Pillows & Slipcovers

I promise to have a better post about this after I return from from the NYC trip.

I finally have the pillows for the sofa and chair.  I also decided to bite the bullet and buy the slipcovers for the sofa and chair.

I sprayed all the pillows with Scotch Guard for obvious reasons. I am happy with the slipcovers so far.  I hope you are having a great week so far.

Living Room Progress

I was going to wait to post pics of our finished living room, but realized it might be years before I get anything posted at the rate I'm going.   So here is what our living room currently looks like:

Things to do:

1.  Finish the gallery wall (i.e. add art to the frames)

2.  Make throw pillows, with the following fabric I have from Tonic Living:

Bella Porte, Citrine 

(yes it's the same print as Gate Citrine from Robert Allen for Dwell Studio)

Flatiron, Black

Stanford, Orange

3.  I have to do something about that ceiling fan...

Though it's unfinished, here are a couple photos of the various phases this wall has gone through since we bought the house.  I need this as a reminder of how much we actually have accomplished.

when we bought the house...

after a fresh coat (or several coats) of paint and some major cleaning (before the nasty carpeting was torn out):

the ksl sofa find I HAD to have, and grew to despise shortly after:

just a few weeks ago, gallery wall in progress:

Bathroom DIY Cosmetic Makeover Advice

My sister and brother-in-law recently bought a house and are planning on how to makeover the bathroom on a very tight budget.  With some creative thinking and a bit of physical labor, I know they can do it.  I thought I might share the advice I gave her, as it could be useful to others out there as well.

Based on the photo above, here is what I recommended:

• The most obvious:  Remove the wallpaper borders, and paint EVERYTHING!  Paint the walls, trim, cabinets, and interior doors.  This will take the most time, but will make the biggest difference, and it won't cost much at all.
• The countertop and sink are pretty neutral so those can stay without turning into an eyesore.
• Remove the posts sitting on the knee wall between the vanity & toilet.
• Get rid of the curtains!
• Instead of boring blinds, make a fun DIY roller shade like this one by Emily A. Clark.   It would look great to have a fun fabric there since that window is such a focal point.  You can find great fabric prices online.  I've recently discovered Tonic Living for great modern fabrics at amazing prices.

via Emily A. Clark

Wouldn't this damask fabric look great?  AND it's on sale for only $ 8.95/yard!

Tonic Living Madison

• Replace the carpeting.  I suggest a simple inexpensive tile.  This will involve the most physical labor but will be the most durable in the end.  If you don't want to mess with tile and grout, a shorter-term solution is a vinyl peel & stick floor, which will probably still be more durable than carpeting.
• Since you'll want to pull the base trim up to redo the floor, I'd suggest looking into a taller base trim made from paint-grade MDF, which is a great price point and will work well in a high-moisture area.
• Add flair with a fun framed mirror.  Take a look at places like Big Lots, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, etc. for mirrors.  You can find some great deals there.  Or even local thrift shops.  Keep in mind - if the frame is ugly you can always spray paint it a really cool color.

via re-nest

• Replace the cabinet hardware.   New knobs will add a little punch to the final project.  You can find simple pieces for just a couple dollars.   Or you can splurge and get something unique for just a little more cost.   I've been drooling over this toggle pull from Paris Apartment for a while now:

Obviously these are only cosmetic changes, but considering nothing is broken and nothing is leaking, a makeover is all this bathroom really needs.  All of this won't cost a fortune, but it will make a HUGE difference.

Dwell Studio for Robert Allen

via Dwell Studio

I'm working on a couple upholstery projects right now, and I'm loving the Dwell Studio series for Robert Allen collection called Eclectic Modern.  It's a mix of modern and traditional, with a touch of vintage.  Here are some of my favorites:

Dotted Trellis - Dove

Gate - Citrine

Gate - Jade

Pyramid - Dove 

Snake Chain - Dove

Vintage Blossom - Citrine

Vintage Blossom - Jade

Vintage Plumes - Camel

Vintage Plumes - Jade

Upholstered Dining Chairs

by Emma Jane Pilkington via Little Green Notebook

My good friend Nedra is looking to reupholster a set of dining chairs and she's torn between a neutral fabric or something more bold with color and pattern.  I've offered to post some photos depicting various fabric prints to see if anything inspires her.  Here are some fabric looks that I love and think could work really well in her setting.  And the great thing is, if you don't want to commit to bold color, you can still use a bold pattern in a more neutral tone and get a very sophisticated look.

1)  Trellis Patterns.  Kelly Wearstler's Imperial Trellis fabric for Schumacher is a huge hit right now.  I love the look of that as well as some of similar trellis patterns.

by Brown Design, Inc. via decorpad  (I LOVE this space!)

via designlinesltd

via designlinesltd  (love the yellow accents!)

2)  Large Floral & Abstract Floral Prints. 

by Little Green Notebook, using the oh-so-popular Chiang Mai Dragon fabric

Thomas Paul design for Duralee

Thomas Paul design for Duralee

3)  Chevron pattern.

from 1st Dibs via Caitlin Creer

And one more thing... I've seen that indoor/outdoor fabrics, which are more comfortable and stylish than ever, are being used more and more in interior spaces, which might make sense for a dining room used by kids.  Otherwise just make sure whatever you choose is durable and has some sort of stain treatment.  Here is a great post from Spruce Austin about fabric durability.

Have fun Nedra!

Another Bulletin Board

My good friend Rebecca also made a bulletin board for her home office (she's a very talented freelance graphic designer).  I absolutely LOVE the fabric she chose (also from JoAnn Fabrics).  

She started with a basic bulletin board (the type that comes in a thin pale wood frame).  She removed the frame, then tightly wrapped her fabric around the edges and stapled it in place.  She then attached the picture-hanging hardware to the back, and that was it - she was done!  My method and Rebecca's method are both super easy and inexpensive.

DIY Project - Bulletin Board

This bulletin board was super easy to make, and cheap too!  I bought a really ugly oak-framed print from the D.I.  (Deseret Industries, our local thrift store) and a used corkboard.  I removed everything from the frame and spray-painted it black.  I then removed the corkboard from its original frame and cut it to fit my new black frame.  I ironed my fabric piece (this one from JoAnn Fabrics) and glued it to the corkboard.  (I used Mod-Podge but ended up with a little bit of wrinkling, so I might recommend trying something different, maybe a spray-mount?)   This is so much more fun than a boring ol' cork board!

And yes, I have the same screensaver that everyone else in the design blog world has.  Find it here.

More Fabric, more decisions...

I am positively in love with Imperial Trellis fabric.  Something about it just draws me in.  I am thinking about having the trellis fabric for window treatments in the breakfast area to add some interest.  

 

I have already ordered some counter stools with an outdoor fabric in this gray stripe.

 

The stripe is an outdoor fabric so it will be easy to clean, I can just hose it off and it will still look good.  I like how the fabric will pick up the gray in the light fixture.

 

We are just going to live with these chairs at the table for a while.  I can't decide what I want or what would look right.  I think of maybe a gray chair or a white chair, but I just don't know.  I think we need a rug because the table just blends into the floor too much, although I think it would be easier to clean without a rug.

Have a great Tuesday!

Decisions, decisions....

I have enlisted the help of a local designer to select some fabrics and room layout for the living room.  Megan Green, designer @ For Friends in Lexington, KY. 

I just don't know what to choose.  I would love to have a custom sofa and two chairs from this store.  Unfortuantely, I do not think it will be in "budget".  I think I will purchase the main pieces in neutral tones and have Megan provide the finishing touches like the pillows and drapes.

I need to get this ball rolling.  The house is looking pretty empty.  I just want to stretch the dollar as far as I can to get as many key pieces as possible.

I purchased a breakfast table a couple of weeks ago.  Hopefully, it will be delivered this week.  I did not purchase matching chairs, so I will have to find something to go with it...another decision.

Fabulous Fabric Finds!

Now don't get me wrong, I have some fabulous friends, who I cherish. But I've really bonded with my friend Fiona over our shared love of decorating our homes and doing 'crafty things'.


Lovely Fiona has now offered to make me a quilt, and I'm ecstatic, as I've long admired her beautiful quilt. I love the deep navy colours and the slight japanese feel.

And it will come just in time for winter. Lots of snuggling up under our quilt coming up!

I'll be chosing red fabrics, to go with the red touches in my living area.

The only dilemma has been finding the fabrics. Nothing that I've seen in the fabric shops has floated my boat, while the interior design shops fabrics were mostly too expensive for a simple quilt.



So fab Fiona came to the party and suggested some fabulous on line fabrics stores. And all reasonable prices!

Here's some of the fabrics I like, in no particular order.

So I've got some choosing to do! The trick will be chosing the right reds and not having things too clashy.

I also saw some absolutely beautiful blue fabrics......

I really love all the blue fabrics, probably more so than the red actually. But all my other accents are red. Decisions decisions!

Fabrics from Kelani Fabrics, Sanshi Fabrics, Funky Fabrix, and Belsize Square.

Best wishes,