Deceptive Plastic Animals

Janet had a wonderful idea to spray paint some plastic animals 
so the animals appear to be porcelain! 
what a grand idea-

These adorable white creations have caused quite a stir at BRASWELL the shop!
Customers want to buy them!
They look like porcelain!
 That is where the deception comes into play.
They are really plastic! 

In our window.

We have used them in cloches.

With bottle signs around their adorable necks.

In display for the tables.

This is how we turned cheap plastic toys into looking like porcelain!

We used high gloss white (use any color you might like in high gloss) spray paint (for indoor/outdoor) from
 a hardware shop.

We got these plastic animals from the toy section of a super market.

 Before you start spray painting, make sure the toys are dust free and clean.
 Because it is high gloss, dust will show up after the paint dries.

Janet Created a spray booth with a box.

 Make sure to spray paint in a well ventilated area.

And before spray painting, please read the instructions on the can!

Flip over the toys so you spray paint the belly and the feet first. It is a lot harder to spray paint these areas later without nicking the paint.

Apply 2 to 3 light coats a few minutes apart.

Let them completely dry before you stand them up.

(We dried these for a few hours until it felt completely dry)

Apply 2 to 3 light coats a few minutes apart.

Let them completely dry for a few hours and touch up the spots you may have missed. 

(These plastic toys we used had a lot of texture so we had to touch it up a bit)

Viola, you have plastic animals that look like porcelain.

Use them any place your creativity takes you, table settings, etc.

Shhhhh, don't tell our secret.

What design deceptions do you have, dear readers-
I would love to hear from you!


Love, Peggy

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design. 

You can purchase many of the items found on this blog, according to BRASWELL and much more at  BRASWELL. 

We will work with the trade.

Design Books I Like

I have been asked over & over what are my favorite design books 

---so here they are!

5 of my favorite design books, the ones I go to for inspiration.

1. The New Apartment Book 

(ISBN 0-157-88759-2)

By Michele Michael

This has got to be one of my all time favorites!
Every time I look in this, I find something I have not seen before.

2.  The Grand Book of French Style

(ISBN 0-8212-2764-5)

By Jean Demachy and François Baudot

This is a divine book by French Elle Decor I love that magazine!
Trust me this book is full of wonderful ideas and beautiful photos.

3. Style By Saladino

(ISBN 0-7112-1550-2)

One of my favorite designers is Saladino.
An inspiration  +  he loves lavender(one color I can't get enough of)!

Heavenly

4. Tony Duquette

(ISBN 0-8109-9413-5)

By Wendy Goodman and Hutton Wilkinson

Enough said!!!
Everything in this book is an inspiration.

5. Signature Style

(ISBN 069620846-6)

 I design with a Traditional sense - I am proud of that style/sense... 

I adore this book put out by Traditional Home.

Tell me the design books that are your favorites.

 I  learn so much from you, dear readers.

Love, Peggy

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design. 

You can purchase many of the items found on this blog, according to BRASWELL and much more at  BRASWELL. 

We will work with the trade.

Loft Kitchen Makeover in DTLA - Before

I am doing a kitchen makeover in a loft in Downtown LA for a friend/client.

Here are a few pictures of the feeling the client  wants - Chinese/modern.

 An antique Chinese chest on one wall in the dining room.

 This is looking at the other wall in the dining room.

There are two walls in the dining room and a window wall.

Here are pictures of the current kitchen, pre makeover.

 We will get a new stove - this old stove is 36" W

the new one will be 24" W, as we need the space.

 Right now the kitchen is functional!

 The color scheme will be black, red, taupe.

 It is a galley feeling kitchen, long & narrow.

The loft is a corner unit and the views of downtown LA are amazing. 

I promise to take a night shot.

 We will take the cabinet down & install floating shelves for storage to showcase all the wonderful things she has collected over the years and inherited! 

The house keeper at her post - thank god!

Pipes are a constant in a loft all over the ceiling generally and this unit isn't an exception. 

We hung a chandelier in the kitchen she had.

 We're going to cover the chandelier when construction starts!

We will show "after" shots of the kitchen, I promise.

I adore lofts!
So open and so many possibilities.

This loft is truly wonderful.

So dear readers, here we go on an design adventure.

Before & after the renovation,

stay tuned.

Love, Peggy

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design. 

You can purchase many of the items found on this blog, according to BRASWELL and much more at  BRASWELL. 

We will work with the trade.

Recipe- Rum Cake

Yummy Rum Cake

Just in time for Mother's Day.

Since this is one of my favorite cakes and so simple to make, I thought you would love to see how the cake is made and to have the recipe.

My mom used to make this cake, so of course in typical Southern Style, 

I now make it also.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

• Cake Ingredients 
• 1 box (18 1/2 ounces) yellow cake mix
• 1 box (3 3/4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup rum (dark is preferred but light is OK )
• Nuts (optional)
• Rum Glaze Ingredients
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1/2 cup  rum (dark is preferred but light is OK )

 For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients and mix until batter is smooth.
4. Put chopped nuts in the bottom of the pan - I used walnuts.
5. Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan over the nuts.
6. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
7. Invert cooled cake onto a serving plater. Using a fork or toothpick, prick the top of the cake to form small holes that will absorb the rum glaze.

 

For the Glaze:

1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.
2. Slowly bring the sugar mix to a light boil and cook for 5 minutes, constantly stirring.
3. remove the sugar mix from the heat and stir in the rum.
4. Allow the glaze to slightly cool before glazing the cake.
5. Drizzle and smooth some of the glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Allow the cake to absorb the glaze and then repeat until the glaze is gone.
6. Your rum cake is ready to serve(whipped cream or ice cream)Yummy

This is the most moist & yummy cake ever!

All wrapped and ready to go.

And May 12th is my birthday - I was such a gift to my mom. 

Thanks mom!

Happy Birthday to me!

Janet gave me these cupcakes for the Big Day. 

Dear Readers,

 How are you celebrating Mother's Day?

Love, Peggy

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design. 

You can purchase many of the items found on this blog, according to BRASWELL and much more at  BRASWELL. 

We will work with the trade.

Screens

Screens 

I have always had a secret crush on any screen. 

I truly think they are the most unused items!

Below are just a few in the shop,BRASWELL

This is a Chinese screen that is used on one of the Front Windows, 
however they let light in also.

These are fabulous! Steal & brass.
(these are used to separate work area from the shop)

Another with Glass & fret work.

This is a Japanese two panel screen

 Painted(on both sides)

forming a room!

Coconut hulls in this fabulous one(there are 2/two of these screens)

Chinese window screen(used as wall hangings)

Screens I got in Alabama!
They have the original glass with a diamond pattern.
I love the patina of the wood.

Dear Readers, Tell me your stories.
How do you use screens?
I would love to hear. 

Love, Peggy

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design. 

You can purchase many of the items found on this blog, according to BRASWELL and much more at  BRASWELL. 

We will work with the trade.