O + P Color Palette 2015 – Grey

April 1, 2015

Well, this color should be no surprise to my faithful followers. Grey is my FAVORITE neutral. There isn’t a color that looks bad with grey. And contrary to what folks say about grey, it doesn’t feel cold or masculine. It’s clean and modern and works so well with any style.

Here’s a few fun finds to add a little grey to your life. I guarantee, a couple of these sleek pieces would definitely work in your home.

Drum Chandelier // Diagonal Striped Pillow

Hexagon Shelves // Vase // Striped Storage Bin

Wall Pocket // Bowl // Watercolor

Be sure to check out my Gold and Cobalt Blue mood boards as well.

Design

O + P Color Palette 2015 – Cobalt Blue

March 31, 2015

Continuing with my O + P color palette for 2015, here’s my second color – Cobalt Blue. This week I’m sharing a color palette that I have decided to focus on for 2015. Some of the colors are on trend, some are just my favorites and some are just great compliments to the colors I already love and live with now.

Cobalt Blue is a color from my past that I’m returning to. It’s not a color that I really have in my home at all right now. But, it is a color that I’d like to add splashes of soon. This is a color I feel comfortable in. The bedding I took to boarding school and then college was this color. And being a redhead, I know this is a good color for me to wear. This is the most risky color I’m adding to my palette. I feel safe with grey and green. I needed something fresh and bright in my life, so Colbalt Blue it is.

Box

Chair // Pipe Hook // Painted Pillow

Agate Coasters

Block Print Pillow // Vase // Hexagon Watercolor // Blue Print

Blue and White Cut Pillow

Do you tend to stick with the same colors over and over? Or do you take risks and play with new colors in your home and closet all the time? What colors are you wanted to add to your life?

Design

O + P Color Palette 2015 – Gold

March 30, 2015

This week on the blog is going to look a little different. We are spending our Spring Break in LA working at a inner city mission. (I’ll post a little about our adventures on Instagram and Facebook, if you are interested). Since we’ll be off the grid a bit, I’ve put together a week of color inspiration for you. I’ve been working on picking a color palette for my home and studio. There are definitely colors I gravitate to. If you’ve followed me for I while, you know Grey, Green and Gold are pretty much a constant here. But, I’m pushing myself a bit and adding to my palette. I’ve been playing with color combinations and experimenting with colors that compliment what I already own and love. So, join me this week while I share my Oleander + Palm color palette. I’m sharing a variety of home accessories in these colors that can easily be added to any space and work well with a lot of styles. And all these items are about $50 or LESS!

So, for the first color, no surprise, it’s GOLD. I used to be an all silver girl, my wedding ring is even white gold. But, I have a new love for metallic yellow gold and brass. I love it mixed with silver in my home. If you don’t have touches of gold, here’s some great pieces to get you started. Gold doesn’t have to feel stuffy and uptight, like you like in an Victorian castle. It can be playful and add a fun vintage vibe to your space.

Striped Cube Bin // Cali Print

Old Fashioned Glass // Gold Triangle Pillow // Mirror

Gold Leather Applique Pillow // Faceted Soap Dispenser // Globe

Tortoise // Black and Gold Pillow

Come back tomorrow for more color inspiration and sources. And Happy Spring Break!!!

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5 Ways to DIY – Wooden Trays

March 27, 2015

Way to go! We made it to the weekend. And even better for me – it’s Spring Break here in California!!!! What better way to spend a little time off then with some great DIY projects. If you saw Monday’s post, DIY Triangle Patterned Tray, then you’ll know I teamed up with 4 awesome bloggers to show you 5 Ways to DIY a wooden tray. I love how everyone’s personal style and taste came out in this project. These ladies made this little $10 tray look pretty darn great.

A Bubbly Life // Sarah Hearts

The Crafted Life

Oleander + Palm // Pars Caeli

Do you feel inspired to DIY this weekend? Why not make customize a wooden tray.

I love this new series, 5 Ways to DIY. Would you like to see more? What would you like to see us DIY next?

DIY

Abstract Art Eggs

March 25, 2015

I’ve been pushing myself to paint more. I am not an artist at all, but I’m enjoying playing with colors and technique. Last week I painted a little canvas and this week I decided to make paper mache eggs my canvas.

This post is less of a DIY and more of a learning process log for me. I painted these eggs a couple times each till I got a combination of color and pattern I liked together. I love experimenting. Sometimes you don’t know what you like or why you like it till you play around a bit. I think that applies to home decor and even fashion. Lately I’ve been trying to define my personal style and even the style and aesthetic of my blog. I’m of course drawn to trends, but what is it about certain trends that I like? These are silly questions I ask myself. As I work on designing more spaces for other folks, I’m wanting to learn more about why we like what we do.

Well, now I’m just rambling on. But, I’m trying to buy and consume less of what is just trendy and stick with the things I really love. So, now to figure out what it is a really love.

Design

Oleander + Palm Studio

March 24, 2015

Well, are you ready to see a first look at my new studio space? I’ve been in the space for a couple of weeks now and although I don’t get to go there everyday, I’m sure productive when I’m there. This dedicated work space is really paying off. I don’t have the distractions of laundry and dusting my house. And I can leave a project half finished, and return to it the next day without having to pack everything up. So far, I just have a couple shelves and some folding tables in the space, but I’ve got big plans.

The studio is actually divided into two rooms. You can get a better look at the space below (sorry for the bad iphone pics). The first room you walk into is smaller and has no windows. It leads to a bigger room that has a whole wall of windows. The first room I’m dedicating to storage and my office space. I already have some shelves in there with all my craft supplies and equipment and I will have a desk for my computer very soon. You know I’m a huge fan of The Land of Nod, and I love their stuff for grown up spaces. So, I’m using a few of my favorite Nod pieces for a clean, efficient work space.

Clock // Wall Shelf

Desk

Triangle Wall System // Drawers

Chair // California Print // Trash Can

This is the larger of the two rooms and the one with all the great light.

The second room, with all the windows, I’m keeping as a blank canvas. This is where I will host workshops, do my making and then photograph the finished products.

This picture is taken from the first room, where I will have my storage and desk space, into the second room.

This is the first room and the entrance door. This picture is taken from the second room, the room with the windows.

I hope that gives you a better idea of the space. I will show more of the progress as the space begins to take shape. I hope to find sometime this week to put a fresh coat of paint on the walls. I’m keeping them white, but there are a lot of scuff marks and smudges that need to be covered.

DIY

DIY Triangle Patterned Tray

March 23, 2015

I love when you can customize a generic item specifically for your style and taste. So, that’s just what I did with a $10 wooden tray. I gave it an O + P look. I’ve teamed up with 4 of my favorite bloggers to show you 5 Ways to DIY a wooden tray. It’s really fun to see everyones unique personal style come out in this projects. So, head over and see how Sarah Hearts, The Crafted Life, Pars Caeli and A Bubbly Life all DIYed the same wooden tray. And to make this even more fun, we’ve got a giveaway for you (check that out at the end of the post).

Our coffee table is marble topped, so I like to give places for folks to place their drinks and snacks. The tray protects the surface and adds some texture and pattern.

Here’s what you’ll need:

wooden tray
sand paper or sanding block
dark wood stain (I used a walnut color)
a rag
blue painters tape
x-acto knife
marker
white craft paint
stencil blush
leather cord
8 upholstery nails

Start by giving the tray a light sanding to take away any imperfections and rough patches. Then apply the stain to the tray, following the instructions on the product you choose to use. I like to rub on the stain with a rag, allow it to soak into the wood for about 5 mins and then wipe off the excess.

Next, I added a little leather detail to the handles. I simply wrapped the leather cord tightly around the handle, tucking in the end of the cord. When I got to the end, I just tied a tight knot on the underside of the handle and then trimmed the excess.

For the triangle detail, I used blue painter’s tape as my stencil. I cut three lengths of tape the width of the tray and stuck the tape to a piece of freezer paper. Then I drew triangle on the tape with a marker in a random pattern. Then with an x-acto knife, I cut out the triangles. Then I placed the tape in the tray and pressed down all the edges so that the tape sealed well.

Then with some white craft paint, I dabbed on the paint using a stencil foam brush. I removed the tape carefully while the paint was still wet.

Finally, I added some gold upholstery nails to the sides of the tray. I wanted to cover the staples on the sides that held the tray together. It added a nice finished look to the piece.

How would DIY this tray? We’ve given you 5 Ways to DIY this wooden tray. Enter below for a chance to win a $50 giftcard to Amazon, so you can make your own tray.

One winner will be chosen at random. The giveaway ends 3/27/15 at 12am PST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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DIY Shell Pattern Print

March 20, 2015

This post was sponsored by HP Sprout. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

For those of you that are new to Oleander and Palm, one important bit of information about me is that I grew up in Papua New Guinea. I’m an island girl at heart. I have many treasures from living there, put some of my most precious ones are my sea shells that I collected on beaches and bought from children in villages.

And you might also know that I am married to a real live nerd. Lonnie, my husband, is a High School Biology teacher and he is pretty passionate about all things of the natural world. And we recently were given a bunch of shells. The nerd spends a lot of time studying the shells (no really he does). So, I thought it would be fun to create a little shell art piece for his enjoyed (and yours if you’d like).

The new HP Sprout computer is such a cool new too. The Sprout has a built in image scanner and even a 3D scanner. You can easily take 3D objects and convert them to useable images in a matter of seconds. I created this shell pattern print in very short order.

I started by placing a couple shells at a time on the touch mat. Then I used the “capture” function to take pictures of the shells.

The Sprout automatically separates the individual objects and creates images for each one. It takes away the background, so you are left with just the shell object.

Once I had all the images “captured”, I simply swiped the shells I wanted to use from the touch screen to the touch mat, by swiping down. Then I placed my shells in rows by moving them and resizing them with my fingers on the touch mat. I easily copied and pasted the shells in multiples with the easy to use editing tools on the right hand side of the touch mat.

When I had all the shells where I wanted them, I printed it on nice card stock. I printed mine at Kinkos Fedex, because their printers do such a great job compared to my little home printer (and a 8×10 only cost 52 cents to print).

I placed in in a simple frame with a nice wide mat board. I’m quite pleased with how it turned out and even more importantly, the nerd LOVES it.

If you’d like to print a copy of this Shell Print, feel free to download a copy for yourself HERE.

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Fun and Creative Door ideas

March 19, 2015

As I’m slowly getting moved into my studio, I’m trying to find some unique ways to make the space mine. I thing I’d love to do it spruce up one of the doors in the space. There is one interior door that is just asking to be painted or patterned in some way (probably triangles). But, here’s a few really cute door ideas for a little inspiration.

Polka Dots, Color Blocked Barn Door

Gold Stripes

Color Block / Grey Stripes Barn Door

Is there one her in this mix that you like more then the others? What do you think would be a signature O + P door? I’m thinking grey, green and triangles. But, I’d love to know you thoughts.

DIY

3 Tiered Hanging Plant

March 18, 2015

Ok you guys, this is my first DIY made and photographed in my new studio. I’m soooooo excited to have this space. It’s a nice bright white space, so I needed to add a little green. So a made this 3 Tiered Hanging Planter for a corner of the studio.

Here’s what you’ll need:

3 small baskets (I got mine from the Targett Dollar Spot)

Natural Twine (I used black)

12 wooden beads

Design Master Spray Paint (in a few fun colors, I used Coral, Basil and Flat Black)

3 cute plants

Start by spraying the bottom half of the baskets with the spray paint. Design Master Colortool paint works really well for this, because it give an even coat that can be layered to create a more intense shade of the color. By layering the color more towards the bottom of the basket, this is how you can achieve this nice faded effect. And for an even more transparent look to colors, I suggest Design Master’s Tint it spray dyes.

Then pick some complimentary colors for the beads and spray paint them.

Now there’s just a little cutting and lots of measuring and knot tying.

1. Begin by cutting 4 pieces of twine that are each 6 yards long.

2. Fold the pieces of twin in half and tie the folded half in one knot together.

3. Divide the twine into 4 pairs of strings. Thread one bead onto each pair.

4. Measure 12″ from the top knot and knot the pairs of string together. Pull the bead down to the knot.

5. Now take one string from a pair and tie it to one string from the pair right beside it. Do this, working in a circle, till all the strings are tied to another string beside them. These knots should be 3 inches from the last knot.

6. Finally, knot all the strings together, 3 inches from the last set of knots.

Repeat Steps 2-6 for the next two plants. When all three spots have been made for the plant baskets, trim the string/twine at the bottom.

Place one basket in each beaded nesting spot and fill with plants. This would work with clay or plastic pots as well. I just liked the look of these little baskets for a little more texture.

Be sure to check out the some of the other fun DIYs of created using Design Master Spray Paint – DIY Modern Decorative Plates, DIY Faux Copper Vase, DIY Ombre Give Thanks Banner, Metallic Dipped Taper Candles, Dala Horse Salt Dough Ornaments and the Gold Dipped Yarn Hanging.

I buy my Design Master paints and my local Michaels. Design Master paints can paint the most delicate of surfaces, such as silk and fresh flowers, fabric, ribbon, tulle, lace, paper, foam board and Stryrofoam TO the sturdy hard surfaces such as wood, metal, masonry, terra cotta, ceramics and plaster. Design Master is a great resource for products and ideas. Be sure to check out all the craft and project ideas on their blog.

This post is sponsored by Design Master. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.