Welcome

Welcome to SHM Designs where life is our inspiration. Our company designs interiors and exteriors of homes, furniture and accessories. We are passionate about creating a home which is not only beautiful, but comfortable and functional as well. Our number one goal in every design is to create such a feeling that all you can do is SMILE!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Making Pieces POP WIth Turquoise


I hope everyone has been enjoying this incredible weather. I have been so spoiled with the warmth that when I woke up this morning and it was only 32 degree's I was a little disturbed. But  it has turned out to be another gorgeous day so I need to quit complaining.

Anyway............ with all this warm weather I have been able to get some painting projects done.  I bought this cute little mirror at a consignment store a little while ago and have been dying to paint it.




But it is sooo hard to decide on a color because there are so many great colors!




This is such a wonderful ornate mirror but because of its small size it needs, in my opinion, a bold bright color that screams " NOTICE ME I AM PRETTY"! So I decided to give it just that......


TURQUOISE


Turquoise is such a great color. It can be mixed with alot of other colors or stand completely on its own. Take a look at a couple of rooms done in turquoise which I found at:

inspirationforhome.blogspot.com







homedit.com



In the above pictures, turquoise is combined with greens, blues, pinks, neutrals and even lavenders. Isn't amazing how well it goes with all of them. It is a color that's fresh and "happy"with just enough pop that makes you notice it but doesn't overwhelm you.

According to diy-stress-relief.com:

"Turquoise combines the calming, balancing qualities of green and the quiet flow of blue with the warmth of yellow."

Sounds like a perfect color to me.

Here's a look at my little turquoise piece.


I can't wait to hang it in the studio. It will give the perfect little POP to anyones room.

What color would you have chosen??? I would love to hear.

Take Care,
Stacy










Sunday, March 11, 2012

DIY Sunday: Top #3 DIY Projects

I been finding some great DIY project on Pinterest so I thought I would share three of my favorite's. I don't like to make posting promises but I hope to make Sundays my Top #3 DIY Project post.  We'll see how that goes. But take a look at my top three today all gathered from Pinterest.

#1 Mercury Glass Lamps



Great way to transform some Goodwill lamps: Krylon’s Looking Glass spray paint, which dries into a mirror-like finish. First, spray the body of your plain glass with clean water. While the surface is wet, spray it thoroughly with Looking Glass spray paint. The water will prevent the paint from completely adhering to the surface – exactly what’s required to achieve the characteristically blotchy look of genuine mercury glass. Let the paint dry overnight, and repeat the process.......
 
 I love this project. You could use this process to make anything you want to have the mercury glass look ( vases, lamps, Christmas decorations etc.) For a complete description of this DIY project go to the original source iVillage.com
 
 
#2 Lovely Lyrics Boards by thishumblehome.com
 
 
 
This Humble Home created a design for the lyrics in Adobe Illustrator and then she printed them out as 6x6in. squares (the size of these canvases) on white cardstock. She then painted the edges of the squares with black acrylic paint .She spread a thin layer of Mod Podge on top of the squares and carefully placed the printed squares on top. I used 3 coats, allowing to dry 20 min between each coat. The more coats = more texture

This is another great project that can be done using alot of different products. Just be creative. For a complete description of this project go to thishumblehome.com.


#3 Coasters by incrediblethings.com


This site does not give you the directions on how to make these, they are just the source I found them on.  To make:
  • Buy a piece of cork and cut to size.( 4 pieces across and down would make for a standard size coaster) 
  • Place the Scrabble pieces on top of cork spelling out any words you like.  This set of four Scrabble Drink Coasters features words dealing with alcoholic beverages.
  • Glue in place with a strong adhesive glue.
  • Spray top with a sealant to protect the wood pieces.
And.......Your done!  So much fun. This would also be a easy project to do with kids.

Hope you liked my DIY Projects!

Take Care,
Stacy







Friday, March 9, 2012

SHM Design Piece Headed to New York

Isn't it funny how things just unfold right in front of you. Well, the other day I went to the studio (to pay my rent) and ran into this wonderful women who I thought was just spending the day browsing antique and consignment shops (something I just love to do). Anyway, she started looking at a few of my home decor books which got us talking. I discovered that she was really searching for cool pieces for a friend of her daughters apartment. She had decorated her daughters apartment with some great finds she had picked up here and there and her daughters friends were so amazed at how it looked they asked her to do the same for them. She now has a line of young ladies waiting for her to decorate their places with vintage and antique finds. Thus, she is on the search for ALOT of pieces!

After looking around, she decided to get this great little coffee table.  I was not only excited about the sale and opportunity for a rehab (as I call it) but that ..........
they all live in New York City. I don't know why, but having a piece of mine in someones New York apartment just seems so......

HUGE!!!!!

Some of my favorite TV designers live in New York. Two of my absolute FAVORITES are the.......................

 NOVAGRATZ.




They truly have been such an incredible inspiration to me because they aren't afraid to try anything.....and..... they like to mix the old with the new ... which I LOVE TO DO!



Their home in New York.


Half court basketball court in their home.


Dining Room


 The kitchen... LOVE the chandelier.


Sitting Room : they made one wall a garage door so you could open it and bring the outside in. So much fun.


Now back to the coffee table..... The table is this great little piece with a leather top and the most beautifully craved legs.



The first apartment she is decorating is very french inspired. Therefore, we decided to remove the leather top and have Mark, my carpenter, replace it with a new wood top.






After looking at the Annie Sloan color chart, we decided to paint the entire piece with AS Paris Grey and then white wash it with AS Pure White. To finish the piece we would use both the AS clear and dark wax. I love how it turned out.







































I would love to hear what you think.  Have a great weekend!!!

Take Care
Stacy

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Eddie Ross and the DC Big Flea Market





Hello Everyone,

This Sunday was such an exciting day for me. First I got to spend the day with one of my best friends doing what I love to do most .... walking up and down aisle after aisle looking for fabulous finds. But what was a great added bonus was that  I got to see and listen to(for only a few seconds) one of my favorite designers and bloggers...........

EDDIE ROSS

I follow his blog eddieross.com  faithfully and always look forward to seeing his transformations. He has such an eye for home decor and accessories and really knows how to get the most for your money. Anyway, I actually knew that he was going to be there and was going to sign up to walk around and listen to him but wasn't sure want my time frame was, so didn't. I will definitely sign up for his next one. 

I was able to get a few shots of him from a distance.





It was a great show and I came home with a car load of goodies for a few cleints and my studio.  If you have a chance to go to the next one it is at the same place May 5 & 6. It is definitely worth the drive. I always like to go on Sundays because you get better deals. There were some booths that had everything 50% off.

Take a look at some of my finds:

I fell in love with this first piece. It is an old, cut glass canister which is so beautiful in and of itself, but what I discovered when I opened the lid was even more special.




When you open the lid this is what you find..... I had no idea what this was until the vendor selling it showed me......




This! It is a glass insert that you can fill with ice so that your beverage stays cold but doesn't get diluted. Besides needing polished.... It is in perfect condition.  What an incredible find!!!!!




I was super excited about this piece also.  It is a solid oak antique frame with absolutely beautiful carvings.  I am going to paint and wax it with Annie Sloan paint and dark wax and turn it into a chalk board. Another great find.





I thought these two chairs were so fun. I am going to paint them in a pure white and then add a colorful seat cushion. 



This piece will make a perfect side table with a basket to hold blankets or table in a bathroom to hold towels or toiletries or even in a child's bedroom to hold games or books.



I love these metal indoor/outdoor chairs!!! So much fun. New coat of paint and some cute fabric and these will be perfect anywhere.



Met a vendor who had 6 vintage suitcases in great condition.  Bought all 6 to make stacking side tables. 





I can never pass up a pretty chair or mirror. Loved this one. I am planning on painting it and putting it up for sale in the studio.



Loved this cute caned table. All it needs is a good paint job!




More suitcases in great condition!


Couldn't pass up on these beautiful cobalt blue martini glasses! Ten of them to be exact. Will probably use them for everything but martini's.



Well there you have it.... my Sunday flea market finds. Aren't they so much FUN.

Take Care,
Stacy