TheDesignFile

Etsy pick: Delicate accessories for tabletops

"Small things mean a lot," the amazing interior designer Barbara Barry said in a Washington Post article last week by Jura Koncius.

I was thinking of that when I chose this week's Etsy pick: RouDesigns.

This shop -- a mother-daughter collaboration between Rouska & Roussina Valkova -- offers a small selection of beautiful porcelain pieces, including some sweet salt & pepper shakers and perfect little vases.

The shop is located in New York and Rouska & Roussina work in a studio in Long Island City, just 10 minutes to midtown Manhattan. They welcome any orders for custom designed objects.

I love how these gorgeous small pieces would look in formal, casual or modern decors. They are so stunning and truly affordable!

Above you'll see four of my favorites from the Etsy shop.

From left to right, top to bottom: Salt & Pepper shakers, $22 a pair; Salt, Pepper & Spice Shakers, $18 a pair; Set of 3 Mini Porcelain Vases, $30; Table Top Porcelain Bowl, $20.

You can see more of their designs at www.roudesigns.com.

Get custom bedding made just the way you want it

I've been on a little bit of a design-your-own kick on the blog lately and so I was glad that a reader pointed out that Inmod has a cool and fairly affordable site for creating custom bedding and pillows.

I went straight to the bedding section and had a great time trying to put together some cool bedding options.

I have to tell you, though, there's a reason that people get paid lots of money (at least I assume it's lots of money) to design this stuff for us. It's not always easy to get the color combinations right!

What is simple, however, is Inmod's web interface (see above). It lets you easily pick the designs you want to play with, choose the fabric you want for your duvet cover and then pick the colors of the fabric and the design. It even shows you what the duvet cover will look like on a bed (see at left).

The above duvet cover in a queen size would cost $396.

But you can design options that are more and less expensive than that. And there are so many options that you can truly come up with something original.

The king-sized duvet cover at right would cost just $155. And you can add shams and an accent pillow to your order as well.

You can also make your own pillows at Inmod and they can be very affordable, especially compared to the much pricier design-your-own options I showed you from Jonathan Adler.

This 18-inch square pillow would cost just $40, no more than you'd pay for a pre-designed pillow in a store.

So go to the site, have some fun and see what you can design!

See my guest posts at Lipstick to Crayons

I'm so delighted to now be posting about interior design at the fantastic Lipstick to Crayons blog, which is written to help women remain hip and stylish while juggling the many balls that all Moms must keep in the air.

The blog is published by my friend Michelle Cox, a writer based in a St. Louis suburb. Years ago (I won't say how many!) we worked together at the same newspaper in South Carolina.

Michelle does product reviews, conducts giveaways and writes about family issues. 

I'm posting on Tuesday mornings. Today, you can see one of my favorite DIY projects, complements of the great Craftynest blog.

Sometimes you'll see me post new or different content at Lipstick to Crayons and sometimes it will be something I've covered here. But I invite you to go over to Lipstick to Crayons and check out my posts as well as Michelle's great content.

Celebrity event planner David Stark lends West Elm's holiday collection a natural touch

It may seem a little early to be thinking about the holidays, but I couldn't wait to pass on this sneak peek of the new David Stark for West Elm collection (see above). Stark -- a New York-based party planner and event producer -- has designed a rustic yet sophisticated collection to spice up your home for the holidays.

"We love its fresh natural modern aesthetic, eco aspect, versatility and unbelievable pricing, as the majority of the collection falls under $25," the folks at West Elm told me. "Striking impact for minimal investment."

You can see a number of the individual pieces of the collection above and incorporated into a room setting at left.

The David Stark Natural Weave Collection includes (at left and above) star ornaments, star stems and Lupis twin trees.

The ornaments are $12 for a set of three, the star stems are $6 for 3 and the trees are $24 for the two-footer and $99 for the six-footer.

You can also see the David Stark gold flower candle lanterns -- $12 for the small and $34 for the large.

Also in the photo at left is West Elm's new Tulip Leather Chair in honey for $699.

In addition, in the photo at top, you can see David Stark gold and natural pine cones for $14 and the David Stark silver collection, including bullion balls for $22 and bullion ball ornaments, $24 for a set of nine.

We'll explore the rest of West Elm's holiday collection later this week. It's gorgeous so don't miss it. At right, you'll see a little peek of what you'll see.

Need help arranging furniture? Try this easy tool.

One of the toughest things about putting together a totally new room design is figuring out what furniture will fit and how to arrange it. Over the years, I've tried some of the web sites meant to help with this task, but I often get frustrated and end up drawing my room out on paper.

So I was a little skeptical when I received an email about the room planner at National Art Interiors + Design, a Raleigh, N.C. furniture and design firm that recently revamped its website. Still, I checked it out.

I was truly impressed. The room designer is easy and fun to use with a variety of furniture icons that can all be customized to the size you need. You can see a screen shot of the web interface above.

A taste of the mid-century look on a budget

I can almost always find inspirational photos and ideas at the Better Homes and Gardens web site, which is chock full of great slide shows on all kinds of home decor topics.

Just last week, BHG posted a new slide show demonstrating "Mid Century Mod on a Budget." It's not over-the-top vintage design but it's a realistic way to get that mid-century feeling by combining some do-it-yourself projects with some relatively inexpensive furnishings, much it from IKEA.

Check out the photo at right. It's an example of the color-block wall treatment that BHG recommends and really sets off the vintage-feeling mobile. The fantastic glass table is a consignment shop find.

The photo above left shows wall art that was found in a trash heap. "An acrylic frame elevates this trash to treasure," BHG says.

Check out the rest of the photos - which were taken by Linda Hallam - here. There's lots to look at and plenty of great tips.

And thanks to the folks at Meredith Corp., publishers of BHG magazine and website, for giving me permission to post the photos at The Design File.

Sunday roundup: Three home tours & a fun DIY

The beautiful Velvet & Linen blog has posted amazing photos (see some above) of a California home created by architect Steve Giannetti and builder Paul Morrow. Giannetti is married to the blog author, Brooke Giannetti, who is also a designer and helped stage the cool art studio/pool house, shown in the middle photo above.

The main home was staged by Meridith Baer, who did an amazing job on a huge house! It has six bedrooms and 8-1/2 baths. Wow! There's also a pool, spa, and lush gardens.

You can see many more photos at the Velvet & Linen blog and get more info about the house here. Thanks to Brooke for giving me permission to post a few of the gorgeous photos here.

Other things to check out this week:

• The Home-Designing.com blog has great photos of a Mexico City "snail house" created by Mexican architect Javier Senosiain. This is a home you do not want to miss!
• The Style Files had a tour last week of an industrial loft in the Netherlands. It reminded me of my post earlier this week about using yellow in decor.
• The Lettered Cottage blog has instructions for a beautiful bench (see at right) made using a headboard. This is a great looking weekend project!

Showhouse 2010: The Booth Tarkington House

The St. Margaret's Hospital Guild in Indianapolis has chosen the Tudor-style Booth Tarkington House for its 2010 Decorators' Show House -- again!

The home at 4270 N. Meridiant St. was built in 1911 and the two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author bought the house in 1923 for $37,000. Tarkington lived in the home for the next 23 years until his death. The home was a Decorators' Show House back in 1985.

The Tarkington House will be open for a preview in late January. Then the redecorated spaces will be available April 24-May 9.

Read more about the selection and see a photo at IndyStar.com.

Here's a time line of the Tarkington House from from the Decorators' Show House website:

Spotlight: 'Cocoa Silver' - the new stainless steel?

Always a trendsetter in the design of small appliances, KitchenAid has unveiled its latest color, Cocoa Silver, a warm hue that will be available on its new Architect Series stand mixers, blenders, hand mixers and food processors.

"Our new Architect Series combines the high performance consumers have come to expect from KitchenAid with a new finish that complements our major appliance line of the same name," said Debbie O'Connor, senior manager of brand experience for KitchenAid. "Its rich, warm Cocoa Silver finish was created with input from design and color experts to also work with virtually any kitchen decor."

I think the color is a fantastic alternative to stainless steel, which can feel pretty cold, especially in large amounts. But this new shade incorporates just a touch of brown and a great matte finish that tones down the heavy metallic feeling.

Check out how the stainless steel bowl in the photo above right contrasts with the warm cocoa finish on the mixer.

I really think it will go with almost any kitchen decor, particularly the one I'm working on now! Thanks KitchenAid!

Don't miss the Broad Ripple home tour Saturday

Ten historic homes in the trendy Indianapolis area of Broad Ripple will be on display Saturday for the neighborhood's fifth annual tour.

The Broad Ripple Historic Home Tour is always a treat that showcases a variety of sizes and styles of homes and decorating. You don't want to miss it.

The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, and tickets are $10 in advance and $12 on the day of the tour. Advance tickets are available at select KeyBank branches, Marsh Supermarket Stores, and Hubbard & Cravens Coffee & Tea Company, as well as online.

Day-of-tour tickets may be purchased at five homes:

• 6106 Riverview Drive
• 44 Kessler Boulevard East Drive
• 6157 Park Avenue
• 6537 Carrollton Avenue
• 911 East 61st Street

Proceeds from the tour will benefit the Broad Ripple Village Association, which maintains several Broad Ripple gardens, medians and parks, as well as initiating Village cleanup efforts.

Here's a preview, complements of an Indianapolis Star photo tour of a home owned and decorated by Kelley Ross.

Ross Home Part of The Broad Ripple Home Tour - More The Indianapolis Star Galleries

View this gallery at The Indianapolis Star: Ross Home Part of The Broad Ripple Home Tour