Furniture

New Blue Outfit

The silver-leafed cabinets are going to get some new clothes this week. Like I mentioned, the idea was for the cabinets to be an icy blue, (they are currently painted Benjamin Moore’s White Ice), but the sunlight in our apartment is so funny. It changes dramatically all day long and most of the time the…

The silver-leafed cabinets are going to get some new clothes this week. Like I mentioned, the idea was for the cabinets to be an icy blue, (they are currently painted Benjamin Moore’s White Ice), but the sunlight in our apartment is so funny. It changes dramatically all day long and most of the time the cabinets look pretty white actually. It’s nice, but there is a lot of white in our loft (walls AND floors), so I was hoping the color would have read as a little more blue than it does most of the time. I wanted a pale blue, but not as icy and with a *hint* of green.

Then I did what I should have just done in the first place. I picked up a $3 sample pot from Home Depot. I probably should have picked up a few colors while I was there for comparison’s sake, but as soon as I saw the color chip for Martha’s Sparkling Brook, I knew that’s what I wanted for the cabinets.

I tried a sample patch on the top left corner of the cabinet on the right. I love it. It’s similar to the old color, but different enough that it will be worth painting the cabinets again. It’s definitely more of what I envisioned in the first place.

Then I ran across this image of Ashley Whittaker’s living room today, and I think this is the inspiration my subconscious had all along. Decision confirmed.


Domino

Oh! And how could I possibly forget:


Elle Decor

(Speaking of Mr. Hadley – I’m dying to go to his Sotheby’s auction today and bid on that amazing Serge Roche mirror.)

Furniture

Mirrored (Silver-Leafed) Cabinets

Remember this post? I found two vintage fretwork cabinets for a steal at Everything Goes in Staten Island a while back. To sass them up a bit (and to give me some hidden storage), I silver leafed the inside of the existing glass panes. The original wood (it was sort of a fruit wood?) was…

Remember this post? I found two vintage fretwork cabinets for a steal at Everything Goes in Staten Island a while back.

To sass them up a bit (and to give me some hidden storage), I silver leafed the inside of the existing glass panes.

The original wood (it was sort of a fruit wood?) was not so pretty and I knew I wanted to paint it out. While I actually really liked the contrast of the dark color of the wood against the silver-leafed glass, we don’t always have the best sun light in our apartment, so I needed to go lighter with the color. I also needed something in the cool color family to balance out the gold tones of our yellow striped rug.

I ended up painting the cabinets a pale icy blue (Benjamin Moore’s White Ice OC-58), but I think I’m going to change the color this week — more on that later.

I love how the panes look kind of like antiqued glass now. You can see very blurry but not true reflections, which makes me happy to know I won’t have to actually watch myself when I’m parked in front of ridiculous reality shows (or when I’m doing my Tracy DVD’s! Yikes). Huge upside.

Another upside is that fingerprints are a total non-issue here like they would be with traditional mirror panes. I can’t see any of the Evie-sized smudges at all.

P.S. Do you see a little sneak peek of the navy buffalo check I’m considering for our dining chairs?

Blue

Honeycomb Mirror in Action

I finally bought the Pier 1 Honeycomb mirror a few weeks back and I’m loving it! Here’s a beautiful home in a recent issue of Southern Living that features the same mirror… I am obsessed with this over-sized lumbar pillow on the sofa! Scans via Fran’s beautiful blog, Green Street. Don’t forget to check out…

I finally bought the Pier 1 Honeycomb mirror a few weeks back and I’m loving it! Here’s a beautiful home in a recent issue of Southern Living that features the same mirror…

I am obsessed with this over-sized lumbar pillow on the sofa!

Scans via Fran’s beautiful blog, Green Street. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the images from the spread!

Reader DIY

Cloud Photography

I was so happy when Amber emailed me a month or two ago to introduce herself. I LOVE her style and her blog is quickly becoming a favorite. Look at Amber’s last great project. She went outside and took photos of pretty clouds and had one of the images blown up for $30. She framed…

I was so happy when Amber emailed me a month or two ago to introduce herself. I LOVE her style and her blog is quickly becoming a favorite.

Look at Amber’s last great project. She went outside and took photos of pretty clouds and had one of the images blown up for $30.

She framed the image in a large IKEA Ribba (no mat here, which is key to making it look like expensive modern art).

Go check out Amber’s blog if you haven’t already. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do!


Musings

Yellow Acrylic Tray

I need a tray just like this. Any ideas? I thought CB2 has something similar a while back, but no-go. via NYSD P.S. What do you think of the mirrored kitchen counter tops here? Gorgeous! But, I wonder how practical?

I need a tray just like this. Any ideas? I thought CB2 has something similar a while back, but no-go.


via NYSD

P.S. What do you think of the mirrored kitchen counter tops here? Gorgeous! But, I wonder how practical?

Living Room

Give Away: $100 to Lewis and Sheron!

I use Lewis and Sheron all the time and can completely vouch for their online customer service skills. That doesn’t mean I’m not totally jealous of all you lucky Atlanta readers that can visit L&S in person! The easiest way to spruce up your home is to introduce a new fabric with some pillows, a…

I use Lewis and Sheron all the time and can completely vouch for their online customer service skills. That doesn’t mean I’m not totally jealous of all you lucky Atlanta readers that can visit L&S in person!

The easiest way to spruce up your home is to introduce a new fabric with some pillows, a little stool or bench or some new drapes. L&S is giving away another $100 to one of you readers. Here are some ideas to get you thinking about how you would use the gift card:

Josef Frank fabrics are bright, bold and…expensive.

Get the look for less with this cheery botanical.

I love the damask on these wing chairs. I think the less graphic, more washed out look is nice.


House Beautiful

Here’s an upholstery weight substitute fabric:

Tobi Fairley used this green geometric for these great wing backs:

Red on red trellis sort of reminds me of David Hick’s La Florentina.


I will never not love this little skirted zebra ottoman featured in Cottage Living and this fabric is a dead ringer:

Toile can be really sophisticated in the right space (like this Paris apt featured in Elle Decor, via Habitually Chic). This inexpensive toile is a good choice.

Paisley feels really fresh to me right now.

This red floral is an inexpensive Chiang Mai Dragon look-a-like.

I love arm chairs in a pretty suzani print.

Kravet’s Lutron in this mushroom and teal colorway is a more subdued way to take on a big pattern and some color.

This inky, dark print would be as kid and pet-friendly as it is stylish on a piece of furniture:

Enter to win $100 to Lewis and Sheron by visiting their website and leaving a comment on this post with what fabric you would chose and what you would do with the yardage.

Contest closes Sunday, March 28 at midnight. The winner will be chosen at random and this post will be updated with the winner’s name.

Good luck!

***CONGRATULATIONS to Arlynn! We’ll be in touch with your gift certificate! Thanks!!***

Inspiration

Faux Tortoise Shell Mirror

I stopped in to Todd Romano’s lovely store the other day to look at some Bob Collins fabric for a client. While I was there (after getting distracted by the table covered in juicy Christopher Spitzmiller lamps) I noticed this beautiful bamboo mirror in a blue faux finish and couldn’t stop thinking about it all…

I stopped in to Todd Romano’s lovely store the other day to look at some Bob Collins fabric for a client. While I was there (after getting distracted by the table covered in juicy Christopher Spitzmiller lamps) I noticed this beautiful bamboo mirror in a blue faux finish and couldn’t stop thinking about it all day. I started thinking about trying a faux finish on one of my mirrors.

I’ve had my heart set on trying a tortoise shell finish. And then I saw this amazing table in this month’s House Beautiful and I love the idea even more. Miles Redd had it painted to look like green tortoise shell.

I did some googling and came up with this image for inspiration.

The next step is getting the technique down. Does anyone have any experience with tortoise shell faux finish? Or maybe a good book to recommend?

(PS This Ballard mirror (which is 20% off right now!) would be a good choice for a project like this. You’ll want to go as simple as possible with the face of the moulding for a more realistic look.)

Kids Room

Top O’ the Morning To You

Wishing you a very happy St. Patty’s Day! Some favorite images with a bit (or a lot) of green… Robert Passal via Full House Milton Avery via Aubrey Road Kate Spade Green artichoke lamps on eBay Sheila Bridges Gracie Wallpaper Style at Home Blanca Gomez via A Cup of Jo

Wishing you a very happy St. Patty’s Day! Some favorite images with a bit (or a lot) of green…


Robert Passal via Full House


Milton Avery via Aubrey Road


Kate Spade


Green artichoke lamps on eBay


Sheila Bridges


Gracie Wallpaper


Style at Home


Blanca Gomez via A Cup of Jo

Why Don't You

DIY Branch Chandelier

Like DIY modern art, it is also tricky to really pull off DIY lighting solutions. There have only been a few projects out there that I really like (here was a good one). But I can’t get over how great this lighting project is. The owners of Abilene Bar in the Carrol Gardens neighborhood of…

Like DIY modern art, it is also tricky to really pull off DIY lighting solutions. There have only been a few projects out there that I really like (here was a good one).

But I can’t get over how great this lighting project is. The owners of Abilene Bar in the Carrol Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn needed inexpensive lighting for their restaurant and came up with this idea.

They layered many of these simple and inexpensive socket adapters from Home Depot together to create a coral or branch effect. The best part is there is absolutely no hard-wiring required. The first socket just screws right into your existing light bulb socket. Completely genius!

I like the white sockets seen here, but I’d also consider spray painting the outside of the sockets red or gold.

Image sources: Time Out NYC, NY Mag

Living Room

Colorful Modern Art

You’ve probably seen that poster that says “Modern Art = I could do that + Yeah, but you didn’t.” DIY versions of modern art are harder to pull off than they might seem. Something tells me that trying a design like these below would be a little more doable, especially if your math skills are…

You’ve probably seen that poster that says “Modern Art = I could do that + Yeah, but you didn’t.” DIY versions of modern art are harder to pull off than they might seem. Something tells me that trying a design like these below would be a little more doable, especially if your math skills are better than you brush work.

Pure Green Living Magazine


Elle Decor, via Anne Sage

P.S. Notice how these modern pieces are paired with more traditional/antique furniture and rugs. It’s the mix that will make your friends wonder how much you paid for that lovely piece of art. It would not be a good idea to put art like this in a room full of IKEA furniture.
Product Picks

$500 Give Away to Pier 1

This post brought to you by Pier 1. All opinions are 100% mine. A couple months ago, Pier 1 invited me to stop into their 5th Ave store to take photos of my favorite holiday wares. It was so much fun that I jumped at the chance to stop in again to see their new…

This post brought to you by Pier 1. All opinions are 100% mine.
A couple months ago, Pier 1 invited me to stop into their 5th Ave store to take photos of my favorite holiday wares. It was so much fun that I jumped at the chance to stop in again to see their new spring line. And guess what? Pier 1 is offering up a $500 gift card to one of you lucky readers!
Want to see what caught my eye at Pier 1? I was pretty impressed by their outdoor furniture line. We have a rooftop deck and I think some of these pieces would look great up there now that the weather is warming up. I loved this pretty rattan chair with the creamy white cushion:

And aren’t those velvet pillows pretty? They’re an additional 20% off right now. (PS if you sign up for the Pier 1 Outdoor newsletter, you’ll get additional sale info and coupons)

I also loved this wing back style wicker chair:

There was a settee in this style too that I also really liked.

For my outdoor space, I would mix a pair of one of the rattan chairs from above with a couple of fun accents chairs, like this scrolled peacock chair:

Or a pair of these teal lacquered arm chairs:

I also really liked this little wooden accent chair:

I would also throw in a fun outdoor rug or two:

And speaking of rugs, I really loved this wool ombre rug:

I was impressed with the quality of the wool given the price…

There were some really fun accessories at the store too, like this backgammon table:

And these enamelware canisters in a pretty mint/jade color. I like the more modern font.

I couldn’t resist buying one of these beautiful bowls.

They sort of remind me of a giant clam, but are a little more functional and can be used in the kitchen. Also these would be great for larger flower arrangements.

I really love these marbled glass tumblers, but I couldn’t decide between the acid yellow or the cornflower blue.

Cute resin coasters for a summer bbq!

I picked up a set of these porcelain mushrooms for the built-ins in my girls room:

Wouldn’t this chest of drawers be great painted or leafed?

I love the serpentine shape.

There were some really amazing chair offerings at Pier 1. Check out this bergere style arm chair:

The quilted paisley fabric feels very Anthropologie, but at a fraction of the price.

Sort of a rustic Louis style chair:

This is one of my favorite finds of the day. $160 for a really lovely slipper chair. The pattern on the fabric will mix really well with other patterns and colors.

This chair was another favorite. It was really comfortable and a complete steal at $370. I would put a pair in a living room with a solid, more neutral sofa. I would also add some brass casters to the feet.
Isn’t that fabric fun? And I love how it pairs with the Lulu DK-esque brown velvet pillow (which is on sale for $18).

So, who wants a $500 gift card to spend on some of these gorgeous goods at Pier 1? Here are the official contest rules. You have two way to enter:

1) Leave a comment on this post stating how you spend the $500 at Pier 1.
–OR–
2) If you’re a twitter user, tweet a link to this give away and include the hashtag #Pier_1_Imports. (And don’t miss out on the next Pier 1 Tweetups events!)
Contest ends on April 15. Good luck!

**Update: Pier 1 has received some direct emails from some readers wanting to enter the contest. To be clear, the only two ways to enter the contest are to leave a comment here on LGN or to tweet. Thanks!

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Living Room

Moody Blue Silk Drapes

**A quick little update: I know you guys love my personal home and client decorating projects best (those are my favorite posts, too). I promise I’m not holding out on you without good reason. I’ve got some exciting things in the works that unfortunately prevent me from posting pictures just yet. But don’t worry –…

**A quick little update: I know you guys love my personal home and client decorating projects best (those are my favorite posts, too). I promise I’m not holding out on you without good reason. I’ve got some exciting things in the works that unfortunately prevent me from posting pictures just yet. But don’t worry – I’m taking lots of photos of projects and I promise to share everything when I get the green light.**

I love mixing fabric textures in a room – linens with velvets with silks. But with kids in the house, the silks usually need to be pillows or curtains. Fine by me – I love silk curtains! I found an inexpensive silk fabric source in the garment district and had planned to just make my own panels. But then I stumbled on these panels at JC Penney for about $50 each. Real silk with lining? I couldn’t pass that up.

I bought four panels for my long window wall, which should be just enough width to combine and make two very wide panels. I bought them extra long so I could sew in my own pleating (tutorial on the way!).

I got the Ming Blue color which, despite the preview color on the JCP site, looks like a mix between all of these curtains below. A dark, moody slate blue. I’m loving it.


Kate Spade


Windsor Smith

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