Category Archives: Business of Design

Saturday Stuff: How to Achieve Beauty in Decorating

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Saturday Stuff: How To Achieve Beauty in Decorating

Simple at it’s core…

I have always loved this quote…

If you’ve been with us a few days, you know what we are unfolding here on the blog:

I am sharing some of my Couture Chateau Decorating Principles

and

My Couture Chateau SYSTEMS that work in conjunction with my Decorating Principles

Today we are on Beauty.

There are actually three (3) colors of paint, not two! Even subtle differences MATTER in YOUR custom life!!

The Historical Chandler Building. When choosing the paint colors, I kept circling back to WHO the building really was…what would make her feel beautiful. Thank God the Owner “got it” or she would have been pale green…just like every other on the block…

Reflected from a home that is safe: physically, emotionally, spiritually

Your proverbial shire…

Reflected from a home that is in order: by type, by scope, by process

Wow. Not my personal preference, but maybe it could be someday…an incredible open air home via Forbes. Image linked.

Beauty that is FOCUSED & HONED by the parameters established above

Beauty that has walked through SAFETY and ORDER to Find Itself…

And is completely FREE because of it

I love this image and what it represents for my Clients. I know, we are not curing cancer here…but getting a home to a place of freedom matters. I know it in my bones…it just does…

NOW, seriously free

No apologies for style or taste or preference or cost

Mar-A-Lago, Donald Trump’s Palm Beach place…image linked.

No apologies for choosing something slightly outrageous

If this is what you love and thrive in, then DO. Image linked. This is from 2009 and I still swoon. Wendy Owen & John Lamos.

Just you. Reflected in your Safe, Ordered, Beautiful space…

Remembering that these chairs will find JUST the right home...

Find your beauty and embrace it. It might just become a classic….every classic started in the brain of an innovator…

tomorrow? Stewardship of just that beauty…

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Frugal Friday: Decorating Principle Systems, Dealing With Order

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Frugal Friday: Decorating Principle Systems, Dealing With Order

What does Order have to do with Decorating Principles?

Let me walk you through the next step we use in our Full Service Client systems

Remember: Decorating Principle # 1:

Decorate with no more than seven years in mind

Yesterday we tackled 1) safety

If you are not safe….we cannot decorate the issues away

We address your Physical + Emotional + Spiritual Safety™

Now that we’ve identified measures to protect that safety, we move on to

2 ) ORDER

Tomorrow, we will tackle 3) Beauty

Why ORDER though?

Because if we skip to beauty and just make the space look great for the camera (this is the way it’s been done over & over for years) but don’t address simple things like:

How many shoes do you REALLY have and where will they go?

Whatever you think of Christina, the girl knew how to have a shoe closet! This image from her last house. Image linked.

How many purses do you REALLY have and where will they go?

Prada…another weakness of mine…

Are you messy?

If so, can we come up with simple order systems to help you keep a tighter reign on your tendencies going forward?

Are you a hopeless messy? Then how do we decorate with order to keep a girl from messing up a beautiful new space?!

I love The Container Store…my annual Client budget for this vendor alone warrants a hand written card from some higher up….that said, decorating is more than just picking out systems…it’s using systems that actually WORK for a CUSTOM YOU!….

There ARE ways, but we need to find them just for you….that whole “Live a custom life” thing I teach over & over 🙂

Are you a Professional Athlete & every time you come home you need space to drop shoes….as in 7 pairs of shoes in size 15 that won’t mess your garage or back entry off the garage? Do they need to be in a place your wife doesn’t trip over them?!

Cleats for the 49ers from 2012. Try to create a system to store shoes that does NOT look like a locker room…order…it matters!

ORDER

For the next 7 years what does ORDER look like in YOUR HOME?

Kids? Order looks a lot different than it does for Singles

This image from Traci Zeller Designs. I love how she makes practical use of space and interprets the locker room concept without making it too literal…It’s lovely! Image Linked.

Guest hosting an exchange student? Order looks a lot different than decorating for a new baby

The point is, simple things like this make HUGE differences in Practical Decorating for you

I may want to use a nightstand with no drawer in my Master Suite because I like how it looks, but since I read 15 books at a time and stack them bedside, that is not an option

I have always wanted to use a table like this as a nightstand. How fabulous. Problem for me? Stuff. No room for my stuff…Image linked. Snow Table by AA Studio.

At least it’s not an option if I want to walk into a beautiful space at the end of the day that doesn’t have piles of books I trip over because they fall OFF my pretty but no storage nightstand…

This is a far more practical option. I can hide books! Image linked.

I know many people think I may be nuts with all my Decorating Systems, all these questions, all these processes…but here’s the rub…

Have you ever finished decorating a space & it looked beautiful but it didn’t LIVE beautiful for YOU?

Many people think they love this look…until they live with it. I personally don’t mind shabby slip covers, they remind me of a fabulous English home. Some clients don’t LIVE the daily tuck it in, straighten it out…Image from House Beautiful

Have you ever finished decorating a room & everyone said “wow” but inside you thought “yeech”…& then you had to live with it because you were $10,000 – even $200,000 into it?

Inside of Versailles. Do you ever think someone along the process here thought…uh oh…not sure this is working ;)?! Maybe we should scale back on the gold just a bit?…I mean I LOVE Gold, even did a post on how I love gold, but this = too much

Have you ever decorated a space & thought “if I did it over, I’d do this differently…”

There is nothing frugal about that

No systems = poor planning + waste + poor purchases = yeech & sad face

Ever done that?

I have created these Systems for short term, long term, near term & far term

I literally have binders of systems in the Studio

Many of my seminars teach other decorators how to use my systems

I created them to make my life EASIER

I love this quote. We can layer pieces of life to make it “thicker” but at it’s core…there is beautiful simplicity underneath. I create systems to get to that CORE…it delights me & hopefully blesses you

So my employees + Team could (can) walk alongside Clients with success

So we could (can) wade in shallow waters & dive in deep if needed

It’s my inner nerd, hiding behind a fabulous pair of designer boots!

Robert Clergerie Hut Patent Ankle Boot. Image linked.

Point is if we honestly address these things, what are our REAL needs for ORDER over the next 7 years, then we can make practical (frugal) decisions & purchases

Think about these things…let me know what comes to mind!

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Sunday Stewardship: “Pick Pieces That Transition Well” our Feature on ivillage

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Sunday Stewardship: “Pick Pieces That Transition Well” our Feature on ivillage

Yesterday we shared our Headboard featured on ivillage.

Today in honor of Stewardship, we show a project where EVERY item was purchased with an eye towards other uses

This fun high contrast Dining Area for a 20 Something was designed using our VIP Day Service

This Feature is DIY High Style, Low Cost

For the project below our goal was 3 fold:

1) Fab

2) Practical

3) Less than $3,500 including Design Fee of $1,500

We came in well under budget!

Here’s How:

I chose a three color classic combo that packed punch

Black + White + Turquoise

Here is the post from ivillage:

Pick Pieces that Transition Well

Ann McDonald designed this dining room for a 20-something who loves to entertain. She wanted a strong visual punch and had a good-sized space to work with, but not a lot of money. Ann decided to design the space with items that could do double duty later if her client moved out of the apartment and into a house. They started with an outdoor rug from Cost Plus and ended up running with an outdoor theme thinking that all these pieces would work well on a porch some day. To create a room divider and block off the apartment’s laundry area, Ann’s client created a large curtain panel using outdoor fabric she found at a discount chain for $15 per yard, plus a curtain rod and rings from Ikea.

Dining Room

The first design choice we made was the rug. It’s an outdoor room size rug from Cost Plus that was in store only.

This classic Damask Outdoor Rug is from Overstock.com. I love using bold pattern outdoor rugs, especially when the budget is tight. Why? Because you can pack a punch while using well priced nice quality basics (the CB2 Table, a Stripe Drapery…) that will transition life with you.

Since the Client is in her 20’s & enjoying apartment life I wanted to spec something that could easily transition, handle wear + tear & make a statement

STEWARDSHIP!

Entertaining traffic? Not a problem! Spilled drink, pets or spots wash out with soap & water.

The second choice was the white classic table. No, it’s not an original Saarinen 🙂 but the style is classic and at $199 from CB2, absolutely unbeatable.

Odyssey Table by CB2. $199. This is a classic style that packs a punch. Saarinen’s replica version is available at Design Within Reach for $1,800 + depending on size. We simply didn’t have the budget to spec DWR’s version.

Truth? I have one just like this in the Design Studio. It gets used constantly!

I had originally specified Kartell’s Victoria Ghost Chair in Blue at $330 each, but found these Turquoise Chairs at Home Goods for $ 65 each. Savings too good to pass up. Designer + Client Happy!

Kartell’s Victoria Ghost Chair is a classic.

They are simple, classic and strong for an inexpensive chair. The color is what really takes them over the top.

For the drapery (room divider) I spec’d out reversible panels of outdoor black & white striped fabric with a leading edge band in beige dots.

So the Client may re-use the drapery fabric at some point for an outdoor awning, I specified flat panel. This also made it possible for savings on custom labor costs – she is a terrific seamstress and sewed the panels herself.

By making them reversible, she gets the same pretty view from the Laundry Area that she does in the Dining Room.

Suntex Sun Duck Fabric in Black & White Stripe, about $18/yard on line. Client was able to secure for about $15/yard locally. I did specify a custom leading edge band out of a beige outdoor dot which coordinates with the wall color (out of frame).

Drapery Hardware & Clips are from Ikea

Ikea Syrlig Curtain Rings hold the flat panels in place. We spec’d a simple tie back so Client wasn’t drawing drapes constantly to get in and out of Laundry area.

Client handled installation themselves

Matte Black Dishes from Target

Dishes from Target. The matte finish looks incredibly high end and for a custom signature, we paint the underside of mugs in matching Turquoise! Hand wash the mugs please…& if you do DIY this custom trick, use proper paint from craft store.

Custom Napkins by Couture Chateau out of hand dyed black Belgian Linen

Custom Hand Made Napkin Rings by Couture Chateau

I found this DIY from Wood Turning Online. Absolutely stunning, I love using hand fabricated napkin rings. Image linked. You can also source custom napkin rings from my FAV site: CustomMade.com. Tell them Ann McDonald sent you ;)!

Sunday Stewardship: Are you planning a DIY Project this weekend?

What about one where down the road you can TRANSITION an item into another space?

Let us know!

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

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Not EVERYTHING we do is large scale 🙂

This DIY Project was achieved from a simple VIP Day, $1,500.

Here is the link to our website where you can read a detailed description

As you know from my Frugal Friday posts, VALUE is important to me

We DO design single rooms and remote projects. Don’t hesitate to contact us. Who knows, your project may end up featured on the Blog!

ccstudio@couturechateau.com

 

Saturday Stuff: “Think Outside The Headboard Box” our ivillage Feature!

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Saturday Stuff: “Think Outside The Headboard Box” our ivillage Feature

I love ivillage

I read it long before being asked to contribute so am always grateful when I can share projects. Please pin, like, share! We’d love to do more.

This Feature is DIY High Style, Low Cost

Not EVERYTHING we do at Couture Chateau is large scale 🙂

This DIY Project and the one we will share tomorrow were Designed with Client’s using VIP Days which accommodate all budgets

As you know from my Frugal Friday posts, VALUE is important to me

If you have a smaller or remote project, contact us. We’d be thrilled to chat via email. Who knows, your project may just end up featured on the Blog!

ccstudio@couturechateau.com

For the project below, 12 Foot Sloped Ceilings were presenting issues and the Client did not have a large budget. The room doubles as office & guest room.

Here is the Description from ivillage

Think Outside the Headboard Box

Many bloggers have shared step-by-step tutorials on how to make upholstered headboards, which are an affordable, albeit labor-intensive, way to spruce up your bedroom, but Ann McDonald of design firm Couture Chateau came up with an even better idea. When she found a 3-section divider made out of coconut shells at Home Goods for $39.99, she knew it’d make the perfect headboard for her client’s guest bedroom. The ceilings are over 12 feet high at one end of the room and Ann’s client wanted something that would make a strong visual statement. Ann loved the divider’s textural quality and lucky for her, it was a perfect fit for a queen bed and worked well with the casual vibe of the room.

Guest Bedroom Suite, Doubles as Low Use Home Office

The Client handled the installation themselves. The 3 screen panel is attached with a cleat system from Home Depot and can easily be moved

The Coverlet is Barbara Barry from Tuesday Morning

Barbara Barry Quiet Curve Coverlet & Toss Pillow in Sea Glass. I love how the color of the coverlet plays against the strong browns. You can find this same coverlet on ebay & other re-sellers. Client found it new at Tuesday Morning. Image linked to ebay

Barbara Barry Coverlet from House of Linens. Notice this one has a different stitch pattern. I love her pre-fab coverlets because they are well priced + classic. About $150 depending.

The Shams are Ralph Lauren Home Collection, Wool with Velvet Trim

The shams pictured here are European Square, Ralph Lauren. The ones we used are no longer available, but the price point is similar about $130. We splurged on the shams because we saved elsewhere. Ralph can be found on line or at major home stores like Macy’s.

The Prints are antique architectural renderings framed by Aaron Brothers

This is from All Posters. Image linked. We used antique renderings the Client already owned. I specified Aaron Brothers  custom framing using a stock frame. By paying only for the labor & upgraded preservation glass the framing costs per print were less than $150 each. Turn around is about 3 weeks.

The desk ( barely in frame) is from a consignment store and we changed handles for a more contemporary look. Couture Chateau custom lining on inside of drawers with patterned fabric over board so guests would feel special!

I don’t often use animal prints, but custom lining the inside of drawers in “wow” fabric in Guest Suites is one of my trademarks. So fun! This fabric is a chenille and runs about $23 per yard. Image linked to Fabric Domain website. Easy to DIY with heavy cardboard & good glue.

Because this space functions as both an office and guest room, the Client needed a place to keep office items. Since I specified to custom line the drawers, wasn’t keen on a bunch of pens possibly leaking. Solution? A shadow box frame that opens from the front! The Client can clearly see pens, paperclips, sim cards and simply pick up the box when guests arrive.

No cleaning out messy drawers. Happy Everyone 🙂

These are from Exposures. Image linked. The real trick here is to use a shadow box that isn’t too heavy and opens from the front. It one of those tight space design tricks. No cleaning out drawers last minute before a guest arrives. Just pick up your box and leave!

Saturday Stuff: Are you headed out for a DIY Project this weekend?

Let us know!

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

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Tomorrow: Stewardship Sunday, “Designing with Transition in Mind”

 

Monday Matters: Back To Work For 2013 Fearless (well, one day at a time at least ;)!

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Monday Matters: Back To Work For 2013

My Word of the Year: FEARLESS

(well, one day at a time at least ;)!

I can tell you my list of regrets is a mile long. I have never regretted TRYING however.

Back to work, back to the Studio

I am excited about 2013

Really trying to focus on the great

As such, I was challenged by Tobi Fairley to come up with a Word of the Year

I thought, ok, I will try it

The list of words was long in my head:

Fruitful

I like the term fruitful. This quote resonated with me because it drives home the principle that even our errors can manifest into blessings. It’s as if no part of life is wasted.

Real

Blessed

Grateful

Lovely

Gracious

Stewardship

Focus

even Urgent came across my brain as I sense an urgency to make sure we get the Couture Chateau Vision out there – beyond these four walls & our few faithful readers, clients + friends

My inspiration came from yellow flowers in my blue kitchen sink (behind) & red cake plates...it was one of those mornings when the aha moment came!

One of my kitchen sinks is mosaic tile made from crushed china. I love the imagery because it reminds me daily of why I founded Couture Chateau. It is a passion to share + encourage + equip custom lives. I have tried to not do this and my soul dies a bit if I stop…it is who I am. We must journey who we really are.

but there was only one word that met my head + heart together

FEARLESS

I love this. It allows for the process of growth. I have been afraid…I will try to be fearless this year…I will try to LEAD fearless this year

Monday Matters: Back to Work Fearless

I will tackle this with you all year here & there. We will figure it out together, what it really means.

What is your word of the year?

Monday Matters. It set’s the tone for the week. Maybe even the year!

I’d love to know. We walk this custom journey together…

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Saturday Stuff: Facing The Holiday Clutter

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Saturday Stuff: Facing The Holiday Clutter

ok, it’s time

I love the concept of these boxes but not once have my ornaments fit beautifully in them. It’s always a mess of mis-matched, mis-sized pieces :)!

How many of you are already cleaned up?

I am not – as you can probably tell by our banner photo

These 18 Gallon Sterilite Tubs are what I really use. I made (custom:) dividers for several different types of ornaments & layer them like a cake. Each is beautifully labeled (not:) with duct tape & a description. I chose them because they fit into the closets in the Cabin perfectly when stacked. I went through about 5 different prototypes before getting a system down that worked.

Have actually been avoiding it nicely – all snug with the tree & still trimmings up, back in the snow at Lake Tahoe

I see it though: the ribbon needs to come down, the garlands are seriously dropping glitter, the snowmen are looking tired and I know I must face reality

Cleaning up glitter off hand scraped hardwood is such a joy ;)!…play dough? I’ve tried it all. So I just put the music on and get to work….

So I have been boxing, clearing, cleaning & decluttering slowly

🙁

I have also been challenged these past few days to really think about what we can realistically achieve and what we can hope to begin in 2013 at Couture Chateau

It’s kind of the same process

What will I box?

What is “good” that Couture Chateau should put away for a season to focus on the GREAT?

From Jim Collins, Author of Good to Great

What will I clear?

The calendar? Are we over scheduled but under performing anywhere?

What will I clean?

Is there a mess we need to tackle besides my desk? Oh yes friends, I am a very messy desk person. I should probably take a class for that…

As a member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) I am great at organizing others, I just have this one area (my desk) which never seems to be cleaned. The conference table? Perfection. The rest of the space? Lovely. My desk? A grouping includes: hand weights, coffee cup & papers…:)

What will I declutter?

This? The HARDEST part for me because I know it’s the Studio Library. We will tackle this as a team. With music & good coffee, three shredders at the ready…

 So I hope you now know, we are in this together…

Saturday Stuff: Cleaning it all up!

I once was told: “Ann you need to be a high achiever, not a perfectionist. There is a huge difference.” That lesson took me years to understand. I can now say – the high achiever is comfortable with my duct tape labeled ornament tubs….my former perfectionist self would never have been….I have peace…

 What is your Saturday Stuff?

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Wednesday Style Points: Designing Life As A Process

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Wednesday Style Points: Designing Life As A Process

As the New Year begins, I want to share one of my favorite things

Designing Processes

Just like we innovated a custom striped tree. designing processes is innovation. The process of seeing something in a new way

Just like innovating a custom design, designing processes can get sticky. The process of seeing something in a new way requires fearlessness & an acquired taste for the occasional mess!

Yup, sounds rather silly…but I love it

I cannot make a spreadsheet, remember?

I cannot find the receipt, remember?

But I CAN design…and so I design PROCESSES or SYSTEMS that work for life + business

A Matrix

SYSTEMS that are easy to replicate

PROCESSES that are easy to duplicate

…CUSTOMIZABLE to the Client or Situation or my own life!

I actually LOVE creating these

Why?

Because sometimes there is just too much input “out there”

Do you ever feel like you can’t possibly get all the research done to make a decision you are proud of?

Do you then just throw in the towel and jump before you should?

I am not one to leap off a cliff…my Louboutins might get stuck ;)! but I do love the imagery…

Or before you think you should?

Not sure?

🙂

As a Designer I have created these custom systems my whole career to help me prevent:

Chess is essentially a Matrix

Researching to the point of indecision

Leaping before I know I should

Flipping out on the fall after I’ve made an unchangeable design leap

Argh

These little systems help me:

Decide + Do with No Regret

I mean….there must be others who struggle with this…there is an “App” for it :)!

They give me boundaries that are pleasant

Not too much – not too little

I can stretch them – make them more complicated if need be or keep them super simple if needed

I even teach them in our Couture Chateau Seminars

So am kind of a dork for these systems

I then turn them into matrix

I had no idea what “The Matrix” was (still not sure I understand it) but it must be inbred somehow because when my son returned from college for the Holiday, this was his screensaver….a matrix!

In pretty drawings of course 😉

All color coordinated boxes with proper shading & highlighting…

A little more my speed!

But matrix just the same

Why I like them?

Style Points 🙂

You have them, remember?! It’s how you embrace the process of living

Over the course of the next year I will be sharing some of my favorite systems with you and how we use them

How we stretch them or shrink them

What has worked for us

And hopefully will work for you

For now? Style Points!

I’d love to know some of yours!!

Share. I know you have them. Because you are YOU!

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Monday Matters: Making the Most of Gifts Given, My Mastermind Journey with Tobi Fairley

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Monday Matters: Making the Most of Gifts Given, My Mastermind Journey with Tobi Fairley

As many of you know our Monday Matters Posts are all about getting ready for the week

Every Monday = Reset. This Monday? Reset for 2013!

Today is the start of a new day, a new week & tomorrow a New Year.

We have HOPE

Hope to build our Custom Lives & Homes a little better than yesterday for ourselves and those we love

Take a minute or 13 😉 and watch this Video to learn a little bit more about my journey in the business end of Interior Design.

I have been at this a long time. I am a Designer, not a business whiz. I can see an entire Estate in 3-d down to the detail of the custom trim & lining in one specific room in my head before it’s built – when it is a pile of dirt.

I cannot create a spreadsheet. I cannot find the receipt.

Providential Grace has always provided people to create the spreadsheets + find my receipts, but…….

After 20+ years “behind the gate” with Couture Chateau (read here for my vision), I shared my soul’s vision with someone I could trust so that we could grow, so that we could make enough money to share our soul’s vision with the world outside those gates.

I am grateful for this group & the risks “I”, as Ann McDonald (read here for my history) & “We”, as Couture Chateau have taken as a part of it.

Tobi, understands the world I live + work in. She articulates in her interview that world.

You will find me at about 9:18

If you want to join us next year, tell Tobi you heard it from Ann McDonald, Founder of Couture Chateau. That “custom life” lady….

I would be grateful to know this little blog with a big heart made a difference…that someone out there was reading & ready to take the same risks…

I HOPE that 2013 is a year you really live. A custom life. That you engage your soul’s calling and dwell with passion and intent to bless yourself + those around you.

I value you

I value what you do and who you are

Monday Matters: a new day + a new week + new year = hope.

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

http://youtu.be/iHKOxpauXTo

Stewardship Sunday: Last Minute Simple New Years Eve Party from Upcycled Christmas Cards

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Stewardship Sunday: Last Minute Simple New Years Eve Party from Up-Cycled Christmas Cards

As I shared yesterday, even a non-crafter can get on board with up-cycling Christmas Cards. If you missed it, check out the post here. You can also see our complete feature on ivillage here. Like, share, pin – we’d like to MORE for them!

For today, some still simple, slightly more labor intensive ways to throw a last minute New Year’s Eve party using your pile of beautiful cards

Why do I love this so much? It is customized from your life + friends in your home = divine

WHERE to start? Hand written? Cranes Embossed? Printed? Casual...Formal...

Take them all out & start sorting by color & thickness. If you want to “save” take a picture of the pile & then start cutting, sorting, shredding

Thank you to Dianna Condon Cuisine for providing the incredible Hors d’oeuvres used on our Couture Chateau Photo Shoot!

3 New Year’s Eve Party Uses for Up Cycled Christmas Cards:

1) Hors d’oeuvres Plates

Pouring Champagne (which had to be tasted)! We had some fun with this.

Look CLOSELY at what is under Dianna Condon Cuisine’s Brownies…they are ALL Up-Cycled Christmas Cards! And the shredding is cards as well. Simple uses can create striking vignettes. You just have to think out of the box.

2) Name Cards or Place Cards

Name Cards: Cut, Laminated & Sharpied! From our feature on ivillage. Notice the name card holders? These are the same ones we mentioned in our 11-16-12 Frugal Friday Post – they are picture holders!

3) Coasters

Coasters from our ivillage post. How simple can these be?! Purchase the “slip in” kind at Aaron Brothers or other Craft store, cut & insert!

Recycled Cards as Coasters for a Casual Christmas "In My Kitchen" Party

Recycled Cards as Coasters. No laminating, just cutting! From our Couture Chateau feature on “Casual Kitchen Entertaining”

Easy to Create with these supplies:

Scissors (Pinking Shears + Creative Shapes)

Laminating Machine (We use Kinko’s at $2.00 per sheet)

Sharpies or Dry Erase Markers

5 Easy Custom Tips for Taking it Over the top:

1. Color Coordinate

Make individual Gift Bags. Use color coordinated duct tape & “press them” to make an opening. Add some of the card shredding. Use duct tape as a handle as well! For more ideas check out our entire feature on ivillage.

2. Make Gift Bags with Cards + Color Duct Tape + Card Shredding

People LOVE to see their cards go to good use! Here cards are under glass on one of our table settings. Use a riser (the snowflake) to make inserting & removing or adjusting easier.

3. Use cards from people attending the party

4. Match food types to colors (brownies on red, white + black)

Make name or place cards by  cutting + pasting elements from several cards. Just cut and apply to make customized personal statements. From our feature on ivillage.

5. Make over the top place cards + menus by cutting + pasting cards

Please like, pin & share these images!

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Tomorrow, we share a video from Ann’s Master Mind Group with Tobi Fairley

It’s the consultant group that retro fitted our 20+ year Design Business with an Amazing Client Roster into the new economy. Ann shares some of her reasons for participating & you will see why we still have faith as it feels like the world crumbles around us…

Looking forward to an amazing New Year

At least it’s never dull!

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

xo Ann

Sunday Stewardship: 2 Hour Couture Chats Discounted for Christmas, Use Any Time in 2013

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Sunday Stewardship: 2 Hour Couture Chats Discounted for Christmas for use within the 2013 Calendar Year

Do you ever wish you could have a fresh set of eyes as you manage your decorating or remodel?

Are you tired of asking friends & relatives which color of white is best for your kitchen?

Do you wish you could engage a Design Pro without the hassle of over the top budgets or over the top time?

Have you looked at those “Design in a Box” products on line but you’d prefer real interaction?

Do you wish YOU could take credit for designing your home but have some professional data points?

Does your daughter need a new room and she wants to decorate it, but she won’t listen to mom?

Do you ever think “I love my contractor but I’d like to know what else is out there for design finishes…”

Then our Couture Chats are for you

Our Couture Chats don't usually involve wine, but they could!

During the last two weeks in December, we discount this product for use anytime during the calendar year 2013*

Last year our friends enjoyed this offer

Here’s what Meg had to say about her 2 Hour Couture Chat

“I brought my plans & samples to Ann’s Home Studio. She listened, looked and made astute observations about finishes, suggested furniture placement and told me what things should cost. Her honesty and insight helped me decide what to use in my own home. Without her help I would never have achieved the look I love, but in the end, it was mine. I knew what I liked and wanted, she just helped me get there without wasting huge sums of money or time.”

Here’s what Betsy had to say about her Couture Chat with her Daughter

“I bought my daughter a Couture Chat as a Graduation present. She wanted to redesign her space but wouldn’t listen to me. We came to Ann’s Studio and reviewed everything. It was fun! We learned so much! My daughter got the space she wanted and I was able to help her execute it. It was neutral ground.”

Even at our Once Yearly Designer Clearance Sale, this product is not discounted.

What is a Couture Chat & What is included?

2 Hours in Couture Chateau’s Home Based Side Door Studio

Sit at “The Table” with Ann

Your Project, Your Questions, Professional Answers

Professional Working Suggestions, Quick Sketches or Lists as Needed

Who is a candidate for this service?

DIY Clients managing or thinking about a project

Full Service Future Clients who want HONEST answers before they undertake a large remodel or new build

Mothers & Daughters Re-Designing a Bedroom or First Apartment

Clients managing their own Projects

Clients thinking about a future Project

We engage Couture Chats with Clients who spend $525 to over $10 million

Why? Because they all recognize that verbal in person access to 25 years of experience will give them more than 25 hours of internet research

And no matter your budget, time = money

What just one of our Realtor Client’s in Lake Tahoe has to say:

“I give Ann’s Couture Chats as housewarming gifts. I know she actually cares about my clients. She keeps them from making poor choices when they are all excited about their new home. And as a favor to me, she schedules them in person at no extra cost when she is on an overnight project in the basin.”

QUESTION: I don’t live in the SF Bay Area or Lake Tahoe. How can I take advantage of this offer?

ANSWER: We offer Skype™ or FaceTime™, divided into 1 hour segments for more comprehensive counsel over distance. Simply indicate in the notes section when you purchase. If you are in the Lake Tahoe Basin area and are flexible on time, Ann will work you in on one of her many trips to Projects in the area at no additional charge.

Do not let distance keep you from getting the counsel you want

Couture Chateau Clients from 2012 alone have homes in Canada, Argentina, New York, Kansas, Florida, California, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan and Nevada

QUESTION: Why are the Chats in the Studio and not at my Project?

ANSWER: We have found over the years that getting clients out of their space and into a neutral ground clears the air for design “aha moments”. The practical reality of preparing questions & thinking about a project to present and ask questions of a professional is a large part of the process. It’s the proverbial stretching before you exercise. It matters.

OFFER

2 Hour Couture Chat, Regularly $700

25% Discount $525

or

Package of 3 Couture Chats, Regularly $2,100

40% Discount $1,260

How do I engage?

Email Rachel, our Office Manager at sale@couturechateau.com

She will then contact you with follow up instructions and payment information

It’s what we do

“Live a custom life. There is only one you.”™

Fondly,

Ann McDonald & The Couture Chateau Team

*Terms & Conditions: 15 Available, Individual or 3 Package for Purchase between 12/15/12 – 12/31/12. Non-Refundable, Non-Transferable, Must be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance for use within Calendar Year 2013. May only be re-scheduled twice due to unforeseen circumstance. Skype or Facetime Sessions will be divided into 1 hour increments to maximize content & should be scheduled no more than 2 weeks apart for content retention