wingback and ottoman

My aunt has given me her wingback chair and matching ottoman from the 1990's. (I need to go to Maine and pick them up). The dated fabric will need to be changed, but they are in excellent shape. However, the fabric choices are now making my head spin.

I plan to get a new couch soon seen here - minus the hideous striped throw pillows, of course!


And we have this coffee table


I definitely want a graphic and modern fabric, but something that I won't regret....

Chair


Bold as it is....I'm leaning towards this one. Joel Dewberry rules!!!

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What do you think, readers? Keep it neutral? Keep is simple? I'm thinking of doing the ottoman in gray velvet, similar to the couch, but with yellow piping.

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How lovely is that Thomas Paul fabric? Not exactly my style but cool nonetheless.

Sorry this post kind of sucks - no pictures! Bridget and I will learn to make mood boards and I will go to Maine and get the chair and ottoman. Stay tuned!

coming soon...office/guest room makeover

images: me

garden bench

kevin began work last weekend on our deck, sanding and staining as it had turned a moldy grey color. yes, we rent, but, we are taking the opportunity to learn the how-tos of owning with our rental. pictures of the deck to come soon. his working on the deck got me excited about our yard (as only one in california can do in november). there is an old bench out there that has immense potential but needs some stain and sealant.


now I need to figure out what color(s). what do you think?

blue

yellow

red

shiny black

all the paint ideas I have shown you are solid colors on wood. our bench is iron and wood. maybe I should enhance the details? even if it does mean more work?

knowing my lazy tendencies, it is probably best I go with one solid color. ooooh, just saw this! shiny red! yes please!

images: me, how I did it, garden furniture centre, patio chairs, budget decorating, trade 51, lawn ornaments, jardin du roi soleil

dining room makeover part two

yes, my superb sister-in-law, liz, wants a new dining room for her family. based on their dark stained, rectangular shaped dining room table, I am thinking light creamy/white walls with soft yet bright dining chairs. yellow or blue?

these french style chairs are my favorite. actually the color scheme of the whole room is soothing and yummy, perfect for dining.

there is always the option to mix and match seating. the look of this schoolhouse collection of brown chairs with the dark table and yellow walls is unique yet antique.

this yellow is a little too vibrant, but could work.

liz, you could also find french style ladder backs, probably on craigslist and...

paint them a buttery yellow.

images: apartment therapy, tchochkes, decorpad, countryliving, decorpad, sover, more accentfurniture

dining room makeover

This one is for Bridget's sister-in-law Liz - her dining room makes her sad.

From Better Homes and Gardens no less....my new Domino.

herringbone pattern

I love herringbone patterns. And it's not just because I'm a marine biologist. My training aside, the zig zag pattern is snazzy and interesting. It turns the usual subway tile look on it's head. And makes me in awe of whoever lays a hardwood floor that way - what a lot of work!

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Don't even get me started on fabrics and rugs...

green your decor



kaboodle

If only a Madeline Weinrib rug didn't cost as much as my mortgage....

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domino

Though West Elm does have a cheaper version...

state pillow

My husband's grandmother gave me this tablecloth from the 50's. It's pretty stained in some places, unfortunately, and I couldn't get them out. Northern New England is where most of the stains live.



So I'm thinking of cutting it down to this and making a Southern New England pillow. Massachusetts is the only place that really matters. :) The tablecloth part will serve as the front of the pillow and I'll use a different fabric for the backing.


Vintage state-motif tablecloths are a big collectors item. Here's a California one for Bridget:

the pink rose cottage

Similar (I use that word loosely) state pillows go for $150. You may be familiar with these embroidered state and regional pillows. The New England one is pretty cool.


Here's the City of Chicago pillow (said in our plumber dad voice "chi-caw-go"). A nod to Bridget and my Illinois refugee status.

Hopefully not for long - 2012, baby! We open our Green Bicycle store in the Windy City. (We dream....).

coffee table makeover

We've had this hideous lobster trap coffee table for years! A fun idea in grad school, but since Junebug will be toddling around soon, it's time to get rid of the sharp edges and glass top!


I found a Queen Anne style 1980's coffee table on Cragislist for $20. I'm an idiot though and didn't take a Before picture, but it's similar to this.



Using leftover paint we had around the house, I gussied up this 1980's classic. The brown stripe accents the sexy curves. Better? Too feminine? Makes me want to get a more masculine couch.

stair much?

Our second reader question comes from Kathleen. (We have readers!) She is looking to install a stair runner, similar to the one we discussed here. Thanks for checking us out, Kathleen - I hope we can help!

The basic tools you need are staple gun, carpet seaming tape, and carpet rods.

The indoor/outdoor rug by Dash and Albert is a great choice for a runner. The striped patterns are divine and the durable fabric will hold up well in a high traffic environment. D&A runners are 2.5 feet wide by 8 feet long. The general rule of thumb is give yourself 2 feet for every stair.

SEAM
Given that math, if your staircase has more than 4 steps, which it probably does, you'll need to seam together a couple runners. For this purpose, you would use hot melt seaming tape to "sew" together more than one runner. I might cut off the hemmed end of the runner using a utility knife and a clear quilting ruler. But that could also be a bad idea....you'd have to look at the weave of the rug.

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SECURE
While stair rods are optional, that may be the easiest way to install the runner, especially if your staircase is straight. You just staple the rug to the underside lip of the top step and secure the rug via the stair rod. Stair rods are inexpensive and make installation pretty easy. They only cost around 8$ each - check 'em out at Home depot here.

urban grace

Mark Donovan has a great tutorial on You Tube here. It demonstrates a simple straight staircase runner using rods.

Of course, if your staircase is like mine and has landings, this makes the project more complicated. You need to miter the piece to fit the angles of the landing. Handy Man's Club of America has a great tutorial where they also discuss landings and corners here.

This are certainly more complicated ways to install a stair runner, using upholstery tacks and step pads. This Old House has an online tutorial here for installation using tackless strips nailed to each tread.


My strategy with this project would mirror my approach to recipes. Look through a bunch of different methods and come up with a hodge podge strategy. It all depends on what look you like (stair rods or not) and how complex your staircase is. Mine has 2 landings, so I need to bone up on my geometry!

Good luck, Kathleen, and keep us posted about your progress! Thanks!