Jamie Drake-Design Soulmate

Ever spot a designer's work and feel that you were instant design soulmates?  As if everything you'd longed to be and lusted after...you'd found suddenly right in that one designer. 

Jamie Drake is mine. He playfully uses color as his design canvas. He's not afraid to mix color palettes and prints. In fact, he is often called the King of Color.  And I am smitten. 

Jamie Drake Kips Bay Showhouse, NYC (Thank you Nick Johnson)

I initially discovered him in Decor for his design at the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Showhouse (2007). My eye caught this vibrant plush cranberry pink checked bedframe and it was love at first sight. 

But Drake has been around the block in the design world.  He's a prominent NYC based designer.  He studied at Parson's School of Design.  He's designed homes for Madonna and NYC Mayor Bloomberg.  His use of color is equisite.  His attention to detail is paramount.  His rooms translate personality.  Love the vibrant colors. 


Right up my alley! 


Indulge!

xoxo  Vivid Hue Home

Designer Shoes for Your Furniture

What in the world? 

Ever see a clever idea and instantly wonder how you didn't think of it first? 

 Introducing Pretty Pegs.  Designer shoes for your IKEA furniture.   

These colorful peg legs are created by a company in Sweden (Check out here).  Designed to fit onto any standard IKEA sofa, dresser or bed.  This adds ultra character to the inexpensive furniture.  How fun.  How daring!   

Check out the pegs on the IKEA styles, including: HELLEVI, EVY, SIRI, BROR and KURT.
Each peg is customizable.  Start by selecting your furniture.  Next, select your peg style.  Finally, choose the color for your peg.  Voila!   Remember, the best accessory to an outfit is a fine pair of shoes...

Check out other fun ways to update your IKEA furniture here

Silver Checks into the Spa

C.A. at How To Be a Heroine wrote her Friday blog about a fool proof technique for cleaning her silver.  Check out Hi Ho Silver here.  Her results were so inspiring so I tried her technique myself...

Oh Em Gee!  I will never use elbow grease to scrub my silver again! 

My water pitcher went from this...to that!

Here's how:

1.  Plug your sink with the stopper and line the base with aluminum foil.

2. Add 1 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of salt to the sink

(Full disclosure, I was so anxious to try this method this morning before dropping the kids at school that I snaked our baking soda from our fridge that was being used to keep smelly odors away.  I didn't feel like measuring and I wanted results so I poured the entire box.  Wasteful I'm sure but that's what I did). 

 

3.  I set the pitcher into the mix before adding water.

4.  Per C.A.'s suggestion, I heated my water in the microwave to make sure it was super hot before adding it to the sink. 

Immediately upon adding the water, the soda and salt mixture started fizzing.  It is recommended to soak your silver for 30 minutes for best results.  I saw immediate results as soon as the water entered the mix.  Excited, I filled the rest of the sink all the way up (using hot water from the faucet this time).  I wrapped the foil around the pitcher to form sort of a cocoon.  I even spooned some of the soda/salt onto the top of the pitcher).  And then I walked away for 30 minutes. 

Are you kidding me?  The tarnish on the pitcher was slowly getting stripped away while I was upstairs in my bathroom finishing my hair. 

This is the finished result.  No scrubbing or polishing.  Seriously. 

And I had convinced myself that I rather 'liked' the tarnished appearance on the pitcher because I was dreading getting this thing cleaned! 

One thing I did notice is that there are still a few areas on the pitcher that aren't completely rid of tarnish spotting.  If I have time, I may use a polish cloth to quickly buff over the pitcher to remove those final areas.  Ah.  Who am I kidding.  That will never happen.  But you could do it. 


I have also heard that alka seltzer and water is terrific for cleaning jewelry.  I imagine it has the same fizzing effect in stripping the tarnish from the silver. 

And for years, I've used toothpaste for a quick fix in cleaning rings.  (Yes, just add the paste directly to the rings and scrub with an old toothbrush.  Rinse under hot water to avoid a hazy finish being left behind). 

Thank you C.A.!  You're my heroine for sharing this nifty trick! 

xoxo
Vivid Hue Home

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Brett's Porch in BHG

My sister's back porch made the April 2012 edition of Better Homes! 

Check it out...  

Brett lives in Atlanta's Grant park neighborhood filled with tree lined streets and young, modern families.  The bungalow's are adorable and crisp.  Many have been remodeled to accommodate the growing families that live in them.  My sister has a fabulous screened porch.  This is where we spend most of our visits.  We drink coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon, Cabernet late night.  It's cozy and inviting and extends off her kitchen so people naturally gravitate towards it. 

Better Homes agreed and asked to do a photo shoot over a year ago.  It made it into this springs garden edition.  Yah! 

Kudos to Annette Joseph, the shoot stylist and John Sitton, the architect that designed the porch!