Category Archives: Home Decor

Accordion Style

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Can you tell what it is in this picture that has me enamored??

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If you guessed the brushed bronze accordion style table in the forefront, than you’d be right on the money!!

Industrial chic is back in a big way – just ask Restoration Hardware.

Now that we are making progress in the living room, and I’ve crossed a few things off my never-ending list, I am thinking about what kind of chair I’d like to replace the wicker chair that’s currently in there.

Once I start thinking about what chair to put in there, I start to think… well do we need one chair or two?  If we have a chair that people actually use (as opposed to one that I just like to look at), then what will people set their drink down on… the coffee table is a long ways away.  And so then I start thinking about what kind of table would look cool, be functional, and still be small enough not to get in the way or look awkward floating in the middle of the room next to our chair.

See what happens when I start thinking about chairs??  If you give a Mouse a Cookie… (have you read that story?? If not, please do)

I mean how sweet are these little tables – narrow yet functional – this one here is just tucked away in the corner…

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And look how sweet this little accordion table looks tucked into this reading nook.  I decided to do a little recon, and see what I could come up with online…

This one is from Urban Outfitters, and it’s only $64!!  I mean COME ON!!  $64??  I spent more than that at happy hour last night!  And let me just say, this table does not look like $64.  Thank you Urban Outfitters – this is definitely better than the fake glasses and $50 t-shirts you sell.

And then after that steal… I found this one.  Holy cow, did you see the at price tag on this baby??? DEFINITELY out of my budget (yeahhh, not going to spend nearly a grand on a teeny tiny table), but I love the shiny brass finish, and the marble top – so pretty!

This beauty comes from the same seller as the $800 brass table, but its a) cheaper b) shorter c) wider.  I am LOVING the mirrored top too… more room to put my book, remote control and glass of wine!

What do you think of these little accordion wonders?  I’m in loveeeee.

TV Stand with Storage… and Height… and Style…

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I have been looking to replace the TV stand in our bedroom for a while now, but it seems like my list of requirements is a mile long… thus making it impossible to find anything that will work!  The current TV Stand was a Craigslist find from a few years back – it’s dark wood, low to the ground, and really nothing too special.  I think it may have come originally from Target. It does the job, but we need something taller, and it NEEDS to have storage.

To add onto this equation – it also has to be narrow, since our monster King size bed moved in with us, and the way our room is laid out, you walk between the TV stand and the bed to get to the SINGLE bathroom in our apartment.  Awesome.

Anyway, I had been thinking “console table” but it’s rare to find a console with storage, and most dressers are too “fat” for this space – we need at least several feet for the walkway, otherwise it is just going to feel WAY too claustrophobic.  I hadn’t been having much luck so far, so my hunt had nearly come to a halt… until I discovered this little gem at Ikea!  The Tarva 6 Drawer Chest.  Hello lover!

I know, I know… it doesn’t look like much, but when I’m done with it, this simple little guy is going to look phenomenal!

Don’t believe me??  Look at a few of these Tarva hacks I dug up online…
Little Green Notebook: Greek Key Dressers. This is what I want to do to the Ikea Tarva. I like that this version uses knobs; it makes more sense for a piece that you are going to be opening and closing a lot.
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Look at this lovely white number… that high gloss paint, really transforms it into something fabulous, and the greek key appliques covered up the holes where the original pulls went, so each drawer could have a single middle pull.


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This is another super cool take on the original – painted drawers – ombre no less – unique pulls, and a stained top and legs??  Talk about a transformation!


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No clue how they pulled this off, but they make this brand spanking new chest of drawers look old, and cool, like wooden shipping crates…


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And… it’s official… this may just be the most versatile piece of furniture, since it serves as a kitchen counter here!

ikea tarva hack inspired by james mont and hollywood regency aesthetic - who doesn't love an ikea dresser makeover? photo: ryan brook
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Finally, my favorite hack (I think) – this one draws inspiration from Hollywood Regency, and I love loovvveee LOOVVVEEE it.  The gold border and the large gold pulls??

Fabulous!

Can’t wait to get started on my own version!!

I spy with my little eye…

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… a FABULOUS tripod lamp, in the corner of one of my design idol’s homes (well… her previous home, but still).  Erin Gates of Elements of Style has made a name for herself through her blog, and quickly risen in the world of interior design.

The Every Girl featured her rented flat about a year ago, and as I was peeking through the archives, I came across this feature.  As you can imagine, I was super stoked when I spotted a  tripod lamp in this space, that is eerily similar to the one I just bought for our living room.

All I could think was… Erin Gates loves tripod lamps too!!

Is it silly that I got that excited about it??  Totally.  Do I feel like my decision has been totally validated even though my best friend wasn’t a fan of the tripod lamp?  ABSOLUTELY.

I constantly hear about making design decisions that stay true to who you are, no matter what is on trend in the moment.

If you love classic pieces but modern lines are in, go with your gut.  If you like a little side table shaped like an elephant, but think it’s a little “out there”… who cares, if it makes you happy.  I know that having unique pieces that you love is what makes your space stand out, but I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to second guessing decisions.

Despite the pressure to go with what “safe”, I’m glad I went with the tripod lamp.  I love it, and not everyone else has to… but it’s good to know that Erin Gates would approve….

Re-upholstered Seat Cushions

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Amen to Friday!

I’ve actually been down in LA for the week – my first week on the new job – so I’ve felt really disconnected from everything “normal”.  The weather was so fabulous, and LA is one of those places you always feel like you are on vacation, but it was a busy week for sure.  After a wonderful start to the new job, I am so happy to be back home, with Kris.

I’m ALSO excited to share a mini DIY project I worked on last weekend!

Our dining room chairs were looking very sad.  I bought them from Craigslist with an antique (aka old) table for $50 total, and since buying them over three years ago, I have done nothing to fix them up.  I like to refer to the chipped paint as “shabby chic” but the cushions were just plain sad.  The old linen fabric was yellowed from probably decades of wear, and they were badly stained (from god knows what).

Actually confessing that on paper is so embarressing since we lived with them like that for YEARS, but last weekend, I finally did something about it.

While at World Market (picking up our FABULOUS new tripod lamp… yes, I pulled the trigger on that), I saw some curtian panels on sale for 50% off.  For just $15, I scored some amazing fabric with enough yardage to cover four seat cushions (and then some).  Sunday afternoon, I busted out the staple gun and went to work…

Here are a few “before” shots so you can appreciate the afters:

This is looking into the dining room from the living room – not awful, but the chairs were definitely on the plain side from afar…

 Closer up, you can really see how badly the paint is chipping…

And another angle – this room is pretty small… maybe 11’x10′, so it’s hard to photograph from a distance, but the mirrored wall helps a little… also, ignore the mess in the corner – those frames are still waiting to be hung!

Ok this photo is the last “before” that I’ll post, but this one does a really good job illustrating how disgusting the fabric was – stained, yellowed… this is so embarrassing!  I can’t believe we lived with these for YEARS.

Ok time for the “after” shots!! Here they are in all their glory!

One of the chairs still acts as our desk chair, but I love it as much in the living room as in the dining room, and dare I say it… it looks amazing with the tripod lamp 🙂

Here is a zoomed in shot – you can really see the raw texture of the fabric here – I love the “grain” in it (is that a term, or did I just make that up?)

      
And just for fun, here is a photo with the new lamp in place… that inspiration board I put together is really coming together!  I am absolutely LOVING the desk next to the window, and the light from that enormous lamp shade is just so pretty at night.
More pictures of that lamp later – I need to figure out how to camouflage the cord!!

I am loving the colors, the pattern, and the fact that in just over an hour, the chairs looked a million times better!

The paint is still chipped, but I’m going to choose to ignore that for now – we’ll get to repainting everything another weekend.  One, step at a time, am I right??

Let’s talk about the process for recovering the cushions for a minute – trust me when I say that it is SOOO easy.

Step I:
Rip off old disgusting fabric – you would not believe how dusty it was.  SO gross!

Step II:
Staple fresh layer of batting over cushions if needed – the actual cushions were in good shape, so I skipped this step.

Step III:
Staple new fabric onto cushions.  I found it was easiest to get the fabric smoothest and tightest by working on opposite sides.  Pull the fabric taut along one side and then staple (leave the corners for last!!)  Pull fabric taut on the opposite side from the one you just secured, and then staple.  Pull remaining sides taut and staple. The fabric on the corners should still be loose – this is where you finish the cushions.  I just pleated the fabric along the corner as neatly as possible, and stapled as I went.

There are basically two different ways to pleat the corners.  One was like a fan, the second like a box pleat (kind of).  Take a look at these pictures – you’ll see what I mean.

“Box Pleat” fold:

“Fan Pleat” fold:

Step IV:
Finish everything off by cutting excess fabric from around the staples – any bulky fabric will prevent the cushino from sitting flush with the seat – if you are able to, screw the cushions back on the seats.  Ours have a lip that goes over the front of the chair, holding them pretty secure, so I also skipped that step.

All in all, this project took me about an hour.  One of the most labor intensive parts was cutting the fabric up, and removing the old fabric from the cushions.  The actual reupholstering took almost no time at all!

Next on the list is to repaint the chairs (and table – god the table needs some love), but for now, I’m happy with the improvements to the cushions!

So THIS is what Heaven Looks like…

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You all know that we are living in a teeny tiny apartment in San Francisco, and while the list of things I’d like to change about our apartment is a mile long (small kitchen, no garbage disposal, dated tile, crumbly plaster, loud neighbors…) if I could ask the apartment gods for one thing, it would be…

MORE STORAGE!

Our Christmas ornaments are packed away in boxes, yet they are still stacked against a wall in the living room until we find a better solution.  My super duper vacuum that could pick up a small child is still at my old apartment with my best friend because we simply have no place to store it (lucky lady).  The broom has a home behind the door that leads into the hall.  Wrapping paper lives behind one of the curtains in the dining room (I’ve had to get a little more creative recently).

Let me just say that to have a closet just for clothes, much less a closet that you could host a party in, is the stuff dreams are made of.  Please enjoy the closet porn I’ve rounded up for you all!

Every purse has it’s own cubby!  It’s all white.  All the hangers match.  The shirts are color coded for god’s sake – I am SOOOOO jealous!!

This is what heaven looks like… in case you were wondering.  Rows upon rows of shoes, organized by color, heel height and designer (ok maybe not by designer, but that would be FABULOUS).

A chandelier, and fresh cut flowers??  Seriously??  I have pillows, luggage, and boxes of college memorabilia shoved (yes SHOVED) in my closet.  This is how the other half lives!!  I wonder if they are looking for roommates……..

A vanity in the closet??  Why would you ever leave!  I’d feel like such a diva putting on blush every morning in that fabulously upholstered chair!

This closet was built for me.  Even in these vast closets, I’d still need a few doors to hide the secret mess when I shove my stuff in after a long week.  Doesn’t everyone have that closet??

Contemporary Closet design by Orange County Interior Designer Michael Fullen Design Group

And a little tufted benching never hurt anyone!  The perfect spot to chat with girlfriends while trying to decide which Louboutins to wear out.  That’s my kind of problem!!!

Call of the Wild

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I’ve been dying to incorporate animal print into our home somehow – we’re not talking a huge cheetah print sofa in the living room, but more like a cool accent pillow, animal print cushions on the dining room chairs, or an upholstered bench.

Of course, getting Kris on board with a little animal print is a process, so I pulled some inspiration to show him what I’m thinking…

Like this cool zebra ottoman that doubles as a coffee table…

Or these twin cheetah stools flanking the coffee tables below – they provide extra seating, but I love that they can easily be pushed up against a wall

This accent chair is fierce (literally) but also very neutral… LOVE

Or THIS accent chair… see the animal print actually blends in with a neutral palette

This zebra print is thicker, and a bit more modern, and I love the chocolate brown and creme on this Louis style arm chair

And finally a pretty animal print bench (with nailhead trim) – does it get more fabulous?!

Traditional Living Room design by Los Angeles Interior Designer DTM INTERIORS

So after taking a look at what I am thinking for animal print accents, what are your thoughts?  Hate it or love it?

Gallery Wall of White Ornate Frames

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It’s done!!  Remember a week or so ago I  had posted about creating a gallery wall made up entirely of frames??  Well… for the first time, I jumped right on this project, and it’s finished!!

Remember this inspiration photo?

Well here is our hallway as of this morning!!

And just to refresh your memory… here are a few photos of what it looked like before:

And again after…

Even with all these frames and the ornate details, it doesn’t look busy, or overwhelming for the space.  Quite the opposite – all the white makes it really clean and simple.  I am thinking of selling this console table because I’m still not convinced it’s right for this space.  Moving it out would open things up even more, don’t you think?

Anyway – back to the project.  This could not have been more simple!!  I went to Aaron Brothers and hit up the one-cent sale (buy one, get one for a penny).  Of course, it was impossible to find white ornate frames, so I just picked up whatever ornate frames they had (many ended up being gold), and swung by the hardware store to grab a few cans of Rustoleum high gloss white spray paint.  I sprayed all the frames with a few coats, and it could not have been more simple!!

Once the paint was dry, I brought the frames inside, and then started laying out which frame would go where on the dining room table.  Even having them layed out on the table, it was still hard for me to envision how it wold look on the wall.  I am definitely a visual person, so I traced each frame onto a piece of paper, and started taping it all up on the wall.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take any photos of this process, but you can imagine how easy it was.  I found it was better to just play with the arrangement right on the wall until I was happy with the placement of each frame.  In that process I discovered that I still needed a few extra frames, and so I grabbed a few smaller frames we had around here – they aren’t anything special, but a few simple frames in the mix actually makes the ornate ones pop even more!  Once I was happy with the arrangement with the pieces of paper, I started hanging everything up, and ta-da!

Ultimately, I’d like to have mirrors cut to fit to each frame, but for now they are all just empty – it doesn’t bother me, but that’s the eventual plan…

And this guy is my favorite – it’s a hand carved wooden frame that has so much character!

What do you think??  I absolutely love it – it turned out just how I had hoped!!

Deal Alert: Picture Frames ANY size!

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I just had to share!!

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Aaron Brothers is having their annual 1 cent sale (buy one picture frame, get one for a penny).  It is seriously one of the best sales of the year – if you’ve ever bought frames, you’ll know how quickly the bill ads up!  Large frames like a 24″x36″ are $60 at the lowest price.  That’s $120 for two!!

Knowing that I’ve got plans for my gallery wall in the hallway of ornate frames, you can bet your buttons that I’ll be hitting up Aaron Brothers this weekend!  You can shop their site, or go in store.

Happy shopping 🙂

Lunchtime Surprise

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Cost Plus World Market just happens to be steps from my office, so on my lunch break today, I wandered over to check things out.  What did I find??

Helllloooooooo beautiful…

Yes, my friends… that is a tripod base floor lamp with an absolutely HUMONGOUS shade.  This picture does nothing to portray it’s scale since it was up on a shelf, but it is BIG.  I’m going to guess about two feet in diameter (I was very annoyed that I left my tape measure in my other purse!!)

Anyways, back to the lamp… It’s so fabulous, there are no words.  In the store, they featured the lamp with a natural fiber woven shade, but since the base is sold separately from the shade, you can customize it!

There were burlap shades, linen shades, and shades in bright pops of color.  I was really drawn to the bright yellow shade, but I think a bold color like that is something I should think about – especially since it doesn’t exist in the room elsewhere. I love it in the store, but will I love it for the long haul?

Another thing that makes me pause??  The base is $115 – not cheap, so I’m going to sit on it for a few days.

Here is a more clear picture from their website (actual link here).
World Market happens to be having a huge sale, as they try to clean out furniture for the new spring arrivals, so most furniture is 50% off.  As I was leaving (without the fabulous tripod lamp), I saw these beauties marked down near the door…
Another clearer photo from their site (link here)
The Ella side chair is a classic Louis style, and right now, they are a full 50% off.
For the past year, we’ve used one of the dining room chairs as our desk chair.  It’s not at the top of my list of replacements for the living room (in fact, it didn’t even make it on the list I posted the other day) but I have always wanted to get all four chairs back around the table, and buy a formal desk chair.  This navy velvet is so luxe in person.  And it would look FABULOUS with the blues and greys of the living room…
I’m so tempted to go back and snag one!
I mocked up to envision how it would all pull together with everything else in our living room… What do you think??
I think I’m leaning towards “yes”.

The grey trellis rug, paired with the navy velvet and the grey blue behind the sea fans… and then I’m loving the idea of a striped cushion on twin x benches, and the creamy silk curtains keep everything else light and bright…

I’m really liking it all together!!
Happy Friday!!

Living Room Plans

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So the Christmas tree is out, and the living room is feeling mighty empty right now – I have mixed feelings about it.  On one hand, it feels more open, but on another hand, it makes me realize how awkward the layout is right now.

This is a picture from about a year ago but nothing has changed except that small metal table is now gold.  The layout isn’t awful, but I’m not totally loving it, so I think we need to move some things around…

The Christmas tree had been in the window where the wicker chair is in the above picture, but it’s back to this layout – here is an areal view of the living room set up:

The empty space between the seating area with the sofas and the wicker chair / desk flat against the wall is what bothers me.  There is no definition between these two spaces and it drives me crazy!  Another issue with this layout, is that the desk sticks out, making it feel “crowded” as you walk in the room.

I am thinking that by removing the wicker chair, and the awkward small table next to the TV (that is too low to the ground) that the layout will be greatly improved…  here is a revised version of the areal layout…

To quickly recap the changes I’m thinking… I want to move the desk next to the window, so you aren’t “walking into it” when you first enter the room.  I also want to remove the awkward short table that was directly to your left when you entered, and replace it with the wine rack that is currently in our dining room.  The wine rack is taller, so it will sit at the proper height for the height of the mirror, and I think it makes a lot of sense here.  Also, our dining room is teeny, so it will free up more space in there. The wine rack is more narrow than the Ikea table that is there now, so I think that’s also a benefit.
The wicker chair will go into storage, or I’ll try to sell it on Craigslist, and next to the desk, we’ll bring in more light with a pretty standing lamp… maybe something like this tripod lamp
or this lamp that pivots – it’s just kind of cool and I LOVE that big drum shade…
Once we move the desk over next to the window, there will be quite a bit of exposed wall below the large abstract painting.  It’s possible that I’ll like it, but right now, I’m thinking that a few small X benches would be perfect down there.  Aside from being pretty, they’ll also be practical, providing extra seating for guests.

Finally, I want to bring in seating to the third side of the coffee table.  In my mind, I’d see a comfy overstuffed chair there…

Something like the Pottery Barn Manhattan chair looks SO comfy…

But that might be too bulky for this space – maybe something smaller (but still comfy) like a slipper chair would do the trick there… something in a fun print like this could be fun…

or I could keep it simple and dress it up with pillows and a throw…

What do you think of the updated layout??  I am TRYING to work with what I have, and I think moving some of our existing furniture around will absolutely work!