FOCAL POINT STYLING: April 2014

Saturday here felt like a winter day: Overcast, super windy, and temps dropped back down to the 50's! But Sunday, was like the rubber-band snapped back to Spring, so I headed out to take in the sunshine and do a little thrifting. Since I did a major purge for this years spring cleaning (taking so many items to consignment and others to donate) I wanted to pick up a few new additions to refresh what I already have. One of the items I started collecting through thrift here in AZ are sifting baskets for wall decor. I'm not necessarily committing to doing a gallery wall of a collection (yet!) but adding these sifting baskets is a great way to incorporate southwest living into the story of our home. When I lived in Florida, I loved walking our neighborhood and cutting fresh palm fronds, and when we'd travel, I'd collect some sort of seaside treasure. Here in AZ, most of the palm trees are WAY out of my reach to cut - but Sunday while I was thrifting, I lucked out with both: thrift scores AND palm fronds - perfect natural additions to refresh for Spring and Summer...

Beautiful woven pattern!

Unbeatable price for wall decor...

NYCLQ scores!

One of my first thrifting basket finds here in AZ, from back on 2012...

I had used mixed with B&W photos (I shot in Italy) in our bathroom here in AZ...

I found this tall woven basket, great for a Majesty Palm, also back in 2012. It was lighter - You can see how i made it darker in my previous post: How to Stain a Wicker Basket. It's super easy and gives a richer look plus highlights the natural texture of the weave...

Also back in 2012, I lucked out and scored these palm fronds from the local landscaper...

But since then, I've only seen palms too tall, or on peoples private property...

This mother-load was at the entrance of the plaza where the thrift store was located...

Not the elephant ear palms I'd use in FL - but still beautiful and will add drama... For Free!

Since I found another tall basket container, I'll probably stain this one too...

I already used the other one in the corner of the living room. The blue & white vase is a thrift find I scored a few weeks ago at a 50% off sale at Goodwill. I liked this one because if its size, and it also had a little green mixed in...

As for the palms I scored Sunday -

I washed them off in the back yard before bringing them inside...

Great for another previous find, at Target - Love these modern urns...

The framed fabric wall art I made a few years back still works great - Here's the post if you'd like to read - How Make a Framed Fabric Focal Point

I have a bag of sand in the garage, I'll use in the glass cylinders with the white candles...

The mirror was a clearance find from JCP quite a few years back. It's been black, last summer I painted it blue (see Relaxed Summer ReStyle), and for holiday I painted it gold (see A Non-Mantel Mantel Display), and still works great in the living room...

While I was doing my Spring Cleaning, I gathered all the sifting baskets I've collected, and gave them another bath outside - let them dry good in the sun and gave them a coat of clear sealer, which is what I'll do with the new sifting basket finds, before I bring them inside to put up. By the way: See that patch of lighter green on the 'turf'? That's what the Arizona sun has done, reflecting off the bare glass window - The only shade we get is when we open the umbrella, but it can't stay open all the time because of the summer dust storms. This place is CRAZY HOT during the summer - Spring & Fall are the best times to enjoy outdoors (especially any painting) here in AZ...

Not yesterday, but last week I found these unique woven thrift finds...

I had found three, but I only got the two because I was looking for that "something" to layer into my Spring / Summer bedroom makeover, and these worked great! here's a peek...

The pops of blue + white + wovens have really helped restyle the bedroom with a refreshed look for Spring / Summer - especially since we're renting and I can't just run out, buy paint, and repaint the room again...

Here I used an oval sifting basket as a tray - I think it too was only $2 from thrift... and it works with the burlap covered lamp shade I scored when I found the lamp, thrifting a few weekends ago - Be sure to check out my Thrift Lattice Lamp ReVamp and Spring Vignette post too...

There's a LOT you can do for very little when shopping thrift to restyle your house into a home... Gotta love the thrill of thrift - truly a way to personalize your home's story...

What have you thrifted lately?

Thanks for stopping by,

Thursday evening kicked off this years 10th Annual Design On A Dime fundraising event at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. This is New York City’s most popular interior design benefit, with tons of talent and designer donations all cleverly creating well thought out various and unforgettable room vignettes with new (donated) merchandise. The merchandise sells for 50% to 70% off retail pricing at the DOAD fundraising three day event. All of the profits from the Design on a Dime event help Housing Works “Get A Room” for homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. You can read more about the Housing Works organization in my previous post, About Housing Works Thrift & Design On A Dime plus also take a behind the scenes peek at how one of the participating designers, Patrick J. Hamilton, created his vignette at another previous event, Charity Causes: How To Get Vignette Set -- And also be sure to see all the behind the scenes before and after pics of this years DOAD event at Mon Oncle, by Rio Hamilton. Living here in the southwest, I wasn't unable to attend, however thanks to social media, here is a collection of just a few faves from this years vignettes, shared via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram during the event...

Love the Spore Mirror, (part of the Barry Dixon Inc Collection at Arteriors) in this DOAD room vignette designed by Patrick J. Hamilton - The perfect balance of both masculine & feminine created in a space...

Truly a clever application and even play on words - 'design on a dime'. Attendee Jonathan Legate learned the prints on the back wall were sheets of paper in poster frames. The paper is a gorgeous marble paper from Thailand, available at: Paper Source. (They actually have a location here in Scottsdale!!) Each sheet is 25" x 37" and only costs $8 each. Talk about getting the most bang for your buck - That wall is a WOW factor!

LOVE the application of the arched mirror, used to create a window within the bookcases, for this vignette...

Tamara Matthews-Stephenson (second from left) and DOAD guest Jonathan Legate.

LOVE the fabric wall covering...

Director of the Design on a Dime Event, Mel Alvarez (left) with designer Tyler Wisler & his beautiful assistant Paula.

Proud Robin Baron in her DOAD vignette.

DOAD designer Nicole Gibbons posing in her vignette.

Michael Tavano Design DOAD room vignette...

And last but not least, one of many faves from this year's 10th Annual Design On A Dime room vignette designs... A room inspired by Carrie Bradshaw's Closet - How it would be today...

The room started with this GORGEOUS Greek Key wall covering from Lee Jofa, and transformed into...

DOAD room vignette design by Marks & Frantz Design - Carrie Bradshaw Today

Both photos by Rick Lew Photography

Unbelievable - the talent, dedication and hard work that went into all of the room vignettes and coordinating this special event... Truly amazing! For a complete list of all the designers and list of sponsors, visit Design On A Dime at Housing Works...

Design On A Dime - Founding Chair - James Huniford (pictured here with DOAD designer, Robin Baron).

Thursday evening may have been the Opening Night Reception, but now the event is open to the public: April 25 & 26... So get out in NYC and shop for a great cause!

Congrats to all and thanks for stopping by!