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Today, I met with Nick and his family to review my ideas for his teen bedroom makeover. He's the all american 15 year old. He loves music, plays the guitar and the violin. Hanging with his friends, computers and science fiction are a big part of his life. His room is his hangout, it's filled with glimpses of his younger years and aspirations for the future. Wanting to be an actor / musician he's got his eyes set on performing in the theater, hopefully on Broadway. During his remaining years at home and through high school, I look forward to him enjoying his soon to be made-over room. The before pictures can be viewed on my previous post.
Nick's room is only 10 x 9, so utilizing every inch is the easiest way to improve his conditions. We will replace his oversized writing desk and hutch with something more efficient. I've proposed building a custom headboard and desk storage area to accommodate the book collections and memorabilia he has. We will be altering his wooden bed to make it look made from metal. A unique backlit, relief mounted piece of focal art will enhance the red background behind his bed. It will feature five custom 3 dimensional "N"'s of various typestyles and colors to express his interests in Rock, Classical, Modern Technology and Sci fi in an abstract way.
His window wall will be dressed up with a cornice board to hide his louvered blind mechanism and hold his new custom roller shade. It will be painted with a NY skyline. Small holes, resembling stars and little windows will be cut out of it to allow light to shine through. Giving the illusion it's a night sky. Art and a mount for his guitar will round out this view.
His closet wall will be altered from an open closet niche to an enclosed closet with adjacent storage shelves for his media components. A reclaimed, reupholstered chair and a wall shelve will flank a unique piece of art that I will be helping Nick create. It will be a realized projection of himself in the future, using photographs, magazine clippings and some of my painterly touches. It will serve to remind him of his amazing personal goals.
The color scheme for the room will be warm tone grays with antique reds and hints of denim/chambray blues.
Nick has been packing up his things, getting ready for the process to begin. He's very excited as am I. It's a pleasure meeting and working with such a fine young man.
The color scheme for the room will be warm tone grays with antique reds and hints of denim/chambray blues.
Nick has been packing up his things, getting ready for the process to begin. He's very excited as am I. It's a pleasure meeting and working with such a fine young man.
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Last week, I wrote on our Facebook page asking for submissions of kid's rooms in need of a makeover. I have some new products and new techniques I was hoping to experiment with and photograph in the made-over room. There was an overwhelming response. Now came the hard part.
I'm more of a Paula Abdul judge than a Simon Cowell. I'd much rather tilt my head side to side, smile and see the opportunities within, rather than be critical. But, unless I wanted to do twelve makeovers, I had to start narrowing things down. Immediately, there were obvious rooms that could be cut from the contenders and I don't think they were surprised by my actions. They really didn't need a makeover, just some editing and creative storage. They were the Chris Daultrey's and Adam Lamberts of room makeovers, just a little grooming and styling and they're done. I'm on the hunt for the William Hung or tone deaf, two left feet kinda spaces.
Down to six candidates, I posted them to our Facebook page looking for opinions. The comments and observations were fantastic. But, even with the great feedback, I was presented with a dilemma. A makeover theoretically means there's a before and after. It's the contrast between the two that shows the depth of change. Undoing what's been done and creating new would be the intriguing part of this. Much like this room. The room with no closet, technology spiderwebbed all over, nursery colors and the teenage need for storage. Undoing this "kid's" room and making a "teen" space would be great fun and a challenge.
I'm more of a Paula Abdul judge than a Simon Cowell. I'd much rather tilt my head side to side, smile and see the opportunities within, rather than be critical. But, unless I wanted to do twelve makeovers, I had to start narrowing things down. Immediately, there were obvious rooms that could be cut from the contenders and I don't think they were surprised by my actions. They really didn't need a makeover, just some editing and creative storage. They were the Chris Daultrey's and Adam Lamberts of room makeovers, just a little grooming and styling and they're done. I'm on the hunt for the William Hung or tone deaf, two left feet kinda spaces.
Down to six candidates, I posted them to our Facebook page looking for opinions. The comments and observations were fantastic. But, even with the great feedback, I was presented with a dilemma. A makeover theoretically means there's a before and after. It's the contrast between the two that shows the depth of change. Undoing what's been done and creating new would be the intriguing part of this. Much like this room. The room with no closet, technology spiderwebbed all over, nursery colors and the teenage need for storage. Undoing this "kid's" room and making a "teen" space would be great fun and a challenge.
The dilemma is this room presented as a blank slate, and I mean blank. Does that qualify? The accompanying story is sweet of two girls, sharing space who love fairies and princesses. Surely, two little fairy girls are deserving of a makeover...right? To create more challenges, I find out the room has 3 mysteriously placed attic access doors. Sweet and challenging....hmmm. The owners hit more of a road block which means the room will never progress past this point. There are a lot of parents that hit that same obstacle. They've purchase furniture, placed it in the room and have no idea what to do, especially when presented with two girls of varying ages, likes and 3 weird doors. So, Yes it is a makeover, officially candidate #2.
A third option consists of a room that started off okay, but lost it's direction. It lacked personality so it's a great makeover story in the making. Two boys, rough and tumble, love building things, how things work and are fast becoming the best of friends. Their room could be a place of imagination, fun times and brotherly bonding but it's missing the fun factor and bonus...there's a weird air duct "growth" just hanging on the wall and a out of scale door that leads into their attic play space, under the eaves. What to do...what to do??
The remaining candidates were all very similar, they are great spaces needing something to make them function better or come alive. They were good candidates, but in my American Idol analogy, they could sing, but couldn't find their voice. They're Top 10 material, but couldn't make the cut.
So, as of this post my top three are evident. The "I'm a teen, not a toddler", "Blank - a design roadblock" and "What's that weird duct thing doing in my boring room" rooms.
WHO'S THE WINNER OF THE MAKEOVER?
So, in classic Paula Abdul fashion, I nod and clap, hymn and haw, talk nice and vote all three through. What does that mean? Well, instead of just selecting one room, I select all three, THREE WINNERS!
In depth, this will mean three separate makeovers, with three separate goals and looks. All of which, I'll document and share with you here on the blog. Now, the intention is for these to be made-over, which doesn't mean a full revamp with all new this and all new that, like some game show prize. I'm going to rework the rooms, add some Embellishments tricks and techniques, build things from scratch, shop for a few new things, alter the existing and put the parents to work. We will be teaming up for some sewing, painting, crafty stuff and handyman hardwork. If we can work out our schedules to accommodate this, I'll be working on one room each month for the next three months and sharing the progress with you, here.
Thanks to all the loving parents whom submitted their child's room. I appreciate your faith in my abilities and willingness to allow me to take on this task. This will be fun. Be sure to bookmark or follow the blog for updates.
Coming soon....
Visiting the rooms onsite and discussing ideas for the makeovers.
So, as of this post my top three are evident. The "I'm a teen, not a toddler", "Blank - a design roadblock" and "What's that weird duct thing doing in my boring room" rooms.
WHO'S THE WINNER OF THE MAKEOVER?
So, in classic Paula Abdul fashion, I nod and clap, hymn and haw, talk nice and vote all three through. What does that mean? Well, instead of just selecting one room, I select all three, THREE WINNERS!
In depth, this will mean three separate makeovers, with three separate goals and looks. All of which, I'll document and share with you here on the blog. Now, the intention is for these to be made-over, which doesn't mean a full revamp with all new this and all new that, like some game show prize. I'm going to rework the rooms, add some Embellishments tricks and techniques, build things from scratch, shop for a few new things, alter the existing and put the parents to work. We will be teaming up for some sewing, painting, crafty stuff and handyman hardwork. If we can work out our schedules to accommodate this, I'll be working on one room each month for the next three months and sharing the progress with you, here.
Thanks to all the loving parents whom submitted their child's room. I appreciate your faith in my abilities and willingness to allow me to take on this task. This will be fun. Be sure to bookmark or follow the blog for updates.
Coming soon....
Visiting the rooms onsite and discussing ideas for the makeovers.
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Setting one's self apart from the competition, in my mind, is the new age mother of invention. With technologies ability to crawl, index and categorize everything from A to Z, it seems to me that the only way to be noticed is to be extraordinary at what you do. I have had the distinct pleasure of working with a new Pediatric Dentist on the scene whose ideals and vision is more akin to the extraordinary Walt Disney than a dentist.
As a child, I did not have the greatest of experiences with the dentist. Mine was a seemingly nice guy in his later 50's, white coat and pressed slacks. He spoke softly filling the air with a medicinal blend of mouthwash and cologne. His office was very clinical with textured wallpaper, old magazines, vinyl covered chairs and a walled off reception desk that seemed more like a security check point for what goes on beyond the walnut door marked "Please check in with the receptionist." The office was the product of the clinical mindset, function over form and was designed to get straight to business and get it done effectively and efficiently. There wasn't a surface material in the office that couldn't be pressure washed, scrubbed with bleach or hauled off in a hazmat suit. Counting the precisely place holes in the acoustical tiles, while he rummaged through my mouth was the only escape from the reality of the situation....cavities!
As a child, I did not have the greatest of experiences with the dentist. Mine was a seemingly nice guy in his later 50's, white coat and pressed slacks. He spoke softly filling the air with a medicinal blend of mouthwash and cologne. His office was very clinical with textured wallpaper, old magazines, vinyl covered chairs and a walled off reception desk that seemed more like a security check point for what goes on beyond the walnut door marked "Please check in with the receptionist." The office was the product of the clinical mindset, function over form and was designed to get straight to business and get it done effectively and efficiently. There wasn't a surface material in the office that couldn't be pressure washed, scrubbed with bleach or hauled off in a hazmat suit. Counting the precisely place holes in the acoustical tiles, while he rummaged through my mouth was the only escape from the reality of the situation....cavities!
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I had the pleasure of meeting one of my longest social media friends for the first-time yesterday! The amazing Michelle Allen! She inspires me! Thankfully, the gravitational pull of my orb head pulled her in for the selfie documentation of the fantastic moment. Thank you Michelle for the coffee, convo and of course the purchase of my birch deer taxidermy mount. Here's her facebook page, her work is amazing and so much fun!https://www.facebook.com/AllenDesignsStudio
So happy to meet up with Michelle Dornacher-Allen, artist extraordinaire!
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My family loves to spot my artwork on TV for me. One of my keen eyed spotters noticed my vintage princess crown art hanging on the wall at Joey Wahl Arts Children's Boutique in LA, during Kim Kardashian's visit. While it's no ringing endorsement from the pregnant reality star, it's an art spotting none the less. My daughter thought it was tweetable. OMG! #KimKardashian
My princess art made its appearance when Kim Kardashian was shopping for baby.
The art is part of my Princess Collection. I designed the pieces to veer away from the cutesy, animated princess look and go more sophisticated. When I design rooms for little princess, I prefer to make them regal, not silly.
Custom crown and shelf for a sophisticated Princess room.
Butter yellow and Pink Princess Room featuring custom items by Embellishmentstudio.com
Our custom carriage flanks one of our murals.
A bed crown by Embellishments frames in the crib.
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My family loves to spot my artwork on TV for me. One of my keen eyed spotters noticed my vintage princess crown art hanging on the wall at Joey Wahl Arts Children's Boutique in LA, during Kim Kardashian's visit. While it's no ringing endorsement from the pregnant reality star, it's an art spotting none the less. My daughter thought it was tweetable. OMG!
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Using simple recyclables you too can create faux taxidermy heads.
Take a long hard look in your recycling bin. It's crawling with creatures great and small. Hopefully, not real ones, but fun future faux ones. With a little imagination, and some easy DIY instructions, you can create a zoo of animals out of common recyclables.
Welcome to my latest craft DIY brought to you by my friends at Rosenberry Rooms Very Rosenberry Blog.
Welcome to my latest craft DIY brought to you by my friends at Rosenberry Rooms Very Rosenberry Blog.
Common recyclables like laundry detergent bottles, toilet tissue rolls yogurt cups, styrofoam meat packing trays and cardboard are great components for your own faux taxidermy.
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A retro style Believe sign created using the stripes from a painted cabinet and a scan of a venetian plaster wall.
I'm two weeks into my blog hop experiment with the Flip-Pal© mobile scanner. Last week I challenged it by taking it outdoors to scan garage siding and old fence boards to create a "reclaimed wood" look reindeer and frame http://embellishmentskids.blogspot.com/2011/12/men-scan-2-blog-hop-flip-pal-review-and.html. The scanner runs on batteries and offers the option to remove the lid so you can direct scan any flat object. So, I thought I'd scan a few unusual things in the studio and use the images to create a vintage look Believe sign so Santa knows the Christensen family is ready and waiting.
Who would ever think that this funky painted cabinet's stripes would come in handy for a craft project?
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When author, TV personality and designer Kathy Peterson sent me an email saying she needs a man, I almost clicked the spam button. Sure, she and I are Facebook banterers keeping each other's spirits high with humor and accolades, but this proclamation had me perplexed. In reading further, that was just the tip of the iceberg, she needed five men. Now, before I lead you on too far and tarnish the respectable and admirable reputation of the talented KP, let me share with you her exciting idea.
In association with Flip-Pal ©, Kathy was assembling her team of Men, five men who create. Her invitation was for us to test drive the mobile scanner, that was awarded the Craft and Hobby Associations Innovation award in 2010.
In association with Flip-Pal ©, Kathy was assembling her team of Men, five men who create. Her invitation was for us to test drive the mobile scanner, that was awarded the Craft and Hobby Associations Innovation award in 2010.
To run it through it's paces with a different breed of animal, joining me are the talented Suede Baum - Fashion designer and TV personality from the Project Runway, Ken Oliver - The Accidental Crafter, Martin Amado - Interior designer and HGTV design host, and Mark Montano - Author of The Big Ass Book of Crafts.
While my resume of notoriety is dwarfed by these high profile men of design, Kathy knows that my magical world of Embellishments can put any product through a warfare of art and craft. I'll put it to the test and share with you how it does keeping up with kid's design, prop making and the overall theme overload we see here in the studio. I unwrapped mine today and have just begun to play with it.
Every Thursday during December, the guys and I will be updating our blogs with our Flip-Pal© experiences and sharing our creations. To keep with the "man" theme, I wonder if we all scan our manly abs, could we start a Men of Flip-Pal calendar? I better scan and crunch, scan and crunch
Crunch...1,2,3...Crunch 4,5,6... whew! Could I please have a stunt double, or an ab stand in?
Here are links to my cohorts.
Happy Hopping!
-Aaron
Suede Baum - http://suedesays.com/blog
Ken Oliver - http://kensworldinprogress.blogspot.com/
Martin Amado - http://www.martinamado.com/
Mark Montano - http://markmontanoblogs.blogspot.com/
Every Thursday during December, the guys and I will be updating our blogs with our Flip-Pal© experiences and sharing our creations. To keep with the "man" theme, I wonder if we all scan our manly abs, could we start a Men of Flip-Pal calendar? I better scan and crunch, scan and crunch
Crunch...1,2,3...Crunch 4,5,6... whew! Could I please have a stunt double, or an ab stand in?
Here are links to my cohorts.
Happy Hopping!
-Aaron
Suede Baum - http://suedesays.com/blog
Ken Oliver - http://kensworldinprogress.blogspot.com/
Martin Amado - http://www.martinamado.com/
Mark Montano - http://markmontanoblogs.blogspot.com/
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My good friend Sherri Blum, nursery designer to the stars, spotted my art at the new Hobby Lobby! They're carrying nicely framed versions of my Cowboy Collage and American Adventure art. We don't have a Hobby Lobby within a 1000 miles, so be my proxy, go in and smile! Thank you, Sherri for the art spotting!
Aaron Christensen's Cowboy Collage Western Wall Art as framed by Hobby Lobby.
"On my big venture out from the studio today, I couldn't find what I wanted, much to my dismay. As I headed home with my head hung low, I glanced to my left and proclaimed, "Oh whoa!" It's the new Hobby Lobby they've all fussed about! So I pulled the car over and hopped right on out. As I wandered the aisles with my jaw somewhat dropped,
I saw this cool Cowboy Collage and my heart nearly stopped! "It's by the great Aaron Christensen ! I exclaimed. Looks like my friend has yet another claim to fame!
(Way to go, Aaron! I love seeing my talented friends' products in the shopping aisles of the local stores! I have the coolest peeps!)" - Sherri Blum
I saw this cool Cowboy Collage and my heart nearly stopped! "It's by the great Aaron Christensen ! I exclaimed. Looks like my friend has yet another claim to fame!
(Way to go, Aaron! I love seeing my talented friends' products in the shopping aisles of the local stores! I have the coolest peeps!)" - Sherri Blum