The lucky winner of Magnetic Grain "Snap Hang" giveaway is...

Sally!  There are two Sallys in the drawing, so I want to clarify that the Sally who won is the Sally who commented "I'm liking them on Facebook and I would love to enter this giveaway!!"  on January 6th.  Sally, please email me at ashley [at] decorologyblog [dot] com with your shipping address so I can get you your Snap Hangs as soon as possible.  Congratulations, and thanks to everyone who entered!


*Winner chosen at random by Random.org

Last chance to enter the Snap Hang giveaway!

The Snap Hang giveaway has been one of my most popular ones, and I don't want anyone to miss out on their chance of winning! Snap hang is a very beautiful and unique way to display and frequently update art. (See pick below). To enter the drawing, click here and follow the directions. I've pushed back the entry closing time to 12 AM Pacific time, Sat. Jan 14th. Winner will be announced Monday. Good luck!

In the spirit of displaying art, I've featured some great ideas below:

 Your frames needn't all match for a successful salon style wall arrangement.

 2 above via BHG

Casual and easy to update look, try running some line and attaching your latest works of art with clothes pins.
via Bolig Magasinet

Another casual look, which would look good in a home office of young person's room, is to pin art to the wall in a nice arrangement
via Domino

I think one of my favorite looks might be one large dramatic piece.
Encore Decor

 A cluster of small drawings is very cute and indie
via Covet Garden

Simply leaning frames against a wall keeps things from looking too precious.
via Sweet Paul

Happy Friday and a fabulous and unique giveaway!

 I have a super exciting giveaway for you guys today!  This awesome, unique, reclaimed way to display art, inspiration, photos, kids' drawings, notes - you name it - from Magnetic Grain.

Such a great and easy way to display artwork if you like to frequently update your walls.

The winner will receive 2 pairs of 12" Snap Hangs, and can choose from black, walnut or alder (light natural wood).

A little bit about Magnetic Grain:  "Magnetic Grain is a designer and manufacturer of inventive products for the home. We focus on all things wood - sustainable & salvaged, magnetic & modular, fun & functional. All Magnetic Grain products are designed by Trevor Elliott, the founder & creator behind Magnetic Grain and the finished pieces are truly handmade, small craft production. Our products are manufactured in our local wood shop in Ventura, Ca. and finished by a local artisan. In this way, we can ensure the quality and integrity of each piece in our product"

You can read more about Magnetic Grain and see their product range on their website.  Here are a few more of their beautiful products:

Magnetic tile art.

I really like their re|Surface table.  You can rearrange and flip around the magnetic slats.

Grow frame

Stac modular cubes.

Pretty cool, right?

To enter the giveaway for Snap Hang, you must Like Magnetic Grain on Facebook.  Click here to like them.  Then, come back to this post and leave a comment that you'd like to enter the drawing.  To comment on this post (scroll to the bottom of this post and right above "Labels" you will see a number followed by the word "comments." Click on the word "Comments." Or, you will see a link, "Post a Comment," which you click on to comment.  Or, you can email me at ashley [at] decorologyblog [dot] com confirming that you liked Magnetic Grain on Facebook, and that you'd like to be entered for the giveaway.

The contest closes next Friday, Jan. 13th at 6 PM EST.  I will announce the lucky winner, chosen by random draw, the following Monday.  Good luck and have a great weekend!

A great giveaway for designers and DIYer's from Lewis and Sheron Textiles!

So, on Tuesday I introduced you to my newest sponsor, Lewis and Sheron Textiles. Today I'm happy to announce that they are offering $100.00 in store credit to one lucky Decorology reader!

To enter for your chance to win, simply visit lsfabrics.com and browse through their amazing selection of fabrics. Come back to this post and leave a comment sharing the name of the fabric you would buy with your $100.00 credit, and what project you have in mind for the fabric. To comment on this post (scroll to the bottom of this post and right above "Labels" you will see a number followed by the word "comments." Click on the word "Comments." Or, you will see a link, "Post a Comment," which you click on to comment.

If you receive posts in your email feel free to respond to the email noting that you'd like to be entered in the drawing (don't forget to mention your favorite fabric!).

Below are a few more of my favorite fabrics...

"Tribal Thread" - I would love to reupholster my dining chair cushions with this.

"Parisenne" - I think would make some really cute, conversation starting table linens - napkins, placemats, or a runner.

The fabric above, "Westminster," would make a really fabulous upholstered headboard.

"Iskander" would be great for throw pillows.

I can't wait to hear what everyone's favorites are, and the projects you'd use them for! Post your comments by Dec. 8th, 6 PM EST, and I will draw the winner at random and announce the lucky reader the next day!

Good luck!

The winner of the Royal Design Studion Stencil is....

#6 - commenter "Mreffey"  Mreffey, please conact me at ashley [at] decorologyblog [dot] com and we will hook you up with your stencil!

An easy furniture repurposing idea and an AMAZING GIVEAWAY!

So remember last week when I revealed my kitchen after stenciling it with a Royal Design Studios stencil?  Well, I have an addition to that kitchen to reveal - and am announcing a giveaway hosted by Royal Design Studios!  To enter the stencil giveaway, go to the Royal Design Studios site, peruse the amazing stencil selection, and come back here and leave a comment, or email me, with the stencil that you would like to win. To comment on this post (scroll to the bottom of this post and right above "Labels" you will see a number followed by the word "comments." Click on the word "Comments." Or, you will see a link, "Post a Comment," which you click on to comment.

If you receive posts in your email feel free to respond to the email noting that you'd like to be entered in the drawing. Then, go to Royal Design Studio's facebook page and "Like" them.  For this giveaway, the stencil you select must be under $50. 

Here is my kitchen and the easy furniture repurposing idea:
For this project I repurposed a medicine cabinet into a spice rack.

Here is the mirror situation that was in our bathroom when we moved in.  It has since been amended. The medicine cabinet, on the right, was not my style at all, with the carved flowers and dry brush metallic silver paint treatment.

I unmounted the cabinet, and removed the door/mirror. I also gave the cabinet a wash with a cloth and mild soap.  I decided to leave the holes where the door was attached and the magnetic closure.  I liked that it added some history/story to the piece.

I painted the cabinet in an eggshell white with a roller.  A roller creates a smoother finish than a brush.  I used a brush to get into the corners.  Note to the wiser than me:  If you're not sure the finish of the furniture you're about to repaint/refinish - sand it (and wear a mask in case the previous finish is nasty), and PRIME.  Turned out the paint didn't stick to well to whatever finish the cabinet had on it originally, so I had to go back and prime it.

voila!  The finished medicine cabinet turned spice rack in our new kitchen!

It looks like a custom piece, and the white contrasts nicely off the navy blue, I think.

I'm working on another kitchen DIY which I'll reveal next week. I'm very excited about this one - as it's going to free up a cabinet's worth of space.

I'll end by leaving you with some stenciling inspiration from RDS. Remember to comment with the stencil you'd like to win and "like" them on facebook! (They also have a Twitter feed). The drawing closes Nov. 2nd at 6 PM EST. I'll announce the winner the following day. Good luck!

A happy Friday to you and gorgeous book giveaway

The weekend never comes soon enough - except when I have a Friday deadline. So I figured there is no better time to do a book giveaway.

This is a unique one - "Classic Swedish Interiors," by Lars Sjoberg. The poetic photos are by Ingalill Snitt.

I'm going to quote Amazon as they describe the book better than me -

"Lars Sjöberg has made it his life's work to understand and preserve the Swedish manor houses of the 17th and 18th centuries. Here, exquisitely photographed by Ingalill Snitt, are the eight houses (and one church) that he has acquired over more than 40 years. The book focuses on Sjöberg's first, most complex project: the manor of Regnaholm. Unoccupied for about 40 years when Sjöberg arrived in 1966, it allowed him to experiment with interior decoration and refurnishing, copying old furniture, reweaving, and reprinting old fabric patterns.

His other projects include Ekensberg, a three-story Italianate villa near Lake Mälaren, built in 1788-90, and Salaholm in Västergötland with a garden laid out in the first half of the 17th century. Odenslunda, a small manor from the 1770s with a panelled exterior and a säteritak or manor-house roof, is his family home, while Sörby, a scaled-down early 17th-century manor house, was reproduced in its entirety for an exhibition in Stockholm. Full of insight and inspiration, this is a deeply personal summary of everything Lars Sjöberg has learned in his years of working and living with classic Swedish interiors." - via Amazon.com

Here are some of my favorite photos from the book -


One day I will have an antique Swedish grandfather clock!








As usual, all you have to do to enter the drawing is leave a comment! To comment on this post (scroll to the bottom of this post and right above "Labels" you will see a number followed by the word "comments." Click on the word "Comments." Or, you will see a link, "Post a Comment," which you click on to comment.

If you receive posts in your email feel free to respond to the email noting that you'd like to be entered in the drawing.

Contest closes Friday July 1st at 5pm. Good luck!

And the lucky winner of "Downtown Chic" is...

Megs723
Congratulations! Please contact me at ashley [at] decorologyblog [dot] com with your shipping address and I will get your lovely prize, "Downtown Chic" off to you in a jiffy. Thanks to all who entered. If you didn't win, you'll have another chance at a great book giveaway next week, so stay tuned!

Winner selected at random by Random Number Generator.

I simply count the number of entries and plug that number into the generator. Once it generates a number I count in order from the first to last comment, and the entry who matches with the number generated wins.

Yay! A book giveaway!

It's been too long since I've hosted a book giveaway?  So I wanted to make this one super good.  Just by commenting on this post - you'll be put in the drawing to win the book Downtown Chic by Robert and Cortney Novogratz of Sixx Design

I've been flipping through this book on and off all day - they give some really good advice for making your home yours, and flea market shopping tips!


This is just a little nibble of the content:

How to Flea by Robert and Cortney Novogratz

• The great stuff sells before 6 AM; get there early, before the dealers snatch up the best things
• Get a large cup of coffee - it's too early to be up on a weekend
• Negotiate. You can always walk away and go back later
• Be sure to bring the measurements of the spaces you are furnishing and a tape measure when shopping.

 





Don’t forget to comment on this post (scroll to the bottom of this post and right above "Labels" you will see a number followed by the word "comments." Click on the word "Comments." Or, you will see a link, "Post a Comment," which you click on to comment)

If you receive posts in your email feel free to respond to the email noting that you'd like to be entered in the drawing.

Contest closes Thursday the 16th at 5pm. Good luck!

Great giveaway for all you art lovers out there!

I have a really great and unique giveaway for you guys.  I haven’t held a giveaway since before I left for Spain, so I figured I’d make the return of the giveaways a really good one. 

The giveaway is a chance to win a framed print of your choosing from the carefully curated print collection at Thumbtack Press.  Thumbtack Press is an “online art enclave that exists to create a community of like-minded art enthusiasts,” and features some really talented artists.  The focus is illustration, which is very near and dear to my heart, as I graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in Illustration in 2006.  I even recognized names of fellow RISD grads and professors on the Thumbtack Press artist roster!

The new owner personally curates the collection and looks forward to expanding to even more genres in the future. In fact, be sure you visit again in June when they will be launching a new and improved Thumbtack Press site.

To enter all you need to do is leave a comment on this post listing your favorite work/artist from the Thumbtack site (I really love the “Randomizer” feature which shows you an array of various artwork), and then make sure you “Like” Thumbtack Press on Facebook.  This is very important because they will be contacting the winner directly this way.  Click here to go to the Thumbtack Press Facebook page and “Like” them.

Below are a few works I really admired

“Born” by Gina Triplett

Ken Wong’s “Stay and I Will Love Thee”

I like anything octopus related..

Linzie Hunter’s  “Spam One-Liner’s: Happy Life”

“Amsterdam” by Matt Mills

“Tree of Joy” by Paul Barnes

Luis Melo’s “Empty Beach” 

You have until May 31, 6 PM EST to enter.  Don’t forget to both comment on this post (scroll to the bottom of this post and right above "Labels" you will see a number followed by the word "comments." Click on the word "Comments." Or, you will see a link, "Post a Comment," which you click on to comment), and “Like" Thumbtack Press on Facebook.  Good luck!