Shopping Around: Comp Shopping Good Better Best

Funny how after all the years I worked in retail, I won't pay full price for anything. Between shopping off season, sales, discounts and knowing which sources to go to, I find ways to save money and still create a stylish look for a home (or now an office) on a small budget. It's not about settling for less, but being flexible and creative when creating a space. Even when I planned floor moves at JCP, I'd present three options - Think Good - Better - Best. I see myself doing the same process when shopping around for a project - wanting to get the most bang for your buck. Originally, I had included a beautiful piece I spotted online at ZGallerie - Blossom Melody - good, but priced at $300. When I took my client shopping, and showed her, she really liked it, but I sensed she was taken back by the tag. Keeping that in mind, along with adding up the other items needed for the makeover, I kept an eye out for a lower priced replacement.

ZGalllerie - Blossom Melody - $300

 

 

 

REVISION TO POST: Found exact match for a $200 SAVINGS

 

Blossoms Wall Art at Bed Bath and Beyond only $99

 

World Market - Garden Party

I thought I had found the right replacement at World Market - Garden Party by Jodi Maas - a canvas, slightly smaller than the ZGallerie canvas, but better priced at $99 and on sale for $79. The colors are perfect (the shades of green/blue) and the organic lines will be a great contrast to the Bradstreet Slipper chairs I found at Wayfair. But Saturday, the deal got even better...

 Lowes - Ode To Spring

While out Saturday, I popped in Lowes. No joke -- Out of the corner of my eye , while on my way to the restroom, I noticed that blue-green color in a box I had just passed by. I walked back to it and pulled up a great looking blossom canvas, even better than the one at World Market (because it had more blossoms, less branch and no orange) -- but the BEST part was the price: only $39.98 for Lowes - Ode To Spring Would you believe, I put it back... walked away... and said, "No, I'll regret it." So I went back and got it. When I put it in my holding space with the other items I've collected for the makeover, I couldn't be happier! This gives $200+ back into the budget to put towards something else (like a console table).

 

The colors keep changing in the light...

 

The Bradstreet Slipper Chair has blue + Green + Grey in it - LOVE it!

The picture on the floor is of 2 olioboards I printed to one cardstock for my notebook.

Patience pays and again, not all great deals are online. NOT that I'm knocking e-commerce at all: great to "know-before-you-go" shopping, what stores are  charging for the item you're looking for. Than you'll know if/when you're getting a good deal at a brick & mortar store. Some other finds I spotted at Lowes...

 AWESOME Greek Key pillow covers at Lowes...

 

Yes - Only 6.98!

 

Window panels with fretwork banding...

 

Since the blossoms canvas will be in the reception area, these two smaller canvas pieces can work on the bookcase in the office to give it a little color...

"IF" there is extra money at the end of the project, or the client decides she REALLY wants the ZGallerie one (and won't mind going over budget), I'll gladly go do an exchange run. And there is a pretty cool connection to the ZGallerie Blossom Melody wall art: the artist, Lynlie Carson, is from Arizona. In the meantime, its become an inspiration piece along with her existing Tao wall art to remain...

 

Client pieces (above) inspired the original concept (below)...

 

UPDATE: Space has been installed since post - and client (plus her clients) are THRILLED with the end result! Post + tour coming up shortly!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

 

SNEAK PEEK: CHANDLER OFFICE REDESIGN

Seeing an email of four little words brought a smile to my face: "your order has shipped" means I can continue the course as planned! The plan isn't for me, but for a doctor's office makeover & update project I'm working on - my first here in Arizona! Happy and grateful for it. The project had first started out as helping to pick out a replacement sofa... and then some chairs... then the office space... and grew to include updating the adjoining reception area. For the reception area, I picked out a pair of stripe slipper chairs from the Angelo Surmelis Bradstreet collection I spotted on Wayfair.com. Before purchasing them, I wanted to see a swatch of the actual colors - but at the site, none were available. Not a problem though: I occasionally tweet with Angelo, so I sent him a DM (Direct Message) to ask if a swatch was available, and he gave me the email of a contact. About two weeks later, I received a postcard image of the chair (as a settee - looks great!) with a swatch. When I went to my second meeting for the office makeover, I was able to share the image and swatch with my client - and she loved it. After firming up a few other selections for the makeover, I placed the order and it's shipping! Now I need to brave the cold temps outside to re-organize the garage to make space for this Wayfair order... plus a few other items I picked up locally and the pieces I'm having shipped here for the makeover. Here's a peek at the process...

Sample from Angelo...

 

Love the look for the space - Just may need to stain the legs a little darker: more black - less red. 

 

Using Olioboard, I was able to create these info pages, making it easier to make selections during my second meeting with the client. Keeping all project info (samples, Olioboards, sources) together in a binder makes it SO easy to show during meet-ups and when shopping locally.

 

Bradstreet Slipper Chair pair - by Angelo Surmelis - at Wayfair

I actually got these for a really good price. When I first saw them online in December, they were on sale then back to regular price, then on sale again PLUS an extra 10% off!

Having extra samples of paint swatches makes it much easier to carry into store to match VS the entire color deck. I also picked up the two wall color paint samples at my local Benjamin Moore (Desert Green for main office area and Jack In The Beanstalk for the reception area). Since the green changes color with lighting and other items in the space, I also picked up a color I found online called "Unusual Grey" (and oh is it!) from Sherwin Williams. I'm painting these onto foamcore panels as samples rather than mess up her walls (she still needs to see clients).

 

 Blossom Melody Canvas at Z Gallerie 

Above is wall art for the reception area I spotted online at ZGallerie. When we went on a shopping trip two weeks ago, I showed it to my client and she REALLY liked it - but it's $300. We're not totally removing it from the plan - it depends on other expenses. I spotted an option for less the other day when I popped into World Market, and it's on sale...

 

 

Garden Party at World Market

 Going vertical in the small space may actually work better...

And it will still have the same feel from mixing the graphic stripe chair with the organic abstract wall art...

 

(existing reception area space)

After spending a day together shopping, I observed more about my client to make me revise my plan. Above is my original concept for the reception area + counseling area. The counseling area is a little too contrasting with the B&W pattern. To sooth & calm the space, but still have pattern, I opted for more grey & white pattern with touches of black. To give more light to the space (gets very dark in the late evening when she is still seeing clients) I'm going for white drum shades...

 

Original counseling area concept (above)

Revised counseling area concept (below) 

I really wanted to have used these window panels (below) in the counseling area, but the actual pair in the store (JCP) has a more warm-taupe background VS the more icy-cool image shown online. Since there is a taupe stripe in the  slipper chairs, I'll use them in the reception area.

Steeple Grey Studio Hudson panels at JCP.

Although these panels are on back-order online, they are available at the store.

 

Chloe Sofa in slate at Macy's.

The sofa was ordered too, but that will take a little longer to ship out because the grey fabric selected wasn't a stock fabric - The sofa is scheduled to arrive in LA by early March, and be delivered the following week, which is when the space will be painted, and new light fixtures will be installed. Although I was hesitant on the fabric selection (only available in velvet) the classic style & tufting are great for the space - but more importantly the SIZE is perfect. This was the first sofa choice I had shown my client, and any other option just didn't measure-up. Seriously: many sofas are 80+ inches and love seats are too small. This is an apartment size sofa at 76" which will fit perfectly to replace the existing sofa.

 Ordering the screen today - The organic print will give balance to the graphic prints in the space plus relate to the existing (and sentimental) wall art: a trio of signed Tao prints.

I'm still hunting for a pair of (reasonably priced) oval back chairs - preferably in an ebony finish with a grey & white pattern. I'm not opposed to thrifting & refinishing them myself, but haven't found them here yet. Maybe today will be my lucky day :) 

Wish me luck

Thanks for stopping by!

Rental ReStyle: Guest Room Ready for Under $400

During the past two weeks, I've been purging closets and storage areas, making donations to local thrift establishments and sending donations to New Jersey Sandy Survivors. With the spaces being cleared, it made it easier to get the house holiday ready. Last year at this time, we were just getting settled from moving from Florida. This year, we'll actually be having a guest: Jeff's mom is flying in tonite from Georgia to spend Thanksgiving with us. Using items I already had plus some pieces I've collected from thrift this year, I was able to convert the last room in a rental home into a guest space for under $450. Mixing in wood pieces and collected baskets added texture plus helped warm the otherwise grey + black + white space. I created another gallery wall with photos I captured in Florida & framed. Because most pieces were already on hand (minus the sleep sofa), the space was done in a day. What helped a lot was the existing neutral foundation of gray walls and the beige carpet. 

Here's the breakdown: 

Pieces I already had: reused and shifted from house:
- Charcoal Ikea panels (96" $20 2011)
- Black Wicker Chair ($60 thrifted in FL 2010)
- Various Shells collected from FL & San Diego (2007-2012)
- Framed Photos: I shot 5 of 7, two are prints (had since 2005)
- Bamboo Ceramic Lamp (Read: My $1 Lamp Find 2010)
- Square lampshade (had from 2005)
- White Throw ($10 Homegoods 2009) 
- Pair of geometric print pillows ($18 Homegoods 2011)
- Pair of ZGallerie Euro pillows ($30 2011) with grey linen C&B covers ($20 2008)
- Large Sunglasses Print (had since 1986 - picked up frame at Ikea 2011)

Finishing Touches (mostly from local AZ thrift)
- Wood & Brass Trunk ($10 Goodwill Chandler)
- Wicker stool ($6 Goodwill ReDesign Store Scottsdale)
- Wicker planter turned to side table ($3 Thrift Treasures Chandler)
- Wicker Urn ($12 Salvation Army Scottsdale)
- Wood & Brass Bar Cart ($5 Goodwill Mesa)
- 4 Round Baskets (3 on wall + 1 as top on urn) ($2ea various Goodwill's in Chandler
- Bowl Basket ($3)
- 2 Mexican Blankets ($3 ea Goodwill)
- Window panel Rod ($12 Ross)

 

One Big Purchase: Black Armless Microfiber Sleep Sofa $149 found at a store here called Garden Ridge. The store just opened in July and it's like a Home Depot for decorators. (More about them in another post!) Jeff had a rewards card he was able to put towards purchasing sleep pillows and a full sheet set, which fit perfectly into the trunk for storage, without taking up any extra space in a closet. The trunk is light enough to push to the side when the sofa is open to sleep. And I kept the space by the window cleared of furniture, for our guest (Jeff's mom) to be able to put her luggage. 

 

 

In the guest bathroom, I cleared the vanity for guest toiletries and a stack of cleaned guest towels. The medicine cabinet turned unto a great little space to put collected hotel toiletries to use. I also repurposed some glass candle holders to hold q-tips, cotton balls and a few smaller bottles. The holders were the free ones you get when you buy mini candles at Bath & Body Works.

 

 

Downstairs space Before:

Rooms transformed into a Indoor Garden Room (read more: here), a Guest Bath Room (read more: here) , and now the adjacent Guest Room.  So even though we're living in the desert, our guests and us still have a seaside-like spaces to retreat to...

 

 SEE: Indoor Garden Room

SEE: Guest Bath Room

 

Guest Room

 Hope this helps inspire you and shows that it need not take much to pull together a guest space or a small space on a small budget - with a little shift and shopping thrift!

 Thanks for stopping by!