As you know I’m a fan of the ‘modern baroque’ look. So when it came to figuring out how to display photos in our entryway, I knew just what I wanted. The problem was the price. I couldn’t afford to buy lots of the frames from Propeller Modern that I loved. So I decided to try and recreate the look myself.

I went and bought a bunch of frames from Marshalls and Ross. I looked for anything that was carved or had texture. It didn’t matter what color they were as long as they weren’t metal or plastic. I think the most expensive frame I purchased was $8 so I was able to get a bunch of options at a great price even though the cashiers thought I was nuts because everything was so mismatched!

After that I just bought some white primer and 2 cans of flat white indoor/outdoor spray paint, which I used liberally on each frame. I used white but I think the frames would also look great in all black. The key is making them all the same color.

Hanging them was a challenge. I first taped out the area in which I wanted the frames on both the wall and the floor. I then laid out all the frames on the floor in the arrangement I liked. Then hung each frame on the wall based on its position on the floor. 

All in all I’m really happy with the final look and I was thrilled that I was able to create the whole wall for less than $100!

- Adrienne

When I was reading tabloids at the hair salon awhile ago, I came across a little blurb from Kelly Bensimon saying that she combines rose oil with water in a spray bottle and uses it as a perfume and home fragrance. Now to many of you this might not seem interesting and a little obvious, but I’ve been on the hunt for a good rose scent for months now. Unfortunately, everything I like costs a fortune (i.e. Une Rose) and most of the stuff I find has musk in it, which I hate. 

So, I gave it a shot and much to my chagrin (I’m a Team Bethenny girl all the way), it works pretty well! Just put a few drops of oil into the spray bottle, add water and shake (obviously the oil doesn’t really mix, but it still scents the water) and voila! You have a nice body splash and home fragrance! Er, thanks Kelly… just some advice, you might want to lay off the drugs before filming… just sayin’.

- Adrienne

A-Lister’s Need to Know:

Price:

C.O. Bigelow Rose Oil $15

Jurlique Rose Body Oil $55

Purchase:

www.bigelowchemists.com

www.jurlique.com

I’m  not usually into the more crafty ‘do it yourself’ type projects, but when it comes to furniture I think it can be a go-to option. The above dresser is from one of my latest projects. My client needed a dresser for storage, but the look of the old dresser (above) didn’t fit with the new look we were giving her space. So instead of purchasing a new dresser I suggested she refinish the old one. We selected a paint color and the knobs and voila! In one afternoon she completely revamped her piece of furniture. I think she did a fabulous job! 

The antique white paint compliments the vintage look we were going for and knobs (from Anthropologie) added the perfect splash of color. It’s amazing what a little paint can do, which I think is always a good thing to remember!

- Adrienne