A real home makeover by Thom Filicia!

Real Simple and Chase Blueprint awarded one very lucky winner a $20,000 home makeover by the wonderful Thom Filicia!  That lucky winner of the contest, "Blueprint to a Beautiful Home" was Stephanie Gayol Phillipou of Mountainside, NJ.

The Philipou's moved into their home December 2011 and had to start preparing for new baby, leaving no time to add their personal style to the home.

Check out her home's amazing transformation!

Before:

What's amazing to me is how their home looks barely lived in, it was in major need of some character!

After:

The blue paint is so refreshing.

Before:

After:

I'm really loving upholstered dining chairs these days, it makes the space elegant and comfortable.

The bedroom and living room are a great study in how to mix patterns. The rug and comforter are in a neutral gray, which makes it easy to add pattern and color without worrying about clashing. The smoky lavender walls are restful, and the global accents remind the Phillipou's of their safari honeymoon in South Africa.

As always, Filicia did an amazing job.  What do you think of this transformation?

You can see and read more about the transformation in the December 2012 issue of Real Simple.

And the winner of Real Simple's 869 New Uses for Old Things is ...

Talia! Congratulations! Please email me ashley (at) decorologyblog (dot) com with your shipping address and I'll get it out to you asap! Thanks to everyone for participating!


If you didn't win this time, don't fret, tomorrow I'll be announcing another book giveaway, so come back tomorrow. And just to get you excited - here's an image from the book I'll be giving away.

Tasty huh? Come back tomorrow to enter the giveaway!

GREAT book giveaway! Real Simple's 869 New Uses for Old Things!

Lucky you! One of you can win this awesome book! It's like a bible for Real Simple's popular monthly feature "New Uses for Old Things"


Here are a few of my favorite from the book:

birdbath: Swap birdsong for blooms. Plant flowering succulents in an underused birdbath.

baby powder: Prevent sweat stains on white shirts. Sprinkle powder on the underarms and the collar, then iron. The powder acts as a barrier. (I have lots of whites so I'm gonna try this one!)

bowl: Peel garlic. Place cloves in a bowl, cover it with another bowl to form a sphere, and shake. The papery skins will flake right off.

ketchup bottle: Driplessly parcel out pancake batter. Pour it into a clean bottle, then squeeze onto the pan, whether in plant=size rounds or silver dollars

coffee filter: When snapping a close-up, soften the brightness for a more flattering photo by placing a paper coffee filter over the flash. (I HATE using the flash so I'm going to try this one next time instead of taking photos that are way too dark!)


One of my personal new uses for an old thing is using rubber bands on hangers to keep cami's and other delicates from slipping off. What works best for me though are the thick rubber bands that are used to keep bundles of broccoli and other veggies together.

So how do you get a chance to win? Just leave a comment on this post - and feel free to share your own ideas! On Tuesday Dec. 7th I'll draw a winner at random and announce the lucky reader the next morning.

The book can be purchased on Amazon.

Good luck!

disclosure: I received this book as a sample

Gorgeous styling with beautiful natural objects and wistful beauty

Nature lovers will love this feature from Real Simple. It's simply beautiful and being fond of decor that is from the earth, I really dig it.


The lamp is perfect, the giant shell a great contrast with the wood beam.

Great juxtaposition with the velvet tufted chaise and the wood and reed elements.

You can click on each image for a larger view - you'll especially want to check out the detail in this montage.


and this one ---I really like wood bowls.


Really really want this coverlet. It's on my wish list on Wists - and available at Bloomingdales.

What do you think?
Images via Real Simple

Great inspiration for hanging art and some good old eyecandy

I'm having trouble accomplishing anything today, but I thought the least I could do is get a post up!

These yummy pics are from Real Simple mag - and show some clever ways to display beloved art.


I like art on the floor leaned against the wall. It's modern and keeps things from looking "too precious"

No one will be able to resist walking up and taking a closer look when a small piece has a solo performance above a dramatic mantle.

This is a new idea - create a horizontal line out of family photos or art across a long empty wall space - no space between frames required!


via Real Simple

Tosca Radigonda's gorgeous home and photography

Tosca Radigonda is a familiar name for many photography enthusiasts. She specializes in photography of babies, children, and mother's, but she's also done work for Martha Stewart and Real Simple, among others. She started her career with hopes of being a fashion photographer, but quickly found her niche photographing babies. I was lucky enough, however, to find a few inspiring lifestyle and interior images of Tosca's.

A project for Blueprint...so pretty!

Via the wonderful Snippet and Ink... (the little girl 2nd row from the bottom- thanks Kathryn ;)

via Real Simple

and look...the photographers awesome Austin home!

Love the Polaroid wall...





Images via Martha Stewart