To all those who love me ( hint hint)....
Frye Melissa Button Riding Boots in Cognac, size 8.5
Gold Sunburst Mirror
Cuisinart 7 Cup Food Processor
LL Bean Washable Wool Throw in Red Plaid
Monday, December 7, 2009
Christmas Wish List
To all those who love me ( hint hint)....
Frye Melissa Button Riding Boots in Cognac, size 8.5
Gold Sunburst Mirror
Cuisinart 7 Cup Food Processor
LL Bean Washable Wool Throw in Red Plaid
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Curtains! Part 1
I took vacation last week, and went back home to Memphis. I love being at home with my family, eating, laughing, watching movies, and not least of all, getting my Mom's help on decorating my house.
I've mentioned before my Mom's role in my decorating obsession, and this past week was no exception. I have been in desperate need for new curtains in my bedroom. My original curtains were 108" Faux Silk curtains in Ivory from Chris Madden's JC Penny line ( minus the swag- totally not my style). While a lovely temporary solution, they did nothing to keep at bay the drafts coming in from my 80 year old windows.
So I begged, pleaded, and groveled. And, at length, my Mom agreed to help me make lined drapes.
First, she picked out the fabric, which was a nice white linen weave with a thick cross weave pattern from a store in Memphis called Johnson's Fabrics ( love it! 10 yds @ 16.95 a yard). I decided I wanted white white drapes to go against my robin's egg blue walls.
Then, we set up an old ping pong table in our garage ( we are scrappy decorators), wrapped the tables in old comforters, and got to work.
Using a meter stick, we measured out the drapes to 112' panels ( for a total finished length of 104" with a 4 inch hem at each end.
Then we needed to cut out 4 panels. My mom and grandmother, being the smart women that they are, taught me a little trick. If you pull ONE thread from the edge of the fabric and carefully guide it along the width, you can make a straight cut across! How cool!
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To be continued..
I've mentioned before my Mom's role in my decorating obsession, and this past week was no exception. I have been in desperate need for new curtains in my bedroom. My original curtains were 108" Faux Silk curtains in Ivory from Chris Madden's JC Penny line ( minus the swag- totally not my style). While a lovely temporary solution, they did nothing to keep at bay the drafts coming in from my 80 year old windows.
So I begged, pleaded, and groveled. And, at length, my Mom agreed to help me make lined drapes.
First, she picked out the fabric, which was a nice white linen weave with a thick cross weave pattern from a store in Memphis called Johnson's Fabrics ( love it! 10 yds @ 16.95 a yard). I decided I wanted white white drapes to go against my robin's egg blue walls.
Then, we set up an old ping pong table in our garage ( we are scrappy decorators), wrapped the tables in old comforters, and got to work.
Using a meter stick, we measured out the drapes to 112' panels ( for a total finished length of 104" with a 4 inch hem at each end.
Then we needed to cut out 4 panels. My mom and grandmother, being the smart women that they are, taught me a little trick. If you pull ONE thread from the edge of the fabric and carefully guide it along the width, you can make a straight cut across! How cool!
.jpg)
To be continued..
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
What is Particle Board?
Ever since I was a little girl, trailing my mom in the antique stores and furniture boutiques, there has always been one thing sure to bring a sneer to my mothers face and cause her to recoil in disgust from an apparently perfect piece of furniture...
"Ugh- its PARTICLE BOARD!"
Like a creature from the deep, this mythical particle board was the Boogey Man to my Jonathan Adler. Other children abhorred broccoli and dentists visits ( both of which, coincidentally, I enjoyed)- I hated particle board.
Funny thing is, except for the knowledge that "Particle Board is BAD"- I really didn't know what it was. So for you- dear reader, I researched. And here is what I found ( courtesy of Wikipedia):
Particle board, or particleboard, (or chipboard in the UK, Australia and some other countries) is an engineered wood product manufactured from wood particles, such as wood chips, sawmill shavings, or even saw dust, and a synthetic resin or other suitable binder, which is pressed and extruded. Particleboard is a composite material. Particleboard is cheaper, denser and more uniform than conventional wood and plywood and is substituted for them when appearance and strength are less important than cost. However, particleboard can be made more attractive by painting or the use of wood veneers that are glued onto surfaces that will be visible. A major disadvantage of particleboard is that it is very prone to expansion and discoloration due to moisture, particularly when it is not covered with paint or another sealer.
So, you see, dear reader, particle board isn't all bad. Its cheaper and sometimes more resilient than solid wood. But buyer beware! That perfect piece you find in Pottery Barn, or West Elm, and definitely Ikea could be particle board. While cost effective and strong, particle board isn't built to last. So if you are just starting out, furnishing your first place, particle board furniture can be an attractive and cost effective way to go. But if you are looking for longer term, major pieces, you definitely want to consider going for solid wood for its durability and long term value.
"Ugh- its PARTICLE BOARD!"
Like a creature from the deep, this mythical particle board was the Boogey Man to my Jonathan Adler. Other children abhorred broccoli and dentists visits ( both of which, coincidentally, I enjoyed)- I hated particle board.
Funny thing is, except for the knowledge that "Particle Board is BAD"- I really didn't know what it was. So for you- dear reader, I researched. And here is what I found ( courtesy of Wikipedia):
Particle board, or particleboard, (or chipboard in the UK, Australia and some other countries) is an engineered wood product manufactured from wood particles, such as wood chips, sawmill shavings, or even saw dust, and a synthetic resin or other suitable binder, which is pressed and extruded. Particleboard is a composite material. Particleboard is cheaper, denser and more uniform than conventional wood and plywood and is substituted for them when appearance and strength are less important than cost. However, particleboard can be made more attractive by painting or the use of wood veneers that are glued onto surfaces that will be visible. A major disadvantage of particleboard is that it is very prone to expansion and discoloration due to moisture, particularly when it is not covered with paint or another sealer.
So, you see, dear reader, particle board isn't all bad. Its cheaper and sometimes more resilient than solid wood. But buyer beware! That perfect piece you find in Pottery Barn, or West Elm, and definitely Ikea could be particle board. While cost effective and strong, particle board isn't built to last. So if you are just starting out, furnishing your first place, particle board furniture can be an attractive and cost effective way to go. But if you are looking for longer term, major pieces, you definitely want to consider going for solid wood for its durability and long term value.
Sofa Candidate #1
Though my Dear Boyfriend promised me a new sofa next Christmas ( I hope he doesn't think I'll forget! ), I don't know if I have the patience to wait that long.
My first sofa is a small, modern number in a tan twill fabric with a matching ottoman. Like an ex-boyfriend, I will always umm, "cherish the memories", but I'm itching for an upgrade. Today, while surfing Apartment Therapy, I found this one.
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Heaven! Clean lines, classic style, and.....
Its a sleeper !! Bonus for my tres petite maison! Who couldn't use a little extra functionality in a limited space situation?
Perhaps the sofa with an gray velvet....mmmmm ( love Lewis and Sharon Fabrics!)
My first sofa is a small, modern number in a tan twill fabric with a matching ottoman. Like an ex-boyfriend, I will always umm, "cherish the memories", but I'm itching for an upgrade. Today, while surfing Apartment Therapy, I found this one.
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Heaven! Clean lines, classic style, and.....Its a sleeper !! Bonus for my tres petite maison! Who couldn't use a little extra functionality in a limited space situation?
Perhaps the sofa with an gray velvet....mmmmm ( love Lewis and Sharon Fabrics!)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A Tres Perfect Find
I've been known at times to peruse a random estate sale or two ( or three or four or five). They are bar none the best places to find affordable, quality furniture. Usually the price can be negotiated (especially if its the last day of the sale) when you are savvy and nice. This weekend I found a wonderful estate sale in the Ansley Park neighborhood of Atlanta ( its full of gorgeous, very large, very glamorous houses), and stumbled upon this pair of chairs:
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Heaven! They had solid wood construction with brown mohair upholstery . I love love love pairs of chairs, its kind of an obsession of mine ( see the pair of chairs I bought two weekends ago below). These would look perfect as a traditional element in a more modern room, perhaps a library or living room.
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There are some things to remember when you are looking at estate sale furniture:
Is it quality? You don't want particle board, glued together crap, no matter how cheap it is. I usually look at the joint construction, as well as the weight of the piece to determine whether it's of sufficient quality.
Does it work? Not just functionally, but in your space. Be sure to have an open mind- you'd be surprised what a coat of paint can do to spruce up a old piece and make it totally modern!
Happy Hunting!
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Heaven! They had solid wood construction with brown mohair upholstery . I love love love pairs of chairs, its kind of an obsession of mine ( see the pair of chairs I bought two weekends ago below). These would look perfect as a traditional element in a more modern room, perhaps a library or living room.
.jpg)
There are some things to remember when you are looking at estate sale furniture:
Is it quality? You don't want particle board, glued together crap, no matter how cheap it is. I usually look at the joint construction, as well as the weight of the piece to determine whether it's of sufficient quality.
Does it work? Not just functionally, but in your space. Be sure to have an open mind- you'd be surprised what a coat of paint can do to spruce up a old piece and make it totally modern!
Happy Hunting!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Parisian Salon Style Picture Grouping
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My mom ( who is my partner in crime in design in almost every way) sent me this picture over the weekend of a salon style picture grouping.
Gorgy, non?
The Salon Style of hanging a group of pictures dates back to Paris in the 18th century. Every year, Paris hosted a grand art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. There was so much art, they literally had to hang them frame to frame or even overlapping. Imagine all the fabulous art!
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Saturday, October 31, 2009
Petite Perfection!
eaven! I love how utterly simple and affordable the design in this picture is. Its clearly a very feminine guest room or perhaps the bedroom of a young girl. The curves of the headboard are really what tilt the room into tres belle territory. Here's how to put the room together on your own!
Target - $69.99
Ballard Designs ( bedding)- $449
Home Decorators - $179
Target- $29.99
PBTeen- $25
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tackling Le Petite Foyer
One of the things that really sold me on my little condo was the fact that it had a small entryway at the front door. And when I say small, I mean really really small, maybe 4 x 4. But I think it makes such a difference to have a formal entryway, as opposed to a door just opening into a living room- it gives a sense of arrival and ceremony.
When I moved in, the entryway was a drab brown color- definitely Nothing To Write Home About ( NTWHA). I knew I wanted to do something dramatic and fun- to elevate the space that is a guests first impression of my home. At first I tried making my own Moroccan theme stencil..
but I had trouble filling in the stencil with the metallic Ralph Lauren paint (Ambassador Sterling) that I bought ( it wasn't covering evenly). So I started over.
This time, I decided to do a square motify, using blue painters tape as my margins. I cut the ends of the tape using a ruler and a level ( to ensure that the ends would be perfectly flat), which turned out to be rather time consuming ( I know I could have created a grid pattern and done this more quickly, but I was concerned that the overlapping paint might look odd- so I did it the difficult way).
And after hours and hours of taping....voila!
When I moved in, the entryway was a drab brown color- definitely Nothing To Write Home About ( NTWHA). I knew I wanted to do something dramatic and fun- to elevate the space that is a guests first impression of my home. At first I tried making my own Moroccan theme stencil..
but I had trouble filling in the stencil with the metallic Ralph Lauren paint (Ambassador Sterling) that I bought ( it wasn't covering evenly). So I started over.
This time, I decided to do a square motify, using blue painters tape as my margins. I cut the ends of the tape using a ruler and a level ( to ensure that the ends would be perfectly flat), which turned out to be rather time consuming ( I know I could have created a grid pattern and done this more quickly, but I was concerned that the overlapping paint might look odd- so I did it the difficult way).
And after hours and hours of taping....voila!
Bonjour!
Welcome to my little home ( or condo I should say).
I'm an interior design enthusiast in Atlanta, GA - constantly seeking design perfection in my first little home. Follow me through painting, renovating, and of course shopping! Enjoy!
I'm an interior design enthusiast in Atlanta, GA - constantly seeking design perfection in my first little home. Follow me through painting, renovating, and of course shopping! Enjoy!
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