade Jello – This one’s great for portion control (just set in the fridge as normal, don’t freeze) and you have ready-made jello cubes in bite sized pieces (no more eating half the bowl in one sitting).
4. Homemade Cheesecake & Chocolate. If you’re like me, and one slice of cheesecake turns into eating the whole thing, freezing sweets into cube portions is the way to go so you don’t over do it. I love this recipe for an after dinner snack.
5. Fresh Berries & Yoghurt/Coconut Cream. Pop your berries in the tray and top with fresh yoghurt/coconut cream. For a healthy summer day snack, this is a great alternative to store bought ice cream.
6. Hot Chocolate Cubes. So many ice cube tray ideas are for summer, but this one is a winter warmer. Make your own hot chocolate on a stick by simply pouring milk chocolate into your ice cube tray with a paddle pop stick in the center. Let harden in the fridge and then remove as needed to stir into hot milk to make a tasty hot treat.
7. Cocktails. Saving the best for last! Puree your favorite fruits (think yummy flavors like watermelon, strawberries, and kiwi) and freeze in cubes. Then just add to your favorite liquor – either blending them all together, or serving straight poured over the cubes. 

FREEZER ORGANIZATION

Now that I have all of these fabulous way to use ice cube trays, the last step was to make sure my freezer didn’t become a hot mess of trays and bags. Enter a simple filing system:

• I designed and printed out my own folder dividers (you could totally just use thick cardboard store bought ones though!) – to split my frozen goodies into sections (i.e. baby food, herbs, smoothies etc). I opted to color code them just to make it easy to see the entire freezer contents at a quick glance. I then simply covered my dividers with clear contact (so they are protected and can be wiped down).

• I then made sure my ice cubes were stacked neatly into the freezer bags one to two rows wide, so they are as slim line as possible. I labeled each bag just with a marker, however if you wanted to re-use them you could definitely use some colorful washi tape to label the contents and mark the frozen/use by date.

• Lastly, I simply filed each bag in the freezer side by side like they were documents in a filing cabinet, leaving not one ounce of space wasted. My freezer has an inbuilt drawer, but this could be replicated using a simple plastic bin for storage. I now can quickly scan my freezer contents without digging around and getting frozen hands!

Whew! Who could of thought one tray could do so much?
What are your favorite ways to use ice-cube trays in your home?




"I am Serena Faber Nelson, a television producer, writer and fluffy dog owner. Obsessed with home décor, fashion, lifestyle and dogs – I set about creating Pretty Fluffy as a go-to guide for the modern pet owner. Featuring a range of stylish products, celebrity pooches, DIY projects and handy hints, Pretty Fluffy is a daily stop for smiles and inspiration, giving readers the tools they need to enjoy full and happy lives with their furry friends. My greatest loves include fresh peonies, Dirty Dancing (Nobody puts Baby in a corner), Banoffe Pie, spending waaay too much time on Pinterest, and hugging random dogs at the park. I currently live in Sydney, Australia with my husband, Andy, and my 11 year old Border Collie, Soda. As a long time fan, I am super excited to be joining the IHeart Organizing Team!"

Before & After: An Awkward Corner Comes To Life + Pattern DIY By: Caitlin Kelch

About a month ago, Grace invited our team to share our spaces on Design*Sponge so our readers could get to know our team a bit better. While I was excited, the prospect of sharing my home made me kind of queasy. I thought of all the home décor faux pas I was probably guilty of, and the fact that my refrigerator is older than my nine-year-old daughter. Since I work on the business team at Design*Sponge, I am constantly asked by clients if my home is featured on the site. I always chuckle nervously and say that my home is “going through some transitions” and maybe some day it will be featured. I knew I needed help in the home department, so I decided to step out of my comfort zone and consult an expert — Grace Bonney.

Grace has always had a great eye for striking patterns and color, so I asked her to please, please help me save a sad little corner in my kitchen that was being bullied by my teenage fridge. We’d been looking at patterns from the 3M Scotch Blue and Patternbank collaboration and thought my awkward corner would benefit from a strong pattern that would make the space inviting to visit and would encourage productive use. Grace is pretty smart. I never would have thought of that solution!

We were both drawn to the Striking Linework pattern, so we decided to create our version with a cool blue to tame the golds and avocado greens in my 1970s linoleum floors. With such detailed linework in our pattern, it was important that the tape we used maintained a tight seal, was easy to remove and created sharp lines. We had both worked with Scotch Blue tape before so we were confident we had the right materials, and the tapes in different widths made our design much easier to execute. After only a few hours of easy DIY time and a half a roll of Scotch Blue painter’s tape, we transformed not only the corner space, but my entire kitchen.

Thanks to Grace for helping me tackle an eyesore with a bright, easy-to-do solution and to our sponsor, 3M+ Patternbank, for the amazing pattern inspiration! —Caitlin

Materials

• ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape Delicate Surfaces with Advanced Edge-Lock™ Paint Line Protector
• 2″ Trim Paint Brush
• Trim Paint Roller
• Trim Paint Tray
• Lightweight Knife (for thin strips)
• Metal Edge Ruler
• Interior Paint, Eggshell Finish

We used 3M’s helpful Guide to Taping to guide our project.

*This post is brought to you in collaboration with our sponsor, 3M. Thanks for supporting our sponsors that help us produce original content like this!

 

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1er4Cet From Caitlin Kelch

Heavily modified Pax with sliding doors under eaves By: edh

My parents were redoing the master bedroom in their house and wanted a new wardrobe.  They have a lot of space lost in the room under the eaves so I came up with a design for a highly modified Pax to fit under the eaves on a 3m long wall.  This is the gap to fill:

Materials:

4x 750mm x 580mm x 2.01m Pax frames

2x 2.36m x 1.5m Pax sliding door frames

3x Auli mirror 4 packs

6x Komplement drawers

4x Komplement clothes rails

750mm x 4 = 3m so 4 Pax cabinets would fit, having to be cut down to fit the sloped roof with the height at the front being around 1.8m.  Cutting down the material for the frames was mostly done with a circular saw over 2 days as each panel was different.  A lot of design had to be done so that the strength was kept at the top of the wardrobe.  The top panel was kept into three, a top section that the doors would run on, a diagonal section that would be on the 45 degree slope and a vertical piece on the back.  There was also a lot of trouble aligning everything as the floor, walls and sloping roof are not entirely planar, therefore each piece had to be modified a bit to suit so that the doors would correctly align.  Here are 4 frames assembled for a test fitting:

Yes, there are a few panel gaps in the picture but these were resolved with a bit of adjustment and caulk after the positioning was fixed.

The doors were a major undertaking.  We used 2 pairs of Pax sliding door frames but rather than use the 2.01m version, we used the 2.36m version.  The reason: 3 quarters of 2.36m is 1.77m which is the height required.  These Pax sliding doors now have 3 panels per door, not four!  To do this the aluminium extrusions of the verticals had to be cut down by 581mm.  I used a jigsaw to do this but a mitre saw would be more suitable if I had access to one.    Slots and holes had to be precisely cut into the vertical sections to enable the doors to be assembled in their new form.  The effect is surprisingly effective as the aluminium is quite easy to work with.  The edging strips used for the ends of the wardobes had to be cut down also to the correct length.

Here is the (almost) finished wardrobe with Auli mirrors:

The interior has 4 Komplement rails and a mixture of Komplement drawers in 3 of the frames.  The room is not yet finished yet (the wardrobe needed to go in before the carpet) so there are a few things to be finished off.

This was a really big job.  Not only did it cost around £900, was a challenging design (even with 2 civil engineers, a chemical engineer and a physicist building it – such imprecise units as centimetres and inches were banned, only millimetres were allowed!) and took 5 days to build between 4 people, totally around 100 hours work.  It does however perfectly fit the space available and works really well.  I would strongly suggest anyone else brave enough to give this a go!

The post Heavily modified Pax with sliding doors under eaves appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1JXk92o From edh

A Salute to India in Santa Barbara By: Garrett Fleming

The alarm goes off at 5 am, and it’s off to the races for David Kilpatrick and Leela Cyd. What follows is a few lit candles, three hours of solid work, breakfast and then a bike trip to their studio. As freelancers, their schedules are often vastly unpredictable. That being said, when it was time to move, they needed a relaxing space to come home to after long days of, “shooting, storyboarding, sourcing props, recipe-testing and editing.” The couple fell in love the second they laid eyes on this 1-bedroom in Santa Barbara, CA, but reality quickly set in for these two collectors. “We moved from a 4-bedroom Victorian in Portland, OR to this 600-square-foot cottage, so the amount of furniture, art, appliances, and art supplies had to be seriously culled down for this new pad. [I’m] not sure we’ll ever get it right or done, but we enjoy living here and are up for the challenge of a small space,” Leela says.

Having collected various accessories from vacations in and around India has given the couple a colorful and storied set of decorations to help their bright space come to life. “I love homes that reflect the travels, journey and story of the homeowners, so I’m happiest when our place just feels like us with all of our imperfections, artwork and travel ephemera keeping us company,” Leela says. Pair these incredible accessories with high windows and custom built-ins, and you’re left with a home that’s beautifully personal and with a “pop” that’s sure to brighten your day. Enjoy! —Garrett

Photography by Leela Cyd

 

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1TxM6AP From Garrett Fleming

Textile Connections: Aso-Oke Textiles By: Grace Bonney

One of my absolute favorite global textiles is a cloth called Aso-Oke (pronounced ah-SHAW-okay). Aso-Oke is a strip-woven cloth, woven by the Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria. These textiles are thought to date back to the 10th century A.D., pre introduction of Islam or Christianity.

Used for special occasions, Aso-Oke garments for men and women are traditionally worn for attending funerals, weddings, and royal ceremonies. A complete set consists of long robes, trousers, and hats for men and wrap-skirts, shawls, and head wraps for women.

Unfortunately, a lack of interest by younger generations (most of the current weavers are older), changes in trends and styles, and an influx of machine-woven cloth all threaten to move traditional Aso-Oke production towards extinction, a common issue with traditional textiles. So today I’m excited to share more about this beautiful, traditional cloth and how you can continue to support traditional weavers and newer designers using authentic fabric for their work. –Harper Poe

Click here to check out more of Harper’s columns on traditional fabric designs and production.

Photographs above by Kelly Merchant

Photograph by Tunde Owolabi, via Designindaba

Production:

-Traditionally, the threads are made using locally grown, handspun cotton and silk and dyed with natural dyes, including locally sourced Indigo. With the British colonists came chemical dyes and machine-made fabrics that changed the nature of Aso-Oke production for the worst. They did bring with them an interesting weaving technique with the intent on mimicking Spanish lace by leaving holes throughout the fabric. I personally love this addition to the weaving style, as well as the occasional shiny threads (gold and silver) that have been introduced.

-Aso-Oke for the most part is a warp-faced pattern, meaning the stripes in the cloth are made when setting the warp threads (those running out from the horizontal loom and up and down from the vertical loom) with brocading done using a supplementary weft.

-The fabric is traditionally woven by men on a horizontal loom in narrow strips or by women on a vertical loom. The narrow strips, 10-20cm wide, are sewn together to make the entire cloth.

Types:

-There are three types of traditional Aso-Oke cloth; Etu (blue and white), Alaari (crimson and white), and Sanyan (grayish/taupe, also the most expensive).

Use in Ceremony:

-Egungun are masked Yoruba tribesmen representing spirits of the ancestors. Their costumes vary but are commonly adorned with pieces of Aso-Oke, adding cloth to their costumes year after year. If you’ve ever
seen Nick Cave’s Soundsuits, they are very reminiscent of these types of African ceremonial costumes.

Where to find:

–D Bryant Archie Pillows

-Pillow: Oroboro Store

–Women Shops World (Etsy shop)

–Adire African Textiles

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1SrQ10L From Grace Bonney