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Month: March 2011

Tour My Home: Girls Room ~ Honeysuckle Retreat

A few weeks ago I shared a glimpse of my daughters room with the bow holder that I created for all of her pretty hair accessories.  I received some questions from readers about the specifics of the space and thought it would be fun to do a “tour” of her girlified room.

The moment I found out I was having a girl, I couldn’t wait to design her “pad” (what else would an Interior Designer think about??).  I wanted to create a space using color and decor that would be perfect for NOW, as well as her future ages and stages.  After much thought, I chose a color palette of fuschia (similar to the 2011 Pantone Color of the Year: Honeysuckle) and khaki, with the accent color of pear.  If you want to put a theme to the space, it would be birds.  I’m not really a theme person, but the bird is significant to my name and my daughter’s name, so it seemed like a perfect fit for the room!

I love adding an accent wall to a space…it creates drama and a focal point to the room.  Once I knew where the white crib (and eventually the grown up bed and headboard) would be positioned, I decided for that wall to be the fuschia color (accent wall/focal point).  To continue the white “look”, simple large frames with black and white photos were placed on the bright and cheery accent wall, while on the khaki wall, a vinyl applique with colorful birds and branches were introduced to bring in the bright color on the neutral wall.

The window wall is a khaki hue and to further the fuschia color throughout, I added heavy cotton draperies with a small herringbone pattern to “dress up” the windows. Complete with a simple drapery rod and crystal finials, the window treatments frame a beautiful view to the exterior.  Below the window sits a dresser that was refinished and handed down to me by my late Aunt.  The wood tone of the mahogany finished dresser, adds such warmth to the space.

This is a view of the other side of my little girls room (opposite the crib wall).  NOW, I have to start with this….I’ve never done TWO accent walls in a room (it’s usually just one ~ the focal wall), but this space just called for it.  I was just “feeling it” when I saw the room and went with my gut…..AND IT WORKS!  Something else that I have to add is that this room was kind of a mish-mosh of furniture from our previous house. (The girly room that I dreamed of, didn’t quite go the way I anticipated).

  • The crib was bought when my oldest was born
  • The chair (shown above) and the dresser under the window were from my previous guest room
  • The corner unit was from my bedroom.
  • The side table next to the chair was a yard sale find, and has been painted & repainted many times ~ the latest color: pear

When we moved to this house, furniture got moved around, and all the leftover pieces ended up in this room.  YES, the woods don’t match, BUT somehow it works.  It truly meshs together and looks great.

MY POINT: Furniture of different styles and different woods CAN work together in one room ~ it doesn’t always have to be matchy-matchy!

Like I mentioned above, the accent color of the room is pear.  There are various pieces with this common hue, which truly ties the space together.   Despite there being various wood finishes and styles, creating a common thread is important to pulling a room together to achieve a cohesive look.

“Love is in the Details”

The details complete the look of the room.  One of my favorites are the 3 fabric panels above the crib.   Using 12″ x 12″ canvas panels, I found three fun fabrics to cover them…it was inexpensive to create and completely eye-catching when entering the space.  Another detail that I love is a twist on a typical crib mobile.  The summer before my daughter was born, I was shopping at a craft fair and saw these adorable fabric birds, and thought they would be a perfect addition to the “bird themed” room.  With a branch from the yard, these beautiful birds fly above.

There’s my little one sitting in her reading nook.  Another piece, found at a yard sale, was refinished and painted, and now holds all of her books.  And of course, the bow holder above ~

Last but not least, my daughter loves her Tea Table, which design-wise, ties all the colors together!  At only a year old, she’s already a bookwarm…her favorite on this day ~ Brown Bear, Brown Bear

There she is….

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my little girls bedroom….a space that is perfect for her today and will continue to be in 5 years!

 

Tour My Home: Girls Room ~ Honeysuckle Retreat

A few weeks ago I shared a glimpse of my daughters room with the bow holder that I created for all of her pretty hair accessories.  I received some questions from readers about the specifics of the space and thought it would be fun to do a “tour” of her girlified room.

The moment I found out I was having a girl, I couldn’t wait to design her “pad” (what else would an Interior Designer think about??).  I wanted to create a space using color and decor that would be perfect for NOW, as well as her future ages and stages.  After much thought, I chose a color palette of fuschia (similar to the 2011 Pantone Color of the Year: Honeysuckle) and khaki, with the accent color of pear.  If you want to put a theme to the space, it would be birds.  I’m not really a theme person, but the bird is significant to my name and my daughter’s name, so it seemed like a perfect fit for the room!

I love adding an accent wall to a space…it creates drama and a focal point to the room.  Once I knew where the white crib (and eventually the grown up bed and headboard) would be positioned, I decided for that wall to be the fuschia color (accent wall/focal point).  To continue the white “look”, simple large frames with black and white photos were placed on the bright and cheery accent wall, while on the khaki wall, a vinyl applique with colorful birds and branches were introduced to bring in the bright color on the neutral wall.

The window wall is a khaki hue and to further the fuschia color throughout, I added heavy cotton draperies with a small herringbone pattern to “dress up” the windows. Complete with a simple drapery rod and crystal finials, the window treatments frame a beautiful view to the exterior.  Below the window sits a dresser that was refinished and handed down to me by my late Aunt.  The wood tone of the mahogany finished dresser, adds such warmth to the space.

This is a view of the other side of my little girls room (opposite the crib wall).  NOW, I have to start with this….I’ve never done TWO accent walls in a room (it’s usually just one ~ the focal wall), but this space just called for it.  I was just “feeling it” when I saw the room and went with my gut…..AND IT WORKS!  Something else that I have to add is that this room was kind of a mish-mosh of furniture from our previous house. (The girly room that I dreamed of, didn’t quite go the way I anticipated).

  • The crib was bought when my oldest was born
  • The chair (shown above) and the dresser under the window were from my previous guest room
  • The corner unit was from my bedroom.
  • The side table next to the chair was a yard sale find, and has been painted & repainted many times ~ the latest color: pear

When we moved to this house, furniture got moved around, and all the leftover pieces ended up in this room.  YES, the woods don’t match, BUT somehow it works.  It truly meshs together and looks great.

MY POINT: Furniture of different styles and different woods CAN work together in one room ~ it doesn’t always have to be matchy-matchy!

Like I mentioned above, the accent color of the room is pear.  There are various pieces with this common hue, which truly ties the space together.   Despite there being various wood finishes and styles, creating a common thread is important to pulling a room together to achieve a cohesive look.

“Love is in the Details”

The details complete the look of the room.  One of my favorites are the 3 fabric panels above the crib.   Using 12″ x 12″ canvas panels, I found three fun fabrics to cover them…it was inexpensive to create and completely eye-catching when entering the space.  Another detail that I love is a twist on a typical crib mobile.  The summer before my daughter was born, I was shopping at a craft fair and saw these adorable fabric birds, and thought they would be a perfect addition to the “bird themed” room.  With a branch from the yard, these beautiful birds fly above.

There’s my little one sitting in her reading nook.  Another piece, found at a yard sale, was refinished and painted, and now holds all of her books.  And of course, the bow holder above ~

Last but not least, my daughter loves her Tea Table, which design-wise, ties all the colors together!  At only a year old, she’s already a bookwarm…her favorite on this day ~ Brown Bear, Brown Bear

There she is….

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my little girls bedroom….a space that is perfect for her today and will continue to be in 5 years!

 

How to Make Fake Flowers Look Real

Even though it’s technically Spring, it’s difficult to believe, with all the snow still on the ground here in NY.  Thankfully my mindset is already on pretty Spring flowers to get me through the final days of the long drawn-out Winter.  I’m continually changing and updating my Dining Room display depending on the season and holiday.  I love the look of fresh flowers (who doesn’t?), but sometimes an artificial arrangement is simpler and more practical to maintain.

When shopping for your arrangement, look for flowers that have a natural, “real” appearance and that hang similar to a real flower.  Vary the size and texture of the faux flowers.  If your chosen flower is in a bunch, separate it, so you have individual stems.  By taking apart the pre-made flower bunch, it’ll give you more freedom to vary the heights and  discard parts of the bunch you may not want to use.

Like always, it’s important to use the appropriate tools for the job! Wire Cutters are perfect for this project.

Let’s get started…

Start arranging your flowers just like you would if using real flowers.  I chose a vase with a small opening, but the look of the arrangement will depend on the size, shape, and opening of the vase you choice.   Hot Tip: If you decide on a vase with a large opening, make a grid using clear tape. This will keep the flowers in place and the arrangement looking full.

I scored this vase at TJ Maxx for less than $4!

Begin by placing a handful of the flowers in the vase.  Then remove and trim them one by one. Vary the heights and sizes to create a balanced arrangement. Remember, just like when arranging “real” flowers, it won’t be perfect and that’s the beauty of it.

With the busy lives we lead, buying and maintaining fresh cut bouquets is sometimes just NOT possible.  If done right,  an artificial arrangement can look just as beautiful and the enjoyment of flowers can still be achieved.

Here is my completed arrangement…

O, I forgot to mention, I made two…

And here is an overall photo of my dining space…

I’m usually a “real” girl, but fake can sometimes do the trick!

I’ll be linking up {here}

 

How to Make Fake Flowers Look Real

Even though it’s technically Spring, it’s difficult to believe, with all the snow still on the ground here in NY.  Thankfully my mindset is already on pretty Spring flowers to get me through the final days of the long drawn-out Winter.  I’m continually changing and updating my Dining Room display depending on the season and holiday.  I love the look of fresh flowers (who doesn’t?), but sometimes an artificial arrangement is simpler and more practical to maintain.

When shopping for your arrangement, look for flowers that have a natural, “real” appearance and that hang similar to a real flower.  Vary the size and texture of the faux flowers.  If your chosen flower is in a bunch, separate it, so you have individual stems.  By taking apart the pre-made flower bunch, it’ll give you more freedom to vary the heights and  discard parts of the bunch you may not want to use.

Like always, it’s important to use the appropriate tools for the job! Wire Cutters are perfect for this project.

Let’s get started…

Start arranging your flowers just like you would if using real flowers.  I chose a vase with a small opening, but the look of the arrangement will depend on the size, shape, and opening of the vase you choice.   Hot Tip: If you decide on a vase with a large opening, make a grid using clear tape. This will keep the flowers in place and the arrangement looking full.

I scored this vase at TJ Maxx for less than $4!

Begin by placing a handful of the flowers in the vase.  Then remove and trim them one by one. Vary the heights and sizes to create a balanced arrangement. Remember, just like when arranging “real” flowers, it won’t be perfect and that’s the beauty of it.

With the busy lives we lead, buying and maintaining fresh cut bouquets is sometimes just NOT possible.  If done right,  an artificial arrangement can look just as beautiful and the enjoyment of flowers can still be achieved.

Here is my completed arrangement…

O, I forgot to mention, I made two…

And here is an overall photo of my dining space…

I’m usually a “real” girl, but fake can sometimes do the trick!

I’ll be linking up {here}

 

Creating a Kids Art Gallery Wall

Over the past month, I’ve been sharing the various steps of my basement transformation. It has taken on a life of it’s own, BUT I can gladly say it is slowly, but surely, nearing the point of completion.  It’s not a perfectly designed masterpiece, but a space that is fun and enjoyable for the kids to hang out and play.  Along with my craft area / mom cave and built-in chalkboard wall for the kids, I recently transformed the scary ugly end feature wall in the room, to create an art gallery to display the kids beautiful creations.

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DIY: Turning an Old Rug into a Chevron Beauty!

In yesterday’s post, I shared with you how the classic chevron pattern is back and better than ever with a new twist making a modern and BOLD statement.  I wanted to add the stylish chevron pattern in my own home, so I took the worn and blah sisal rug from  my front foyer and vamped it up with some color and pizzaz!  Inspired by the nursery rug that Miggy of This Little Miggy Stayed Home, I set off to add some chevron into my life!

Here is a before shot of my old, ugly sisal rug that I’ve had for years ~

Let’s start the REVAMP!  First, you need your tools.  Using the right tools  ALWAYS makes the project SO MUCH easier. Figuring out the pattern was a little tricky and I had to do some calculations to make sure the pattern was centered on the rug. (Even with using my handy-dandy calculator and drawing, I STILL made mistakes)…no biggie…it’s handmade, right? That’s the beauty of it….Are you asking yourself what the clear “thing” is with the yellow on it (at the bottom of the pic)?  That’s an adjustable triangle.  It adjusts to the angle that you are working with.  Most standard architectural triangles are on a 45 degree angle or a 30, 60, 90 degree angle, but this magical instrument lets YOU adjust the angle to whatever you need.  It’s actually from my college days in Architecture school and even though I never thought I’d use this tool again, it REALLY came in handy for this project.  SIDETRACK, let’s move on…

I found the center mark with two measuring tapes and using Painter’s Tape started making my zig zag line from that point ~

Once you’ve got the center point and first line complete (which is the most difficult part of the project), you are smooth sailing… I chose a zig zag width of 5″ thick and it made sense for this 5′ x 8′ rug size.  Thinner or thicker stripes could also work.

Continue your zig zag stripes to create your beautiful chevron patterned rug ~

It’s time to start painting!  I chose the colors of chocolate and burnt orange.  Both colors I already had from other painting projects in the house.  At this point, I’ve spent nothing for this project (I even had the painters tape from our recent basement renovation).

Because the rug had a worn look from years of foot traffic, I wanted to create a distressed, non-perfect chevron look. Using a dry brush method, I applied one coat of paint in a stipple style.  Chocolate is FINITO ~ on to the Burnt Orange…

And it’s done!  Looks a little weird with the blue, but just wait…

Beauty! (it doesn’t look amazing against the existing blue tile, but that’s another project for another day…it’s all a work in progress…)

I love how the rug looks with the vibrant colored striped fabric on the bench.  It also works wonderfully with the rug designs in the two adjacent rooms. (The scale of the jacket on the hook looks a little odd ~ guess I should have taken it off, O well…I still love the rug)!

Another view…

I’m in LOVE! With the added pattern in the room, the foyer looks completely different.  I hope you’ve enjoyed my chevron tutorial.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!  Do you have any chevron pattern in your home?

DIY: Turning an Old Rug into a Chevron Beauty!

In yesterday’s post, I shared with you how the classic chevron pattern is back and better than ever with a new twist making a modern and BOLD statement.  I wanted to add the stylish chevron pattern in my own home, so I took the worn and blah sisal rug from  my front foyer and vamped it up with some color and pizzaz!  Inspired by the nursery rug that Miggy of This Little Miggy Stayed Home, I set off to add some chevron into my life!

Here is a before shot of my old, ugly sisal rug that I’ve had for years ~

Let’s start the REVAMP!  First, you need your tools.  Using the right tools  ALWAYS makes the project SO MUCH easier. Figuring out the pattern was a little tricky and I had to do some calculations to make sure the pattern was centered on the rug. (Even with using my handy-dandy calculator and drawing, I STILL made mistakes)…no biggie…it’s handmade, right? That’s the beauty of it….Are you asking yourself what the clear “thing” is with the yellow on it (at the bottom of the pic)?  That’s an adjustable triangle.  It adjusts to the angle that you are working with.  Most standard architectural triangles are on a 45 degree angle or a 30, 60, 90 degree angle, but this magical instrument lets YOU adjust the angle to whatever you need.  It’s actually from my college days in Architecture school and even though I never thought I’d use this tool again, it REALLY came in handy for this project.  SIDETRACK, let’s move on…

I found the center mark with two measuring tapes and using Painter’s Tape started making my zig zag line from that point ~

Once you’ve got the center point and first line complete (which is the most difficult part of the project), you are smooth sailing… I chose a zig zag width of 5″ thick and it made sense for this 5′ x 8′ rug size.  Thinner or thicker stripes could also work.

Continue your zig zag stripes to create your beautiful chevron patterned rug ~

It’s time to start painting!  I chose the colors of chocolate and burnt orange.  Both colors I already had from other painting projects in the house.  At this point, I’ve spent nothing for this project (I even had the painters tape from our recent basement renovation).

Because the rug had a worn look from years of foot traffic, I wanted to create a distressed, non-perfect chevron look. Using a dry brush method, I applied one coat of paint in a stipple style.  Chocolate is FINITO ~ on to the Burnt Orange…

And it’s done!  Looks a little weird with the blue, but just wait…

Beauty! (it doesn’t look amazing against the existing blue tile, but that’s another project for another day…it’s all a work in progress…)

I love how the rug looks with the vibrant colored striped fabric on the bench.  It also works wonderfully with the rug designs in the two adjacent rooms. (The scale of the jacket on the hook looks a little odd ~ guess I should have taken it off, O well…I still love the rug)!

Another view…

I’m in LOVE! With the added pattern in the room, the foyer looks completely different.  I hope you’ve enjoyed my chevron tutorial.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!  Do you have any chevron pattern in your home?