Rue LA LA now in LA- Tweak flash sale

The beauty of flash sales, much like fire sales, is that the deal is too good to pass up.   Now that Rue La La is offering city specific deals I was thrilled to be asked to participate.   Now more than ever, people need to appreciate how they live and with simple tricks and easy advice they can.  With savings of over 50%, there is no excuse, no alibi, left.  Go get tweaked and see what a big difference a small change can make.

Join Rue La La and start saving http://www.ruelala.com/invite/triceberg01

Sale ends Aug 3 at 8am so hurry!  1 1/2 hours of TWEAK time (value of $325) for only $160! Plus, you can then save 20% off future sessions if you book today (8/2/11).

Discover what a fresh coat of paint, furniture rearranging and new sheets can do for a room!

Child proof, not Style proof

I recently wrote for a new site that launched here in LA.  www.thelistcollective.com
My passion is improving homes and although we have kids, we don't have to dumb down the look of our adult living spaces.  I offer simple, fun tricks that make your home child proof, not style proof.
http://thelistcollective.com/lists/dept/nest/tara-riceberg-home-stylist-tweak/

Being Holly Golightly

I just wrote the first article for Galtime.com  It's a series on finding happiness in LA by expriencing new things with your friends.
http://galtime.com/article/health/43118/12276/being-holly-golightly

HGTV.com asks Tara Riceberg for holiday decorating advice

Holiday Touches

Stylist and designer, Tara Riceberg likes to decorate a foyer by adding traditional seasonal touches to everyday home accessories. Here, the hallway table now houses a glittering tinsel tree, wrapped gifts and a plant sparked with a little holiday glam. "To simply transition from fall into the holidays, dress up plants with your favorite keepsake ornaments," she suggests. "Choose a plant like an orchid that can easily support the weight of decorations and isn't too leafy, so you get a great view of your (treasured accents)." Photo courtesy of Axel Koester

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Bedeck the Bath

The guest bath and powder room are perfect places for a little merriment. Riceberg adds seasonally scented candles, a teeny poinsettia plant and a festive carved dish used as a sink-top towel holder. Photo courtesy of Axel Koester

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For Festive Feasts

When setting the holiday table, Riceberg is always mindful of the details. Special little refinements show not only stylish flair, but thought and care. Here, her candlelit dining room gets subtle seasonal touches with sprigs of holly tucked into silver napkin rings, mini poinsettias flanking a centerpiece of floating candles and garland wreaths along the sideboard. Photo courtesy of Axel Koester

Show Off Holiday Plants

Riceberg grouped lacquered boxes atop a long table as a cohesive and graphic display for a selection of traditional holiday plants, a topiary and even a simple sprig of mistletoe. Photo courtesy of Tara Riceberg.

Deck Your Plants

Riceberg adds a selection of current magazines and a gift of plush slippers, and she never underestimates the power of pretty plants. "They literally breathe life into the room," she says. Preferable to fresh-cut flowers for their longevity and easy maintenance, plants can easily add holiday flair to the guestroom (and throughout the house) with another of Riceberg's simple tweaks: "I like to jazz up plants by switching out traditional moss with pine cones, tinsel or cranberries!" Photo courtesy of Axel Koester

http://www.hgtv.com/entertaining/getting-ready-for-holiday-guests/pictures/page-3.html?i=3

Homework your kids will love

The 3 R's of decorating 

(Re-arrange, Re-cover, Re-place)

are as easy as A-B-C.

Remember what it was like to come home from school?  You would dash to your room (OK, maybe the kitchen first for a snack) and relax in your safe haven.  Perhaps, turn on music. Maybe, add art to the walls.  Hang out with friends.  Dare I say, sit down at your desk to do homework.

Your bedroom was your creation.  A reflection of your personality.  As you grew up and your interests changed so did your room. The one you had at 10 years old needed to change by the time you were 14.  And that didn't feel right when you returned home on college break at 18.

Transform the bedroom's look by doing these 

fun homework assignments that employ simple decorating tricks and innovative products.

1. Evaluate how the space functions

Since good design functions, you must begin the re-do by understanding how the room is going to be used.
Is it used only when your child comes home from college?  Does he hang out with a bunch of friends to watch You Tube videos?  Does she have enough light to do homework?


2. Paint

Before

After

Nothing changes the look of a room like a new color.  Select a soft shade with some sheen to lighten up and enlarge the room.  Of course, the bonus of a new paint job is the deep cleaning that must be done before prepping the walls for paint.  Take advantage of having to move the furniture and steam clean the carpets or rugs.

The bathroom appears larger with light paint and white towels. 


 
3. Rearrange the furniture.

Try pushing the bed into a corner to create more floor space for either spreading out to work on school projects or to hang with friends.  Make sure the desk has appropriate light.  If it can't be near a window, be sure there is a task light.

Before

 

After

4. Replace the bedding and recover stools.

Middle School

High School

The bed is usually the focal point of the room. Adding new pillows or changing the entire bedding set is the fastest way to alter the feel of the room.

Also, consider changing the fabric on stools and ottomans.  It's an easy and inexpensive D-I-Y project.

Before

Staple gun magic!

After

Blah

Ta-daah!

5. Update wall art.

Before you remove artwork from the wall, photograph it so it's always available to see on your computer or phone.  Use acid-free paper to store pictures and art projects.

Archive artwork but photograph it first

To add new photographs, art or notes quickly to the wall, use the new generation of decals and hooks that stick and re-stick without damaging the paint.  Perfect for writing to-do lists, switching photos and meeting dorm room requirements.

Frames that look like Polaroids.  Photos slide in. Label with dry erase pens.

 

Clips that stick to any surface

Dry erase mirror

Also available as chalkboards

D-I-Y kits are also available for creating artwork and even decorating shower curtains.

Use a paint kit or start from scratch with a blank canvas

Create your own design

Permanent marker

Machine washable

6. Take pictures of the room 

Boys Room

Guest Room

 
It's so much fun to compare before and after photos!

Also, some sites like Benjamin Moore let you upload photos so that you can experiment with paint looks.











7. Have fun!

Help your kids with their homework.  Remember, there are no wrong answers.  If it feels right, then it is right.


If you need a tutor, TWEAK home styling is available!  Be sure to ask about special deals on furniture and accessories for TWEAK clients.

The ABCs of TWEAK services 2009

Time to review your ABCs!
Add value.
Be inspired.
Celebrate life.

Because it is about you.

Sometimes we get so overwhelmed with life and its responsibilities that we forget to look around us and see how great things really are. Sometimes we just don't know how to communicate. Sometimes it's just easier to make excuses.

TWEAK offers hourly styling services designed to help people live better by making simple changes to their homes. For some, it's rearranging furniture. Some require fresh paint. Some just need new table linens.

Now, more than ever, you need to see how wonderful your home is. It is filled with objects and memories that reflect your life. You need to rediscover what you already have. See it in a new light or with a new approach.

And stop with the excuses! "Someday when I buy a home", "When the economy turns around"
NOOOO!!! It's all about living better now-today- in the moment.

I've been told that people won't decorate an apartment because they don't own it. Well, the structure may belong to the landlord but it is your home. Do you realize that for the price of a nice dinner out on the town you could install a new faucet and repaint a room? Seems like a fair price. After all, you were just going to eat the money.

My wish for 2009 is that people learn their ABCs.

Add value to your home by maintaining it. Shop your home and see if there are things hidden away that you could use today.

Be inspired by what you already own. Perhaps if you simply switch out the photos in the frames you may actually look at them the next time you pass them by. Look inside your cabinets for opportunities. Perhaps those dried legumes on the top shelf could be used as an alternative ground cover to moss.

Celebrate life. Enough with the gloom! All that matters is if you are healthy and happy. Instead of bemoaning lost wealth turn this time into an opportunity to spend quality time with friends. Invite them over for a potluck dinner instead of dining out.

TWEAK offers styling services that will help you learn your ABCs!!!

TWEAK Talk
Initial one-hour consultation to create a design strategy based on the client’s preferences, budget and way the home functions best. $250

TWEAK Time
Advice on material and color selections, merchandising the home, sourcing accessories and custom furnishings, and installation of new pieces. $150/hr

TWEAK Tablescaping
Create dynamic tablescapes by updating your current dinnerware with the latest tabletop fashions. $150/hr



TWEAK Bridal
1.Determine what to merge and what to purge and how to maintain one’s identity.
Tweak visits both homes to discover the needs and preferences of the couple and then creates a game plan including which coffee table gets retired, which color to paint the living room and which couch gets reupholstered. Think of TWEAK as your style mediator. $500

2. Bridal registry consultation.
Tweak will suggest items that will help marry your styles as well as suit your lifestyle. Register for what you truly need- pillows that wed your couch to his rug; linens to unite his headboard with your bedside table; and loads of serving pieces for those huge dinner parties you love to host. $150/hr

Tweak also offers tips and tricks on how-to register to ensure you receive exactly what is on your list (After all, Tweak started as the Beverly Hills home accessories store Tesoro-so we know all about registry!)


3. Merchandise your new home with wedding gifts.
Tweak will unpack and arrange your wedding gifts for you because we don’t want you to be one of those couples with boxes stacked unopened in the dining room because you have no idea where to put the vases and candlesticks. If you need us to return your gifts and pick out something else, we can do that too. $150/hr

KTLA got TWEAK'd

When I was asked by KTLA to do a segment in my home for their "cheap week" series, I thought there is nothing cheap about my home. Inexpensive. Yes. Creative. Yes. But not cheap!

I walked the producer through my place and showed her several of my ideas.

How I used peg board for a window treatment turned wall treatment.

How I save time and money by shopping for plants and ground cover at the grocery store.

How I created a fireplace out of tea light candles.

How I made extra seating from a Louis Vuitton hanging bag and a large urn stand.

To see these projects in action, click on the link!

http://ktla.trb.com/video/?clipId=2769167&topVideoCatNo=129082&c=129082&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=

1.

5.

Child proof, not style proof

There is no reason to sacrifice your grown up style just because you have small kids. When searching for home accessories, look for items that are made from resin, metal, plastic and even hot glue!!



15" bowl by Tony Wurman $165- I could see this resting on a tv cabinet, on a coffee table
and it would like great on a kitchen island filled with fruit. This bowl is made of hot glue and
is food safe.



No fear of this vase breaking. It also is made from hot glue and holds water. Would be great on a side table in the den or at the kitchen counter. $165



Assorted resin vases double as candle holders. Fabulous filled with bunches of daisies! Can be used on the patio, on stairs leading to the front door or on a side table. Prices range from $20-$30. So much style for so little money!

The silver metal coil votive is $25 and has such a gorgeous glow when lit. Partners well with the little gold dove tealight by Nima Oberoi. $60.



French artist Anne-Pierre Malval rolls pvc with crystals and metallic sand to create stunning votive holders. $45(tall) $55 (short). Grouped together they make quite the statement. They also work well when mixed with other votives, like the silver coil.

Votives also work scattered around the house- on a side table, on a stack of books, resting on a cabinet. Try to group in odd numbers.




The beauty of this vase by Anne-Pierre Malval, besides being non-breakable, is that you can create dynamic floral arrangements by putting flowers and tall grass through the holes on the side of the glass. $85




An oblong bowl, like this stainless steel and leopard wood one by Atticus, make an ideal centerpiece for a long dining table. It also is a wonderful serving piece for a buffet table since turned on its side, it won't take up a lot of room. $560



Sometimes one needs a little table jewelry like this silver leafed trivet. $75

Accessory tips

Home Stylist Offers Interior Design Tips For Spring

By Abbey Hood Beverly Hills Courier

Rays of sunshine bounced off the shelves, elegantly hitting a mixture of metals that produced a ray of shine throughout Tara Riceberg’s store Tweak.
“I find myself towards shine,” said the home stylist. “I’m into reflective surfaces. Coming out of winter and going into spring, we need more light.”
Home fashions this season will utilize reflective surfaces, like the rose gold on dinner wear and tabletops neatly placed on the shelves in her store on Brighton Way.
“Home fashion always follows fashion,” she says.
If you pay attention to what’s on purses, the prints on dresses, or the latest and greatest accessories most likely it will mirror what’s coming out on couches, pillows, linens and table wear.
For spring, what people see draping from the racks and drawers of Saks, will be filling the shelves of home interior stores like Riceberg’s: sherbet colors, a pop of yellow, metallics, woods, eco-friendly designs and skins like lizard and snake.
But be wary, Riceberg advises to avoid religiously following the latest and greatest trends in home fashions.
“My whole philosophy is not to follow these trends,” said the owner of Tweak, who has clientele in New York, Washington D.C. and even celebrity clientele in Los Angeles.
Her approach is to bring in spring’s trends through accessories. Keep a neutral background on your wall, one that is timeless, she says. People are not so quick to change their favorite couch or chair, as they are their favorite purses.
Get an accent without making a major commitment.
Instead of changing wall colors or couches, bring in yellow tulips to achieve the bright colors popular this spring.
It is like dressing up a T-shirt and jeans, said Riceberg. People can achieve many different looks with how they play with accessories; it can completely transform boring everyday wear to something elegant.
“Accessories are so important,” she says. “And, accessories should be rotated.”
For different seasons, change scented candles, she advises. Change your tabletops, napkin rings, picture frames, so you don’t get tired of what’s in your home. Mix it up.
On tabletops this spring, Riceberg advises to “layer” patterns and textures. Layer a textured placemat underneath a patterned plate.
“Accessories are not serious,” says Riceberg.
If you are having a fiesta dinner party this spring, bring in bright colors; play with it, she advises. Some of these accessories might be found on trips abroad.
If you travel before summer, bring home a fun souvenir for your home, she says. If you are going to Thailand find a mask, save it, and bring it out for a Thai dinner party.
“Your house has to be a reflection of the life you are living,” she says.
That includes making sure everything in your home has function, not purchasing for the sake of purchasing.
“Don’t buy to fill space,” says Riceberg. “Only buy things that have function.”
The advice also translates into making sure home fashion is “childproof not style proof,” she says.
If you have children, don’t purchase accessories so high in design that it is not safe in the home.
There are alternative options, just as elegant and childproof.
Ricberg has a bowl in her store, that looks just like expensive glass, but is not.
“It is important to be true to who you are,” says Riceberg. “If you love having red wine and your lab, white fabric might not be for you.”
The key is to understand what is trendy this spring, but respect and understand how you live your life.
And, don’t forget you can never be excessive or over the top with home fashion, she says.
You just need order, she adds.
On shelves, you never want skyscrapers, she says. Vases don’t need to chaotic, you need an apex, or a tallest point. From that point vases, frames, accessories should transcend down.
Avoid scented candles on the dinner table, and keep floral arrangements low.
Keeping order in mind, Riceberg says, have fun with home fashion. Experiment and play.
“If it feels good it can’t be wrong,” she says. “Most importantly, don’t spend a lot of money on trendy items, because you don’t have to.”

For the COST of lunch, REDECORATE your home

Why is it people think "redecorate" means EXTREME MAKEOVER? You can easily change the feel of a space by making simple changes that do not cost a lot of money. In fact, for the money one spends on a pasta and ice tea or a steak and a glass of wine, one could easily furbish their home.

Transform the ambiance of a room by switching the scented candle.

Enliven a space with a dynamic vase exploding with fresh flowers.

Bowl 'em over with a sculpted vessel filled with unexpected objects.


For more ideas on updating the look of your home, contact TWEAK for: