It's the small details

that make some spaces so delicious

I am crushing on that blue hexagon tray SO BAD.

Love that table - I suspect it is a lucky antique fine.

1.,2.,3. High Gloss, 4. Llamas Valley, 5. Lonny Mag, 6. Sweet Home Style

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A 1940's Suburban in a modern traditional style with just the right amount of color

I particularly like this house tour because it's not over the top or a complete interior design fantasy.  I can see real people living here. The house is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and inhabited by a New York couple.  The interior design is by Lindsey Coral Harper.

This entry is like a breath of fresh air.

The kitchen floor is painted.  Harper says:  "
The floor was stained a deep, dark brown, and it brought the whole room down. I suggested we do a large geometric design, because the kitchen is so large — it's a 20-foot-long rectangle. The bold graphic breaks it up so it doesn't feel so big. We kept the pattern clean and simple because the ikat on the sofa is so busy."

A tip from Harper I've never heard before, but one that makes a lot of sense, if you are going for impact that's not too over the top:

"You can only have one showstopper in a room. In the foyer, it's the wallpaper; in the living room, it's the curtains; in the dining room, it's the chandelier; in the kitchen, it's that acid yellow color. It's like a dinner party — you can only have one great storyteller. If two people are vying for attention, it doesn't work."

Love this bedroom.

What do you think of this house... a good balance of color?

via House Beautiful

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Tips for the ups and downs of moving

As the weather gets warmer,  more people start looking for their new home or apartment. There’s nothing more exciting than getting settled in a new home. Though at times it can be stressful, it’s worth all the redecorating and reorganizing.  I especially love becoming reacquainted with my possessions and travel mementos while trying to decide their place in my new dwelling. Unfortunately, the loveliest of your things can often be the hardest to move, either because of unusual proportions or because of their sentimental worth – but there a few tricks of the trade to help you get everything moved without any breakages or losses. Use the checklist below while you’re getting stuff packed and then, at the other end and with all your beautiful, practical belongings intact, make sure you’ve updated the address on your contents insurance!  I didn't kick my butt into gear until we experienced an earthquake here in Maryland, and then, an apartment 3 floors up suffered a fire!  My boyfriend and I finally decided not to put off getting renter's insurance any longer.

Bedroom
Probably the trickiest things to move here are your chest of drawers and dresser– if they’re small and relatively light, consider tying the drawers/door shut and transporting them clothes et al. If they’re heavy, you need to empty your clothes into an appropriate box with wrapping and some form of protection against creepy crawlies.  Don't use moth balls - naphthalene, the main ingredient in conventional moth balls was recently listed as a registered carcinogen by the U.S. government.  If you come across past mothballs in your house, put them in the trash, and air anything that holds their smell in the sun as often as possible.

Here is how to make an easy and effective moth repellent sachet:
This recipe will fill about a dozen sachets. You can buy herbs in bulk at almost any health food store:
• 2 ounces each dried rosemary and mint
• 1 ounce each dried thyme and American ginseng
• 8 ounces whole cloves

Via Care2.com

You might also have smaller valuables in your bedroom, like jewellery – it’s a good idea to take these with you in the car as you travel, rather than packing them in a cardboard box. You’ll avoid any worrying that they might get lost in the move.

via Pure Home Style
 

Moving is undoubtedly stressful, but it helps to think of it as a fresh start, and change can be invigorating. I personally love change. Your new home can be like a blank canvas where you can undo past design mistakes and/or incorporate a new look you've been wanting to try. via Southern Living

 Kitchen
This room could potentially take you the longest to pack because all of those glasses, plates and mugs are breakable. Wrap them individually in tissue paper or packing materials that you have saved overtime to reuse for just such circumstances (if they do break, at least the pieces will stay together) and then pad the box with blankets, marking it as fragile. Plates should be stacked vertically rather than horizontally – that way, they’re less likely to snap if something presses down on them from above. If you are taking large appliances like washing machines and freezers with you, they need to be thoroughly drained and defrosted before you attempt to pack them up – at least overnight. There’s no need to box them up but you will need to tape their doors/drawers shut and wrap them in protective foam to stop them from being scratched. 

via Southern Living

Living Room
Take the cushions of settees and chairs to save room, you can use them to pad other items in the truck, or stick in leftover crevices of space between boxes and furnishings. LED and flat screen TVs need to be kept upright or they’ll be damaged, so be careful where you put them – it’s not a bad idea to save the boxes and packaging from these items so they can be carefully transported in the future.  Books should be packed in smaller boxes because they can be quite heavy, and you don't want to pack a big box full of books.

via Bolig Magasinet

via Small Space Style



Bathroom It’s better to try and use up any old bottles of shampoo and shower soap you’ve got lying around rather than taking them to your new digs – keep the stuff you’ll need as soon as you’re settled with you in your toiletry bag. Towels and shower mats that are damp need to be aired so keep them hung up for as long as possible – then put them in a plastic bag and take them with you in the car so you don't forget about them and end up with mildewed towels.  If you're moving any mirrors apply an "X" over them with masking tape to help support them.  If they break, the tape helps control shards of mirror from getting all over the place.


*disclosure: this post is sponsored by directline.com

You have read this article country kitchen / decorating with book / ikat / modern bedroom / moving tips / packing / redecorating tips / white interiors with the title ikat. You can bookmark this page URL https://bellashabby.blogspot.com/2012/03/tips-for-ups-and-downs-of-moving.html. Thanks!

My curtains revealed and an introduction to The Loaded Trunk!

My curtains are finally finished! Some of you might remember this post awhile back when I asked for suggestions for curtain colors after we moved into our new apartment in Chevy Chase, MD.

Before:

After:

The curtains the apartment came with were drab and heavy. Our couch had to stay, and is an olive-colored suede, that depending on the light and colors around it can look gray, brown, or green. The rug is a new purchase that I love, and wanted to make it work. Our walls, though hard to tell in the picture above, are a light aqua blue.

I tried photoshopping some different color options in this post, but all of them left me a bit underwhelmed. You guys offered up some amazing suggestions for DIY's, specific fabrics, and other resources. The amazing Christine of Design with Christine came up with an amazing edesign for me, utilizing some Ikat curtains, and some throw pillows to tie the rug in with the couch. You can see the amazing job she did in her post.

The curtains Christine chose.

My photoshopping the curtains and pillows Christine found. Christine’s genius really got the ball rolling for me to find a pattern to balance out the visual weight of the bottom half of the room with the visual weight of the top. So, since I wanted to sew my own curtains, I began the search for the perfect (afforadable) fabric.

via 6th Street Design School

I really liked the fabric above, which a reader suggested to me . Even though it was above our price range, I ordered a swatch. The medallions were a bit too large for my liking, and the background was more of a beige than a white, so we decided against this one. I also ordered a few more swatches, but I wasn’t sold on any of them. Then, I noticed the curtains below on Danielle Oakey's blog, and went on an internet scavenger hunt to find the fabric.

Long story short, I finally located enough to sew my curtains (9 yards) from Red Rhino on ebay. They were actually the only seller I found with the fabric available. Red Rhino gave me a great price, amazing response times, and I couldn’t have been happier with the fabric. The match was very accurate to what was on screen.

via Danielle Oakey Interiors

So, after hours and hours of measuring, ironing, starching, sewing, and ironing and starching again, we finally had our curtains. I also added a black tape on the right and left vertical borders of the outermost curtains to mimick the black border on the rug. We are really happy with the results. I'm also in the process of testing out some swatches to sew throw pillow covers.

Another view of the room with the ikat curtains

A close up of the curtain and the black border

I'm testing out a suzani style swatch, as you can see from the bottom pillow.

Isn't this red pillow AMAZING!?!?

I couldn’t be more thrilled with the pillow, which  I received from The LoadedTrunk!

There couldn’t be a better cohesive element between my couch and my rug! What’s even cooler is the history of the pillow, called a Hmong pillow:

“This beautiful vintage textile was once part of a garment worn by Hmong women in Vietnam. The Hmong, an Asian ethnic group living in the mountainous regions of Vietnam and Laos, are known for their traditional textiles which feature cross-stitching and often indigo block printing. They have been given a second life and were re-cycled to make these lovely pillows.”

 

They offer a handful of one-of-a-kind Hmong pillows.  This one in purple is gorgeous

I love that mine is one of-a-kind. They have other hmong pillows, and lots of other global goods. I could make a really long wishlist of items from this store, but here are just a few:

These bronze hammered bowls would look glamorous and beautifully organic anywhere.

The color in this Mexican coverlet is so rich.

Thanks again to The Loaded Trunk! You can see all their treasures on the online shop.

SO..how do you think our living room is coming along so far? 

We still have some art to hang,  maybe a floor lamp for the corner behind the palm, and the rest of the throw pillows for the couch (I want a pillow that will tie in the colors from the curtains)

And how about that pillow from the Loaded Trunk?

I can't wait to hear what you guys think!

*disclosure: I received the Hmong pillow as a sample

You have read this article curtain diy / DIY / eclectic interiors / house tour / ikat / living room / my apartment / oriental rug with the title ikat. You can bookmark this page URL https://bellashabby.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-curtains-revealed-and-introduction.html. Thanks!

A great giveaway for designers and DIYer's from Lewis and Sheron Textiles!

So, on Tuesday I introduced you to my newest sponsor, Lewis and Sheron Textiles. Today I'm happy to announce that they are offering $100.00 in store credit to one lucky Decorology reader!

To enter for your chance to win, simply visit lsfabrics.com and browse through their amazing selection of fabrics. Come back to this post and leave a comment sharing the name of the fabric you would buy with your $100.00 credit, and what project you have in mind for the fabric. To comment on this post (scroll to the bottom of this post and right above "Labels" you will see a number followed by the word "comments." Click on the word "Comments." Or, you will see a link, "Post a Comment," which you click on to comment.

If you receive posts in your email feel free to respond to the email noting that you'd like to be entered in the drawing (don't forget to mention your favorite fabric!).

Below are a few more of my favorite fabrics...

"Tribal Thread" - I would love to reupholster my dining chair cushions with this.

"Parisenne" - I think would make some really cute, conversation starting table linens - napkins, placemats, or a runner.

The fabric above, "Westminster," would make a really fabulous upholstered headboard.

"Iskander" would be great for throw pillows.

I can't wait to hear what everyone's favorites are, and the projects you'd use them for! Post your comments by Dec. 8th, 6 PM EST, and I will draw the winner at random and announce the lucky reader the next day!

Good luck!

You have read this article damask / DIY / fabric / giveaway / ikat / suzani / textiles with the title ikat. You can bookmark this page URL https://bellashabby.blogspot.com/2011/12/a-great-giveaway-for-designers-and.html. Thanks!

My curtain conundrum - part two...

So a HUGE shout-out and thank you to Christine of Design with Christine. She's a CA based interior designer, and I'm in the process of designing her website for her. Last week she was kind enough to come up with an AMAZING solution for my little living room, in my little apartment, which I moved into about a month ago.

First, here's what we're dealing with.

 

Current living room situation. The couch with the tan curtains.  yuck. The couch is nice because it's a color that can look olive green in certain lighting, gray in others, and sometimes tan in others.

The rug is from Iran.  I really love it, but am thinking maybe a larger rug would fit this area better.  I love sisal, so I have my eye out for one I'd like - preferably with a black border. Behind the couch is a nook for my home office, and at the opposite end of the couch is our dining nook. The couch faces a wall with our TV and a bookshelf.

It's hard to tell, but the walls are actually a light aqua/robin's egg blue. (please pardon my currently untamed cords)

Last week, I published a post asking for some suggestions for a better curtain color.  My natural inclination was to turn to white - and some of you agreed.  The below is my curtains which I photoshopped white.  I liked it, but I did think something was missing.  I didn't get that "yes" moment from this image.

Without further ado here's what Christine suggests:

"Ashley,

First of all I want to say how super amazed I am at the photoshop job. That is pretty cool! I wish I could do that. I had two semesters of photoshop in college- but it didn't stick. However- the solid white curtains are not so cool. Why?

1. There is a disconnect between the rug, furnishings and curtains. Nothing is bringing them together. You need a unifier.

2. You need more pattern in the room. The strong pattern in the rug is off balance when it is the only pattern around.

3. You need more color in the room. Add color in the curtains, and also some throw pillows. There needs to be repetition of color here and there.

The good news? You can be done by this afternoon. I selected everything form West Elm.

You can still have your drapes light and airy- but add pattern and color."

Christine's West Elm picks: 

love these ikat curtains...

Christine continued 

"I would add to these a black canvas tape on the edge.  Keep in mind that when I say "color" beige is a color.  ;-)  Your window treatments should also be layered.  Add some black woven blinds to be the first layer.

Another exercise you can do is visually draw a horizontal line across the room.  Do you have balance?  Balance with color?  Balance with pattern?  Notice how in the room shot above, (and I know there are many angles we don't see)- there is a lack of balance.  All of the color and pattern are on the bottom of your horizontal line.  Another good reason to use patterned drapes.  The black woven shades will also bring more visual weight into the upper portion of the room, improving your currently bottom heavy lack of balance.  (awesome tip!)

Now- bring in more of your rug colors in some throw pillows."

and love the quilted pillows!!! Christine continued:

"Use one of these.  See the one on the right that is cut off that has the red and black in it?  I thought that would go great with your rug. 

You have white walls and that white needs to be brought into your room more.  (Except not in solid white drapes.  ;-)

Add a white pillow to the mix.

Didn't she come up with some awesome suggestions?!?
Definitely check out her blog - Design with Christine, where you can see the original post.

So, I did a quick photoshopping of what the curtains will look like...

I even added one of the quilted pillows.  I'll add lots more pillows to the couch, but I'm going to sew covers for them after I have new curtains.


I also originally planned to sew curtains - but I'm not sure if I'll beable to find an affordable fabric that's less expensive than just buying West Elm's.  The windows are quite large.  I'll need about 3 yards for each panel (3 panels).

I though this fabric was pretty close...and it's only $11/yd. on etsy.  What do you guys think?

 

It's definitely more gray, and has a higher percentage of white - but I think it will go well.

I had some other great suggestions from readers  (thanks!!).  One reader suggested a blue ikat - see below


via 6th Street Design School
I really like this as well - but as $23.99 a yard (from Calico Corners) it would be more expensive to make these than to buy the West Elm curtains. I'm also a bit afraid of so much contrast..hmmm..it's so pretty though..

So, again - a HUGE thanks to Christine - you're suggestions are spot on.  I will definitely post pictures when I've either made or bought curtains.

Thanks all and more suggestions/ideas are welcome!

You have read this article curtains / drapes / ikat / oriental rug / question / quilt with the title ikat. You can bookmark this page URL https://bellashabby.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-curtain-conundrum-part-two.html. Thanks!

A little showcase of artist homes

Wow. What a long week it has been. On a whim I was looking at some artist house tours and decided to share. Have a great weekend!

Shelagh Stewart's bedroom



"Artists Vik Muniz and Janaina Tschäpe find happiness in a Brooklyn home that has morphed from garage to bachelor pad to bohemian family retreat"



"...painter Anne Becker's peaceful New York apartment with global style"


...of the two above images: "Elizabeth Chapin is not afraid of bright hues. 'I love candy colors, both in my work and in my house,' says the portrait artist, who shares a Victorian home in Austin, Texas" with her family.

images via Elle Decor

You have read this article artist homes / artist loft / colorful / door headboard / eclectic decor / ikat / painter / painting / studio / textiles with the title ikat. You can bookmark this page URL https://bellashabby.blogspot.com/2009/08/a-little-showcase-of-artist-homes.html. Thanks!