Chevron Floral Painting

I have been painting a lot lately and friends and even friends of friends have reached out to me to paint for them. This idea of this chevron floral painting came from a previous chevron painting I had done. My friend had wanted black and white chevron with a gray and turquoise floral print. So here is how I made it:

Step 1:  Paint the whole canvas the color of your choice (I chose white which was the color of my canvas already). Then, tape your chevron design (I eyeballed mine) and paint every other chevron the color of your choice (I chose black).

Step 2: Remove tape SLOWLY when paint is completely DRY. You cannot tell in this picture but my lines did not come out super smooth.

Step 3: Because the chevron did not come out super smooth, I corrected any lines with white paint which came out SO much better.

Step 4: Draw with pencil the design of your choice. You can slightly see mine, I chose a floral design.

 Step 5: Paint in the lines whatever colors you have chose. There were no "rules" when I chose colors. I just liked how the dark gray looked for the stem and then filled in the flower and leaf with the two shades of turquoise with some gray and black. 

Step 6: Finish filling in your design with paint. 

Step 7: You can add more prints by simply doing the same method you did with the previous flower print. I chose to do the side flowers much simpler so the center one stands out.

Well that is the final product! I hope you love it and try something like this yourself. It is not as hard as it may seem. :)

Xo,

Personalized Black Frame Collage

I wanted to share a collage I had done of my photography and artwork that I put into different kinds of black frames. This type of collage is very easy and eclectic. I chose some pictures of myself and my family, two drawings of mine and I printed out pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge and lily flower that I took. Putting it all together with some black frames that are different styles makes it all come together and I love it. I chose to spray paint a few with gloss black because I liked the look of different finishes. 

If you have collages of your own, I'd love to see them! Here's a picture of the final product:

Xo,

Doily Print Canvas Collage

Hi all! The latest DIY project I have been working on is a doily print canvas collage with The Beatles quotes. I had found these great big doilies and decided to use the design as a stencil. I chose 4 canvases (same size) and had painted each one a certain color (same color scheme for each one). I then added the doily print and finished it with a Beatles quote that I like. Here I will show you how I completed one of the canvases step by step and then show you pictures of the final product:

 Step 1: Paint canvas the background color of your choice. In this case I chose a light turquoise. 

Step 2: Center the doily of your choice in the center of the canvas.

Step 3: Paint over the doily like a stencil with the color of your choice. In this case, I chose grey.

                                               

Step 4: Place the doily over the empty spaces to fill in the rest of the canvas with the doily print. (It does not have to match up because either way it will come out looking like it's suppose to be that way with a really nice vintage look)

Step 5: Picture of the completed doily print over the whole canvas.

Step 6: Stencil on the quote of your choice with any type of font stencil. I chose to paint my letters in white. "All you need is love, love is all you need" - The Beatles

I continued this process with 3 other canvases. Each with different colors but the same color scheme - Turquoise, grey, white and black. I then made a collage over the bed. Here is the completed look:

Top left: "I don't like you, but I love you, seems that I'm always thinking of you" 

Top right: "All you need is love, love is all you need" 

Bottom Left: "One thing I can tell you is you got to be free"

Bottom right: " Imagine I'm in love with you, it's easy cause I know"

- The Beatles

I hope you like it! I encourage you to try this at home with any quote you love. Till next time...

Xo,

DLT Interiors Photos

Hello all! Here are some beautiful transformations by DLT Interiors. Also, here is the link to the full website - Check it out!

DLT Interiors

Xo,

Creating a Floor Plan

Floor plans are very helpful to visualize how much space you have and where to place your furniture. Here are some very helpful steps if you don't know where to start:

You will need:

Tape measure

Graph paper

Pencil

Calculator

1. Measure the length of the longest wall first. It will be easiest using a tape measure.

2. You are going to need to scale this measurement down to fit the graph paper you have. Count the number of squares on the longest side of your graph paper - this is the side where you will put the longest wall. In order to scale this down, divide it by a small number - you will have to divide all your measurements by the same number for it all to be scaled evenly.

You may not need to divide if your measurements are less than the number of squares on the graph paper. For example, if the longest wall is 27 feet and if the graph paper is 35 squares long each foot could equal a square and it would fit the paper.

If your measurement of the longest wall is tiny such as 12 feet, 12 squares may be too small to come up with a helpful floor plan. Try doubling this number where it would then be 24 feet (24 squares). Now you just have to double all further measurements to come up with an evenly scaled floor plan.

3. Now measure the lengths of the other walls and convert it to the scale you came up with.

Helpful tip: How to add and subtract feet and inches:

When adding feet and inches use a carrying and borrowing system. You will have to be able to convert           feet to inches or inches to feet in order to have enough of each unit. For example:

                            4 ft 5 in
                       +   6 ft 10 in
                            10 ft 15 in      

Even though this is simple addition you will need to convert those extra inches into feet since there are only 12 inches in a foot. So take 12 of the inches and add them to 10 ft. Now you have 11 ft and 3 inches.

When subtracting feet and inches we use the same type of system:

                           12 ft 5 in
                      -     4 ft 7 in

This cannot be done as it is shown because there are not enough inches where 7 can be taken away from. Instead of converting inches to feet we now convert feet to inches. So what we do here is take a foot away from 12 and add those 12 inches (that are in 1 foot) to the 5 inches. Now it is much easier to subtract. So you then have:

                           11 ft 17 in
                        -   4 ft   7 in
                            7 ft   10 in

Now back to our floor plan steps:

4. Measure each window and door opening and convert this to scale.

5. Incorporate all of the walls, windows and doors into your floor plan.

6. Measure the lengths of all built in fixtures such as cabinets and counters and incorporate them into your floor plan.

7. You can also add the measurements of pieces that are not permanent such as sofas or bookshelves, adjust to scale and incorporate that into your floor plan. What you can also do is measure them on separate graph paper and cut them out so you can position them around the floor plan you have drawn if want to look at furniture placement and space planning.

Your floor plan should then be complete in those 7 steps! Hope this can help solve your floor plan and space planning dilemmas :)

You can check out this link for more detailed instructions with pictures.

Xo,

                     

DLT Interiors

Recently, I started working as an intern/design assistant for DLT Interiors. DLT Interiors is an interior design firm based in Manhattan. I reached out to the owner of the design firm, Debbie Travin, because I fell in love with her eclectic and inviting design style. DLT Interiors is a full service design firm and provides a wide range of design services from home staging to gut renovations. I cannot wait to learn more from Debbie because her work is truly admirable. Check it out: DLT Interiors

Before: Living and dining area in a NYC apartment.

After: Light pieces such as the sofa and entertainment center are paired with bold furniture and with a pop of color makes both spaces really come together.

An after picture of a dining area. The dark colored dining table makes a statement when paired with lighter pieces such as the chairs and curtains. Adding other soft pieces such as the crystal chandelier makes this a truly elegant dining space. 

Before: A very beige bedroom with no color.

After: You don't have to chose a color like red or orange to make a bold statement. A soft blue is used on the walls instead of beige and also as an accent color with the pillows. Blue is a color that is soothing and relaxing which is perfect for a bedroom.

I hope that you love the designs by DLT Interiors as much as I do. If you live in the upper and west side area in Manhattan, Debbie Travin of DLT Interiors is the one to call to help you design your place!

Xo,

How to Choose a Color Scheme

A few months ago I decided I wanted to redo my bedroom. One of my first blog posts is about my old bedroom and the colors I had chose to paint it 7 years ago. I decided to go from deep orange and pink walls to painting all the walls the same color. I did not want a very bright color or beige tone so I decided to go with a bold yet light peach/blush color. I wanted a color that would still look great with black and white prints and black furniture. I was so happy I chose this color because it really made everything stand out. Deciding to paint all the walls the same color made my room look larger.

If you are stuck on picking a color scheme for any room you can follow these tips from designer Mark McCauley who has 8 tips for you to take on white walls:

Tip #1: Choose a color scheme from the largest pattern in the space. 

You can pull colors out from a painting, fabric or printed rug. If you are looking for a neutral wall color you can look into the whites and beiges from the pattern. If you want a bolder statement, chose a color that pops.

Tip #2: Start with the formal areas in the house.

Formal areas such as entry way, dining and living room. If you chose a color scheme for those areas first, you can them chose a color from that color scheme. For example, if you have a blue sofa you can use blue tones in other areas in your home such as the bedroom and office. This will make a uniform look throughout your home.

Tip #3: Decorate your place from dark to light, vertically.

McCauley says to use darker color values for the floor, medium color values for the walls and light values for the ceiling. Using a system like this replicates the layout of the outside world. 

Tip #4: Study the color of your wardrobe. 

Because people normally buy clothes they like and think they look good in. Similarly, you should design and decorate your rooms in colors you look good in.

Tip #5: Use the color wheel.

Analogous color schemes are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel such as blue and green - which are casual and relaxing colors. These colors would look good in a bedroom where you do what to relax. McCauley also shares a great tip which is to always put something black in the room such as black frames, a black vase because it clarifies the rest of the colors in the room.

Tip #6: Use the rule 60-30-10.

"When decorating a space, divide the colors in the space into components of 60% a dominant color, 30% a secondary color and 10% accent  color", McCauley says. For example, the walls would be the dominant color, an upholstered fabric would be a secondary color and accessories like pillows would be an accent color.

Tip #7: Go with the architecture.

Just because you may have a small room in your home, you do not have to paint it white or a pale color. Instead, play off the architecture and use a warm, cozy color scheme.

Tip #8: Follow your personal style.

You can make any room look good as long as it's your taste. If you decorate your home according to your taste, others will appreciate that because it's you, even if others would not decorate their own house that way. 



Xo,

Some of my Paintings

I love painting sunsets but also abstract paintings that are bright and bold. I love letting my mind wonder and seeing what I can create on my own. It doesn't hurt to find things that inspire you. Inspiration is key :)

A wallpaper I had found online had inspired me to paint this. I love painting sunsets. I used a gloss black over the colors to make it stand out. I personally like the contrast. 

I really wanted to paint two canvases that are really one painting. I chose a deep purple, rust orange, and mustard yellow for the colors I wanted to pop. I also used a gloss black paint for the branches and birds to stand out. Lovebirds are so cute!

A paisley wallpaper inspired me to paint this. I took the idea of the wallpaper and made it my own. The color of the walls behind the painting is the color of my bedroom. I chose to paint gold zigzags in the background and thought it looked really good with the colors in my room. Don't be scared to use gray/silver with gold!! I think it gives it a retro/vintage look - I love it.

I had painted this for a friend because she happened to love peacock feathers and I wanted to do something abstract with it. I chose a deep yellow background that makes the centers of the feathers really pop. Love this color combo.

These are a few of my paintings! Hope you like them as much as I do. Now I have pieces of my own artwork to hang up and even give as a gift- much more personalized. And you can create something to match any style that you are going for.

Xo,

Photo Transfer to Canvas: Take 2

I chose to do another photo transfer project! Again, I used a photo that I had taken. This one happens to also be from Grand Turk on the same beach as the last photo transfer. Here it goes:

First, here are some pictures of the products that I used:

 This is a fine grain sandpaper sponge to sand the sides of the canvas after it was painted to give it a rustic/vintage look.

 These are the two colors I used to paint the sides of the canvas prior to transferring the photo. Sold at Michaels.

This is gloss mod podge - waterbase sealer, glue and finish

First, this is the photo that I used for the transfer:

Before anything, I painted the sides of the canvas before transferring the photo (this I did not do the first time). I painted it a light turquoise - let it dry. Then I painted it with the vanilla paint - let it dry. (Sanding the ends is one of the last steps so I wouldn't do that yet):

After the sides were dry, I spread mod podge on the photo with a sponge brush - printed side up (Remember because you are putting the photo on canvas printed side down, the photo will come out opposite - In my case that didn't matter to me):

I then flipped the photo around right onto the canvas and smoothed the photo out with my fingers - Let dry 2-3 hours or let it sit overnight (Make sure you get all the air bubbles out or that part of the photo will not transfer onto the canvas):

After spraying the paper with water out of a spray bottle (make sure the WHOLE paper is wet and let it soak for a minute) - Then start rubbing the paper with your fingers and the paper will start to come off - Don't rub too hard or the photo will rub off. The picture below is after all the paper is rubbed off. I like how the ends came out imperfectly because it fits the vintage look I am going for:

Now you can go ahead and sand the ends down - because I painted in layers (first turquoise then vanilla) the turquoise will start to come through and give the photo a rustic look like it is aged - you can do this with any two colors you'd like:

Now, put a final coat of mod podge on top to seal the whole look - in the photo below the mod podge is not yet dry so there is a white film over it but it will dry clear:

The final product is below (Flash was on so in person the colors are a little darker). I think painting the ends first before applying the photo transfer like I did this time works best:

Just for the heck of it here is a final product picture of another photo transfer I had done but with a rust and vanilla color combo for the ends. I really like the sanded look that came from those two colors - and this photo was taken by me at a fort in San Juan:

I hope you like these and encourage you all to try this yourself - it's so fun to do!! A cool idea is to stencil quotes over the final product which I will try on my next one. 

Xo,