The Value Perspective

Today I stopped and began thinking of defining moments in my life.

Has this ever happened to you?  Sometimes when everything is quiet and I actually get some time alone, I am taken back to moments that have shaped who I am now...

Like many families, when I was growing up there wasn't a lot of extra resources. 

There were 7 of us, but that didn't stop my mother's creativity.

I have memories of her reupholstering & refinishing furniture, making art, and painting.

I trailed along, and watched her enjoy trips to thrift stores and flea markets. 

When she brought things home she enlisted my help in rearranging furniture.  It amazed me how many different ways she could reconfigure a room. Every time she brought something home, no matter what it was, the room was rearranged to celebrate its arrival.

All those years of watching her, she created a beautiful home without a huge budget.

She taught me that you really create a "home" environment out of love and imagination.  

Growing up the way I did has allowed me to always think outside the box and be inventive.

I can't tell you how many times I have resorted to the things my mother has done.

She saw value in the things at the time I could not.  What was once discarded became part of the design of our home.

Not only did that help me in decorating spaces but also in how I see value in other people.  Each person can add something different and significant to the world.

 (My Mom and Dad)

Now I teach my children.  They help me rearrange.. I get their input.. We get creative together.

The seed is planted again.

Designing Life

I have been thinking about "Design" for the past several months and what that means to me personally and to Modern Earth Design.

I do love creating beautiful spaces and all the layers it takes to make that happen.  It's a passion that I get lost in and won't ever get tired of.

However, I just don't want a great designed home I want a designed life.  Living not on accident or by default but on purpose.  I want my talents and life experiences to enrich the lives of others.

So, my blog is going to take a different turn and I am excited about it!

Yes, I will still be discussing interiors and latest projects but I will also be talking about life and what I am doing in "Designing Life".  Maybe along my journey you will be able to use something for your own.

Welcome to Modern Earth Design

"Designing Life"

www.kellypelley.com

Side Note..There will be changes taking place to the look of the blog over the next couple months

Avoid This Decorating Mistake

Have you ever been caught up in that "cool" piece of furniture?  The one that looks good and would seem to be the compliment to your space.  You purchase on a whim and realize..it's not functional, practical and definitely not comfortable.

Here's some tips..
Think about how you use your space.
How do you function in it?
Would the piece your buying help with your lifestyle?
Can you sit on it and be relaxed and comfortable?

Will you love it for the long term or just for the week?  Buyers remorse?

Remember just because it is beautiful doesn't mean it's practical.

A Lounge For Many ( Process of Transformation )

I was honored to be asked to be a part of the design team for our church's women's conference.  

During our meeting we were able to pick which areas we wanted to head up.. I decided to take the lounge area where we gathered to have our first brainstorming session.  The conference theme was "Go And Be" and immediately my brain started going with ideas.  

What I took "Go And Be" to mean was "Grow And Be".  You are evolving and becoming who you truly are.. If you submit to the process.

So, with that inspiration I decided to go with an organic, ecclectic feel of the space.  Those coffee pics that you see in the space needed to be covered and I wanted to bring the theme of the conference in them.  Also, the wall with the blue needed to be covered inexpensively because of a small budget..which just caused me to be more creative.

Then there was the brown wall with the credenzas that needed a feature too!

My design business is a family affair.  My kids help me a lot in what I do and I commissioned my oldest daughter for this. I had her draw a quick sketch of what I wanted her to do on the wall in the space.

My youngest daughter and I made log stump coffee tables .. 

We kept cost down by bringing in some of my furniture pieces and a friend of mine and great photographer, Marissa Siebert, from Hazel Eyes Photography, let me use her pieces too!  Thank God for good friends who understand design and get you out of a jam!

Here's my oldest daughter doing her art piece..chalkboard wall mural.  We covered the wall with a two sided bulletin board paper.  Do you remember the coffee pics? We covered them with plywood.  Thankful for Benjamin Carter for all his hard work.

Late night trying to get it done..

Putting in the final touches for the space..

Remember that dark brown wall with the credenzas? 

I wanted a wall installation of flowers !  ( whisper.. Don't mind that lamp sitting there with absolutely no purpose). I want to personally say thank you to Ahndea May for bringing her silk flowers from her personal collection to make this into a reality for me.  She is an amazing stylist .. Check her out at AhndeaMay.com

 (photo credit from Hazel Eyes Photography)

Closer look

People enjoying the space.  

This was so fun!  It was great to be a part of something that touched so many women's lives.  

I want to thank everyone that helped me make this space happen.

Remember it's time for you to "Go And Be"

If you're looking for creative solutions for your residential or commercial space Modern Earth Design is here to help.  You can contact us at modernearthdesign@yahoo.com

The Big Reveal : My DIY Garden Chandelier

Happy Friday!

If you remember how I took a trip to an awesome store here in town and I was inspired to create something a little unique.

I didn't walk away with much that day.

This project has been in my mind for 2yrs .. so..I hope you like it as much as we do : )

We started off with this..

 I bought the hanging planter for $1.98 had to change out the hanger though because they told me that wasn't for sale..darn. I bought a chain hanger for $4 instead.

Spanish Moss.  Perfect for me because it can handle dry spells and you can put it on anything .. no soil : )

 Looks a lot like spaghetti.  I bought 4 bunches of these to cover the planter well.

 You will also need galvanized steel wire.  I had this laying around the house from a previous project.

 I took the wire and began to wrap the base in a dream catcher fashion leaving enough space to get the spanish moss through.

  Just keep going round and round with it.  I did that so I could have a base for a candle plate and a candle.  Side Note..Please use battery operated ones in case of fire.

I did not use any wire for the spanish moss...simply loop them through.

(top rung)

 (bottom rung)

 Here is what it looked like with spanish moss complete..

I thought it needed more.  So back to the store I go and purchase faux forsythia.

 I thought about cutting them and adding them in for some color..

 (a little cardinal for something unexpected)

Some evening shots..

 In Nature..

What do you think?

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and Happy Father's Day : )

Who Knew Cardboard Could Be So Cool

Good morning!

I am so excited to see the design pieces come together for the Byron Forest Preserve.  I went up there this past week and picked up a couple of boxes of some stuff to put together.  I thought instead of using typical taxidermy we make it a little more interesting and green as well.

I got my kids in on the action and one of their friends that was spending the night to help.

 It was easy enough for them to put it together.  My daughter is into origami so this was right up her alley.  Cardboard Safari makes these really cool taxidermy heads that are laser cut and they come in brown or white.

 I think they did a great job and they had fun doing it.

Here is a closer look..

 All the pieces put together..

 I think they look amazing and it will cause people to stop and look..which is the goal.

 What do you think of taxidermy?  Would you put something up like this in your home?