Color Me Happy
It’s often hard to find accessories that match your specific color scheme. Well Jonathan Adler has you covered. With his new fancy-shmancy online tool you can create your own pillows, rugs, and tote bags in whatever color combination your heart desires. But be warned… the site is super addictive. Here are some combinations that I love!!
Happy coloring!
Faux Picture Frame Moulding
I recently saw a commercial for Scotch Blue Painter’s Tape that showcased this awesome feature wall…
The orange and red color scheme is pretty bold but I think the same wall would look fabulous in a crisp navy and white. Here’s how to get the look:
Colorsplash Inspiration
One of my favorite new designers is David Bromstad because he doesn’t play it safe with color. I’m loving these rooms he designed in San Francisco and Miami…
the BEFORE:
the AFTER:
I love the classic chairs and lighting he chose. I’d like to find a similar chair for my living room but for less than $600 per chair.
the BEFORE:
the AFTER:
It doesn’t even look like the same house!
the BEFORE:
the AFTER:
The glass installation was gorgeous and really changed the mood of the room. You could do a cheaper version with glossy paint on an accent wall.
Love him! His designs can be a bit pricey but many of his dramatic elements are just paint! And paint is cheap and easy! You can check out more about this makeover and David Bromstad’s show, Color Splash here.
The Grass is Always Greener
The day Texas inevitably hit triple digits the husband and I attempted to spruce up the lawn. We ventured to Home Depot to rent a tiller and the tool-renter man helped us get it into the SUV. (Who knew something the size of a lawnmower could be so heavy.) Back at the house, without the little tool man, the husband had the brilliant idea to rig a plywood ramp to get the awkward machine out of our too-tall SUV… I know you’re imagining some horrific catastrophe that might send one to the ER, but surprisingly… it worked!
Seeding a lawn is actually very simple. You remove loose rocks and debris, til the soil, level out the dirt, and then spread the seed. Going into the project I knew the first step would be the most time consuming. You see, the previous homeowner had spread goldfish-pond-like rocks to extend the patio area instead of large, normal size stones or pavers. So there I was, picking up 32 gallons of small white rocks… by hand. About three inches below small white rocks, dirt, and one very heavy stepping stone I discovered why that particular part of our yard is always muddy… apparently we have a sprinkler head there. Good to know.
The dog shadowed Brad throughout the entire process. As he tilled, she dug two feet behind him, making corners like a show dog. Now if only she would do that on the sidewalk…
{After removing the small rocks, we tilled the soil.}
{Next, we leveled out the dirt.}
{And finally, we seeded the lawn using a broadcast spreader.}
I thought planting grass would be an all day event but it really only took about 2 hours. I guess I didn’t take into consideration our relatively small “city yard.”
Here’s the backyard BEFORE all of our backbreaking labor:
And AFTER:
Our backyard is a long shot from the impeccably landscaped yards of Highland Park, but at least now our grass is a little greener. :)
Pretty Profile Pillow
I saw this super cute pillow at West Elm (for $29) but I had enough leftover fabric and paint to make one myself (for free)!
{West Elm Profile Pillow Cover}
I measured a pillow I had lying around and sewed a simple pillowcase with two straight lines. I then designed a silhouette stencil on the computer and cut it out with an Xacto knife.
Liquid fabric medium makes acrylic paint apply much smoother. Just like preschool – color within the lines! Let it dry before trying to remove the stencil.
And there you have it! A classic design that makes for a fabulously whimsical pillow.
DIY Headboard
A new headboard was destined to be the second phase of our bedroom makeover. Our old metal headboard was a little wimpy and not really our style. (Plus, it reminded me of a jail cell.)
Our limited budget meant buying a new bed was out of the question. Enter 15 feet of moulding, some plywood, and a few 2×4’s.
Here’s the plan:
We didn’t own a mitering box but luckily Home Depot had one in their moulding cutting center. We were able to cut our moulding to size and didn’t have to buy extra materials we didn’t need!
We reinforced the plywood with 2×4’s and screwed it in from the front.
I painted all of the pieces before assembling to avoid painter’s tape and precise painting.
We then attached the moulding with liquid nails adhesive and small finishing nails.
To hide the nails we used a (very) small countersink and hammered directly on top of the nail. This drives the nail a little deeper into the wood and makes it possible to fill in the hole with spackle for a smooth finish.
The moulding went together really quickly and before I knew it we were done!
As for mounting the heavy thing to the wall… We attached a leftover 2×4 to the wall using (big) drywall anchors. The headboard fit over it and we anchored the headboard through the top.
The finished headboard created a much needed focal point and reflected the clean lines of the bedding.
The breakdown:
3.5″ MDF Moulding – $23.70
Quarter Round Moulding – $6.30
Three 2×4’s – $7.50
1/2″ Birch Plywood - $31.77
Leftover paint from other projects – free!
TOTAL: $69.27
Side note: This project can be completed with less expensive lumber but it’s important not to skimp on cheap materials (i.e. plywood), it will show in the end.
Adding some life to our backyard
One of the best things about summer is sitting out on the porch and enjoying a nice glass of lemonade… unless you’re looking at a dead lawn with no foliage. Makes the lemonade seem a little more sour. We have one corner of our yard that is particularly dead and uninviting.
Our sad little corner:
Tired of looking at a bare corner, we ventured to Home Depot and the Farmer’s Market. We decided to create a raised flowerbed with pavers and a truck full of top soil.
First, we lined the fence with stones so the moisture from the soil didn’t rot the wood.
Then the pavers were stacked to create the wall of the flower bed.
Hayley thoroughly enjoyed us sprucing up her yard. :)
After the wall was complete we dumped in the soil and planted our hydrangea.
To add some color I lined the bed with pink and red impatiens. (They are one of the few flowers that can survive in shade.)
It was a quick project with some major impact. No more empty corner!
Now, who wants lemonade?
Garage Overhaul
With summer upon us and more upcoming projects we thought it would be a good time to organize the garage. Last year, we added durable Elfa storage from Container Store and it’s been a huge help! So this year the garage just needed some tweaking.
Here’s the space once we pulled everything out. (Excuse the crappy iPhone photo, I had to sneak this one.)
We made three piles: Keep, Trash, and Donate. Lucky for us bulk pickup was a few days later, but Donate was the bigger pile. Yay! We Picked up some clear bins from Home Depot – small shoebox size all the way to the big ones – and started sorting. Like items are put together in boxes until they become full. Then they’re labeled and put on the shelf. Easy!
Here’s some progress… The husband looks less than thrilled. He doesn’t enjoy the organization process quite like I do.
After a few hours of sorting, labeling, and cursing the small garage… everything found a place. Miraculously, we even had room to turn the bottom shelf into a workbench!
the AFTER:
The lawnmower is replaced with a folding chair and viola! Instant workbench!
Anyone else doing some overdue spring cleaning?
Vintage Wallpaper Inspired Paintings
The day after we moved in to our new home, I painted the master bedroom a rich chocolate color. (One day was all I could take of the DMV-beige color scheme.) We love the new wall color but it happened to highlight a less than attractive (and outdated) intercom system… which previously blended in with the beige. Oh, I’d also like to point out that before we painted I removed and patched another dysfunctional wall apparatus… an alarm system keypad that wasn’t even connected to our alarm system. Our master bedroom had more controls and keypads than NASA.
The husband refused to let me remove the intercom panel since it is tied into the doorbell. Our bedroom wall was also in need of some artwork, ergo I devised a plan to kill two birds with one canvas. Well, four canvases to be exact.
Here’s the plan:
Luckily Aaron Brothers had their annual canvas sale this week so I decided to paint a series of four smaller canvases instead of a single large one. I cut out four different stencils inspired by lattice wallpaper designs, then painted around them to create a free-form pattern with a vintage flair. I used leftover latex paint from around the house for two reasons… First and foremost it was free, and secondly, I knew it would match our bedroom decor perfectly! :)
The gallery wrapped canvas was deep enough to cover the unsightly intercom and created a lovely focal point in the room.
There you have it! One hidden wall instrument without the commitment of spackle. Now, I’d love to hear how you outsmarted an immovable eyesore!
No Sew Backtab Curtains
I’m not a fan of the frou-frou and I don’t do ruffles. So when I made the curtains for our office, I knew I wanted a modern backtab look. It has the streamlined look of soft pleats without distracting rings or ties at the top. And for the domestically challenged (or those without a sewing machine) I made them 100% stitch free! You can thank me in small gifts. :) Already have curtains? You can simply add the tabs to pre-made rod pocket curtains and get the same look!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Fabric (duh)
Stitch Witchery (or other fusible bonding web) – I chose “super weight” just to be safe, you’ll probably need 2 rolls
Iron-on Hem Tape
an Iron
Scissors and a Ruler
Start by measuring your fabric. Take the length you want for your curtains and add 7″ (that’s 4″ for the hem at the top and 3″ for the hem at the bottom.) The width of your curtains will be the width of your bolt of fabric. Cut two equal panels.
Then breakout then ol’ ironing board. Notice my rad paisley cover… hot, right? Anyways, start with your side seams (that’s the longest side of your fabric.) Cut you Stitch Witchery the length of a side. You can always work in smaller sections if you’re not comfortable with one long piece. Working from the back of the fabric, fold an inch of fabric over the bonding web to create your seam. I found it was helpful to pin the fabric in place. Steam helps the web fuse to the fabric so in addition to setting your iron to “wool” and steam, place a damp cloth over the hem between the iron and your fabric. Press for about 15-20 seconds. Wait until the fabric is cool to check for a secure bond. Depending on your iron you may need to press longer. Then continue to move down your hem, ironing small sections at a time. Repeat on the opposite side of the fabric so that only the top and bottom are unfinished. At this point you can either create a 3″ hem at the bottom or wait until the curtains are hung and pin the fabric exactly where you want it… dusting the floor, puddling, etc. and hem the bottom last.
Next, repeat the process for the top of the panel. Fold 4″ of fabric and pin near the top to hold it in place. I pinned down the whole side before starting the bonding web/ironing process. Then follow the instructions above to create your hem.
And finally… It’s tab time! Cut your hem tape into 5 inch strips and mark 1/2 an inch from the top and 1 inch from the bottom. This is where you will iron.
Place your strips 6 inches apart at the top of your fabric. Then iron the 1/2 inch section at the top of the hem tape and the 1 inch section at the bottom, leaving the middle open. I found that the hem tape took a little longer pressing than the bonding web. After it’s cool, check for a secure bond. Work down the width of your fabric until the top of your panel is finished.
Then insert your curtain rod through the tabs and hang. Voilà!
Overcome with excitement?! Contain yourself and check out the finished product…
