Flipping through the October issue of Country Living we spotted these cloches. They labeled them bell jars, but technically they aren’t. Cloches have a smooth, round top and bell jars tend to have a small knob or handle like feature at the top of the jar so you can lift it up. For decor purposes though, they offer the same look and will look great in your home. You can fill them with coastal accessories like we did or just cover food with them. Either way a cloche with bring a new, fun decor twist to your home. Come on down to the shop and pick one up and take advantage of our sale that’s going on right now too! Can’t make it down to the store? That’s fine! Call us at (949) 497 – 3202 or email us at service@tuvaluhome.com, we’d love to talk to you and figure out a way to get you what you want. Happy Friday!

The sale started today! It goes until October 3rd and select items are up to 70% off! We had a pre-sale party last night and invited some customers, friends and family to get the sale started off right. Of course some unexpected, but always welcomed, guests showed up and the fire department decided that it was time for a safety inspection. We didn’t let that stop us though and thankfully we were in line with the safety code. While they were here we snapped a few pics with them, put them to work for us and helped them with a little shopping.We hope everyone that came had a good time and picked up some great new finds! Thank you all for coming out and started the sale off right! Here’s some pictures from last night. Don’t forget though, the sale is now open to everyone and anyone! So come on down to the shop and start picking some stuff up now!

Get ready ladies and gentlemen because Tuvalu is having a sale! It starts September 26th and there’s going to be up to 70% off selected items! Mark your calendars now so you don’t forget and miss out on this great opportunity. Tell your friends, family and everyone else you know so that we can make this a great time for you guys. Also do us a huge favor and spread the word by tweeting this, pinning this, posting and sharing this on facebook and of course by coming down to shop to take advantage of our sale! Happy Friday!

Coastal Living has designed their Ultimate Beach House of 2012. This year it’s a beautiful home in located in Panama City Beach, Florida. This house is refreshing and done very clean. Not like clean or dirty, but very clean lines and clean design. They decided to go with a simple, almost minimalist decor approach. The design style of Erika Powell from Urban Grace really shows in the design of the space. Some of the rooms have an almost modern look to them, but coastal elements keep it teetering on the edge of both styles. Other rooms look like they came straight out of every woman’s coastal dream home. Each space is very simple. No overdone or unnecessary pieces are carelessly or thoughtlessly slapped into the space. Each room is well thought out and planned.

The general color scheme of the house is hues of green offset with a neutral palette. There are some rooms, like the game room below and part of the kitchen (not pictured), that have the good old fashioned hue of coastal blue, but for the most part the home is centered around hues of green. It’s always fun and interesting to see homes that use different colors instead of the beloved blues. Overall this house is amazing and done very well. I can’t believe it took us this long to actually say something about it! What do you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Let us know in the comments or drop us on line on twitter! Tweet us @tuvaluhome. Check out the home in it’s entirety on CL’s site here.

Take advantage of that outdoor space that’s been given to you! Whether it’s in the front or back of your home you can maximize your home and space with proper design. Do you have a deck, patio, porch, or free space in the backyard? Whatever it may be it’s time to use it. First things first you need some type of furniture. This creates a place for everyone to gather around. Next is a table of some sort. This way if you want to bring food or drinks out you can. Plus now you have something to decorate and a place for decor. Now it’s time for the rug. A nice indoor/outdoor or just outdoor rug will really define the space. It will turn your random furniture sitting outside into a real outdoor space waiting to be used. Bring on the accessories! Time to really make your outdoor space look like another room in the house. The best and obvious choice for outdoor decor – candles. They are a must have for any outdoor space. The rest is up to you. Want to bring out some fun glass jugs or coasters? Do it! Hopefully it will cool down around here and we can actually go outside and enjoy it for a change. Is it fall yet?

Like what you see featured above? Pick it all up in store or online by clicking one of links:

1. Blue Heron Striped Rug 2. Palecek Bold Weave Stool 3. Lane Venture Coastal Wicker 4. Bamboo Coasters 5. Seashell Hurricane Candle 6. Vintage Glass Jugs

Simple, sophisticated panels with clever rope ties makes panel fabrication easy using buttonholes at the top edge.  Elegant oxford style stripe adds classic charm with coastal sand dune beige and white, a warm colorway you will never grow tired of.  Standard 3/4″ or 1″ metal drapery hardware is available from several retail sources at reasonable prices.  Although skimpier than we usually work with it feels right with the simple panel designs illustrated here.

Casual Drapery Design – Front Entranceway

 Beautiful entryway using unlined canvas fabric hung with pinch clips makes for easy panel fabrication with flat band header.  Semi sheer fabric is perfect for the doorway providing privacy with all the glass yet still allowing daylight to pour thru.

Living Room < Idea House Photo Tour – Southern Li

ving.

Rope tie detail – up close.  Works beautifully for fixed panels - not a good design detail for traversable drapery panels.

Related articles

• Do you want to get your home ready for the Holidays? It is not too early to start now! (gailanidesign.wordpress.com)
• How to Choose the Best Hardware for Your Window Treatment Project (wwstudio.wordpress.com)

This week’s Monday Must Have is a must have for any and all coastal homes. Looking for some more jute to add to your home? Well look no further because the Jamie Young Jute Mirror has just entered into your life. It’s perfect for that bathroom redesign or ready to be hung over that side console you’ve been dying to finish. This week it’s 35% off when you use the coupon code musthavejute. So jump over to the store by clicking here and snag yours today!

These lovely ladies just arrived in the store! These Hand Carved & Hand Painted Mermaids are waiting for you to take them home. They will be a great addition to any coastal space and bring beach vibes into your home. It’s believed that mermaids protect you if you believe in them which makes them perfect for the entryway and welcoming your guests. Swing down to the store to pick one up today. They should be online soon, but for now you can call us at (949) 497 – 3202 or email us at service@tuvaluhome.com and we can have them on their way if you can’t make it down.

We just got in new Duralee design books by John Robshaw in our design studio! Now you guys have even more choices to create your beautiful coastal home! John Robshaw is a fabric designer who is known for his gorgeous fabric designs. John Robshaw is heavily influenced by the Indian fabric making traditions which definitely comes through on a few of his fabrics and his unique patterns and fabrics. John Robshaw teamed up with Duralee to give you this exclusive fabric line. This line gives you the beautiful handmade John Robshaw look at an even better price. With this collection John tries something new for us and dabbles into woven fabrics. He has never done wovens before this line, but we would have never guessed! These fabric books give you plenty of color options varying on which book you look through. They have you reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, browns, tans, blues, greens, and greys. Basically, they have every color you’ll ever need. So come down to the store and take a look at these books. Our design team is waiting to help and can’t wait to meet you! Just pop in and tell one of us that you like to see the Duralee fabric books by John Robshaw. Want to meet with our design team and get started on your project? Well let’s set it up! Email us at laguna@tuvaluhome.com or call the store at (949)497-3202. We’d love to hear from you and help you create your dream space!

House Beautiful recently asked their reader’s what their favorite color in each room is and they posted their findings in their September issue. Many of the color choices that are the favorites aren’t too surprising. One we weren’t necessarily shocked about, but surprised it beat out the competition was in the kitchen. Reader’s choice was yellow with white right behind it. We of course coming from our coastal roots won’t be the first to put yellow into the kitchen, but have nothing against it. We like yellow and support it, but of course we have to go with our whites and blues in the kitchen. No offense yellow, it’s a coastal thing. We’ve got some pictures form House Beautiful of some of their favorite yellow kitchens for you. Of course we couldn’t leave out some of our favorite white kitchens so we’ve got some of those for you too. Enjoy!

Headboards are one of our favorite things in the bedroom. They can be big or small or technically not their at all. It’s all up to you and your style! With so many options out there you are literally free to do whatever you want. You can go with a traditional headboard that’s usually small to medium basic piece that is connected to the bed frame. This guy will help keep the pillows on your bed and the linens in place. Or you can get a multipurpose headboard that has selves and drawers built in. There’s really no reason you can’t find the headboard you want. You can get a wood headboard, an upholstered headboard, or a possible a steel/iron cast headboard. If you dream it up, it can be made. Plus plenty of things can be made into a makeshift headboard, like barn doors, old wood shutters and even mirrors. The beauty of the headboard is that it doesn’t have to be strictly functional. It can be for design purposes only. They can be large and dominate the space so that your eyes are immediately drawn to it or they can be small and barely noticeable. It’s a design element that can bring life back into a dull room or it can be just another piece of furniture. It’s really all up your imagination and what you want the piece to bring to your bedroom. There are no limitations to the headboard or real guidelines as to how it’s suppose to be. There’s really only one rule that makes sense; it should be at the head of your bed. Then again, who are we to tell you how to design your bedroom?

Summer’s almost over, the kids are heading back to school and it’s just possible you have some time on your hands. That means there could be a new decorating project in your future!

Today, I want to share some tips to prepare you that next big endeavor – transforming your house into a home of glamorous luxury. If it’s a big project, creating a plan and a budget will be essential.

• Create a budget that allows for some flexibility. Unfortunately, we all end up wanting more than we originally intend. You should have two budgets (You will end up falling somewhere in between!) - 
• 1) What you intend to pay for a project 
• 2) What you have the ability to pay for a project

• Research interior designers to determine which one has expertise in your design style. Interview several prior to choosing the one who best fits your needs. It’s always a good idea to ask for references not only from the designer, but also from the contractors being used for the project.
• Once you have determined your preferred consultant, set up a meeting and plan a timeline of the work to be done. This is the perfect time to decide how budget monies will be spent and when money will need to be allocated.
• Next, the fun begins! If you need to move out of your house while work is being completed, be sure to have arrangements made in advance.  Your decorator should be able to estimate how long each project will take.

• A design board and rendering will be created so you can approve the overall look and feel of the proposed outcome. If you don’t like the sample, speak up. A designer is there to help you fulfill a look that connects you with the everyday glamour of a beautiful, yet comfortable, abode.

• From here, the vision begins to become reality. Furniture, paint, window treatments and artifacts begin to fill your home changing the atmosphere in the world you’ve become so accustomed to. Yes, your house is suddenly a home!

I’d love to be the one to transform your house into a home!

]]> http://tuvaluhome.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/colorful-entries/ Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:15:17 +0000 {tuvalu} http://tuvaluhome.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/colorful-entries/ What’s Trending Wednesday

You’re invited over to a beautiful home and what’s the first thing you see? The Entryway. What’s more inviting than a splash of fun and bright colors? You don’t want to greet your guests or even come home to a boring entryway do you? Then take some notes and grab your paint brush because it’s time we cheer up the front of your home! A little paint on your front door can go a long way. We absolutely adore painted doors. I mean come on, we have a whole Pintrest board dedicated to them. Check it out Here! There are other ways, including painting your door, to bring some color and life back to your entryway. Like fun bright accessories or lively flowers showing off their petals. Even the pots you put your new flowers in can bring a punch of color! With so many fun possibilities between paint, flowers and accessories there’s no reason you can bring out the best in your entryway.

The jellyfish loungs at Farallon

Well, off to dinner in SF with our out of town guest and we thought we would try some place we hadn’t before and that got us to Farallon on Post Street in Union Square.  I chuckled and chuckled while we were waiting for our table as I had just been working on a coastal design collection and Farallon is jam packed with Coastal decor. Here are some pics, enjoy! (the food is wonderful too)

sea urchin chandelier

shell column

shell planter

squid lamp

kelp columns

starfish on the "sandy ocean floor"

waves, shell and starfish light in the ladies lounge

octopus towel holder

large shell umbrella holder

seahorse painting in the jellyfish lounge

(From Oh So Shabby by Debbie Reynolds)

Still fixated on coastal décor. I love the brighter colors in the bedroom above and could see this working in the beach bungalow. The more serene palette in the top photo is what I’m envisioning for our master bedroom. I especially love the painting over the mantel. Wonder where I could find something like that. Too bad I don’t know how to paint.

Personal design services are also offered.

Article by Alice Corrine for Coast.com

A newly released online product, 3D Beach Wood, features sandblasted details along the natural English Elm grain. Sandblasted hardwood tends to provide a softer side to handscraped characteristics. Instead of harder edges that are rough to the touch, sandblasted Beach Wood feature a smooth texture that is much more comfortable to walk on. This product has opened the doors to broader decorating options and ideas, especially with it’s beach like grooves.

If coastal living is part of your dream, sandblasted hardwood may help your vision come to life. Country Living states that Bright Colors may be the key to harmony between salty themes: “A beach house is a great place to have fun with color. Here, bright turquoise contrasts with a bold yellow chair and floor. A door gets a fun makeover with multicolored paint and a fish motif.”

It is easy to get creative with sandblasted hardwood in a unique beach home, Cottage Home Decorating has a lot of tips to painlessly make that vacation home yours. “Beach cottage floors are at their best when kept simple. Clean, natural hardwood floors, accentuated with a throw rug, look great with this style.”

It’s easy to imagine your coastal home decorated with sandblasted 3D Beach Wood flooring, empowered by brilliantly painted walls, and characterized with small throw rugs and wicker furniture. When it’s a durable, beautiful hardwood flooring like Beach Wood, you can’t go wrong!

Wow, what an honour it is to be guest posting on The Unexpected Chic – I know that this blog is new to the blogosphere, but I can tell it’s going to be a big hit!

Last year, I decided to finally make my dream of living aboard in a tropical country a reality, and my fiancé and I took our savings and moved from our home in Toronto, Canada, to Panama – one of the most developed countries and impressive cities in all of Central America.

But really, when it comes down to it, I am simply not a city girl. Never have been, likely, never will be. I moved to Panama to be surrounded by exotic nature and the salty sea air, and for that reason, I chose to live by the beach.

Photo by Tania LaCaria

I love the beach, and I love beach-inspired design – especially because there are so many different ways to achieve a coastal design aesthetic.

There are some simple things you can do to infuse some coastal décor into your city flat to set a peaceful and comfortable ambience that is sure to feel like your own private oasis (even if you don’t have a view of the ocean).

Tip 1: Go for a Soft Colour Palette. Just because you’re going with a coastal theme, doesn’t mean you have to paint your entire house white and teal (…but you can do that too). Opt for softer colours that you find relaxing – soft lavender, light pistachio, robbin’s egg blue, soothing coral and even a light buttery yellow. Strong, bold colours tend to invigorate – but at the beach, life is all about relaxation.

{soft colours From phoebehoward.net}

{Coastal interior. Image courtesy of coastalliving.com}

{light colours from Zimbio.com}

{Coral colour palette from thelennoxx.com}

 

Tip 2: Up the Natural Finishes. Introduce a variety of furnishings and accessories with natural finishes into your space to play up the organic feel of the beach. Natural finishes are great because they make any space feel inviting and informal, and can also infuse a decent amount of texture (always a good thing!). Opt for stone, rope, rattan, wood, cane, cotton and linen accessories, and introduce a straw or jute rug to tie it all together.

 

{driftwood table coastaldesign.blogspot.com}

{modern costal decor from moderninteriordesignideas.net}

{seagrass ottoman from crateandbarrel.com}

{seashell decor from coastalliving.com}

{source:white walls natural finishes Image courtesy of inspiracionline.blogspot.com}

 

Tip 3: Avoid the clichés. Leave the jars full of white sand and cheap painted seashells out of your new beach-inspired space. While several large conch shells on your fireplace mantle can instantly impart a beach-y feel to any space (See #5), the small, dinky, souvenir trinkets from your last trip to Mexico will not. Opt for more subtle ways to bring the beach to your home, and leave the cheesy paintings of the sandy shoreline and the faux palm tree planters for someone else.

 

Tip 4: Embrace Distressed Wood. For a more dramatic coastal-inspired statement, invest in a piece of furniture that will set the tone for the entire space, and there’s no better way to do this, than with a distressed wood console table, coffee table or armchair. You don’t have to choose a distressed white painted finish, but it does seem to have an unmistakable beach-iness to it. Imagine what a piece of painted wood furniture might look like if it was sitting for a month on the beach exposed to the wind, salty air and coarse sand – that distressed finish is exactly what you’re looking for.

 

{decorative distressed wood ledge. Potterybarn.com}

{distressed wood from Mywhiteroom.tumblr.com}

{natural finishes Image courtesy of brabournefarm.blogspot.com}

{etsy StiltskinStudios shop}

 

Tip 5: Group Seashells Together. If you’re a fan of sea shell décor (and let’s face it, they often are used in coastal design), try to showcase a beautiful collection of shells in a group. Instead of placing one or two piddly little shells on a table, arrange a big bowl of a dozen. A collection of shells is always more impactful than one or two – try a long tray of shells on your mantle or shelf, several glass jars full of shells in the same room, or just let the beauties lay strewn about on a floating shelf.

{traditional space with coastal accents Image courtesy of thelennoxx.com}

{groups of shells From coastalliving.com}

{light colours and natural finishes from zimbio.com}

{shell shadow box from seasideinspired.com}

 

It might seem pretty obvious to you by now that there are many different ways to go about achieving a beach-inspired space of your own. You can mix and match the above tips or stick to just one or two to give your space a custom feel. Although there may be some guidelines to follow when it comes to design and decorating, there really aren’t any rules! So … have fun and experiment!

 

Thanks again to The Unexpected Chic for inviting me to be a part of this fab blog for a day…it’s been a blast!

]]> http://goavm.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/coastal-design-towel-door-hanger/ Mon, 19 Sep 2011 06:56:58 +0000 Hospitality Supplies and Janitorial Products http://goavm.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/coastal-design-towel-door-hanger/

Travelers will be familiar with the request displayed in many hotel bathrooms to re-use towels for the benefit of the environment. They may be less aware of the scale of measures being taken by some hotel chains to improve their green credentials and of the impact such a simple action can have on water use. InterContinental Hotels calculates that its towel re-use program saves 199m liters of water a year in the US alone. Marriott International, with 3,200 hotels worldwide, reckons its linen re-use program saves 11-17 per cent on its water and water treatment costs. As well as urging guests to re-use towels, some hotel chains urge customers not to demand fresh bed linen every day.

Endorsed by: Choice Hotels, Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts, Wyndham Worldwide, and American Hotel and Lodging Association

Coastal Design Linen Door Hanger

100 /pack

Buy project planet like coastal design, mountain design, original design and ski design. We are wholesale supplier of coastal design, mountain design, original design, ski design like project planet.

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Love how the colors of both living room and dining room are picked up in the stripes in the hallway. Horizontal stripes also makes the hall look longer, and has a calming effect.

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A smokey tone of blue (blue with black in it) is a perfect choice if you want to create a contrast with white.

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The walls are blue, detailing and seating furniture is white, while coffee- and side tables are dark. I love the little dog bed in the lowest shelf there. Cutest detail!

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The mantle is decorated with sea stars and silver vases. This carpet is perfect!

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Another view.

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The dining room is clad in natural fiber wallpaper with white 1/3 paneling. I would love to see a nice carpet here.

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You can see more pics from Jill’s entry here, and make sure to cast your vote on your fave!!

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]]> http://downtownlabiz.wordpress.com/2009/04/11/a-new-kind-of-client-beyond-differentiation-creating-a-new-niche-los-angeles-design-company-with-international-perspective/ Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:45:39 +0000 downtownlabiz http://downtownlabiz.wordpress.com/2009/04/11/a-new-kind-of-client-beyond-differentiation-creating-a-new-niche-los-angeles-design-company-with-international-perspective/

Capturing the Future In Urban Design

You maybe asking why feature a furniture designer in http://www.downtownlabiz?

The answer is simple: Organic Contemporary by EYD, headquartered in Downtown Los Angeles has created a new paradigm: moving beyond differentiation toward creating a new niche with no competition. Organic Contemporary by EYD has done what marketers dream of: creating a new market with a new product difficult to copy.

This is an interesting business model and one that http://www.downtownlabiz.com is watching carefully.

We will let you know more about Organic Contemporary by EDY (www.eveyundesigs.com) in the coming weeks.

Tomorrow:  When will the recession end?