DAVID JIMENEZ

David Jimenez is an impressive and inspirational designer of our day. He currently lives in Kansas City while acting as the VP of visual merchandising for Hallmark Inc. However, he has helped develop big time home decor brands such as Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware. Of course I noticed his work through Pinterest and I had to share some of his portfolio with you. I think he has a really great range, yet I love everything he does. 

KELLY'S DIY UPHOLSTERED HEADBOARD

My friend Kelly is the ultimate DIYer. Seriously, the girl sees anything and thinks "I can make that." And the crazy part is, she usually does. Luckily, she has an amazing family thats always willing to help when it comes to a project, and this time it would be no easy feat.

It started with the inspiration...

Step 1: GENIUS IDEA, are you ready for this. Kelly traced the design of the headboard on a white piece of paper and then they used a projector machine from her father's office to trace the outline on to the wood before cutting it with a jigsaw. 

Step 2: Kelly and her mother took two large pieces of foam and glued the foam to the back of the headboard with Elmer's wood glue. It is is important to note the Elmer's wood Glue because it doesn't have as many toxins than spray adhesives. 

Step 3: Kelly and Elaine (aka Lainey Bops/Kelly's mom) then cut the excess foam to form the shape of the headboard.

It looks as though she did this with an electric kitchen knife! LOL

Step 4: The upholstering. Not so easy with this shape my friends. 

Kelly used a staple gun to wrap the fabric around the wood frame. However, because the shape was so elaborate she had to make slits along the edges so that there was no puckering. 

Sidenote: With professionally made headboards the fabric would be cut in patterns so that there would be seams at the edges of the headboard for a fluid line without any folds.

Step 5: Kelly bought 2 large picture hangers from Lowe's and mounted them to the wall. 

Step 6: Hang!!! 

Well done Kelly, Elaine and Jack. Well done.

Truly one of the most impressive DIY's I have ever seen. Thank you for documenting it for me Kelly!! :)

INGREDIENTS: 

Lowes heavy duty picture hangers (holds up to 200 lbs)
Elmers nontoxic wood glue
4 yards Fabric (Kelly chose a cream faux suede by Robert Allen)
Foam onlinefabricstore.com 2x3x54
MDX wood 

COST: ONLY $238!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello bargain!

AWESOME FUCHSIA OVERDYED RUG

I showed a co-worker a photo of an item I was bidding on.. and she almost fell off her chair. The item I was bidding on was a bright pink/purple overdyed rug. Yes, it is a bold move and most people can't handle color, let alone bright pink, but it is the perfect layer of color for my bedroom. It is 100% wool pile and retails for $7500! Thank goodness for my designer discount.

-S

Check out these over dyes at West of Hudson.

NAILHEADS: The Jewelry of Upholstery

Adding nail trim to your upholstery is like adding a great pair of earrings to your already put together outfit. Nailheads come in all types of shapes, finishes, and sizes. You can do a continuos single row of nailheads or you can space them out. Sometimes they are used to keep the fabric in place and sometimes they are added to jazz up your upholstery piece. A great example below is the Hickory Chair Eton Chair, shown with and without the optional nailtrim. See the difference?

Eton Chair without Nailheads.

Eton Chair with nailheads.

Nailhead patterns take these Michael Berman ottomans to a whole new level

We're loving the great new trend of upholstery tables,
also notice the great  pattern in front of the banding of  the sofa base. 

SAN DIEGO TRIP

I just got back from my San Diego vacation a couple days ago, and I completely fell in love. From the moment I stepped foot out of that airport I knew I would struggle for an excuse on why I shouldn't live in this glorious city. And of course there are good reasons. For starters, there is Dalliance Design and my amazing business PIC, Stephanie, that I can't leave behind because of all the hard work and opportunities we have created for ourselves in this very short time. And of course I would miss my family dearly. But I'm not talking about moving to SD for life, maybe just a year or two. Well, only time will tell. For now, I'll just have to keep my eye on the prize and build Dalliance to it's full potential. Maybe at that point I can afford to live in two places...

 Exhibit A: The architecture, design, and landscaping is so different from the northeast. Such a laid back vibe with classic influence but a modern edge (aka my motto on design). 

Check out this cute home. I absolutely die for those driftwood windows and door.  

 Succulents, Giant Aloe plants, birds of paradise, and not to mention Bougainvillea are all native plants that we don't get to see grown naturally very often on our lay of the land. 

Check out this driveway!

 Surfers and skateboarders everywhere. Everywhere! Not to mention more than half of them make your head turn. Honestly, I saw a good looking guy approximately every 5 minutes. It was overwhelming. 

 Nope not a flying V of geese, a flying V of pelicans! 

Mexican food. All day, everyday. I think I sampled lobster tacos from at least 3 different places. The place shown here, was from the restaurant, Big Fish, on Mission Blvd.   

 So many drinks were had. Soooooo many. 

 The hot breakfast spot was The Mad Dog's Cafe, right across from our hostel on Emerald Street (yes, I said "hoSTtel" not "hotel" haha). Where the british owner served up these amazing crumpets. Mine had nutella on top. Boom! You're ready for your bikini...

 No big deal, just took some guys dog hostage. 

 Everyday the weather was amazing and everyday there was an unforgettable sunset. 

 More lobster tacos, up close and personal. 

Of course, we did a tad more than eat, drink and lay on the beach. For one we did quite a bit of shopping. So many amazing boutiques with great deals! And we also went ocean kayaking, but I don't have the pictures developed from our underwater camera. And let's just say I wouldn't recommend it if you get sea sick easily haha ;)

All in all, an unforgettable trip with two of my very dear friends. Now where to next???