Shopping at the Artiste Gallery in Mansfield

Finish up your holiday shopping at the Artiste Gallery in Mansfield. It is an eclectic shop with merchandise crafted by local artists.

 

 

Recently, I was at the Artiste Gallery for an event.  What a great shop, featuring local artists and crafts people.  The items range form paintings to jewelry to homemade bath products and wood carvings.  The intimate shop is located on 263 North Main Street in downtown Mansfield.  What a great place to find something unique for the person who has everything.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com. Also, like me at www.facebook.com/dottywymandesigns.

Decorating with Paint - 1

Do you want to freshen up a room with a new paint color?  Add new color accents to a neutral room with pillows, window treatments or upholstery fabric?  I am selecting some colors for a room I am designing and I needed some inspiration.  Currently, the room is a blank slate, so I have the opportunity to add color with paint, fabric and artwork.  The first place I checked out was the Benjamin Moore website to see their forecast of colors and was pleasantly surprised with all the color options and interesting color combinations they provided.

The trend colors for the 2012 section gave me ideas of new colors to mix together.  I noticed that gray, teal and burgundy/purple colors are very current.  Neutrals are always needed and Benjamin Moore helps you use them in different ways.

 

 

The two rooms above us the same color pallet, but in completely different approaches.  I like the dark trim in the first photo.  It is a unique twist from the traditional white or off white trim color.  The second picture has a sky blue ceiling with the dark walls.  This adds an extra dash of color and life to the dark green room.  The same colors were used in both rooms, but they have been used in varying locations.

 

 

 

The two views of this mirrored chest and artwork look completely different, even though the grouping of colors is the same.  The difference is the dominant color on the wall.  The first photo has a blue wall with red and dark taupe accent colors in the twigs.  The second photo uses the dark taupe on the wall and blue and red accents in the artwork and accessories.  I like that the same chest can have a traditional look and a more contemporary look just by changing a few accessories.

The Benjamin Moore website was fun to use for new ideas.  The 2012 trend colors can be viewed using the link provided.  http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/color-trends-2012;jsessionid=HvJ1QpnBPNplk1xSzrKhQdKvz4W6H32J3bCNdDLDpJ3Qgvs8nJ3S!1556887689!NONE. 

I also viewed the Sherwin Williams website.  I will let you know what I found on this site next.

 Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com. Also, like me at www.facebook.com/dottywymandesigns.

Christmas Decorating - Throw pillows

My final Christmas decorating idea is to add festive throw pillows to your family room or living room.  This is an easy way to add holiday spirit in unexpected places.  Decorating for the holidays can be done in layers taking advantage of all the surfaces in your home.

The family room shown in these pictures, I have added green and red pillows on a neutral sofa.  The pillows have a satin sheen to them which gives the room a subtle festive look.  The colors coordinate with the room's color scheme which makes it possible to put the pillows out early in the holiday season and you don't need to put them away until well after the new year.

 

The leather sofa in this picture has a hint of the holidays with a brown and green pillow and a red throw behind it. The petals on this pillow has a lot of texture and adds interest to this dark sofa.  All the pillows above were purchased at TJ Maxx in the pillow section not the holiday section.  I searched for the colors I wanted to use, not what the store deemed holiday decor.

I have included some other pillow designs to help you choose the right pillows for your holiday design.  The beaded white pillow adds sparkle and shine.  The red, green and brown pillows are a more contemporary options.  Have a great holiday season.

Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.

Christmas Decorating - playful window

When decorating for the holidays you want everything to look perfect, but don't forget to have a little fun.  I have created a simple treatment for this kitchen's box window that everyone will enjoy, especially the kids. 

These handmade inspired plush decorations look great grouped off to one side of the window looking at a simple pine tree. Each of the three characters I put together has similar colors, but they are not exactly the same. The reindeer came from a different collection and it adds some interest and keeps the grouping from looking like it is a matched set. Also, notice each of the characters is a different height. Grouped decorations always seem to work better when each has a different height.  The little Christmas tree off to the left fills the remaining space of the large window sill.

Another idea for this group of characters is to put them on your fireplace.  You could put the trio on either end of the mantel and hang your stocking in the center.  Adding some burlap fabric, gathered up in places would add to the rustic feel of this decoration as well.

Keeping things simple keeps the stress away.  These whimsical decorations make me smile every time I look at them.  I guess that's why I put them on my kitchen window.  They were not expensive and very accessible.  The characters are at T.J. Maxx and I got the tree at Target.

Have fun.





Dotty Wyman is the principal designer at www.dottywymandesigns.com.