…..a blog by M. Posen
Simply put, Inspiration is a life and style blog about everything that inspires Me. Whether it’s a
fabulous piece of furniture, a favorite quote or a DIY project; if it inspires me,
I’ll share it with you.
From Interior Design & Decorating to Architecture, Gardening and so much more!
My hope is to motivate you to discover & develop your own creative talents, to join the conversation and to follow along on the journey. I believe that we are all creative in one way or another and sometimes we just need a little Inspiration to get started.
So take a few minutes out of your busy day, put your feet up & come be inspired,
you deserve it!
Go Bold with Color!
Wanna add a punch of color to a room?
Wanna add a feature wall?
Wanna add a contemporary touch to your décor?
Go Bold with Color!
Painting your walls & adding colorful accessories are
just some of the ways to add color to your space. You can
also paint a piece of your existing furniture a bright,
bold color. Add some shiny new hardware to
change the style a bit. And, if your piece of furniture is as
big as this one, you can create a feature wall as well.
Painting this entertainment center was the perfect improvement for this space. Mostly gray and beige; I had wanted to bring more color into this room for sometime. I didn’t plan on it being “Greige” forever. I was happy with the upholstered furniture, happy with the wall color and I had already purchased fabric for the window treatments and pillows, I just hadn’t gotten around to actually sewing anything yet.
Before photo
I also wanted to start incorporating a more contemporary vibe into the space. This was extra difficult since I was starting with an entertainment center, which by itself is already “out-of-style”. And, it had a lot of “shabby chic” trim pieces added on. Then again, the piece was built-in and built to last and I didn’t want to attempt to remove it!
But it had these goofy doors on the middle section, I wasn’t sure that a color change and some new knobs would really change the look of the piece. Then again, it’s part bookcase too and has a lot of storage…you can see how torn I was over saving this piece.
Finally, I took the plunge. I hunted for new (to me) cabinet doors that could replace the two existing center doors. (I have a lot of spare cabinet doors laying around but, you could try looking at thrift or salvage stores or even a Re-Store to find used cabinet doors). I was lucky to find other doors; not the same size but ones that would cover the opening & I test fitted them before painting. I also tested different paint colors before deciding on this shade. I painted the colors on leftover pieces of trim and looked at them in daylight, night time and with the can lights on & off. I can’t stress enough how important that is; you truly must look at color in the space that the color will be in and in all the different lighting it could be viewed in. Years ago, I picked out a wall paint that during the day was a nice creamy tan with a green undertone. At night, that creamy tan turned olive green, literally! That was not the look I was going for. Needless to say, I’m glad I tested the color before buying the paint or painting the walls!
I planned on taking off some of those shabby chic trim pieces before painting but, I knew that would involve a lot of work to make the surface smooth (like they were never there) so, I just started painting. I made sure to take a picture of the items displayed on the shelves before removing them. I was still tweaking the displays but was mostly happy with the way they looked and I didn’t want to forget where everything was placed. I removed the shelves and the doors to paint them and I painted the rest of the entertainment center in place.
Incredible transformation, right?
And those knobs!
…still the same decorations though…
Once everything was painted and sealed, I put it all back together again. I can’t believe the transformation! This piece went from boring and bland to Hello Look at Me!
I didn’t even remove those shabby chic pieces but now they just seem to blend into the background.
And those knobs! Are they beautiful or what? To me, the hardware is like jewelry or icing on the cupcake and this jewelry looks fabulous.
What’s your favorite part; the color, the jewelry or the overall transformation? For me it’s the overall transformation. I’m still amazed by the difference a simple color change and new hardware can make.
Do you have a piece of furniture you’d like to have stand out? You could start with something small like a coffee table or a headboard. It’s not as difficult as you might think and, I’d be happy to give you some pointers. Feel free to contact me with your questions and send me photos of the finished piece! You can do this!
5 best “back to campus” buys
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5 best “back to campus” buys
It’s almost that time again! Although this year back to school, college
dorm / apartment life will seem quite different from years past, there are still
some basic necessities you will probably want to have on hand.
#1 Batteries
You’re certainly going to need an assortment of batteries. It’s a good
idea to make a list of all the sizes you know you will need but it’s also a
good idea to stock up on some of the other common sizes too;
AAA, AA, C, D & 9 volt. You never know what size battery
you may need. For instance smoke detectors and carbon monoxide
alarms often take 9 volt batteries where as battery operated lights,
remotes & video game controllers often take AA or AAA batteries.
Coming soon…
#2 Flash Light
You never know when the power is gonna go out—or when you might need
a flash light! It comes in handy when digging in a drawer, trying to
find something in the back of a dark closet or looking for “monsters”
under the bed (just seeing if you were paying attention :). You can never
have too many flash lights as far as I’m concerned. I put them all over
the place; in the kitchen, bathroom, car, basement…
#3 Tool Kit
If you haven’t already started purchasing some basic tools, now is the time to do so! A basic set of tools like at flat head &/or Phillips head screwdriver, utility knife, hammer, small set of pliers, scissors and a tape measure will get you started. You can always add more pieces as you go; a set of multi-bit screwdrivers, a small level or maybe an adjustable wrench? The point is that a “basic” tool set is invaluable.
#4 Sliders
Well that’s what I call them. They’re actually called furniture sliders or movers. They make them for hardwood &/or carpeted surfaces. They not only protect the flooring surface under your furniture but they make moving the furniture so much easier! Instead of lifting the furniture, the “sliders” make it possible to slide the furniture across the floor. We keep a selection of various sizes for both hardwood and carpeted surfaces in our truck all the time.
#5 Adhesive Strips
These handy dandy strips come in an assortment of sizes & shapes and can be used for any number of different uses; pictures, mirrors, hooks and much more. Plus, they can be removed easily with out damaging your walls!
Just be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions.
Just be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions.
All campus photos were taken at
Temple University – Main Campus Philadelphia, PA.
There you have it; my 5 best “back to campus” buys.
Here are a few ideas that didn’t make the list but still come in handy:
1. Colored key covers – so you know which key goes to which lock.
2. Bed risers – that way the space under the bed can be used for storage.
3. Storage with wheels – any box, bin or cart with wheels is an improvement over one with out.
4. Fold up storage containers – that way you can fold it up and put it away when not in use.
Copyright © 2020 Posen Design /
Website services by Studio2net.com
Website services by Studio2net.com
Curtain Embellishment
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Curtain Embellishment
Adding trim and other embellishments to store bought window
treatments, pillows and accessories is an easy way to transform your
“mass produced” pieces into unique, one of a kind decor.
Coming soon…
Here we machine stitched some blue & khaki striped fabric into ribbon like strips and added a fun peach
color pom-pom trim to these Waverly curtains. I love the punch of color and sense of whimsy that they add
to the already flavorful panels! These embellishments would work well on pillows too.
Now I realize this look may not be for everyone; not everyone wants pom poms on their window treatments & pillows
but by changing up the trim &/ or fabric selections, the possibilities are endless.
If you desire a more traditional look, you could add trim as a border or
frame a few inches in from the panels edge or pillows edge similar
to the curtains pictured above.
These trims would create a tailored sophisticated look
to any solid colored curtain panel.
This would pair nicely with navy, don’t you think?
Try combining more than one trim together for instance these
two used together would create a Boho vibe.
I’m only giving you examples of using one or more types of trim together but, if
you mixed fabrics & fringes with those trims like we did on our curtain
panels, you can really add a lot of color, texture & style. You can
really add your own personality!
Copyright © 2020 Posen Design /
Website services by Studio2net.com
Website services by Studio2net.com
Spectacular faux plank wall
We recently installed this rustic, reclaimed barn wood, feature wall in our clients home and it looked fabulous when complete!
The most dramatic change you can make!
Paint is by far the most cost effective and dramatic change you can make to a space. That’s not to say that having a room painted is inexpensive; but dollar for dollar, paint will make the biggest transformation for your buck! You can go from dark to light, from neutral to colorful, from cool to warm; what ever you want. Think about it; you can have a space painted, put back all of the original furnishings and you’ll end up with a completely new room! It’s amazing what a difference it can make.
