The Katillac Shack

THRIFTY DECORATING: A Butterfly Transformation for Goodwill Finds...An Inspiring Video & Giveaway for You!

For Metamorphosis Monday & Knock-out Knock-offs what could be better than a butterfly project? Last summer, while in Key West, I visited the butterfly conservatory. It was anyone's version of heaven: cerulean blue, topaz, and garnet wings flitted about in harmony with the exotic birds that perched only feet – or inches – from my head. It was a visualization of what might happen in the beyond – and that in the "now" these little winged beings are our teachers in back-to-basics living.

PHOTO: © Roy Inman

Right now--in this economy--it is important to remember that money is not the source of our fulfillment and that we have what we need inside of us to make a home that is beautiful and nurturing. Butterflies demonstrate just how to do it. They emerge from an environment that was inside of them all along. During their adolescence, which is the third of four life stages, the chrysalis or cocoon springs forth as the young caterpillar sheds away. Going deeper inside itself, the chrysalis tent billowing around it, the butterfly develops within the little silk room. One day when it is ready to go "see the world," the adult butterfly will come out, spread its wings, and fly away. This is the lifecycle of butterflies. And ourselves.

Symbols: The butterfly has been a symbol of transformation in many cultures. A terrific image to suggest growth and change. Include the butterfly in your home to symbolize positive transformation!

From the inside out and the outside in...we spring forth again and again. By making what we need for our homes, we become more self-confident and free to be. Our creativity is the force from which the cocoon emerges. Use what you have....make more of what you need. The more you make the more ideas you will have. And, peace that your butterfly wings are real and not a credit card illusion.

Some of the elements that fed teenager Margaret Rowzee's "butterflyness" were beads and jewelry, thrift store finds, attic cast-offs and time spent with her step-mom Laura and dad Andy. They sewed her curtains and made her bedding and pillows. Other projects I joined in on included the:

• Eastern Image Wallpaper: Made from photocopies and then applied to the walls using wallpaper paste and glazed with paint. Total cost: $22.
• Aladdin's Lamp: We found the mod-shaped lamp in her parent's attic, went thrifting for old jewelry and composed this groovy piece. Total cost: $15. The orange overlay was made by applying "belly-button stick-on jewelry" to a scarf!! Total cost: $3.
• Chair: Using the heat-transfer technique, we made a "friends" seat cover for a salvaged chair. The back metal caning is radiator mesh from the hardware store. Total cost: $13.50.
• Window shade: A sheet of handmade paper and 1.5 yards of beads mounted on a wood headrail. Total cost: $18.
• Curtain: Three colors cut into strips seamed together – 8 yards total at $14.99/yard, or $120.
• "I am becoming..." Pillow: This beaded pillow has a pocket in the back for an affirmation card – a list of the positive intentions Margaret has for her life. Total cost $20.

GOODWILL CHAIR TRANSFORMED! This chair-- that once had a broken cane-back-- meta-morphed when we added patterned tin from the Home Depot. You can find sheets of this product near the air filters-usually.  

           

          
 
 
DO-IT-YOURSELF: Make the "I am Becoming Pillow." This is a great project for ages 4 - 94 years old! Margaret, 14, made this version. Left to right:

Step 1: Draw, trace or heat transfer the butterfly outline and words onto the fabric or pillow. See my video tutorial on heat transfer

Step 2: Using fabric glue embellish with beads. 

Step 3: Paint the background with fabric or acrylic paint. 

Step 4: Fill-out your "Affirmation Card". List who or what you are becoming in life. 

Step 5: Put the card in the pillow back-pocket for ongoing positivity!

VIDEO TUTORIAL: Be inspired as you watch Claudia, a girl challenged with Spina Bifida, turn her room into a Butterfly Cocoon!

 

GIVEAWAY! All who comment here

by 2/1/2010 will receive a 

copy of my award-winning book

Rooms for Believing & 

Belonging--this pillow project is 

featured in detail here!      

After commenting please e-mail 

jhanson@kc.rr.com your address with 

the subject: BOOK.

Other events to see-go tour these neat blogs: Made it Mondays 

& Show & Tell Friday!
  

See more at Kids’ Sacred Places. Also, my website is www.keleekatillac.com

Some portions reprinted from 2009.

DIY GIFT & PARTY IDEA: Stained Glass Project & Giveaway!

 
 

I have always admired stained glass windows. In my book, House of Belief: Creating Your Personal Style, I share how an experience with stained glass in Paris--at Notre Dame Cathedral--changed my life. From that moment in Paris, I have believed that we can use the power of creativity as a positive force in our lives. Creative thoughts design our days through our choices: what we eat for breakfast, where we go, what we wear, and how we think and love. Projects that help us to act on our positive feelings and visually express them keep us on the high road with a reminder of the good. I designed this "Stained Glass Friends" tribute as a visual reminder of the overriding importance of family, friendship, and guiding values. It is a super holiday project that can be created for a family gathering as well. Each guest can create one simple piece to add to this stained glass celebration. Individual pieces make great Christmas tree ornaments too! Also, great for honoring birthday friends.

 

PROJECT MATERIALS: You will need colored plexiglass squares cut to 4" x 4". Key chain at desired lengths. Photos of friends and family copied on clear transparency paper. Clear drying spray adhesive. SIMPLY: Drill a hole/s in the plexi-glass; cut the image to fit the square. Apply the image by lightly dusting the plexi-glass with spray adhesive. Use key chain to link together or to hang singularly on your Christmas tree. Also, you may use a window-adhesive hook to display just one.

           

              COMMENT TO WIN A "KATILLAC SHACK KIT" to make this project! 

               Winner: Rhonda @ Blue Creek Home. Congratulations!

     WHAT THREE PEOPLE WOULD YOU INCLUDE IN YOUR PROJECT?

Go see other inspiring projects at Metamorphosis Monday and Knock-Out-Knock-Offs. Thank-you Susan and Cheri!

Photos Copyright Kelee Katillac 2009

AMAZING BED GIVEAWAY! Name Your Color Scheme to Enter..... Comment here until July 30th....

Read the text below and answer the question to enter! Visit our new sponsors CSN stores.

There always seems to be a lot of questions and confusion about color schemes. In my 20 years as a pro designer I have worked with individuals as well as corporations to create inspiring and personal environments filled with color. One of my favorite projects was with a healthcare company called Enturia. I hosted an upper management workshop to deduce their personal colors and values. Then, I took the individual choices and wove them together–like a patchwork quilt–to create the color scheme for the whole 50,000 sq.ft. facility. Above you see a vignette in the entry lobby of the space. The patchwork drapery fabric does indeed contain their individual color choices! This process works as well for a family as it does a corporation. Simply make your color choices and put them together for the basic palette. Add some neutrals to bind it. In this area the oyster white serves as the thread that holds it all together. I find that off-white or a light camel or wheat keeps it fresh and adds relief to a muit-colored space. The club chairs and loveseat are from Kravet.

COMMENT TO WIN THE UPHOLSTERED HEADBOARD FROM OUR NEW SPONSOR BEDROOMFURNITURE.COM

QUESTION: What colors make up you; your family; or your workplace color scheme?

Kristen Kreke --Headboard Winner--Thank-you to our sponsor!

Photo © Roy Inman

MID-CENTURY MODERN MEN: Father & Son Create Style

With Father's Day this week, I wanted to share a story of separation and reunion – through their shared style. Rod and Jeff Parks' mid-century modern store Retro Inferno in Kansas City is the definition of "cool." And so is the music room and collage wall they created together. See their story and pics here.

Question: What is a treasured memory of an activity you shared with your dad? OR of an activity you or your husband share with your kids?

All Photos © Roy Inman

GUEST BLOGGER: Contemporary Art Giveaway For You & Kelly Kuhn of Blue Gallery Shows Loft Style

Kelly Kuhn is co-owner of The Blue Gallery in Kansas City, Missouri. Kelly and her husband David have been pioneers in the revival of the city’s Crossroads Arts District. They live in a loft-style apartment they styled themselves within the footprint of their gallery. Kelly has opened her gallery doors to us and is even providing a giveaway of two hot contemporary artists! Kelly will be presenting regular art blog commentaries here at The Katillac Shack in the future.

Win one of these two new artworks simply by leaving a comment below.
Enter to win and pick your favorite: an oil on canvas by Amy Abshier-Reyes (left) or a mixed media piece by R. Sawan White. Go to Blue Gallery to find out more about these artists.

Kelly Kuhn on artist William Rainey, shown on the left, painting in his studio:

“Art collecting feels a lot like falling in love: It doesn't happen every day, but when it does, you know it down to your toes, and little can be done to change it.

When I feel like I can't fully articulate my personal style, I know that my art collection can. And it's funny, I've always relied on others’ art collections to tell me who they are. To this day, I still walk into an acquaintance's home and study the walls to get an idea of who they are and what inspires them.

Above our sofa (below) is a painting by Blue Gallery artist William Rainey. I have always loved this painting. The panoply of color, the controlled chaos of doodles and hieroglyphics, some intentional, most stream of conscience.

Bill is a very accomplished artist. With numerous sell-out exhibitions, he is one of the gallery's all-time favorite artists. His work can be found in private and corporate collections worldwide. I completely understand why. His unique style, passion for color and "joie de vivre".

At 65 years old, Bill has honed his style. Primarily an abstract artist his entire career, Bill knows what inspires him and how to harness it. Old-school jazz is a primary muse. The artist states: ‘I listen to jazz when I paint. Jazz is an improvisation on a theme, a blend of elements in the space of time. My art is like that.’

“The primary muse for my personal space is Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City. I love the bold jewel-toned colors and old world furnishings mixed with dramatic, contemporary art. The ottoman was originally dark brown velvet. Though pretty, it was very drab in a dark room. I changed the fabric to azure blue, because I craved drama. I also saw this color used at the Gramercy, so knew it would be easy to live with. It reminds me of the Mediterranean Sea.”
“The countertop in our loft-like kitchen is made of over 90% recycled materials, including walnut, bamboo and cork. When we have a party, everyone gathers around the island and they never leave! The creator is John Anderson of Utilitarian Workshop. We chose to use the industrial approach and allow all of the raw pipes and necessary fixtures to become part of the ‘artwork’ of our space. The commercial stainless sink is so practical and a great focal point.”

Kelly continues:

"And to say that Bill's inner child is alive and well would be an understatement. What I most love about Bill's work is his choice to embrace the recklessness and joy of life. The signs of a methodical and mature artist are apparent, but the rapturous delight the artist experiences with each painting is what is most evocative to collectors of his work.

For me, art collecting can be an addiction. So, in September of 2000 I channeled that desire and decided to open an art gallery. My focus was to find and exhibit talented artists – like Rainey – and show their work to collectors like myself, who love art and believe its ability to restore something vital in them. As stated in Blue Gallery's mission statement, ‘Art serves as our magic and medicine, a religion and refuge...’

Recently, I've decided to take a vacation from the news and was AMAZED how much my stress levels declined. It wasn't until I slipped and watched a little news one day did I realize how much the media can really stir the fear in our heads! To create a refuge of magic and medicine has never become more relevant than in these times.

That said, lately I've been noticing a trend with Blue Gallery clients and the type of artwork they are collecting. Perhaps it is the result of spring in the air, or the atmosphere of malaise purported by the media, or both. But definitely the current desired genre is playful, colorful and most importantly, positive. A momentary escape from the madness.

Spring is here, and I am itching to collect a fabulous painting to lose myself in!”


ENTER TO WIN ONE OF TWO ARTWORKS BY COMMENTING TO KELLY....

Who is your favorite artist OR What is your favorite genre of art?

GIVEAWAY WINNER: Hillary Gilme chose the Amy Abshiers-Reyes!!! Hillary please e-mail us your contact information. Thank-you Blue Gallery for this wonderful giveaway.

DESIGN WORKSHOP: Dismal DNR to Hip Zen Style

Matt and Jessica Brandmeyer were like so many of us just starting out. On a budget. Had two darling toddlers and needed some furniture. They had just completed a renovation on their lakeside home. Since, the house has become known as a "Zen Cabin." Zen for Jessica's love of holistic living and deep spiritual ideals. And a cabin for Matt's all-American-real-guy-rustic-cabin preferences. I invented a catch phrase to describe their shared style, "The Zen Cabin: where the goddess can reign in peace and beauty and the cowboy can scratch himself and root for his sports team after a long day of chasing the beast." Humor and cheekiness in both attitude and style dominated our year-long project. I will be showing much more of the Zen Cabin in coming weeks. In this post, I have included a charming DIY project that can be adapted to your own style.
ALL PHOTOS: © Roy Inman

To rein-in the space and define it, an accent wall of citron green was added. Beautiful linen curtains convey softness and glamour. The linen was repeated in the drum shade chandeliers. And the oatmeal color was continued on the ultra-suede chairs. For toddlers, ultra-suede is a miracle cure: it washes away with soap and water and a gentle brush – even peanut butter and jelly!! Also, a distressed wood trestle table brings the rustic back to the Zen and is forgiving of scratches and bumps.

In this before-shot (DOUBLE CLICK on photo to enlarge), you can see the lack of lighting and architectural barrenness of the space. The original footprint left Matt and Jess with low ceilings. Also, the nice but impractical table and chairs didn't suit the needs of the young family.

Below, are the custom end-chairs I designed with Matt and Jessica. The "monk's robe orange" leather frames in an ultra-suede back feature monograms of Chinese symbols for "mother and father." The painting is by artist Robert Striffolino. He is represented by Blue Gallery.



DIY: I created "fortune cookie" napkins for a fun and surprising table setting. This one says “A cowboy & a goddess are part of your inner circle.” Whoa! & Ohmmmmmmmmmmm! Simply make up witty fortunes and apply them to linen napkins by heat transfer. Heat transfer is an iron-on technique. Go to this post for the how-to details of heat transfer. For a modern centerpiece, I plucked the blooms from exotic Protea flowers and floated them in water.
Here you can see the iron-on technique for the fortune-cookie napkins.

DIY DOWNLOAD: The silly fortune below, the Chinese symbols or the Buddha graphic above!

A MOTHER'S KITCHEN: Thrifty-Nifty Ideas to Warm Her Heart

Moms do it ALL. And, very often without much acknowledgment. In fact, a recent survey revealed that many moms don't even get a card or present on most holidays, even though they give so much to everyone else. With Mother's Day just weeks away, consider giving mom's "studio, the place she makes an art of kindness" – her kitchen – a spruce-up as a gift this Mother's Day.

This kitchen started out gray and barren and received a cheerful makeover. I worked with Jodi (mother of five) and her family to brighten the space and make it symbolic of motherhood. Read more of her story at You: The Design Star. The thrifty and nifty projects included:

A Floral Color Palette: The geranium pink, delphinium blue and daisy yellow for the walls and cabinets were all taken from Jodi's favorite flowers. Paint averages $14 a can – so have a painting day to enliven mom's space.

Salvaged-Tin Backsplash: Recycled turn-of-the-century tin ceiling was used as countertop backsplash and wainscoting. Tin backsplash: $150.

Fireplace Settee: A bricked-over fireplace had a bench added to it to make it functional for the table. Our friend Phyllis Harris gave it a distressed and crackled finish. Materials cost for a paint crackle kit: $75, DIY!

Mom Jodi Learns to Paint Chairs: Denim and white canvas slipcovers were painted by the two of us in Jodi's symbol for family abundance – bountiful fruit. Fabric costs per chair: $45. The slipcovers are machine washable – great for families with kids.

Jodi: On the back of my mom's photo, my grandmother had written “This isn't good enough to show anyone" (a paraphrase)… My mother had always felt bad about that since she was a little girl. I wanted to show-off my mom's beauty and celebrate her by displaying it prominently. Design can help us to heal.








Cabinet Dress-up: We added a set of vintage glass doors to match the 1915 pedigree of the Edwardian Home and a "Feature Door" with photos of Jodi's mother as a child. Door and glass costs: $250/door.

Heirloom Curtains: Hand-embroidered sheets were cut into thrifty and nifty cafe curtains. Sheet for 4 windows: total $90.

ALL PHOTOS: © Roy Inman

GUEST DESIGN BLOGGER: Ursula Wayne Gets Her Own Room at The Katillac Shack....

Invitation: Create vignettes (a little scene or setting) and get your own room at The Katillac Shack! Candy Colored Buddha blogger Ursula Wayne shows her style and talks about what it means to her. As a design student and fashionista, Ursula plans to open her own design firm someday:

“This is a terrific exercise for anyone feeling stuck and unsure of what next step to take design-wise. It forces you to gather together your favorite things and really take stock of what you have. Creating vignettes is a good take-off point for those who want to change their homes but are unsure of where to start. It really opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of things in my home that I am not so crazy about. The following "groupings" are highlights of things that are meaningful to me.

The first photo is of my favorite Wassily chairs (a gift from my mother), a palm plant and a few of my favorite nature-inspired pillows. My favorite part of this ensemble is actually the wall. When we first moved into our condo, we decided to paint the living room light blue. What a bad decision. Every time I walked into the living room, I felt like I wanted to sink into the sofa. It was very depressing. So, one day, I bought a can of lime green paint, pulled the furniture back and went to town! I was singing, I was so happy with the change. It felt VERY Miami to me (I lived there for a year and a half) and that was a very good thing. I love having a part of Miami in my home. Amazingly, I went to visit an old friend of mine there just a month ago and her entire living room was the same color. I couldn't believe it!

Then, I pulled together an ensemble around one of my favorite Buddha prints. Included in this set are a few fun fuschia pillows I picked up in Israel, a few of my favorite design magazines and some of my favorite pink nail polish. As you can see, I am an avid fan of pink-fuschia in particular. This color warms my heart and feeds my soul. Buddha, for me, represents peace and tranquility. I named my blog Candy Colored Buddha after seeing an article on a couple in NY who painted their apartment orange and pink and lined an entire wall in candy colored Buddhas. It really represents a perfect mix of spirituality and modern, fresh fun...which is what I wanted my blog to be about.

The photos on the right (bottom and top) are of my daughter's room. I repeated the fun pink theme in there too. Her closet represents taking delight in life. I have always been a huge fan of bright colors and prints. Life is much better when it's lived in COLOR. The next photo is of a chandelier sticker that I placed above her bed. It's whimsical and fun. She shares my love of all things fun and colorful.”

To see more of Ursula's great style go to her blog, Candy Colored Buddha.

DIY: Create Your Virtual Room at The Katillac Shack. Those who are chosen to guest blog and share their vignette/vignettes will receive a signed book and an honorary room at The Katillac Shack! Send us your photos and tell us what they mean. For more information on making your vignettes...see The Power of Now.

Show Your Retro Style: the Mod Collage Wall

 I think this retro interior design is so groovy it’s worth showing again. Jeff Parks and his dad Rod are two of my Design Stars at KeleeKatillac.com. They worked together to create a retro music lounge in their home. They share a love of music and Mid-Century furniture, which fits because Rod owns Retro Inferno, one of the absolute coolest stores on the planet.

In working with the two, I suggested they spend a day photographing their favorite images around the city. " I really don't feel creative – in an artistic way," warned Jeff on the day he and I started to create this mod collage wall together. As more and more images were put in place, his attitude changed...I could see him starting to believe in his design abilities. 

The result? An amazing array of photographic angles, shades and textures of my own city I’d never imagined before. And Jeff finished off the setting with a George Nelson clock and a gorgeous Eames Chair – resting comfortably on a shag rug, of course.

Want more ideas?

Check out Retro Inferno of course, as well as Boomerang (also in KC). And I love the site blinkdecor and Atomic Ranch, the Mid-Century Magazine!
 PHOTOS: © ROY INMAN