House stuff

I recently finished this neutral 48 x 60 painting and plopped it on my mantel. My husband has not been liking grayish abstracts on our newly painted SW-Repose Gray wall but he is loving this one.

It is just a few feet from the sconce that was finally put up.

The whopping $50 expenditure seems like it was a good deal. I had my concerns but the 25 watt bulb glows nicely and the shade, now stabilized, does not wobble. We like the light that gently glows from the sides and casts both an up and down light all without being able to see the bulb while descending the staircase.

Bit by bit, we are getting closer to that "For Sale" sign being out front.

I will be tackling that orange wood banister next week.

The sconce saga

As we continue to prepare the house for sale, we face decisions about how to tackle items that should be replaced.

Consider the sconce at the landing on out back staircase. It reminded me of a bra cup and Mr. Designdumonde hated that you could see into it as you descended the stairs.

Down it came for the continuation of SW Repose Gray on the walls. 

Mr. D asked what to do with it. I said throw it away. So he did and I promptly went looking for a replacement.

I found this.

We are trying to keep the budget low while not using obvious ugly, builder-grade fixtures. Oh yeah but nothing too crazy stylish that your average Joe and Jane would not understand. So, vanilla with a cherry but no sprinkles. Sigh.

So Mr. makes the fatal mistake of asking if I could find something for less $$.

Grr. I find this and order it.

Stop laughing. 

It was too big and sucked so it went back. Just get the other one Kerry. Nope it was out of stock by then so the search continued.

I wanted this Arteriors Pruitt sconce.

 Or the Arteriors Voughn sconce but both came in around $400 and since I am leaving that ain't happening.

Yesterday I peeked at Home Depot and found my original choice was back in stock and ordered it. Whew! Please keep your fingers crossed that it does not suck.

Lighting questions answered

I have been asked numerous times about my lighting set up that I use to photograph artwork and other things. I figured this would be a great place to answer some of those questions.

 I am not an expert at this by any stretch of the imagination. I should mention that what I do know I was taught by an expert, my friend Ellen Levine Dodd as well as, lots of trial and even more error. This is a very basic set of tips that should get you on the road to better shots.

I use these lighting stands that are shown above. They came with bulbs that are only sometimes satisfactory so I bought the Queen of CFLs.

This monster has a standard base that fits right in those lighting stands but it is important to note that they are heavy and if you are not careful they will tip the stand and shatter. I know because it happened at my house.

The important thing to know when buying a CFL for photography is that you want a "daylight" bulb, that is 5000 Kelvin full spectrum. It is a cool light and you might swear that it will make your photos look strange but its the right thing. I was unable to find high enough wattage in a big box hardware store so I bought them online.

I use 2, 3, or 4 depending on what I am lighting and have found that they work well to light from all sides like in these tricky shots I take for Serena and Lily.

I also process my images in Adobe Lightroom. Here I am able to correct the white balance.

The easiest way and the best cheat for a non-professional is to include a bright white paper or board in your shot. Then using the dropper (arrow in photo above) click on that bright white object to correct the white balance. You can then crop out the white thing in the shot. I also sometimes need to fix the tint, contrast or exposure in some shots.

These are the most basic tips that should help you get better photos.

I hope this little guide is helpful to all of those who have asked me about lighting.

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 

 

New and exciting around here

.

I just bought the CB2 oversized equator pendant for my breakfast room and I could not be more pleased. It is huge and that is why I like it. It takes a hum-drum drum light and super sizes it for oomph.

Let me illustrate.

this photo from above shows its scale in relation to my table and also my urgent need for different chairs...damn you French country look!

 I don't even want to show the pathetic before. It was my most hated builder light in this house.

I had been lusting after other fixtures, especially variations of a Sputnik, but my commitment to budget and my litmus test won out. The test is to ask myself whether or not I am sure that I will still like it in five years . This fixture was only $200.

In other news, Kerry Steele art is the newest independent artist to become a part of The Nearby.

The Nearby hand-selects the best local boutiques and designers selling women’s clothing, jewelry, art and home accents. You can download the app for free from the App Store and shop Kerry Steele Art from your iPhone!

Once you download and register, the app will bring up all the best local stores and designers surrounding you, based on your proximity. Follow Kerry Steele Art and photos of our current merchandise will appear in your feed. When you see a photo of something that interests you, you can “like,” comment, or even click the “Buy/Chat” button to text directly with an associate at the store to help you purchase the item, put it on hold, or just get more info.

Download The Nearby for FREE from the App Store here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-nearby/id578248659?mt=8

This app has a connection to some pretty choice stores, galleries and designers and I am thrilled to be in such good company.
What's new with you?

Guess which one I chose!

#1

While waiting for my son's perpetually late (but very good) guitar teacher to start and complete Monday's lesson, I traipsed on over to Home Depot in search of a semi-flush mount light I  spyed earlier.

This is for the little one's barely pink room and I want it to be an uber-feminine style but not a chandelier.

#2

I am posting the Instagram shots because ironically, the lighting in the lighting department of HD stinks.

#3

Which do you think I chose?

Before I spill the beans... a few asides.

Instagram, Follow me here. I am still on private but chances are I will check the allow thingy. Its just one of my neuroses.

Also, the owner of this guitar shop and I have chatted during down moments about the painted guitars in his shop. I really wanted to find one to paint myself.

 Long story, made short, he gave me one to paint and instead of insisting that I let him show it off in his shop, he very kindly asked if I would consider showing it there.

 I'll most likely just give it to him. 

I thought that was awfully kind.

Life is good.

Ok, I chose the second one and for the first time in my life it was the least expensive choice.

What awesome thing have you found or received lately?

P.S. If you are local to Central Virginia, My first "First Friday" at Art First Gallery is this Friday 6-9 pm. Do come if you are able. I would love to see/meet you.

Lamps that turn me on

Let's face it, Chris Spitzmiller lamps are the bomb-no?

In a pair they really help repeat a room's color story and I think they are darn cute.

I am all for top quality but there are times when a budget has to make trade-offs. The cool thing is that these table lamps that are every bit at darling as the Spitzmiller version are easy to get your hands on.

$59 HERE

$129 HERE

$169 HERE

This version from Shades of Light is a bit more spendy at $449 but the colors available are bananas.

HERE

Shades of light also has this version in seven colors that is about half the price.

$225 HERE

Ugly light help

This hideous fixture in all its cirlique light blub glory sits above my kitchen table...still!

Actually, I insisted that my husband rotate the arms upward so that the bulbs were not visible and so it looks less like a spider. I have lived here for over two years now and have not solved this conundrum.

Last Fall I bought this light from Ikea.

It looked really wonderful (more than you would guess) but its one bulb just did not cut it in terms of light.

That is the big problem.

I don't understand why anyone would manufacture a large light fixture that houses only one bulb.

The other issue is budget. I can't blow a thousand bucks on the light when there is so much to do in here.

I do have a general wishlist.

I am hoping for a modern drum pendant like this one from CB2.

I would rather have a black or gray shade.

It must hide the bulbs since Mr. Design du Monde has to have those damn CFL bulbs.

Here are a few more favorites from my Pinterest board "Lighting I like"

Got any ideas to light up my life for under $300?

Let there be light...sort of

One blessed day about a month ago, the horrible florescent light fixture in my kitchen stopped working. It was funny because my husband had just talked me out of replacing it two weeks prior when a bulb went out and I shopped online for a new fixture.

We had to have some sort of light while I looked for what I wanted. so this is the klassy set up I had for a few weeks.

Just one light bulb hanging from a few wires. *sigh*

Running extra wiring and tearing up the ceiling to do it was not high on our list so a multi-bulb fixture was a must. The kitchen has 9 foot ceilings but the height was also a consideration. We toyed with a mix of can lights and pendant but ended up settling on the Eldridge from Ballard designs.

The idea of spending hundreds just before the holiday did not sit well with me  but I could not deal with the "Shantytown special" light hanging from a wire.

The light from Ballard was back ordered and it took about three weeks to get the refrigerator sized box.

I was excited. "Can I play with it?! Huh, huh? will you put it together? C'mon! I wanna play!!!!"

We have replaced several of the ugly builder light fixtures but it has been some time since I had the excitement of a new fixture.

Huge and heavy, I needed my husband and two teenaged sons to put it up. It turned out to be a very balmy December day and I had my little girl outside playing with some neighborhood kids while the light went up.

Grrr. Errant pane of glass held in place with electrical tape.

I came in to look at it in all its fingerprinted glory and noticed that a pane of glass was teetering and out of its clips. My question, "How in the heck did you get the thing up without noticing?"

 Teenager.

It turns out that the glass could not be easily put back in place so the whole thing had to come down and go back to Ballard.

Back to the "Shantytown special".

Ballard was good with the return, sending a new one and sending the UPS man to pickup the old one. They did not, however, realize that we still had the thing hanging up and it would take some time to get packed up. so when the UPS guy arrived five minutes later I had to explain.

New light arrived and a few days passed. Finally, up it went and with much greater ease. I hear.

I have several final thoughts.

 I thought I would be OK without the Edison bulbs and now I think I need them. Secondly, the quality of the fixture is second rate. I have other things from Ballard that I liked but have heard a few complaints about their upholstered pieces.

The glass on mine has a few small scratches and the directions that come with it are laughable in their error. 

At $400 it is not insanely expensive but it is still $400. If I was going to do it over I would not buy this.