The Attainable Room

I love Pinterest as much as the next gal, but one of the most annoying things about it is the sometimes un-attainable nature of the beast. Yes, it's lovely to look at thousands of photographs of expensively decorated rooms, impossibly gourmet meals, and Martha Stewart on steroids crafts, but doesn't it put your own reality in rather harsh perspective?

The thing I try to remember is that a gorgeous look CAN be achieved on a decent enough budget.

And it doesn't have to look like you were scraping the bottom of the bargain bin.

Like with any fabulous look, the best one's are achieved with a careful mix of high and low.

So I thought it would be fun to recreate a version of the above gorgeous foyer (that I've repinned about 100 times).

This parlor from the Greenbrier is my color inspiration.

I'd start with painting the walls Benjamin Moore's All-A-Blaze.

A gorgeous pinky-coral.

I like how it has the bright aspect of the parlor, but a touch more pink.

BM All-A-Blaze 1304

Funnily enough, after I picked that color out of my paint deck and Googled it for a swatch, Designer and Blogger Erin Gate's recent office re-do popped up. It was the same color she used on her walls. It looks so fabulous in her room and I love how easily it would translate to a variety of rooms.

image courtesy of Elements of Style Blog

Let me tell you something about bright pink walls. My mother has had her formal living and dining room painted in a bright pink for YEARS and she gets NON-STOP compliments.

Here's her color, shown at a shower that Lauren of Pendleton Design and I held for our friend Elizabeth of Elizabeth Olliver a few years ago for her wedding.

I love the console in the House Beautiful picture, and ornate French consoles with marble tops are certainly easy to find. Some of you may even have them already, handed down from your mothers or grandmothers.

But I just couldn't help myself when I saw this elephant head console from Circa Who.

And how amazing would it look lacquered in Benjamin Moore's Picture Perfect?

BM Picture Perfect 743

The console is definitely a splurge at $2800.

A console would possibly be something you had, and certainly something you could find on the cheap.

The most important thing obviously, would be that it is fun, ornate and something with edge.

A small side chair is also something you might have already. With the overtly 1960's Palm Beach look of the console, I would want to go more traditional/Frenchy with the chair.

This one is from ebay and it's $293.25. Not a huge huge bargain, but you could definitely find a similar item for less if you had the patience.

A small chair in a show place like your entry is definitely the place to use that pricey fabric you've been coveting.

I've been coveting this Bailey and Griffin for Duralee fabric, Charmetie in Jewel.

It's not a ridiculously expensive fabric, but it's out of my price range to do something more substantial.

I would have my upholsterer get rid of the tufted back and run the strip of floral down the center of the chair.

I love how it pulls out our two central colors.

For a mirror, I would want something fabulous and ornate.

Here's where we can really get into a cost study.

This pagoda style mirror from Circa Who is $2600. It would be my inspiration piece, and perhaps for the client who wanted to spend a bit more, it might be the ticket.

For the person who wanted to cut costs a bit, here's a similar version off of Etsy for $1650.

I'd probably take some metallic gold spray paint to it.

And for the person who was on much more of a budget, here's a third version off of Ebay for $450

For my chandelier, I'd turn to a 70's modern piece, like this Acrylic crystal piece. Off of Ebay for a bargain price of $99.99

For the accessories, I would turn to Etsy/Ebay or estate sales/flea markets.

I love these wall pedestals. To make them pop against the coral walls, I would probably brush on a dark wood stain.

They're a steal at $65 for the pair.

I have a ton of ginger jars left over from my rehearsal dinner, but I love these off of Etsy for the pedestals.

With all of the symmetry we have going on here, I actually like that they're different.

$45 for the pair

As a discovered when looking for my rehearsal dinner decor, blue and white porcelain is everywhere and you can find it fairly inexpensively. I would fill a large vase like this one with cherry blossom branches when guests came over.

And voila. Fun, Fabulous and most importantly, Attainable.