New York Design Blog | Material Girls | New York Interior Design

Introducing Eziba.com which launched today and features exclusive sales on the latest home decor products from many leading brands.  The site works the same way that Gilt, One Kings Lane, Ideeli, etc. work (daily sales that last between 48-72 hours)… yet here’s the best part – shipping on ALL orders is $2.95 (excluding AK, HI).  I’ve just come from visiting the sites sales and already found a ton of things I want.  If you’re already an existing Overstock.com member just sign in using your current username and password and start shopping!

Calypso rug $439.99

Hand Tufted rug $299.99

Set of Two (2) swirl pillows $19.99

Teak Bench $179.99

Iron Swivel Stool $129.99

Kitchen Aid mixer $129.99

Set of Six (6) microcotton towels $34.99

Reclaimed Teak Table $939.99

Not much longer and you’ll be able to get some of your favorite John Derian home decor and office accessories for an affordable price at Target.  Mark your calendars for September 5th and make sure you set your alarm so you’re there when it opens…I can’t imagine that his collection will last!

Take a look at the latest issue of Lonny Magazine for a sneak peek of his collection

My obsession for Nate Berkus has grown after viewing his collection on HSN.  He has the best collection of modern, stylish pieces at affordable prices and what’s great about HSN is you can pay in installments.  A shoppers dream!  I’ve selected my favorites from his collection but you need to take a look at HSN yourself to find some of the best deals out there.  There’s no excuse to put your home decorating project on hold anymore.

luxury silk throws $34.95

bamboo and glass coffee table $199.95

dhurrie chevron rug $29.95-$399.95

gold poof $99.95

tufted headboard $349.90

hexagon cocktail ottoman $399.95

leather studded table $199.95

slipper chair $329.90

handcrafted orbit lamp $129.95

tufted slipper chair $399.95

The 4th of July is around the corner and it’s time to throw together a quick, inexpensive yet chic table setting(s) and party decor for all of those guests that are coming over this weekend.  Don’t stress, stay calm and browse through some of these great and easy ideas to make your table stand out this holiday!  All it takes is a few arts and crafts, a quick trip to your local party store and a little baking..

These paper lanterns were made by the ever so creative Martha Stewart

Use red, white and blue tissue paper or wrapping paper to create whimsicle designs.  You can also cut out and make your own placemats using the same paper!

You can never go wrong with BIG, round paper lanterns from your local party store

Get out your white mugs and plates and splash the table with patriotic flags which can also be found at your local party store

Mix and match your napkins and placemats with your generic white china

Sometimes all it takes is a simple red napkin.  You could add a thick blue ribbon down the center of the table runner and voila…red, white and blue!

Look how gorgeous these carnation balls are!  Im sure you could find dyed blue ones as well and if not, you can dye them yourself!  Thoroughly saturate a 3″ sphere of floral foam with cool water and insert your short carnation stems until the entire sphere is covered.  How easy does that sound?

Dessert!  This is a sure way to decorate your table and get your guests to stay until the end.  Try the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for flag cake.

Use blueberries and raspberries on white frosted cupcakes

Martha Stewart’s Red, White and Blue Desserts

I’m sure a lot of you out there have a chest of drawers or a dresser that’s been sitting in a bedroom for years and it’s there because it fills the space and is useful but you can’t stand the sight of it!  It may have been passed down from your parents or something you found at a yard sale or maybe it was something you once liked but it’s now beyond dated. Wait! Don’t throw it away!  One of the easiest and quickest ways to freshen up a dresser is by painting it and changing the hardware.  You’ll be amazed with the end result and in awe that it’s even the same piece.  Check out this dresser that I transformed for a friend of mine for a total cost of $58.

BEFORE

Here’s the dresser before.  It’s a perfectly solid piece with some nice lines that needs a little love

Phase I – I used a light sand paper to sand it down to give it a nice smooth paint surface

Phase II – I sprayed/coated it with a beautiful silver paint

AFTER

Phase III – I added some knobs from Anthropologie and Voila!

All it takes is a few dollars, a little time and a little creativity.

 

It’s not often that people trudge around the city and go from one thrift store or flea market to the next looking for great deals these days.  Everyone wants the deal but they also want the convenience.  That’s why online shopping is the way to go.  And better yet,  I’ve started some shopping for you and found some really cool pieces, with great prices that have a lot of potential.  To continue shopping, visit Etsy, an online community where people sell and buy things that they make from all different cities around the world.  Items from top to bottom: (3 bulb pendant fixture – $345, set of 6 french shabby chic chairs – $1200, wee blue side table – $115, red wall mirror – $68, reclaimed cedar console – $105, pair of antique parlor chairs – $400, halo pendant – $130, pillow cover – $25, pair of slipper chairs – $175, milk glass pendant – $79)

This would be great as a side console or makeshift bar to entertain both indoors and out!

With a new paint job and trendy fabric, these chairs would be the hit of any room!

Happy shopping.  The deals are out there if you know where to look!

 

People are often asking me how to update their look and bring in a modern edge without going overboard.  There are plenty of ways to do this, but the best and most affordable is by having fun with accessories, trim and artwork.  Take these fun, bold and trendy fabrics from Calico Corners and make an assortment of throw pillows.  You could even trim existing pillows, the bottom of a skirt on a sofa/chair or your curtains that are just dying to be jazzed up.   If you’re feeling brave, I highly recommend re-upholstering a traditional chair with a fun ikat or geometric pattern.  Your chair will thank you later.  There are no limits, so do your room a favor and give it some life!

Take a look at some great fabrics at great prices from Calico Corners that will help you get your project underway!

It’s always disappointing to browse through a decorating magazine,  fall in love with a room or a specific look and then realize that everything you love isn’t in your budget.  The idea here is to find the look and find it for less.  If you spend enough time browsing the internet and looking for a bargain, you’re bound to come across a good deal.  All it takes is a little patience and time- which, i know, most people don’t have.  Here are a few examples of finding the look for less:

Jonathan Adler X Bench – $495

Ballard Designs X Bench – $179

Antique Louis XVI Chairs – $1,000+

Wisteria Louis XVI Chair – $279

TK Collections French Bistro Chairs – $700+

Beaufurn French Bistro Chair – $395

Kravet Tilbury Lapis Fabric – $59.80 per yard

Schindler’s Tilbury Fabric Lapis – $14.95 per yard

Geometric Fabric – $80+

If you can’t find what you’re looking for but just have to have it (for less) - don’t be afraid to ask the experts!

The technique of Ikat weaving is centuries old.  It is not certain exactly where it originated, but it has roots in India and South East Asia and is still produced today in countries all over the world.  Ikat weaving is a process of  resist dyeing the threads used in order to create a pattern once the threads are woven together.  Different cultures are known for their different techniques and the intricate patterns are passed down through the families of the weavers. Today I am going to show you how some designers in NYC and all over the country are using the amazing fabrics and where you can get them for a fraction of what those designer’s would charge you (Ebay!)

I love furniture upholstered in Ikat fabrics like this French Louis chair by Jen West that I found on flickr! It is a very simple DIY project!

Madeline Weinrib started this trend and carries an entire collection of French furniture upholstered in Ikat fabrics  available at ABC Carpet and Home in NYC shown here…

I pretty much adore all of these chairs and am thinking about doing something similar as the head chairs in my dining room, but I am going to do it the budget-friendly way…Ebay (with some help from my other pal, Craigslist)!

So here is what you do…

Go onto craigslist and put in “french furniture” or “french chair” and this is an example of what you’ll find…

$250 for the pair!   I found an UNBELIEVABLE upholstered French wing back armchair for $100 two weeks ago on craigslist and didn’t end up getting it and am now kicking myself, but my husband would have killed me if I brought home another chair with nowhere to put it!

Anyway… this style is very good for this project because it is easily reupholstered. I did a pair myself and they came out amazing! I am not so good at sewing and these chairs require NO SEWING which is perfect. All you need is a staple gun ($15 at Home Depot) and some nailheads which you can order online or buy at an upholstery shop, and a can or two of spray paint. (FYI,  the primer is the MOST important thing when refinishing furniture and I only use B.I.N’s Shellac based primer because it will stick to anything previously applied to the chair and your new paint job won’t chip off afterwards!)

I love the gold painted frames that Weinrib does on the chairs and you can get that look with a can of gold metallic spray paint also available at HD! Only use the metallic paint with the can tops that look like gold foil (super shiny gold…can’t think of the brand, but you’ll see it)- don’t use a matte gold, it doesn’t turn out so great looking!

Next Step: Take a little virtual trip to Ebay! Type in “Ikat fabric” and you will have a plethora of options to choose from. Make sure that the width of the Ikat will work with the furniture you choose because Ikats are made in shorter widths 16″-24″, but sometimes come larger. You MAY have to sew two pieces together which is what Madeline Weinrib does on hers, so I apologize for saying NO SEWING was involved!

Here are some of the fabrics you will find…

You can purchase these for around $8-$18/yd. Another great budget-friendly place to find Ikats is at this online store Uzbeck Craft where they also have pre-made pillows in all of their gorgeous Ikat and Suzani fabrics…

Here are how some of the big wigs are using Ikats in today’s interiors…

Jeffrey Bilhuber, a designer in New York City, used a beautiful ikat pillow on the sofa in this room to pull together the color palette in this understated space.  The ethnic pattern adds an eclectic aesthetic to the room.

In the March 2009 issue House Beautiful featured this room with the Ikat fabric roman shades and accent pillows.

This would have been a great room for my Masculine Decor blog! Todd Romano designed this apartment in NYC for client Robert Burke. Ikats are totally Man-Chic!

-Hilary White Interior Design