Mantel Styling Inspiration

Mantels are tricky to decorate! I haven’t dedicated enough time to our fireplace mantel, and it’s one of my least favorite areas of our house. I just threw some extras up there and have never really styled it. Whatever, I guess – it’s fine for the next two months. (White ginger jars from Home Goods,…

(White ginger jars from Home Goods, Silver candy dishes from a thrift store, antiqued mirror from a flea market, Dala horses from eBay, art from Etsy and 20×200)

I have a few friends and clients who have been asking for mantel styling inspiration. And there are two fireplaces in our next place, so I could use a little inspiration myself.

DC Design House, via Washington Post

Domino

Elle Decor

Sara Story

James Brittain

Brown Design for HB

I like a pair of topiaries, orchards or other potted plants:

Carrier and Co

Sally Steponkus

Erik Kvalsvik

Domino

Brown Design for HB

I also like quirky little collections:

Elle Decor

Domino

Ann Mihn

I’ve noticed lots of off-centered pairings of two accessories (usually candlesticks):

Martensen via Desire to Inspire

Country Living

Michael Smith via Urban Grace

Loving a great pair of sconces flaking the fireplace mirror:

Elle Decor

Domino

I also love the layered look. A great big mirror and a few small pieces of art, plus a little accessory or two:

via Style Court

Sarah Richardson

Elle Decor

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Living Room

Seeking Simplicity

I love this kind of simplicity in a room. Quiet, but definitely not boring. Don’t you love those demure little frames on the botanical series? Do you think these are custom frames? And I like how the books are stacked on the shelves here. Also loving the little side table in front of the bookcase….

I love this kind of simplicity in a room. Quiet, but definitely not boring.

Don’t you love those demure little frames on the botanical series? Do you think these are custom frames?

And I like how the books are stacked on the shelves here. Also loving the little side table in front of the bookcase. And animal print is welcome in any and all of my rooms.

How was your weekend? Poor little Evie is sick – she’s very congested and is having a hard time keeping food down. I’ll admit that yesterday was not the most glamorous Mother’s Day, being covering in spit up and rocking a very sad little one most of the day. The nice thing was we all had an excuse to take it easy this weekend – lots of naps and movies. It was awesome.

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Inspiration

Some Fun Reader Projects

Here are some of the latest reader submissions: Ginger transformed two vases from a great store called Hunt & Gather in Raleigh, NC into these beautiful lamps. She added gold painted bases and updated shades. She says they bring her whole living room together: Gloria fell in love with this acrylic lamp from Target, but…

Here are some of the latest reader submissions:

Ginger transformed two vases from a great store called Hunt & Gather in Raleigh, NC into these beautiful lamps. She added gold painted bases and updated shades.

She says they bring her whole living room together:

Gloria fell in love with this acrylic lamp from Target, but the white shade was cheap looking,

so she covered it up with fabric and nail head trim from Joanns.

Jill from Stereos and Souffles painted dramatic horizontal stripes in her bathroom. It looks like she used radiator paint here? I like the metallic sheen.

My old friend, Bonnie, turned this orange Craigs list chair

into an AWESOME orange chair, for her son’s adorable nursery. She did a great job with the upholstery, didn’t she?

And check out the adorable bird mobile Bonnie also made for the room…

***UPDATE! If you want one of your own bird mobiles, Bonnie has an etsy shop here: babybubbo.etsy.com***

And Meaghan transformed this $20 Goodwill chair herself

into this

with a little pink silk on the back!

Thank you for your submissions everyone!

Have a project that you think my readers might enjoy? Please email photos to pearlstreetinteriors@gmail.com.

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Dining Room

Dining Room Dreaming

I love cooking and eating and congregating with friends and family, so it’s no surprise that I get excited by a great dining room. I’m so happy that the apartment we’ll probably get has a decent size dining area (with a fireplace! fun!) It’s a good thing too, because I already bought that huge farm…

It’s a good thing too, because I already bought that huge farm house dining table that, as it turns out, looks a lot like Tia Zolden’s here:

I can’t decide if I will paint out the wood, ebonize it or keep the current dark stain.

There are a couple of key items that we’re planning on spending a little money on after the move and good dining chairs are right at the top of the list. I want something really comfortable and really kid-friendly (and really gorgeous).

I’ve decided that a straight-back Louis chair is the winner. Probably with some different, bigger host chairs:

Robyn Karp

I have plans for upholstering the seats in faux ostrich and the chair backs will get a fun print probably, or at least a contrasting color.

Sort of like this Emma Jane Pilkington dining room. I love the colors here.

Ballard is a great source for Louis style chairs, and usually they accept COM orders. Apparently though, as I just learned, they won’t accept vinyl or leather. So I’d be stuck reupholstering the new chairs and basically the cost of the Ballard chairs in the lowest grade fabric, plus the faux ostrich and print yardage and the reupholstery cost = a bazillion dollars.

I don’t want to jinx it, but I think I found a local furniture manufacturer that will make my chairs (well, actually will just alter a current design they already produce) and use my ostrich+print for the initial upholstery. All for less than half of the cost of the Ballard chairs. I’m going to check out the warehouse next week I think, so I’ll keep you all posted.

Cottage Living

Elle Decor

Christopher Maya via Cote de Texas

Domino

House Beautiful

Elle Decor

Renovation Style via La Dolce Vida

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Why Don't You

Block Printed Fabrics

I’ve searched all my sources for block print fabrics, and none of the ones I know about have the perfect ‘navy print on a white or cream background’ that I need for a client’s drapes. Then I got to thinking…I’m pretty crafty, maybe I could get some white linen and a couple of antique printing…

I’ve searched all my sources for block print fabrics, and none of the ones I know about have the perfect ‘navy print on a white or cream background’ that I need for a client’s drapes.

Then I got to thinking…I’m pretty crafty, maybe I could get some white linen and a couple of antique printing blocks that are everywhere at flea markets, and try my hand at fabric printing.

This floral block would be very pretty with lots of white space.

We were imagining a paisley print, like this Peter Dunham fabric, but in white and navy and with more white space.

I like this paisley block or even this cheapy one.

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? Something like the fabric used for the curtains below would be ideal, though I know the design is more intricate than I could probably pull off:

OR! Does anyone know of a good source for fabric like this, in the same colors (I’ve checked all the usual sources for Indienne and block-printed textiles)?

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Musings

Blogger Flea Market – Would You Come??

I think we’ve found an apartment. It’s pretty awesome, but the reality of city living hit me as we toured the new place last weekend. I wish I was as lucky as Kelly Wearstler, to have a 10,000 sq ft storage room for all my favorite finds… via NY Times I’ve been planning on doing…

via NY Times

I’ve been planning on doing a yard sale here in Delaware, but recently Michael came up with the great idea of a big community sale in a nearby bigger city – where bloggers and readers alike could come together to buy and/or sell their furniture, home items, or anything else home decor related (for all you Etsy sellers out there). I know that I will have at least one moving truck full of furniture to unload.

If I coordinated a large flea market type set-up in July, would you come? Where would you be willing to drive to? (please vote below or leave a comment)

What city should the flea market be held in?

New York City (suburb)
Philadelphia
Washington D.C.

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If you’re interested in selling, especially, I’d love to get an email from you. I need to start organizing pretty soon if I’m going to make this happen.

It would be SO amazing to get to meet some of you lovely readers!

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Living Room

A Sectional I Could Get On Board With

Let’s just face it. Sectionals are more for function and comfort than for looks. While I still prefer a pair of sofas, there’s nothing like a little roll arm and kick pleat action to make a sectional beautiful. Sarah Gilbane is a genius. PS Check out the mirrored wall! They’re everywhere!

Let’s just face it. Sectionals are more for function and comfort than for looks.

While I still prefer a pair of sofas, there’s nothing like a little roll arm and kick pleat action to make a sectional beautiful. Sarah Gilbane is a genius.

PS Check out the mirrored wall! They’re everywhere!

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Furniture

More Sofa Inspiration

I’m convinced that I NEED this gorgeous four-seater sofa, exactly as it is here. Windsor Smith And probably a little tufted pillow or two. Or more. Tufted pillows for every seat in the house!

I’m convinced that I NEED this gorgeous four-seater sofa, exactly as it is here.

Windsor Smith

And probably a little tufted pillow or two. Or more. Tufted pillows for every seat in the house!

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Living Room

Pillow Talk

It would be pretty easy to fill a whole book with thoughts about throw pillows and how they are used/placed on a sofa: 1. Perfectly symmetrical Miles Redd Nate Berkus Phoebe Howard Nuevo Estilo Gil Schafer design*sponge Melissa Rufty Timothy Wealon Tobi Fairley 2. Coordinated, but not exactly symmetrical Can House and Home Summer Thornton…

It would be pretty easy to fill a whole book with thoughts about throw pillows and how they are used/placed on a sofa:

1. Perfectly symmetrical

Miles Redd

Nate Berkus

Phoebe Howard

Nuevo Estilo

Gil Schafer

design*sponge

Melissa Rufty

Timothy Wealon

Tobi Fairley

2. Coordinated, but not exactly symmetrical

Can House and Home

Summer Thornton

3. Free style

House Beautiful

Domino

Windsor Smith

What school of thought do you subscribe to?

It sort of depends on the room for me, but often I like a pair of big matching pillows on the ends and one or two odd ones in the middle. I usually like to keep it to four pillows per couch. Five is the absolute MAX for me.

What about you?

P.S. Karate chopped, perfectly fluffed, or casually smooshed?

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Living Room

Apartment Inspiration

In between taking care of kids, working and blogging, I like to find time to dream about decorating our next place. As you can imagine, that ends up being about 0.005 seconds per day. I’m starting fresh with our home decor (good for me (and you!), bad for husband). I love to change up the…

In between taking care of kids, working and blogging, I like to find time to dream about decorating our next place. As you can imagine, that ends up being about 0.005 seconds per day.

I’m starting fresh with our home decor (good for me (and you!), bad for husband). I love to change up the fabrics in our home often (pillows, drapes), so this go-round I’m making all the foundation pieces super neutral – gray, white, black or beige for the rugs, sofas, chairs and tables and many of the case goods (though, I still love me a red credenza or two!).

The color will come in with lamps, art, painted mirrors, curtains, pillows, skirted tables, things that are easier (relatively) to switch up when I get bored.

Remember Domino Editor in Chief Debroah Needleman’s apartment? Yeah, sort of like that. But a little more color thrown in, cause, you know, it’s still me.