by Furnishly | Sep 7, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Last but not least, resist the urge to buy, buy, buy if you can. Instead, take a look at what you already have that can be relocated to a new spot, says designer Tricia Runkel of Tricia Runkel Home in New York City. “While it is definitely fun to collect new pieces, sometimes moving decor from room to room can achieve the same goal of revamping the space without spending any money,” she notes. “That bowl in the kitchen could look amazing on the coffee table!”
This piece is part of Transformation Month, where we’re showing off amazing home makeovers, brilliant tiny tweaks, inspiring before & afters, and so much more. Head on over here to see it all!
by Furnishly | Sep 5, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Erin DerbyPhotographer
Originally from California, but turned New Yorker since 2000, I’ve been shooting my entire life and am still inspired and excited about it. Lately I have been putting my energies into my Fine Art, which can be seen on my website and on Saatchi Art. Being infatuated with interior design doesn’t hurt either, which mixes well with my love of photographing interiors.
by Furnishly | Aug 23, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Furniture, Style
For a more traditional look, consider this bed found on PBTeen. Featuring a full-size bed, desk, and 3-drawer dresser, this is a great option for a small bedroom that can’t waste any space. There are even two large open shelves, perfect for keeping your plants, books, or storage baskets, and a roll-out desk on easy-glide casters.
by Furnishly | Apr 25, 2022 | Design Inspiration, Style
Living alone for the first time is a special milestone: an opportunity to find out not just what you like, but also what you can accomplish. For Emily Sanchez, a San Diego business owner and content creator, moving into her first solo home has been a journey of growth and independence. She’s learned a lot about herself — and she’s learned a lot of skills, too.
Decorating a small space on a budget means that Emily is constantly using her creativity in new ways. She’s always ready to rescue a piece of furniture or decor from the curb or the local thrift shop, and she loves to scour antique stores and online marketplaces. Recently, Emily decided to take her secondhand skills even further and do her first furniture flip. Along for the ride: the first-ever Toyota Corolla Cross, a sleek, compact SUV that has enough room for all your thrifted treasures and diamonds in the rough.
Emily was looking for a chic, multipurpose storage ottoman that would complement her existing living room furniture. Unable to find what she was looking for within her budget, she decided to make it herself. “I wanted to showcase something I created on my own,” she says. “It would be a great conversation starter when hosting!”
Before You Flip, Ask Yourself This Question
How do you want your space to feel? For Emily, who’s long dreamed of having a place to call her own, the answer was cozy and welcoming — both to friends and to herself. “I can still picture myself in my childhood bedroom before leaving for college, thinking about how my biggest goal was to have my own place in a city I loved,” she says. “Now, I feel nostalgic and warm inside knowing that I have created such a cozy and safe space for myself.”
Emily decorated with those feelings in mind, from her plethora of plants and antique accents to her warm, neutral color palette. She approached her furniture flip the same way. The ottoman adds an “always room for one more” feel to her space, and the new soft shape and touchable sherpa fabric make it extra inviting.
Be Open to Where Inspiration Takes You
For Emily, thrift and antique stores aren’t only for shopping. They’re also endless sources of new ideas. She keeps her eyes peeled for looks she loves and can recreate in her own style. And she stays open to new style infatuations, like her recent obsession with taper candle holders and wicker baskets. (She actually collected so many that she needed to re-thrift some!)
From striking out on your own to trying your hand at different projects, attempting new things is about building skills and confidence. Whatever the final result, you’re going to learn something! “When it comes to decorating or doing anything creative, I tend to learn as I go,” Emily says. “I find a way! It always ends up working out somehow.”
Once Emily has the germ of an idea, she researches it to plan her approach. She recommends that anyone thinking about taking on their first flip approach it with a similar attitude. “You won’t regret it,” she says. “The first time for anything can be a little intimidating, but you’ll only learn from it. And it will make you comfortable for other projects in the future!”
by Furnishly | Apr 13, 2022 | DIY
This Easter season, head to the produce aisle and dye your eggs with nature.
Materials
- Free-range eggs
- Alum powder (available at the supermarket in the spice aisle)
- White Vinegar
- Vegetables and spices, see step one
- Cooktop
- Saucepan
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon and slotted spoon
- Vegetable oil, wax, electrical tape, leaves, stickers, etc (optional)
Step
Choose which colors you’d like to dye your eggs.
- For blue, use red cabbage
- For red, try whole beets (not canned), cherries, or cranberries
- For light green, use spinach or fresh green herbs
- For tan, brew some strong coffee, tea, or a handful of cumin seeds
- For yellow, try turmeric (a spice) and yellow onion skins
- For olive green, use red onion skins (the color is produced by a reaction with the vinegar)
- For purple, grape juice or frozen blueberries
Step
For each color, fill a saucepan with at least three inches of water. Add in your vegetables or spices. It’ll take a lot…around two cups, packed.
Step
Bring the water to a boil, and add two teaspoons of alum powder – UNLESS you’re using onion skins, as it creates a funky reaction. Boil for 30 minutes.
Step
Remove the pan from heat and allow it to cool slightly. You don’t want to add the eggs to boiling water, because the shells will likely crack.
Step
Return to heat, and stir in two tablespoons of white vinegar. Add the eggs, and bring the mixture back to a full boil. Reduce the heat slightly, and cook for 10-12 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, and let the eggs cool in the dye.
Step
Remove the eggs from the dye. If you’re satisfied with the color, then allow them to dry. For deeper, richer colors, strain the liquid, and allow the egg to continue to soak for up to eight hours. (Any longer, and the vinegar will start to disintegrate the shell.) If you plan to eat the eggs, put them into the refrigerator.
Other Ideas
To add this marbleized effect, stir in a few teaspoons of vegetable oil into the cooled, strained dye. The oil will stick to the shell in certain places, preventing the dye from continuing to color the shell in certain spots.
Try dripping wax on the shell, or color them with crayons. Dye as above, and then stick them in a 200° oven for 8-10 minutes to melt the wax.
For a relief technique, cover the shell with stickers, tape, stencils, leafs, flowers, etc before dying them. On this egg, I added shards of electrical (PVC) tape.
Lastly, if you want your eggs to sparkle, polish them with a bit of vegetable oil.
Happy Easter!
