Ottoman Revamp in the Making......

It is amazing what one can accomplish with a little coffee and extra time in the morning.......Remember what this looked like when I found her?

Here is the ottoman in the beginning stages.  I had stripped it, added webbing and burlap, and used spray adhesive to secure the foam in place during my last upholstery class.

Now I had to add a layer of cotton

And tack down the muslin

Once it is in place, I started stapling with my trusty Duo-fast Staple Gun.  Starting from the middle and working out to the sides, leaving a few inches open at the corners

I left the corners for last.  I hate this part.  I consider it practice before the real deal....this time wasn't too bad, but definitely not perfect.

Lastly, I trimmed the excess muslin as close to the staple line as I could get.  

Tomorrow I will make the piping to go around the mid section and start adding the fabric using the same steps as above.  I can't wait to try out the welting foot that I got for Christmas this year.

To be continued............

Grey as the Day......

The grey fabric wins by a landslide.  Thank you for all your input/comments.  I have to keep reminding myself that I have turned over a new leaf; I am a new woman.  I no longer want the bold, colorful patterns in my rooms.  This new chapter of my life is dedicated to being calm, serene, peaceful........(Can that happen with a baby and a renovation project?)

And that is exactly how I've sent the past few days.  I rediscovered House of Turquoise and have been going thru the archives, feeling all the more tranquil with each image.  If you haven't yet had the pleasure, go!  Especially on this wet dreary day......rain rain go away.

In other news, I am gearing up to start the ottoman project so check back soon.

Who is Christopher Farr?

And does he mind dining with me every evening?

Apparently he has been a rug designer for decades and just got into fabric design about 10 years ago. I'll take him in any form.

I originally fell in love with this fabric designer when I first laid eyes on "Carnival"



I have it in a raspberry colorway;



But I also discovered in my stash that I have it in "Ravenna"

The tan background is actually lighter in person.  The great thing is that the woman I bought it from on ebay had coated it with latex or something so it kind of feels like a soft version of oilcloth and is perfect for dining chairs that will inevitable be greeted with tiny sticky hands.

I envision it on this:

Pottery Barn Olivia Sofette

Or this (great storage):

Ballard Design Coventry Storage Bench

But will most likely get this (so I can see if I want one for every room.  I heart Nate)

Nate Berkus Studio Sofa

I'll probably just make a slip cover so I can change it up every once in awhile and I don't have enough fabric to do the pillows.

Expect to see finished product before Thanksgiving.......sorry.

New Fabric

I found some great 100% linen fabric at my nearest fabric store, Winmill, in Chinatown.

I couldn't decide between the grey or the navy so I bought both. At $8.99 a yard you can do that!

I love the grey, but am a sucker for blue.  I would like to be able to sell this before the move, but if I can't then it will have to live in our home for awhile.  So - what is universally more appealing to you?

The lighting isn't great today.  Spring is back in hiding :(  

Once I decide (with your help, please) I'll post the step by step upholstery process.  

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Purple? Really?

I am about to head to the fabric store to (finally) finish a project that has been sitting in the corner of the living room for too long.

My original thought was to try to salvage the leftover pieces of the Raspberry East Village material from my Rubie chair, but now I'm thinking neutral.......especially if it could be living in MY living room for awhile.  I forget that I will need furniture in the not too distant future for our new house.

So, I still have this project to do:

A pair of cane back chairs scored from the Brimfield Antique Show last year.  I envisioned them painted white with a fun patterned fabric like this one from Angie Hranowsky's personal home:

The last time I was in Charleston, I stopped at my favorite fabric store, gdc Home and saw this for much cheaper:

While it is lacking the beautiful gold accent color, I like the muted tones.  I'm not one to gravitate towards purple (for dresses yes, fabric no) so could this be a contender?

I also liked this fabric to accompany it:

If this is what I'm leaning towards, my purchases today will have to be pretty neutral.  I am shopping for these projects:

Stay tuned...........

Happy (belated) St. Patrick's Day

Ok, so I'm a day late on the green....but, really, can you ever get enough anyway?

My friend just bought a fantastic condo in Charlestown, MA that I will finally get to see this Saturday.  She is quite the decorator and has already got the painters in there this week.  She painted her bedroom grass green and I immediately thought of Kate Spade's green bedroom that circulated a few years ago.

Image credits: Canadian House & Home via Hello Gorgeous via Bandelle

I am loving the green with the bright white linens and black accents.  I am picturing a lot of gold knick knacks strewn around the room as well.  

Have you discovered Nate Berkus' line at HSN?  I'm loving these and the new lattice sheet sets and the furniture....

And nightstands........drooling over these:

They remind me of a sideboard I spied in Angie Hranowsky's portfolio 

My little sister has an art show in Brooklyn this weekend.......perhaps she can just swing by and throw them in her trunk?

Anyone in the Williamsburg area - go!

Steal This Deal!

I have always loved this style of sink, but never thought it would ever be in my price range.



I recently stumbled upon Katy Elliott's blog and realized that it could be possible!  She linked to this site offering similar versions for a fraction of the cost...um, hello $399 with free shipping!



Thanks Katy!

Don't forget to read the fine print though.  The front legs are made of wood instead of porcelain, hence the cheaper price.  But, I think I could live with that.  Could you?

Getting roped in.........

I recently saw these coiled rope knobs at Anthropologie and fell in l-u-v

 Maybe I should rethink the bathroom renovation.  Perhaps a little nautical theme since we're living closer to the beach...

Explore Polyvore!

I've been meaning to play on Polyvore, but was expecting it to be less user friendly than it actually is.  What a great surprise!  Just search, drag, and save!  Prepare to be sick of my polyvore creations for the next few weeks.....

This is an idea for the baby's room.  Since we don't know what it is, the room is pretty neutral in my head.  Green & blue for a boy and green & purple for a girl.

Baby Knowles by kknowles on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:

	IKEA | Fabric sofas | Chaises | KARLSTAD | Chaise, free-standing unit $350 - ikea.com
	Boys' Canvas Buckets | Pottery Barn Kids $24 - potterybarnkids.com
	Jumbo Rocking Horse | Pottery Barn Kids $180 - potterybarnkids.com
	Monkey Decals | Pottery Barn Kids $99 - potterybarnkids.com
	pottery barn kids | Fisherman Ceiling Lamp $89 - potterybarnkids.com
	Pottery Barn Kids | White Gallery Frames $20 $16 - potterybarnkids.com
	Sparrow Crib | giggle.com $690 - giggle.com
	Madeline Weinrib Atelier madelineweinrib.com
	Gold pouf 20 : Moroccan Leather Poufs : : Tazi Designs : : : tazidesigns.com
	Madeline Weinrib Atelier madelineweinrib.com
	C Bell Furnishing - Restored Mid Century Faux Bamboo Cabinet - 1stdibs 1stdibs.c

A little chuckle for the day......

I almost bid on this fabric on ebay yesteray but then forgot about it  and missed the deadline. I am a sucker for anything blue and white  and if you throw a little bamboo in there it is an added bonus.   I laughed hysterically for about 5 minutes after I read the  description and the post script......enjoy :) Fantastic Vintage Hollywood Regency Style  1960's Remnant. -I just love this fabric! When I think of the most  typical pattern in Hollywood Regency  textile design, it's always lattice work. This pattern looks  like it's meant to be bamboo as well. It's a medium weight  cotton which would work well for a cool upholstery project,  like a set of dinning chairs, or a fun summer shit dress. -The fabric is fresh and bright, no damage or fading. The white  of the lattice work pattern is still clean and bright without  yellowing against the medium blue background. -Marked "An Original Print Copyright Bloomcraft"  and "Dupont Zepel Stain Repellent". - Measures 80" x 56" Please contact me with any questions!  On Feb-28-10 at 18:33:13 PST, seller added the following information:  I'm sorry for the profanity above. Of course it should read  "shift dress" and not the other. Since a bid is on the item  I can't amend my spelling!

Someone Go Buy This

I was debating about getting this chair. The auction ends Mar 06, 201019:12:01 PST and there is currently only 1 bid on it. I inquired about shipping and it is $79 to Boston and Charleston so I think it is safe to say that is a flat rate for the entire east coast.

I envision her (aka Ophelia) maintaining her beautiful hue of gold and upholstered in a simple pattern to compliment the bathroom/vanity she rules over. Or, she'd be a great accent chair in a bedroom....or little girl's nursery :)

I decided not to bid for it since we have enough to move, so that is why I am sharing this little gem with you. Don't let it slip away.  I've bought from these dealers in the past and their stuff is great. Bid confidently and make me proud!

Octo-crave

I am obsessed with all things octopus.

I found this pillow for $52 in Provincetown, MA this summer at a fabulous store called Yates & Kennedy.  They don't have a website, but you can't miss it on Commercial St.  They have great sales after the high season ends (after Labor day).

Alas, I did not buy it.  I feared it would be too matchy matchy with a previous project hanging over the couch.

I have been obsessed with this image ever since I laid eyes on it at the Boston Design Center and then several times on blogs and design spreads.  But at this price, I'd never own it.

So, one day I decided to make it myself.

How you ask?

I just found an image online, took it to my local copy center, had them blow it up and cut it into thirds.  I must admit, the image was quite pixelated from the enlargement, but I planned to paint over it anyway.  I taped it down to my dining room table and painted over the image using a light grey color and shaded with a darker grey color.  Of course, right before I was done, my brush touched the white part of the paper and the octopus will forever look like it just relieved itself.  Oh well.

If I can do it, you can do it!

Next time, I will try to print the negative of the image so the background is dar like the print above.

I plan on doing a whale or shark image for a certain nursery room so I'll be sure to detail and document the steps.