FOCAL POINT STYLING

Coastal Cottage Moodboard Challenge Wrap-Up

Even though many of us are packing up our summer details to get ready for Fall, many people still love, live, and admire Coastal Cottage style! And most recently, I was invited to participate in a collaboration with six other bloggers and Olioboard, to create roomboards representing our take on Coastal Cottage style. We each selected a room, and it's interesting to see how an entire home could be created from the looks we styled. Here are the bloggers, their boards, and my boards too:

The Coastal Cottage Studio / Library

Roomboards by (me!) Lynda - blog author of

FOCAL POINT

I had imagined the studio was for either a fashion designer or for a painter. I really enjoy the flexibility for creativity Olioboard offers - so I made two boards. Your can read more about the details for them at my Coastal Cottage Challenge post. Click link below each board to read aboiut each bloggers board as well...

The Coastal Cottage Home office

Roomboard by Lindsay - blog author of

Living With Lindsay

The Coastal Cottage Bedroom

Roomboard by Kristi - blog author of

Addicted To Decorating

The Coastal Cottage Dining Room

Roomboard by Shannon - blog author of

What's Up Whimsy!

The Coastal Cottage Living Room

Roomboard by Rhoda - blog author of

Southern Hospitality

The Coastal Cottage Front Porch

Roomboard by Rachel - Online Editor at

Fresh Home Ideas Magazine

The final board is being posted today at the Olioboard blog

The Coastal Cottage Kitchen

Roomboard by Sheilah - Co-Founder of

Olioboard and Olioboard's blog author

It was a fun collaboration of bloggers, and getting to see every one's different perspective and spin on Coastal Cottage style. I hope seeing all their boards helped inspired you to head over to Olioboard to design a roomboard of your own. You can use it to pull together your thoughts for autumn or holiday decorating, a room makeover, or even use Olioboard to plan your next tablescape or party event.

Are you already using Olioboard? What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

LYNDA QUINTERO-DAVIDS

Hello and Welcome to Focal Point Styling! I'm Lynda - sharing simple solutions to style & organize your home, fashion & decor trends, savvy shopping tips, market events, plus local love from the places I've experienced. I started this blog back in late 2009 when I lived in Miami. In 2011, I moved to Phoenix, AZ and rented a house until late 2014, when I relocated back east to the Triad in North Carolina - Join me on my journey!

Translating Trends: A Mix & Match Wall Art feature @ Simplifying Fabulous!

Tis' the week for features - and I am ever so grateful!! About two weeks ago, I got asked if one of my photos posted on flickr could be used in a blog post, and I said sure. I stopped over to check out the blog and it's very well organized - without all the "stuff" we usually fill our sidebars with. It's light, bright, easy to navigate and filled great design advice. It's author is a New York Interior Designer named Robin Baron. The blog is called Simplifying Fabulous.

NYC Interior Designer - Robin Baron

About Robin Baron: "Robin is a creative, energetic New York City native, and has successfully built her interior design firm, Robin Baron Design, over the past twenty years. Robin began her career as a fashion designer. She understands that like fashion, home design has a significant influence on attitudes and inspiration. Robin is the Home Décor and Lifestyle Expert of SheKnows.com and the Green Home Expert of Ecoplum.com. She has appeared as a home design expert on radio and television shows such as LX TV’s “Open House” and featured in many magazines and newspapers."

On her blog on Tuesday, she featured great advice on the latest wall display trend: The Gallery Wall. She walks you through the steps from your first thought of - "You have a blank wall. What should you do?" to giving examples of how to create a "Mix-and-Match" wall art look on your wall - which is where Robin featured my mirrors with b&w photos we have in our living room...

THANKS FOR THE FEATURE ROBIN!

Read Robin's: "Translating Trends: Mix-and-Match Wall Art"

featured at Simplifying Fabulous

The ironic thing is though... on Tuesday, for my Fall Transition this year, I warmed up this little area with a shot of red, a touch of gold, and a $5 thrift lamp I refinished with an ebony stain...

More about those projects & updates next week... so stay tuned!

Have a wonderful weekend and

thanks for stopping by!

And stop by and see me Pinterest!

LYNDA QUINTERO-DAVIDS

Thanks for the FOCAL POINT feature @ The DIY SHOWOFF!

Since I started blogging, back in late October 2009, I've met some pretty talented and extraordinary people out there in blogland. One of the sites I've come to love and admire is The DIY ShowOff founded by Roeshel S of Butler, PA. She's a serious DIYer who has been featured at Apartment Therapy, Flea Market Style, and Better Homes and Gardens. Most recently Roeshel participated with a few other fine DIY Bloggers in a Shaw Floors and HGTV Home Design Challenge. Roeshel regularly hosts a wonderful blog link party every Sunday called the Project Parade, where she not only shares her latest DIY project, but bloggers get to share their DIY projects with each other. This past weekend I stopped by the party... and today she featured my blog and project. The posted is simply called: FOCAL POINT. Stop by and check it out!

I'm honored and greatly appreciate the feature.

THANK YOU ROESHEL.

You and your blog are AWESOME!!

With all the projects Roeshel has accomplished, I'm flattered that she said:

"If you're wanting to do a gallery wall, you must read her No Template Tips. I want my dining room to look like hers. Lovely!"

Along with this project, she include two others.

Check out Roeshel's post at The DIY Showoff!

Thanks for stopping by... and Thanks again Roeshel!

LYNDA QUINTERO-DAVIDS

I've been pinned!! Now what?

I've been pinned!! To some people, that could sound deathly - but to bloggers, DIYers and creative social networking enthusiast, it's a delight to behold. Although I had stumbled upon the site earlier this year, I've been avoiding joining it for two reasons: I already belong to about a dozen other sites and it's challenging to keep up with all of them. I do also already have a system for saving inspiration images that I am familiar with and it's easy for me to do - so what is the draw to this site? I don't know yet, but I'd have to say it's probably the "share" factor and it's easier to see what's on a board vs. what is tucked into a folder?? What do you think?

Pinned!

I just joined Pinterest. Do you have any advice or tips? What do you think of Pinterest? Do you pin? How often are you pinning? How long did it take to start pinning and get your boards organized? How often do you use it? What's to become of all your saved folders you've already acquired?

Pinned!

Well, I'm off to go explore the site some more, start following pinners, hopefully do a little pinning today and probably watch the video tutorial. Wish me luck! And to those of you who have pinned me - a HUGE THANK YOU!

See more of what's been pinned at:

NCYLQ - FOCAL POINT - BLOGSPOT

on Pinterest

Thanks in advance for your tips & advice on Pinning.

And thanks for stopping by!

LYNDA QUINTERO-DAVIDS

7 Days 7 Bloggers 7 Moodboards – The Coastal Cottage Challenge at Olioboard

Hey everyone & Happy Monday!I I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend - with friends family and projects! For this Monday's Moodboard Monday, I'm kicking off the collaborative blogger feature happening over at Olioboard. I was invited to join a team of 5 bloggers, plus the Olioboard co-founder Sheilah MacSporran to bring you the Coastal Cottage Challenge. Each of us bloggers selected a room in a cottage to design and a day of the week to post about it. In seven days you'll be seeing seven completely different takes on Coastal Cottage Style. I can’t wait to see what we all come up with!

Click link to read more:

7 Days - 7 Bloggers - 7 Moodboards

Coastal Cottage Challenge

So come follow the team along and together we'll learn some tips and tricks for pulling off this sea side look and building your own board on Olioboard. The room I selected was the Studio / Library, but my coast I had in mind when designing my board was someplace in Europe - think the coast of England... (click board to enlarge image)

Cottage Chic Studio - Board Within A Board

by Lynda Quintero-Davids

One of the applications I enjoying using on Oliobaord is the ability to upload your own images. This is great because you can easily add your inspiration images to your board, which really helps to set the "mood" for it. I tend to use my inspirational images off to the left, and then build the rest of the board with the items I'd select for the space. For this Studio / Library, I imagined more of a workspace for an upcoming fashion designer. The ikat print of the sofa relates to the Tudor style exterior of the cottage. Lighting is important, so this studio would have a mix of overhead lighting for the work space, lamps on the desk and within the conversation area, and hangman-like scaffold light fixtures grazing the textured walls. Bookcases are a must and they would anchor the space as the focal point, running along the back wall. Turned leg style furnishings would mix with functional clean line pieces for an eclectic coastal mix. Adding to the coastal style would be the rustic reclaimed timber floors. A mix of black and white patterns would add playful sophistication creating a chic cottage studio.

For the above board, I created a "board within a board", to be able to show the elements used set as a room, but you can still get a sense of the mood. Below is the smaller board within the board...

Cottage Chic Studio by Lynda Quintero-Davids

If the studio / library were for a painter, I'd include more mobile bookcases and industrial pieces for the space, like etegers on casters and rustic wooden carts for side tables. Less textiles would be used in the space, but storage baskets could hold them, (like extra pillows or throws for a chill). Ladders and lighting again would be important to use in the space. Although still with its rustic charm, a chrome sawhorse glass top desk would add some shimmer and shine to reflect light in the space. The stone walls would be painted white, and be used to showcase the painters creations in the studio. And not all storage would be open. I'd also include some concealed storage with a rustic buffet, that would be weather worn and covered in multiple layers of dripped paint. A slipcovered sofa would make for easy clean-up... or on a whim, the painter could create a pattern of her own...

Cottage Chic Painters Studio by Lynda Quintero-Davids

I hope you enjoyed my tour of boards for the Studio / Library in my version of coastal style. Be sure to stop by and check out tomorrows cottage room: The Home Office designed by Lindsay over on her blog Living With Lindsay. Lindsay is a DIYer and home decor crafter with a zeal for budget decorating. She’ll see a great item in a store or online and create it at a fraction of the cost. If you’re creative hands are itching for a great project, follow Lindsay. She’ll point you in the right direction and give you all kinds of tips to help you out.

7 Days - 7 Bloggers - 7 Moodboards

Coastal Cottage Challenge

And don't forget to stop by Olioboard to make some of your own boards. They have a great assortment of shops on their site for you to create the room of your dreams. You can create sets of some of your favorite items, follow other board moodboard members, or even join in on some board challenges. It's a great site - fun and easy to use. I love it!

Thanks for stopping by!

LYNDA QUINTERO-DAVIDS

How To Make A No Template Gallery Wall

While cleaning out closets for the garage last week, I pulled together a group of frames I had collected - mostly from thrifting. Although some of the frames and pictures I sold during the sale, there were some I had been meaning to put up. I've been wanting to make another gallery wall in the dining room, so Monday I dove in and just did it...

Without running out to buy anything new and using what I already had, here is how I made this gallery wall...

Use what you've got.

I've gathered a collection of frames through thrift & free ones being discarded at my old job. I cleared the space in front of wall and start configuring layouts. After I got the configuration I wanted, I took pictures of the layouts and did a little editing. I didn't want the wall completely filled, so I didn't use some of the frames / mirrors.

Measure twice - Nail once.

I usually like to use the top of windows or doors as a "water mark" or guide for a starting point. My windows are 12" from the ceiling, so that's where I wanted the top of the frame to line up. I measured from picture wire to the top of the frame to know distance for nail hole. For the side-by-side pictures, I used a level. Since my wall is dark, I used chalk to make my markings, which wiped off easily afterwards with a damp sponge.

No template needed.

I had stacked the frames to the side to clear space, brought in the ladder, and started working the wall from the center - top - down to fill it.

As I worked my way out from the center, I brought over the two plant stands, to help line-up the best place for the frame to hang above it. Since I wanted them to be at the same height, after nailing one on the left, I measured the distance between the nail and the ceiling, and just used that centered with the stand on the right.

After the frames were hung, I removed & replaced each, one by one, to clean & replace pictures. I didn't want to use B&W photos - I was looking to add some print to the dining room for Fall, so I used animal print fabric, and scrapbook paper. You could also use calendar images cards, shopping bags or printed wrapping paper.

I found this great frame found while thrifting last year, (for only $7) but I didn't care for the painting - so I removed it and covered it with some faux leopard (great print for fall - and it's just a small dose). Since I ran out of staples for the gun, I had to improvise: I used a desk top stapler for the straight edges, and thumb tacks to secure the corners. Then I nailed the canvas back into the frame and hung it on the wall - LOVE it!

Clearing space, creating layout and hanging frames = 1 hour.

Cleaning frames & re-framing images plus cleaning up = 2 hours.

A simple afternoon project =)

I usually used this cluster of discarded fitting room frames as a quad (in group of four). This time, I singled them out and used only two.

I always liked the distressed finish of this thrifted frame

I picked up last year at Faith Farm for only $3.

More thrifted items: The pair of sconces I found earlier this year at a church thrift shop for $5 for the pair. Both bamboo gold frames were found at Faith Farm in Ft. Lauderdale - but at different times. When I opened the lower right frame, someones personal photo (and address) was still inside. I'd like to post on FB to try to get it back to its owner. It was $7 and the top right frame was $5.