EASY Ikea hacks!

Ikea hacks are aplenty, but so often they involve a lot of time, effort and amazing DIY prowess.  Here are my favorite totally doable Ikea hacks:

Painted wood table:

Dollhouse from Expedit cube:

Gold Vittsjo (only $70!):

 Painted cork trivets turned bulletin boards:

Brass base office chair:

 Spice racks as bookshelves:

Rast dresser ($40) makeover: 

Not a totally inexpensive face-lift, but definitely easy to apply are these Ikea Overlays.  They are designed for just about every piece of Ikea furniture & they have a bunch of different designs:

High and Low- Sputnik Chandeliers

Sputnik chandeliers are the most quintessentially mid-century light fixtures to exist.  The original Sputnik-style chandeliers were created by Gino Sarfatti in 1954 and since, an endless series of copy cats have been created.  

Original Sarfatti chandeliers can run upwards of $5,000 but even present day knockoffs like the Zuo Sapphire are pricey!  Here are my favorite Sputnik-inspired pendants for less than 300 bucks!

Zuo Sapphire $1163

Fine Mod Spark Chandelier $192
Supernova Mini Chandelier $198
Mixit Sputnik Chandelier $263

Showing off collections!

Collections often get tucked away- hidden in boxes in closets to be forgotten about- but when collections are displayed in a thoughtful way, they can transform into beautiful one-of-a-kind works of art!

Try hanging larger, three-dimensional items directly on the wall:

Smaller items, when framed, look more substantial.

Tiny items can be photographed and enlarged for a bigger impact.

Shadow boxes are great for displaying small three-dimensional items together.

But my favorite way to display collections in inside glass-top tables- what a conversation piece!  (and easy to change as the mood strikes you!)

Brass & Copper- For the home...

Brass has made a huge comeback in the home this year, but copper is edging its way in, too!  Here are 9 awesome budget-friendly looks to incorporate these metal into your home.  Each for under $70!

Magical Thinking Geode Pendant $69
Metal and Glass Table $59.99
Triple Tiered Pendant $49

Industrial Wall Mirror $29-$39
Brass and Glass Box $43
Boudoir Vanity Tray $19

Brass Egret $18.99
Copper Wall dots $21
Copper Cocktain Shaker $21

High and Low Nailhead Headboards

A fabric bed frame can help take your mattress from basic to beautiful, but they are costly.  A headboard is a great budget option to make your bed look more substantial.  The curved back headboard with nail button details is an elegant choice:

Delaney Headboard by Bernhardt at Neiman Marcus  $699-899 + $135-$210 delivery

But here are some great options for nail button headboards for those of us with shallow pockets:

Skyline Furniture Nail Button Upholstered Headboard seen as low as $206
Safavieh Connie Beige Full/ Queen Headboard $225.99
Grayson Linen Full/Queen Headboard with Nailheads $149

Best of Art Deco

Art Deco- a style made popular nearly 100 years ago- is defined by its bold geometric patterns.  Here are some modern interpretations of the art deco style for you & your home:

Vanity AccessoriesStarting at $6.90
Delilah Mail Slot And Backplate Antique Brass $68
fans Pattern Stencil $39.95

Deco Diamond pillow $26
The American Home Rug Company Beach Collection Shells 5' Rug $188
Oh Happy Day (Pintable) Art $4.86

Brass Ring Drawer Pull $8.54
Journals (set of three) $12.95
Deco Fan Earrings $16

Geodes!

Raw gems, crystals and geodes can be a bold (& pricey) accent for room or self.  Here are 9 affordable ways to go glam with geodes!

Agate Candle Holder $18.95
Agate bookend from West Elm $19 
Agate coasters by Richard Mishaan $49.95

Pyrite Stud Earrings $20
Geode Necklace by LittleThingsHappen $36
Crystal Earrings by MadebyMoe $26

Pink Rock print by RK// Design $22.88
Large crystal Poster by Debbie Carlos $50
Illustrated Gems Boxed Set $18

Accented in Leather!

One of the big fall trends this year is leather accents- here's some affordable ways to get on board with this trend for less!

Faux Leather Contrast Tee by Guess $34
Labworks Jacket with Faux Leather $39.99
Faux Leather Trim Top $19.80

Leather Tassel Necklace $30
Faux Leather Tuxedo Stripe Pants $19.99
Leather Hoof Track Earrings by permanentbaggage $12

Foldover Clutch with Metallic Trim by cindymars7 $37
Leatehr Bib Necklace/ Peter Pan Collar by SmArtAnna $42

Two-tone walls

Chair rails and wainscoting are a great way to add depth and interest to a room- but they can also come with a hefty expense if you aren't comfortable installing them yourself.  Two tone walls are a cool and interesting way to mimic this look for less.  Here are my favorites:

 Kids' room from: http://www.annilygreen.com/

Green & white guestroom by: http://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/

Narrow spaces from: http://www.rachelwhiting.co.uk/

Black and white nursery from: http://44kids.blogspot.com/

(Bonus: this is great for dirty little hands!)

Bright pink office from: http://pineconecamp.blogspot.com/

A Brooklyn brownstone from: http://www.designsponge.com/

Two tone wall in Dulux Teal from:http://direct.asda.com/Paint/AD050504,default,sc.html

Emily's Rochester Merrypad from: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

If you're ready to start painting but feeling a little nervous, here is great how-to guide from Nicole at Making it Lovely!

Or, for visual learners, here's Lindsay Ballard of Makely Home: 

High and Low- Industrial chairs

Industrial accents are everywhere these days. Here are three affordable alternatives to pricey metal chairs:

Marais A Side Chair $155/ea

Metal Cafe Chairs $99/2
Carlisle Chairs  $99/2
Padded Tabouret Chairs $219/4

The Marais A Side Chair is a great example of a beautiful (albeit, trendy), industrial-style chair.  It comes in nearly 30 different colors/ finishes and has an optional padded seat for an extra $35.  Assuming they'll be put to use in a dining room, you'll need at least four- that's $620!

It can be tough to fork over that kind of money on a popular trend- Get the look for less with these three alternatives, each for under $55 per chair!

Cool books for kiddos

Well, you have to go to a baby shower.. and you HAVE to bring a book ("library showers" are all the rage)... So the mom-to-be isn't swimming in copies of Pat the Bunny and Goodnight Moon, here are my picks for coolest books for the little ones:

Alexander Girard Color Board Book $16
Alexander Girard was a 20th century designerwho dabbled in textile design, graphic design, typography, illustration, furniture design, interior design, product design, and architecture.  This book features super cool vintage illustrations in vivid colors.
I Can Do it Myself by Stephen Krensky $5.85
Adorable board book about toddler independence.  I love the the retro-style, screen-printed illustrations and cute, rhyming text.  The others in this set are just as cute!
Never Mind Your Ps and Qs- Here's the Punk Alphabet  by Paul McNeil and Barry Divola $22
Each letter of the alphabet is brought to life by elements of punk rock, including bands, fashions, and style. My favorite line: "M is for mohawk, a silly hairdo. It has lots of points, but it has no point, too."(Warning: See the warning.  Though awesome, this book is not for everyone.)

Little Helpers by Green Start $8.99
This earth-friendly series is made from 98% post consumer recycled materials and printed with eco-friendly inks. This book is so sweet and encourages children to take care of their earth.
Paul Thurlby's Alphabet $12.98
A is for awesome. Graphic artist Paul Thurlby presents a stunning alphabet that helps to make the shape of each letter memorable.
Numbers by Orla Kiely $7.98
Orla Kiely is world-famous fashion designer.  In this set she uses iconic shapes and patterns to teach about colors, shapes, and numbers.  

Mama and Baby by Amy Pixton $4.45
Indestructibles are chew-proof, rip-proof, non-toxic and 100% washable.  A must-have for those annihilating toddler years.
Babylit Set $49 (or around $8/ea on Amazon)
Introduces classic literature to little ones.  Included: Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice, Romeo & Juliet, etc. Simple stories, bright colors, bold illustrations.
Faces by David Goodman $13.96
Each page of this book shows different and creative ways of making faces: printing, collage, sculpture, etc. Plus, new details are revealed by lifting flaps, looking through holes, or turning the book upside down.

Tassels!

Tassels made it big this spring, and they aren't going anywhere just yet... Here are some of my favorite tasseled goodies in bright colors to help you jump start fall on a bright note!

Tassel necklace $32
Yarn garland $15
Magical Thinking Tassel Sham - Set Of 2 $44

Sonny by DV $51.99

Turkish bath towel $24

Skinnydip phone charm  $8

Velvet pillow $25

Green hammock chair $43

Cute Loafers for under $100

Loafers have been the go-to shoe for the past few seasons, and with all the styles and colors available now there's sure to be one for you!  Here are my favorites for fall- under $100!

Lerato by Naturalizer $85
Got Heart Loafer by Jeffrey Campbell $99
Metallic Loafers $49.95
Lavalu by Nine West  $79
Janae Loafer $59.95
Langely by DV $70.99
Lydia Cutout Loafers $98

Affordable Large-Scale Art

Large-scale art can make a huge impact in rooms, but it also usually has a huge impact on your wallet.  With halftone printing, black and white imagery has a cool, graphic effect and has made large-scale prints easily affordable. 

Here is a roundup of affordable poster art for grown-up homes.

Moon Diamond $50

Roses Poster by Debbie Carlos $60
California Collection Print 7 by Kelly Lynn Jones $40
Moon by Caitlin Keegan $40

Perfect Twist Color Print by Debbie Carlos $125

Fairy Dust $125

Tulum by Max Wanger $125

Gentle - Cassia Fistula by What I see When I Run $150

High and Low- Bar Carts

Bar carts can be great multi-purpose accent piece; they're not just good for drinks, but books, plants, or even side tables in a bedroom or living room.

Vitale Bar Cart at Macy's
Threshold Bar Cart at Target

The Macy's bar cart, with glass shelves and a taller frame (34" compared to 19"), is nice, but hardly worth the extra $370!

Bold B&W Throw Pillows

Go bold with these black and white throw pillows- all for under $25!

Atmosphere Pillow by Terry Fan $20
Jacquard-weave Cushion Cover by H&M $14.95
Scalloped Cushion Cover by H&M $24.95

Cat Cushion Cover by H&M $9.95
Scene Weaver Pom-Pon Pillow $20
Ikat Throw $20

Birch Woods by Budi Satria Kwan $20
Black & White Triangles by Her Art $20

High and Low- Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Reproduction mid-century modern sofas can often be just as expensive as their vintage counterparts! This DWR sofa with tax and shipping is over $3,800!  Here are some great alternatives to this clean, modern couch:

Bantam 73" Sofa from Design Within Reach  $2,180.00 - $3,900.00 depending on fabric choice

Clare 82” Fabric Sofa from Macy’s $599-$899 depending on sale prices that run year-long

Down Wrapped Bowie Sofa with Down Cushions from Overstock $1,299

Night and Day Convertible Sofa from Urban Outfitters $649.00

The Clare Sofa from Macy's is a great alternative! It's currently on sale for $599, or $798 if you want custom colors.  I'm told that these sale prices run 51 weeks out of the year (they take 1 week off so it can still technically be considered a "sale"), so don't think these prices are going anywhere anytime soon. 

Plus, for under $200 ($159 or $189, respectively) you can get a 7 year fabric and structural protection plan through Macy's.  They provide a furniture care kit to help remove stains, in-home repair if the kit doesn't work, and furniture replacement if repair is unsuccessful.  Plus, if you never use the service in 7 years, you get your money back via credit towards your next furniture purchase!  Amazing!

My review: I've had the Clare Sofa for over 5 years and it's held up amazingly! I've only needed the stain repair kit once (most stains come out with water- the fabric is awesome), the cushions are still full, and the fabric has only pilled a bit on one arm rest.  

Sweaters for fall- Under $50

New weather means new clothes- so here are some of my favorite sweaters for the changing seasons.
All these great fall finds are under $50!

Peter Pan Collar Tee by LOFT $29.50

Mixed Stripe Sweater  by LOFT $29.70

Pullover by Philip Lim for Target $34.99

Sparkle Sweater Philip Lim for Target $39.99

Eversoft Dot Pullover $44.95
Windowpane Pullover $44.95