As I am packing up my NYC nutshell to move to another, there are some décor projects I will definitely replicate in the new place because they just worked. One of them is very simple---a picture frame house key holder. The picture frame is from one of my favorite places, Two’s Company. It is their Mission style frame. I also love their new Ikat inspired line for the spring. I want to mix and match all of them in my home.

I found a 1950’s photo of a house I liked, played around with the color tones in Photoshop, and added a title graphic. Command Brand clear mini-hooks hold my keys without taking away from the design of the frame. I will keep the key holder at my new front door just like in my old place.

The second project that is going to make a re-appearance in my new space is my custom-printed window clings. They honestly make me smile every time I see them but instead of being on my bathroom window, they will go on my glass shower doors. The new bathroom has a glass enclosed modern shower (no tub) and I think the pink “clings” will look very smart decorating two sides.

Check back with me as I conjure up more posh and portable ways to dress up my next space. I am still panicking about the fact that I will have NO closets to look forward to! Wish me luck.

When I say that I am a serial small space nester, I mean it. In the last 20 years I’ve called over a dozen tiny digs home sweet home… and here we go again. I’m getting ready to make a move to another nutshell of a space. This time I’ll have a tiny patio to decorate, which I am excited about but there are no, as in zero, closets! Stay tuned for more creative storage solutions there.

In the meantime, I am putting my noncommittal décor ideas to the test. I have easily removed my decorative molding shoe racks held in place by Command Brand adhesive strips. Next, time to take down the artist stretcher bars that gave my generic closet doors a style boost. They will come off easily and then I’ll paint everything back to contractor white. One of my tips for renters is to ask the superintendent for a pint of the building’s wall paint, both flat and satin finishes. I do this as soon as I move into a new space. Empty plastic takeout containers preserve paint pretty well. This way I can always make repairs along the way as I road test new design schemes.

I can’t forget about putting the door back onto the bedroom! It’s somewhere stored in the building’s basement. I definitely enjoyed the extra 6-7 feet a door-less bedroom gave me.

It will be sad to say good-bye to a space that challenged my decorating muscle and forced me to come up with small space solutions that were not only practical but also brought humor and levity into my home.

With a can-do DIY spirit, this generic little box became a beautiful space full of happiness, and inspired an entire book that so many of you responded to. I am grateful!

My love for the über practical pegboard was reignited when I saw this store display. It is from the Haberdash Store in Stockholm and the oversized pegs and holes made me think of ways to reinterpret this storage idea for home use.

Wooden pegboard kitchen drawer organizers can be found all over the web and if they are hung on the wall, you can easily display umbrellas, men’s shoes and bags.

I like the wooden pegs on a wooden board for a sleek look. Give it a whirl!

The other day I got a Facebook message from a visitor complaining that my blog is “just another craft” site. I thought about it and she was right. But what’s wrong with that? After I laid out my furniture scheme and accessorized with pillows and curtains, DIY “craft” is the way I put my personal stamp on the little nooks and crannies in my space. It is also my therapy where I can get my hands dirty and forget about the stresses of the day. Putting a crafty hand on a nutshell also makes any small space feel like a truly lived-in home. So there you go.

That brings me to my latest find. I have a fascination with 50s kitsch and this ceramic poodle from TJ Maxx spoke to me---woof! I decoupaged some of my favorite paper from Snow and Graham on key poodle puff parts and wet sanded in between for a smooth finish. Paint a layer of polyurethane to seal it and voilà.

I am house proud and craft proud. Have a great day!

Courtesy of Sibella Court

No one “does” a wall quite like stylist and author, Sibella Court. She has that effortless chic hand on everything she touches. What is so gratifying about her work is that it gives the rest of us permission to surround ourselves with the things we love without judgment.

There is a fine line between a collection and clutter and recently I came face to face with the issue when I was asked to put on my TV producer hat and shoot a de-clutter show featuring Katie Couric’s home office. Together with New York organizational expert Jeffrey Phillip and his dream team, we tackled the overhaul of Katie Couric’s home office in less than eight hours.

Katie loves to be surrounded by photos of loved ones so Jeffrey created a photo gallery wall that was edited down. This way each image could be valued and savored. Including more photos would only contribute to the visual clutter that was taking over the space.

Jeffrey used his trusty Hang & Level picture hanging tool to hang up each frame. I was obsessed with this tool and how accurate and easy it was to get the frame position exactly right. It is less than $15 at your local Home Depot store. It’s the perfect gift for DIY geeks like me!

Courtesy of bhg.com

A few weeks ago Better Homes and Garden asked me to suggest a fresh color palette and create a design board complete with accessories that would help make a room pop for spring. Citron yellow and a grey pink were my inspiration. Check out the full list of resources and tips from bhg.com.

Better Homes and Garden offers a simple way to balance the amount of the primary color used in a room as well as accent colors. Here’s what they suggest:

“Choose one main color to serve as 40-60 percent of your color palette, then one to two supporting colors to comprise 30-40 percent of your color palette, and fill the remainder with one to two accents.”

This is a good guide but I never subscribe strictly to decorating rules. As you gain more confidence in your sense of interior style, feel free to play around with these color ratios.

If you are afraid of intense colors, try using a wall stencil, which lets you accent the wall with color without overwhelming the room.

Friends and family know how much I love decorative paper. I have a growing paper collection that’s slowly taking over my petite nutshell---vintage wallpaper included! I guess it’s no surprise that papier-mâché is a personal favorite art medium.

When I discovered these handcrafted papier-mâché bowls made from paper food labels in South Africa, it was love at first sight. Local women artisans who are living with HIV/AIDS make them. You can buy them from Bridge For Africa.

They are precious!

I love to serve wine at a party and lately I’ve become obsessed with accessories that personalize the experience. Inspired by wooden toppers for glass decanters at West Elm, I experimented to see if I could make my own for less.

I used wooden craft balls ranging from 2 ½ to 3 inches, which you can find at craftparts.com. Prices range from $2.25-4.50 for each ball. Stickers are my friend so I used mine as a template, traced each letter with a brown Sharpie and then painted the ball with Minwax stain in “natural.”

Let the stain dry completely and finish with a protective coat of polyurethane. I found the wine decanters at T.J.Maxx for less than $6 for a grand project total of $12 with custom topper. I can hardly wait to display my “you’re the top” wine stoppers at my next fabulous fête!

FYI…let the wood stain air out for a day before using.

Whether it’s a monogram or a fun quote, I like to add typography into a living space especially in a kid’s room. Kids love seeing their name on everything and including humorous quotes and sayings here and there keeps the space from feeling too serious and stuffy. This is a toy box cover I made for my little niece Ava. I love these iron-on collegiate letters for their preppy flair.

When I made this pillow for my niece’s room, I guess I was channeling the Seinfeld episode where they say, “yadda-yadda-yadda,” every five minutes. I felt that it would capture her feelings as she grows into a rebellious tween. I like the look of the black iron-on letters with the natural linen. It’s a grown-up combo for a little girl’s room and it’s a contrast that makes me smile.

Scanning the web, I am so impressed by the love and devotion design files have towards the humble Mason jar.

Recently I was asked to appear on a local morning show in my hometown of San Diego and I created these Mason jar lights for a New Year's party segment. They would be perfect lighting up any occasion.

I buy my jars in varying sizes from dollar stores and used puffy stickers to play up the word "ball" along with round office stickers to give my jars plenty of open "spots" for light reflection. A quick layer of gold spray paint gave the jars their final touch.

For a candlelight glow that can last up to 48 hours, I used inexpensive LED lights inside the jars. I hope you'll give these jar lights a whirl!

I don’t combat clutter in black and white terms. In my book Living in a Nutshell I write about the “gray” area of storage solutions, which are neither contained behind closed doors and cabinets or open and exposed. These linen-covered books are the perfect example of what I consider my “gently undercover” storage approach.

I keep my dictionary, thesaurus and grammar resource books out in the open on my desk but to keep them looking stylish and clutter-free I covered them in linen. I used white sealing wax on the spine stamped with the letters “D” for dictionary, “T” for thesaurus and “G” for grammar. They look clean and chic.

Here’s a quick tip. Pour hot wax onto a Silpat non-stick baking sheet or a piece of aluminum foil then emboss with letter stamps. When cool go ahead and glue them onto the book spine. This way you can practice and choose the perfectly formed seals.

Give it a whirl!

Color brings instant life to a room and sometimes I think I’m more adventurous with color in my home décor choices than I am with my wardrobe. But when I was asked to create a color palette for an upcoming Better Homes and Garden issue, I got inspiration from an outfit I wore for a media appearance: a citron yellow sweater with a mauve pink dress. The combination of a more acid, intense hue with a softer pastel provided the sweet and saucy contrast I was looking for “out of the closet” and in a room.

Finding the right shade of yellow and mauve took a lot of homework before I even ventured to the paint store. I didn’t want a mauve that was too pink or a citron shade that was too green. I looked at different palettes online, read what other bloggers and designers were recommending. I always buy paint samples and bring them home to test in sunlight and in artificial light before ever committing. I am bewildered when I see so many people at the paint store buying gallons of paint based on a paint chip they just examined in a badly lit paint store.

For the perfect mauve-gray color I finally went with Martha Stewart’s paint line at Home Depot. The color is "Gloaming-MSL#170" and it is the right balance between pink and gray--- pale enough not to overwhelm a space but intense enough not to look too pastel-like.

Finding the right shade of yellow was harder for some reason because under different light, the paint samples were skewing too much on the green acid side. Finally I hit the jackpot with none other than Benjamin Moore’s "Citron #2024-30." I know I should have guessed by the paint name that it was the “one” but it rarely happens so I was cynical at first. It is my new favorite color. It looks the same during the day and night.

The upcoming Better Homes and Garden issue will feature a wide range of accessories and furniture that play off of the citron-mauve color duo but one thing I can share now is this modern peacock wall stencil that I adore. I would use it with the mauve paint on a bedroom wall with a silver or bronze accent color. It’s a way to use the mauve without being overtaken by it in a room.

Enjoy and give it a whirl!

In my book, Living in a Nutshell, I feature a room I designed for my little niece Ava.

It was such a rewarding experience and design challenge because it is a space that has to double as a guest room for a large extended family while still honoring the needs of a toddler.

One thing I wanted to include in her room was something personal from my father, Ava’s loving grandpa. I found these birch cuckoo clock die-cut forms at an Anthropologie store, which were used as part of a seasonal store display. I asked them if I could buy them and they said that they would give them to me instead! I was over the moon!

I embellished the clock forms with birds, nests, felted acorns, mushrooms and pinecones that I found at Michaels craft store and on etsy.com. Each bird is dressed with buttons and wool tweed I cut from my father’s jacket. Now the room has sweet subtle memories from our family without overwhelming the playfulness of the space.

How much did you love craft days in grade school? To this day I am tapping into the same materials and craft techniques I learned when I was eight years old. Felt, rope, papier-mâché and decoupage are the foundation of my crafting repertoire.

I’ve recently rediscovered the wonders of everyday sisal rope and decided to cover a plastic doggie nightlight with rope as a scratching post for my cat Scooter. Now it stands as sculpture in my living room rather than being an eyesore. Simple craft glue did the trick.

Rope covered chandeliers and sconces look super chic accessorizing any design scheme and this chandelier is the fantasy piece I hope to make one day.

Bordering a mirror is an easy weekend project. I adore how this Pottery Barn mirror is finished with a rope loop at the top. Whenever I can buy ordinary materials from a corner hardware store to make something feminine and beautiful, I’ve hit decorating nirvana! Give it a whirl!

When Chanel introduced their temporary body tattoos, I bought a set right away and used them to personalize a French boudoir I was designing for a friend.

My friend Beth has beautiful hands so we applied the temporary tattoos on her wrists and hands and took some old-fashioned photo booth shots---thanks to my photo booth app on my iPhone. Now the photos dress up her mirror and give the nook a couture touch.

I also think the tattoo prints would look amazing framed on a wall. We all need a little Chanel in our lives!

Happy nutshell living evolves from a certain mindset---focusing energies on what you have, not what you don’t and viewing flaws as design opportunities. My friend has only one window in her entire studio apartment and it looks onto ugly brick walls. Instead of being embarrassed about her room with no view, I hung an empty rococo picture frame on a bright pink ribbon from the curtain rod. It hangs right down the middle of her window and celebrates the urban view she does have with a wink and a nod!

I went a step further and used battery-operated spotlights to turn this flaw into a design feature. You can buy them at save-on-crafts.com

Have fun in your space! It should make you smile.

Hard to believe iconic beauty, Audrey Hepburn, was teased as a young girl for being tall, lanky and having large eyes. When I picked up this book, Being Audrey, I fell in love with each illustration and cannot wait to frame some of the images in a little girl’s room…especially the one with Audrey and her dog. Children will be inspired by reading the story of Audrey’s life illustrated in watercolor.

The handcrafted Audrey pin I bought in Korea is a reminder that she was beloved all over the world.

You can get the same look by printing a favorite Audrey image onto a fabric transfer sheet. Iron on the transfer onto silk or cotton and sew it into a small pillow pin.

Being a veteran small space nester, I find myself fantasizing about large floor plans. Until that day becomes a reality, I bought some 1950’s vintage blueprints of a family home from eBay. The fact that these renderings were someone’s dream home brings happy “chi” into my own space.

I used 3M clear photo corners to affix the blueprint under an acrylic table for an easy, damage-free swap out. I didn’t want to alter the original in any way.

If you prefer decoupage, you’ll be better off using a laser copy of the blueprint rendering to prevent ink bleeding. These DIY decoupage coasters featured on Small Home Love would be the perfect housewarming gift.

These dishtowels from Fishs Eddy in NY, printed with the floor plan of a penthouse apartment, would look fabulous decoupaged on a tabletop. I originally bought mine, turned them into aprons (with attached ribbons) for bartenders working at my book launch party. They’re too fun to keep in a drawer so a tabletop it is.

As promised I wanted to give you the “skinny” on the petite storage ottoman I ordered last week from wayfair.com. I was absolutely impressed with its fabric quality and sturdiness of construction especially for the $149 price tag (with free 2-day shipping).

I cut sections of a hanging shoe pocket organizer to line the inside of the ottoman using upholstery tacks. Leaving two shoe pockets free all around created an extra slot to hold magazines as well as shoes. There’s even enough room in the middle to store a throw.

Here’s what I wished I knew before I started poking holes into the interior. It is actually made of a hard, very dense cardboard and not wood so after a little tugging, the tacks started to become loose. I glued the tacks in place so problem solved. If I were to do it again, I would just use adhesive Velcro all around to attach the pocket liner. That way the liner could be removed if I needed to clean it.

Overall, I am very happy with my ultra, triple-duty ottoman. It sure packs a storage punch in just 21” of space.

For some women, to fully disclose the number of shoes in your closet, under your bed and hanging on the back of the bedroom door is as unnerving as owning up to the number of people you’ve slept with.

I am honest about my love of shoes and my undying search for storage solutions that perform double-duty while keeping a stylish yet “petite” profile when space is at a premium.

This chic storage ottoman is my inspiration piece by Lilly Pulitzer sold through Neiman Marcus with a hefty price tag of $999. It measures 36” in diameter and holds 16 pairs of shoes. It would take up too much floor space in my apartment not to mention putting a squeeze on the old bank account so I am going another route.

I ordered this gray tufted-storage ottoman from Wayfair and with free shipping bought it for $149. It is only 21” in diameter so it can fit a tight corner near the living room sofa.

The game plan is to line the inside of the ottoman with this hanging canvas shoe organizer that I will cut and stack horizontally. I like the brown piping which references the piping on the outside of the ottoman. I’ll attach the pieces with Velcro so I can easily clean or replace the shoe pockets.

I’ll put the entire look together --- for the big reveal next week. Stay tuned! Wish me luck.

Photography by Emilio Azevedo in San Diego

Hello Nutshell fans! I have to say special thanks to all of you have supported the blog and my newly released book, Living in a Nutshell. You have embraced me as your design buddy and I look forward to a long and happy friendship.

I thought writing and producing all the projects for the book was going to be the biggest challenge but navigating the marketing blitz that is key to the success of any book launch has been equally daunting and exhilarating.  This year has been a year of many “firsts.”

I started in Brooklyn, traveled to Chicago, Minneapolis and celebrated the book tour finale in my hometown of La Jolla, California. Even though you have a major publishing house like Harper Collins supporting your marketing efforts, the travel and expenses for the entire book tour and supplemental marketing comes from the author’s pocket.

Here’s what I learned and hopefully these tips will help other budding craft and design authors out there who are ready to take the plunge into branding and touring:

1. Associate yourself with companies that want to sponsor part of the book tour. If you have a large enough social media platform, companies see the power of decorating blogs and are more open to their marketing potential. Don’t be afraid to reach out. The worst they can say is no thanks. 3M and Command Brand sponsored my book tour and provided gift bags for each city. Le Grand Courtâge provided champagne for some of the events, which proved to be a great cross-promotional opportunity.

In Chicago, I partnered with friends who launched Edible Chicago Magazine, Kingsbury Street Café and Counter Culture Coffee.

2. Pick a central theme for your book-signing event.  I chose to combine my two favorite things—crafts and cocktails for each book tour city. The theme was catchy and promotable and reflected the fun and accessible attitude of the book itself.

3. Choose cities you have friends and family in. Grassroots support was essential to the success of every event not to mention what it does for your confidence and morale.

4.  Pick a group craft project that is easy to do, inexpensive to replicate on a large scale and that still reflects your design philosophy.  My vintage paper champagne cork tassels were a hit in all the cities and cost about $2.00 per person for materials.  When people started wearing them as necklaces at the end of each event, I knew “craft” was back and that they felt emboldened to pursue other DIY projects that were featured in the book.

5. For each city, book an appearance on local television shows. Even though we  blanketed social media with tweets and announcements about the book events, doing demos on television seemed to have the biggest impact on moving people to action. Local shows are easier to pitch and producers are always looking for take-away, practical tips that their viewers can use.

6.  Hire a professional photographer for every event. Don’t only rely on your friends taking photos from their iPhone. I learned the hard way. For as little as $200, you can hire a great event photographer and if you give them a shot list beforehand, you can get a couple of good press photos you will use over and over again. Your sponsors might be willing to split the cost with you if they are promised great product shots at each event.

7. Offer a free giveaway at each event related to your book. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive just meaningful.  I raffled off one custom pillow in each city and it made the event that much more fun and promotable.

8. Custom cupcakes with a company logo are worth the investment. For my event in San Diego, my sister Donna made cupcakes topped with a sugar logo  from ticings.com. They were an instant hit and reinforced the branding of the event.

By now most of you know of my love for collecting and repurposing vintage paint by number canvases. To my delight, Country Living Magazine not only featured two of my favorite DIY projects in their September 2012 issue but also commissioned me to create and execute a unique project exclusively for them. I admit I was a bit nervous about this assignment.

I decided a night light lampshade would be an easy project for people to do. I bought a metal frame for the shade at lampshop.com. The price includes an attached bulb and switch.

Create a template for the three sides of each frame panel. Using regular craft scissors, cut out canvas to fit. Magna Tac glue keeps the panels in place. Protect the shade with clear acrylic sealer. The light shade would look precious in a kid's room or guest bedroom.

Many years ago I was gifted this charming monkey banana holder by a chef in Chicago who served banana cream pie on it in his restaurant. It is the ideal gift for me since I try never to go a day without eating a banana. Below are some of my top contenders for chic and smart hanging fruit solutions:

This circular banana and fruit holder must be a feng shui “do” with its smooth, harmonious shape. Made from gorgeous mahogany wood, designed by Helena Schepens.

Remember playing with a Barrel of Monkeys when you were younger? I love this hanging monkey banana holder that maximizes vertical space in your kitchen.

Sculptural and beautiful enough to stand alone when empty, I “heart” this bamboo fruit basket designed by Douglas Legg:

Here’s the perfect pairing of wine with fruit…in ceramic. Makes me think about repurposing my acrylic wine rack as a fruit holder when my wine stock runs low.

A little mock “croc” goes a long way to enhance your home décor especially when it comes in the form of very affordable embossed papers. Expect to spend about $4.00 for one 18”x27” sheet that comes in a variety of colors. My favorites are the orange and glossy white. Find them at papermojo.com.

I use the embossed papers to line trays and tabletops. You can use spray mount or glue dots to keep them in place. They also look sleek as book covers for those resource books that have to be easily accessible and out in the open on a desk.

Glossy white mock croc sheets would look modern as lampshades or liners for backs of bookshelves. Even a plain wastebasket will look fresh covered with a mini-croc makeover.

Give it a whirl!

Combining two of my favorite things, crafts and champagne cocktails, as a running theme for my book tour across the country has convinced me that people love to create something unique with their own hands, even though most haven’t done so since grade school. A glass of bubbly loosens everyone’s inhibitions.

I chose a craft project that I could customize per city, was affordable, and would be easy for people to do but would have a sophisticated look when completed. Making paper tassels from a vintage book and a champagne cork was a project that had universal appeal. The idea that you can use corks saved from a wedding, anniversary or graduation made everyone enthusiastic about accessorizing their home with them.

Why not throw your own craft cocktail party? Here’s my list of dos and don’ts:

1. Add on the invitation that it is B.Y.O.S. (Bring Your Own Scissors). Be prepared to have a handful of extra scissors for those last minute drop-ins. The dollar store is the perfect place to get craft scissors. I road-tested them in the store to make sure they would cut through a few layers of paper.

2. Create a signature cocktail for your event and ask a friend to stand-in as bartender. Have flat and sparkling water on ice as well. No need to buy beer, wine and vodka. Keep it to one drink choice. Your pocketbook will thank you.

3. Teach one of your closest friends all of the steps to the craft project so you have an additional helper floating the craft party. In a big group everyone crafts at a different speed and you want everyone to have fun and be successful.

4. If space is an issue, think about setting up craft tables without chairs. You can fit more people and standing-room-only crafting keeps the energy up in a room.

5. Raffle off a nice bottle of champagne wrapped in some of the cork paper tassels.

Have fun and remember, drink and craft responsibly.

During one of my trips to Paris I popped into the local post office to exchange currency and fell in love with a series of farm animal stamps they were selling. At the time they were .50 euro or about 60 cents per stamp. I ended up framing them as a collection in my country getaway.

If you have no time to travel, you can buy first class stamps from all over the world online.

A collection of Queen Elizabeth stamps comes in a variety of colors and would make a style statement on your wall.

Or you can go to the extreme and invest in a stamp rug made from New Zealand wool. Too fun!

Finding ways to stretch my couture décor budget is always a goal and linen’s low- rent cousin I call “burlap” is my way of feigning an atelier finish in my space without breaking the bank. I love using curtains to create zones in a space but in order for the curtain to look good coming and going into a space, it can get expensive doubling up on panels.

In my friend’s tiny foyer, I hung a curtain to create a French inspired dressing area and lined a ready-made curtain panel with burlap. I embellished the burlap with black grosgrain-ribbon stripes for that French country feel. Instead of sewing all of the ribbons onto the burlap, fusible webbing and a hot iron did the trick. A good strong fabric glue like MagnaTac would work as well.

Pre-shrink burlap before using because there will be shrinkage. A quick wash will also help get that rustic hay smell out.

I love couture and even if the budget doesn’t allow for an “haute” designer wardrobe, I find no reason why I can’t feign a “label” look in my décor.

These affordable Hermès-inspired cotton tote bags from etsy.com are too chic to hide in a closet so I use them as open storage bags for scarves, stockings and socks.

If Hermès is not your high-end brand of choice, you might be a Chanel girl and there’s a tote for that!

To keep everything neatly tucked away, add permanent adhesive Velcro dots as closures.

When you live in tight quarters, hidden storage solutions are not always doable so keep items stylishly undercover by incorporating them into part of your décor. Give it a whirl!

If your area rug falls a little short on style and square inches, give it some design ”heft” by bordering it with inexpensive upholstery webbing. My living room rug wasn’t big enough to make the bold statement I wanted but now the extended rug border anchors the room and gives the rug a custom-tailored finish.

The sisal webbing comes in two colors, black and red, and creates a stylish contrast to most rug patterns.

Ordinary carpet tape keeps the webbing secure until you change your mind---a noncommittal design approach that gives you flexibility. Check out the newest rug additions from zgallerie.com. They would look showroom worthy with a black webbing border. Give it a whirl!

Most small space benches on the market are too deep for tight niches so I turned a tall, skinny bookshelf (a little over 15” deep) on its side for a perfect fit. This Ikea shelf-turned-bench now performs double-duty as storage and seating and looks chic with added furniture feet.

Ikea no longer sells the original bookshelf I used for this bench project but they sell a similar Expedit shelf that has the same slim dimensions.

For added stability, you will need to add two Expedit Inserts into the second and fourth cubbyhole.

My local upholstery supply store cut foam to fit and now this bench has a custom look.

Not sure about you but when I need to install curtains I start to get hives thinking about drills, anchors and hitting one too many studs in the wall.

Working with Command Brand, I found a way to use their Large Forever Classic Hooks, which are removable, to hold curtain rods securely and damage-free to the walls. Their designer metal finishes fit any décor.

The window treatments are from zgallerie.com. I love the graphic print.

With the latest collection of affordable designer melamine plates on the market, it’s the perfect time to take full style advantage. For my plate collage, I mixed patterns like these plaid plates from French Bull with Thomas Paul’s faux bois coasters and dessert plates.

The collection was rounded off with black portrait silhouettes I made by printing images onto clear Avery adhesive sheets. Easy as 1-2-3.

Command Brand picture hanging strips keep plates secure and portable without any harm to the wall. I am always editing my design projects and these strips keep the ideas fluid. Give it a whirl!

As the available square inches for hidden storage dwindles in my space, I am always on the look out for stylish ways to keep things organized out in the open, maximizing vertical storage potential.

These inexpensive plastic trophy heads (spray painted a pop of turquoise) attached to the wall hold scarves, ties, necklaces, and lightweight handbags with a sense of cool panache. I opted for the plastic ones instead of metal so it wouldn’t involve any major hardware or wall installation.

You can use a flathole keyhole picture hanger that screws into the trophy base. A simple flathead screw in the wall clicks into the picture hanger.

Most people ask me how to introduce color into their space. There seems to be a real fear of committing to bold color especially on the wall. My design approach is to tape off and paint a 36” border from the floor up to a little less than midpoint on the wall. I think of it as my “faux” chair rail molding and in this tiny hallway, it provides just the right amount of verdant green without overpowering the tiny niche.

And don’t forget doorways, I carried the painted border over this kitchen entryway giving it a grander opening. Try painting a border in your living room or bathroom and it might give you the courage to commit color to an entire wall.

Say “I Love You” in lights! This project would look adorable in a kid’s room. All you need are inexpensive craft papier-mâché letters and a string of battery-operated white LED lights. You can find the letters at a good crafts store or online at consumercrafts.com.

Prime your letters first before painting them gold. You can choose any color but I was going for a glitzy Hollywood marquee look.

Once dry, use a hand crank drill like the one I use from Fiskars to make holes in each of the letters from the back through the front. Make the holes big enough to allow the lights to poke through but snug enough to keep them in place. For this project, I used a string of 20 lights.

TTo keep all of the light cords neat and contained on the back of each letter, you can use can use white gaffers tape. Attach your letters in lights to the wall with easy to remove Command Picture Hanging Strips for damage-free walls.

Both of these letters are connected with one light strand but you hardly notice the light cord in between. I chose to hang my letters above a shelf so I could hide the battery pack behind a collection of picture frames, vintage trophies or a vase. Give it a whirl!

For more product information follow @CommandBrand on Twitter or on Facebook.com/CommandBrand. (cmp.ly/3)

I have wood molding envy. I just do. I have never been lucky enough to live in a place that had picture, chair or door molding of any kind. So I look for ways to “fake” it.

My dreary white folding closet doors were uninspiring so I painted them a bright, almost chartreuse yellow from Benjamin Moore called St. Elmo’s fire. You won’t find it on a paint card in the store since it is only available on a designer deck that they sell separately. Your paint store dealer will be able to show you a paint chip if you ask. For bold colors, use a tinted primer to keep the hue deep and saturated. This makes a huge difference in the overall look.

Use artist stretcher bars which are sold as single pieces that interlock. This way you can custom make your own long, narrow frames as well as short ones. Artist stretcher bars are as inexpensive as 60 cents a foot. You can find them at any art store like Dick Blick. They are unfinished wood so paint those with primer before applying top coats.

Since I am renting I use Command Brand large picture hanging strips to attach the stretcher bars to the closet with no harm to the doors themselves. I will definitely take them to my next nutshell. Give it a whirl! (cmp.ly/3)

Recently I developed over a dozen unique home décor and storage solutions, all road test in my own apartment, exclusively for Command Brand using a range of their newest removable hooks and cord clips. I hope they will make you look at your space in a posh and portable way.

Skinny Coat Rack: With a few Command Clear removable hooks, a coat rack wall decal is transformed into a skinny spot to hang your hat, umbrellas and so much more.

Oops, Your Lamp Cord is Showing: Hiding your lamp cords is so last season. Turn them into a feature on your wall with the help of a new line of Command Clear Cord Clips. Vintage Jello molds make the perfect inexpensive lampshade.

Vertical Herb Wall: Command Clear Caddies are the ideal size to hold potted herbs right at your fingertips. Chalkboard labels unify the look and keep things flexible. Attach them to a kitchen wall to maximize vertical storage space and keep counters free and clear.

For more product information, check out Twitter @CommandBrand or on Facebook.com/CommandBrand.

Let’s face it… most small spaces are also featureless boxes without any architectural interest to speak of. A fireplace immediately says home to me and can be the star attraction in any living room, no matter how tiny. I like putting affordable gel fuel fireplaces onto wooden caster wheels for that get-up-and-go portability factor. I need my fireplace to move with me to my next space. Give it a whirl!

Always in search of storage solutions that won’t take up valuable floor space, these rubber boating straps, stretched between two screws, turn any wall into a catchall space for keys, cameras, sunglasses even sneakers.

They come in red, blue, yellow and white and are sold in boating supply stores around the country and better hardware stores. You can also find them online.

Give it a whirl.

If you’re a girl who loves to accessorize, you know how essential it is to see all the jewelry you have. The container store sells an acrylic jewelry-folding screen that is very sleek, but I don’t know about you, I have no more table top space to dedicate to a standing jewelry holder. 

So up it went onto my wardrobe mirror. Easy to remove Command Clear Hooks keep the jewelry rack stable and portable. It’s a perfect fit. Give it a whirl!

(cmp.ly/3)

Having an actual window in a NYC bathroom is a coup but that opens up a privacy issue that I never had before. I tried curtains and a pull-down shade but they blocked the precious sunlight that I get during the day. I also couldn’t handle how dirty the curtains got from the city dust.

I headed to my local printing shop and had inexpensive static window clings printed up with the saying of my choice.  The pink tone gives off a flattering glow.

For more project information, check out my new book, Living in a Nutshell.

I’m throwing a cocktail party in my petite abode in a few weeks and one of my favorite space-saving tips is to put a portable wardrobe rack in the bathtub for coats. I live in NYC and it is still chilly in March and I want to be prepared. I don’t love putting coats on the bed and I can’t spare an inch in my closets.

Since my tub is also very slim, it was hard to find a rack that would fit. I settled on this collapsible coat rack. When not in use, it completely folds down flat and installs in seconds. 

I tried using a similar coat rack at my friend’s party and I made the mistake of buying one of the cheaper models and it completely collapsed after a few coats were hung. Invest in an all-steel or metal construction or it will not be worth the money.  No plastic parts.

For the party, I will use plain office tags rubber-stamped with numbers tied to hangers to keep it fun.  Guests notice the details.  I will also keep a basket on the bottom for handbags, hats etc.

OK, now I have to think about the menu…so much to do. Give it a whirl at your next party!

My book photographer Aimée Herring and I had some fun and went off “script” after we shot all of the projects for Living in a Nutshell. 

We call these photos “wild cards” and here’s a peek at some that did not make it in the final cut but reflect the relaxed and light-hearted attitude of the book.  Enjoy!

Aimee Herring

The world of wallpaper is a glorious place to be. The patterns and colors open up design possibilities of any space but installation can get pricey. If you live in a rental, it’s hard to justify the cost or get permission from the landlord to permanently install papers to the wall.

Here’s a sneak peek of an easy-as-pie project you’ll find in my upcoming book, Living in a Nutshell. I hung two rolls of Cameo wallpaper from Anthropologie from two large bulldog clips you can find at any office supply store. Silver thumbtacks hold the clips in place without leaving a big hole.

Contrasting French ribbon keeps one roll neatly tucked and the other roll is discreetly pinned mid-fall.

The wallpaper decorates a plain wall going up the stairs and can be taken with you on your next house journey. Give it a whirl.

When a friend told me her fridge was installed in her hallway, I had to take a look. In New York City, you’re never completely surprised by apartment quirks. I actually wanted to play up the fact that her fridge was a few feet from her front door, so I attached a collection of vintage milk bottle caps from etsy.com.

It was a year in the making but I’ve finally given birth to a two-pound hard cover book thanks to Harper Collins! You’ll find over 200 projects and tips that will empower you to create the nutshell home of your dreams.

I’ve painted, decoupaged, sewed and stenciled my way to decorating success, fine-tuning mistakes here and there so you won’t have to.

It will be in a bookstore near you on March 27th or pre-order from amazon.com.

Thank you for your support!

Small spaces are often plagued with bigger problems than just a lack of square footage. One of the most challenging spaces I have ever decorated was my friend’s loft bedroom with a little over four feet of head clearance in some areas.

I chose a Hollywood Regency theme for the nook and went with Benjamin Moore’s Poolside Blue for the walls. I taped off panels to create the illusion of glamorous molding and painted those areas white. The trick here is to tape off a panel size that would be tall and skinny to fool the eye about the room’s rather “short” dimensions.

I went against professional advice and chose a glossy paint finish.  Because the walls were not in pristine shape, the glossier finishes usually show up every bump--- kind of like wearing a silky charmeuse dress. I was willing to take the risk because I needed to reflect as much light and shimmer into this dark corner.

I looked everywhere for a dresser that would fit a 20-inch wide spot and locked in on a mirrored Hayworth lingerie chest from Pier 1.  The mirrored finish makes this cramped corner look grander and more lavish.

Ever since I borrowed my mother’s cameo pin from Italy for a school picture, I have always thought fondly of the delicately carved medallions. I thought cameos would look beautiful hanging from a chandelier but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money.

I found this laser-cut chandelier made out of MDF board (which folds flat for storage) and covered it with my favorite clay product: Creative Paperclay 

I’ve tried different air-drying clay on the market and this product is easy to work with and dries with less cracks. Be mindful of keeping the fold areas of the MDF chandelier clear of clay so the pieces slip easily onto each other.

For the medallions, I used a plastic soap cameo mold but only filled them halfway. On my first trial run, I tried filling the entire mold with clay and the cameos were too thick and heavy. Let the clay dry for about 8 hours just when the edges have started to dry and pop them out. Insert a jewelry connector into the top, which will serve as a way to hook onto your chandelier holes.

When completely dry, paint your entire project with white gesso and then a few layers of clear acrylic sealant.

I finally came “clean” with the fact that I am a liquid soap girl.  I used to offer guests both a fresh bar of soap and a liquid soap option but I hated throwing out the soap after a few uses and the sliminess of the bar afterwards.

My current favorite is Savon de Marseille  ---a wonderfully fragrant liquid soap line that comes in a chic glass bottle.  I didn’t love the white plastic pump top so I upgraded mine to a pewter one from onedreamdesign.com.

You can always refill with a less expensive liquid soap brand like I do.  I refill mine with a lavender-scented generic.  Don’t tell!

I might be in the minority, but when it comes to decorating in tight quarters I take a more-is-more approach. Layering creates a feeling of depth and warmth in a space that may be short on character and inches.

My Ed Ruscha inspired painted canvas looks sublime layered on top of paper die-cut panels hung above my bed.

The message is clear, layer with color, textures and patterns and don’t be afraid to experiment. Sit with your new design for a day or two and then edit. 

‘Tis always the season for a great party and when my friend Mark said he never thought he could throw a proper cocktail party in his 310-square foot apartment, I set out to prove him wrong.

First rule of thumb for party design on a shoestring is to assess what you already have.  Mark’s apartment had mid-century touches and a gray mod sofa so we chose a Mad Men inspired 60s cocktail theme.

Instead of keeping his Murphy bed hidden, I decided to make it a feature for the party.  We kept it down and covered it with my shearling rug and some vintage fabric.

I found a great archival video clip of a 1963 prom and projected the video onto Mark’s white window blinds thanks to Tyco Rental in NYC.

Vintage bowling trophies and paint-by-number canvases gave the mantle the perfect retro vibe and a sunburst mirror I made out of paint sticks took the spotlight. The mirror only cost me $3 to make! I glued all the sticks to a piece of cardboard.

Accordion paper party lamps gathered like a flower bouquet were lit up with inexpensive floral tea lights that were hidden inside the shades.

There were four party zones throughout the space: one dessert buffet and three cocktail stations. We even fit a vodka bar in Mark’s tiny hallway, which worked out perfectly.

With very little square footage and a petite budget, a party of 14 happily drank the night away.

Even in tight quarters, I look forward to decorating for the holidays.  I travel for most of the season so I never invest in a tree, but I throw a little holly here and there and see where it lands.

This year I dressed my collection of vintage trophies with candy canes, holiday tags and faux holly berries. I absolutely love my Bah Humbug rubberstamp from Paper Source.

Even if it’s in one little corner, bring in the holidays with style. A little touch of Christmas cheer goes a long way.

There’s no end of fun to be had designing a child’s room, and when I got the green light to redesign a guest room into a bedroom for my little niece, I tapped into a world of make-believe without being too sweet and sentimental.

I chose a theme where woodland creatures would be looking over my niece when she was sleeping. These faux taxidermy animal heads made out of felt reflect just the right amount of humor the space needed. I found them at one of my favorite online boutiques: popdeluxe.net.

To customize these felt creatures a little bit, I attached felt butterflies in the same color with tiny straight pins. They can be removed easily as my niece’s taste changes.

A simple vintage shabby chic oval frame gets a makeover with a layer of gray paint and wooden bumble bee appliqués.  I used Benjamin Moore’s Wrought Iron and chose a high gloss finish to match the wall color and to give the frame a little pop.

I attached the appliqués with my favorite Command removable adhesive strips so I can take them with me when I move.  I found the bumble bee appliqués at my local craft store but you could make them easily with a mold and polymer clay. Just make sure and prime the clay before painting for the best results.

My yellow lampshade is the perfect contrast to my gray corner making it feel bright and happy rather than gloomy.

What makes any space memorable, besides its lack of square footage, are the thoughtful details that are waiting to be discovered by your guests. The other day I realized the painting I bought a few years ago of a young woman with her cute little dog looked a lot like the woman featured in an old black and white photo I found at a flea market in Upstate New York.

I paired both images with a vintage bowling trophy all displayed on top of a train case from the 50s. My little vignette tells a likely story of a happy young woman excited about the life that is just ahead of her.

Take a fresh look at the different photos and objects you may have around your home or in storage and mix and match them to evoke a sweet and sentimental mood.

Just because you live in a tiny nutshell doesn’t mean you can’t throw an unforgettable party in your digs.  One sure fire way to impress your guests (and to distract them your lack of real estate) is to present food in the best light by giving them a lift onto cake platters and pedestals. But who has the cabinet space and budget to store a collection of party platters?

Stack white plates varying in sizes onto inexpensive egg cups.  I like keeping the plates white so they appear seamless but for the holidays gold or red plates will look festive on top of white eggcups pedestal bases. Small white ramekins under the very bottom plate give the stacked plates an extra stable base. Try to find the ones with the ridges around the edges for added interest.

To keep your newly stacked plates safe and secure, use clear Museum Gel.  You can find it at places like The Container Store. An added plus is that the gel is reusable and non-toxic. 

Even if you can’t cook or bake, displaying store bought baked goods and appetizers on pedestals will make everyone think you’re the hostess of the year.

Sigmund Freud once said that “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar” but to me a chair can be so much more than just a chair. Chairs can be a coat rack, standing sculptural art, a bookcase and a place to display and store your favorite shoes.

I fell in love with the frame of this wonderful chair I picked up from Le Home Brooklyn, which can display up to a dozen pairs of shoes. If you only have a square foot to spare in your petite abode, this shoe chair is a chic storage solution.

Here’s a tip. Rubber chair pads keep shorter kitten heels from slipping. Also, look for flea market chairs that have the cross beams on the bottom for an additional storage layer.

Keeping a small closet organized is no easy feat. It’s important to be able to see everything you have to get dressed quickly without a meltdown.

My collection of clutch purses was getting out of control.  Stacking them in a basket kept them neat and tidy but it was impossible to see everything at first glance without having to bring down the basket from a high shelf.

I decided to use wooden magazine file boxes I bought during my last trip to Ikea to keep my purses upright, easy to view and to grab on the go. It’s a simple solution that works super well and doesn’t take up very much space in your closet or on a shelf.

If you want to give this idea a try, check out the chic looking Stockholm magazine files from The Container Store.

Or for a real bargain, these linen Kvarnvik magazine files from Ikea are a steal.

Happy organizing!

Adding a new accessory to my home makes me happier than buying a new pair of shoes…and I love my shoes. I had the same shower curtain for a few years (it looked brand new) but it was time for a change.

I picked up the Butterfly Shower Curtain from westelm.com because it happily coordinated with my existing towels and bathmat.  To give it a more personal touch, I tied black grosgrain ribbon on each loop. I always keep a large roll of black ribbon in my decorating kit. It’s cheaper by the roll and I use black ribbon to adorn so many different things.

I prefer using a fabric shower liner instead of those plastic ones. When it gets dirty, it goes in the wash with bleach and it’s as good as new.  The plastic ones get moldy so quickly and I always feel bad about throwing a big piece of plastic away.

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best and tired-and-true pegboards really earn their keep in a cramped kitchen that it doesn’t really matter that they aren’t trendy and new. I understand why Julia Child’s pegboards are at the Smithsonian.

In my friend’s tiny NY kitchen, she had an old pegboard left behind by a previous tenant.  It was so practical that I just decided to give it new life with a fresh coat of Sherwin Williams Verdant Green SW6713.  It is one of my favorite shades of green and it gave the kitchen the retro feel I was looking for.

White Ikea Asker containers hang perfectly on the peg holes and they hold take-out menus, utensils and kitchen knick -knacks.

For a personal touch, I decoupaged large cardboard letters that I bought from my local craft store with a few pieces of scrap wrapping paper. Make sure and protect your letters with acrylic sealant to keep them moisture proof. 

I don’t know why recently I have been looking at doors, front doors and closet doors, as a blank canvas just waiting to be decorated and accessorized.

On a friend’s hallway closet door, I used this beautiful wallpaper with a slight metallic sheen to add a bit of glitz to a dark foyer.

A removable adhesive decal of Joan Crawford (printed at my local digital printing shop) looking at her own shoe collection was the perfect addition to this shoe closet. Now, the door looks like it’s part of a photo gallery.

And most of us renters out there are stuck with these ugly folding closet doors. I hung a collection of watercolor paintings on my bedroom closet doors and I am so much happier for it.

Always in search of ways to make a project easier, better and more affordable, I finessed my molding shoe rack. I cut 24-inch long pieces of polyurethane decorative molding and painted them with Benjamin Moore Poolside Blue paint.  Once dried, I used a gold paint pen to highlight the curves of the relief pattern. 

I buy my polyurethane molding from crown-molding.com and they always ship pretty quickly. With my small miter box and saw, the polyurethane is so much easier to cut than wood.

Because I wanted to avoid drilling holes in the wall, I used my trusty 3M removable adhesive strips to attach the molding to my bedroom wall. Make sure and buy the ones with the Velcro-looking “teeth” so they grab onto the molding. The molding is so light and holds very securely with 4 strips spaced equally apart on the back.  Each molding rack can hold up to three light pairs of heels.

Think about mixing in a vintage piece of clothing or add a hook and hang jewelry alongside your favorite pairs of Manolos.  Enjoy.

Choosing the right furniture and accessories for my niece’s bedroom makeover was a challenge.  I wanted to keep the child-like cute factor, give the style longevity with the right anchor pieces… while still being chic and practical. 

The space needed to be multi-functional since it doubles as a guest room so this acrylic activity coffee table fit the bill. I found the table at a good price at overstock.com 

Kids seem to gravitate toward this table because it’s see-through and the surface is soft to the touch and not cold like glass. A simple chalkboard cloth that you can buy at better fabric stores like Jo Ann Fabric and Craft stores  is inexpensive and can turn any little table into arts and crafts central.

I also love the magazine and book storage on the sides. Acrylic tables do get scratched over time, but I tend to look at scratches in acrylic pieces as a fine patina.  Besides, at this low price, it wasn’t a big investment.  The little kids on the block adore this table so I consider that a success!

A few months ago I had the pleasure of redesigning a room for my niece. My sister Donna kindly gave me carte blanche and let me do whatever I wanted to do in the room.  Bringing in lots of personal touches was my number one goal so that my niece would grow up with the warm memories that made our own childhood special. 

I have seen so many sites that transform photos into canvas art so I gave it a whirl and ordered a canvas from printyourcanvas.com. I wanted an oil painting look but on this site, you can choose from an impressionistic style brush stroke to a more textured, modern finish. I chose a style somewhere in between and was very happy with the result.

Here is the original photo so you can see the transformation:

Prices start as low as $49 for a rolled canvas that you stretch onto a frame of your own. 

Take a photo of your childhood home and transform it onto canvas as a gift to your parents. I’m going to try that next.

In the last couple of years, my scarf collection started to include men’s ties and bow ties. I’m so attracted to the range of patterns and colors of men’s accessories and my collage mannequin was the perfect way to display them.

In the past, I was lucky enough to find old dress forms in need of repair that were being tossed away. Fashion schools and sewing stores are a good resource for bargain dress forms but you usually have to ask since they don’t advertise.

My parents were big flea market goers at the time and they collected a huge pile of vintage Confidential magazines from the 1950s for me. I used bits of articles and cheeky headlines to create a collage over the dress form, and it has been with me for over a decade.

Back from a recent trip to Korea, I bought this Audrey Hepburn fabric pin that warmed my heart.  It was from a sweet boutique in the Garosugil (가로수길) shopping district. If you are ever in the city, make sure and grab an espresso  (Seoul has great cafes) and shop this street.

Designers always remind us to decorate with things we love and as you experiment with different colors, textures and eras, you’ll develop an inner design confidence that will guide you.

The great thing about having a chalkboard wall is how easily it transforms into a changeable art wall.  My kitchen backsplash, which I painted in an undeniably yummy Bakery Green by Hudson Paint, is decorated with quotes from Julia Child but there was still something missing.

I am a true lover of typography so I researched and found the chemical equation for a soft-boiled egg and added it to my backsplash.  It is certainly a conversation starter when I am entertaining out of my petite kitchen and it makes people smile.

As I gain more confidence in my own personal style, the more fun I like to have with my space.

Look for the chemical equation for espresso or marinara sauce and add it to your kitchen wall.  In the bathroom, post the chemical equation for soap bubbles.

Chemistry was one of my weaker subjects in school, but I feel I am making up for it in style.

Intermixing vintage pieces into my petite abode is my favorite way to revitalize a tiny box of a space that has no sense of history or character. My latest find is this old telephone refurbished back to life from its days in Argentina some 60 years ago. I could not resist its curvy lines highlighted in delicious lemon yellow. I’ve been using the telephone as a portable prop to dress up my bedroom, bookshelves and even the powder room. It is fully functional although I haven’t really plugged it in.  It was a store display that I got for a discount from Anthropologie because of some nicks in the paint .

On my last trip home, my mother had carefully preserved one of her favorite leopard pumps from the 60s for me to add to my collection. They’re too small and too precious for me to be sporting around town in so they sit on top of books as very chic, wearable sculpture.

I am constantly moving things around in my space and even if it’s just changing out an old photo in a frame, I feel renewed.

P.S. As you can tell, I am still obsessed with the Hipstamatic photo app on my iPhone.  I love the way the camera makes the most banal setting appear romantic and mysterious.

If your potential on the clutter meter is high, a good tray can keep you on a neat and tidy path.  If you’re like me, you read everyone’s picks on the “best” tray list but so few of those reviews are based on actually using these trays in real life.

Here are the ones that I use and have road tested in my own little space.  They all rotate from room to room, performing double duty when it’s party time or when I need a change of pace.

This ceramic tray printed with a floor plan of a penthouse is a recent purchase and I fell in love with it right away.  Never mind the irony of owning a penthouse when you live in a postage stamp of a place but the price for this piece of fantasy real estate was right up my alley. You can buy it at fishseddy.com.  The smaller 14” square tray is around $14.  If you’re in NYC, it’s a must-see store to browse in.

Next on my “tray chic” list is the green trellis Lapper tray. You can buy a set of 2 for under $30. The trellis design is the only one I think is style worthy but they all have a silicone mat that keeps cups and plates from tipping and slipping.  The trays really do work and are good quality plastic. I only wish they kept the underside printed with the trellis design instead of plain white.

My books can get out of control very quickly so trays keep my paperback books and non-coffee table worthy books contained and easily accessible. This tray I bought on sale from Pottery Barn and the combination of wire with wooden handles was the draw. If I need an extra tray for drinks or to hold an ice bucket, the books stack on the floor and my tray gets to work.

I am a sucker for a nice decoupage tray.  I have a few glass trays from John Derian.

I have been a fan of his from his early days as a shop owner on Boston’s swanky Newbury Street.  His trays keep my office desk neat and stylish and in my bathroom, another tray displays my perfume bottles. The only problem with these trays is that they are so pretty that you hate to put anything on them.

I have dipped my toe into the world of apps and now I want to dive in head first! My favorite so far is the Hipstamatic camera application for iPhone.  This application brings back the nostalgic look and feel of plastic toy cameras from the past.

You don’t have to be a great photographer to create artistic prints that can be original art for your space.  Here are a few of my snaps:

Inspiration came late last night as I was trying to style my apartment for an upcoming video shoot with Open House NYC. I really wanted to add a lighter detail to my black nightstands.  I used to have silk tassels dressing up my tables but they were showing a little wear and tear so I decided to make my own using champagne corks and pages from a vintage book of French theater plays.

I used my handy hand-crank drill and drilled a hole straight through the side of a pair of champagne corks about ½ inch down from the top or head of the cork. If you don’t have a drill, you can use a wide screw that is long enough to go through the cork completely and carefully tap it in with a hammer to make a hole. I used the end of a paper clip to guide a piece of ribbon through the hole to the other side of the cork.

The fringe is made up of three layers of cut book pages.  I think they looked better and fuller gradating in size. They also look less like a birdie from a badminton game. Then use scissors to make the fringe of your tassels and pin them in place in the back. I finished mine with a band of velvet ribbon on the top to soften the seam between the paper fringe and the cork.

I love adding words, script and personal details into a small space and these tassels are a hassle-free way to make an accessory uniquely yours.

Reflecting a little extra shine and shimmer into a small space really helps to distract the eye from a room’s shortcomings. Recently, I lined the back of a plain bookshelf with a mirror and metallic wallpaper, which maximizes the limited amount of sunlight that comes from the apartment’s only window.

Take a trip to Ikea and you’ll find a wide selection of plain, frameless mirrors that can be easily leaned against the backs of bookshelves. Don’t worry if the mirror doesn’t completely cover the backs of the bookshelf. A collection of different sizes on a shelf will also make a shimmering style statement.

I also like these self-adhesive mirrors from Target. For $12.99 you get a set of three mirror tiles that would dress up any “Plain Jane” bookshelf. Lining just the upper-half of the bookshelf will give the eye a place to rest and will allow your favorite books to take the spotlight.

How much of our decorating DNA is passed down from family? I’ve mentioned in previous posts how I grew up in a home with pack rat tendencies. My parents were the first on our block to take recycling to extremes.  My older brother collected broken electronics, TV picture tubes and wire and to this day can’t pass up a curbside electronic toss-away without stopping. Thankfully, he is an award-winning engineer or we all would start to worry.

I am not immune to being swept up in the comfort of a pack rat home but because I’ve lived in such small square footage I’ve been forced to edit.  However, I have noticed that in all of the interiors I have decorated, including my own, I have channeled my pack rat DNA in the multiple layering of color, fabric and pattern that might feel and look too busy to some but it feels cozy to me.

Keeping scale and proportion in mind helps unify the look so your décor tips the scale towards cozy not crazy. 

In my current diminutive dwelling, I am still in search of bookshelves that can stylishly squeeze effortlessly into my design scheme so I have embraced the art of the “stack and pile” for now.

My collection of vintage books sits neatly displayed on a pair of bedroom nightstands and the TV armoire shows off hardcover books most people would reserve for their coffee table. A salvaged flea market chair with an extra-wide seat is the ideal landing for stacks of treasured design and art books and a metal tray below holds spillover of books that are oddly shaped or in paperback. 

Covered metal bins line up in the foyer and hide all of the DIY and how-to books that have guided me through many paint and fabric projects.  They are like my reliable design friends.

Think of  your piles o’books as movable displays.

Even the smallest amount of light can define a space or nook. I’ve always been envious of elegant libraries and galleries that spotlight framed art and photos with picture lights.  The simple act of viewing is elevated to an event.

Battery-operated picture lights are lightweight and affordable and radiate the right amount of glow to a dark corner or a humble piece of art. I bought these from improvementscatalog.com.

These lights clip onto any cabinet door or picture frame without leaving a mark. Move them around and use them over a mirror when you get bored.

Friends always ask me where I get my inspiration for design and I have to say travel is at the top of the list. On a trip to Rome, my friend Joe and I ducked into an old church to get an espresso and a bite at a famous café nestled within its walls when we fell upon this amazing exhibit called Lacrime di coccodrillo in the Chiostro del Bramante. Translated as ‘Crocodile Tears’ in English, this installation features a poodle with all the bones he could ever want surrounded by menacing purple crocodiles.

I just loved the irreverent sense of humor of this exhibit and the fact that it was tucked away in the middle of this historic church. I later found out that since 1983, colorful giant animals have been spotted around the world. Created by the Cracking Art Group, these animals are made from recycled plastic bottles and represent the art collective’s social and environmental ethic. Their goal is also to bring accessible contemporary art to the masses.

Photo by Aimee Herring Photography

We had so much fun playing around and with this exhibit (not sure if we were supposed to pick up the bones) and it instantly freed me from a conventional approach to interior design.  A sense of humor and irony goes a long way in diverting the eye from inherent flaws in a space.  Soon after that trip, I created my faux Louis XVI stool in my foyer and have been smiling ever since.

Decorating a home that is layered with art, mementos and fabric collected over time sets a mood that is instantly warm and inviting. I love to walk into a space that tells a story about that person and I enjoy uncovering the special small moments of their lives.

So this week’s blog is dedicated to adding little decorative details throughout your home that reflect a part of your personality or personal history. I added a vintage Hermès scarf to the top of my hand-me-down dress form because I lost the original finial that filled the top. Now, I love my mannequin even more because it displays a favorite scarf that I bought during my travels—my very first Hermès.

On my desk, a simple collection of erasers fills up a vintage glass apothecary jar. This grouping of found objects as ordinary as erasers makes me so happy and hints to my quirky personal side.

In a small space, decorative boxes are your best friends.  I immediately fell in love with these metal Pantone color storage boxes, which turned out to be the perfect storage solution for shoes. Pantone Inc. is the worldwide authority on color.  They set the standards for color used in the fashion and graphics industry.

The metal boxes easily fit into the nooks of my friend’s hallway bench, which I designed for her and now she doesn’t feel compelled to hide everything in her shrinking closet.

You can find these boxes at better art supply stores like dickblick.com.

If you can’t hide it, display it out in the open. Have fun.

Recently, I’ve gotten quite a few emails from readers asking about towel and linen storage solutions.  In a small space, towels and sheets can take up a lot of valuable real estate.

For me, I can’t live without a hotel style towel rack because of the volume of towels it can hold.  I got mine from organize-it.com.

Now I can stack over a dozen towels on this rack, maximizing my nutshell’s vertical space. My current rental did not have any towel hooks or bars, so I installed the towel rack myself using self-drilling dry wall anchors and screws.  I figured it was worth the $30 investment even though I would be moving in a year or two.  The landlord is happy with me leaving it behind.  I installed mine upside down because I liked that the curved end kept my towels from slipping forward.

It’s great for guests because they can help themselves, and now my under-bed storage boxes have plenty of room for sheets and throws.

I always push myself to adopt a “use what you have” design mentality. I had an old clamp light in my closet and part of a silver metal garland designed by one of my faves, Tord Boontje. You can find his light garlands in bronze and silver for a good price at lamplust.com

My friend had a horrible light fixture in her kitchen rental and didn’t want to spend a lot on a light that she would have to leave behind. I adapted the metal shade from the clamp light and placed it over the hanging lightbulb. Because metal shouldn’t touch metal directly, I used a rubber washer between the lightbulb and where the metal shade touched.

I draped the shade with the metal garland, which bends easily into any shape you need. It adds just the right touch of whimsy in her kitchen and she can actually take it with her when she moves on.

Spring has sprung again in wonderful NYC and for me that means moving furniture around, swapping out photos and artwork on walls and adding new little details in nooks and crannies. This season I added the look of birch to my nutshell, which I especially love in an urban setting. The contrast gives energy to a room. I recently rummaged through the floral district in Manhattan and picked up cut birch discs for $3.

I had to sand them down a bit to get a smoother surface on top but I liked keeping the natural bark around the discs for that rustic feel.

I use them to give height and interest to my stacked dishes displayed on open kitchen shelving.  Placed under a glass cloche, modest little bowls look like a fascinating still life.

Happy spring!

I have a few book collections that I love to highlight on display like my 1915 Funk and Wagnalls Mental Health Efficiency book series. I found them in my parent’s garage many years ago and, for that one moment, was happy about their pack rat tendencies. How can you resist a book that tells you how to overcome timidity and build personality?

The books looked a little drab on my bright yellow shelf so I took my friend’s advice and cut strips of wrapping paper and folded them around the outside of the books. So instead of armbands---these are book bands! No need to use glue or tape, which I wanted to avoid on vintage books.

You can choose to wrap your books in one color or pattern or, in this case, use a mix of patterns and colors that evoke a certain era or mood. I liked the vintage feel of the paper colors and patterns that are on the books now.

I used a squirrel nutcracker as my bookend, which I picked up at one of my favorite New York City stores called Mxyplyzyk. It is only $22 so I thought it was a steal. I used a fake walnut and painted it silver, which keeps the squirrel’s mouth and tail in the correct alignment. And yes, in case you’re wondering, I have a thing for squirrels!

Have fun and remember it’s the little details that don’t cost a lot of money that make your house feel like a home and reflect your true personality---refer to Funk and Wagnalls Volume lV page 106!

Even in if you live in a postage stamp sized nutshell, good lighting is essential. The first layer of light I like to create is a soft fill light---basically any light source you direct from above to bounce off the ceiling to light the dark areas of your space.

My challenge has always been to invest in lighting that I can take with me and that won’t require a heavy installation of any kind.  I recently had a custom shade made by Studio Jota at etsy.com that fit the bill on all counts.

Studio Jota has the colors and fabric patterns that I think are modern and fresh and the prices were incredibly reasonable for a shade made just for my space. I chose to go with the double shade with yellow Ikat dots fabric. They can make a pendant lamp into a plug-in light so it can easily hang it from a ceiling hook.  Just unplug it from the outlet and take it with you when you move on to greener pastures.

I used a self-drilling drywall anchor for my ceiling and then just screwed in a white cup hook available at any hardware store.  Don’t think you can skip this step. The hook alone without an anchor will quickly loosen its grip from the ceiling. I wasn’t worried about the lamp cord showing and plugged it into a dimmer switch so I could control the mood of the space at my fingertips.

The pendant lamp sets the right ambiance for this little reading corner and it gives me a piece of mind knowing that it can travel wherever my next nutshell will be.

Cake stands and footed platters are not just for the kitchen anymore. I have longed for the day when I can actually sit at a luxurious dressing table leisurely applying my blush and perfume behind both ears. Cue the ghost of Jean Harlow now!

Until that day arrives, I like to pile makeup, soap and vanity accessories on top of a cake stand that sits on my bathroom window ledge.  The footed platter adds just a touch of girly-glam to a rather ho-hum bathroom.

This footed platter is part of Martha Stewart’s collection at Macy’s and it is currently on sale.

For a personal touch, I glued false eyelashes to a postcard and added a freshly- kissed lipstick stain in my favorite shade of red. Vintage Coty face powder boxes remind me of what my mother used to use when I was growing up so they have a permanent spot on the vanity pedestal. 

Love is in the details so dress your petite abode with what makes you happy. 

It’s time to celebrate! The very last shot of the Living in a Nutshell book was snapped on March 23, 2011 at approximately 4:34pm! No champagne was popped since our photographer is happily expecting a little one, but we all cheered for joy!

I wanted to give you a sneak peek at a little idea that made a big difference on a second-hand dresser I bought for my niece’s bedroom. I loved the old-fashioned shape of the furniture piece but it needed to reflect more of a fun, less precious attitude.

I discovered this Australian based artist on etsy.com who creates the best design fabric decals for walls and furniture. I used her series of reusable doll clothes and displayed the garments on a make-believe clothing line. Miniature clothespins, found at my local craft store, were attached to the dresser with my favorite 3M repositionable strips.

Since kids grow up so fast and their tastes change like the wind, I wanted to make sure and keep the décor flexible and changeable.

I can’t believe we’ve shot 90 percent of the book so far.  My last shoot is in San Diego where I’ll be putting the finishing touches on my niece’s bedroom. It feels like a marathon but I finally see the finish line from here.

I learned so much from my collaboration with photographer, Aimee Herring in terms of angles, textures and colors that look best on camera. She captured my personality and allowed my true essence to come through with every image.

Aimee understood what I meant when I said I don’t live or design for perfection.  I design for real living and embrace the look of an unmade bed, creases in a pillow, uneven folds of a curtain and fallen petals from a vase of flowers.  Perfection is a nice goal but it stops too many people from attempting to beautify a space so surrender that concept and just go for it.

I was organizing my cookbooks the other day, giving away some to make room for new recipes, and I realized my go-to books looked a bit ragged with food, olive oil and a few wine stains.

I bought a pack of these hand drawn paper placemats from Paper Source and used them to cover my cookbooks.  They look great and are affordable enough to recover as need be. I added an orange ribbon as a bookmark.

In the world of texting, abbreviations fascinate me even though I don’t use them myself. Go ahead and LOL but BTW, I also stay away from cute symbols and smiling faces.

I don’t know about you but I hate the words craft, crafty, or crafter. Luckily, sites like etsy.com have elevated craft to an art form showcasing the work of so many creative minds out there who love to work with their hands.

I recently discovered a tool called the Fiskars Crank Hand Drill that instantly changed the way I create home accessories.  The product claims it drills a clean hole in paper, plastic and even metal. It is under $20 so I thought I would give it a whirl.

My next project is to transform a Lucite jewelry box with six drawers.  The plan is to add decorative hardware to the drawers. I was always hesitant about using a power drill on this project for fear of splintering the plastic, but now with this hand drill I have more control over delicate materials. In the meantime, I’m enjoying my candelabra all over again

Give it a try in your home. Enjoy!

A few months ago I was thrilled to discover chalk ink pens. I just love them. They are different than a paint pen since they leave a chalky finish and are the exact pens they use to write those wonderful menus at Starbucks and at French bistros.

I covered my standing mirror with chalky thoughts of the moment but hated the way my real handwriting looked.  Thankfully, one wipe of a damp cloth gave me a clean slate to do a redo. This time I used adhesive letters as my template and just outlined them with the chalk pen.

I am beyond happy with the results and now I can get my daily affirmations and smile. One note---if you want to give these pens a whirl in your space, not all chalk ink pens are created equal.  I have tried two generic brands and found that the Chalk Ink brand works the best hands down.

Chalk it up and have fun!

I spend the holidays for a few weeks in sunny California with my family so I never bother getting a tree for my New York City apartment. “Decking the Halls” always takes a back seat to last minute packing and shopping.

My friend reminded me how important it is to get in the spirit no matter how in-limbo you may be so I turned a white urn on my window ledge into my little Charlie Brown Christmas tree stand-in. I told myself I was going to stick to a USE WHAT YOU HAVE or UWYH design approach.

I bought these Jeff Koons inspired balloon dog ornaments at Urban Outfitters back in November thinking they would look cool framed on the wall, but they looked right at home sitting on a ball of moss in my white urn. One of the ornaments fell and broke but I used the back end of the dog and made it look like he was digging a hole, which is what a balloon canine would instinctively do, right?

I rubber-stamped green ribbon with HO-HO-HO in white fabric ink and tied it around the urn. It was fast, easy and I didn’t have to buy anything new.

Here’s wishing you and yours a very Merry UWYH Christmas and holiday season!

I’ve amassed a small collection of vintage letterpress letters, both wooden and metal, but they’ve sat on my desk recently with no direction and no sense of purpose. In the past, I’ve tried displaying them in several different ways—under a glass cloche, in a bowl, in a shadow box but I got bored.

Saturday I was adding to my ever-growing gray frame wall (yes, it’s become an obsession of late), and I started stacking one letter after another on the ledge of one of the open frames. It seems that 11 not 10 was the perfect amount of letters to fill out my collage. No nails or 3M adhesive strips were necessary. Love that.
I am most happy with the fact that it all can change around in a flash when I get another decorating itch.

More from the design front…

My love affair with felt started in the 4th grade when I went to a school fair and had enough money in my pocket to buy a little stuffed, felt owl magnet.  I remember examining every hand stitch and thinking that it was so perfect and soft. How did they get the edges to not fray? It’s the magic of felt. It’s no surprise that it has become a favorite material for me to work with when I design lampshades like this one above in my foyer... or appliqué pillows like this one I created for my friend Beth.

Style forecasters have been signaling the felt trend for interior design and fashion for the past few years now, and it has inspired me to become a little bit more adventurous with the material. 

Lily Yung’s amazing modern sculptures and wall hangings are all made from cut felt, and I thought it would be a challenging future project to take strips of wool felt (not the craft felt you find in most art supply stores) and weave them into a wall hanging and use it as a room divider. Or think about transforming a large sheet of wool felt and cutting holes and shapes into it like a repeat of butterflies (my fave) as an inexpensive space divider and sound absorber in your small space. Think about leaving some edges of the shapes still attached to the base material so butterflies appear to be emerging from the felt background.

Check out etsy.com for an affordable way to get custom die-cut felt shapes like circles, flowers, hearts and of course, butterflies. With Jack Frost ready to nip our noses, add some felt to your little nest for that extra layer of coziness we’re all looking for this time of year.

The trick to tufting the top is to use 2” split prong covered buttons that you just push through the top… straight down into the Styrofoam inside spreading the ends of the prong so the button stays in place. There’s no need to use an upholstery needle or tufting thread, and you don’t need to drill a hole through the wooden top.

Since split prong buttons require a specific machine to cover them with fabric (too expensive to invest in), my local upholstery shop was happy to help me out. They sold me the prong buttons and covered them for $3 a button.

• Paint your lightest color as your base coat first and make sure it dries at least 48 hours.
  
  
• Most of your time will go towards measuring and prepping the wall. Be patient and you’ll have sensational stripes. Measure the wall and figure out how wide you want your stripes and how many stripes per wall. Typical stripe width size can range from 4”-12”, but there are no rules.  Go with what looks good to you.
  
  
• Use high quality painter’s tape (this is no time to use a bargain brand) and tape off the areas for your contrasting stripes and burnish or rub all of the sides of the tape with an old credit card or wooden Popsicle stick.
  
  
• To prevent or minimize paint seeping under the tape, brush a very light coat of the same base color just along the inside seams of the tape. Let this dry for 20-25 minutes.  The idea is that the matching base color will fill any voids left under the tape, and if there is any seepage, it will be of the same base color anyway. Now paint with your contrast stripe color over the entire areas bordered by the tape. Once fully dried, you should have crisp, clean stripes. If you do have a few tiny touch-ups, don’t worry.  Paint can always be corrected.
  
  
• Just a side note, don’t leave painters tape on too long.  The adhesive might peel the wall paint off if it stays on longer than a day or it will leave a residue. As soon as the paint dries, remove the tape.

In a shrunken studio, you need to make every inch count! Layer small spaces like you would an outfit to create dimension, interest and texture.  You’ll be surprised how warm and inviting layers can add to your nutshell of a space. Think cashmere, silk, sisal, velvet.

Don’t forget the floor.  In this tiny apartment, there was no budget to buy a bigger wool rug, so I layered an inexpensive shearling rug (under $40) from Ikea and placed it at angle, which gave the illusion that the rug was bigger and it brought people into the space.

Remember to switch your layers around to keep things feeling fresh and new. That’s the fun part about design without commitment.

I am always leery about using real candles in a bedroom because of obvious safety concerns and particularly in my case, the bedroom has very low ceilings (5 feet and under in some spots) which made me nervous.  But I recently discovered one of the best flameless candles on the market.  There are so many out there to choose from but some of them look too faux... and the LED light bulb is not well hidden. I love these from flamelesscandles.net, which are made from real wax, have a blackened wick and flicker much like a real candle would. You can also get these candles with an automatic timer which will turn on the light at the same time every day. They run anywhere from $12 on up and they are exactly what I used for the Beth’s new bedroom space.

The sleeping loft has a very short ceiling height of 5 feet in most places and a little less than 4 feet if you are ducking under the beams that run across the ceiling. The list of challenges is pretty daunting:

1)  Make a small, dark space look big, bright and inviting with bold color and patterns.
2)  Camouflage an unsightly popcorn ceiling and large beams.
3)  Increase air circulation in a space that gets very warm.
4)  Create new storage that will fit in odd shaped spaces.
5)  Add glamorous, luxurious and romantic touches to a decidedly feminine space.
7)  Do all of the above on a tight budget and without bumping my head on the ceiling!

The wallpaper is by Schumacher and the color I chose is fawn which provides a gorgeous contrast to the newly painted turquoise and white walls. I just love the birds and the paper actually has a letterpress type of texture which makes it look very luxe.

The best Living in a Nutshell design tip: Extending the wallpaper design over the beam that hangs across the bed tricks the eye into thinking the ceiling is a little higher than it really is.  It also creates a beautiful “canopy” of sorts over the bed. We had to get rid of the popcorn stucco that was on that beam, and for a little extra the wallpaper guy was able to wet it down and scrape it off.

Check back often and see how I transform this sleeping loft into a glamorous Hollywood Regency inspired space complete with a mirrored lounge bar, gorgeous new bedding, tufted linen headboard... and just wait until you see what I do with the closet!

Good lighting can make or break a small space... and can help trick the eye into “seeing and believing” that your place is a little bigger, a little warmer and a little more glamorous than it really is.

My favorite project is to take a cool photo of a chandelier, enlarge it and print it out onto Duratrans photo paper with the help of my local digital printing shop. Depending on the size of your image, it can cost you between 50-80 dollars. Plain white battery operated LED Christmas lights (the ones with the flat head bulbs) hidden from behind the photo turn it into an instant illuminated piece of art.

Living in a small space, I am constantly looking for home accessories that have reflective surfaces---mercury glass, silver, Lucite, gold, and mirrors of any kind. They’re like important accessories for a plain outfit---attracting much needed light, shimmer and luminance. I just road tested a new Krylon spray paint which turns ordinary glass into a decorative mirror surface. It’s called Through the Looking Glass and a six ounce will run about $9.00.

Before you toss out your sagging, drooping, tired out sofa, re-plump and revitalize it with inexpensive poly-fill and batting. For my friend, I re-stuffed her Ikea slipcover sofa and matching chair for about $60. You can find bargains online if you buy a minimum of 15 pounds of poly-fill, which start at around $35.00.

Channeling a bit of Julia Child in my last mini-kitchen makeover, I soon realized the beauty and practicality of the ordinary peg board. I re-painted an old one with a lovely shade of green from Sherwin-Williams (verdant green #6713). I bought it in the glossy finish for extra shine and an easy to clean surface.

I bought two-dimensional cardboard letters that I decoupaged with contrasting paper and glued everything onto the peg board. They cost about $2.00 a piece. I bought Asker glazed stoneware cups from Ikea for $6.99 each that I hung with simple hooks. I filled them with flowers, takeout menus and spoons. You will find that these cups are very sturdy.

For a finishing touch, I hung an inexpensive accordion mirror on the backsplash, which I just love because you can see who’s sneaking up from behind (a feng shui “DO”) and it gives you a chance to check your makeup before you head back out with your tray of appetizers. Finally, tangerine orange chalkboard paint from Hudson paint gives you a place to jot down recipes and your to-do list.

Everyone has a trophy they don’t want to throw away but don’t know what to do with. I transformed some inexpensive trophies I bought from eBay for $2.00 and painted them turquoise for a more kitschy pop effect. Now they are whimsical pieces of “faux” sculpture that would look great on a bookshelf or dressing a mantel. I mixed in my new turquoise blue “statuary” with a collection of vintage beauty pageant trophies I absolutely treasure from the 1930’s. I also like the idea of giving “Best in Show” dog trophies a second life and painting them a glossy white. They would be a humorous and sweet nod to man’s best friend and a great way to add personality to a library or study. Look out for them at flea markets and yard sales. They are everywhere.

One of my very favorite designer inspired pieces is my Hermes coffee table with removable enamel tray. I smile every time I see it even though it is only an homage to Hermes and not authentic.

STEP #2:  Go to your local hardware store and buy a ¾” conduit hanger. I know, I know…it sounded like Latin to me too but tell the salesperson and he’ll know exactly what you’re talking about.  It comes with its own nut and bolt and should cost about 90 cents. You will also need a screw to affix the hanger on the wall. This will hold the light bulb in place on your decal.