roost | marissa waddell interiors

Beach House eDesign

2013-05-20T06:15:00.000-04:00

This sophisticated, beachy living room eDesign is brought to you by my newest sponsor, TwentyOne7!

I was actually introduced to this shop by one of my clients and friends. She needed several yards of designer fabric for a reupholstery job and found the best price at TwentyOne7. But they don't just sell fabric. All of the items in this design are available through TwentyOne7:

Viola Chandelier | Arteriors

Abbot Birds of Georgia Prints (1 & 2) | W. King Ambler

Pelham Sofa | Kravet

Pillow Fabric: Nolita Embroidery in Coral | Schumacher

Pillow Fabric: Nympheus in Teal | Lee Jofa

Worthington Coffee Table | Arteriors

Tennyson Stool | Arteriors

Remy Buffet | Kravet

Artichoke Set | Nearly Natural

They have contracts 150+ vendors for fabric, furniture, art, lighting, wallpaper, and more. The products listed on the site are really just the tip of the iceberg. If you want something that's not online, just ask for a quote by phone or email. (Don't be shy, they're way nice and will give you the best price!)

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

And I really dig the fabrics.

cheap chic: kate spade confetti

2013-05-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

I found this lookalike at La Redoute (one of my favorite online shops)-- their "Confetti" pattern is a dead ringer for Kate Spade's "Market Street" dinnerware! The pattern comes on a tablecloth, aprons, and tea towels. You could frame a couple of tea towels for adorable and inexpensive kid's room art!

In case you missed it, here are 20 of my favorite online shops for affordable decor:

e-design: chic stripes + gold + abstract art

2013-05-13T06:15:00.000-04:00

This design is one of my latest favorites. I got to use so many favorite pieces in one place!
If you think you've seen the art recently, you have. I wasn't kidding when I said I love it!

I've talked about it before and will probably talk about it again: Caitlin Wilson's Gold Hong Kong Pillow is perfection.

I'll take one, 22". :)

If you'd like help creating a home you'll absolutely love, lets work together!

lucite, brought to you by a nightmare

2013-05-09T06:15:00.000-04:00

Last night, I dreamt I was working on an eDesign. I was almost ready to send it to the client, when I realized everything I picked for the room was lucite.

Don't ask me where that came from!

So here are some pretty lucite/acrylic things, inspired by my weird dream:

1. Jonathan Adler // 2. Overstock // 3. Jayson Home // 4. One Kings Lane // 5. CB2 // 6. Overstock

Just don't use them all in one place. :)

Lucite is really expensive for some reason. So check out this tutorial for DIY acrylic rods on the cheap!

clean & classic living room inspired by abstract art

2013-05-06T11:39:00.000-04:00

I love designing rooms around great art. I did this room recently for a client who loves abstract art. It's clean and classic, designed around these twin pieces from Horchow.

Are they not gorgeous??

If you'd like help creating a home you'll absolutely love, lets work together!

funny family art

2013-05-03T06:15:00.000-04:00

I've been visiting my parents in Utah this week. This painting is hung in their office... yes, my grandfather commissioned a 4' tall portrait of himself playing handball! Who does that?

Apparently weird family art is a thing in my family... we also have several silhouettes.

And a bust of my dad as a child!

It's hilarious, but I love it.

Anybody else have funny/unique family art?

little gold tables

2013-05-01T06:15:00.000-04:00

Do you like gold? I'm all for it--it's a neutral, but an exciting neutral. It's my favorite!

I needed a little gold table for a project, so I checked Overstock and turned up a treasure trove! These tables are all Safavieh, which sold lots of places, but Overstock's prices are usually the best. Safavieh a great brand for reasonably priced, decent quality stuff that's a good blend of modern and classic. And if you're in the market for a cool little gold accent table, here are 9!

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

pillow styling for sofas & sectionals

2013-04-29T06:15:00.000-04:00

Love pillows, but have a hard time styling them? I created this little diagram to show some ideas of how I arrange pillows on sectionals (it works for sofas, too), from just a couple of pillows to a bunch. It also demonstrates some pattern mixing, though the point is really to show placement and sizing.

For clients, I most often suggest the 5th arrangement. It looks full but not overcrowded, and can be more complex or simpler depending on the colors and patterns you use. I like 22" covers for the largest square pillows and 20" for the smaller (with down inserts 2" larger). I almost never use 18", I think they look dinky.

Need ideas for your bedroom pillows? I also made a diagram for bed pillow styling here.

Want to create rooms you absolutely love? Lets work together!

genevieve for capel rugs

2013-04-23T06:15:00.000-04:00

via

If I could pick any designer to do my house, I'd pick Genevieve Gorder. She's a brilliant designer who favors global patterns, brass, and pieces with a story (bonus: she's also happy and funny). She works particularly excellent magic with kitchens and bathrooms:

via

Genevieve has an awesome collection with Capel Rugs. Every one of them is perfectly "her" look. These are my favorites:

1. 2. 3.

Genevieve showed her new collection at High Point Market this weekend... I can't wait for it!

8 favorite wallpapers

2013-04-17T06:15:00.000-04:00

I don't think I've ever lived in a house with wallpaper (minus the Orca whale border in my childhood bathroom, oh yeah). Wallpaper always seemed kind of "granny" to me, but in the past few years I've really started to love it. Like, want-to-put-it-everywhere love it.

These are some of my favorites:

Maybe I'd change my tune if I ever had to put up or take down wallpaper... but I love it.

Are you a fan?

no-fail color palettes for dress or decor

2013-04-15T06:15:00.000-04:00

Fact: I'm not very clever at pulling innovative color palettes out of thin air. The place I get more color inspiration than anywhere else? J. Crew.

I love their clothes, but it's the styling that's truly genius. Whenever I'm in the store, I take pictures of the mannequins, displays, product styling... sometimes even covert ones of the employees or other shoppers. Creepy, but true.

I've noticed a commonality among many of their good color palettes:
any two colors + a mixture or a shift.

Here's what I mean by a mixture:

Color 1 + Color 2 + the color in between.

And here's what I mean by a shift:

Color 1 + Color 2 + a tint (add white) or shade (add black) on either color.

Two colors alone looks fine, but adding that third color tones it down (and makes you look like a styling genius).

Do you have a fancy trick for picking colors?

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vermeer's lead-tin yellow

2013-04-09T05:45:00.000-04:00

When I was in New York in December, I visited the Frick Collection with my mom. The art is amazing, especially if you love French Impressionism or Rococo. Even if you don't, you should go just to see the mansion!

The painting that caught my eye more than any other was Mistress and Maid by Vermeer. The yellow he used, "lead tin yellow," is electric in person! It was so unusual and happy. I think of this painting whenever I see bright, lemon yellow.

Inspired by Vermeer

herbed pork with peach reduction & roasted brussels

2013-04-08T05:45:00.000-04:00

This weekend was LDS General Conference, during which it's family tradition to have TONS of food. I made one of my favorite super delicious, fast, and easy meals. I'm always looking for good recipes, so I thought I'd share!

Pioneer Woman

This herb roasted pork tenderloin is by Pioneer Woman. The only changes I make are to use Italian herbs instead of Herbs de Provence and 14-16 oz. peach preserves instead of 8 oz. plum preserves. Delicious. (And I'm thinking it would be equally good for duck or chicken.)

A Hint of Honey

This recipe for roasted brussel sprouts is so simple it hardly needs explaining, but I got it from A Hint of Honey. This is my favorite vegetable dish, by far.

It's simple and light meal, but sooo delicious.

See more recipes I want to try here, and more recipes I've tried and like here.

fresh pillows for spring

2013-04-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

Do you change your pillows with the seasons?

When the weather gets warm, I'm inclined to add a little color and brightness to my usual pillow lineup. These are some of my favorite pillows this spring... though I can't promise I'd put them away in the fall!

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

living room e-design: lark street

2013-04-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

I saw this star pendant in Emily Henderson's office and had to find a place to use it! I found the perfect place in this library design (library = code for 'small living room + lots of books'). The furniture is pretty grown-up and serious, but the star light and the fun pillows bring a little spice. And I spy one of my favorite fabrics that go with everything!

Want to create rooms you absolutely love? Lets work together!

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easy + cheap + awesome: green household swaps

2013-04-01T05:45:00.000-04:00

I've never mentioned it here, but I'm a little "crunchy." I'll go out of my way for things that are eco-friendly and healthy, but my favorite green options are the ones that check all my boxes: easy, cheap, awesome, and green. So I put together a list of some swaps I use and love. They're so good, I don't miss their chemically alternatives at all!

LAUNDRY SOAP

3T Borax + 3T Washing Soda + 2T Blue Dawn Soap + 4C Hot Water

(adapted from this recipe)

There are lots of more complicated recipes, but easy works for me: just mix the ingredients up and you're done. I use the same amount per load as I would conventional laundry detergent, but this stuff doesn't get sudsy. It's good for everyday laundry, but I still use stain removers for the difficult stuff. Our clothes smell like absolutely nothing, which I love.

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANING SPRAY

.5t Liquid Castille Soap + 3T White Vinegar + .5t Washing Soda + 2C Hot Water

(from here)

I use this as my daily kitchen/bathroom cleaner. I think it's better at dissolving crusty/sticky stuff than what I used to use (Method brand). And when I clean the bathroom, I don't feel like I'm gassing myself to death.

OVEN CLEANER

Baking Soda + Vinegar

Sprinkle the baking soda around (more on the dirtiest parts) and spray vinegar over top. Let it sit for a few minutes and wipe clean! This was the first green cleaner I tried, on what was probably years-old buildup on our nasty grad school apartment oven. Worked like a charm!

MOPPING SOLUTION

1 Part Vinegar + 1 Part Hot Water + a few drops of Dawn

I use that solution with these washable pads for Swiffer mops. I can't vouch for it on stone or wood, but it's great on linoleum.

"MAGIC" SOAP

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap claims 18 uses, from toothpaste to laundry. I have the rose scent, and so far, I've used it for face and body wash and to clean my bathtub. I've used it daily for two months and the bottle barely looks used. Literally, a few drops do the job (it doesn't get super sudsy, FYI).

COCONUT OIL

You know the dad in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" who thinks Windex solves everything? That's me with coconut oil. I use it daily as a face and body moisturizer and makeup remover, but I've also used it to treat leather, remove adhesive goo, and cook. This post claims 101 uses! It's amazing. I use this kind, I bought it 8 months ago and it's only half gone.

CLOTH RAGS

File this under: Duh. I have a big stack of cleaning towels (old dish towels and a bunch of these cheap ones from IKEA), and I go through a few every day. I toss them in the washing machine to go with my next load, to keep them from stinking up the house. I use cloth whenever possible, and I go through maybe one roll of paper towels every few months.

OLIVE OIL SPRAYER

(substitutes for cooking spray, like Pam)

After I figured out you have to pump the top a lot to give the sprayer enough pressure, I love this thing! And I feel pretty good about not having nasty propellants from conventional sprays in my food.

cheap chic: peony blossom

2013-03-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Similar: peonies, birds, branches...
Not similar: price!

L | R

a gallery for the sofa wall

2013-03-19T05:45:00.000-04:00

One of my biggest decorating challenges having a giant, open wall above a sofa. Whenever I can possibly rearrange a furniture situation to avoid it, I do! But in my apartment, the sofa is in the one and only place it fits... with a big, blank wall behind it.

That wall has bugged me for 8 months! I've put up all sorts of different pieces and disliked them all. But I finally found something I like that really works for me and the space, so I thought I'd walk you through how I got there.

Here are some things I considered:

1. Amount of negative space. My sofa is giant, as long as the wall behind it. And the effect that has is to frame out the entire wall, so your eye expects the whole darn thing to be full of something.

2. Scale. A frame that looks pretty big on a store shelf can look minuscule/unimportant on a vast, empty wall above a long sofa. And a groupings of small frames can look cluttered. When in doubt, I always size up.

3. How high to hang. The "rule" is to hang art centered at 57" (gallery height). I'm not strict about that rule, but I do think people commonly hang stuff too high, and I especially notice it above sofas. I always put a guide up on the wall with tape and move things around until I'm happy with it.

I tried canvases, a Chinese screen, mirrors, and what seemed like a dozen different gallery arrangements. (My post on 20 ideas for above-the-bed art has some good ideas for what to hang.) I kept coming back to a gallery wall-- I liked how I could "fill" a big space but leave some negative space between frames. The scale is cool-- it's both big (whole arrangement) and small (frames), so I felt like it didn't overpower anything. I liked it centered at about 60".

I obviously still need to straighten the frames and put art in most of them (and let's not even talk about the color scheme I've got going on in here). I'm just happy I finally put something up on this wall!

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5 great dining tables under $500

2013-03-13T05:45:00.000-04:00

I lost a total gem yesterday-- an oval, tapered leg, solid wood dining table at Goodwill for $25. It needed a coat of paint, but it was sturdy and the perfect size. Two seconds later, it was already being carted away to someone else's car! Dang.

Brand new dining tables are expensive... pretty ones, anyway. But I found a few that are both pretty and cheap.

That second one might find its way home to me!

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

office e-design: bayleaf lane

2013-03-12T17:15:00.000-04:00

Has your weather been as glorious as mine? I can't stay inside!

Though... if this were my office, maybe I could. The wallpaper is Cole & Son's "Vivienne's Lace." It looks like ruffles married waves! And if you look closely, you can see "Vivienne Westwood" in script (I thought I was seeing things at first, but she designed the print). So cool.

Want to create rooms you absolutely love? Lets work together!

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violet's sweet-as-sugar nursery

2013-03-07T05:45:00.000-05:00

Quilt Fabric: Heather Bailey

I adore this sweet nursery by Lauren Reid for her daughter, Violet. It makes me think of the saying that little girls are made of "sugar and spice and everything nice." Nearly everything in the room has meaning-- hand-me-down furniture, custom-sewn bedding, and sweet accessories gathered over time.

Lauren picked up these prints on a trip to France. They look perfect above the crib against the polka-dot wall.

The furniture is a great mix of hand-me-down and IKEA.

Violet's blessing dress was hand-sewn by her grandmother using lace from Lauren's wedding dress. How sweet is that?

This design has a similar look-- white and pale pink, gold accents, and feminine fabrics.

Photo: Nicole Hill

If you love this nursery, you'll love Lauren's wedding (featured on Martha Stewart). Girl has serious style.

Thanks, Lauren!

outdoor rugs for kitchens

2013-03-05T05:45:00.000-05:00

via

I'm not brave enough to put a nice wool rug in the kitchen. So while I love the look, it's not happening-- considering the egg and bowl of chocolate sauce I dropped last week, that's a good thing! Instead, I use outdoor rugs. They're made to withstand a lot, so they hold up great in kitchens (ditto entries/mudrooms).

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

I've had the first rug in my kitchen for two years. It's made of recycled plastic bottles and it's basically indestructible. Admittedly, outdoor rugs aren't the nicest thing underfoot. But to me, the easy cleanup is worth it.

how to: double shower curtains

2013-02-20T05:45:00.000-05:00

via Jamie Meares

I filed this photo away to reference one day if/when I can have a lovely bathroom custom-made: I love the two-panel shower curtain. Panels are nearly always my window treatment of choice, I love how they soften harsh lines. They look soft and warm in the bathroom, too. And I'm particularly fond of the nice metallic clip rings instead of crappy plastic.

Then it occurred to me that this look was way easy to mimic:

just move the shower rod up and use window panels instead of a shower curtain.

Shauna Mailloux

See how nice this looks? It didn't take a custom stone surround to make the double-panel look work. The panels frame the shower stall beautifully AND they're hung nice and high, making the ceilings seem taller and the room more grand.

I decided to try it out, since I had an extra pair of curtain panels laying around. I bought a black tension rod (wanted it to look like an actual curtain rod, but the old shower rod was white... black helped) and hung it high enough so the curtains barely brush the floor.

No windows + bad lighting = it looks suuuuper ghetto in this photo, but I wanted to show you I actually did it.

The bathroom feels warmer and grander. And I promise it looks good in real life-- try it and you'll see!

10 MORE Resources for Affordable Decor

2013-02-18T05:45:00.000-05:00

My post about 10 favorite resources for affordable decor quickly became one of the most popular posts on my blog. Seems you like cheap decorating as much as I do! So I put together a list of 10 more places to shop online... including my secret obsession and a couple surprising sources.

Garnet Hill doesn't have a huge selection, but it's all classic stuff. They have great cotton rugs that come in a new pattern every season.

Fabric.com nearly always has the best prices on yardage. The selection goes in and out of stock (I think it's an overstock/ type of place, but I've never noticed any damage) and it's not high-end, but you can usually find Premier Prints, Waverly, Robert Allen, etc.

La Redoute. People. You should be thrilled I'm sharing this one because I've never divulged this source to a soul. There are always at least 20 things I'm crazy about at this French store! The only downside is the $20 international shipping unless your order is $119+, then it's free. So stock up and you're good.

The Container Store sells bins, boxes, and organizational wonders of all kinds.

JC Penney, who would have guessed? I've found hidden gems several times, especially in the Cindy Crawford line.

I'm so glad Zara Home has an online shop for the USA now! They have an excellent selection of bedding, pillows, and cool accessories.

Spoonflower is basically designer fabric knock-off central. Users upload their own designs, which you can have printed onto different types of fabric. My favorite shops are Holli Zollinger and Domesticate.

HSN used to have a Nate Berkus line. Now they don't, but it's still good. There are lines from Carlton Varney and Colin Cowie, and a good collection curated by House Beautiful.

CASA.com carries some great brands in most home categories (except furniture). They give free 2-day delivery for orders $49+, which is kind of amazing. And bonus, I have an affiliate coupon for you:

Modcloth has fun, retro-inspired accessories. Great for dorms, teenagers, or a little dose of fun... along the lines of Anthropologie (but cheaper) or Urban Outfitters (but less vulgar).

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So that's a total of 20 of my favorite shopping sources. Get to it!

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cheap chic: hugo guinness-inspired prints

2013-01-24T05:45:00.000-05:00

Jenny of Little Green Notebook posted a shot of some Hugo Guinness art to her Instagram last week and I immediately went on the hunt for some prints. I found them at John Derian... starting at $440. Ouch, not what I had in mind. But thanks to some great Etsy artists, you can get the look of Guinness' cheeky, lino-cut art for much less.

Ampersand: Danielle Tiedman

Three Ferns, Christmas Fern: Coffee in Bed

Bicycle, Popsicle, Fork and Knife, Pirate Ship, Octopus, Compass: the big harumph.

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