Estée Lauder’s Creative Director Exposes her Glam decor

nycpixie — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:46:23 +0000

Aerin Lauder, Estée Lauder’s global creative director, shares her tips & tricks on how to lives the good life, from weekend entertaining to her favorite shops. Read more here.

This dining area makes me scream with excitement! I will try to hunt down similar lower priced items and post them up.

Image is from Elle Decor - Photographer: Simon Upton

TINY tip – All the Spice you Need

nycpixie — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:56:38 +0000

If your place is small then its probably a safe assumption that kitchen storage is at a minimum as well.

Don’t take up space with a bunch of spices – you will do just fine with these 6.

Salt (duh)
Pepper (another, duh)
Curry Powder (OK now we’re talking)
Italian Seasoning (an all-in-one solution)
Chili (feelin’ Spicy)
Turmeric (the shocker! – It’s a great substitution for the much pricer saffron) Here’s some recipes to get you started on your Turmeric journey

These 6 wonders will help get you through many meals – but I know you’d rather just go out with friends instead.

TINY tip

Tidbits to help you be fabulously Tiny.

So ‘Plantiful’ So Lovely

nycpixie — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:42:45 +0000

A plant is a great decorative element for an apartment. Take advantage of unused space by placing an aloe plant in a windowsill. Aloes don’t require much watering (good if your always on the go) and also thrives in the Sun. Make sure to only put a plant in a windowsill that can handle a lot of sunlight – typically flowering plants rather then big leafy ones. Put your plant where you have shorter window treatments, like Roman or Bamboo shades. Bonus: Getting an aloe is also a natural way to treat sun burns – you can pull off a leaf and open it to use the Aloe on your skin.

If lighting is a problem in your chateau, get a plant that doesn’t need much of it, like a Bamboo Palm or Chinese Evergreen (pictured above).

Simple Plant Tips:

Water in the morning.
Not sure if it needs watering? Stick your finger about an inch into the soil. Moist = No need.
Misting a plant with a spray bottle wards off insects.

You will quickly fall in love with the feeling a plant adds to a room – Just don’t overwhelm your space with too many.

TINY tip – Ambiance on the Cheap

nycpixie — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:41:59 +0000

Want to change the whole ambiance in your living room for less than $15?

INSTALL A DIMMER. A dimmer sets the mood in a room and is super easy to install. Your local hardware store should have the dimmer switch & you might already have some of the other stuff in your TINY toolbox.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Flat-head screwdriver
Circuit tester
Wirecutter/stripper
Dimmer Switch & switch plate
Needle-nose pliers
Wire Nuts (pastic twist-on wire connectors/caps)
A hot handy man

TINY tip

Tidbits to help you be fabulously Tiny.

Switching Gears – O the Growing Pains

nycpixie — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:44:21 +0000

When I started this blog I was hoping to write about solutions/ ideas I have for living in a small space. As a NYC dweller – Space is limited [for most of us], but I love relaxing at home.

For me the most important thing when I moved into my Tiny Chateau was making sure that when I walked in I felt instantly at ease. Living in the city is hard – there’s so much going on, so much noise, sooo many people. It’s all great & fun - but having a place that feels harmonous helps [me] find balance.

Now that I have been writing this blog for a few weeks I noticed there’s so much more I want to write about. How about easy delicious recipes? How about cheapo “girls night” ideas? How about budget tips, so you can take more trips?

In the end, I think this blog will be evolving over the coming weeks – perhaps into a guide to fabulousity.

You’re Such a Square! Rugs – 20% Off

nycpixie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:47:40 +0000

While out on the hunt for good deals to share with you all – I found a sale on area rugs at Manhattan Carpet. 20% off all area rugs!

So naturally I went in to see if there were any awesome bargains. I must be honest the prices were a little too rich for my blood – for an area rug that is – but nonetheless they did have some great designs. And if you’re in the area (23 Street off of Lexington Avenue) - I think it’s worth a peek. Here are some of the rugs I liked – mostly because of the square pattern shapes.

What do you think?

Housing Works – Thrift Shop – Awesome Finds

nycpixie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:59:52 +0000

Housing Works thrift shop, located on 23 Street between Lexington & 3rd Avenue, exists to address the twin crises - homelessness & AIDS in NYC & around the nation. It does so by providing advocacy, housing, health care, & a wide range of other services for people living with AIDS and HIV.

Not only is Housing Works serving a community in need, but so are fellow New Yorkers, as the shop runs solely off of sales made from products that are donated.

I recently took a stroll over to see what gems I would find – there’s always something great so go ahead and check it out if your in the area! Design on a Dime, a home decor TV show on HGTV, loves this little shop for its amazingly inexpensive pieces.

Check out some of the stuff they had yesterday.

Sofa & Ottoman [with storage] – $500 (Pieces can be purchased separately)

Wood Candle Sconce – Only $11 [I took this one home with me! - It's so unique]

Chair – Price not displayed in Window

Round Glass Coffee Table - Price was not revealed yet

Very Cool Vase with Cracked pattern – At an even cooler $18.50

Geometric Paintings – Oops I didn’t get the price of these

Interesting End Table – Price not displayed in window

MY PHOTOS

nycpixie — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:19:29 +0000

I just added a new section for photos.

If you want to check them out click MY PHOTOS from the homepage.

One of my favorite inspirations is natures contrasts in shapes and tones. I love to look at photos to find unique color combinations, so I make sure to photograph whatever I think looks cool & have it later for ideas. Below is a photo I took of a chandelier at Aqua Lounge in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This place had an amazing ambiance. The colors, seating, lighting, everything was perfectly selected.

Awesome Junk! Reinvented Pieces Create Unique Decor Items

nycpixie — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:30:17 +0000

I love that it has become so much easier to find pieces to decorate a home with, which have life to them, a history, and in some way help to decrease the amount of waste that is piling up all around us. My most recent discovery, Old Crow Farm, was started by 2 regular people who happen to be bidding against each other at a local auction & the rest you can say is history. Together they design and make pieces out of “junk” they find. Their products are available for purchase at etsy.com.

Here’s a table I instantly fell in love with:

I hope to be able to write a series of posts about artist who create their own products. Currently, I am searching to find, and hopefully interview, artists who live and create in the NYC area. Wish me luck!

Not “As Seen on TV”

nycpixie — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:19:00 +0000

I am in the process of overhauling my tiny chateau, AKA affordable Brooklyn apartment. Space is limited so I am trying to be strategic about how I use what I have. My current project: My bedroom closet. I saw a great item in a how-to video online, and ran to the Container Store. For just 10 dollars I doubled my hanging space.

I would add a picture of my closet, but I don’t think I want to share my “goodies”. Continuing along my mission of organizing my closet, I purchased an “As seen on TV” under bed shoe storage. This was the “floppiest” storage I have ever seen! I tried putting in the shoes I wont be wearing this season, but the dividers don’t hold up & there’s no solid bottom either, just the nylon material. So what do you think happens when you try to push this under the bed? You can’t! It bunches up and the shoes knock over the nylon dividers.

So I guess you win some, and you lose some.