Style SH*ITSHOW at HomeGoods!

Y'all, Dyl and I popped into our local HomeGoods recently to nab some fun & hopefully o.t.t. accessories for the final installation of a clients' office...witness what went down:

And then these:

Standing all at attention and shiot, DEMANDING to be made into lamps! Hmmm, k! This:

'Cause biotch y'all know you've been searching all over God's green for the bright yellow Tuscan urn to match your baby's new shoes! #babyshoeurn! Oh, and then this betch, who thought she was all cute and stuff up on the her shelf and flew right into our shopping cart:

Her:

Hims Horses:

These shiny whores:

Then shiot got really REAL here with this and time stood still:

Stalagmite lamp hawtness almost took down the entire venue...who ARE you people???? I got my answer, y'all:

Shut the F*%k YOU FOOT! The slaying continued:

I'd say that was a successful style slapping session provided by our friends at HomeGoods...damn!

The M has landed!

6' x 6' lucite neon sign realness up in this Soho ad agency office, biotch!!! And, yes, that's six feet by six feet! i mean

See, y'all, my client, Mekanism, asked me for something, "dramatic" for their entryway. Their logo is a block-style M with hits of white and blue.

And

And obvi, they have an amazing sense of humor and aren't afraid of having FUN in BIG WAYS! Cra Cra!

Shout out to the amazing team at Let There Be Neon who hooked it UP!

Aside from the scale and the neon, I LOVE how it's see-thru sculpture in this open-layout loft. So, we're not blocking light with this full-sized gal...and everyone, no matter where they're seated, can enjoy this baby from all sides! 'Liscious!!!

Renegade Decorating

Y'all, sometimes you have to do this:

No, that's not a new 'Gone With the Wind Fabulous' drama-swagged shower curtain in my bathroom...it's vintage fabric that biotch just hand washed in a bucket! Uh huh! #washedinabucket!!!!

Once it's drip dried, it'll be made into some fab curtains for a new office commission I'm working on...check it:

Yep, y'all, when I carry on about being a hands-on decorator, who's all cost conscious and shiot for my clients...this is what I'm talking about!!! Ummm, k, hunty?!?

If you only have 5 minutes per phone call...

Then biotch, better make it count by taking your call in one of these babies:

YES! Gorg, right? These booths are just BEYOND sassy, with their new paint jobs...and look at the floors too:

These are painted in the company's logo colors using Benjamin Moore's Impervex latex enamel paint. It's water based, so the dry time is substantially less than oil based enamels, but it still took me about 4 days to WERK these two ladies out! Red being the absolute biotch of a color that she is to paint with, and b/c every surface in both of these booths was some kind of weird laminate-y horrid glossy surface, I had to use a primer. I used Benjamin Moore's Stix Waterborne Bonding Primer, which sounds like some sort of torture method. It too is water-based, so it was really easy to use and dried really quickly. Here's what that step looked like:

I hit both booths with two coats of primer. Then painted both out with at least two coats of paint each. The red lady was all kinds of finicky, as pointed out earlier, so of course she ended up getting like 4 coats. Honestly, I could of done even more, but she wasn't the only thing on the agenda for this office makeover, the selfish skank! The linoleum floors got some love by being scrubbed and then reconditioned with a generous coating of boiled linseed oil, which is just God's gift...that stuff works on ALL KINDS OF SURFACES...AMAZE!

Ring Ring!

This is happening:

This baby was scored off Craigslist! She's one of two vintage phone booths-- thanks New Jersey!!!-- that are being primarily repurposed as privacy booths in a new open loft office design project i'm doing! I mean, it's like CAKE, right?

I'm painting the interiors, gasp phone-booth-o-philes and eventually we're going to retrofit the light and even wire them with the company's phones! For now, employee peeps will just use their cellphones to make those delicate calls...like, to their drug dealers! AMAZE! Stay tuned for more process shots of wonder! And happy FRIDAY!!!

Free, Fabulous & Friday!

Y'all do see the glory that is leaning up against this building, beckoning you to snatch her up and hang her on your wall? Damn-- now that's some fabulous free glamour right there, y'all! In case you can't tell what you're looking at-- no it's not a mirage-- that's a sputnik, mirrored wall unit/curio shelf, on its' side...YES-- the things I could display in THAT!!!

Here's another shot with flash:

Somebody better scoop that HAWT mama up!!! Happy Friday!

Do y'all like to sit BEFORE you spin?

We're well into the day and age where everything you could ever want is available for purchase online...it's mad convenient, but with regards to buying new furniture, esp. larger, more pricey pieces, like sofas...are y'all as eager to shell out before you test out? Do y'all just take the plunge, open the purse and then pray it shows up looking and feeling as amazing as it does online, knowing you can just return it, if not? Hmmmm, send me wise words...I'm struggling with this!!!

Today's Design*Sponge Sneak Peek? Our Apartment!!!

Ok, y'all, I've had a serious case of blog-haustion the past couple months, but I'm delighted to share that our apartment is being featured today as part of DesignSponge's Sneak Peek!!!! Holla! Check out the full story here, shot by the uber-talented, Bob Martus! Thanks also to Grace and Amy (and ALL) at Design*Sponge for the continued support and constant gorgeousness that they put out into the world!!!

Thrift Whore Thursday

Y'all, the Brooklyn Heights Housing Works WERKED me over recently when I stopped in for a Thrift Whore session. Look at all this sensual candy:

Imagine that gumdrop reupholstered in some fab fabric, like a graphic plaid or geometric, then the wood trim all turned out bright white, or in an accent color lifted right out of your fabric? Dripping gorgeousness!

If y'all haven't saddled up for a ride atop the brass train yet, go ahead and spread, 'cause it's BACK in full effect-- as far as home decor goes! And not the chintzy, cheap variety...I'm talking about 100% real deal brassness...lucky for us whores, I see it ALL THE TIME at thrift stores, like these babies:

Those little bits and bots of brass are perf for those of you out there who aren't convinced that this home decor moment is really upon us...they're small, really inexpensive and will pizazz-ify y'all's shelves, mantles or coffee/end tables. Go brass or bust!

These busts kinda stopped me mid-skip in the store...I'm intrigued, slightly creeped out-- in a good way-- so naturally they worth sharing:

I would probably rock those out by painting them all white or the same color, like hot pink-- gasp wood-o-philes & art snobs-- it would totally modernize and take the hibee geebs out of 'em, right?

These lil guys just winked at me and are giving us full-on toe play...yummy:

I don't often bother with fashion while whoring...but c'mon, black COWBOY boots??? Y'all know you want them-- in your MOUTH!

Aren't these ladies just like Precious Moments statues?

They just need to be good and worked over, like most of us thrift whores! Lose those skirts and swaddle them in new amazing fabrics, ahhhh, they'll be LIVING in yo house!!! Their curvy silhouettes are giving us ALL BODY, ALL THE TIME!

This one here, style slapped me full on when I rounded the corner!:

But y'all know it's the kind of sting we thoroughly enjoy-- and SEEK OUT! More curves, round and stone-- YES! I always encourage my clients to go for the round (or oval) when selecting end tables, coffee tables, even dining tables...learned this trick from Tae...hey Tae...round is obvi feminine, it helps to break up all the masculine lines that most spaces are full of and it's easier to navigate around...keeps the energy flowing in a space.

But then again, so does this bamboo beaut:

What would she do to y'all's lives if she were painted an awesome parrot-green? You'd constantly be RIDING HER-- that's what!

And make no mistake about the one she's currently riding...

Y'all can't go wrong with these types of dressers...they're unbridled work whores! Great for storage, great as entryway tables, buffet & consoles, changing tables...sometimes y'all will need to retro-fit them for your specific needs, and of course, a can of paint in a cool color and some new knob or pull action will absolutely transform this piece-- and ultimately, YOUR LIFE!

And that's really the whole point of being a thrift whore, no? Happy Whoring!

Thrift Whore Thursday: FOOD Edition

Y'all know how much a I just j'adore Thrift Whore Thursdays...and as much whoring as I do, I've seen A LOT of cra cra in these thrift stores, but I still get backslapped when I come across food! Damn!

And lest y'all forget, may I present:

But WAIT, there's more y'all:

I'm pretty sure mixed grains would be the last thing your baby would be getting from this box...happy whoring folks!

Y'all need some buffalo plaid all up in yer life!!!

Like this:

And I know just the place to snatch it up: Lambert & Co at the Chateau Frontenac in Canada! YES! (Y'all, L&Co is inside the hotel lobby, which hotel is linked to above, but -- gasp-- store seems to have no online presence! WTF, Lambert? Well, fret not friends, just do like we used to do back in the day-- call or email them to buy yo-selves some plaid-ness: (418) 694-2151 and lambertco@qc.aira.com)

Like these lovelies:

Speaking of lampshades, these biotches at Lambert & Co are werking all kinds of lampshade divinity...

And never one to be distracted by a lampshade, this one nabbed a fur head-dress:

There was also some sort of sheep theme running rampant throughout Lambert & Co., b/c I think I remember the shop owner telling me something about their history involving Shetland Wool and sheep, fur, lampshades, plaid?

Go on y'all and give 'em a shout to get your hands on some of this chic!!!

It's Friday and y'all need some FREE SHIOT!

And look what the streets of NYC has served us today:

Only in NYC would y'all find authentic mid-century furniture in da TRASH...what! what!...this is Kartell's Componibili 2 drawer side table, which rest assured, costs a pretty penny...vintage or new:

And then we pull back for a wide shot and see another section of this baby, buried beneath the first section...shiot:

See, y'all this is what this side table looks like when she's at her best, not chillin' in a trash can:

So, now y'all know why I was tots backslapped when I found this lady in a trash can!!!...the shade:

See, this treasure hunting is exactly why me and my genius Trashinistas (Alane & Andy) partnered with Mark Mark Productions on a tv show concept called, Trash NYC that we pitched to networks (featuring the FAB Carly Hughes)...which y'all can watch for y'all-selves below:

Now got out and get y'all-selves some Free Shiot-- from the trash, the curbs, dumpsters...there's some style lurking about, just aching to be discovered and Trashformed!!! Happy Friday!

Thrift Whore Confessions

Y'all I stumbled upon some major thrift treasures at a Salvation Army while out whoring the other day...check this shiot:

That's full-on marble atop that sassy round side table! Then I saw the price and was style-slain:

YES, biotch, you're not seeing things...it cost $39.99 value damn dollars!!!

And just what do I spy here, but some kinda cheesy-yet-chic Americana cookie jar?:

And not to be outdone on the cheese-o-meter, this statue presented himself for consideration:

Well, shut the FU$& y'all, how to choose? Don't...and buy them BOTH, they're so cheap! Scandal! The cookie jar I'd leave 'as-is', but statue face I'd repaint...maybe even in matte white? Or a fun & unexpected poppy color? He'd be soooo cute on a salon-style gallery wall amongst the right mix of art...speaking of, somebody shat out all kinds of tremendous 80's GIANT-ass paintings at this store, that had me choking:

AND

Oh, but WAIT, there's more!:

These yarn art lovelies gave me shivers:

And:

Absolutely style-slapped! This was fun too:

What a rush, y'all!!! Happy whoring AND happy Valentines Day-- hope it's filled with all kinds of hotness?!?!

Y'all, Thrift Whoring ain't cheap on Angel Street!

Some recent thrift whoring expeditions have me seeing a recent trend: charity-based thrift stores that are way overpriced! WTF? I mean, I get it...these organizations raise funds based on sales, AND their missions are generally amazing, but it's getting out of control. A lot of the prices are more in line with higher end antique shops, NOT thrift stores. A big culprit in this trend is Angel Street Thrift, located in Chelsea, Hot-n-Tight. I'm not sure which 'angel' is running the shop over there, Greedy? Delusional-ia? -- but there's some kind of madness happening regarding pricing, and it ain't cute...on a recent visit, I was hard-pressed to find ANY items priced under $50! This folk art doll dresser? Yours for only $250! I WISH that was a typo...

But benevolence abounds b/c y'all could just pay $50 more for a dresser you can actually use, well, correction...it's not a FULL SIZE dresser, more like a nightstand...ahem:

Gets you presswood and 'lined' vintage newspaper drawers...the blessings!

This wingback will only set y'all back $750...

And y'all know, EVERY SINGLE ITEM that came out of the mid-20th century should immediately be high priced...it IS mid-century modern, so please charge even more money for it:

This light can be y'all's for $2400...b/c see, it's real crystal, y'all, so you know what that means?! Cha ching!

Thrift Whores don't fret! As much as I've come across places like Angel Street recently, there are tons of other thrift shops that actually make good on thrift prices. Stay vigilant, persevere and happy whoring-- you may not always score, but it'll be that much more thrilling when you do!

Apartment Shoot

Y'all, I shot bits of our apartment back in April 2011 with the uber-talented, Bob Martus:

Catch the rest of those shots in my portfolio section...anyway, We always knew we weren't finished with the shoot-- we just didn't realize it would take damn near two years to make it happen!?! Well, here we are, getting back in the photo groove and finishin' what we started:

No, I'm not moving, y'all...

This is what goes down when you get a photographer and a prop stylist all up in yo grill-- in yo face with jumblin' up yo shiot like you was movin' but all your really doin' is takin' a picture of yo house! That's called GLAMOUR and consider yo-selves, schooled!!!

And here in NYC, we grab power WHEREVER we can scrounge it up...this one kitchen outlet is powering a photo shoot AND tonight's dinner, simmering in the slow cooker! YES! Y'all know I'm all about double-value in my house!

Even my poor dog was all wide-eyed and feelin' bamboozled, wandering from one mess to the next:

Cant' wait to share the fab pics soon!!! Patrician Court realness can't be denied! XXOOOO!

Free Shiot Friday in full effect!

Oh she's a cold one out there today, y'all...but you know some Free Shiot Friday will warm y'all good-n-toasty like nothing else! Like this gal here, who's sitting all pretty:

Hanging hardware still intact and looking operational (someone must've just smashed this poor girls door in a fashion frenzy one morning and here she is, out on the street...the shade!):

LOVE the fun yellow and white stripe party happening in the back of the interior of armoire...'cause y'all know the front is all business and shiot:

What's great too is that back can be changed to fit whatever party you got going on, if you're not vibing yellow and white mountain alps Ricola-realness! Paint it out, add a different patterned paper, or fun fabric...I mean, just let loose like you never knew you could on the back of an armoire, people!!!! YESSSS! Free Shiot Friday is about freedom and the USA!

Here's another shot that details the clothing bar...

Or boombox, or bar or World Britannica Collection or...Happy Friday y'all! Go out and get some Free Shiot!

Well, shiot y'all...it's Free Friday up in here!

And don't y'all know a whole damn week has gone by since my last post and I've been too slung up...what the...? Well, feast on this gorg that was just left out on the street:

She comes with extra baggage, but that's easily done away with...and the wheels are divine:

This is probably a Goodform and she'd need some TLC, probably a reupholster rehab, but overall, she's tres chic and would look incredible paired with some french frilly writing desk or even a simple parson's style desk:

Happy Friday, y'all!!!

Free Shiot Friday

Y'all, some FREE Shiot you don't want-- like this raging flu that had it's way with me (and the rest of the planet it seems?!) for several days...it's been next to impossible to get my dazzle on around here! But then this little lady saddled up to the curb, all woody and cute-like and brought me right back on the road to my former sassy self:

Y'all, clearly someone has just emptied their entire bedroom on the sidewalk here...scary, but then table lady had even more to reveal than just her scalloped decolletage:

Well, Style Slap-- she SPINS, y'all! Can't say I've ever come across a table with a spinning top! And I can totally see why it would be super-functional albeit slightly unstable, for a dining room table, but this one threw me even more b/c she's a side table, or at least, based on size/scale, that's how I'd use her. But, perhaps she was a potter's wheel/table, or some sort of model making or other art table? Whateve's-- she's unique, in great condition and with some very minor TLC, she'll be livin' it up with Debbie as a side table in her new place...woohoo...I just LOVE it when cool, Free Shiot finds a new, loving home!:

Happy Free Shiot Friday y'all and stay healthy!!!

"The hills are alive...with the sound of thrift whores!"

Y'all there's very few things in life that compare to thrift whoring in the mountains of Tennessee!!! Prepare y'all-selves for this very special Tennessee Mountain Magic edition of Thrift Whore Thursday!!!

And what to get for the person who has everything? Oh this:

Awwww, don't y'all just LOVE the south?? Football figurines...and then this:

How AMAZING is that?!...Just about as amaaaaazing as this:

This place couldn't STOP reminding us of the season at hand...and I for one, couldn't get enough:

Fa la la la la...la la la la..and the gifts kept on coming, y'all...looking for an easy way to decorate your table for that uber-special occasion...try this:

This baby was begging to be brought back to NYC, and trust y'all that we hashed through all the different ways to make it work, but sometimes even I have to play thrift whore hardball...

And damn if we weren't completely torn asunder by Orange-adorbs, this biotch finished the job:

Yellow mid-century molded-plastic file cabinet realness BEYOND! And I know exactly what y'all are gonna be saying when you see how much she costs:

Here's to the happiest and whore-eriest 2013 to all of us!!!