Snaps for StyleMutt!

Hi friends! I had another post scheduled for today, (a fabulous Reader Design for our Spaces section which I'll share tomorrow), but thought I'd interrupt our regularly scheduled program just to say THANK YOU! Yesterday was a gift for Cate and me. Within the same hour, Apartment Therapy shared a fabulous makeover by Cate, and Design Sponge, (Grace Bonney has been my design hero for years), shared my stenciled bedroom wall on her Instagram.

Here are the two StyleMutt projects as they were featured, (click on the photos to go right to the source)

These back-to-back features have just overwhelmed us with encouragement. The countless comments, emails, and new friends here to StyleMutt mean so much to us. Just last fall Cate and I invited our old Chelsea's Garage buddies, (the blog we previously posted under), to join us on a new adventure called StyleMutt. Now, 5 months later we feel confident that the Lord is driving this ride that we're on and we are absolutely having a ball. No matter how long you've been with us, we are so grateful for you. Your support means so much.

Whether you're a new friend or an old pal, we invite you to check out our new About page. It explains who we are, what we do and why we do. And when we're not doin', we're usually sipping wine and cracking each other up! We hope you'll continue to join us here at StyleMutt; we sure love your company and this inspiring community! You guys knock our socks off!

Thank you all so much for stopping by! Be sure to check back tomorrow for a Reader Design you won't want to miss!


Easy + Inexpensive Home Upgrades

Hi Friends! I don't know about you, but I tend to start piddling around our house looking for SOMETHING to do by mid- January. When the excitement of the holidays is behind us and life moves back into regularity, I start getting a little itch to do something creative. And when my furniture pieces are so cold that a single brush of paint frosts over before my eyes, I'm limited to the indoors.

If you're looking to do a few creative home improvements over the long winter months, we're here to help you get inspired! The following ideas are simply meant to be jumping-off points to get your wheels spinning. 

Let's have some fun!

1. Wall Decals - Here's a trend that I am revving to jump on! Wall decals are such a whimsical way to complete a room, and the best part is, there are so many beautiful choices! You can create an entire statement wall with decals, or a specific focal point. These choices are a great mix of fun and sophisticated:

Sources from Left to Right: Raindrop Flower, Seagull Wall, Triangle Wall

2. Hardware - One of my personal favorite ways to switch things up is a simple hardware upgrade! The options are endless so your bound to find a style that's right for you, (and your piece of furniture)! Here are three favorites floating around right this minute:

TO BUY

Sources, Left to Right: Gold Tone Mushroom Knob, Netherbury Knob, Antique Tear Drop Knob, Rustic Cabinet Pull

TO DIY

If you have a retired belt, (or you can find one for a few bucks at a thrift store), then you can cut it up and make leather pulls! On the piece blow, I made tab pulls by folding 6" pieces in half and sticking my screw through the top, as well as full length handles by sticking a screw through each end, with the middle bowing out a bit.

 

3. Sofa Cushions - By far the most popularly switched out item in the home, sofa cushions are a zero effort option that offers dramatic results. Fabrics and patterns can be mixed and matched any which way you please, so if you can make the tough decisions, it's a great way to give a room a noticeable face-lift! It was hard to narrow my favorites down, but the companies below are my personal, tried and true favorites for price, style and quality.

TO BUY

Sources from Left to Right: Stocholm Pillow, Striped Aztec Pillow, Velvet/Linen Pillow 

TO DIY

Using leather cord and a white cover, stitch just the ends of the cord placed in a criss-cross pattern.

4. Gallery Walls - This completely DIY option can be as clean and simple or as random and haphazard as you'd like! There are really no rules when it comes to gallery walls, but it's highly recommended to lay your pieces out on the floor first so you can play around with placement and design. Use personal photos, pages from books you own, or downloadable prints you find online! Here are a few gallery walls we've designed here at StyleMutt:

Sources, (complete with how-to tutorials), from Left to Right: Botanical Prints, Downloaded Prints, Sentimental Wall in White

There you have it! A few good indoor-weather projects to get you through the Winter! Is there anything you hope to work on this Winter or any other ideas you can add? We'd love to hear what you're up to!

Thank you all for stopping by!