One of my favorite poster designers is the late Saul Bass. The now playing “Burn After Reading” that I am still laughing about, having seen it this weekend (I love a good Cohen brothers film), has a Saul Bass-inspired movie poster that I love: I am going to use these posters as reference for color schemes when I get an opportunity. The bold colors and simple shapes have made Saul Bass famous, and he is clearly doing something right. Here are some of his popular works:

I have a pattern when cleaning the bathroom that involves only one rag. I think we could all use a few cleaning tips to keep us more efficient. Do you have easy cleaning tips? Here’s the procedure: 1. Clean the windows with window cleaner. 2. Fill the sink(s) up with hot water and a little Lysol Disenfectant. Using the same rag, Wipe down the countertop, cabinets, faucets, and lastly the sink. 3. Use the same rag with the disenfectant and clean the base, lid, and tank of the toilet. By using the one rag instead of those disposable wipes to [...]

A recent conversation with my friends over whether or not a chandelier is practical in the bedroom spawned this gallery of beautiful chandeliers above the bed. My say? A bedroom shouldn’t be practical. A dining room or living room, yes, but a bedroom should be your fun retreat. I had a chandelier in my master bedroom in a previous home and I loved it. It made the room feel important and glamorous. (My small downside; making the bed was a touch more difficult, I had to be sure that I didn’t bump the light fixture when ‘fluffing’ the comforter. Small [...]

Well, I finally got to it. My home office/craft room makeover is complete. Here are the highlights: 1. Recycling: I didn’t buy a new paint color, I took the excess paints that I had and mixed them until I came up with this creamy taupe. I hate when paint goes to waste, and I hate spending money when I don’t have to. The color turned out a little purple, so I added some yellow acrylic paint to dull it out, and I am pleased with the results. 2. Repetition is key in design. I took the drawer design from my [...]

The great features of this piece: 1. the glass top makes it appear to take up less space,  if you are worried about a coffee table cramping your room, this would be perfect. 2. Solid wood base keeps it grounded and gives the piece some visual weight. 3. Organic shapes could help if your room is starting to feel boxy (couch, rug, frames…) 4. Mid-century modern look is great for modern rooms and vintage alike 5. Who wants a coffee table that looks like everyone else’s when you can have this! View the original Craigslist Post here.

I was inspired to create posters for my office. I saw it here, and loved it enough to make it, not enough to buy it. The phrase ‘Keep calm and carry on’ is a message that was posted all over Britain during World War 2. It was a message from King VI to the people to endure the war. I made a series of sayings including something I had said while at work (unrelated to the posters): And Lastly, it inspired me to make a poster for my sister with a special wedding song for her, “Lucky” by Jason Mraz. [...]

I love a little mid-century modern piece, and this post from Design*Sponge is fun. Check out the before and afters. This is always inspiring to see this kind of creativity. It makes you wonder what you have that you turn into a fun piece!

Rugs always make your place feel more cozy. It makes it more comfortable, adds color and texture, and shows that you’ve put some thought into how your room should look. Here are a few rugs I think make a fun statement (Do you have some I should add?): Pottery Barn’s Moorish Tile Rug (I have two: one in orange, one in brown): Target’s San Remo Rug – Venetian Oak: West Elm’s Giraffe Rug: Cost Plus World Market’s Medallion Tufted Rug: Pier 1 Import’s Damask Tufted Rug:

Anyone who knows me, is aware that I am a deal shopper. I love creating the Pottery Barn look for the Ikea price. Having said that, I know when it’s time to buy the real deal. This weekend my husband and I went out to a furniture distributor to pick up a new bed for our condo (see bed below). While there, I found some really unique pieces by designer John Reeves. His work all had similar qualities: highly laquered finishes, curvy lines, and modern design with vintage touches. There were two pieces in particular that I fell in love [...]

Okay, I know stencils can sound hokey. But in moderation and good taste, stencils can look phenomenal. I have put together a collection of excellent uses for the stencil. Okay, so how can we learn from these successful applications of stenciling? those that have the ENTIRE surface covered in stencil chose a low-contrast color combination. Choose two colors that are close to each other in the color family, to keep it from being overwhelming. If you want blue – chose a blue and a lighter shade of that blue. Those that had smaller applications of the stencil treatment could afford [...]

The Scoop: bought this dresser at a garage sale for $30 (thanks Clare!) sanded down all of the paint the wood was a little too dry and spotty to stain, so I colorwashed the piece with latex paint and water. sealed the paint, and protected the wood with varnish removed the drawers had MDF cut at home depot ($7 total) into two shelves for the cable box, dvd player, etc. covered the MDF with calico fabric from JoAnn’s Cut holes in the back of the dresser to feed the cables to the electrical outlet Voila! Our new TV Bench before [...]

My friend and neighbor Carson dreamed up an uber-organized Master bedroom closet. When I saw his, I had to have it. So, together we created this beautifully organized, less stress in the morning, fully functional master bedroom closet. See the before and afters below. My problem with closets has always been shoes. In one house, all of our shoes were under the bed(disorganized disaster). In another house, the shoes were in shoe and sweater organizers in the hall closet (which left no room for jackets and sports equipment). FINALLY, my shoes lie showcased, undisturbed, and in perfect condition in the closet. [...]

A hand-me-down and a birthday present from my friend Shannon inspired this little burst of color in the master bathroom. It’s hard to find the right thing to accent a bathroom, but if you keep it relevant, it will make sense and look great. This black tray was a hand-me-down from a friend. It would look great in the bathroom holding candles or jewelry, but what you really need in the bathroom near the sink is handtowels. The little dish to the left was the lid to this gorgeous vase, and I use it to store my wedding ring and [...]

As my friends and family know, I have been deliberating about a sofa. I even ordered one and canceled it the next day, because it didn’t feel right. Well, I finally committed and I’m ecstatic! Here were my rules: 1. I could buy a cheaper one now, but will inevitably have to replace it in the near future. 2. Since I’m going to have it for a while – it can’t be a trendy style that will become dated quickly. 3. It must be comfortable and a fabric that is easy to maintain. 4. No pillowbacks. (nothing wrong with them, [...]

I think these tables are beautiful. They are printed canvas table cloths and can be purchased with or without the under table. I think the best application for this is to use it in a place that there wouldn’t normally be a fancy table: A printer stand in your office, or a nightstand by your bed.  With a price tag of over $800, I’m going to have to figure out how to make this myself! I’ll be sure to report back! Visit the website at www.markcutlerdesign.com.