Update on Ta Da!!

Update:
I filled in the empty frames and bought new mats for the Leia Bell prints.

Ta Da!!

Now of course, it is not completely finished.

• The canvas still needs to be painted. I didn't want to leave it white, so I painted it the color of the dining table.
• The triptych frame still needs images.
• The diploma frame needs to be filled especially since the frame is turned the wrong way.
• I need to rethink the shelf contents.

However, most importantly:

I made holes in my wall and the world did not stop!

Slow but still making progress

Update: I had a few hold-ups but I will get there, eventually.

Getting a little closer...

I made the color a tiny bit richer for the 3rd and 4th coats. I also dropped a drawer so there has been a repair and repaint of that little section.

The O Magazine No-Fuss makeover

The Before Shot

Not that bad, just so-so.

I love this makeover because it truly is no-fuss; anyone can do this. It is also as expensive or affordable as you want to make it because these kind of changes are possible whether shopping at IKEA or Jonathan Alder. It is your space from a different point of view. That's one of the reasons I am always begging friends to come look at my place, perhaps they'll see something that I have not.

This is exactly what stylist Lance Boyd saw in Elizabeth Fiore's apartment. More details and pictures via one hour, one day, one weekend.

The one hour changes:

• Rearrange the seating arrangement
• Create different "zones" (office moved to a corner)
• Switch up the location of art pieces

The one day changes:

• Create symmetry with accessories or art
• Bring in more art groupings
• Hang dramatic draperies high to emphasize the ceiling height
• Bring the drapery color into the room with new pillows
• Change the color of some furniture with paint

The one weekend changes:

• Change the color of the walls with paint
• Bring in a new color with a large patterned rug
• Place a lighter slipcover on a couch or chair.
• Exchange some furniture with airier more delicate pieces

I had been trying some of these ideas myself before I even saw this article, however, Lance Boyd (the stylist for this shoot), please still call me!

The Company Store scores for the thrifty

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but if you love color like I love color, you should check out The Company Store.

They are the only company I know that consistently offers brightly colored sheets and towels year-round. While other companies decide brights are in fashion every other spring season, you will be able to find colors like Mediterranean Blue, Tangerine, Key Lime, Daffodil, and Bubblegum. These colors and more are all available in in cotton towels and in sateen, percale, flannel, and jersey sheets.

Well, the Company Store has for a while offered some end tables and accent furniture pieces. Now they are really stepping it up though. Here are a few of their new products.

Mercer chair & ottoman, $349

Bristol console, $119 and mirror, $59

Carmen nesting table, $129

Corduroy Floor Pillows, $15-$29

A little more exotic:

Suede Ottoman, $99

Casablanca, $109-$469
Casablanca side table, $109

They are even moving into custom upholstery with padded headboards and beds! In addition, if I were you, I would definitely check out the clearance section!

Sofa Showroom Update

I came across someone on Flickr who had just bought the $500 Evan sofa in Biscuit from Overstock.com and asked their opinion of the piece.

OK in NY said:

"I might have liked a darker brown and considered the Toast version, but the description said it was greenish, which I didn't want at all.

I am satisfied with the sofa but I would agree with anyone who says that it is not the equal of a $1,000+ piece of furniture. I had intended to buy a sofa at that price from Room & Board, but it was discontinued before I was ready to order.

The sofa was difficult to assemble and may not have a long life, based on the inner construction, but it's worth what it cost. Specifics to this range: the back is very firm, but this means that accent pillows will be welcome rather than a nuisance. And the back is low, which suits my MCM (mid-century modern) scheme but makes the picture look high when actually it is hanging slightly low."

Decorative Items for the Thrifty

Here are beautiful decorative mirrored furniture available at lower prices.

JCPenney Venetian Trifold mirror for $199

Compare it to this one available from Casually Elegant Home and Ebay for $500 or this Horchow version for $350.

JCPenney mirrored vanity table for $400...

as compared to this more expensive one from Horchow at $899. Yes, these mirrored pieces are still pricey but the point is you can get the same look for less money.

I started this post this past weekend and Design Sponge posted about mirrored furniture pieces just today and she choose some of the same cheaper options that I did.

I also have some DIY options. Creative Homes magazine from BHG printed an article a few years ago showing how you could use simple unfinished wood tables and apply your own finishes and custom cut mirrors to emulate some of these same looks. Instructions to transform unfinished pieces like these below


into these


are available here.

P.S
I found much better instructions and scanned a PDF for you. However, it seems I need an outside server to add it my post. Therefore, I can e-mail it, so if you would like those instructions, just leave me a note. Thanks.

The Sofa Show Down and Showroom

Whenever someone starts writing about buying a sofa on Apartment Therapy, a conversation starts about price, quality, and wanting a sofa that will last 20 or so years. Therefore, "they" say you should not buy a sofa for less than $1,000, as if that's the sign of quality. Hah!

Even though I'm older than a 20-something, I just can't see needing a couch that will last me 50 years. I see myself growing and changing much more than that. My style is not that staid that the same sofa would satisfy me for that long. No way. So I'd be pretty happy getting a beautiful couch that will last me the next 5 years.

They are out there, good sofas cheaper than $2,000, $1,000, even $900. How low you go is up to you, however, the one thing I hold to when buying anything is: always test it out yourself, if you can. Sit on it, lounge, lay on it the way you would at home, feel the construction underneath, test its legs by wiggling it, and run your hand over the fabric, with and against the grain. Then, if all that works out, buy it.

From Overstock.com:

 
Eldredge Sofa in Chestnut ($589) and Flint ($579). Size: 31.5 in. H x 72 in. W x 31 in. D

Spencer sofa in Bamboo and Biscotti for $419. (I think this is the discontinued CB2 Shelter sofa seen here.) Size: 31.5 in. H x 72 in. W x 31 in. D

Evan sofa in Toast, Asparagus, and Biscuit for $500. Size: 31 in. H x 72 in. W x 32 in. D

Jane Convertible sofa in Chocolate and Black for $959. Size: 34 in. H x 45 in. D x 79 in. L


Boudoir chair in Honey and Berry for $300. Size: 36 in. H x 37 in. W x 36 in. D

Apartment Recliner chair in Sage and Clove for $300. Size: 39 in. H x 30 in. W x 29.5 in. D


Salon chair in Eggnog for $300.
Size: 40 in. H x 33.5 in. W x 28 in. D

Not bad for variety, huh?

Retail gifts for the creative and thrifty

In my sidebar, you can see some of the resources I use for home items and sometimes just for ideas. When answering different comments or questions on other blogs, I usually pipe up about one of these sources. I find if you are trying to achieve a specific look that you have seen in a magazine like Domino, instead of pinning away or scrimping and saving for that particular piece, why not look for a good replica in your price level?

The furnishings industry is doing a great job replicating the same looks for more budget-minded folks. Sometimes it's even the same merchandise, just marketed through a different name brand with a slightly different fabric, color, or name and a huge decrease in price.

So while, I'm still getting my actual place together* this week, I'm going to post some of the great finds that are out there RIGHT NOW** from some of my favorite resources. Have fun!

*You would not want to walk around my minefield of a living room, there are pieces of freshly painted furniture drying alongside picture frames I still haven't taken out of formation for my picture wall on the floor.
**Meaning: go now before they are gone!!

Still plugging along...

I'm still working on my picture wall. However, I'm now thinking of moving my mass of pictures away from the huge Swingers poster.

1) There is still so much wall space to cover and this will take better advantage of the space.
2) I think the poster was so much larger than the other pieces that it didn't seem to belong in the earlier design.

I still need to move the whole grouping over about 8 inches to straddle the shelf and there is one more large picture that will be attached on the bottom left.

Here is the dining table primed and sanded. This picture was taken a couple of hours ago so the first pale blue coat of paint is already drying. My procrastination with this project had a lot to do with not being sure of the color I wanted. My solution was pouring all of the Benjamin Moore samples into the Behr sample I had of my bedroom color and creating my own custom shade of blue.

It's exactly how I wanted it to look!

(I just checked my archives; I first started to paint this table in March! That's procrastination for ya'!)

It pays to do your research...

Something cool happened...I found out what these glasses were.

More than a year ago my dad found me the most beautiful amber lamp. Along with the lamp he found a set of four faceted amber goblets. Through a series of links from search results for amber glass, a similar glass to mine showed up on the screen, but in green.

Avocado green

This is how I found out that they are pressed glass tumblers manufactured by the Indiana Glass Company (1907-2002) of Dunkirk, IN . During the years between 1960 and the '80s, there were many similar looking patterns out there such as the Fostoria American, Indiana Glass American Whitehall (a much later style after they bought Fostoria) and the Jeanette Glass Co. Cube designs. However, I have been able to identify mine as Whitehall, just Whitehall, which were produced from the 1960s to the 1980s and came in gold (amber) olive (avocado), and crystal clear. Later in the run, designs were also available in a light blue and teal.

Here is a chart from the Indiana Glass factory that shows the other items that were part of this line. I'm thinking it sure would be nice to have a few of those avocado green and teal glasses in my cabinet too.



The best thing, is that these are still plentiful at thrift stores and online and are quite affordable at $6-$8 per glass or $22 for a pitcher.

I think this is the arrangement?

First, remember, my blank wall space is huge. My ceilings are 12 feet 7 inches in this room. Not only do I have this area to cover but I have a wall on the other side of the room that is just as high and 1/3 longer. Without something on the walls my furniture always seemed miniature and lost in the space.

I first tried spacing the pictures more conventionally but just couldn't make up my mind on where any one piece would go. I sat on my floor and set up an OK arrangement on the floor. Then, I started moving them a little closer and finally I just pushed them all together. I made a few substitutions, added some placeholders, and came up with this design. I feel this arrangement takes advantage of not only the height of the wall but also the width.

This is the arrangement mapped out on the wall in paper.

This is a better picture that gives you an idea of what they will look like once on the wall.

Note the blank canvas, the empty frame, and the award certificate from an old job. These will of course be changed in time.

Compare it with the inspiration picture. So, what do you think?

Picture from Domino Decorating Contest entrant Abbey from Buffalo, NY.

Update: I just noticed that Abbey said she was influenced by artist Barry McGee.

Inspiration from Domino magazine

Abbey from Buffalo, NY

Kimberly from Brooklyn, NY

Two participants in the Domino magazine Decorating Contest.
These remind me that pictures on my walls do NOT have to be centered or symmetrical. I can just breathe and not make this harder than it is.

Update: I first tried the bottom arrangement but am now working on one closer to the top one. It's much easier to put together; you just make sure that the first picture is level and go from there. I'll show you a sneak peek tomorrow.

October Home Improvement

I'm sanding my sewing/dining table right now so I can finally paint it. One of the legs lost a good chunk out of it during the move three years ago. I patched it with wood filler yesterday. After sanding it level with the rest, I'll prime the whole thing.

I will be working on at least one of my walls this month, filling the spaces above with some of the images below. I took a panoramic photo to give you an idea of what amount of area I will be covering. Note the ceiling track lights, these are at 12 feet 7 inches high. I will only be able to mount pictures up to the middle of the Swingers poster with my 4-foot stepladder.