Let there be light...and fabric

Thanks again Linda of Calling it Home for hosting this ORC linking party.

Fill your coffee cup this is going to be a long one.

I felt bad for the lame update last week and promised a two-fer this week with lots of meat...er, light and fabric.

This darling vintage number was an Etsy find with no lampshade or working socket, I discovered. I went everywhere around here looking for a shade. I finally remembered Commonwealth lighting in Old Town Fred and hit pay dirt. The nice man found me a shade and replaced the socket for $15.

The funny part is that I really wanted a vintage brass lamp. I looked online and in antique and vintage stores locally but had no luck in getting the right thing for my budget. I went down to my basement yesterday to put something away and there was a vintage brass lamp, laughing its brass off saying, "You don't know what you haaaave"

It was my husband's and I feel OK about it because I think its too big. Just let me think that, OK?

The ceiling fan had to go. I got the semi-flush mount at Home Depot. 

Here is my rant for the day:

 Builders, is it too much trouble to paint that last inch around the hole before you hang that fugly ceiling fan? Apparently it is. That is why I had to buy the medallion. It was either that or paint the ceiling. Like that was going to happen! I think this was a happy ending problem because I like it better with the medallion than without. Yes?

Last is this cutie on the desk from Homegoods. No story, just chrome and Lucite goodness.

Here is a sneak peek at the bed. I will post all sources at the end but I just want to talk about this awesome Kantha quilt.

I love it! I found it in this Etsy shop. It was a bit of a splurge for this room but worth every penny.

Set backs this week? Why yes, just a little one that had me ironing for days.
Can I just talk about the sheets for a minute? You know the ones you can't even see *sigh*?
I have quite a few very nice quality sheet sets for this bed but none just the right color and after ironing not just the bedskirt (12 inch drop very hard to find), the duvet cover, curtains and one set of wrong colored sheets, I decided I needed different sheets. I did have a older set of white sheets that were about to be retired to the drop cloth pile but the top edge was fine. Out came the iron again and I realized that they were sheets made before mile thick mattresses and were too small to even tuck in. So I panicked and went shopping. After ironing more sheets, turning down the quilt and top edge just so and placing the pillows, it dawned on me that they could have been pink with purple elephants. Crap. Next week I am going to fold them down real far.

The other main fabric is the linen curtain from Ikea.

The quality has vastly improved on these since I first saw them five or six years ago.

They are actually hemmed now. I think I would like to shorten mine but its fine for now.

The curtains have a generous rod-pocket and back tabs but also gathering tape.

If you pull and tie these gathering tape strings you can achieve an even gather that will stay gathered.

The curtains are a nice weight and slightly sheer.

Got a ton of stuff done this week. Next week...ART!

To do list:

1. Throw away box of Mike's Hard Lemonade empties in the closet and scrub everything including carpet.
2.Paint walls
3. Source vintage furniture and accessories
4. Move Queen bed in
5. Install new light fixture
6. Trick out the bed with cool pillows
7. Hang curtains
8. Hang art including 2 custom paintings
9. Final zhush and fold down top sheet so the pristine ironing can be enjoyed.

You can catch up on my previous posts HERE and HERE 

and HERE 

 

My daughter-my client

My 15 year-old daughter has been aching to give her bedroom a new look. She chose white paint for her walls when we painted a year and a half ago and really regretting that decision. When one's daughter is the client it seriously complicates the already slippery slope of guiding a clients choices.

Here is where we are.

Custom curtains on Etsy

Budget and practicality are major concerns but also the fact that she will be off to college in a few years and I will be using many of these items as the guest room decor at that point.

I think we have settled on chevron curtains. This is the girl who wanted cheetah print curtains a few months ago so I am breathing a huge sigh of relief.

I might try to "guide" her to this Greek key pattern instead.

Here

She was leaning towards several bedding sets from Target--totally budget friendly.

HERE

She has toyed with the idea of a plain white comforter too.

Given the high fickle factor it is a wise choice.

She wants to add yellow, gray and black elsewhere. It was red and orange two weeks ago. See what I mean?

We have this Ikea Ektorp loveseat and I could get out of buying more yellow and gray pillows by giving her the pillows that I have in my family room.

If I can unload my pillows on her I will get these.

Things are getting too matchy-matchy in the family room.

All in all, I like this plan.

Another-It's about dern time project and DIY

I procrastinated on this project for almost two years. I bought woven wood shades and wanted to line them before hanging them in my west facing family room. Sorry there is no before photo. I still had ugly mini-blinds from the builder.

Keep reading there is a how-to below.

First, let me ask...does anyone have any tips on how to photograph sunny windows? Anyone?.. Beuller?

The four windows are the only natural light in the room and the get sun all day hence, the need to line the shades.

The other issue was whether to mount them inside or hang them high and outside the window frame. Outside would have been ideal but the ceilings are 9 ft and the windows go nearly to the floor. I was unable to find any shades long enough so inside mount it had to be.

Here is the low down on how to line these. Lay the shade string side up and untie the strings. Pull the strings out of all of the loops but not out of the shade mechanism.

Cut your lining (I used blackout lining) to the width of your shade and hem or glue a 3/4 inch seam along each edge.

I used Fabri-tac glue and  even though I am generally opposed to gluing fabric it really is the best way to attach the lining to the shade. The glue is acetone based so be careful what you get iton but it is also flexible when dry which is key for this project.

This is the tricky part to explain. You have to glue the fabric in sections cutting a small slit to pull the rings through.

I start with the bottom edge and about 8 inches along each side and carefully a small amount on the sold parts of the shade in the center. You don't want the glue to glob through.

Feel for the rings and carefully make a slit. Do NOT press down to cut as you might cut the strings holding the rings in place. It is more of a snag and pull motion that calls for a very sharp utility knife.

Carefully pull each ring through and continue gluing fabric to the next set of rings and repeat until you are at the top of the shade.

Make a hem along the top with the extra fabric and restring your shade.

Make sure to tie the ends on the last ring.

 

I might have procrastinated for a ridiculous amount of time but I was still lining the last shade and insisting that my husband get busy hanging those shades!

Evolution of a living room

One of a pair of mid century Duncan Phyfe style tables

When I bought this house I was sure that I would paint my living room a deep, slightly orange red, just like my last house. I thought I would reuse every bit of furniture in the same way too.
The way it came together surprised me and I only have one thing left to do.

I kept the Duncan Phyfe tables and this wonderful settee. I found that the light was vastly different and my stodgy style was evolving and classics could include modern pieces.

I played with different ideas in my head and settled on Sherwin-Williams Faint Coral, a barely there pink, as the wall color. This color doesn't like having its picture taken. Most of my living room photos look like the walls are beige.

I played with different art work and furniture arrangements, but the layout is tough. There is a very large opening to the entry way and a large set of arches perpendicular to that leading into the dining room.

Here are the things that led to my living room as it is today.

While I was in Culpeper, Va  at Georgie Mae's buying those terrific chairs for my dining room I found something that really took the room in the feminine direction that I was aiming for and it was a huge departure from things I normally like and it surprised even me.

I absolutely had to switch out the lighting. 

There was one of those brushed nickel "boobs" in the living room. I replaced it with  this antique chandelier...

 that I got on eBay for just $250. Those are big box store prices !

Next I bought these chairs,

here you see them reupholstered and repaired after a 5 month battle with the shipping company, which doubled their cost ! :(

Harummpf!

Next, I bought more chairs...

at a price that would have me in divorce court if my husband knew.

 Don't judge, it was my own money.

All the while my windows had stupid mini blinds.

I worked in a drapery workroom for awhile and know how to make drapes myself but I just don't have the time or proper setup to "board" the drapes and make them properly, especially with a toddler about.

I bought ready mades and some trim. Read about it HERE.

I wanted Lucite rods but settled for an enormously more cost effective choice.

I snagged the brass-look rods and Lucite finials at Bed, Bath and Beyond for a reasonable price.

Around the same time, I ran into my local Salvation Army and fond this Korean chest for $15.

It serves as a table between the chairs that I, now love to sit in. They are so comfy.
The mirror got propped there and actually works. It reflects the back of the Korean chest that is covered with writing.

Let's talk about the art work.

Above the Bombe chest I have this abstract.

It is one of the few pieces of art that I have not tired of. 

Over the sofa I had this piece by Jenny of MFAMB fame.

I like it but it wasn't doing it for me in the room as a result Helen's room is shaping up nicely for a 3 year-old.

I ended up with a painting that my husband loves and one that came from being in an enormously happy place.

He calls it "ED" The title is "Hatching a charmed life"
It is oddly very difficult to photograph.

Next is an antique, French impressionist painting that I bought for less than $30 on eBay.

I really love it. The frame is new.

I have all sorts of accessories that mean something to me.

 
The room is full of high and low but almost everything was a bargain like these $15 lamps from Walmart.

Coffee table must go

I totally love the black velvet bolsters I had made

This is pretty much the way it is now.
I know the rug is too small but I love it. The colors are perfect and it was my grandmother's.
The one thing that I hate is the coffee table.
Six years ago I was looking for the Duncan Phyfe style end tables and found an eBay seller locally that had some but they came with the coffee table. I had not even thought about the coffee table situation for my, then new, house so I took it figuring I'd deal with it later.
Well guys, its later and I can't make up my mind on anything.
 There are too many tables that I love.
One of these days I hope to do a gleeful post on my new gorgeous coffee table.

I am happy with the room so far.
What do you think?

Mystery solved

Well, I moved in 13 months ago but my books and magazines are still boxed. It doesn't stop me from rifling through them once in awhile. This is mostly because the library is still not built. It is a huge project that my husband insists on doing himself. When he is going to do this is not the mystery that I solved. 

It is the fabric over my sliding glass door.

I just found a special BH & G "Window and Wall ideas" from 2005 and the first image was in a spread featuring Washington D.C. designer Stan Kelly.

The fabric is Robert Allen toile on linen on his window and mine.

The annoying part is that I bought it at a local retailer of discount decorator fabrics called Fabrics Unlimited and they are funny about telling you the manufacturer of some fabric sbut not all, go figure.

Don't get me wrong, I've gotten some great deals there, like the fabric for these chairs for $3. 20 a yard!

It just bugs when they are secretive about some fabrics and others have the name right on the selvage. They even had the fabric content wrong. It was listed as cotton but I knew it was linen. 

Anyway, I just had to have it,  at $20 a yard I suppose it was a bargain.

It was exciting to see it in a magazine even if it is a 7 year old magazine.