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Sixx Design & Downtown Chic Book Giveaway

December 13, 2009 · Comments { 53 }

Through the process of renovating a derelict town house in New York City over a decade ago, husband and wife team Robert and Cortney Novogratz realized they had a knack for interior design. Soon after their ambitious house project, they founded Sixx Design and have been turning funky spaces into fabulous ever since. Being parents of seven children, the Norogratz designs are not only stylish, they are kid-friendly and budget conscious.

I particularly like how the design couple decorates with both inexpensive flea market finds and high-end designer splurges. The bedside table above was $25 at a yard sale.

Sixx Design’s new book Downtown Chic is a practical guide as well as inspirational source on building and decorating your dream home. There are tons of before and after images documenting several gut renovations.

Sixx Design would like to give you a copy of this gorgeous hardcover book. One lucky Simplified Bee reader will win a copy. Here’s how to enter Simplified Bee’s Sixx Design Book giveaway:

• Leave a comment (include email if you are not a blogger).
• Extra Entry – become a new Follower of Simplified Bee™ Blog (by adding yourself to the follower group on the sidebar).
• Extra Entry – mention this giveaway in a blog post or tweet with a link back and leave a comment letting me know you’ve done so.
• Please post a separate comment for each extra entry.
• Entry period closes at midnight PST, Sunday, December 20, 2009 and the winner will be announced Monday, December 21, 2009.

**Note: The winner will be drawn randomly using Random.org, notified directly via email and listed back at this post using first name only.

* images courtesy of Sixx Design

Read full story By Cristin on December 13, 2009 in Giveaways, interior design

Painting an Old Brick Fireplace

December 10, 2009 · Comments { 15 }

This post was originally published in December 2009 and with fireplace season here I thought it would be a great time to re-share with everyone.

Decorating your fireplace mantel is one thing, but what if your brick fireplace is distressed, cracked or just an eye-sore? With economic times being tight, most don’t have extra cash to hire a professional mason to repair damaged brick and crumbled mortar.

One solution is to simply paint over old, dingy brick. Painting bricks white like in this living room from young house love, creates a clean and contemporary look.

Of course I wouldn’t think of painting an antique fireplace like the one shown above, but would consider it if constructed in the 1960s or 1980s, which is when the majority of masonry fireplaces in the United States were built.

Because I have never had to restore a brick fireplace, I assumed that just any old semi-gloss paint and technique would due. After looking into it further, I found that it is difficult to keep the brick’s look and texture when simply using standard paint. In addition, standard paint is not designed to be heat resistant and will blister and peel if it gets too hot.

Here is a before {above} and after image of a red brick fireplace that was restored with a new coat of paint from Brick-Anew – a kit designed for you to change your brick’s color while keeping the texture. I haven’t used the product, but the transformation as you can see is impressive.

In addition to painting the bricks, the homeowner removed the built-in stair-step brick shelves using a chisel. A simple mantel was added to finish off the look. What an improvement, don’t you think?

*images courtesy of Coastal Living, Young House Love and Brick-Anew

**disclosure – Brick-Anew is a Simplified Bee affiliate partner

Read full story By Cristin on December 10, 2009 in interior design, living rooms

Beautifully Organized – Custom Ribbon Display Boards

December 9, 2009 · Comments { 5 }

Finally an easy and beautiful way to organize and display invitations, family photos and children’s artwork! Designed by San Francisco Bay Area mom, Jodie Strecker, Strecks Collage Boards are stylish, functional and adaptable. Select from over 50 designer fabrics and choose two ribbon colors to create a custom board that coordinates perfectly with your existing decor. There is even an option to supply your own fabric for a one-of-a-kind look.

Sliding ribbons are used to frame photos or artwork. There are no tacks, magnets or push pins that can be dangerous for children {thank goodness}. Display boards can be changed by simply taking it down and sliding the ribbons around to any configuration.

Strecks is offering all Simplified Bee readers 10 off all orders over $50. Simply enter the coupon code: BEE. Hurry, this offer is only good through December 13, 2009. Just in time for the holidays!

Read full story By Cristin on December 9, 2009 in baby and children, discounts, home organization, interior design

Kathryn M. Ireland Textiles and Design

December 8, 2009 · Comments { 10 }

Known for her signature designs and bohemian style, Kathryn M. Ireland has created interiors for many A-list clients such as David Mamet, Steve Martin and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg.

Not only are her interior designs stunning, so is her line of textiles. Her fabric collection includes gorgeous hand prints inspired by a trip to India. Take a look.