• 10Jan

    There are so many changes going on around here my head is spinning. You might have noticed no new design personalities have gone on to LiveLikeYou for a few months. That’s because we’re redesigning the site. We want a faster platform and a more simplified approach to finding looks that works for you. I’m sure some of you are business owners yourself, so you know what happens when you start a business — where you started is not always where you end up!  What took me by surprise was the popularity of some of my own designs,  so we are also focusing on expanding those.

    I love looking at ways to create bedrooms using the same products but making the different. You can 3-4 of the same items yet have an extremely different look to a room. And you can also just change the wall color and have a completely different look.

    Yellow MARK carpet

    Black LUCKY bedding

    PINK regency pillow

    SAFARI headboard (this is not on site yet as we don’t have a real photograph yet)

    BLACK studded table

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  • 8Jan

    Do you think you can buy a house for the price of dinner?

    No, you’re wrong – you can!  (Assuming you said no)

    You might remember some articles I’ve posted about my brother Peter in Sweden. He is becoming quite the name back home as his passion to rescue beautiful old buildings and villages is getting a big following.  (You can check out a previous post here on what crimes modern society commits.)

    Well, he might be up to the biggest task yet…When the old station house in Molkom  (20 minutes from my house back home) was going to be torn down, he stepped in, and this time in a very personal way.

    He bought it.

    This beautiful old bud building that once was a working elegant train station has seen years of wear and tear and neglect. It’s been everything from a pizzeria, to school rooms, to office building, but the decision finally came to tear it down. It was said it had bad water damage, and all kinds of problems and was no longer worth keeping.

    Much to the dismay of people in town.

    Many of the old homes just don’t fit in to modern way of life.

    This is how it looks today. Yes, in need of a serious makeover!

    So my brother stepped in and convinced the city not to tear it down instead to sell it to him, and yes they thought it was trash, so he got this whole house for the the price of a really good dinner.

    Yes, it’s true.

    When we were home for Christmas he was on the cover of all the local papers.

    People love when someone rescues old houses and turn them back to their old beauty.

    Thank You Peter for inspiring us all!

    The plan was that a local TV station back home was making a series of the revival of this house for television, and that local artisans would get involved. But as luck had it the TV station folded.  So now we’re looking for Plan B. The plan is to turn the house back in to it’s original state and make the inside an “office hotel”.

    Office space for entrepreneurs.

    We all went out on a cold (of course) but sunny day, to visit.

    Inside the ugly exterior the old wood work still exists.

    Can’t wait to follow this renovation! It has to get to warmer temperatures before any of this can begin.

    This is where people stood to wait for the train over a hundred years ago. Looking a lot fancier than us!

    The train still passes here four times a day.

    The inside has left overs from the various lives of the house. This room was an educational facility.

    Unfortunately all the old interior details from train station life have been removed.

    Left overs from a pizzeria.

    These are the old windows with moss in between the glass. This is something they did to make the windows less drafty in cold temperatures.

    We went across the street to a little cafeteria and saw this in the window….

    A GINGERBREAD COPY OF THE OLD STATION HOUSE!!

    I’m so happy my brother took the risk to take this on. Clearly it’s a beloved building in this little town.

    How can we just tear down our history?

    What are we leaving our future generations?

    I’m so excited to do what I can to help Peter complete this.

    Who knows…perhaps this is the perfect project for “This Old House”?

    Do you have any great ideas? A contracting company? A TV station?  Feel like being adventurous?

    Seriously CALL ME.

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  • 3Jan

    Hope you’re all back and rested up after the holiday. I’m up in New York for some client meetings, but home in a couple of more days…

    I want to share a fun project with you. Lisa, a mom of two teenage girls called me a while back she needed some help with her most challenging design project to date. Her teen daughters bedroom redesigns. Although having done  a fantastic job designing her home, she found herself challenged with the new teen rooms. The girls wanted color and their own look and vibe.  I was happy to step in and help -teen rooms are really fun to design. Kids of all ages are naturally pretty fearless with ideas and color.

    Can’t wait to share the full before and after, but here’s a little sneak peek!

    Caroline’s desired color scheme was pink, orange, brown, beige inspired by the NY Tory Burch store.

    Hot pink PVC Louis chair with gold X desk.

    Hot Pink Lucky bedding with custom HOT Pink Pagoda Headboard.

    My new Jill Sorensen MAZE carpet in Cream, Hot Pink and Brown.

    Coming soon!

    The custom Pagoda Headboard with brass nail heads. Lucky Euro shams.

    The pink is carried though in small doses in a a more salmon tone in Katie’s bold turquoise room…

    Pink Artichoke lamp.

    Great choice of lamp!

    A two second sloppy mock up and sketch while going through ideas with Katie and Lisa.

    Here is Lisa with the velvet for the headboard. Getting just the right shade of yellow is key.

    Daphne lamp with brown shade. Love this lamp!

    The Artichoke lamp on the Ming dresser with existing mirrors which will be hung up behind.

    Full reveal coming soon.

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  • 30Dec

    …COMMENT NUMBER # 14.

    You are the winner of one red King size Bang Bang Duvet and 2 Euro shams!

    Our winner Danielle also has a great blog FRESH QUINCE. She has the best eye for vintage finds that you won’t want to miss, particularly if you are in DC. She scopes the best Craig’s list style for you.

    Hope you’re spending the last day of the year the best way possible!

    And I hope all your dreams come true in the New Year (at least most of them)!

    Next year is going to be a huge year of change for me. HUGE. I will share it all here.

    Now turn off the computer and go out and enjoy the day!!!

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