Quote of the Week

"Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style."

- Billy Baldwin, Interior Designer 

[IMAGE CREDITS: ELLE DECOR; DECOR PAD; KELLY WEARSTLER; HOUSE BEAUTIFUL; LONNY]

SALE ALERT: 20% Off All Sugarboo Designs Art Prints @ Modern Chic Home

I wanted to share the exciting sale I'm hosting through tomorrow at Modern Chic Home: Receive 20% off ALL Sugarboo Designs Art Prints & Accessories now through Monday, October 31st! Sugarboo continues to be our best-selling product line and customer favorite at Modern Chic Home. Christmas is only 8 weeks away so place your orders NOW to receive in time to give as gifts; (art prints generally take 4 - 6 weeks to ship, so take advantage of this fabulous deal while you still have time). We've just added several fun & inspirational art prints, which you can preview below. Use discount code Sugarboo20 upon checkout to redeem. Happy Shopping!

[CLICK TO ENLARGE]

[I LOVE YOU MUCHO ART PRINT]

["ALWAYS KEEP" ART PRINT]

[KISS THE SKY ART PRINT]

[HELLO BEAUTIFUL ART PRINT]

[HELLO DARLING; HELLO BEAUTIFUL; HELLO SUNSHINE]

[SING YOUR SONG ART PRINT]

Have a Festive Weekend!

Halloween isn't until Monday, but I'm sure many of you will be celebrating this weekend with your kids, friends and/or family. I'm taking today off to visit my sister and 4 nieces & nephews to spend some quality sister / auntie time with them :) I can't wait to see their little costumes! In case you're hosting a party or are in need of some last minute ideas, I rounded up a few that look fun and easy. What do you have planned for the weekend? Enjoy and be safe! xoxo - Julie

[PUMPKIN PARTY COOLER]

[DERANGED HALLOWEEN CENTERPIECE]

[EYEBALL MARTINIS]

[BRAIN CUPCAKES]

[EDWARD SCISSORHANDS: ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME :) CREEPY BUT NOT SCARY...AND YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH JOHNNY DEPP, RIGHT?!]

Decorating with Trunks & Vintage Luggage

There's something special about incorporating a trunk into a space. Whether it's made of vintage leather, wood, metal or wicker, trunks or vintage luggage can really add charm and nostalgia to a home. They have to be one of the most versatile pieces of furniture too - you can stack them, use as a coffee or console table, bedroom nightstand, at the foot of a bed, and so much more, as you'll see in today's round up. And the best part? They double as extra storage! Have you used a trunk in your home?

[IMAGE CREDITS: COZAMIA; HOUSE BEAUTIFUL; HOUSE TO HOME; HOUSE & HOME; RAINBOW TRUNKS IN LAST IMAGE TAKEN BY JULIE THIGPEN]

Reader Giveaway! Win a $100 Gift Certificate to Novica

Let's face it, we all love shopping and buying shiny new things for our homes and wardrobes, especially when we can make those purchases with the click of a mouse, right? Well if you enjoy shopping and giving back, then you're really going to love the online store Novica! In association with National Geographic, Novica allows you to purchase unique, hand-made items from across the globe while supporting talented artisans grow their business, share their talent, and ultimately build better lives. "I give thanks to Novica for the significant change it has made in my life. Before, we were living with a mattress on the floor, and now we have a comfortable and pleasant new home. I'm very happy to have been able to pay for the schooling of my three children and the comfort of my family," says Cesar Gonzales, one of the many artisans who have been able to change their life through Novica's outstanding program. They have thousands of beautiful items for sale - from home decor and furniture to jewelry, handbags and much more. This shop is especially perfect if you're looking for unique gift ideas for Christmas (which is right around the corner!). The best part: Novica is giving away a $100 Gift Certificate to one lucky reader! For details on how to enter, read on...

"We want to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. And, we want to provide you with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow."

[Some of my top picks...clockwise from top left: Mercury Sculpture; Star of Love Mirror; Copper & Bronze Vase; Cedar & Leather Accent Table]

[Rose Petals, oil, acrylic & paper on canvas]

[I have my eye on that chunky turquoise ring! Clockwise from top left: Taxco Moon Turquoise Cocktail Ring; Loopy Bullhorn Cuff Bracelet; Sunny Icicles Chalcedony Earrings; Lucky Horseshoe Ebony & Sterling Silver Necklace]

["Confetti" Handmade Glass Champagne Flutes]

Novica is a also a great resourse for accessories, women's accessories, cufflinks, women's scarves, wool scarves and walking sticks!

HOW TO ENTER TO WIN A $100 SHOPPING SPREE TO NOVICA...

1. Visit Novica's website and browse around their fabulous store

2. Come back and leave a comment on what you'd love to spend your gift certificate on if you win

3. Anonymous comments will not be accepted, UNLESS you leave your email address or contact info!

4. Contest open to both US & international readers :)

5. Winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 1st

Good Luck & Thanks for Participating! 

**** THIS GIVEAWAY IN NOW CLOSED ****

Quote of the Week

“You always want to mess with perfection. You decide to convey an idea, then do something to throw it a little off.”

— Mario Nievera

 [IMAGE CREDITS: ELLEDECOR.COM]

Recent Project: Closet Set Design (AFTER PHOTOS!)

Happy Friday! How was your week? Mine was busy and productive (which I thrive on!). Yesterday I added the finishing touches to the closet set I designed for my client Kiyonna (which I blogged about here last month). Kiyonna is a fabulous woman's clothing company and the owner wanted to create a stylish closet "set" design that would act as a backdrop to create videos on their latest collections, clients, etc. The goal was to create an expensive looking closet on a budget, which was absolutely doable. Because the closet was going to act as a backdrop to showcase mostly clothing with some color and pattern, I wanted to keep the color palette fresh and neutral. The design scheme was centered around sophistication and glamour, featuring a sparkly chandelier, tons of fun shoes, handbags and a few decorative accessories. Directly below is a snapshot of what the space looked like before, and the rest are details on the "after"! Now if only I could take the time to design my own closet to look this way...someday, right?! 

Enjoy and have a great weekend. I'll be celebrating my 31st Birthday on Sunday with family and friends. I'm looking forward to it :) xoxo - Julie

BEFORE 

(a large room at Kiyonna's corporate office being used for extra storage)

After brainstorming my client, this was the revised design concept we settled on...

AFTER

(the room was cleaned out and re-designed to look like a luxury walk-in closet)

Just above the vanity area we painted alternating stripes in neutral colors, which was an inexpensive alternative to wallpaper. The framed letter "K" represents the company brand. 

 The chandelier we ordered from Overstock.com was fabulous and super affordable!

I scored this cream leather chair trimmed with silver nailheads from HomeGoods!

The closet was designed using IKEA's Pax System, which has components you can mix and match to create a custom closet to fit your space and needs.

I kept the accessories minimal and clean. The last think I wanted to do was over-accessorize and leave the closet looking cluttered.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JULIE THIGPEN

******