Teal Campaign Chest ||A Craigslist Experiment||

As active furniture flippers for the past 6 years, Chelsea and I really have our fingers on the pulse of our local craigslist.  In fact, between the two of us, we have found and flipped nearly 200 pieces in the DC Metro area - which has proven to be a crash-course in decor supply and demand.  We've often shifted our aesthetic to capitalize on budding trends: specializing in chalk paint + heavy distressing, hunting down mid-century modern scores, playing with bohemian touches, etc...  

When we decided to launch StyleMutt Home in September 2014 we started to really pushed the decor envelope to try out new styles, paint colors, staging techniques, patterns.  And we've had a BALL YA'LL.  Exercising these creative muscles started opening up design possibilities (see some of our latest here and here).  We chalk this up to the Lord's blessing.  And that being yourself is so much more rewarding than just trying to fit in.

Some Personal Fave Past Projects

So lately our Craigslist spidey-senses have started noticing some developing trends.  The price for Grandma's old dresser is going up in correlation with the sheer number of DIY pieces for sale.  Now, we LOVE seeing so much budding talent in our area.  But it makes us ask ourselves how can we stand out to potential buyers?

So when I found this campaign piece, I decided to conduct a little experiment.  (I actually do this often when staging my pieces for sale).  I LOVE bright, bold, loud colors.  On/ in/ around everything.  But based on what I've seen in our area, most people want a "tamer" more rustic look and something too eclectic could be a off-putting.  So I decided to refinish this piece in a color that would still play well with the neutrals that are so indicative of the farmhouse craze everyone is in these days.

If you're as obsessed with HGTV like I am, you may notice that the predominately grain sack and burlap color scheme of the farmhouse scene has started to relax it's restrictions the rest of the color spectrum.  Home decor shows like Fixer Upper (a personal fave) have started mixing in muted teals, deep greens, saturated navys, matte charcoals, and warm woods amongst all that greige.  And well I just happened to have a can of muted teal on hand from a custom order so I went for it.

I still styled it with some fun abstract art because well... it's me we're talking about here.  The hung art is intentionally undersized (it's so wrong it's almost right) in hopes that it shows how a "safe" piece can still be used in bold ways (you know - just in case it struck a cord with a another style mutt in the market for some new furniture ;)

I laid aside my overactive love of brass and styled with a silver lamp to match the chrome pulls.  In my mind, silver is a "safer" choice for hardware because brass can rub some people the wrong way (I used to only see the 80's when I saw yellowy brass, but just because I've changed my tune doesn't mean everyone else has).  Besides they original chrome pulls with in immaculate condition - all they needed was a little polish.

And for good measure (since FLFs are after all quickly becoming the standard for home decorators) I asked my newest plantchild Figadora the Fiddle Leaf Fig to pose with mommy's newest flip.

So now we wait for the experiment's results: will the piece appeal to a lot of potential buyers with a variety of styles?  Will it only attract another style mutt like myself?  Or will it sit in the garage shop until I try something new?  I'll have to keep you posted.  In the meantime, how would you characterize your style?  How does this gray-blue piece strike you - yay or nay?

Muted Teal Campaign Chest
58"L x 16"D x 30"H
Now Available for Sale
$545

Styling with Heirlooms ||And 2016 Flip List Item No.5||

Show of hands: how many of you have inherited a piece of furniture or decor that you're not sure will translate across generations and fit seamless into your style?

Chelsea and I have both been blessed by (free) heirloom pieces from family members.  These pieces represent our family history - and are usually of a much higher quality than what's for sale in the big box stores (that I can afford anyway).  So do we compromise a fresh young style for dated decor that has better bones?  Luckily it's not always a one-or-the-other situation.

As style mutts, we've learned that there are ways to mix old and new styles that still feels fresh, hip, and most importantly like you.

Take Chelsea's heirloom headboard for example.  I bet if we looked at a slide of Chelsea's blood under a microscope we would see mid century modern sprinkled with bohemian, rustic, and maybe a touch industrial.  And yet, when she was offered a gorgeously ornate bedroom set, Chelsea didn't turn it down just because it was on the traditional side.  She said thankyouverymuch to Grandma and welcomed home a bedroom set with rich family history (her great great grandma was born in that bed - can't get any "richer" than that ;).

She found a way to take a piece with such formal presence and make it feel ...dare-I-say-it... casual.  The modern stencil (that's right, I said STENCIL) paired with  a floating nightstand, a modern brass sconce, and some fun pillows has this vignette speaking fluent boho-chic instead of in a thick formal accent.

Now recently I had the opportunity to play with some heirloom pieces myself: a pair of rather large and stately ginger jar lamps.  I don't often gravitate towards the Asian flare of chinoserie-style pieces, but these babies have some beautiful details and just the right shade of red for a piece I just finished... 

Remember this guy?

As you may know, I set out to refinish a dresser in another jewel tone (I just can't help myself) for this year's Furniture Flip Bucket List.  And back in January I asked you all to help me figure out what color I should choose for this mid-century fella.   I thought that by polling you, I would 1) be able to determine what bold color would most attract a buyer and 2) get some clarity on what I my color-loving self really wanted deep deep down...

 You know when you ask your mom to help you decide between two outfits?  And after she gives you her opinion, you go with the opposite of her suggestion?  I did this repeatedly in my teenage years and my mom would always throw her hands up and walk away saying "Why did you even ask me in the first place?!" Well my friends (and mom) - I ask because sometimes I need you to activate my emotional-decision barometer.  If I feel even the slightest twinge of disappointment when I hear your suggestion, then I can finally get some clarity on what I really really want.  When I asked you all which bold color should I refinish with, I was surprised that Emerald won with Teal and Navy in a close race for second.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized doing another teal or navy piece or trying to follow up Chelsea's knock-out emerald tall boy  wouldn't satisfy my jewel-tone craving.

Soooooo I went with my gut and chose one of the underdog colors...

Poppy Red

Did you see that coming?  I'm so sorry if I let any of you down who were rooting for a different color.  But rest assured, my jewel-tone days aren't done so you can expect some future fun projects.

How does he compare to the original rendering?  Close no? 

Let's loop back to the lamps really quick.  This staging sesh was a total alignment of the stars.  I had a bold piece to style that really needed to be balanced by a strong pair of  lamps.  My father-in-law had recently decided to shed some office decor he had inherited from his folks and asked Chelsea to help him photograph some oriental lamps for resale.  While loading up for our latest design project, I happened to spot grandma's vintage but in-impeccable-condition lamps (with the PERFECT color scheme and scale no less) in Chelsea's garage. 

And in the spirit of killing two birds with one stone, I borrowed the lamps in hopes that Big Red and his lamp arm candy could help each other find new homes with a fun photoshoot.

I accidentally stumbled on this color scheme: poppy red + hunter green.  And I'm really digging it.  Red and green are opposite each other on the color wheel so they really make each other pop.  But a red with an orange tint countered by a saturated green keeps it from going too...Christmasy.

I decorating with brass to bring out those gorgeous bow tie handles.

The impromptu moss & candlestick topiaries are both classy and whimsical which keeps this vignette fresh instead of stuffy.

Now I'm kind of hoping someone will buy all three so they can stay together forever.

Poppy Red Dresser
64"W x 19"D x 31"H
Now available for sale
$545

If you are interested in this piece, a custom order like it, or if you're local and are looking for some immaculate antique ginger jar lamps, please contact cate@stylemutthome.com.  

If you want to catch up with my progress so far on the 2016 Flip List, here's where I'm at:

Reader Design: Anna's bold n' eclectic living room

Hi friends! How often do stumble upon some epic home decor piece and fall head over heels, but hold back wondering how in the world you'd be able to work it in your home? Been there, done that! We're dishin up a hot Reader Design today by a gal who knows no such predicament. Our girl Anna, a fellow interior design enthusiast whom we've had the sweet pleasure of getting to know through Instagram, (@chicchickinwyo), shares our belief that decorating shouldn't include fear of breaking the rules, but rather foraged and shaped for exactly those who live in the home.

I mean, does this look like the living room of a woman who's afraid of trying new things and pushing the envelope?

Certainly not!!!

From Anna:

"When I've been asked to define my style,  I’ve decided I don’t have just one. My “design tribe” is a mix of modern, vintage, traditional, chic and more. I want people to come into our home and leave with ideas of how to make their own homes unique, FUN and totally their own."

"Our front room is the first place you walk into our home, so I wanted it warm, inviting and leaving you with something to talk about. "

Cue, "Something to Talk About" by Bonnie Rait, (good luck getting this one out of your head. You're welcome)

"The polka dot wall has become just that, I never thought putting polka dots on a wall would have such impact. I think its witty, funky, unexpected and totally me. I don’t take anything too serious, including myself or my décor.

That wall is like an exclamation point to an already stylin' room! And lovin' this happy little welcome to Spring, below. So sweet.

"Our gallery wall as well has people looking, talking and looking some more. It’s busy, sentimental and happy. I love that it’s always changing and evolving."

And I spy an adorable black and white checkerd kitchen floor...

"I like to rearrange and change up this room a lot and I’m very happy we decided to purchase white  furniture; it’s the ultimate neutral.  I like to use items most people wouldn't consider, and hear them say, “That works, it totally works!"

Darn right!

I had to save my boys' favorite for last. At ages 4 and 5, dinosaurs are our liiiiiife. Such a fun, whimsical element!

What a treat to get a peek into such an energetic home so full of life! Thank you, Anna, for this awesome tour of your living room! You can follow Anna's daily design adventures on Instagram @chicchickinwyo!

Be sure to share your own space with us by posting photos of your decor style onto our Facebook wall, or tagging #stylemuttspaces on Instagram! No professional design experience required, just a passion to create a home that is unique to those who live there! All Reader Designs that we have the pleasure of posting here on the blog are archived on our SPACES page as a wonderful source of fresh ideas and inspiration - we advise that you get comfy before exploring this resource, you could easily get lost for a couple hours. :)

Alright, let the weekending commence! Thank you so much for stopping by!