“I could gush on forever about Tiffany Romigh’s style… I’ve seen her rock a designer cocktail dress and Louboutins at a party where most everyone was wearing jeans (Musicians!?!), and reversely, I’ve seen her turn heads in a tank top, jeans and sneakers at a tony Beverly Hills watering hole. I’ve seen her wear rare Courreges at home and I’ve seen her work a daring neckline in the daytime. Tiffany dresses for her mood – not for you, me or whatever trend is rolling around. She takes risks (and not just with her style), and I so greatly admire that.

—Deana Bracken, GWG President & Creative Director

If nothing else, style to me is about options. My closet has had a Denim Invasion. A late 60s, French moment. A studs-and-leggings Sunday. And I even have the gear to be that woman at the pool; the one who wears her bathing suit with a pair of low, sling-back heels and a summer-weight cashmere wrap and drinks lemonade from a martini glass. (I just hope I have the guts to step into her skin.)

What am I saying? I’m saying that because of the new wave of style innovators and the always-chic design legends and their care and feeding of the objects that have become a real part of our lives, I can be a 70s rock chick one day and a demure coquette the next and still feel like myself. There are that many great things out there.

So this season, I bow my head and blow a kiss to options: a luxe cotton dress with a ruffle down each side.

A clutch that’s both backstage and center stage.

Some studs that come up roses.

Wooden sunglasses that are equally at home in a vintage station wagon and on a beach.

And a denim skirt that could have been designed in the 1920s or in 2020.

But here’s the thing. Whichever way the wind blows, it kind of doesn’t matter. Because when I put together something that feels perfectly “me”, it always feels like home. And with all the options this season, I can buy a home in every place I like.

—Tiffany Romigh, Writer and Living GWG Contributor

Writer and all-around-stylish-gal, Tiffany Romigh, gives a bit of advice for staying efficient & reinventing your space in the new year.

New Year, New You!  That’s what every magazine, TV commercial and blog says this time of year, hoping to lure us into new clothes, new cars, new bodies. Urging us to let our “true selves” shine this 2011.  And why not? There’s nothing wrong with a little much-needed reinvention every so often.

When you live in a tiny apartment, the way I did many, many times, you often dream of the day that you’ll have room for everything. And in the meantime, you learn how to make adjustments and make due with what you have. You tweak things until they work out – maybe not in a dreamy, I live in my perfect home way – but just fine.

Tiffany’s NYC pad

There was the apartment in New York City where my antique boat gauged my leg every time I passed by on the way to bed. The bungalow in Venice where my home office was outside on the patio. The bench that has served as a bookshelf in Venice, New York and now Austin. And so, with looking back planted firmly with my resolve to look forward, I started thinking about all of the ways that things can be changed. Reinvented. Reorganized. Used in new ways to make space.

The aggressively positioned antique boat

So, in the spirit of some new ways to make space and use of old things, like this old bowling bag that’s now a planter, I thought I would begin the year by illustrating some ways that I’ve been able to make some room in my apartments so that it may give you some ideas about your own.

1. Lots of items can become wonderful places to put plants (which are fantastic for your air quality!), like this vintage bowling bag.

Plant on the Run

2. Have fab magazines that you don’t want to throw out? Use them to disguise the ugly under-bed-ness in your room.

Not a stunning solution, but it does the trick!

3. Use the space under a bench to store your favorite books. It gets them out of the way, but they’re still accessible and brag-worthy when you need them to be.

Bench… Bookshelf… Desk?!

4. A drink cart is great kitchen storage for cookbooks and dishes that don’t fit elsewhere.

Stay organized to avoid chaos!

Wow. When you have a little breathing room, anything’s possible.  Happy New Year.

Furniture Upholstery and Auto Repair. That’s what the sign said.

Something about this told me that it wasn’t going to be your typical shop, filled with ladies and tape measures; swatch books. I was right. I got a gruff man in a Dickies jumpsuit with a wrench.  But the price—well, that couldn’t be beaten. And they came highly recommended by a designer that I trust.

Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little re-upholstery with a tire rotation on the side, right?

I had found a chair from the sixties that had fabulous lines; a replica of a Saarinen chair for Knoll, it was just too cool. But, the fabric was scratchy, ripped and nailed in by thumbtacks in the back—not a good look, but it was exactly what I wanted.

Blah Before

See, earlier that week, I happened upon a darling mom-and-pop fabric shop and couldn’t resist buying this organic cotton fabric. The problem was; I just didn’t have anything yet to use it on. And then the chair appeared, like a mid-century piece of magic.

There was a chair.

There was fabric for it.

That’s where the upholsterer came in.

The multi-tasking venue

Needless to say, I wasn’t sure what I was going to get back from them. Would it have a transmission? Would I be able to “drop the hammer” or “burn rubber” by sitting in it? I drove to get it with a little trepidation. I really liked that chair.

But, when the gruff man dropped the wrench and pulled back the plastic, I was thrilled. And now, I’m a convert.

Adorable After

Who knows? Next time maybe I can find a florist that will also clean my bathtub.

Stay tuned…wait until you see this vintage furniture place I found….

~Tiffany Romigh

Writer, stylist and all around talented gal, Tiffany Romigh is serious about style.  Whether she’s seamlessly fusing Street Art with French antiques or Hermes with rock concert tees, Tiffany has a knack for merging genres and mediums – and boredom is her enemy.  Never one to ask others to do what she can tackle herself, Tiffany rolls up her sleeves and dives right in – whatever the project might be!  Having recently relocated to Austin, TX… she’s now faced with a whole new house to grace with her good taste – and a whole new city to explore.  With Chic Re-do, Tiffany shows us how turn the simple into the sublime and the unexpected into the unbelievable!

I knew I was sick the minute I walked through Pottery Barn.

Not only did I actually consider buying a brand new chest of drawers that was exactly like ones that I already had in storage; the ones in storage had been handmade by my grandfather.

I needed to get to a hospital.  Clearly I was suffering from (idea) exhaustion.

After telling my agent and publicist and manager and lawyer to alert the presses that I was taking some time off to “rehab” some furniture, I got down to business. These chests weren’t in the best shape when I pulled them out of my 10×14 space; they were scuffed, missing some pulls and needed a serious jolt of energy, but they had potential. Having recently relocated to Austin, Texas, we’d been setting up house and noticed that our bedroom needed something…electric.

Electric Orange. Benjamin Moore Natura Zero-VOC paint.

I started by sanding down the chests, and then got to the business of applying coat after coat of paint; followed by adding some vintage crystal pulls. The look that I was hoping for was a Sixties Pop, shiny, how-fabulous-am-I-and-check-out-my-go-go-boots look.

I think it worked.

And now, back in my body and out of Pottery barn, this is just the beginning.

Stay tuned…next up I’m redoing a fifties chair that I found a vintage store….

Writer, stylist and all around talented gal, Tiffany Romigh is serious about style.  Whether she’s seamlessly fusing Street Art with French antiques or Hermes with rock concert tees, Tiffany has a knack for merging genres and mediums – and boredom is her enemy.  Never one to ask others to do what she can tackle herself, Tiffany rolls up her sleeves and dives right in – whatever the project might be!  Having recently relocated to Austin, TX… she’s now faced with a whole new house to grace with her good taste – and a whole new city to explore.  With Chic Re-do, Tiffany shows us how turn the simple into the sublime and the unexpected into the unbelievable!

We’re stepping it up, People!  As our retail big sister, Green With Glamour, grows and grows… we’re keeping in stride as any younger sibling might.   We’ll still be bringing you major, eco-chic bargains, letting you in on fantastic “green” design finds and ooh-ing & ahh-ing over all amazing things vegetarian and vegan, but now you’ll be getting more than just our 2 cents.  We’ve enlisted some serious (& delightful) experts to cover what you love!

Meet our new (& seriously stylish) team:

Celebrity hairstylist & make up artist, Vanessa Rose Price, will be schooling us all about sustainable make up, hair and skin care with The (Eco) Beauty Biz.  Not only does she tame those famous Justin Bieber locks (along with a scrolling list of other celebs), but Vanessa will be taking time out of her ridiculously jet-settery schedule to bring us “eco” beauty tid bits along the way.

Vanessa Price

Switching gears from the fast-paced hullabaloo to the bucolic countryside, comes our new foodie team, Abby Lutz and Shane Walsh.   A clothing designer and photographer respectively, this couple traded in their edgy Brooklyn address for a bit of paradise on a farm in rural Vermont.  With a slower paced life now (though they still both work and turn out insanely gifted work), Abby and Shane have found themselves lingering in the garden and creating in the kitchen.  The result?  Mouth-watering, inventive concoctions crafted from the very food they grow.  Whatever is ready to be picked is what goes on the plate…  the very reason why they are The Accidental Gourmands.

Abby Lutz & Shane Walsh

And from the moment I met writer Tiffany Romigh in her well-appointed home in the Hollywood Hills, it was obvious that she was a woman of style.  Seamlessly fusing Street Art with French antiques, bold pop colors with delicate metallics, Tiffany has a knack for merging genres and mediums – and boredom is her enemy.  Never one to ask others to do what she can, Tiffany rolls up her sleeves and dives right in – whatever the task might be!  Having recently relocated to Austin, TX… she’s now faced with a whole new house to grace with her good taste – and a whole new city to explore.  With Chic Re-do, Tiffany shows us how turn the simple into the sublime and the unexpected into the unbelievable!

Tiffany Romigh

Professional TV producer (and semi-pro shopper), Katie Vaughan, has traveled many, many miles and shopped her way across multiple countries in her young life.  And though her career is a demanding one, she always manages to find time to take several trips a year, snagging chic (and sometimes hilarious) thrift store finds all along the way.  By writing 2nd Hand Spotlight, Katie will be sharing with us her favorite vintage shops, thrift stores, flea markets and hidden shopping spots… and maybe she’ll even explain what possessed her to get those metallic high tops!

Katie Vaughan

Of course, I’m still here… wrangling stories from the inspirational, unique and supremely talented bunch above!  I’ll also still be covering divine architecture (both old and new) and must have interior design pieces (as some of you know… I’m an Interior Designer by trade).  On top of that, I’m writing a  new piece called Green Goodie Review. With it I explore great, sustainable finds that are exceptional and moderately priced (under $25).  Everything from brilliant hostess gifts to vegan dog treats to organic room sprays.  Stay tuned… it’s going to get fun!

Deana Bracken (pictured with very understanding husband, Nadim)

Read on, Friends!