Friday, August 8, 2008

Click here to watch the "Designing with Jessica: Rescuing a Rescuer" video story.

Time and money are two things Lisa Scarbrough doesn't have an abundance of.  Scarbrough runs Coastal Pet Rescue, a non-profit organization that saves some of Coastal Georgia's and the Low Country's abandoned, abused, and neglected dogs and cats.  "I'm great at Internet shopping," exclaimed Scarbrough who is also a web designer.  "I don't mind going to the store to buy something for my computer or to buy dog supplies," said Scarbrough.  Give Scarbrough the idea of pounding the pavement to look for home accessories and she'll cringe and shake her head, "no". 

Since interior decorating is not Scarbrough's "thing," TheCoastalSource pooled ideas from the experts who contributed to nineteen "Designing with Jessica" segments.  Scarbrough got help on her bathroom decorating project including what colors would work the best and to how to group items.  Scarbrough and WJCL/FOX28 Morning Anchor, Jessica Kiss got to work to turn the space from bland to beautiful.  "I want to feel like I'm back at home at the beach," said Scarbrough who grew up on Georgia's Tybee Island.  "I have a particular spot on Tybee that I go when I need to completely de-stress."

With the objective to create a serene, beach-inspired bathroom, a color palette was chosen which included aqua blue, brown, and white.   "I hate this counter," said Scarbrough pointing to a muted blue, faux marble formica countertop in her master bathroom.  "I don't even know what kind of blue you would call this," questioned the homeowner.  Since aqua was selected as the bright, accent color in the bathroom, Scarbrough needed to be conscious not to place the aqua directly next to the light blue countertop.  Expert advise against clashing blues being side by side.  Solving the problem of mismatched blues is a dark brown, square, woven grass placemat purchased for less than $5 from World Market.  TIP #1:  KITCHENETTE OR DINING ROOM ACCESSORIES CAN HAVE A PLACE ELSEWHERE IN THE HOME.  The placemat serves another purpose.  Since Scarbrough is less than thrilled with her older cabinetry, the placemat, sitting on top of the counter, draws the eye to what is on the square, rather than to the faux marble that surrounds the square.  "My hope is to get the cabinets completely rebuilt," revealed Scarbrough.  Renovation of the cabinetry is for down the road, so for now, the decorating project will work with what is existing.   

On top of the square placemat are three items.  TIP #2:  THINK ODD.  "Group pieces in odd numbers: threes, fives, or sevens," said Amy Zurcher, Managing Director of ShopSCAD in downtown Savannah.   A silver frame, three starfish, and a crackled glass jar for holding cotton-balls form a grouping that is pleasing to the eye.  Scarbrough thought about purchasing countertop accessories in an aqua crackled glass, but the price wasn't right.  "The whole set would have cost me more than $100," said Scarbrough.  Instead, Scarbrough bought clear crackled glass jars and a clear crackled glass soap dish.  TIP #3:  KEEP PIECES NEUTRAL AND ADD AN ACCENT COLOR(S).  To make the pieces "pop," experts suggested adding sea glass in an aqua blue color to the bottom of the containers.  A few pieces of the glass provide the color but don't take up all the space inside the container. 

Also on top of the counter are a few woven, aqua-colored baskets.  "I use a new washcloth everyday," said Scarbrough.  Keeping washcloths within arms reach from the sink would help Scarbrough shave a few seconds off of her morning routine.  As it turned out, brown-colored washcloths rolled up and placed into the aqua baskets looked good in the vanity area.  TIP #4:  ROLL THE CHEAPER TOWELS AND HANG THE MORE EXPENSIVE VERSIONS.  Scarbrough did splurge on more expensive bath towels from Macy's but still they were on sale for $17 per bath towel.  Since the towels are thick and they have a rich, bold color, they look good hanging on Scarbrough's towel bar in her bathroom.     

Part of what Scarbrough likes about the beach is the plethora of seashells and the starfish.  Mother Nature's trinkets can have a place inside if they are used sparingly, according to designers.  TIP #5:  GO EASY WITH THE THEMED ITEMS.  Hanging on the wall, side by side, are two framed pieces of artwork that resemble shallow shadowboxes.  Each picture has a single, real seashell glued to the center of the background.  The artwork was purchased at Target for five bucks-- a real bargain.  In two other areas of the bathroom, Scarbrough displays candles by sitting them atop sand with a few seashells also on the sand.  Scarbrough picked up her seashells, starfish, and sand from Walmart in Savannah for less than $15.     

The layout of Scarbrough's bathroom has the shower and toilette in a small space separate from the room with the vanity.  Since space is limited near the shower, Scarbrough picked up a $22 woven grass corner unit, also from World Market.  The unit's three drawers conceal toiletries--those items not so attractive for display.  On the floor in front of the shower is a dark brown shower mat.  TIP #6:  DARKER COLORS CAN CONTRAST LIGHT WALLS AND LIGHT BATHROOM COMPONENTS, LIKE A SHOWER STALL.      

Personalizing a room doesn't have to break the bank.  TIP #7:  DECORATE FOR LESS BY USING COUPONS, SIGNING UP FOR "FREQUENT SHOPPER" EMAIL MESSAGES (you'll get more coupons in your email's inbox), AND SHOP AROUND.  "I found my shower curtain on Ebay for $15," said Scarbrough.  For a person who doesn't like to shop, Scarbrough worked hard to decorate her bathroom as inexpensively as possible.  The total cost of Scarbrough's bathroom decorations, purchased at stores and online, equal a little less than $300.  "I like it," said Scarbrough looking at the finished project.  "It (the bathroom) doesn't look so bland and so boring."

Copyright 2008 by WJCL 22 / ABC and WTGS / FOX28, The Coastal Source