Frameless Mirrors

Remember this mirror on mirror project from my parents' bedroom suite redo? The basic idea was we used an approaching ridiculous number of 3M Picture Hanging Strips to hang these frameless IKEA mirrors on top of their bathroom's basic vanity mirror.

If you're looking to tackle this project in your house, check out the selection of pretty inexpensive frameless mirrors from this eBay seller.

Scalloped

Octagon

Arched Louis Phillipe style

Frenchie

Also totally diggin this almost venetian style mirror ($69) from Lowes.

Home Inspiration: Cozy Bathroom

Doesn't this bathroom look amazing? NYC based architect Elizabeth Roberts recently renovated this 1860s home in Brooklyn. The whole place is incredible but I'm truly over the moon with how cozy and room-like the bathroom is. Beautiful idea to make your bath-time more enjoyable with a lamp, armchair and frame wall! (don't get me started on the tub itself). Loves, what do you think? xoxo

P.S: Fancy a chit-chat? Join me on Twitter!
P.P.S: Stay tuned for GIVEAWAY Wednesday

(via 16house)

B&W Kitchen Floors

A few years ago we lived in a townhouse with really unfortunate kitchen floors. One day I reached my limit and couldn't take the ugly floors any more. Even though it was a rental I bought two boxes each of black and white peel and stick laminate tiles, and put down a classic checkerboard pattern. Instant (and very inexpensive) fix!

(not my kitchen, sadly I can't find any photos) image via D*S

While I love a good checkerboard, there are some really ideas out there for twists on the classic black and white kitchen or bath floors.

Kelley Proxmire


Domino

Peel and stick tiles are pretty easy to cut and I think it would be cool to try an intricate pattern some time.

via At Home in Arkansas




Peak of Chic

In unrelated news, Happy Halloween! It's taken all of my willpower to prevent my kids from wearing their costumes early! Have a wonderful and safe weekend. xx

Early Bird Shower

I'm such a bubble bath girl but on everyday basis I opt for showers ( it's so much faster and more convinient)....I don’t sing in the shower which is a good thing... Balazs and the dogs couldn't handle my horrible singing voice! Anyway, how adorable is this vintage-inspired caged bird print shower curtain ? If I had one like that I would sing all the time :)

So, what you say girls?

Hugs,
xoxoxox

My Parents' New Bedroom

Are you ready for a crazy amount of pictures?

Welcome to my parents' new bedroom...

You've come a long way, baby.


The drapes are really the focal point of the room. I love how they turned out. And the yellow Home Goods lamps really pop against them.

Someone asked why we didn't buy vintage lamps and just paint them yellow. The idea crossed my mind at one point, but between the cost of lamps, paint and new shades, I thought it was a better use of our time/resources to just spend the $39 on these. Also, I wanted a ginger jar shape, or something similar, with a smooth surface. Anything with more pattern or texture would have been too much with the drapery fabric.

The nickel alarm clock is from Target. The blue decanters are vintage and the tray is from IKEA.

Here's the other side of the bed. Do you spy the tins we spray painted from Home Goods? The side tables are painted in RL's Hopsack and the bed is RL's Smoked Glass. Many of you asked about painting the furniture here. It's always a good idea to prime and put a coat of sealer on furniture that gets a lot of use, like bedroom furniture does. Remember that the secret to a smooth and long-lasting paint finish is multiple thin coats with drying time in between!

The small sunburst mirror is from the Home Goods clearance section ($10, I think). The yellow rosette pillow is by Dwell Studio for Target.

The white duvet is from IKEA. It has a lovely pleated detail that makes it look more expensive than IKEA bedding usually looks. The quilted coverlet at the foot of the bed is from Home Goods.

We bought the down Euro shams on clearance at Home Goods and made new covers out of the Robert Allen yellow ticking stripe from Home Fabrics and yellow piping from Joanns. Mom was so sick of sewing that she decided not to put in zippers and just made envelope slips.

The botanical prints series is one of my favorite parts of the room.

If you'd like to purchase the same book we used to make this print series (Wildflowers in America), there are sellers on Amazon basically giving copies away. Some are only a penny, plus shipping. Not bad for 400 botanical prints! There are all sorts of gorgeous, colorful prints in the book. We went with yellow, white and blue flowers for our print series here.

We didn't finish this project before I left, so my mom just sent me pictures of this little footstool that she reupholstered in the subtle leopard print.

It belonged to my great grandparents years and years ago. I think my mom swiped it from our old family cabin. :)

In case you didn't notice, my parents' bed is really high off the ground and this small stool helps the little kids climb into grammy and granddaddy's bed for morning cartoons.

My Grandpa Russell made my mother's cedar hope chest, so it has a lot of sentimental value to us. It really needed a paint job though.


And I think the addition of some decorative moulding did just the trick to break things up a little. We also reupholstered the seat cushion with a soft floral. The pale blue bolster is from IKEA.

My parents' en suite bathroom got a serious make over too.


New paint on the oak cabinets (Zinsser primer first, then two coats of Martha Stewart's River Mist).

New black marble floors. Bath rugs from Home Goods.

A new shower curtain that my mom sewed using the Lee Jofa Hollyhock from Home Fabrics. I had her sew it extra long (about 85"). We re-installed the rod at the taller height. It's amazing how that simple change really opened up the room.

Then, of course, there was the mirror project. We hung this IKEA mirror on top of the old boring sheet mirror using 3M picture hanging strips.

It really took things to the next level and I can't wait to use this idea again in another project.

And lastly, here's the vanity area. My mom turned a second hand (and broken, I think?) dining table into a console table by cutting off the end and adding a pair of legs to the back. Looks great, right?

It used to be an antiqued white color, but we gave it a fresh coat of Martha's Magnolia Yellow. The little bench was purchased at a vintage shop for $12. We reupholstered the seat in a pretty damask that mimics the wall color.

Didn't the circle mirror project turn out pretty? I think it's sort of like a feminine version of a Captain's mirror.

The floral wooden appliques were purchased at Michaels and adhered with a little wood glue before painting.

We hung the mirror low enough to be useful while sitting and high enough so that you can see yourself while standing.

The photoless frames (whoops! ran out of time!) are from Home Goods, as are the blue lacquer boxes. The curvy gray box on the end used to be a hideous gold (from Marshalls clearance aisle), and I think it looks great now, painted in Hopsack. The tray is from IKEA and the other accessories are vintage.

Phew! That was a lot of photos! :) Last ones:

Hope you enjoyed this little tour of my parent's overhauled master bedroom. True that it was a lot of work to accomplish in a week's time, but we had so much fun doing it together.

Layered Mirrors

I love to use vintage or antique mirrors in decorating, but if there is a time or space constraint, I always point my clients in the direction of Ballard Designs.

I've been eyeing this mirror (on sale for $150).

I would get a pair and recreate a version of this bathroom featured in House Beautiful.

But, since the small size of this mirror is not very practical, I would probably opt for a layered look, like how this Venitian mirror was hung.

design by Tricia Huntley Zend, image via My Notting Hill