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.

Fun design style quiz!

So, Amana has unveiled some new options when it comes to my most often used kitchen appliance - the refrigerator. They even managed to pull in Thom Filicia on some of their designs. This quiz is actually really fun because they give you a little personality assessment after you've ordered 10 fridges from most favorite to least. So, what's your prognosis?

Go to http://www.amanacolor.com to take the quiz ...here's how easy it is to take it - just drag and drop:

Here are my results:


My first choice was the brocade fridge...to which I got the response:

"Impeccable taste. Rich, warm and welcoming – and sometimes a little nutty. You put home and hearth first, valuing what’s on the inside. Not wanting to be eaten up by other people’s needs, you hide your inner softness beneath a slightly rough exterior. Or we’ve confused you with a brownie. In which case your inside is fudgy, too."

This is pretty close to me...I'll have to confirm with my manfriend.

My second choice was "twilight," which means:
"Calm and soothing with a touch of grace and elegance. This perfectly describes both your personality and CD collection. Never a note or pair of socks out of place, you express yourself most vividly with a slightly raised eyebrow. Friends often wonder how you maintain your cool in all circumstances. We suspect large quantities of dark chocolate."

hmmm...this is how I wish I could be...

Oh yeah, it's not just the first fridge you pick that dictates your personality - I tested it!