My living room revealed!

As promised, I am going to post more pictures of my living room today! I have never published any pictures of my home previously because not a single room is completed. For some reason, I decided to decorate my living room first, perhaps it is my most favorite room. The beautiful vaulted ceilings, the charming stone fireplace and the wall of closets in the living room are some of the great features that stole my heart when I first saw this home. We bought this home after relocating from North Carolina last year. 

Being a young family and living in a household with only a single income, we do not have a generous budget to work when it comes to decorating. Therefore, every piece of furniture and accessories you see in the following pictures are purchases made from big box stores, mostly bought during sales or clearances. 

 I have always love fashion (my ambition was to be a fashion designer when I was 9) so when I saw these inexpensive illustrated fashion prints earlier this year, I had to buy them. The prints are stand-ins for now. (I have other ideas for the fireplace mantel.)

Speaking about stand-ins, the chair, the faux plant and the terracotta warrior figurine are temporary solutions in the living room as well. I am still looking for the perfect piece for this little corner. 

I know what you must be thinking. Yes, the television is huge. Our previous living room was quite spacious so we opted for a bigger tv. I love this furniture layout but in reality, the white sofa faces the tv. I hope to get another sofa or two more chairs (that faces the television) in the future so I can retain this layout.

A closer look at my coffee table vignette. I have a few accessories lying around the house so I just put this together in a jiffy to create some visual interest. What do you think?

We took some pictures of our living room before we moved in but the pictures were missing. Anyway, to give you a general idea of how our living room looks like previously, here is an image from the real estate website.

The previous owner's vision for the living room: 

Not my furniture or my entertainment unit.

When we first saw the house, there is this orange and red color blocking on the walls. The orange paint continued on both sides of the fireplace. The other walls are mostly painted in beige with the exception of an interesting mural across the tv wall. (We lost the mural wall pictures, I will update this post again once I find the pictures.) Blinds were installed in majority of the windows in this house including the sliding glass door (with vertical blinds) that leads to the outdoor deck. Of course, we have changed things since we moved in. 

My vision for the living room:

Here it is!

My design process was fairly simple. I had a general furniture layout idea in my head and then, I started to do some window shopping. When I shop, I don't always have any specific pieces in my mind, I just went with what I like and thought might look good in the space while hunting bargains along the way. The room evolves over a period of more than seven months with some older pieces from our previous home as well. Without a doubt, this room will continue to evolve and I will definitely post updates when something changes!

The resources:

Wall paint: Taupe Tone (7633) from Sherwin Williams

Fashion prints: $29.90 each from HomeGoods

Topiaries: $40 each, on sale (discontinued) from Target

Orchid: $10, on sale from Home Depot

Picture frame: $3.48, on sale from Target

White stools: $129 each, from CB2

Chair: $350 from Bombay Company (now closed)

Terracotta warrior figurine: $50, on clearance from  Bombay Company (now closed)

Faux plant: $150 from Bombay Company (now closed)

Olive green curtains: $34.95 per panel on clearance(discontinued) from Crate & Barrel

Area rug (5'x 8'): $350 (discontinued) plus shipping from CB2

Acrylic coffee table: $249 from CB2

Branch sculpture: $28 (discounted and discontinued) from Chiasso 

Yellow bowl: $2/$3 from Marshalls

Small faux plant: $5 from Marshalls

White tray: $29 from West Elm

Birdcage bank: $29.90 (discontinued) from Z Gallerie

Spotlight floor lamp: $75, on sale from Chiasso

Bird prints: $12.99 each from HomeGoods

Faux apples: $6/$7 from HomeGoods

TV/Storage combination: $349 from Ikea

White boxes: $4.99 (2 per pack) from Ikea

Red bowl: $29.99 from Ikea

Tall vase: $9.99 from Ikea

Medium vase: $7.99 from Ikea

Small vase: $4.99 from Ikea

Black crow: $12/$13(discontinued) from CB2

White faux leather sofa: Less than $900 (tax, assembly and delivery included) on sale from Chiasso

Striped decorative pillows: $15 each, on clearance (discontinued) from Z Gallerie

Now Panic And Freak Out Pillow: $18.99 from HomeGoods

Pink geometric pillow covers: Gifted (giveaway win) from Radiance From Ruins

I hope you enjoy my living room tour. My wonderful readers, thank you for all the lovely comments yesterday! You guys are simply the best!

If you are interested to know how I scored my sofa and floor lamp below regular price, read here.

If you need help decorating your home, please click here for further information regarding my design services. 

Featured on House Of Fifty!

The third and newest issue of House Of Fifty is out! Have you seen it yet? In this special holiday issue, there are chock-full of wonderful interior inspirations, fun fashion, holiday gift ideas, delicious holiday recipes and more!

The best part of all? I am being featured on House Of Fifty. I am still so incredibly excited! It has been hard for me to keep this a secret from all of you for months but I decided to do it anyway because I want this to be a complete surprise! Well, surprise no more, you can now check out my feature on page 144. There, you will find my never before published living room pictures on 'Why Do We Love Her Blog' segment, a regular feature in House Of Fifty! 

As a special treat, I will post a few more pictures of my living room and resources tomorrow, so stay tuned!

A product review and a giveaway- Travel neccessities!

Recently, I was gifted another wheeled weekender bag (I know, lucky me) from the generous people at Two Lumps of Sugar. Two Lumps of Sugar offers a wide range of fun and unique products for the home, such as kitchen items, totes and bags, kids' products, organizational boxes, travel accessories, clean-up products and more! Out of the 17 fun designs available for wheeled weekender bag, I picked the Leopard Wheeled Weekender because I thought it was very chic! Animal prints are always in style, right? Here is what my bag looks like:

My new stylish and roomy leopard print weekender bag.

There are two outside zippered pockets, one on each side of the bag. The zippered pockets are one of my favorite features because I love bags with many compartments.

The inside zippered pocket.

There is also three other pockets inside. These are perfect for organizing important personal items like cel phone, passport, purse or any small items.

And it comes with a detachable and adjustable shoulder strap.

This is what the weekender bag looks like with the adjustable shoulder strap attached.

A travel tag is included with the weekender bag as well.

 The retractable handle (not adjusted to its full length yet).

The retractable handle stores a hidden zipper closure when not in use.

 The built-in wheels.

What I love most about this product is its attention to details. Made with a thick fabric material, it features various useful compartments, a hidden zipper closure (for the retractable handle) and a luggage tag. While these details may seem minute but these are definitely pluses considering many bags found in the same category often overlooked these small but useful features. 

*Based on my honest and unbiased opinion.

Now, the exciting part! Because it is Halloween Day, I decided to give you a treat. Nope, not those sugar varieties! Another fabulous giveaway! Two Lumps of Sugar decided to offer one of their hanging travel kits to one of Mix And Chic readers. The hanging travel kit comes with 26 fun and unique designs! Now, let's take a look at some of my favorites below:

The lucky winner will get to choose their favorite design out of the 26 designs on their website! Pretty awesome, right?

To enter:

1. You must be a resident of the United States. (Sorry, my international readers.)

2. Be a follower of Mix And Chic's blog via Google Friend Connect, visit Two Lumps of Sugar and let me know which design you will pick if you win. (one entry)

For additional entries (An extra entry for each of the following):

1. Follow me on Twitter and leave a separate comment. (if you are already following, please leave a separate comment too to let me know)

2. 'Like' Mix And Chic on Facebook and leave a separate comment. (if you are already following, please leave a separate comment too to let me know)

3. 'Like' Two Lumps of Sugar on Facebook and leave a separate comment. Please also leave a comment in their Facebook and let them know that you came from Mix And Chic.

4. Blog about this giveaway (include a link back to this post) and leave a separate comment.

5. Tweet about this giveaway (include a link back to this post) and leave a separate comment.

6. Let me know your favorite product from Two Lumps of Sugar (be specific) and leave a separate comment.

The deadline for entries is November 9th, 2011. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on Thursday, November 10th, 2011. Good luck!

And the winner of the giveaway is ..........

I am thrilled to announce the winner of the recent fantastic giveaway generously offered by Bungalow.

I used random.org to draw a winner and here it is! The lucky winner of the Hilary Duffle travel bag is 

Anna from Anna's Disney Dream.

Congratulations, Anna! I will email you shortly. Thanks to everyone who entered. I promised there will be more fabulous giveaways coming up soon. So, check back often. Have a wonderful day!

Mood board- Luxurious and elegant master bathroom!

I have always love the look of a fresh, eclectic and luxurious bathroom with a touch of elegance. So today, I thought it would be fun to create a moodboard to reflect that. First, I started with the classic white carrara marble subway tiles to convey a sense of timeless elegance and luxury. Next, I picked a rustic double sink console to add warmth and create contrast against the marble tiles. Then, I selected a pair of sleek, polished nickel rectangle mirrors, wall sconces, accessories and finally the mosaic hexagon tiles flooring to complete the look. What do you think of the results? Do you like it or otherwise? Your thoughts?

Exciting news!

I am ready to embark on a new and exciting endeavor and today, I am absolutely thrilled to announce the launch of

My lovely readers, are you dreaming of a beautiful space but have no idea where to start? Needing some direction and guidance, perhaps a fresh pair of eyes for your home to tackle a difficult space or unsure about a room layout? Looking for some new ideas to spruce up your space before the holiday seasons for family gatherings and dinner parties? I can make your design dreams a reality! I can customize a design plan for you that reflects your personal taste, needs, lifestyle and budget. 

Currently, Mix And Chic Interiors offers two types of design services:

Option 1: Full Online Decorating/ E-Design Package

This package is 100% custom designed for you and it is perfect for clients who need inspiration to jump start their interior decorating projects. I will work with you to create a plan that fits your needs, reflecting your personal taste, style and budget. In about a week (unless specified otherwise), you will receive:

• a detailed digital design board/ mood board
• a detailed explanation of your new design plan and a step-by-step guide to pull your room together
• a product source list and purchase information, both online and local resources

Pricing: 

• Hallways, entryways, powder rooms and bathrooms: $190
• Living rooms, family rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, home offices, bonus rooms: $290

To get started, you will need to complete a design questionnaire, send me a few photos and measurements of your space.

You will receive a mood board similar to these examples shown below:

Option 2: Hourly Online Design Consultation 

This option is perfect for clients who need some home decor advice and general consultation. You may use your hours however you like which includes but not limited to:

• Furniture layout
• Paint color selection
• Suggestions on selecting furniture, accessories, wall coverings, window coverings, artwork, flooring, etc.
• Tips and general advice

Pricing: 

$78 per hour

Consultation is available via Skype or email. 

Great news! To celebrate the launch of Mix And Chic Interiors, I am offering the first five clients who signed up with my design services a 50% off discount for both options. To receive your discount, simply mention this promotion code: LAUNCH50

Please email me at mixandchic@yahoo.com for further details. I look forward to working with you. To view my portfolio, please send me an email. 

A product review and a giveaway- Scout By Bungalow travel bag!

A few days ago, I received this fabulous Scout Signature roller bag, a gift from the generous folks at Bungalow. Scout by Bungalow is a bag lovers paradise, offering tons of stylish and affordable bags, totes and more. From travel bags to organizing totes to storage bins, they have dozens of fun, chic, colorful designs and styles to choose from. I was ecstatic when one of their representatives told me I could pick anything to try from their website. With so many wonderful products and gorgeous designs to select from, I had a difficult time narrowing it down to just one product. I was absolutely torn between this backpack and the carry on roller bag. But in the end, I chose the carry on roller bag since I will be traveling during the holiday season. Out of the 10 beautiful and stylish patterns available, I selected the Scout Signature design because I love their overall classic look plus I have an adoration for dachshund silhouettes. Here is what my travel bag looks like:

Gorgeous, isn't it? It is water resistant and it easily wipes clean, one of my favorite features.

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened my bag and found the green interior lining. Green is my all time favorite color! It is quite roomy inside and there is also a zipper pocket to put in small items. 

Check out the huge zipper pocket on the outside.

And it comes with a detachable shoulder strap that is fully adjustable.

This is how the roller bag looks like with the shoulder strap attached.

The telescoping handle (not adjusted to its full length yet). 

The  built-in roller wheels.

Made with lightweight yet durable coated 100% cotton twill along with so many great features and a gorgeous exterior to boot, this product definitely surpass my expectations. I can't wait to travel in style with it during my vacation this coming December. 

*Based on my honest and unbiased opinion.

Now, the fun part, the giveaway! This giveaway couldn't come at a more perfect timing because most of us will be travelling during the holiday seasons, yes? So, Bungalow decided to offer one of their travel bags, 'Hilary Duffle' (worth $75) to one of Mix And Chic readers. It comes in 9 fabulous and fun designs! Check this out:

The lucky winner will get to choose their favorite design out of the nine designs above! Fantastic, right?

To enter:

1. You must be a resident of the United States or Canada. (Sorry, my international readers.)

2. Be a follower of Mix And Chic's blog via Google Friend Connect, visit Scout By Bungalow and let me know which design you will pick if you are the lucky winner. (one entry)

For additional entries (An extra entry for each of the following): 

1. Follow me on Twitter and leave a separate comment. (if you are already following, please leave a separate comment too to let me know)

2. Follow Scout By Bungalow on Twitter and leave a separate comment.

3. 'Like' Mix And Chic on Facebook and leave a separate comment. (if you are already following, please leave a separate comment too to let me know)

4. 'Like' Scout by Bungalow on Facebook and leave a separate comment.

5. Blog about this giveaway (include a link back to this post) and leave a separate comment.

6. Tweet about this giveaway (include a link back to this post) and leave a separate comment .

7. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status (include a link back to this post) and leave a separate comment .

8. Let me know your favorite product from Scout by Bungalow (be specific) and leave a separate comment.

The deadline for entries is October 26th. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on Thursday, October 27th. Good luck!