TheDesignFile

Stephen Saint-Onge offers family style in new book

If you’re like me and have watched lots of design television over the years, you’re no doubt familiar with Stephen Saint-Onge.

Now, you can bring Stephen’s style home with you – and try it out in your own spaces.

Stephen’s book - NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Tips and Techniques for Real Family-Friendly Home Design - is now available in paperback for $19.99.

“Unlike other decorating books on the market, this book features stylish and practical projects and ideas that are accessible and attainable for everyday homeowners looking to make their homes live better,” says the book’s publisher, Wiley Publishing. “Being a father, husband, and homeowner himself, Stephen understands the needs of families and designs spaces that are practical and budget-conscious as well as beautiful.”

Stephen’s aesthetic combines traditional American style with modern comforts and convenience. His book walks readers through his personal process for finding design inspiration in unconventional places and building a personal “Look Book” that helps readers define their own aesthetic.

Must-Have #s 2 & 3: Books and a bookcase

Today I’m combining two of the items in our our month long Home Must-Have series into one post.

Number 2 on our list is a study bookcase. Number 3 is interesting books (like the ones
at right I found during a recent home tour).

Neither of these should be any surprise (although I admit that our home is lacking a great bookcase and has maybe too many interesting books).

Bookcases, of course, are great not just for storing books, but for storing almost everything: Dishes, office supplies and collectibles. They make great room dividers. See the one below, which was featured in HGTV’s Design Star this past season.

You can use a good bookcase in a living room, bedroom, dining room or even a bathroom or kitchen. We’ve got an IKEA Billy bookcase with doors in our kitchen that we’re using as a pantry.

You can use a bookcase as a bar and fill the shelves with liquor bottles, glassware and wine. It could be a storage space for towels and toiletries. And, of course, you can line them up in a room to create a library.

In the small shotgun house at right (featured at Cottage Living and MyHomeIdeas.com), built-in bookcases are used wherever they fit to make the most of a small space.

Of course, if you’re going to use a bookcase to display books, they should be interesting.

Design books make great Christmas gifts

The always entertaining Jonathan Adler was on the Today show this morning to recommend some great design books that would make good holiday gifts.

I can’t argue with any of them and so I thought I’d share them here – plus add a few more of my own recommendations.

Here are some of Adler’s picks (I included the ones that are really design focused),  thanks to the Today show website.

1. "American Fashion Designers at Home"
By Rima Suqi Assouline

Why it's Jonathan's pick: "Fab look at the inside world of fashion people. I love it cause it includes lots of quirky interiors and a look into the homes of people you've heard of."

2. "Apartment Therapy's Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces"
By Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan

Why it's Jonathan's pick: "Inspiring because it's accessible. Shows how you can make a small space feel big and glamorous and proves that bigger ain't always better."

I love this book too. I find it to be a fun and insightful resource for trying to do stylish yet practical things in small spaces. Check out my earlier post about the book here.

3. "The Selby Is in Your Place"
By Todd Selby

Why it's Jonathan's pick: "Another interiors book which shows how real creative people live. Nice to see homes that aren't too grand but that are incredibly creative and surprising. A real keeper."

 

My picks:

I have a few picks to add to the list as well, although mine were not necessarily published in the past year. Still, I think they stand up against the best of the year’s design publications.

1. "Domino: The Book of Decorating"
By Deborah Needleman, Sara Ruffin Costello, and Dara Caponigro

This book was published in 2008 and if Domino magazine was still around to inspire us, there would be no reason to recommend it. But with the huge whole left in the design market with the magazine gone, this is still a great source of inspiration. Plus, you can get it for a steal – just $21.12, down from its $32 cover price, at Amazon.

2. "Hardware Store Decor"
From the Curbly “Make It” series

This book includes a dozen great DIY projects that can be made with items from the hardware store. Check out my full post on the book here.

 

3. "The Comfortable Home: How to invest in your nest and live well for less"
By Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams with Mindy Drucker

This book actually came out in the fall of 2009 but it’s still worth picking up. It’s beautiful and practical.

The hardcover book is 224 pages with more than 200 new, full-color photographs and is a celebration of 20th anniversary of Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams. It was published by Clarkson Potter/Melchoir Media with writer Mindy Drucker. Below is a spread from the book that shows you how the pair leads you through putting together a room.

Reminder: Sign up for a Blurb book giveaway

You've got until noon Monday (Oct. 25) to sign up to win one of 10 coupons worth $25 at Blurb, my favorite place to create photo books.

Blurb has launched a new even faster and easier way to put books together. It’s called Bookify and it’s a totally online option.

To celebrate, Blurb is offering 10 $25-coupon codes to readers of The Design File. Enter at our main contest post.

Remember: You have to go to our main contest post to enter!

Giveaway: Win one of 10 codes worth $25 at Blurb

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Regular readers know that I’m a BIG fan of Blurb, which I think produces some of the highest quality, consumer photo books on the web.

It’s where I’ve turned for years to create books about vacations and I recently shared with you how I used Blurb’s fantastic BookSmart software to make a coffee table book featuring my twin nieces.

Today, though, Blurb is debuting an even faster and easier way to put together books that are less than 160 pages. It’s called Bookify and it’s a totally online option. There’s no downloading the BookSmart software to make it work.

To celebrate, Blurb is offering 10 $25-coupon codes to readers of The Design File. Enter by following the instructions at the end of this post. This giveaway ends at noon Oct. 25.

Plus, all readers get 25% off a book. The company has also given me a $25 code to try Bookify as well.

I was a little skeptical of trying Bookify because I really like the BookSmart software. But my initial glance through it in advance of today’s launch made me excited about creating a book online.

I started experimenting with some pictures of my girls’ group (below) although I don’t have a finished product yet to show you. Still, you can see that website’s interface is really intuitive.

What’s nice is that Bookify combines customers’ favorite layouts and fonts with the ease of drag-and-drop simplicity so that you can make a book in no time. The two books shown in this post were made using Bookify (images provided by Blurb).

“If your goal is to make a knock-em dead photo book, tonight, Bookify is for you,” said Eileen Gittins, Blurb’s founder and CEO, in a statement released today by the company.

I do have to admit…I love the precision and flexibility of the BookSmart software. But as a result, I often spend hours and hours trying to perfect every last little piece of my creation.

It’s nice to know there’s now another option for those times when I just want to make something quickly.

So what do you think? Do you want to try it? If so, sign up to be one of 10 winners!

It’s easy! You can get up to three entries – and you MUST leave a comment below for EACH entry:

Hardware Store Decor has great DIY projects

I’m late to the party on this one, but I still wanted to promote Curbly’s newest edition to its Make It! series of books: Hardware Store Decor.

It’s another great set of DIY projects – 12 in all – and you can download the PDF for $9.99 or buy a printed version for $22.

“We show you how to make amazing interior decor pieces from stuff you can buy at any big box hardware store,” Curbly says of the book. “It's organized by department (paint, plumbing, etc.), so you'll find budget-friendly makeover projects from every corner of the hardware store.”

I’ve got a few examples to show you, including the great one above. I especially like this exposed bulb chandelier because I’ve been crazy about this look since I first saw the original, very expensive one at Form + Function in Indianapolis. It’s a great industrial look and I love that Curbly is showing us how to do it ourselves.

Here’s another fun example of the book’s projects: A brightly colored letter. I can’t believe this is a DIY project. It looks just like the vintage ones it’s meant to copy.

The final example below – the Hanging Hose-Clamp Mobile – is close to my heart because my friend Kelly has been looking for a way for years now to make her own mobile. I can’t wait to give her this book as a gift!

There are more amazing projects in the Make It! Hardware Store Decor book. Check out more details here.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t seen the earlier Make It! series books, check out the following posts:

Second Hand Chic: A new book from Curbly

New book helps you create mid-century style

Idea #20: Use wallpaper in unusual ways

Wallpaper is a huge trend now and there are some beautiful options on the market. But let’s face it, most of us are a little bit afraid of making such a big commitment to something not so easy to remove.

So why not use wallpaper in a smaller but still dramatic way?

It’s Idea #20 on our list of 30 decor ideas in 30 days for under $30.

I was inspired to include this tip in part because I love the way Ariel from Second Story View used a variety of remnants and scraps to paper the bottom of her floor-to-ceiling shelves.

“Wallpaper is the best … just like icing on a cake!” Ariel wrote on her blog post.

The key to projects like this one is finding inexpensive wallpaper scraps. You might have some from your own projects, but you’ll probably have to buy some – either piece by piece or in a sample book.

Fortunately, the web is a great place to look. Here are some of the inexpensive options I found:

From left: 30-piece wallpaper scrap pack, $3, HazelLily on Etsy; half-yard Sugarsnap wallpaper, $4.25, FabFabrique on Etsy; Fougere Fern Design Series wallpaper sheets, 8 sheets, $4, VidaDesigns on Etsy; vintage floral wallpaper, 27x36-inch piece, $3.50, Vintage73 on Etsy; Teal leaf-stripe wallpaper sample, 99-cents, Home Depot.

So what are some other options for their use?

Try papering some furniture.

I love the way the cart at right (from BHG) has been wallpapered with a bright, bold pattern.

This same idea could be used on a dresser, bedside table, table top or other furniture piece.

Earlier in the series, I suggested using wallpaper on the inside of a bookcase. You can see that post here.

You can find lots of other ideas in a great book called Wallpaper Projects: More than 50 Craft and Design Ideas for Your Home, from Accents to Art.

Derek Fagerstrom and Lauren Smith, owners of the Curiosity Shoppe in San Francisco wrote the book. It’s available from the Shoppe or from the publisher, Chronicle Books, and I wrote about it last year here.

In the book and in the earlier post, you can learn how to make the great wallpapered stools below.

Wallpaper scraps are also perfect for framing. Check out the two options below, both from Better Homes and Gardens.

Last chance to sign up for Blurb book giveaway

You've got until noon (EST) today to sign up to win a $40 coupon code to make your own photo book from Blurb, a fantastic online company.

I used Blurb to make this beautiful book about my nieces (at right) as well as a similar book for my Dad's birthday.

Two readers of The Design File are going to win $40 coupons to use at Blurb, which is enough to cover a standard square, portrait or landscape book. The latter is 10x8 inches and a great size for displaying beautiful photos.

To enter go to my original giveaway post and follow the instructions. You can enter up to three times!

A solution for family photos - plus a giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

I’ve had two competing interests happening in my house for some time now and I’m excited to have a good solution – one that is going to benefit TWO readers of The Design File as well.

I’m on a kick to eliminate clutter in my living room. But I also have 2-year-old twin nieces and want to hang photos of them everywhere! Those two things just don’t go together.

Already I have a couple beautiful black and white photos of them hanging – one in the living room and one in my bedroom. But it just doesn’t seem to be enough.

Enter Blurb, a wonderful DIY book company I’ve used for several years to chronicle vacations.

So rather than hanging up too many photos of my nieces, I’ve now packed them into an 11x13-inch hardcover Blurb book, which is sitting on an antique music stand my Dad once rescued from a trash pile. See it above and see the back cover below (that orange arrow is part of the site’s preview mode, not part of the book).

It’s the perfect way for me to show off my nieces without cluttering up my walls.

Now, two readers of The Design File will get $40 coupon codes to make their own books. Thanks Blurb!

(Get the giveaway details at the end of the post.)

What I love about Blurb is their books come out just the way you’ve designed them – no surprises on the layouts, no color casts and no page cutoffs that leave a border or word off the page.

Photography is a hobby of mine and so over the past seven or eight years, I’ve ordered photo books from several different companies, including a number of the most popular online sites. None – whether they’re hardcover, softcover or have a dust jacket like the one above – have turned out as well as the ones I’ve made at Blurb.

Blurb gave me my own $40 coupon code to make my book, which would easily have covered a standard square, portrait or landscape book. The latter is 10x8 inches and a great size for displaying beautiful photos.

I wanted something extra special, though, so I went for the large landscape size (see it open above), which starts at $54.95 for a hardcover with dust jacket. With tax and shipping, the total cost of my book would have been $61.94. But with my coupon code, I paid just $21.94.

I made the book using Blurb’s intuitive BookSmart software. You download it to your computer so you’re actually building the book offline. It makes the process of creating exactly what you want tremendously faster and easier.

Here’s how the BookSmart interface looks:

You pull in the photos you want to use (see them in the interface on the left), choose the page layouts you like (upper left) and then work on details like photo borders and text.

And you’re not tied to the preset layouts. As you can see in the photo below, you’re able to highlight any box and move it to your desired location. The program gives you a grid to keep things aligned correctly and warns you if you’re too close to an edge.

I liked my finished product so much, I made a slightly different version of it for my Dad as a birthday gift. I customized it by picking photos that included Dad, Mom and my sister and gave it a new cover and title.

Help to make your small spaces cool

I just picked up a copy of Apartment Therapy’s Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces and it has not disappointed.

I’ve been meaning to write a post about the book by AT’s co-founder Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan and so when I saw it last weekend at Barnes & Noble, I knew this was my chance.

I love the book.

The publicity write-up says it’s helpful “whether you inhabit a studio or a sprawling house with one challenging space.” I bought it because my entire house is small. With six rooms and less than 1,000 square feet, I don’t have a single large space. So I can use all the help I can get.

“These apartments and houses demonstrate hundreds of inventive solutions for creating more space in your home, and for making it more comfortable,” AT says about the book. “Leading us through entrances, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms, bedrooms, home offices, and kids’ rooms, Apartment Therapy’s Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces is brimming with ingenious tips and ideas.”

Among the book’s ideas:

• Shifting the sense of scale through contrasting colors
• Adding airiness by using transparent collections
• Utilizing the area under a loft bed for a kitchen and mini-bar
• Tucking an office with chic vintage doors into an unused bedroom corner

So far, my favorite photos are the ones featuring great organization for small spaces. The closet offices are great (although I don’t have a big enough closet to put it into practice). And I love all the fun but practical shelving.

Plus, I just love the overall AT style – eclectic, modern and fun. Looking at these spaces just reminds me that I need to bring more fun into my home!

You can preview the book here and buy it online or at any major bookstore. Enjoy!