Inspired Interiors: Classic Living TV Room

 

I got lucky when I came across bryn alexandra's post. She showcases a home she was working on that is very similar in concept to what I am trying to achieve. A tv room, with separate nooks and seating areas, storage solutions, gray couches and a huge square ottoman (ours if a coffee table about the same size), that has a classic, modern feel with some pizazz. The flooring is also very similar to ours.

Plus, I want to hang my curtains higher to give this room height, since the room is long and narrow with low ceilings. But then the crtains would be too short. I was toying with the idea of sewing a black edge on the bottom, and her design realizes that look for me in a setting that is similar to mine.

I love the use of blues, blacks and grays with neutral whites. Even though this post is a few years old, it is still a classic styling that gives me some great ideas. She has has some good ideas on getting started along with some 'progress' photos of this room to see how it came together.

Inspired Home: Gardener and Marks White Natural History Cottage

White, shabby, natural, light filled, old, rusty, sparkly, vintage, ethereal, industrial... some of the words that come to mind when I see these lovely images from Gardener & Marks, an Australian design firm, that also specializes in renting out props for a myriad of uses. This home was once a 1900's mattress factory.

Seriously, between the plank floors, exposed beam ceilings, natural history vibe, powder coats of white paint on the beadboard and brick for this industrial cottage feel, when can I move in?

Inspired Room: My House of Giggle's Dreamy Striped Bedroom

 Tracey of My House of Giggles featured her lovely gray and white striped bedroom so I am finally getting around to showing you some of it. Be sure to visit her best of 2010 projects, they are all so beautiful and full of inspiration. I love her use of gray, blues and white, and the careful additions of stripes. I tried my own striped little cake pedestal stand, and though I love it, I simply could not get the lines to be as straight as I would have liked.

 Her chandelier work is enchanting, and so inspiring. See how she did another one here.

  I would never have thought of using two, thin, ornate contrasting colored mirrors like this. Love it.

 As a jewelry designer, I am in desperate need of cute and creative ways to store jewelry, I adore these.

 I did ballet as a toddler, does that count if I want to add some ballet slippers in my room?!

 Aren't her flower paintings lovely? She also has an etsy shop, which is currently closed, 

but hopefully she will add more items soon!

Homefront: DIY Painted Stripe Accent Furniture

I've run across a few striped furniture pieces that have really called to me (shown later in the post). So, I wanted to experiment with something small. In 30 minutes, I had a new look, and now know if it's worth doing a larger piece in the future. (it is)

Last year, this adorable plant stand broke and I was only left with the top. My husband pretty much thought I was nuts for saving it. I glued it with E6000/hot glue (can't remember which)  to a candle holder pillar. Now I have this cute little pedestal cake stand, though I wouldn't put a cake directly on it because it isn't sealed.

I spent about 60 seconds laboriously sanding the top and side that I would be painting. If you do not want the unpainted part to be distressed, then sand after you put the tape down.

I took some electrical tape and made my stripes 2 strips worth. I used that little tape piece between each set of tape I laid down to make sure they were the same width apart. I think blue painters tape would be better as my tape stretched out of shape too easily and didn't lay down as flat so the paint smudged.

I took regular white craft paint and watered it down, and painted the exposed areas. Then, I pulled off the tape while the paint was still wet. I was able to get those smudgy areas off the stripe edges by gently wiping them off with a damp paper towel. If I were extra ambitious, a bit of black paint would have worked too.

After the paint dried, which was really quickly, I lightly sanded the stripes. Though, I think I will go back and sand it down more for less contrast. (I think white and a soft gray would look perfect.)

before in black

after

Stripes on a small piece is a fast and simple change that adds just a touch of spunk to a corner. And if you don't like it, no biggie, just paint over it or sand the heck out of it.

*More stripey furniture inspirations for you*

 My House of Giggles striped painted table. I love how her stripes are varying widths and how she kept the side of the top base the one stripe color. She does another striped table top with wide stripes here.

 In the Fun Lane painted the stripes from the top down the front for a coastal beach feel. 

 Her sea side dresser isn't technically striped, but  with the drawers painted a different color and the addition of hand painted numbers, it gives a same effect. Perfect for those who have a hard time making straight lines.

I love the muted tones here. It would work well in so many settings and wouldn't be as difficult to decorate around should your decor change. 

Great Oak Circle has a diy post on this table she painted. Love what she did to the writing desk.

 I truly adore love this home featured in Coastal Living. The idea of doing the large stripes on a dining table is lovely. I am pretty sure this is how we are going to do ours now. 

This Mini-Kildare dresser by TreeHouse Trading Co. shows that there are lots of ways to play with stripes and colors, especially on detailed pieces with doors and trim. 

*Linked to Strut your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple, Transformation Thursday @ Shabby Chic Cottage, Life as Lori's Get Your Craft On, Fireflies and Jelly Beans' Show Off Your Stuff, The Shabby Nest Frugal Friday, Tater Tots and Jello DIY Linky, Finding Fabulous' Frugalicious Friday.

 

Inspired Room: Adding Character with Plates

domino

I finally found some plate hangers. So, tomorrow, I will see about getting some of my little vintage china plates up. They are certainly not as colorful as one the ones here, but they will do where they are going. Collections, take time to grow, after all. However, I love how Liz of Mabel's House said, "Sometimes, when decorating, you need to draw a line in the sand with your toe and say to yourself, "OK... enough. Don't buy anymore of __________, you don't need them."

The thing I love about using plates, is you can change them around anytime, you can make a formal design with matching sets or all whites, or you can build a quirky collection. There are no rules, but some great ideas on how to best maximize the living sculpture.

Lisa Congdon of Bluelines created waves with this wall. See her home here on Apartment Therapy.

 decor pad

Design Sponge wrote an excellent plate wall post along with a video from Home Goods on how to achieve the look.

The Nester has some great tips on creating plate walls as well. She used hot glue to attach wires to the back of very small pieces here, and has designing tips here.

Bluelines has a good little article on how to build your own  plate wall, because the blog is closed, I will go ahead and post their directions here:

 english muse

jowrites365

Step 1: Collect, Collect!
Think ahead about where your plates will hang. Gather as many as you need to fill the space. It’s wise to get more plates than you will you use. You’ll find (like me) that when you start hanging them, you need many to choose from to achieve the right balance in your design. You may not end up using them all.
When I started collecting, I looked for plates that appealed to my design taste.
* I like both worn-out vintage and modern looks, so I found plates that fit both of these categories but that also went well together.
* I also looked for a particular color palette -- bright colors that would pop on a white wall.
* Scale was also a factor. I looked for different sizes. I know from my art background that creating an interesting balance requires a certain lack of uniformity. (Incidentally, it took me two years to gather all of the plates that I did!) I collected most of mine at thrift stores and flea markets, but others I bought on the Internet. My “wall” ended up with items from the turn of the century, mid-century, and new melamine plates (my favorites by fellow blogger Lena Corwin).

 apartment therapy

imperfectly beautiful

mabel's house

Step 2: Purchase Plate Hangers and Hardware
I used conventional plate hangers on my wall, which can be found at most hardware stores. Again, make sure you are getting the proper size hangers for the plates. (They won’t work if they are too small or too large for the plate.) One option is to buy newer ones that are invisible from the back. Get your screws or nails, hammer, and ladder ready, too.

Design Sponge adds,if you want extra support behind your plates, you can try securing the backs of the plates with “quake secure”: http://www.safetycentral.com/qusereeapuad.html

sunset

hillary wallace design, country living

 Step 3: Plan Your Design
I must confess: I did not plan the design of the plate wall pictured above ahead of time -- except in my mind. I just started to hang and the design was born as I went along. Like hanging a cluster of artwork, it’s something you acquire from years of practice (I had done this many times before). That said, I recommend planning ahead if you are new to the process. To get the end result you envision:
* Make a sketch on paper
* Lay the plates on the floor to create the overall shape. While doing this, ask yourself: Is the form I see an organic one? A geometric form? A diamond shape? A circle? Visualize this shape on the wall and sketch.
* Once you’re satisfied, find a space on the floor to lay out the plates to create your basic shape. Move the plates around to balance color, size, and type of plate.
* Finally, start to hang your plates based on the shape you’ve outlined on the floor. You may find yourself changing things around once you have started, and that’s okay. It’s part of the design process. Remember to step back and look at your work often as you go. This will help you to create the right balance.

 the nester

 the nester