I'm no Picasso....

But I love to paint. Even if this "painting" refers to simple up and down (or small crisscrossed w's) strokes over a living room wall. Yep, we are definitely not talking cubism or post-impressionism folks, we are talking basic geometric blocks of color. However, even those can look quite dapper in the right setting:)

Case in point, as I had mentioned in this post the living room was due for some small upgrades for Spring. After a couple of weeks of painting and re-painting because, um, I changed my mind, which happens quite frequently  (this whole process will be explained in a future post:),  I finally got the living room in Chateau C'est La Vie to where it made me smile with satsifaction!  All but one wall that was begging for some new art work. Being a budget-decorator, I wanted to add some custom artwork spending the least bit of money possible. So that is when I remembered that I had found some old white painting canvases, still in their package  in a corner of our garage. Here they are ready to be tampered with:

I decided that I would make these into a custom-art work project using left-over paint from the living room for a cost-free art solution. It was very simple. Here is the processs with pictures:

Using painter's tape and a level, I sectioned off the areas I wanted to paint using alternating widths on the canvases. 

Then using the left-over paint from the painting projects in my living room, I painted the tape sections and then removed the painter's tape before it dried. The lines were not perfectly straight, but that is the effect I wanted to create. I wanted something to look more free-formed and blend into the canvas almost like a horizon. I went back in and corrected a few areas with my brush and then let them dry.

And here is the end result, I love the way it coordinates with the colors in this space and the fact that it is unique, custom artwork for free!

By the way, here is a sneak peak of my gorgeous new Chandelier, Lucy.

And since I'm in the mood for sneak peaks. Here are a few more, like my gorgeous new mirrored side table, Gwen, because she's Glamorous like that;)

Truly in -love, with both... And both Lucy and Gwen were purchased on sale, at an amazing discount price, love the look of luxury on a budget;)

Full reveal and many more updates of the changes I've made in our little Chateau coming very soon. I'll leave you with one more that I'm sure fellow shoe-lovers will like.  After being in hiding inside clear shoe boxes in a dark closet, I decided my pretties would feel so much better on display, as art themselves. Love the pop of beautiful color they provide to that side of our master:

 Many more projects in the work, including some exciting wedding event designs, master bedroom,  kitchen and dining room transformations  and much, much more. Stay tuned  Mon Amis...



A Dramatic, Elegant and Inviting Master Bedroom

Design Plan for: Master Bedroom
Client: Erica

(click to enlarge)

Erica, a busy wife and mother of three, was desperately looking to transform her bedroom into a romantic, inviting and elegant escape for her and her husband.  She and her hubby had already selected a new traditional style bed (pictured), and asked me to design the room around that piece of furniture while incorporating a visually stimulating color palette that would provide that "wow" factor upon entering. They also specified that I work in as many of their existing furniture pieces as possible, and keep the design to their 1k budget. Quite the interesting but exciting challenge!

I quickly went to work on a gorgeous color palette that I was sure would knock their socks off!   Here it is with all of the components and a brief caption on how they would be used in the room identified in each color swatch:

(click to enlarge)

As is identified by this color board, Benjamin Moore's Eggplant would play center stage as the dramatic accent wall in this space - the canvas from which I chose all of the other accent colors, like the Wasabi Green , the Gold and the Rust to play off of. The combination makes for a multi-layered, dimensional and super visually appealing space.

The style is a mix of traditional and contemporary elements creating the recipe for a beautiful transitional space. The design evokes a fresh and modern ambiance, jusxtaposed with elegant and  luxurious looking elements that tie everything together. The best part was that every single item selected for this design looks so much more expensive than its actual price-tag, I chose every item on sale or clearance!  As for the artwork, both of these amazing botanical prints will tie in perfectly into the scheme and can be found in my Fresh Fine Art Photography Shops. Despite some of the budget and space obstacles I had to encounter, I was so incredibly pleased with the end result of this design and even more importantly, so was Erica.

Here is Erica's  Testimonial in her own words:
"I am ABSOLUTELY IN-LOVE!!!!!!!! This is EXACTLY what I wanted, and so much more. Thank you so much for your patience, for sitting down and helping me determine what my style is and for coming up with a color palette that I love! You are AMAZING, next up my dining room and then hopefully the rest of the house!"

Here is the Before Picture:

For more information on the details  and components of this fantastic design plan, please reply to this post, or email me to cestlavie.events@gmail.com with your questions and comments.


Want to transform your own space on a budget? Please fill out my Decor Application Here or email me @ cestlavie.events@gmail.com.