House Voyeur: Viva Glam in Venice Beach

Many of you have seen interior designer Vanessa De Vargas's Venice Beach, California home before: It's been featured in Sunset magazine and made appearances on several blogs (including this one). But Vanessa recently made over her 1920s-era bungalow from top to bottom. "When you're a designer, you can't stop," she laughs.

Here, Vanessa gives us a virtual tour of her recently refreshed home:

"The architecture here is relatively plain, and when I moved in ten years ago the house was sort of a blank canvas, but with a bit of that vintage character. Luckily, my landlady lets me do whatever I want! My style is a mix of vintage and modern. I'm really drawn to Chinoiserie -- I just can't let go of it! It's more of a glam-y look, but it's pretty eclectic, too. I have bamboo, wood, ceramic, painted, and gold and silver finishes. Somehow, it all works together.

For the last few years, I was in my 'dark period' (the photo above is of my living room before the redesign). I had dramatic chocolate and charcoal walls and intense wallpapers. This time, I just wanted something new and fresh. I was going for a 'beachy Chinoiserie' feel, and wanted to make my space more cozy and bring in more color.

I really challenged myself to play with color, so you see more greens, cool blues, turquoise, and yellow in my home now. Painting the walls a warm off-white (Benjamin Moore's Swiss Coffee) allowed me use more vivid color in the furnishings and accent pieces. Before, the darkness of the walls sort of forced me to choose lighter furniture. I moved almost everything in the house to my retail business, and started from scratch. I lacquered these vintage cabinets in Benjamin Moore's Traffic Light Green. I've noticed that a lot of the colors in my furnishings are also in my clothes. For awhile there, every piece of clothing I bought was emerald green!

When you live in a small space -- my home is only 550 square feet -- you have to think about the scale of the things you have, and what furniture will compliment the room and not overwhelm it. It really helps to measure your space -- the floors, walls, windows, doorways -- and take those measurements with you when you go shopping so you don't fall in love with something before realizing that it won't work.

I tend to choose smaller-scale pieces: occasional chairs instead of bigger armchairs in the living room, for instance, and the petite lamps above, which aren't out of scale with relatively small cabinets they're on. By the way, these lamps are from JCPenney. You'd be amazed at the great stuff they have there. But don't tell anyone -- it's my secret source." (Sorry, Vanessa. I guess the cat's out of the bag now!)

"The living room looks luxurious, but the materials I used are actually really durable: The couch is upholstered in microsuede, the chairs in a zebra-print vinyl, and the rug (from Pottery Barn) is seagrass. The drapes are from IKEA; I added Greek key trim to give them a more finished look. The black pillow is vintage, and the fabric on the blue pillow is from Lewis & Sharon. I didn't want to wallpaper the whole room, so I used black and white wallpaper from Ferm Living as an accent on either side of the window.

Because it's a smaller space, I was looking for see-through, breathable furniture. I didn't want anything boxy or bulky. The Lucite side tables are by Jordan Cappella, and the glass nesting tables are really versatile. They originally had a gold-toned finish, and I just spray-painted it silver.

This is the dining area in my kitchen. I painted the floor (which had been black) white and used stools around my vintage Burke table instead of chairs. They're great -- they slip under the table when they're not in use and help maintain an open, airy look in the room.

As you can tell, most of my furniture is vintage. Professional reupholstering and refinishing can be pricey. But if you see something at the flea market or a garage sale that has great lines and that you can make over yourself -- doing basic sanding, staining, or painting, or perhaps recovering seat cushions -- you'll save a lot and end up with some great pieces.

I got the throw blanket on my bed at Old Navy ages ago. The seagrass rug is from Pier 1, the zebra-print rug from Urban Outfitters, and the bedding and curtains from IKEA. I painted the walls China Blue from Benjamin Moore.

To get a more custom look, I covered a basic headboard in Alexander Henry fabric. The throw pillows are made with fabric from Lulu DK. The lamps are vintage; to find similar ones, search 'Blanc de Chine' on eBay.

This was a basic IKEA cabinet that I painted black and added simple molding and crystal knobs to create a paneled look.

My advice: When you have a decorating project of your own, do your research. If you don't know what your style is, pull images that appeal to you from blogs and magazines -- and be sure to check out international design magazines, too. Take photos of things that catch your eye when you're out. Then create a binder or file of your collected images. You'll discover when you look through it that you're drawn to certain things over and over, and your style will become clear. Most importantly, fill your home with things that you love."

Thanks so much for sharing your incredible house with us, Vanessa! (Click here to see more of her design work.) I, for one, am totally inspired by the way Vanessa has created such a luxe space with relatively bargain materials. Who says you can't live large on a budget?

eBay Find of the Day: French-Style Chairs

Ignore the tacky "Granny Glam" sofa in the background ... These velvet-upholstered, circa-1930s or '40s French-style armchairs are tres chic, non?

Current bid: $550 for the pair. (The auction ends Tuesday evening, October 28.)

eBay Find of the Day: Chrome and Formica Chests

You know, the Seventies got a bit of a bum rap as far as design decades go. I mean, sure, there was that orange shag carpeting, the faux-wood paneling, and those avocado-green kitchen appliances that make you shudder every time your mom whips out the baby pictures.

But those years also had a kind of super-swanky, disco-era glamour. Think Studio 54 and slinky Halston dresses and beautiful jet-setters doing lots and lots of cocaine.

Well, this is exactly the type of furniture they might have come home to after all that decadent partying -- and, in my opinion, it still looks pretty hot. This white Formica and chrome chest of drawers, for instance, would make a glam nightstand or cool TV credenza in any decade.

And this matching three-drawer version, available from the same seller, would be smashing as an entry table or dresser in a feminine-but-sophisticated bedroom.

Current bids: $295 for the small chest and $350 for the big one. (The auctions end Friday evening, September 5.)

House Voyeur: Refined but Relaxed in Rhode Island

More Ways to Waste Time readers Billy and Joe recently wrote in to share their Pawtucket, Rhode Island home. Here, Billy, who attended the interior design program at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, gives us a virtual tour of the couple's relaxed but elegant digs, which they share with their cat, Lilly:

"This is the first home that Joe and I have owned together. We wanted a Fifties ranch, and that’s what we got. We bought the house from the original owners, who had it custom built in 1957 -- they really thought out everything and spent their money very wisely. Although the house is a typical ranch, it has some amazing little details: a light recessed in the fireplace mantel, great doors, a walk-in cedar closet, a bar, and tons of storage. Once we signed the papers, all the carpet and wallpaper that was everywhere went out the door, the floors were sanded and stained, and the walls were patched and painted.

Our favorite thing about house is, surprisingly, the location. Pawtucket isn’t exactly a hot spot, but we live in a great little neighborhood where we know most of our neighbors. It’s just a great feeling knowing you’re part of a wonderful little community. We’re minutes from both Providence and Boston and we have a huge, beautiful park across the street.

Our style is 'traditional with a twist.' I’ve been told that our home is chic and cozy, so I won’t argue with that since it was the look I was going for! I love David Hicks and Billy Baldwin. Joe’s grandmother, from whom we inherited a lot of furniture and accessories, had great taste and completely inspired me. Most of the upholstered pieces in our living room were hers -- I just had them recovered with new fabric. The bronze and marble art nouveau ashtray was hers as well.

Here's my advice to others putting together a home: If you're into design, you probably always have been, and that means when you were young you coveted great stuff that your grandmother or mother or favorite aunt owned. NOW IS THE TIME TO GET THAT STUFF! It’s amazing to look around our house and see things that our grandmothers loved or that were on our coffee tables growing up. Fill your home with things you love and that have a history.

The ultrasuede cubes in the living room are from Crate & Barrel -- as is the coffee table, which I silver leafed. The fur throws are from Pottery Barn -- they save the furniture, because the cat loves them. The rug is the Blanca from Ralph Lauren. The window treatments are from West Elm. I’m fully aware that the art above the sofa is a bit generic, but we love it and that’s all I’m concerned about.

I’m a major bargain person am very proud of it. Some of my favorite bargain finds are the two Robert Allen end tables in the living room. They're hand-painted faux tortoise with hand gilding. They retail for $1,200 each, but I got them for $200 because the showroom where I found them was closing. Same with the mirror over the mantel -- it retails for $1,300, but the showroom was having a sale and I got it for $200. I have Jonathan Adler cookie jars in the kitchen that I got for $4 each. I have an amazing Versace bowl that I paid $10 for. I just bought the ceramic garden stool next to the chaise for $40 at HomeGoods. Most of the lamps around the house are HomeGoods finds, too -- although the standing lamp is Thomas O’Brien for Target.

When it comes to bargains, here's the biggie: The mirror in the dining room I paid $24 for a couple of months ago; the same exact one was just in the December issue of Domino and retails for over $1,800 at Mecox Gardens!

The ginger jars in the dining room are from Global Bazaar at Target. They were exactly what I was looking for, so why not? The buffet table was also a Target purchase that I topped with granite tiles. I’m not afraid or ashamed to say that I buy cute things from Target when I see them.

The plates on the wall are 1950s Wedgwood Piranessi commissioned by the Archdiocese of Boston, which I’ve collected. We live next to a beautiful Catholic church, so it’s only fitting! The pendant light is from Koo de Kir in Boston, and the candle sconces are from Illuminations. The curtains are Waverly's Awning Stripe in Chocolate. The rug is the Sonoma from Karastan.

The paint we used in the house is C2 -- love, love, love C2. All of the ceilings are the same color as the walls. I love it -- enough with white ceilings! The dining room color is called Chocolate Therapy.

The kitchen is tiny and was full of avocado green when we bought the house. But with paint (C2's Electric), new appliances (from Fridigaire's Gallery Series), and a hardwood floor to match the rest of the house, we made it into something that we love and that’s very efficient. The window coverings are from Pottery Barn.

We're not DIY people, and tend to hire everything out (as I believe everyone should). But I did just redo our breezeway, and I’m very happy with it. I painted the floor in a black-and-white checkerboard -- very cost effective!

My nephews are hunters, and gave me the antlers after I pleaded for them. I’m not over the antler phenomenon and these actually mean something to me. My nephews find them all the time and sometimes go hunting just for fallen antlers. They have some huge ones that one day I will steal!

I'm obviously not a photographer, and the pictures don't do the house justice. I intend to one day have nicer art and furniture -- but cleaning and getting flowers and sort of staging the house made me really appreciate our home and what we've done with it. We're happy and lucky to have what we do!"

Thanks so much for the peek into your lovely home, Billy and Joe!

(P.S. Want to see more? Click here for a peek inside other readers' homes.)

Color Obsession: Décor Noir

It isn’t exactly a light-and-breezy summer color, and yet I’m seeing black everywhere right now. (Black, it seems, is the new black.)

It’s usually rendered in lustrous, high-gloss finishes and tends to take elaborate, almost baroque forms. Call it “Goth Gone Glam.”

Here, a selection of sinfully decadent, décor-noir items that will lend a dash of drama, a hint of elegance, and a note of rock ‘n’ roll attitude to your home:

Left: The Design Can’s Deathwish Mirror, $150, available at Show; right: Harry Allen’s My Brother’s Frame, $359, from Wandrlust

Left: Baroque Chandelier, 485 pounds sterling (about $970), at Graham & Green; right: Horchow’s Carnivale Pendant Light, $149

Left: Lola Floor Lamp, $1,249, from Wandrlust; center: Shine Home’s Jasper Floor Lamp; right: Feruccio Laviani’s Bourgie Lamp, $323, from Highbrow Furniture

Left: Orange22’s Botanist Flora Bench, $1,350 at DesignPublic; right: Ostrich Side Table, 240 pounds sterling (about $480), at Graham & Green

Left: Patricia Urquiola’s T Table, $239, available from Unica; right: West Elm Mirror-Top Baroque Table, $179

Left: Shine Home’s Cary Buffet, $1,990, from Cottage & Bungalow; right: Regency Wall Bracket, $149, at Wandrlust

Left: Erich Ginder’s Ghost Tree, $1,700; right: Philippe Starck’s Louis Ghost Chair, $362, from HiveModern

Far left: Ashton Vase, $299; left center: Venus Bust, $319; right center: Victoria Hagen’s Equinox Vase, $15, at Target; right center: Nostalgi Two-Piece Candle, 9.50 pounds sterling (about $19), from Graham & Green

Left: CB2’s Sleepy Hollow Rug, $299 to $499 (also the Morocco Rug, top, $299 to $599); right: Tord Boontje’s Until Dawn Curtain, $90, at CB2

Left: Thomas Paul’s Chinoiserie Pillow, $96, from Pillows and Throws; center: K Studio’s Hawaii Rectangular Pillow, $98: right: CB2’s Vis-a-Vis Pillow, $25

Left: Florence Broadhurst Ingram Tapestry Wallpaper, $448 per roll; right: Black Velvet Grille Wallpaper, $88 per roll, both from Wandrlust

Left: William Sonoma Home’s Black Cut-Crystal Glassware, $40 to $175; center: Target’s 16-piece Damask Dinnerware Set, $40; right: CB2’s Haiku Platter, $13

(Photo at top from CB2.)