HGTV Design Blog - Design Happens

Homemade BBQ Meatballs: A Rainy Day Recipe

by Sarah Herron May 18, 2013 1 Comment

When your cookout gets rained out, making BBQ meatballs is a great backup plan. If you were planning to grill hamburgers, this is one way to repurpose some of your ingredients.

There are several BBQ meatball recipes. This one is from my Aunt Sue, who has spent her life on a beef cattle ranch in Missouri. Believe me when I say, this is the best version. These BBQ meatballs are an easy, party-friendly dish you bake in the oven. It’s a sweet, savory comfort food your guests will love on a rainy day.

Get the Recipe

Happy Hour Happens: Refreshing Memorial Day Cocktails

by Kayla Kitts May 17, 2013 1 Comment

Memorial Day’s late May date has marked the unofficial start of summer for years. Most schools unlock the doors and release students for the year that Friday before. [FREEDOM!] The weather is finally at a solid seasonal temperature. It’s also an unofficial rule that you must spend the day/weekend outdoors. Rain is not tolerated. No matter how you choose to spend your holiday weekend, unwind with these refreshing summer cocktails that will leave you ready for lazy pool days all season long.

Cantaloupe Tea Daiquiri

Memorial Day Cocktail Recipes at HGTV's Design Happens Blog

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces Numi Emperor’s Pu-erh Tea
1 1/2 ounces Van Gogh Blue Vodka
3 ounces frozen cantaloupe, cubed
1 ounce coconut milk
splash of lemon juice
lemon wedge, for garnish

Directions

Steep tea at four times the normal strength for two minutes, then remove tea bag and chill liquid for later use. Combine and blend ingredients in blender, adding a splash of lemon for each serving. Serve on the rocks and garnish with a lemon wedge.

More Warm-Weather Concoctions

Your Weekend DIY Project: Hanging Mason Jars for Storage

by Alyssa Sparacino May 17, 2013 2 Comments

In the June issue of HGTV Magazine Shannon Quimby showed us her creative kitchen filled with found objects, recycled materials and DIY projects that make it such a unique space.

One of our favorites was this totally doable mason-jar storage idea. “This project originated in my Grandpa Buzz’s workshop, and it always brings a smile to my face when I see his idea now in my own kitchen,” Quimby says.
mason jar diy

The best part about these hanging mason jars is they can work throughout the house as both functional storage and interesting display. Some of Quimby’s suggestions:

Office organizer: Install the jars under bookshelves to store paper clips, erasers, or pens.
In the bathroom: Fill jars with cotton balls, Q-tips and scented soaps, and attach them under a shelf.
Beauty routine: Stop the aimless digging for eyeliner and lip gloss and arrange your makeup in easy to see jars under a vanity or free-standing cabinet.
Show off your collections: Give your keepsakes the attention they deserve and use the mason jars as an inventive display in any room.

Get the look for your own home by following the simple step-by-step guide here.

The Nursery Files: Hanging a Gallery Wall

by Marianne Canada May 17, 2013 3 Comments

Now that we’re closing in on my due date, I’m ready to finish this nursery. The last big project I’m tackling is hanging the eclectic assortment of art I’ve been collecting (and in the case of this monogrammed string art, making) with this space in mind. Hanging a gallery art wall can look overwhelming, but it’s really a snap. Sherry and John over at Young House Love have some great tips for using newspaper templates when hanging a lot of art in a space. In the end, I laid out the artwork on the floor first and then eyeballed it on the wall. I think it turned out pretty great.

How to Hang a Gallery Style Art Wall

I was able to check one more project off my list this week, recovering the glider cushions. If you remember from this post, this glider had great lines but the dingy white cushions had to go. I knew that as soon as I spotted this modern fish-printed fabric that I had found the perfect pattern. My friend Emily’s mom (thank you Teresa!) made slipcovers for the existing cushions and boom! The glider looks brand new for just $30 in fabric costs.

Recovered Nursery Glider

Only a few more last-minute details and then I’m ready to unveil the finished room, not to mention ready to have a baby.

Catch up on The Nursery Files from the beginning:

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Daily Delight: HGTVGardens is at London’s Chelsea Flower Show

by Grant Dudley May 17, 2013 4 Comments

I’m not a jealous person. I mean, come on — it’s a complete waste of your energy to long for something that someone else has. Right? OK, that’s how I usually feel. But then, my good friend Felicia over at HGTVGardens informed me that she’s headed to jolly old London, England next week for The Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show — and, I have to admit, I had a twinge of, “Uh, not fair — I wanna go!” I may have even stomped my foot (no, I really didn’t — OK, maybe I did). Of course, it makes no sense for me to go, but — that’s the thing about jealousy — it rarely ever makes sense.

What is the Chelsea Flower Show? Felicia writes, “What Bonnaroo is to indie rockers, the Oscars to movie stars, and the Venice Biennale to contemporary art fans, the Chelsea Flower Show is to plant people: the most glamorous, most famous, most celebrated garden show in a country known for taking its gardening very, very seriously.”

HGTVGardens Goes to London's Chelsea Flower Show

Image courtesy of Bret Wood

Be sure to keep up with Felicia’s travels to the Chelsea Flower Show as she takes in a bevy of British gardens and shares them with us (or rubs them in our faces, however you like to look at it).

Answer to “Decorate This Space: Pick the Right Vanity”

by Farima Alavi May 16, 2013 2 Comments

You guessed correctly if you chose option A. Designer Mary Jo Fiorella brings a fresh, open look to this small bathroom with a glass-enclosed shower, blue mosaic tile flooring, white tile walls and a marble countertop.

White Contemporary Bathroom

We randomly chose one person from the comments, and Kristin C. is the winner of an HGTV baseball cap, gardening gloves and this month’s issue of HGTV Magazine. Congrats!

Check back next Wednesday to decorate a new space.

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Daily Delight: The Colorful Saguaro Hotel of Palm Springs

by Grant Dudley May 16, 2013 2 Comments

The bold color palette of Saguaro Palm Springs is the work of renowned architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat, of New York-based Stamberg Aferiat Architecture. The property has been infused with hues that reflect the indigenous flowers of the Southwestern desert.

This photo is pretty Pin-worthy, don’t you think?

MORE ON COLOR: LIZ GRAY’S POPULAR “TUESDAY HUESDAY” SERIES >>

The Saguaro Hotel on E. Palm Canyon Dr.

Adventures in Antiquing: Clinch River Spring Antiques Fair

by H. Camille Smith May 15, 2013 14 Comments

This time of year is my favorite for so many reasons: warm weather, spring flowers, longer days…but the thing I love most is spending sunny weekends outdoors hitting the local antique fairs. Thanks to the favorable weather, most fairs take place in the spring and fall — check this list to discover one near you.

The closest antique fair to HGTV’s Knoxville HQ is less than 20 minutes away in the Mayberry-esque hamlet of Clinton, TN. Each year in early May and October, this sleepy Southern town draws antique and collectible dealers from throughout the Southeast for their Clinch River Antiques Fair. Best of all, mixed in with the professional vendors are lots of locals who’ve cleaned out Grandma’s attic, barn or basement — so, although the prices and quality of antiques vary dramatically from booth to booth, there’s so much to choose from that I never leave empty handed.

Here are a few of the goodies I spied:

A coat of bright green paint and a liberal sanding give this 60-year-old dresser a kicky update — $150: Distressed Green Dresser

Mixed in with the antiques were a few crafts. How clever are these?! Old Reader’s Digest books cut into initials — such a great idea for a kids’ room or nursery – $15 .

Decorate This Space: Pick the Right Vanity

by Farima Alavi May 15, 2013 360 Comments

Can you guess which vanity belongs in this bathroom?

Decorate This Space

Type A, B or C in the comments section, and we’ll reveal the answer tomorrow. One lucky winner will win an issue of this month’s HGTV magazine, a pink baseball cap and garden gloves. You don’t have to guess correctly for a chance to win.

Choose A, B or C

You may only comment once to be considered, and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited by law. Only open to legal residents of 50 U.S., D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 years of age to win. All entries (comments) must be entered between 10:00 a.m. ET on May 15, 2013 and 12:00 p.m. ET on May 16, 2013. Subject to full official rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of prize: $15. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a HGTV, 9721 Sherrill Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37932.

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Daily Delight: Graduation Cap Gift Jar

by Grant Dudley May 15, 2013 6 Comments

Most graduation presents involve some sort of money, whether it be cash or a check. If you’re a parent or a relative looking for a cute way to package that monetary gift, instead of putting it in a boring white envelope — give it to your student in a graduation cap gift jar. Pretty fun, right?!