Trends: Plexiglass Furniture

Photo courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com

It's called plexiglass, acrylic, or lucite and it's one of the newest Fall 2010 trends for interiors. Although it comes in various colors, the clear furniture lends itself to having a very futuristic yet sophisticated and surprisingly feminine look.



Black Card Selection: This bar stool by Plexi-Craft, retails online for a pricey $799.



Debit Card Selection 1: I think this is a perfect chair for a bedroom vanity. It's very sexy and looks like something a Hollywood starlet would have. $145, munizplastics.com




Debit Card Selection 2: This chair can also be found at Target, but it retails at Overstock.com for $129. It would make a great office chair and best of all it has a great price! Check out Target for more acrylic furniture at low prices.

The Transformation: From Clutter to Chic Home Office-Introduction

It's hard to get the creative process off to a good start when you are surrounded by junk. I've been living in clutter for---ever since I can remember and this morning I thought of a plan to change my room from a junk station to a Palace bedroom/office. Over the next few months I'll document the process, complete with before, during, and after photos. So far these are the general steps/phases that I'm going to go through:

1. Create the blueprint/plan: This means mapping out how you want the end project to look before you do anything. That way you won't be stuck once you're faced with an empty room after the next phase:

2. DEJUNKING: This will be the hardest and most important phase for me...you'll see when I put the before photos up. I'm thinking of taking everything out of my room, sorting through it, and then putting only the stuff I'm going to keep back in. I think it will be easier for me to objectively sort this way.

3. New Furniture/Deco supplies shopping: This should be the fun part! I really want to try a thrift store to see if I can find a nice loveseat to put in a corner. And I would love to have a platform bed and new office furniture. Wal Mart has some great stuff at great prices.

4. Implementation: After you've planned, gutted the place out, and bought new stuff, it's time to put it all together. I can't wait to show you guys the finished product!

Creating The Perfect Bollywood Moroccan Oasis

Photo Courtesy of casbahdecor.com

I have always loved the mystery and majesty of Moroccan decor. The glitter of the mirror tiles along with the jewel tones and curves of the traditional pieces are glamorous and rustic at the same time. Bringing these elements into a modern decor is always fun and leaves plenty of room to show off your personality.


Photo Courtesy of homedesignmaster.com


One of the most popular features of this type of decor is the Moroccan pouf. These can be used as footstools or floor cushions, but they usually run between $200-$300 for an authentic one. This lavender one is gorgeous, but check E-Bay for ones that fall within the $25-$50 range.


Pouf, E-Mosaik.com, $249

I love seeing Indian women walking in their beautiful saris, and this bedspread is reminiscent of a traditional sari while being low key enough for everyday decor.


Bedspread,Saffronmarigold.com,$69.99

It was hard for me to find a mirror at a reasonable price that would fit into a Moroccan/Bollywood decor. The solution I came up with was to buy a mirror that is the shape you want it to be ( I love Taj Mahal shaped mirrors) and put the stones, and mirror tiles on it yourself. That way you have a totally original piece that's custom designed for you!


Mirror, Wal-Mart, $159.99

Lots of multicolored, mirrored pillows piled onto a bed or sofa are one of the signatures of this style. They always remind me of what I would think a Cleopatra's bedroom would look like.


Pillows (in red and blue), World Market, $9.99

Do you think you have the perfect Bollywood Boudoir? Let me know in the comments and you could be featured as one of my Friday Palace Inspirations!

Chaise Lounges That I Love

I've always promised myself that when I got my own house the first piece of furniture that I would buy would be a chaise lounge. They always looked so glamorous and elegant to me-like you KNEW someone had money if they had one of these! A chaise is considered to be a luxury piece so finding an affordable one can be kind of hard, but I managed to find two in the $400-$500 range. Here are some of my fav styles!

Double Armed


Roslyn Double Arm Chaise by Skyline Furniture, $449.99, Amazon.com

I love the delicate powder blue color of this one, which is like a sleek, velvety sofa. This would look great with some contrasting throw pillows in pastels like peach and lavender or bold colors like red or royal purple.


Animal Print


Safari Chaise Lounge in Leopard, $399, homedecorators.com


I like how this chaise mixes traditional old Hollywood glamor with the modern flair of leopard print. The animal print also gives it a tribal look that would work well with a sari throw and Bollywood pillows.


Leather


Chris Madden Grand Manor Estates Chaise in Chocolate, $1,149,JCPenny


This is the most luxurious chaise that I'll post and the price is pretty steep at over $1000. The chocolate color looks so warm and there are endless possibilities for dressing this heirloom quality piece up.


Baroque



Now this is the type of chaise I think of when I first hear the words chaise lounge. These are hard to find at a reasonable price so if you like this style it's probably best to hunt for one at your local antique shops. I'd get mine reupholstered in a sassy color like a bright lavender to give it a more modern look. Some silver, glittery pillows would make it look futuristic and very chic...yet still very glamorous!

Welcome to PalaceLovely!

Welcome to Palace Lovely, the place for creatively sophisticated decorating, entertaining,and cooking tips. Whether you've just gotten your first apartment, condo, or house, I hope this blog is your companion on your journey to create your own Palace- a sanctuary that reflects your true self! I will be busy posting on the following topics each day:

Mondays: Entertaining and Event Planning

Tuesdays: Interior Decorating How-To

Wednesdays: Cooking and Food

Thursdays: Decorating Trends

On Fridays I will profile creatively sophisticated women who will be our Palace Inspirations- they have successfully created their own Palace and are gracious enough to share their tips and style philosophies with us. If you know of anyone who you think would make a great Palace Inspiration, please make suggestions!

I hope you are as excited as I am about Palace Lovely and I hope you will join me as Palace Lovely continues to grow!