Hello Friends

Well, we decided to take the plunge and move over to blogger, until we can get all our content moved over, please head over to www.decoratinginsanity.com to find out about our past.  Until then, we will work out the learning curve with blogger and you will now see us here.

xo,

mONICa & eLAINe

Small Foyer Update for under $100

Decorating small entry ways can be challenging but should never be overlooked since it is the first impression visitors will get upon entering your home. Even if it's just a doorstep visit your visitor will get a glimpse into your personality  by way of the entry. Remember too that your entry area looks different from the outside view than the inside view, so it's a good idea to step out your front door and take a look from the visitors perspective. As you open the door what do you see, what does it say about you, and what do you want it to say? A small entry is the perfect place to show your personal style & interest.

If you don't have an entry at all, you can still create an area to use as a first impression wall, welcome space, key area etc.  Also,  don't be afraid to go bold with your decor, sometimes by adding bold wall colors, large mirrors and accessories this can give the room some much needed drama,  but remember even the smallest touches can add a lot to the space.

My entry way is  only 4 1/2 ft. x 5ft  with the entry door on one wall the hall way door on the opposite wall and the opening to the living room on the other wall. That leaves me with one wall to work with. Let me show you how I made the most of it.

First I added a large mirror (a thrift find-$25) mirrors always make the room look larger.

Then I went on craigslist to find a table. However it had to be narrow to avoid having the front door hit it when the door opens. And I found one for only $25.00.

And then for the accessories:

Some vintage wooded birds  that I fell in love with at an antique store. ($40 for the set) and a plant that I already had.

That was it! for basically under a hundred dollars I was able to have my entry say a little something about me.

Here are some great finds that would look great in an entry way.

Gold Wall Mirror

Small Wood Accent Table

Half Moon Table

Door Stop

 

French Country Wall Shelves

Mirror and Shelf Combo

xo,

eLAINe

 

Swanky Bathroom on a Budget

My bathroom has its original yellow retro tile(totally my style),  but the base cabinet was painted white and made the tile look odd, like it was a piece sitting there out of place. So what I did was paint the base cabinet the exact same color as the tile. Now it  has a cleaner look, like a cool piece of furniture.

I've continued the retro feel of the bathroom in an unconventional and affordable way. Both my husband and I love the rat pack because of listening to my father in-law reminisce about his fond memories of his 1960's weekend trips to Vegas when those rat pack guys use to sit and relax in the casino lounges after their show.  It was such a casual atmosphere where they were totally accessible to anyone who wanted to talk with them… so different from stars of today. In the words of my father in-law, "They were such cool guys!" At any rate, that was the inspiration for our bathroom. We wanted it to have a swanky feel to it. So, after painting the room two different shades  of blue, what we did is purchase a book of candid photographs taken by Sammy Davis Jr and cut out our favorites. We then purchased black inexpensive frames to put the pictures in, and voila! wonderful affordable artwork. Since I like to mix old with new we purchased  a large artsy picture of musicians from Craigslist for $20, and a couple of inexpensive store-bought pictures and accessories as well. It's not what you expect to see when you walk into a bathroom but I guess that s why everyone loves it, especially my father in law!

This is my swanky bathroom done on a budget.  For some swanky fashion visit us at Vintage Catwalk.

xo,

Elaine

I Love Panels

Ok so I was recently out on a thrift day when I saw this sliding panel. Cool, but what to do with it since it is made to be vertical and was part of a 3 door panel.  I knew there were 2 matching panels that originally went with it since I was just at the same store last week and passed on them since they were kind of pricey ($35 each).  Kind of regretted it because when I went back 2 had sold.  Well I just couldn't resist getting it for 10 bucks because it has that midcentury thing going on which I love!  so I bought it. It went so perfectly on the wall above my dining table and chairs. It didn't even need to be stain or painted. It is made of wood with a plastic insert that looks like rice paper, really cool! I just added some flush mount hooks on the back, $2 and 10min later, Voila!

Since you have not seen my dining room let me share a little bit about how we even got to the wall art portion of it.  The table I bought from craigslist.   Originally  it was a medium-brown nasty color. My husband just couldn't understand how I could be giving up a cute glass table…constant dusting (obviously something he did not partake in) and colorful chairs but new, for this ugly old thing that come out of the 70's  and someones garage, but once we stripped it and stained and painted it he saw the light!  He now love love loves this table. It has a cool grain pattern on it and is solid as they come -oak . I paid $40 for it!



The chairs also a craigslist find $12 bucks each. They originally were black and were used by the previous owner for some photography shoot. We primed and spray painted them to match the table. We left the velvety baby blue upholstery because it go's well with our decor.  They really are the perfect chairs…lightweight but super sturdy and comfortable. For $12 bucks each a great find!

This chandelier is modern from Osh hardware. I picked it up on sale for $60. I liked it because I has somewhat of mid-century look and the chrome matches my curtain hardware. I am hoping to change out the shades for round drum shades, That would complete the look I am going for.

After finding the great panel for my dining room, I saw this beige panel around two weeks later at another thrift store for $5 dollars and of course i immediately grabbed it! I am not sure yet what i am going to do with it but whatever I do end up using it for I am sure It will look great. I think the possibilities are endless, and for $5…right?

xo
Elaine