The Divine Diva’s Guide to Mixing Patterns: Why Chevron is the New Black

Whoever said patterns should be used to accent a room was sorely mistaken. 

Photo from Better Homes & Gardens Magazine

Patterns are all the rage this summer, especially those boasting bright colors and geometric shapes and lines. 

Why not have some fun and pile those patterns up?! 

Accent, Shmac-cent.

Probably the most popular pattern this season is Chevron – somewhat of a modern take on the traditional stripes, usually characterized by rows of clean zigzag lines in two or more different colors.  Often, chevron consists of a bright, pastel, or neutral color + white, making it easy to match with the other décor in your space. 

Because it is a simple design, chevron is also easy to mix it with more complex patterns in different styles.

Here are a few general pattern-mixing guidelines to consider:

- Stick to similar color families/shades or use a few complimentary colors

- Use 3 different patterns (or 5, as an odd number tends to look better)

- Scale is important (if using 3 patterns choose 1 each of small, medium, and large)

- At least one of the patterns should be completely different than the others (for example, mixing stripes + polka dots with an intricate floral pattern…just remember to stick to similar colors!)

Do you dare try this technique? We hope you do, and we hope you snap a few pics and share them with us!

Wallpapered/Stenciled Furniture

Okay, we know what you are thinking. 

"Wallpaper….really Divine Consign? That is soooo 1972."

Not so quick, missy! We’re not telling you to wallpaper your entire house  (that could be a little disastrous…)We're just encouraging you to (tastefully) play with pattern!

If you take a leeeeetle bit of your favorite fancy patterned wall paper…

…and add an item in your home that just needs a little "sprucing"…

You end up with  a super adorable and fun (and DIY..aka cheap!) updated piece of furniture, like this!

From Blissful Musings

See! We would never misguide you!

Check out some more great crafty ways to use wallpaper on items in your home:

From House to Home

 From Better Homes & Gardens

        

And…if you are REALLY too chicken to use wallpaper…here’s how a stencil and some paint can give you the same effect…without the commitment!

From Better Homes & Gardens

 From Royal Design Studio

 From Savvy Young Something

Alright now get to work you crafty-young-thing, you! We’d love to see your finished creations.

Our Very Own Chrissy is Doing a Display at NeoCon 2012!

Our lovely and talented Chrissy was selected to do a display at this year’s NeoCon for Harrington College of Design. We are so proud of her! Check out what she has to say about this year’s event, taking place June 11-13 at Merchandise Mart:

(Above: Chrissy's design! Make sure to check out more pics of her display in progress at the bottom of the page)

DC: For those who don't know, could you tell us a little about what NeoCon is?

C: NeoCon is North America's largest commercial design exposition. Every year, over 50,000 architects and design professionals attend this event with the opportunity to discover thousands of innovative products and resources—from hundreds of showrooms and exhibitors—for all types of commercial and residential interiors. It is pretty much the single most important event of the year for all industry professionals.

DC: Have you attended NeoCon in the past? Have you ever done a display?

C: I have attended NeoCon for the past 4 years. As a student, it was very beneficial for me to network while also discovering the industry’s hottest new ideas and trends. This is the first year I have designed an exhibit for NeoCon.

DC: How exciting! What did you get your degree in?

C: I graduated just this past April 2012 from Harrington College of Design with my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design.

DC: Congratulations! And what an honor it is to get to do this display! Can you tell us a little about what it is?

C: The exhibit I designed will help advertise Harrington College of Design, one of the most well known and respected Interior Design schools in Chicago. Harrington attends the event every year, and it not only helps bring in more interested students, but it also serves as a great way to network for their existing students.

DC: How did you get chosen to participate this year?

C: I participated in a competition through Harrington against 7 other design students, where we had to create a concept and exhibit space. This year, Harrington wanted their exhibit to inform people about the 4 master degrees they now offer. With that in mind, I came up with the concept "Destination Design," which evokes the idea of navigating your life to go back to school, thus navigating to Harrington. After a presentation and votes, my design won, and was therefore chosen to be built for NeoCon 2012.

DC: Well you must be very excited! What are you most looking forward to during NeoCon 2012?

C: I am definitely looking forward to the opportunity to meet other industry professionals and market myself as a designer. I’m also hoping to spare some time to enjoy the Trade show myself, and discover all the new ideas and products people have come up with.

Congratulations Chrissy and have fun this week!

We know you will absolutely rock!

Check out some pics of her design!:

Chrissy’s exhibit for Harrington College of Design will be located on the 7th floor of Merchandise Mart, near the west side elevator banks.

For more on this year's NeoCon, visit http://www.neocon.com/ 

Goodbye Ava!

Meet Divine-Diva-turned-Entrepreneur,

Ms. Ava St. Claire!

Our lovely Ava has been a part of the Divine Consign team for over a year. This weekend, we say goodbye as she leaves to concentrate on her new brilliant business, TipTop Shops!

Here’s what Ava has to say…..

DC: Tell us a little about TipTop Shops

A: TipTop Shops is a full-service organization that makes starting a new business easy. We take care of everything—from branding and identity to storefront renovations; even setting up the phones and cash registers! The idea is to give small business owners a turn-key solution to opening up a new shop. 

DC: Where did you get the idea for this genius new business?

A: About two years ago, my grandmother and aunts wanted to open a salon/spa/beauty supply shop. Before they could renovate my grandfather's old building, they had to go through the grueling process of permits and zoning with the city. It made me want to scream! They should have been focused on making women look and feel beautiful, not fighting with city hall. So I thought, ‘hey, wouldn't it be cool if an owner could hire one coordinated, knowledgeable company to take care of the things most shop owners would rather not deal with?’ So that was the beginning of TipTop Shops. 

DC: You are one smart cookie (and beautiful too)…. Where did you go to school?

A: I graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Urban Planning & Economics in 2006.  I then received my Master of Arts in Commercial Interior Design from Harrington College of Design in December of 2010.  

DC: Did you learn anything while working at Divine Consign that you think will help you be a successful business owner? 

A: Great Customer Service=Freedom. Customer Service is an art—you really have to care about the people you serve in order to succeed. As an owner, if you are open to trying new things to better serve your customers, you won't have to worry about keeping them. That kind of fearlessness can really help a business grow.  

DC: What are you going to miss most about working at Divine Consign?

A: Oh goodness! My girls!!!! I have never worked with such an awesome group of people in my life! Everyone from Kellie to Rafael and the delivery guys are such kind hearted, generous people. It's hard to find that in a work place. I'm sure I'll be visiting often.

DC: Well you better!!! What advice would you give to women thinking about starting their own business?

A: It's important to get used to trading your time or craft for money, and to learn the monetary value of what you want to do. As women we tend to downplay the desire for money—men don't have as much of a problem with this. 

DC: Well we sure feel lucky to have gotten to work with you for so long, and are excited to finally see your awesome ideas put into action! We are so proud of how far you’ve already come, and can’t wait to watch you grow your business!

A: Many thanks to Kellie for being such a great boss and role model! And hugs and kisses to each of the ladies I worked with—you’ve all taught me so much about life and love. 

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU, AVA! We are going to miss you around here, but are so happy and excited to watch you succeed!

The redesign of Ava’s website rolls out on June 20th. Until then, visit her blog at blogtiptopshops.com or follow her on Twitter at @mytiptopsshops to discover really innovative storefronts and business ideas in the Chicago area!

DIY Mudroom

Happy June! 

Okay, so we’re already a week into this first month of summer, but to be honest, I think it was hotter in April...

Anyway, the temperature is only going to rise from now until August, and if you have kids, that means playing in the sprinkler, visits by the ice cream truck, and hours running around  outside...a.k.a. wet clothes, muddy feet, sticky hands, and skinned knees…oh joy! And in your newly-spring-cleaned house? Oh no…we just won’t let it stand.

It's all fun and games...until that Popsicle melts all over mom's new carpet.

That’s why we thought we’d help you contain the clutter (and, well, straight-up mess) that summer brings by sharing some lovely inspiration for an easy-peasy DIY mudroom in your own home, using items you’ve had stuffed in storage for years (or, you know, that you picked up at Divine Consign)!

Check out some of these great mudrooms...all done by handy little people like you and me! (okay, maybe just you...we'll stick strictly to the designing part) 

    

...Inspired yet?

 

How about now?!

We bet you have all kinds of stuff you could use for this project.

(Book shelves…hooks…curtain rods…benches…chairs…side tables…a small desk…The possibilities are endless!)

Okay, ready…………?

....

...................

....GO! Then snap a pic and let us know how it turned out! 

Mudrooms featured in this post (in the order pictures appear above):

1. http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/category/rooms/mudroom/

2. http://ana-white.com/2011/08/cutest-mudroom

3. http://stagetecture.com/2010/08/mudrooms-a-place-for-storage-sitting-and-slickers/

4. http://www.thehouseofsmiths.com/2012/02/project-entryway-closet-makeover-reveal.html

5. http://emilyaclark.blogspot.com/2010/02/not-so-messy-mudrooms.html

6. http://www.granitetransformations.com/blog/tag/diy/

Ye Old 60-30-10 Rule

So you’re getting ready to add some color to your home.

We’re all for it! Painting, reupholstering, and accessorizing are GREAT ways to add color and update your space without spending lots of money. 

Do you have a color scheme in mind, but are having trouble figuring out how to put it all together? Well, you've come to the right place!

When adding color to a room, keep in mind the 60-30-10 Rule:

Choose a primary (main) color – that should cover about 60% of the room.

Choose a second color – that should cover about 30% of the room.

Choose an accent color- that should cover the remaining 10% of the room.

Another way to think of this is in terms of getting yourself dressed for work or a night out:

Your black dress makes up the primary color of your outfit. 

You might put on red shoes, nail polish, and lipstick for your secondary color. 

Finally, you add "pop" with a gold necklace and bracelet and...

Viola! That’s all there is to it!

Here is a little bit of inspiration to get you into 60-30-10 mode:

 Primary: Shades of Cream/Tan/Brown   Secondary: Bright Green   Accent: Red

Primary: Cream     Secondary: Dark Brown     Accent: Pink

Primary: White     Secondary: Gray     Accent: Mint Green

Happy decorating! Let us know how your space turned out!

Chair back into picture frame (or mirror, or cork board, or dry erase board, or…)

We've been inspired!

As a furniture and home accessories consignment store, we want our customers to feel inspired every time they come in, without having to spend an arm and a leg on redecorating.

Today, we’ve come across a repurposing idea (thanks to allthingsthrifty.com) SO great, thrifty, and inexpensive, we just couldn't keep it to ourselves!

You will need:

- An old chair

- A saw

- A razor blade

- A can of spray paint

- Some elbow grease

- A husband (optional)

Step One: Go up to your attic and dust off that 3-legged chair you just haven’t been able to part with for one reason or another (Don’t have one of those lying around? We’ve got lots of super inexpensive chairs here at Divine!)

Step Two: Get to work sawing off the top of the chair, scraping, sanding, or sawing off whatever is inside (i.e. basket weave, etc.) sanding the edges, and spray painting it to your color of choice.

Step Three: Ta da! Look at what you’ve created! We’re so proud of you….now use that creative mind of yours to decide what to put inside of it!

Pictures...or a mirror...or a chalk/cork/dry erase board...or...

Let us know how yours turned out!