Home Accessories- Burlap Pillows

I made these pillows at the beginning of my room redesign, right after I'd decided to paint the walls gray. I wanted to reflect the beach community I live in without going over-the-top beach themed. You can see them placed in my room redesign post. My grandma & mom helped me sew these, as I'm no expert on the sewing machine. The stamps I drew by hand and cut out of scrap foam we had around the house.

Seahorse and Octopus Burlap Pillows

Close-up view. Stamped with hand drawn and cut foam stamp.

Close-up view. Also stamped with hand drawn and cut stamp.

Room Redesign

 After completing my room redesign, my sister decided to move home as well. Since I was already in her new room, she moved into the sewing room. The requirements were that we could not repaint and had a $200 budget. My mom, dad and I gave new life to a pair of lamps found at a thrift store. Most of the other things we already had. Some things are bought. Here is the room redesign.

Before: cluttered mismatched.

Before: Sleeping area.

Before: Thrift store lamps

After: Festive & eclectic. Nightstands from Ikea. Up-cycled lamps. Most pillows we had on hand, two were bought. Picture frame up-cycled to become cork board. Bunting made from scrap fabric & twine found around the house. Candle sticks in top corner found in garage.

One of the up-cycled lamps!

Room Redesign

When I moved home to start my design degree, I had the opportunity to redesign my sister's old bedroom (that I was moving into). It had become a collection of mismatched furniture with a country vibe that did not match the rest of the contemporary house. Gray is one of my favorite neutrals to work with, so that was my starting point. Of course, I used pieces we had around the house and up-cycled as much as possible. Here is the result. Photo credit (for 'after' pictures): Cory Hile.

Before

Before

After: Nothing new was purchased except the paint & shells in the glass jar. I made the headboard from scraps of wood found in the garage, twine, and nails. I made the pillows & bunting, and repainted the TV stand (also found in garage). I had the corner chair, coral candle holder and birdcages from a design sale. I repurposed an old filing cabinet as a dresser. My parents had the antique vanity that just needed some TLC.

The lamp on the vanity was also in the garage, and the shade was donated by our neighbor. I strung my collection of vintage keys on the pull string switch. There is a small black and white picture of my mom's family when she was young also on the vanity. The clock on the dresser is an old Ikea purchase. Each drawer on the filing cabinet describes its contents.

I already had the map and frame (previously on a different picture), and used the leftover burlap from the pillows to mat the map. The book nightstand are books we've already read, covered with inside-out Trader Joe's bag. It is then wrapped with string. The rope ball is another weekend creation from a design blog.

The birdcages have succulents inside (plucked from the garden and replanted).

Design Projects- Color Boards, Floorplans & Models

The design program in which I'm enrolled is very hands on. Therefore, I've created a lot of color boards, floorplans and models throughout my education. Instead of doing a separate post for each project, I thought it would be easier to showcase them all in one post. Details about each are posted in the captions.

3D Foam Core Model of a House

Top View. The floorplan was given and I specified & arranged the furniture.

Color board for my parents' living room.

This project included color boards for each room. Hand drawn & rendered furniture and elevation.

Color board for project requiring one for each room.

  

Color board for an eco-friendly vegetarian restaurant.

Rendering of greenery. Above: Electrical plan.

Design Project- Home Aid Project Playhouse

I recently volunteered with a few of my classmates for Home Aid's annual Project Playhouse fundraiser. Interior designers and architects team up to build a luxury playhouse that is then auctioned off. The proceeds go to Home Aid to aid local homelessness. All the building and design supplies are donated. To pull this off in 5 weeks is a huge accomplishment and speaks volumes to the caliber of professionalism and skill possessed by those involved in our interior design program (usually longer time is allotted- we were working under special circumstances). Here is our Wizard of Oz themed playhouse!
UPDATE: The playhouse sold at auction for $30,000! It also won the "People's Choice Award."

Farmhouse Cottage

Complete with Dorothy

Home Accessories- Punch-Hole Pictures

I got this idea from one design blog or another (it is hard to keep track- I follow so many). I put a beach theme spin on it, and viola! On the second picture (the octopus), I decided to rim the punched holes with black ink so the design would show up better. It looks more defined, but I'm partial to the delicate look of the first (coral) picture.
 

Punch-hole picture #1. Coral (written in its scientific Latin name below)

Punch-hole picture #2. Octopus (Also written in Latin)

Rimmed with black ink.

Up-Cycling: Picture Frames

In one of my adventures scouring through my parents' garage, I found some old Ikea frames I had painted solid black a million years ago. At the time, it was a quick design fix, so I had only used cheap acrylic paint. When I pulled them out of the garage, they were chipped and dingy. So, on a whim, I decided to sand them down and add a series of red and black drawings (also found!). Here is the final product.
 

Series of antiqued frames

Home Accessories- Driftwood Candle Holder

Living by the beach is wonderful in its own right, but it comes with extra perks, too! There are endless, free supplies for my designs! (Just as a side note, I never take anything that would harm the ecosystem. For example, there is an abundance of driftwood, so I take what I will use and leave the rest. Always remember to respect the land that gives you life!)
Here are two tea light holders I made for our newly redesigned outside patio (also by yours truly). The great thing about them is you can leave them outside all year and it will only add to their patina and beauty!
 

Driftwood candle holder #1

Candle Holder #1

Driftwood Candle Holder #2

Candle Holder in action!

Home Accessories- Driftwood Necklace Holder

Between work, school, and a long-distance boyfriend, my weeks are usually pretty busy. But when I have some down time on the weekends, I love to scour my parents' garage and see what new up-cycling project I can come up with. They are very generous with their supplies! Here is one project I did using all supplies on hand.

Driftwood necklace holder

Made of found driftwood, vintage horseshoe nails (thanks Dad!) & twine.

Necklaces not included.

Stationary

I love love love greeting cards! I was raised with the belief that home made cards are the most meaningful. So, for 20 years I've been making friends and family birthday cards. However, until recently, making greeting cards was something I had to just get done.  Now, I relish in the time I get to spend creating a unique card for a loved one! Hope you enjoy!

Cupcakes

For Margaret's birthday

For a friend who just returned from Australia

Candles

Welcome to my Online Portfolio

Hello and welcome to my online portfolio. My name is Kaitlin Galati and I'm in school to complete my professional certificate to become an interior designer. Of course, I love interior design, but my interests do not stop there. I love all things design, including textiles, stationary, typography, and home furnishings and accessories!
In this tough economy, I've developed a specialization. I excel in using furniture, art, or even broken or discarded miscellany the client already owns to create new, innovative, functional and beautiful pieces. I like to call it "up-cycling." My design style is classic with rustic and industrial twists. I love neutrals with pops of color, tons of texture, and combining new with old. I hope you enjoy some of the work I've posted here! Please contact me for specific pricing and service questions. Cheers!