Home Sweet Office

i have been running into more people who are now working mostly out of their homes rather than commuting to work. Without question, if you are working from home you need a space to call your own. A space that will inspire you and keep you organized and productive. Not everyone will have the luxury of an entire room, but if you do, take a look at this room for some ideas.

This is courtesy of Sarah Richardson of her book, Sarah Style. 

This part of the room has a great desk and chair, nice light flowing in. The closet has everything for organization that you would need.the light blue and soft whites are soothing.

Love this other part of the room. Space to chill and lounge. The fabrics and blankets are so pretty.

Could be used as a guest room too, even though they aren't tradional beds. Everyone's needs vary, but this is a great room for work and then alittle relaxation.

I did the moss covered containers for centerpieces for a party and it looks awesome.
Posted by Debbiecraighomeinteriors on Thursday, March 12, 2015

Hi, just a quick where to shop WednesdayCaitlinwilsontextiles.com has great pillows. Check it out.
Posted by Debbiecraighomeinteriors on Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Where to Shop Wednesday. I've been seeing a lot of antique brass used on accessories, hardware, and lighting. Getting...
Posted by Debbiecraighomeinteriors on Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Happy First Day of Spring. Even if it's snowing, we can play with Spring table settings. I still love my Lenox after...
Posted by Debbiecraighomeinteriors on Friday, March 20, 2015

HOW'S YOUR FRONT DOOR? Friday, April 25, 2014

Our Front Door...it's the first impression our guests encounter as they enter our homes. It sets a first 

Impression, either Good or Bad.

Make sure your door is presentable, Clean, freshly painted, and the Hardware should be fresh and updated as well.

A new Kick plate is less than $30.00, the price of handles and knockers vary according to style and materials.

This is an all Wood Door. It was painted in Sherwin-Williams, "Warm Stone". I used an outdoor paint even though the door is coverd by a storm door. I chose a gloss finish. The color came off a color strip that I used in a room, just went a shade darker. Good way to help you choose a color, by going with a color family you like.

Found a store online that offers decals and chose the "Hello" one.

Added a decal, which I found on an etsy shop, www.single story.etsy.com . Make your door look unique and interesting. If you are interested in doorknockers, I did.post on them a while back. Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 24,2012. Dress your Bed

Bedrooms are our safe haven for rest and relaxing. I love a layered bed. The mattress cover is a must. A nice fluffy topper, if it's in the budget. This bed is in my daughter's room. She loved a comforter that is a twin size. The bed is a Queen. I just used it with the regular queen bedding. Use it for another layer and added color or pattern. Don't forget pillows. The more the better!

Monday, August 27,2012. FUNCTION, First

All spaces, no matter the size, need to be functional before they can be styled. Been thinking a lot about dorm rooms as I have two children heading off to college this Fall. This picture is a college room in a rented house but it is very small. It was arranged with function in mind and it does a lot for it's small square footage. This photo on the bottom shows a cube organizer from Target, that can be customized with colored boxes for added storage to hold all sorts of goodies. It comes in other colors as well. To the left of the cube are cute flowered hooks to hold items that you might need to grab as you exit the room, Like a backpack, jacket, or purse.

Behind the bed is a fabric headboard that just leans against the wall, as you don't want to make too
many holes in the walls of a rental. The windows are dressed up alittle with fabric flowers that can be
removed easily from the wall. Comfort is key for the bed, especially for college students as they spend a lot of time sitting on their beds and you want them to get a good night's sleep. I recommend a comfy mattress topper and lots of pillows and soft blankets, they can throw over themselves as they study, we can only hope they study..the desk is right by the bed and serves as the night stand too.

The closet is small, it is organized and holds a lot of items. With the doors removed, it makes it easier to get items in and out and there are fabric flowers to decorate around the moulding. Every inch of vertical space is used and there is a step stool to reach the items up top. You should take inventory of the type of items you need to house in the closet and then find hanging organizers and bins to put everything in neatly. Bed bath and beyond as these metal tables fold for easy storage. My daughter had a lot of input on this room and is a pro at organization. I am not the best organizer. We were a great team on this project.

Thursday, September 27, 2012. WALLS, WALLS

Wainscoting-paneling or facing, usually wood, applied to the walls of a room. I have done wainscoting in a few rooms, or should I say, my husband has and I supervise.  Below is a bedroom that has it with the wood running horizontally. I saw it done this way in a dressing room of a retail store and thought it was really cool. Stores are a great place to get ideas for rooms in your home.

The boards were painted a semigloss white color. 

This is a bathroom where the panels are hung vertically, the more common way to do it. The color is a semigloss green, that I love. It stands up to water and steam very well. 

Monday, January 20,2014 The One about Fabric and Food

Been seeing a lot of Otomi prints lately and decided to use it for a chair reupholstery project I am doing right now.

If you aren't familiar with the print, here is an example.
The print originated from the Otomi people. Thousands of cave paintings were discovered in Mexico and the interesting designs became popular all over the world. The Otomi people made these drawings describing healing, rites of passage, and worship. The hand embroidered scenes reflect these cave paintings from over 2000 years ago.

Here 

is an example of an embroidered Otomi printed pillow. This is from Wisteria.

Here the print is on a quilt from www.landofnod.com.

I don't usualy post receipes but I love to cook and thought if I had something worth sharing I would do that with you. I made this quick and flavorful salad for dinner. rachel Ray had demonstrated it on her show and although she paired it with steak I did it with salmon burgers. 

mushroom and celery salad. 

Serves 4

5 ribs of celery, cut crosswise to 3 inch thickness and then sliced thin lengthwise

Bunch of scallions, halved crosswise, sliced lengthwise

4 portobello mushrooms sliced thin with the gills scraped out

Shaved parmigiana-reggiano and fresh parsley

1 lemon

Sea salt and lemon

Put the scallions and celery in a bowl of ice water for about 20 minutes and then drain

Toss with the mushrooms and parsley( the fresh version really does make a difference in the taste)

Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the salad add salt and pepper to taste. And sprinkle the cheese as well.

And don't forget dessert.

I am a cookie addict. Here is a receipe from Giada DeLaurentis' cookbook, Giada's Family Dinners. These are the Chocolate Anise Biscotti. I made 8 dozen for a cookie exchange in December. 

So delicious with a hot cup of coffee or tea. enjoy!

Monday, July 1, 2013. July is Here

This is my porch at my home by the beach, a few blocks from sand and sea, but we still call it our beach house. Sometimes I sit here and write my blog.

Love my pottery barn outdoor furniture. It's comfortable and dries quickly. You can wash the cushions.

Outdoor lanterns are an easy way to decorate an outdoor space. You can change up the fillers in the lanterns or just put a candle in there. 

Thursday, February 6, 2014 Coffee Table Talk

This crazy winter weather is hitting all of us, in the North and in the South.. It gives you a lot of "inside the house" time and that means you can really think about little projects you want to tackle. So let me know what you might want to get some advice on or where to go to buy this or that. 

We have all been spending more time in front of the TV, with the Super Bowl, Olympics, and great movies to watch with the kiddies. Right in front of us is the Coffee Table.

How do you style it?

I think many times we just don't do anything with it because the family is always sitting around it and throwing stuff on it, right?

Well here are a few suggestions that may solve your coffee table styling issues..

Definitely have something to read on the table. An interesting book with pictures or magazines are easy to do. Sometimes I put things I want the kids to read on it so they will see it and pick it up.

This example shows how you can do a tray and a book and a plant and still have room on the side for drinks. A tray is great because it will add texture and also keep a few items contained for organization purposes.

It's a little hard to tell but in this picture there is a rattan tray, for texture, and there are a couple of candles. Candles are great for alittle "mood", even if you use a small votive.

This coffee table had a pretty piece of pottery, which might be a conversation piece and adds color. Flowers or some sort of natural element is a good idea too. Even a small game in a box, that you can just pick up and say hey, let's play..we have a game called Shut the Box, perfect for that. 

When I'm cooped up I COOK..

This is my Italian Chopped Salad,YUM!

Friday, January 31, 2014 The Lightbulb turns on, great idea!

Wallpaper is coming back in a big way. It can be used other places besides a wall.

In this photo, wallpaper is used to decorate the risers on the steps. How cool is this? The paper is cut to fit the rider, mode podgy is used to adhere to the wood, an exacts knife will keep all the edges clean and then finish with a coat of polyurethane.I have seen the risers painted but not wallpapered. Great idea!

Here is a graphic patterned nursery. While you may or may not be decorating a baby's room, can use the ideas here to style your own space. Notice the use of different scale of the graphic prints. One is large, one is medium, one is small. Some may find it busy, but I see it as interesting and energizing to the eye.

When planning a casual dinner, sometimes flowers canbe expensive. Here Rosemary, mint, and lavender are potted and used as centerpieces. They give off a light scent, but not overpowering to your dinner guests. You can use the herbs for a dinner you prepare later in the week. Love the earthiness of the clay pots and the white dinnerware. 

You could do painted chalkboard paint, draw the shapes or have a artistic friend help you out. It's functional for holding jewelry and looks like a work of art as well.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014 Where to Shop Wednesday

We have dug out of the snow , hope you have too. I was planning on visiting a a few shops in Avon but the snow started and I didn't get there.
I have a pillow obsession. I have them on every possible piece of furniture, indoors and outside as well. They just make me happy. I know you understand.
This site, The Prowl.com, has pillows I haven't seen before.

On a bed, a chair, as a gift

You can personalize with your dog's name on the pillow

Perfect as an engagement or anniversary gift. Goes with any style.

This one is ideal for a foyer bench or chair. You can pair it with a smaller colored pillow or patterned one as well

Grand inroad.com has this versatile piece,canbe an ottoman or a coffee table. I like the tufting and the large size.

Land of nod.com is a site you would normally go to for a bedroom, bu I found this lamp base and super cool shade. They would work in any room. The base comes in other colors.

Happy Shopping!