20October

{Giveaway} Shabby Chic accent table worth $180

FOF Rachel Ashwell is giving away a Shabby Chic® distressed hand painted accent table from her new QVC 'Treasures' line launching October 26th. To enter, tell us in the comments below: What is your decorating style?

Shabby Chic® Queen Rachel Ashwell is at it again! Her new line, “Treasures by Shabby Chic® for QVC” inspired by her favorite flea market finds, launches next week.

Known for her deliberately distressed, mismatched and imperfect furniture, bedding and fabrics, Rachel got her start as a Hollywood movie set designer and stylist more than twenty years ago.

In 1989, Rachel dreamed of opening a small shop where she could sell "pretty things," without spending much time away from her children. Her first shop in Santa Monica, California, became the cornerstone of her "Shabby Chic" empire. Today her products and textiles can be found in Target, Michaels, and most recently QVC, and the term Shabby Chic®, is used to refer to an entire style of decorating. Rachel has written half a dozen books on decorating in her Shabby Chic® style.

'Treasure" hunting is in Rachel's blood. Her mother was a restorer and seller of antique dolls, and her father was a rare book dealer. They introduced Rachel to flea markets and antique stores at a young age. Her all-time favorite finds were the inspiration for her newest collection and book, Shabby Chic Inspirations and Beautiful Spaces.

Enter to win a shabby chic accent table from Rachel Ashwell's new "Treasures" collection for QVC by telling us in the comments below: What is you decorating style?

(See all our past winners. See official rules. See QVC's official rules. One winner is chosen at random from all those commenters who answer the question. Contest closes October 27, 2011.)

Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.

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20October

{Interiors} 6 sites interior designers love that you never knew about

Our brilliant FOF Interior Design gurus reveal their sources for great finds online.

Gdchome.com (recommended by FOF interior design guru Helen Kenney Poore, retail store owner and home design enthusiast). This home-goods mecca is located on over 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space near Charleston, South Carolina. Known for their incredible fabrics and upholstery services as well as antiques, imports and more, GDC boasts in-house designers and an inspiring blog packed with home-decor before-and-afters.

Jaysonhomeandgarden.com (recommended by FOF interior design guru, CathyBall). Chicago’s destination for one-of-a-kind home goods, Jayson Home & Garden, also hosts an annual Fall Flea Market with the company’s largest collection of vintage and antique furniture. This year’s focus is on the flea markets of Paris and Provence, and it’s all available online.

Jossandmain.com (recommended by by FOF interior design guru, Shellrobin).
Joss & Main is a members-only site that offers private, limited-time sale events on carefully curated home brands. Each day, Members receive an email invitation to exclusive sale events at prices up to 70% off retail.

Frenchgardenhouse.com (recommended by FOF interior design guru, grnwillow).
If your tastes run towards Shabby Chic, the Paris Apartment and Provence Country, this is your place. An online treasure trove of vintage antiques and imports.

Fab.com (recommended by FOF interior design guru, RonniWhitman, ASID).
The latest in a wave of daily-deal sites, Fab.com is actually worth a subscription. With items in all price points, the selection of home goods is carefully chosen with an eye toward, modern, fundtional design. If you lust over the pages of Dwell magazine, don’t miss this site.

Tonichome.com (recommended by FOF interior design guru, Corky).
The brainchild of Linda Hayes of Rocky River, Ohio, Tonic Home combines traditional pieces with bold, modern accents, colors and statement pieces. Plus, their blog offers plenty of unique design inspiration.

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27July

{Art} 7 Sites for Affordable Art

So, you want to put art on your walls without burning a hole in your wallet? Here are 7 sites we love for price-controlled pieces:

1. Etsy - Hundreds of thousands of artisans selling prints, crafts, photography, sculpture, pottery and more. Several FOF members, including Shann Spishak feature their reasonably priced work here. You can search by category, artists and color or look up products by time it was listed, where it was made and browse "curated collections" by other members. Buyers can also request custom items from Etsy artists.

2. 20X200 - Jen Bekman, of her eponymous NYC gallery, started 20X200 to bring art to everyone. Each week two new artist editions are released with at least one print (depending on the size) at $20. There are only a certain number of each print, so grab them up quick.

If you like 20X200, you also may like: 3. EyeBuyArt, 4. Tiny Showcase

5. UGallery - An online gallery for students and budding artists to showcase and sell their work. They have two sister sites: Daily Deal, a one-of-a-kind, discounted piece of art released every day at noon, and Paperwork, weekly discounts on sustainable art.

6. The Working Proof - Each print sold on this site is paired with a charity of the artist's choice, and 15 percent of the sale is donated to that organization. Every Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. E.S.T. a limited quantity of a new print is released on the site.

7. Society6 - Society6 connects artists with opportunities--such as designing the cover of a magazine or a major album. Artists also sell their work on the site. Society6 produces the art, packages it and ships it so that artists can focus on what they do best: making art!