When the TV returns to inside the cabinet, the top surface is another useable space.

Even with compact flat screens, sometimes TVs are problematic to decorating. Perhaps you don’t have enough wall space in your bedroom for a TV. Or maybe you want a TV in a more formal room but you don’t want it to conflict with your décor. If you are trying to reduce TV watching in your home – but don’t want to eliminate the TV completely – you might be looking for a complete storage solution.

I have the answer for you: a cabinet or console with a TV lift installed.

These are perfect for anyone who wants occasional use of a TV because the TV actually drops into the cabinet, giving you a smooth surface on top. When you’re ready to watch the TV, you simply punch a remote control and it rises from the cabinet. When you’re finished, hit the button and it returns to its hiding place.

I recently had one of these installed for a client who wanted a TV but the walkways in her living space made a wall-hung or tabletop TV impossible. We placed the lifted TV inside a console table, and now she can access it when her family is ready for TV yet it’s not in the way at other times.

Components for your lifted TV can also be hidden in the cabinet so they don't distract from your decor.

Another client only had adequate wall space for a dresser mirror but also wanted a TV. Our technician mounted the TV inside her dresser, so now it can be raised to watch TV from the bed or lowered for full access to the mirror above it. The dresser’s drawers remain useable, although they are shallower to make room for the lift mechanism.

This concept works especially well for rooms full of windows, such as a high-rise where the focus is on the view. Plus we can add a 360-degree swivel base to make the TV visible from any angle in the room. And since lifted TVs can be added to virtually any type of cabinet or console, you don’t sacrifice function for beauty. You can also hide your media components inside the unit, providing a clean look.

If we can help with creating a TV lift cabinet for you, or with any of your design needs, please contact us.

Reclaimed wood works well as a rustic dining room table.

If you’ve shopped for furniture at any of the popular furnishings stores lately, you’ve probably seen a surge in reclaimed woods paired with metals such as factory zinc and cast iron. Restoration Hardware has been particularly fond of this style, but you’ll also find it at places such as Pottery Barn, Cost Plus and West Elm.

I’m a big fan of this look and used it when I recently redecorated my own home. Because the materials are reclaimed, they have a lot of durability, which is great for those of us who have kids. Since they already have a “lived in” look, another knick in the wood just adds to the character.

For some people, though, this is a little too rustic. For example, reclaimed wood can be difficult to clean – if you drop a glass of red wine on it, you won’t be able to wipe it up. If you think about an old French farmhouse, a little more red wine would just add to the table’s character. But if that’s not your style, you could still feature reclaimed wood by perhaps using a glass or metal top with a wood stand, or having the wood top sanded and refinished with a cleanable polyurethane.

Another consideration is the color. Some reclaimed wood is more of a gray while other types are a little warmer. Deciding on the look you want – more or less neutral – is an important first step to using reclaimed wood. If you lean toward more neutral, you can add interest to the room with black and white framed photos, and textures such as jutes, mohairs, and leathers to avoid creating a “flat” room with no character.

Reclaimed wood can also be part of a more contemporary look, depending on how it is styled.

If you prefer a little more color, add colorful rugs or throw pillows, upholster chairs in bright prints, and include potted plants. (Reupholstering chairs doesn’t have to be expensive – if you’re buying new, just order them in the most affordable fabric and then take them to an upholsterer who can customize them for you at less than $75 per chair.)

Don’t forget to add accessories to your new room. Antiques and vintage-style pieces go well with the reclaimed wood look. Shop around and you might find an old toolbox, for instance, that can serve as a storage spot for TV remotes. Or hang a large metal clock on the wall. The idea is to provide warmth through fun and interesting pieces, whatever that might mean to you and your family, so you can enjoy your home.

If we can help you blend reclaimed woods with your décor, or with any of your design needs, please contact us.

This Sophia arm chair offers plush seating in a golden brown and black animal print.

Yes, we’ve opened our own store! I am so excited today to tell you about our newest project at Style on a Shoestring, which we are calling “The Style Marketplace.”

One of the questions we hear most often from clients is “Where did you get that?” Whether it’s a sleek chair, an interesting piece of art or even a simple lamp, people always want to know how we find the items we bring to beautify their homes.

But since we often use suppliers that don’t sell direct to the public, we haven’t been able to share those sources with you. Until now.

The Alisa lamp is a real attention-getter.

At The Style Marketplace (www.thestylemarketplace.com) you can shop for and buy all of those interesting pieces of furniture and accessories that add creative detail to your home. Unlike other design websites, The Style Marketplace offers unique items you won’t find often, and at affordable prices. Plus you can browse the site at your leisure and have your purchases shipped directly to your home. The site includes all types of styles and looks, from contemporary to French to everything in between. We will continue to add stock to this online boutique, so you’ll want to stop by often to see what’s new.

The Style Marketplace is open today – and we never close!

A bright striped wallpaper from Harlequin's Anoushka line provides a fun, flirty background to this retro-modern living room.

When I mention wallpaper do you get visions of loud, ugly walls from the ’70s and ’80s?

You’re not alone.

But it’s time to set aside those memories because wallpaper is back—except this time it is truly beautiful and even environmentally friendly.

We’ve been having a lot of success lately with wallpaper at Style on a Shoestring. For example, a powder room or another small space that is papered looks absolutely amazing and even glamorous. In a larger space, wallpaper on an accent wall really makes the room special.

When we wallpaper, we turn to specialist Mary Ann Godfrey at Godfrey Wallpapering. I was recently talking with her about how exciting wallpaper has suddenly become. This is what she said:

“Wallpaper now isn’t like the wallpaper from years ago with wild prints and oranges and browns. Today, one of the best updated looks has texture, such as bamboo and heavier string—that is really popular in beach communities especially. It makes a huge difference in a room.”

Raffia wallpaper gives an airy bedroom visual interest.

She also talked about how changes in wallpaper installation:

“People think wallpaper is too difficult and that it’s going to be a big hassle but the way wallpaper is manufactured now, it’s easy to hang and easy to remove. If you want to change your mind after you’ve had a certain look for a while, you can remove and replace it.”

One of our favorite wallpaper brands at Style is the Harlequin line. They use a printing process at Harlequin with “ethically sourced raw materials on paper from sustainable European forests,” according to their website. So not only are their designs pretty, they’re green (and yellow and coral!) too.

Interested in adding some wallpaper to your home? Please contact us at Style on a Shoestring for a wallpaper consultation or for any of your design needs.

I’ll be honest: When we work with people to design or remodel their homes, we typically deal with the woman of the house. The guys might offer their opinions here and there, but that’s about it.

Until we start talking TVs.

Men are all about their televisions, right? The TV can never be too big, too loud or too much a part of the space. For guys, a TV that is front and center is just fine, thanks.

So when we designers propose hanging the TV over a fireplace, those men we rarely hear from during a remodel suddenly come alive. They are always worried a TV installed over the fireplace will be too high and uncomfortable for viewing. I understand—after years of TVs near the floor, it might feel odd to imagine your TV hanging like a picture over the mantel.

Once I convince them they are going to like the result, we go ahead with placing the TV on that fireplace wall. It’s not an easy process—an electrician has to run the wires behind the drywall and then the wall needs to be patched and painted. But the results are so great that it’s well worth it.

Why? First of all, the obvious: you don’t see the wires coming from the TV when they are neatly tucked into the wall. From a space perspective, though, having the TV above the fireplace creates one focal point in the room. When you don’t need an additional spot for the TV, you open up multiple seating and storage options. Plus you can enjoy the fireplace while watching your favorite TV show or movie.

To avoid neck strain, we always have our clients’ TVs hung on mounts that allow them to tilt the unit up or down. If you don’t like the look of a TV over your fireplace, you can hide it with specially crafted wood cabinets that fold over the TV when it’s not in use.

Something many of our clients have found useful is a new infrared device called RedEye that allows you to store your TV and sound system components in another room or closet. You simply use your smartphone to access RedEye and operate all your media equipment from wherever is comfortable. Pretty cool!

Please contact us at Style on a Shoestring if we can help with any of your home design needs.

Want to give your kids free rein to decorate their rooms without the wall looking like something from a swiss cheese factory? Now you can with the creation of a new wall covering that is a magnetic primer, which contains non-toxic iron particles. You’ll need at least two base coats of this special primer under the paint of your choice. The resulting surface will hold magnets, which in turn can hold artwork, including posters. (For best holding power, use broad, flat, or ultra-strong magnets.) Now when your kids change their pictures, either daily or monthly, there won’t be a trail of holes left behind in your newly painted walls. 

Where To Buy:

Have you gone GREEN yet?

What a great way to go green- with Organic Bath Towels! West Elm now sells these great towels and have many color options to choose from. If you have been wanting to go green but haven’t yet, then this is a great place to start.

Marvel Industries has come up with a fantastic idea for your kitchen sink.

 

This new kitchen sink design with a butcher block is shaped to make cooking and cleaning up as simple as ever. Here at Style on a Shoestring we are always looking out for new and innovative ideas to incorporate into your home.