Reader Design: Tiffany's Thrifty-Chic Girls Room

You guys know when you meet someone that you want to be friends with, like, yesterday? Tiffany is one of those people. Cate and I 'met' her through Instagram, sharing home design and DIYs, and she is just a burst of joy. Her kind personality is larger than life and she decorates from the same place in her heart - so radiant and full of life!

When I first saw photos of her 14 year old daughter's madeover bedroom, it was like a shot of 5-Hour Energy!! The mix of colors and pattern is just so, so fun. What a thoughtful Momma to have designed a room like this!

From Tiffany:

"So this is my daughter's room. Most of the furniture in this room has been thrifted. I love thrifting for furniture because I find that the quality of the pieces is much better and can obviously stand the test of time....or at least hold it's own with kids and teens! Since she's 14 I didn't want to go too "little girl" but at the same time, wanted the room to reflect her bright and cheery personality."

"Her headboard was a $3.00 find that I repainted in a soft gray-lavender color. The desk is part of a set that we got years ago on Ebay and as stated above, has definitely stood the test of time. The small dresser is actually from Ikea (Rast)  and I painted the drawers the same color as the headboard and the outer frame is painted white. The knobs are from Hobby Lobby and the trim work is from Home Depot. The pink bedside table was about $5.00 and the top actually opens up for storage, so snatching that piece up was a no brainer! I spray painted it and added a touch of "gold" to the bottom of the legs, just to jazz things up a bit."

Gold legs; check. Amazing art; check. Vibrant colors; check. Awesome Mom; double check.

"Her bedding is from Walmart ( I know right!!), and the rug is a steal from Homegoods."

Loving the bold rug under the bold bedding - teenage years are too short for timid subtly. 

"I really get a kick out of mixing high (or high for me) with low; new and old and seeing how it can all work together to create a really great space."

What an inspiring mix of thrifted and new pieces! Collected pieces go so much deeper than just decor - they tell stories and give a home warmth and character. This room is full of both and we are so grateful to you, Tiffany, for letting us share it here! Please thank your daughter for us, too! You can follow Tiffany @myeclecticnest on Instagram for more creative ideas!

We are in need of some more Reader Designs, everyone! Please submit photos of your own spaces to our Facebook page or by tagging #stylemuttspaces on Instagram! We love sharing all kinds of creative styles here and feel that everyone has something inspiring to share. Check out our SPACES page for an awesome growing collection of rooms from creatives around the world! 

Thank you all for stopping by and have a splendid weekend! "Make good choices!" (name that movie)

Reader Design: Cate's Color-Clad Loft

I'm doing my Friday dance extra hard today because I get to share an extra special Reader Design - Cate's!!! Cate is actually moving today out of her and my brother's first apartment together. They moved in over a year ago after their wedding, and while it's on the small side, I absolutely adored everything they, (Cate), turned it into. 

It seems that it's a right of passage for your first place to be sub par, am I right? Do you remember your first place when you were just starting out and were supposed to have the world at your fingertips? Was it tiny and infested with vermin? Did you have to drag your groceries up three floors of stairs? Does anyone actually remember their first place and miss it?! And yet, that first place will always hold a sentimental place in your heart.

In honor of that sentimental place, I asked Cate if she'd mind me featuring their first apartment, (a studio loft), as our Reader Design today. It hasn't been the easiest place for them to live, but I know you all will be absolutely amazed at what she did with it!

Living Room

From Cate:

"We are very proud of our newlywed nest;  I'm proud that I managed to make my extensive collection of roadside rescue furniture and DIY decor work for a small space.  And Caleb is proud that he found us an apartment that, although minuscule, still has more than one bathroom {1.5 to be exact} and a flight of stairs.

We have our extra storage in this faux-front apothecary chest from Kirklands.  Above it hangs another engineer print that was converted to a faux pull-down chart, (tutorial here)."

"On our walls hang some original artwork - two acrylic paintings and one art piece made using a photo-to-canvas transfer method from A Beautiful Mess. Suitcases on the wall provide extra hidden storage."

"Extra credit if you spotted the roadside rescue from Chelsea's suitcase table post!"

Yes, we often want eachothers' flips. :)

"Behind the floating sofa is an old metal file cabinet that I spray painted aqua.  It provides a great place to hold all my tools since we don't have a garage. Head up the stairs and you'll find the remnants of an old church pew from my childhood church in DC."

Not a typical first place, is it?! With singing colors at every angle and clever ideas from floor to ceiling, this is one of my favorite inspirational spaces. Just wait until you see the upstairs...

Bedroom

"Our bedroom is small and comes with some {BRIGHT} skylights.  After extensively researching my options for how to keep such strong sun out so that Caleb could sleep in, I decided on building a ceiling canopy around our bed.  The curtains are hung from a rectangular frame made from copper pipe and pipe fittings from Home Depot.  There are two curtain panels for the "headboard", one for the top canopy, and 3 pairs {6 total} for the remaining 3 sides."
 

I know. It's so gorgeous I can't get over it.

Hello, sun!! No wonder Cate had to come up with a solution to block those skylights!

Check this post for more of Cate's creative ideas for organizing and displaying jewelry!

Let's see one more of that stunning living room:

Consider my inspiration tank FULL! Cate, thank you so much for letting me share this today. It's such a treat to get to work along side of you and be inspired by your passion for creating. You are such a blessing to me! Definitely looking forward to where God takes you and what you make of it in your next place! You can follow Cate's adventures on Instagram @cate_stylemutthome. 

Don't forget to submit your own spaces so we can share your work and creativity here! You can post right to our Facebook page, or tag #stylemuttspaces on Instagram. Every Friday we share one new Reader Design - there's no requirement to be a professional decorator or even a fellow blogger. The whole point is to share inspiration with one another and keep it all in one handy spot; our SPACES page, (I could seriously kill a whole afternoon thumbing through the gorgeous tours we've got stashed in there). 

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Easter, everyone! He is risen!

Reader Design: Karen's Chippy Charm in Chile

Ok guys here's a fun fact about me: I grew up as a diplobrat.  Meaning my State Department family would up and haul our homebase to a new country in a constant three-to-four-year rotation.  We moved all over the world and I have had the pleasure NAY the honor of meeting so many wonderful internationals - many of whom, like me, had been uprooted and replanted in a foreign country as well.  It was often difficult for our grents and aunties and uncles and cousins, etc... to trek all the way across the globe to visit so our local friends became our surrogate extended family by distance default.  I spent many a Christmas celebrating with blood brothers instead of blood relatives :)

So it has been especially tickling to have StyleMutt Spaces submissions coming in from all over the globe!  You all are such a sweet reminder of my childhood and the amazing people I now count as family.  And whether you know it or not, you are such a vibrant and important installation to StyleMutt Home.  Thank you for sharing your slice of globe with us and we are so honored to all of you (natives and internationals alike) who have found our site.

Today's reader designer is a Chilean who has filled her living room with vintage European touches.  Karen's home is full of chippy charm and re-found, re-purposed, and re-loved pieces. 

From Karen:

I've always loved when a space has pieces that nobody else has that makes it unique. I know it can be difficult, but you can accomplish this by giving a new life to maybe an old piece of furniture, like I did here: the bookshelf it was made by my father twenty years ago... I took off the back side and the two glass doors from the front.  Then I sanded, painted, and distressed it.  Later I did the same with the chair. 

The brown side table is a second hand piece that I got to restore... for the moment, I love how it looks with the white details.

And finally, my gallery wall which I am absolutely in love with!!  It took me some time to gather all the right pieces, but I am so so happy with the result.

That accent wall is my favorite!  The french-inspired graphics, the black and white, and don't get me started on those gold and mirrored frames!!!  

Karen, this is exactly what we want to hear from our readers: that you love and are proud of your space!  You were one of the first readers to tag your #stylemuttspaces and we are so delighted that you did!  

Don't forget that StyleMutt Home is open to all you fellow mutts out there.  You don't have to be an international, a local, a professional decorator, or even a fellow blogger to share your favorite room with us!  The purpose of Reader Designs is simply to share beautiful rooms with fresh ideas and document these features in our SPACES page as a source of inspiration.  So tag #stylemuttspaces on your IG or FB pics people - we wanna see what your rooms have to say for themselves!