Sometimes Cheap is Good

I don’t always recommend buying cheap stuff. But, you know, sometimes cute and cheap just hits the spot. CRAZY cheap ikat bedding for folding up at the foot of the bed Strangely cute bedding from Wal-mart? Perfect for kids rooms. I went to IKEA a couple of days ago to pick up some curtains for…

I don’t always recommend buying cheap stuff. But, you know, sometimes cute and cheap just hits the spot.

CRAZY cheap ikat bedding for folding up at the foot of the bed

Strangely cute bedding from Wal-mart? Perfect for kids rooms.

I went to IKEA a couple of days ago to pick up some curtains for a client. I spotted the Trollsta side table in yellow and liked it.

I like this new gray dresser too. Cool legs.

I’m considering these floral shades for the girls’ next room, to layer under drapes.

Don’t Billy’s look so much better flanked by these sliver shelves and with the lighting? (anything looks better next to Evelyn though, imho)

What have you seen around lately that’s cheap and good?

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Tips of the Trade

Upholstery Charts

Oh happy day! I’ve scheduled a pick up with my upholsterers to come and get my sofa and maybe a chair…or two…and maybe some x benches. {If anyone local is wondering, I use Jensen’s Work Room in Elkton, MD. They are inexpensive, really good and very fast. Tell them I sent you.} Bye bye, green…

Oh happy day! I’ve scheduled a pick up with my upholsterers to come and get my sofa and maybe a chair…or two…and maybe some x benches.

{If anyone local is wondering, I use Jensen’s Work Room in Elkton, MD. They are inexpensive, really good and very fast. Tell them I sent you.}

Bye bye, green linen. Hello, ivory velvet!

I do have plans for reupholstering a couple of chairs myself for the new apartment, but the pieces mentioned above would take me more than 20 hours of labor – more than I can give right now.

It’s been exciting to go fabric shopping for these upholstery projects (speaking of which, I have a fun new collaboration to announce soon!). Here are the pretty standard, but really handy, yardage charts that I like to reference when I’m planning to reupholster a piece of furniture.

Don’t forget that if you’re using a patterned fabric, the yardage will go up a lot, depending on the size of the pattern’s repeat. And of course these charts are just rough estimates. If your furniture is newer and you know the manufacturer, you should call them for guidance on yardage. Or talk with your upholsterer.

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Bathroom

The Absolute Perfect Apartment

I am endlessly inspired by Kate and Andy Spade’s NYC apartment. As we are looking for our own place in the city to move to next month, I can’t help but want to put ‘french doors’ and ‘herringbone floors’ and ‘knee-high base boards’ at the top of my secret list and just hope those features…

I am endlessly inspired by Kate and Andy Spade’s NYC apartment.

As we are looking for our own place in the city to move to next month, I can’t help but want to put ‘french doors’ and ‘herringbone floors’ and ‘knee-high base boards’ at the top of my secret list and just hope those features coincide with ‘great school’, ‘easy commute’ and ‘fantastic neighborhood’ (not to mention ‘affordable’!!).

These images are old news for most of us, but I feel like there’s something fresh to enjoy each time I go through my “Spade Apt” folder.

There’s not a thing I would change about this home. Seriously.

It’s modern, traditional, spunky and fresh, all at once.

Most images via Mrs. Blandings, Habitually Chic, and Style Court

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Kids Room

Children's artwork

This post on Rambling Renovators reminded me how much I love it when parents decorate with their children’s artwork. Sixx Design Betsy Burnham

This post on Rambling Renovators reminded me how much I love it when parents decorate with their children’s artwork.

Sixx Design

Betsy Burnham

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Kids Room

Children’s artwork

This post on Rambling Renovators reminded me how much I love it when parents decorate with their children’s artwork. Sixx Design Betsy Burnham

This post on Rambling Renovators reminded me how much I love it when parents decorate with their children’s artwork.

Sixx Design

Betsy Burnham

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Bedrooms

Lonny Jewelry Armoire

Remember this photo from Lonny’s third issue? I didn’t notice before that the little chest is actually a jewelry armoire. (probably because I couldn’t stop staring at the gorgeous venetian mirror!) I did a quick search on my local craigslist and came up with a couple of options for my bedroom that could have a…

Remember this photo from Lonny’s third issue?

I didn’t notice before that the little chest is actually a jewelry armoire. (probably because I couldn’t stop staring at the gorgeous venetian mirror!)

I did a quick search on my local craigslist and came up with a couple of options for my bedroom that could have a similar feel with a little paint and some new knobs.

If you want something brand new, this jewelry/lingerie chest from Wal-mart is pretty darn close, though I wish the legs were a little more delicate. I would add these tiny bun feet to the bottom.

Don’t forget to add some pretty hardware.

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Bedrooms

Green Tufted Headboard

I stumbled across this headboard again the other day, and it made me happy that I can still copy Chloe Warner’s bedroom to a tee if the mood strikes. P.S. Did you know there are some Domino videos on Youtube? Here’s a little house tour from Chloe Warner where we can get a glimpse of…

I stumbled across this headboard again the other day, and it made me happy that I can still copy Chloe Warner’s bedroom to a tee if the mood strikes.

P.S. Did you know there are some Domino videos on Youtube? Here’s a little house tour from Chloe Warner where we can get a glimpse of her bedroom. She has a gorgeous apartment in San Francisco.

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Inspiration

Winner! L&S Fabrics Give Away

Congratulations to Megan, who was randomly selected as the winner of the L&S fabrics $100 give away!! Here’s Megan’s choice – Essence in citrine. Won’t this print be gorgeous on her chaise? Pssst… I was blown when I opened up Megan’s photography portfolio today. This shot’s a total winner (if this were my child, I…

Congratulations to Megan, who was randomly selected as the winner of the L&S fabrics $100 give away!!

Here’s Megan’s choice – Essence in citrine. Won’t this print be gorgeous on her chaise?

Pssst… I was blown when I opened up Megan’s photography portfolio today. This shot’s a total winner (if this were my child, I would blow the image up to 30×40 and put it in a simple white frame), but her newborn shots make my heart absolutely melt. If you live in VA, MD or DC, you should book Megan.

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Inspiration

Winner! L&S Fabrics Give Away

Congratulations to Megan, who was randomly selected as the winner of the L&S fabrics $100 give away!!

Here’s Megan’s choice – Essence in citrine. Won’t this print be gorgeous on her chaise?

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Kids Room

Full House Girls’ Room – The Details

I know a lot of you have seen Christina’s twin girls’ GORGEOUS room, but I love it too, and had to post about it. PLUS, Christina and I are actually like second cousins or something (and we’ve never met before – I love blogging.) I played the “We’re family – give me the detes on the room” card, because I know you’re all as anxious as I was to hear all the what’s and where’s with this adorable space.

Turns out Christina pulled together this room for less than $250. And it happened my favorite way – with lots of DIY and a healthy dose of bargain and thrift shopping.

Christina searched through her Benjamin Moore decks for the perfect pink wall color but ended up using Coy Pink from Behr. Such a pretty color!

The duvet covers were made with two flat sheets from Wal-Mart and vintage trim was sewed onto the tops of the covers.

The wallpaper-esque panels behind the beds are actually pieces of big cardboard that were modge podged with scrapbook paper. Then Christina had MDF trim from Home Depot cut to fit around the cardboard panels.

Christina picked up the most inexpensive shelves she could find at IKEA and covered them in burlap. Then she spray painted the cheap silver hardware off-white.

Resources:

*beds – Craigslist $20 (painted these white)

*vintage lucite chair – Craigslist (payed an additional $30 to have the cushion reupholstered)

*vintage wicker chair – Craigslist $10 (spray painted)

*dressing table – vintage, already had

*green stool – Home Goods $30

*2 Flower mirrors above beds – Home Goods $25 each (Does anyone know a cheaper-than-$500 resource for these?)

*pillows – Home Goods $30 total

*monogrammed pillow cases – Wal-Mart $5 (Christina’s mom monogrammed these, but it’s easy to find a local shop to do something similar)

*upholstery fretwork fabric – Home Fabrics $50

*watermelon silk velvet trim – SAS Fabrics $7

*watermelon fabric on cushion – SAS $1

*vintage Mar Lou Goertzen flower prints on shelves – thrifted $2.50

*owl bookends – thrifted $3

*vintage My Book House books – thrifted $10 (can be found on Ebay by searching “my book house sets”)
vintage initials – $2

*trophies – thrifted $2

*lamp – thrifted $5

Big thanks to Christina for sharing her sources! It’s clear that trolling Craigslist and eBay and shopping at thrift stores pays off in a big way. Those are some lucky girls who get to sleep in such a stylish room – and who have such a talented mom!

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Kids Room

Full House Girls' Room – The Details

Turns out Christina pulled together this room for less than $250. And it happened my favorite way – with lots of DIY and a healthy dose of bargain and thrift shopping.

Christina searched through her Benjamin Moore decks for the perfect pink wall color but ended up using Coy Pink from Behr. Such a pretty color!

The duvet covers were made with two flat sheets from Wal-Mart and vintage trim was sewed onto the tops of the covers.

Christina picked up the most inexpensive shelves she could find at IKEA and covered them in burlap. Then she spray painted the cheap silver hardware off-white.

Resources:

*beds – Craigslist $20 (painted these white)

*vintage lucite chair – Craigslist (payed an additional $30 to have the cushion reupholstered)

*vintage wicker chair – Craigslist $10 (spray painted)

*dressing table – vintage, already had

*green stool – Home Goods $30

*2 Flower mirrors above beds – Home Goods $25 each (Does anyone know a cheaper-than-$500 resource for these?)

*pillows – Home Goods $30 total

*monogrammed pillow cases – Wal-Mart $5 (Christina’s mom monogrammed these, but it’s easy to find a local shop to do something similar)

*upholstery fretwork fabric – Home Fabrics $50

*watermelon silk velvet trim – SAS Fabrics $7

*watermelon fabric on cushion – SAS $1

*vintage Mar Lou Goertzen flower prints on shelves – thrifted $2.50

*owl bookends – thrifted $3

*vintage My Book House books – thrifted $10 (can be found on Ebay by searching “my book house sets”)
vintage initials – $2

*trophies – thrifted $2

*lamp – thrifted $5

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Musings

Save the Date

It’s official – Saturday, July 31 will be the date of the big sale. We’re going to hold it in the Washington D.C. area. Here’s where you come in. 1. Does anyone know of a big, empty parking lot that we could use for the sale? We could maybe use a field, but I worry…

It’s official – Saturday, July 31 will be the date of the big sale.

We’re going to hold it in the Washington D.C. area.

Here’s where you come in.

1. Does anyone know of a big, empty parking lot that we could use for the sale? We could maybe use a field, but I worry about having a problem with mud. We need LOTS of space for parking and other sellers.

2. Who wants to sell with me? I’d love an email from you.

I have reserved a 26-foot truck for that weekend to haul out all my goodies and can’t wait to see what the other sellers will bring. The only catch is that I’d like to keep the wares limited to furniture and other home-related goods.

Stay tuned for more info (including a preview of what’s coming on my truck). This is going to be really fun! I only wish I was coming as a buyer.

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