alison giese Interiors: Good Deals

Showing posts with label Good Deals. Show all posts

Product Review: Overstock Chevron Kilim Rug

A few weeks ago, I spied a tweet by designer and fellow blogstress, Camila about a chevron rug on Overstock. As I'm still on the chevron bandwagon, I linked over to the clearance website, and found this: Chevron Kilim Rug...

The price was too good to pass up ($130 for my 5x8), especially considering it's a natural fiber (i.e. wool and jute) rug.
It arrived today, and I have to say I'm initially very pleased. Now, don't get me wrong, this was not an expensive rug, so it is not very thick, and I don't imagine the weave is very hearty, but it gives great impact, which is what I wanted. I also like that it has a more natural, textural feel - making it at least somewhat unique among the sea of chevron rugs out there.

For now, ours is making itself at home in our entry. (yes, I know I need a larger console)

So, to summarize: Chevron kilim via Overstock gets a thumbs-up for value and looks. Bad news: I think I probably bought the last one, as it was under "high sell-out risk," and I can no longer find it on the site.

Lesson: It pays to Tweet! Follow me if you're not already!

Pleasant Surprises

I continue to be pleasantly surprised with Home Decorators Collection. Many of their recent offerings up the ante on a bevy of looks - from borrowed-from-Regency pieces set with mirrored inlay, to lightly industrial, to unexpected and fun: Hello darling, pink garden chairs!

I give credit where credit is due, and I think they're doing a nice job of bringing a tailored look normally acquired with to-the-trade manufacturers to the masses. Carefully selected, I think many of their pieces could have a place in almost any room going for the perfect high-low pitch.
Here's a few of my top picks, and what I might do with them...

1) Garden Side Chair - I'd use it anywhere I'd want to inject some color - around a banquette, perhaps, to create a casual, family eating scene? I love typical shapes in unexpected hues!
2) Rockford sofa - Nice, clean lines and a decent assortment of fabrics with/without nailhead. A good, starter sofa that looks nicer than ikea.
3) Baxter accent table - I might just crank this up a notch by painting it something fun, and setting it beside a clawfoot tub.
4) Jasper coffee table - I appreciate that the lines on this table are slightly elegant. It brings down the "industrial" feel of it. I'd mix this table up with dressier furniture for balance.
5) Ava table lamp - I'm liking these for bedside tables.
6) Director table lamp - I'd put one of these on a glass-topped sawhorse desk. If the desk was otherwise cluttered, the lamp would still look cool and clean.
7) Reflections Mirrored cabinet - Definitely could use this to dress up a dining room, but if a client had a budget for a large and amazing closet, I'd go all Big's-gift-to-Carrie closet with it.
8) Emma table lamp - I've long been in love with gorgeous venetian art glass lamps, but most of us can't swing $3 Gs for a pair of lamps. Enter the "Emma" - put a pair of them on an interesting piece in an entry, and you could simulate those expensive versions.
9) MS Ingrid sofa - 'ol Martha - she taps into the right partnerships all the time, doesn't she? Her collaborations with HDC seem to coincide with the catalog's glossied-up offerings. Chenille fabric on this sofa is a little "iffy," but the clean lines and nailhead trim make it at least worth considering in many rooms.
10) Slipcover Philips chair - Without a doubt, put these at the head of a dining room table where they'll take command as host chairs.

*If you'd like help putting together ideas for your home - email me about my e-design services!*

Thumbs Up!

Do you have IKEA furniture? I do - the casual Ektorp sofa resides at Casa Giese! So many of us can't resist the clever design, paired with insanely-good prices that the Swedish furniture store offers. However, we are also much too discerning, and don't want our homes looking like an IKEA showroom.
Enter Comfort Works, the Melbourne-based His-n-Her company that specializes in custom covers for Ikea sofas, armchairs and daybeds (they also do curtains, too!) The "Her" end of the company contacted me recently about doing a feature post about their wares. I don't normally submit to such solicitations, but their "We left the 9-to-5 to follow our creative yearnings" story found a soft spot in my heart, and I couldn't help but be intrigued.

I checked out their website, and have to say, the selection of fabrics is fun - a nice combo of playful patterns or simple solids. Their website allows you to "try" the fabric on a variety of IKEA sofa styles, and they'll send you swatches for free.
So, you say, yeah, yeah, but they're based in Australia - yes, AND they're now offering FREE shipping to USA customers, so chill that excuse!

Here's some ideas I'd work on my aforementioned Ektorp line...

For my everyday home, where I need something to hide drool marks and juice spills...the solid, Kino in charcoal would do.

For my more edgy, urban loft (that still has to be child-friendly), I'd rock their faux leather, "Urbanskin" in silver.

...And for that beach house getaway I'll always dream about, the crisp, minty, Elizabeth stripe. (Throwing in some orange, ethnic-y pillows 'course!)

So, go on, hit their site, play around with the fabrics, and say hello to Rachel and Henry for me!

It's a Good Day when...

You find two shield-back chairs AND a cool lamp for forty clams.

Can't wait to show you the afters (give me a few, though, OK?)

Support your Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, ya'll - good stuff to had!

The Lamps of Walmart

If you never think to browse Wally's website for alternatives to high-end design objects, you're missing out. I spent a few minutes perusing the offerings in the lighting department, and was delighted to find some serious contenders for the best knock-off award. The price points are above average for the Big Box store, but in most cases, are a third of what you'd pay for their design inspiration. Here's a few notables: