Children’s Tables

I’m helping a friend decorate her new house and she is looking for a kid’s table to go with these chairs from Conran. She wants something similar to my kiddie table, that doesn’t look too juvenile. I got ours at Home Goods about six months ago: I love that it’s solid wood and sort of…

I’m helping a friend decorate her new house and she is looking for a kid’s table to go with these chairs from Conran.

She wants something similar to my kiddie table, that doesn’t look too juvenile. I got ours at Home Goods about six months ago:

I love that it’s solid wood and sort of a farmhouse style.

This one from PBK is beautiful, but it’s pretty expensive even on sale at $299.

I think that a taller (at least 18″ high) coffee or side table can make for a great kid’s table. And they’re always so cheap at yard sales and on craigslist.

Here are a couple from my friend’s craigslist that we’re considering. It’s fun to think outside the box with these. A little paint would go a long way in making these look more kid-appropriate. Sunshine yellow! Fire engine red! Leaf green!

The IKEA Lack side table also works great as a kid’s table. It is crazy cheap ($7.99), comes in a lot of colors, and is a great size especially for smaller spaces.
Do any of you readers have a good secret source for inexpensive but great kid’s tables?

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Inspiration

Children's Tables

I’m helping a friend decorate her new house and she is looking for a kid’s table to go with these chairs from Conran.

She wants something similar to my kiddie table, that doesn’t look too juvenile. I got ours at Home Goods about six months ago:

I love that it’s solid wood and sort of a farmhouse style.

This one from PBK is beautiful, but it’s pretty expensive even on sale at $299.

I think that a taller (at least 18″ high) coffee or side table can make for a great kid’s table. And they’re always so cheap at yard sales and on craigslist.

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Why Don't You

Painting Rugs

We currently have PB’s Collette rug (wool) under the dining table, but I’ve been planning to replace it for sometime with something a little more durable/stain resistant. I scored a great 8×10 Ballard seagrass rug for $90 (including shipping!) thanks to this post from Copy Cat Chic. So that will probably be going in the…

We currently have PB’s Collette rug (wool) under the dining table, but I’ve been planning to replace it for sometime with something a little more durable/stain resistant.

I scored a great 8×10 Ballard seagrass rug for $90 (including shipping!) thanks to this post from Copy Cat Chic. So that will probably be going in the DR since I love seagrass and I think it holds up really well in dining rooms.

BUT before I bought the seagrass, I had stumbled across this post from a google search on “painting rugs.”

The blog author used a very cheap (like $12) 9×6 outdoor rug, taped off a simple design and rolled on some paint.

I think the blue she chose is cute for the outdoors, but for a dining room, I would stick with black or white on the taupey gray rug base.

I think the possibilities here are pretty awesome: stripes! zigzags! Greek key! Trellis! Let your imagination run wild. Maybe try an over sized stencil from Whitewall & Co.?

And just in case it’s bugging you a little (like me) that the edges aren’t finished, you’ll be happy to know that most flooring stores will bind carpet for less than $2 per linear foot. For a little more, you can get thick twill tape, like they use on natural fiber rugs.

I’m sad that I don’t need to use this idea. Someone in need of a cheap, stylish and kid-proof dining room rug, please get creative and show me what you can come up with!!

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Musings

Girls Names

Hi friends, How was your weekend? I’m starting to feel better and was able to get some progress done on my dining room. I was talking to one of my girlfriends on the phone yesterday while I was painting my china hutch. I was telling (well, complaining to) her about how hard it is for…

Hi friends,

How was your weekend? I’m starting to feel better and was able to get some progress done on my dining room.

I was talking to one of my girlfriends on the phone yesterday while I was painting my china hutch. I was telling (well, complaining to) her about how hard it is for me to sleep at night lately, no matter how tired I am. I shared that I’m a little stressed out about how fast this pregnancy is going by. I’m in the third trimester already, I don’t feel prepared for her arrival and we definitely have not decided on a name yet. And to be honest, since this is our third daughter, I’m a little tapped out on girls names.

I saw this post on Sugar City Journal, and I was inspired to ask my stylish readers for their input. What are your favorite girls names? To give you a sense of our style, our favorites right now are

Evelyn
Annelise (or maybe just Elise?)
Vivian
Margot
Lillian

ALSO: does anyone know where I can get this exact bookcase? It needs to be wall-mounted.

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Furniture

The Office

I painted the 500 lb credenza over the weekend, which spurred the official decorating of my office. By Monday night the last coat of poly had cured and we brought the furniture inside. Tuesday morning I headed down to my basement to go ‘shopping’ for my sorely neglected office, a long and narrow room off…

The dreaded Before shot. The contents of my desk were all over the floor while my desk was getting a face lift.

Here’s how I put the room together with almost no money:

1. Revamped Parsons Desk

I bought a vintage Parsons desk on Craigslist a year or two ago for almost nothing. This is after I sanded it.

I had painted it a fun green color, but now I wanted a sort of dingy pale aqua color, similar to Martha Stewart for Valspar “Vintage Map.” Since the desk is pretty small, I decided to save money on paint and mixed my own color using some glossy white latex and a little bit of turquoise and brown acrylic craft paint.

I rolled on the paint with a mini-roller and did about three coats. After letting the last coat dry overnight, I used my favorite product – Wipe On Poly. Yes, it’s as easy and awesome as it sounds. Polyurethane sealer that you wipe on.

Action shots!!

Two good coats of Wipe-on in “Gloss” and 24 hours of curing time and the Parsons desk looked as good as new.

2. DIY Fabric Shade

I used about a yard and a half of linen from my stash and a roll of 1.5″ red grosgrain to make a fabric shade for the window. It still needs to be lined, but it’s not bad for a $0 project. Here are the instructions for making your own.

3. New (old) RED Credenza.

After reading this post from Nick Olsen a while back, I picked up a couple cans of Rustoleum’s ‘Saftey Red’ Spray Enamel at Home Depot for a client’s project. We ended up going with a different color scheme, but I kept the spray paint. And I’m so glad I was able to use it on this project! Isn’t it a fun color? The perfect orange-red.

Since I know you will ask — I did prime the credenza first. Well. Part of the credenza – just the top since that’s the part that gets the most wear.

I rolled on my trusty Zinsser and let it dry while I worked some magic on the dingy brass hardware with white vinegar and salt.

The credenza ended up needing two or three coats of the spray enamel. Because I invested $2.95 in this reusable spray painting nozzle/trigger/thing, my pointer finger and I are still on speaking terms. AND the paint job looks professionally sprayed.

The freshly painted credenza got two coats of Wipe-On Poly as well and it was done. I love the way the cleaned up brass hardware looks against the orangey red!

4. Pretty Inspiration Boards

I picked up a pair of very cheap cork boards and painted the frames with that same yellow paint that I used in my girls room (Martha Stewart “Olive Oil”). No need to tape or to be careful with the paint job here since the cork will be covered up.

I measured and cut up some old fabric that I bought for a project and never used (–Are you picking up on a theme here??) and simply ran a line of fabric glue around the border of the cork board. I glued one edge at a time and smoothed like crazy so that the fabric would lay perfectly flat. (PS the fabric is an outdoor print made by Waverly, called “Lovely Lattice” in Lagoon)

Then I fabric glued on some red gimp/trim to cover any imperfections or gaps in the border.

I hung up the refinished cork boards about five minutes before taking pictures, so I haven’t had a chance to really style them yet with inspiration stuff, but that can be a fun ongoing project.

The rest of the room was put together with stuff I already had. An IKEA rug, an eBay lamp, some prints from a vintage shop, etc.

And that’s it for my (basically) $0 office redo! I’ve got some sort of cold/flu situation happening, so I think I’m going to call it weekend. See you back here Monday?

xoxo, Jenny

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Furniture

Sneak Peek: Office

My office went from nothing to something special in about 5 hours yesterday. Total dollars spent = $45, and 40 of that was for this behemoth… I have to run off now to a furniture auction I just heard about called Dixon’s in Crumpton, MD. It’s supposed to be amazing. But please come back tomorrow…

My office went from nothing to something special in about 5 hours yesterday. Total dollars spent = $45, and 40 of that was for this behemoth…

I have to run off now to a furniture auction I just heard about called Dixon’s in Crumpton, MD. It’s supposed to be amazing. But please come back tomorrow for the full recap on my office face lift…

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Product Picks

Z Gallerie Aluminum Table (and Accessories Sale)

For those you bummed about missing out on the aluminum side tables I blogged about before, Z Gallerie has them for $99. If you buy them now with the promotion code M20, you’ll get an extra 20% off. What else am I loving that’s on sale now at Z Gall? Palmer Stool ($129.95 pre-sale price)…

For those you bummed about missing out on the aluminum side tables I blogged about before, Z Gallerie has them for $99. If you buy them now with the promotion code M20, you’ll get an extra 20% off.

What else am I loving that’s on sale now at Z Gall?

Palmer Stool ($129.95 pre-sale price)

Ceramic Pineapple ($29.95 pre-sale). I scored mine at Home Goods, but lots of readers have asked about it and said they struck out at their local HG. So here you go!

I know it’s trendy, but I still think clam shells are cool. ($49.95 pre-sale for the large, $99.95 for the X-large)

I’ve used these mother of pearl frames (from $19.95-$29.95 pre-sale) in a couple of projects they are so pretty in real life.

Studded Umbrella Stand ($79.95 pre-sale). I’m dying over the orange!

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Inspiration

Fun With Photoshop

I love the direction this client’s family room is going in. So bright and fun! Here’s a little photoshop mock up for you: Before: After: Isn’t it crazy what a little wallpaper and some accessories can do for a room – even when they’re just photoshopped in?? Can’t wait to show you pictures of the…

I love the direction this client’s family room is going in. So bright and fun! Here’s a little photoshop mock up for you:

Before:

After:

Isn’t it crazy what a little wallpaper and some accessories can do for a room – even when they’re just photoshopped in?? Can’t wait to show you pictures of the actual room once it’s finished…

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Accessories

Black Interior Front Door

Looking for a quick and inexpensive way to spruce up your entry this weekend? When I was helping with my mom’s living room updates, we decided to painted the inside of her front door black and we both love the difference it’s made in the room. Suddenly her front door has a presence… Before After…

Looking for a quick and inexpensive way to spruce up your entry this weekend?

When I was helping with my mom’s living room updates, we decided to painted the inside of her front door black and we both love the difference it’s made in the room. Suddenly her front door has a presence…

Before

After

This was a very fast project, accomplished in a single afternoon. Just a couple coats of black semi-gloss interior latex paint. (She also switched out the old light fixture for this sassy polished nickel chandelier from Lowes that was on clearance for $37)

I hope your weekend is already off to a great start!!

love,
Jenny

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Tips of the Trade

Latex vs Oil-Based Paint

Reader Sarah recently emailed me with pictures of her pair of beat up Bentwood chairs that she’s looking to fix up. She was hoping to get advice on upholstery and painting the frames. She wanted these chairs to really pop. Since she only has a pair, my suggestions were on the bolder side. I thought…

Reader Sarah recently emailed me with pictures of her pair of beat up Bentwood chairs that she’s looking to fix up. She was hoping to get advice on upholstery and painting the frames.

She wanted these chairs to really pop. Since she only has a pair, my suggestions were on the bolder side. I thought it would look great to paint the frames a bright orangey-red color and upholster the seats with this uber kid-friendly faux ostrich in aqua, which I happen to be using in another project for a client in Florida (Hi, Lisa!).

After writing Sarah back with my thoughts on oil-based vs latex paints, I figured I would bring up the topic here with you guys. I’ve painted dozens and dozens of furniture pieces in my time. I love the look and wear of oil-based paint on furniture, but I love the ease and convenience of using latex.

Side note: I recently tried the Behr Paint and Primer in one (latex) and I was pretty impressed with the results! I only had to do one good coat with a little touch up as a “second coat.” Not bad, though I wish it was available in a gloss finish.

Here’s a very basic outline of my experience with both types of paint:

LATEX (water-based) PAINT
My Uses:
Walls
Light-use furniture

Pros:
Easy clean up with water
Cheap and very accessible (lots of colors)
Dries to the touch fast

Cons:
Requires several coats usually to get even coverage, usually need primer
Can peel easily – especially if lower quality
Can take weeks to fully harden/cure

OIL-BASED PAINT
My Uses:
Heavy-use furniture
Floors
Mouldings

Pros:
GORGEOUS (to me) – amazing gloss and depth
Very durable
Covers stains remarkably well, without primer

Cons:
Stinky!
A pain to wash up after – as in, you need chemicals
Requires a steady hand and smooth application
Takes 12-24 hours (or more) to dry

Any other thoughts out there on the pros and cons of latex and oil-based paints?

Miles Redd’s black kitchen featuring oil-based lacquer; from the NYT.

Post Script: I’ve really been feeling the love lately from my readers! Thank you for all the kind and encouraging emails! I love getting each and every one and am trying my best to respond to everyone individually.

Also {trying to say this very nicely}, I’m not in the business of giving out free advice. If you’re looking to hire a decorator, please feel free to contact me about my rates and availability (more info here). Right now I’m am taking on clients to begin in the month of November.

If you have a single design predicament that you would like me to help with (like Sarah’s request for chair advice here), I charge $25 per question, payable via paypal. Please email pearlstreetinteriors@gmail.com for more information. Thanks!

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Musings

Hardware Obsession

I completely fell in love with this credenza posted a few weeks ago on Design*Sponge. I love the blue painted finish, but I really LOVE the amazing brass hardware. The image was filed away in my brain for future reference… Every Tuesday and Friday here in Dover, there is a flea market called Spence’s. It’s…

Every Tuesday and Friday here in Dover, there is a flea market called Spence’s. It’s a lot of junk – plastic knock off handbags and shady toiletries aplenty – but there is a healthy vintage/antiques section. Every time I go to Spence’s I’ve picked up one or two fun knick-knacks for around a buck each. Then we hit up the Amish food market for beautiful fresh produce and out-of-this-world baked goods. It’s been a fun weekly thing for our family.

Most of the flea market area is full of smaller stuff, but there is a tiny furniture section that’s never really tempted me before. Today though, I spied this guy under a pile of old table linens…
Hmm. Looks very familiar…

$40 later and he was mine.

So exciting, right? A couple coats of glossy oil-based paint and a little Bar Keeper’s Friend on the hardware will do wonders here. The plan is to put it in my office to hide my fax machine and giant printer/scanner. Can’t wait to show you the ‘after’ pictures!

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Bedrooms

Folding Screens

Comcast came this afternoon (hallelujah). While a week and a half without internet was horrible, I must admit that there were some very nice aspects of not being “connected” all the time. On Saturday I drove up to Philadelphia to meet up with a client for some shopping. We had great luck at a tiny…

Comcast came this afternoon (hallelujah). While a week and a half without internet was horrible, I must admit that there were some very nice aspects of not being “connected” all the time.

On Saturday I drove up to Philadelphia to meet up with a client for some shopping. We had great luck at a tiny little flea market called the Golden Nugget in Bucks County. Later we stopped by Stable Tables to place an order for a custom farm house style dining table made from reclaimed barn wood. (so excited about this!)

At one point in the trip we swung into a little antique shop in Flourtown, PA. There was a completely stunning white trellis folding screen that jumped out at both me and my client. Unfortunately it wasn’t for sale, but since then the idea of using a folding screen won’t seem to get out of my mind!

Here are a few inspiration images that I’ve had saved forever (and, as always, I love getting help from readers with the image credits for the many unknown sources).

I really love the dimension a folding screen brings to a space…