I have scarves, sarongs and pashminas, loads of them. I picked three gauzy, fringed numbers, all with a similar salmon-y pink color–one striped, one solid and another with an ethnic print on it–to wrap these lime green pillows on the couch.

For all three of these pillows, I placed the square green pillow in the middle of the scarf, sarong or pashmina, then followed these same steps for each one.

I wrapped the pillow like a present, folding in either side widthwise.

Then I folded the long sides of the scarf around the pillow so that they overlap at the center of the pillow.

I knotted this one at the back. The striped version is knotted in the front, and the ethnic print is knotted in the front as well, but I tucked the ends in to hide the fringe and make it more about the large-scale design. To summerize the brown leather modular sofa, I used my lightweight gray scarf as a throw under my refashioned pillows.

My scarf decorating didn’t stop in the living room. This is my very boring dining table.

Nothing says summer like a crisp red, white and blue palette, so I set a patriotic table with an elegant spin.

These red-and-white tea towels came with the apartment. I used a few gold bangles I packed as napkin rings and my favorite royal blue-and-white striped scarf serves as the tablecloth for this summer soiree setup.

The last room in desperate need of a refresh? The loo. It’s white tile and lacks any storage. Luckily, I brought my collection of pretty floral toiletry bags and double-sided adhesive squares (I brought pictures from home and knew I couldn’t hang anything on the walls).

Now these colorful cases corral the things I need to keep handy by the sink–hair ties, a comb and cotton facial pads–and add a pop of vivid print to the bathroom.

And I promised you the how-to instructions. Truth be told, I lost the pictures of this project somewhere in our move. Luckily, my mom wanted to make a pelmut box for her laundry room, so I walked her through the steps, and she took photos. Thanks, Mom. You’re the best!

* You will need one piece of large foam-core board. You can get it at Michael’s or Target. I think the thicker stuff works better for this because it makes a more substantial final product.
* Quilter’s batting (the kind you can roll out)
* Hot glue
* 1 piece of poster board
* 2 small 1.5-inch L brackets
* 2 small flat straight brackets
* 5/8 yards of fabric (home decor fabric that is at least 54 inches wide)

1. Decide the length, width and depth that you desire for the pelmut box. This one is 44 inches long, 5 inches wide and 4 inches deep. Mark measurements on the foam-core board. Remember to add at least one inch to the length of your window for a bit of overhang. And measure for the two sides (how far you want it to come out from the window).
2. Cut the foam-core board using a utility knife.
3. Because my mom’s pelmut box needed to be 44 inches long and foam-core board is typically 30 inches long, we needed to add a 14-inch piece.
4. Hot glue the seam.
5. Add two flat brackets for additional support and glue in place.

6. Hot glue the sides at the seams.
7. Cut the batting to cover the entire pelmut structure.
8. Wrap all sides and hot glue in place.

9. Cut the fabric to size (enough to wrap the entire pelmut box), wrap and adhere with hot glue.
10. Cut the posterboard to cover the back of the pelmut box (you want to hide the unfinished edges), three pieces all together–one for the length and one for each side. The pieces should be slightly smaller than the pelmut box frame. Wrap the posterboard pieces in fabric and secure with hot glue. Then glue each of the pieces to the pelmut box frame, unfinished edge to unfinished edge.
11. Measure the length of your completed pelmut box, then hang L brackets on the wall, ensuring the brackets are level.

Finally, glue your pelmut box to the L brackets you just hung. And voila.

The same is true in design. When working with new clients, I often ask them to send me photos of their favorite outfits or pictures of the inside of their closets. That’s because the colors we choose to wear are often our favorite shades, whether we realize it or not.

I have a favorite dress that I don whenever I have to dress up. It’s a one-sleeve coral dress that is amazingly comfortable. I pair it with nude shoes and bright turquoise earrings.

It actually served as the inspiration for the bar area in my brother’s house.

Anthropologie, my old place of employment, always does a nice job of putting inspiring outfits together. I love this navy-and-gold combo.

I want to change up my bedroom using this outfit as inspiration. Here’s what I would do:

No major changes. I would swap my white bedding for a solid navy blue duvet cover, then toss a few decorative pillows on top, including this ikat design. I would add an occasional chair in a neutral animal print, add a rug that’s navy and jute and prop an exotic gold mirror on my dresser.

Have a favorite outfit you’d love to see turned into a room? Let me show you how to incorporate favorite shades and colors into your existing decor. Send me pictures!

Here, she hosted a graduation party for her niece, who finished medical school. Cathy decorated the table with vintage medicine bottles (from ebay), filling some with a few fresh blooms.

I imagine making my own “Poison” labels and wrapping vintage medicine bottles for a Halloween party or creating “Love Potion” labels for a Valentines’ party centerpieces.

For Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, I created a Great Gatsby-inspired party. Instead of traditional party favors, I filled small bottles with bathtub gin (pictured above) and gave guests their nightcaps to go. You can download the bathtub gin labels here.

Bathtub gin was created in people’s homes during Prohibition when people steeped grain alcohol with juniper berries and water. Combine equal parts water and a strong grain vodka in a 750 ml sealable container. Add 0.35 ounces of dried juniper berries and 0.07 ounces lemon or orange peel as well as a little cardamom, cloves or nutmeg. Store in a cool dark place for up to a week, shaking the elixir thoroughly once a day. Before putting it in take-home jars, send the entire mixture through a strainer and then a water filter.

Tell me how you’ve decorated with small vintage bottles. I’d love to see photos.

An elegant chair, round table, classic mirror, stacks and stacks of fashion magazines and a few edited objects greeted Scott and I when we entered the lobby of our hotel in Paris. I was immediately inspired.

And meandering through Paris’ romantic streets, we stumbled across this little bistro, which led to my color scheme for a Parisian entryway I would create.

My little entry starts with a curvy chair and a table that I would paint Cathedral Gray. I would opt to remove the top and replace it with a carrara marble remnant cut to size. Check your local stone manufacturer or distributor. The vintage gold mirror would be hung low, and I’d make simple chalkboard art (just paint glass frames with chalkboard spray paint) to prop on the table against the wall. On the table, I’d place a weathered gray lamp, a faux antiqued bust, a silver bell and an aquamarine Eiffel tower figurine. To light this lovely little vignette, I’d hang a gold French chandelier, of course.

Draw guests in with a happy deep tangerine.

One to try: Benjamin Moore’s Orange Rumba and this modern brass knocker (available in several finishes)

Let them come and knock on your pretty periwinkle door.

One to try: Sherwin Williams’ Dazzle and this vintage iron door knocker

You’ll be the envy of all your neighbors with a kelly green door.

One to try: Sherwin Williams’ Derbyshire and a monogram door knocker (also available in silver)

Visitors will be tickled pink when they arrive at this daring front door.

One to try: Sherwin Williams’ Hibiscus and a cast iron black lion head knocker

But is that treasure really a deal? I decided to do some digging. I found these fabulous green vintage metal chairs (left) in Nyon. The seller was asking roughly $75 a piece. Seem pricey? The green retro chairs in the center are $135 if you live near Ruffs Dale, Pennsylvania; $635 anywhere else in the country. Or these rusty chairs (right) that need some serious TLC for $75 for one lucky New Jersey resident. Bottom line? My Nyon finds are priced fairly.

I adored this tea set (left). The orange-and-gold color combo felt so 70s chic. The Italian vendor wanted $194 for the 18-piece porcelain collection. This one on the right collected $250 at auction. My advice? When you’re looking at a vintage piece, go with your gut. If you love it, buy it (within reason). You may never see something like it again, and you don’t want to kick yourself years down the road. Technology allows you to check Ebay, Etsy and Craigslist pricing on the spot. If your find falls within the scope of prices you find on these second-hand sites, then I say, “Let the negotiating begin.”

Be an archeologist of style. Buy what fascinates and speaks to your design aesthetic or your nostalgia. Letterpress letters remind me of my journalism roots, even though these alphabet pieces came way before my time.

I love vintage because I like the pieces in my home to have a story, which is why I bought this set of carved wood pears in Nyon. The larger one is a box. I am completely intrigued by what might have been stashed inside. Jewelry? Love letters? Keys? The possibilities are endless and allow these ordinary objects to create interest in any room in the house.

Entryways may occupy the smallest square footage in your home, but the small space should not be overlooked when it comes to decorating. I partnered with the incredibly talented Jennie Sullins of BeautyHive Studios to illustrate a few ideas for making an entrance, whether you prefer a relaxed reception or a fashionable foyer.

There was one long wall in this entry, so I found an inexpensive long and slim console table on Craigslist and painted it Cathedral Gray. I decided on a gray, white, silver and gold palette for this project and painted the new hardware gold.

Think symmetry when it comes to creating order–even if you’re faking it–in the entryway. These matching starburst mirrors hang at the same level just outside the edges of the table, creating the illusion of a grander foyer and reflecting extra bits of light from the front door.

To add some personality to this passageway, I used what Michelle, the homeowner, already had–a collection of black-binded books, a blue vase and a pair of bookends (they used to be bright yellow!), which I painted with the same gold-leaf spray paint I used on the hardware.

For the performer
Back up the a cappella rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’” that Dad belts out in the shower with this wireless, waterproof showerhead speaker that pops in and out for easy recharging and streams music from any Bluetooth-enabled device up to 32 feet away.

For the metro man
Laced with aloe vera and witch hazel, these aftershave-filled flasks soothe his vulnerable skin and leave him smelling slighting warm and woodsy or fresh and citrus-y.

For the sports enthusiast
Want to knock this Father’s Day out of the park? Let Dad root for his home team wrapped in this luxuriously soft cotton robe that’s embroidered with his favorite ball club’s logo (also available with NFL logos).

For the perfectionist
Tool or toy? Depends how he uses it. Whether Dad’s handy or just curious, this field rule accurately measures the imaginary foundation for his future retirement home, the distance to home plate, even the girth of a tree.

For the minimalist
This curious-looking gadget weighs less than a ping pong ball but combines everything he needs for quick repairs and a bite to eat. Masked as elements of design on this four-inch stainless steel multitool are a flathead screwdriver, three metric wrenches, a spoon, a fork and a bottle opener.

Here in Lausanne, the sun refuses to shine with any regularity, but summer’s showing signs of her arrival with peony blooms all over the city–in parks, gardens and at outdoor markets. I couldn’t resist buying a bunch today even though I lack a single vase at home. Luckily, my kitchen’s equipped with the basics, so I disected my bouquet and decorated my kitchen, my bedroom and my bathroom with the huge, wonderfully fragrant flowers.

I peeled the top foil off a pretty wine bottle, snipped the end of two stems on an angle and slid them inside the bottle. I cut a third stem really short and stuck it in a white teacup, but the scale was way off when I put the two vessels side by side on my kitchen table. To add a bit of height to this centerpiece, I put the mug on a makeshift pedestal–a wine glass turned upside down.

I chopped two stems and tucked them into a pretty cross-cut juice glass on my nightstand.

I sliced all but a very small portion of this final stem off, floated the oversize perennial in a dessert dish and placed it on a shelf in the loo.

What creative vessels have you arranged flowers in?