EARTH MONTH – ECO FRIENDLY WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR BATHROOM

In honor of Earth month I thought Id give you some quick and easy ideas for updating your bathroom! These tips are not only eco friendly, but they can save you money in the long run!!!

Instead of replacing your entire vanity, paint it with a low VOC paint and just replace the top for a new look.  To save money on your countertop, consider getting a remnant. You can get high quality materials that will last forever for half the price.

Always install money saving options for your faucets and toilets. Not only can a high efficiency toilet can reduce your water use by 20%, but by making sure the aerator on your faucet is working correctly you can reduce your water consumption by 50%!

Focus on your shower! By installing an Eco-Flow Shower Head from Waterpik you can reduce your water consumption by 36% and save up to $100 annually. A perfect addition to creating that “spa like bathroom!”

When looking for tiles for your walls and floors choose recycled and sustainable ones. There are a variety of different options that look amazing like cork, bamboo, glass and ceramic.

Lighting changes the look of everything. Installing energy efficient light bulbs and dimmer switches are a must even in your bathroom.  What’s more relaxing than dimming the lights to soak in the tub? You and the room will look better!

About My Book & Sneak Peek 3

About My Book

It’s been a pretty busy week for me as I’ve been traveling across the country gathering up inspiration for my upcoming book “The Design Cookbook: Recipes for a Stylish Home”. I was in Chicago last week, New York early this week, and now I’m back in my hometown of Los Angeles. Whew!

I thought this was the perfect time to give you a more detailed description of what my book will be about. I will provide the ingredients you need to incorporate styles and ideas from these amazing designers into your own home. What easier way than to provide it in a cookbook format? I’ll give you instructions, ingredients and plenty of photographs to guide you along the way. I’m traveling the country visiting several “trendsetters” to collect a wide range of styles for you to use. If anything, I hope my book will inspire you to invent your own style as you learn how others created their “works of art”.

Latest Sneak Peek

I traveled with photographer Emily Johnston Anderson to meet with artist, designer, and freelance writer Nicole Cohen. She was gracious enough to show us her “Bachelor Pad Design” for a client on the Upper East Side. As Nicole stated in her blog:

“I wanted to make something fun and cool without being too serious. It’s a rental, and the client is a young fun dude who wanted his space to be exciting! (“Im from LA, I can handle it!” he said!) I did NOT want the space to feel overdecorated and I wanted to play with the ideas of a masculine space, but obviously putting my own spin on it. (I even tried to choose “masculine” flowers for the photos, nothing worse than seeing inappropriate flowers in a bachelor pad!) I also wanted the space to be colorful but Im not the biggest fan of color, so this is my take on that.”

Nicole posted a few photos she took from the day of the shoot (from her blog):

I, and others, will be posting several photos of my visits to keep you informed of what you can expect to see in my book and, of course, to make your mouth water. If you think Nicole’s pictures are great, wait until you see the photos Emily took! Wow!

Stay Tuned! I’ll be writing more about my travels and will give you more sneak peeks! If you want to know when a new post is added, please follow me on Facebook and/or sign up for my email notifications.

Book Sneak Peek 2 – Lorie Broser’s West Village Home NY

I had another busy day of shooting and working on projects for my upcoming book. I had the privilege of meeting with Lori Broser, a person I believe is a definite “design trendsetter”.

Photographer, Emily Johnston Anderson accompanied me today and took several beautiful pictures of Lori’s home. Of course, she got a lot of help from her trusty dog/assistant/model, Charlie.

I’ll post regular updates and “sneak peeks” about my upcoming book. Stay tuned for more!

Book Sneak Peek – Office of “E Drop Off” Founder Corri McFadden

I had a busy day yesterday meeting with Corri McFadden, the founder of the luxury designer consignment store “E Drop Off”. She also stars in the hit series on VH1 – “The House of Consignment”. Her office space is as luxurious and beautiful as the items in her store. I just had to include it in my book.

I’d like to thank photographer Katrina Wittkamp for joining me yesterday. The photos she took for the upcoming book are gorgeous!

For those of you that haven’t heard yet, I’m writing a book that is scheduled to be published in March of 2013. I’m collecting ideas and tips from amazing designers and tastemakers and using their spaces as inspiration.

“The Design Cookbook: Recipes for a Stylish Home” bridges the gap between a typical coffee table book and a DIY guide. Focusing on ingredients, proportions, and overall design aesthetics, I will create a guide for us to cook up our most stylish homes yet.

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks!

Book Photo Shoot with Photographer Katrina Wittkamp – Office of Corri McFadden

I’m making progress on my upcoming book “The Design Cookbook: Recipes for a Stylish Home” which will be published March 2013.

Kelly Edwards at Design Bloggers Conference 2012

If you need me this weekend…

Waterpik and I will be at the the second annual Design Bloggers Conference – the premier conference and experience for professionals actively using or interested in learning about new media and the interior design industry. This two-day conference builds on the exciting success of our inaugural conference in 2011, and brings you a unique opportunity to participate in the intersection of interior design with the world of new media including blogging, social media, and more.