decorating – Page 11

because i still have a home

17 March 2011 by Andrea Leave a Comment

Because I still have the blessings of a home and my family, I am participating in Bloggers Day of Silence: For Japan With Love on Friday, March 18.

Click here for more information. Click here to make a donation.

You know, life isn’t always easy. We all have our trials and tribulations. But the tragedy in Japan is a reminder of just how small my troubles are. A reminder from Mother Nature of how fleeting this sweet life can be.

Reminding me to be thankful for all of the amazing people and blessings in my life.

knife-wielding decorator

15 March 2011 by Andrea 4 Comments

Slowly but surely, I’ve been trying to add pops of color and a touch of mod to our family room.

Today, I happened to wander into Pier 1 Imports on my lunch hour. Always dangerous. Fortunately I got out of there with only minor expenditures!

I found 2 of these fun candles with battery-powered mini lights.

Plus, see that red clearance sticker? Only $4.18 each! Can’t beat the price! And they’ll definitely add some color here…

Plus, since they’re battery operated, I won’t burn down the house! What could be wrong with that?

Nothing. Except they’re way too tall. See?

Way out of proportion. Bummer.

No worries. Have knife, will decorate!

Even though they’re battery powered, the candles are still wax. So I figured that if I took a sharp knife to them, I could cut them down to a better size.

Well, it didn’t cut quite as perfectly as I had hoped, but I carefully cut through the other half of the candle, then trimmed it to perfection with a paring knife.

OK, now this looks better…

More proportionate, and the colors are even bolder without as much white at the top.

Looks nice “lit”…

A colorful improvement!

Check back soon for more family room updates!

Showing off this project at the link party at Funky Junk Interiors.

road trip!

28 February 2011 by Andrea 3 Comments

We’re going on a Road Trip!

Road Trip! is when I leave my humble abode and take it on the road to someone else’s place to share their decorating savvy.

So let’s Road Trip! to my dear friend Claire’s home.

Claire is PLU…People Like Us. She’s fun and funny and very clever and creative. And since she and her husband, Aaron bought a house about a year ago, she’s let her inner decorator run wild and I love it!

This is Claire…

I’m sure that Claire will probably not appreciate me hijacking this photo from Facebook, but I love it, and it gives a hint of her wild personality, which shows in her decorating choices.

Lest you think she’s completely insane, here’s a more, ahem, normal pic of Claire and her hubby, Aaron.

Aren’t they sweet and so in love? You can really feel it in their home (which is far more important than any decor), such a sense of warmth and caring that makes their home inviting.

But enough chatter…on to the pictures!

Here it is from the outside…an adorable place in the Clintonville neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio.

Let’s start with the kitchen, which is painted a striking sky blue with lots of red accents…

The thing that surprised me most about Claire’s decorating style when I first saw her house is that she dresses her house like she dresses herself – with bold prints & florals, reminiscent of the 70’s and other vintage eras. Like the kitchen curtains, for instance…I could see her wearing those!

It’s a small kitchen, so they added valuable work space with this long, narrow island from Ikea. Don’t you love the original black & white checkered floor?

One of the things that Claire and I have in common is our love of all things vintage and antique. So you can imagine that I almost died when I saw the vintage restaurant booth that they found in an antique shop. LURVE it!

The kitchen packs a punch with pops of red and lots of vintage style. A welcome sign & place to hang your hat…

Along with a vintage reproduction clock…

…and real vintage light fixtures that really make the space…

…and pink vintage melamine coffee cups that would make any vintage-loving gal green with envy…

On to the dining room that shows off Claire’s versatile eclectic style. A bookshelf and another fun pop of red. And just in case you didn’t notice, there is a package of mustaches on top of the bookshelf. Just what every eclectic dining room needs.

Lots of yummy texture on the dining room table and chairs.

A vintage children’s cat chair and a bird cage add to the eclectic elements…

And more pops of color with red chairs and gorgeous curtains!

A true lesson in what I like to call “eclectica”…none of the dining room pieces really “match” but they all look fabulous together!

On the other wall, an antique table that Claire picked up just yesterday in Springfield, Ohio, which is known for it’s antique malls.

It’s carved and fabulous, and she got it for a song!

Step through the archway, and it’s into the living room. To the left is the main part of the living room…

…with this to-die-for red bench behind the couch…

To the right is a reading nook…

…and a home office area…

Great use of space in corners that would be difficult to incorporate into the main area of the living room. Love the use of lime green in the living room.

But none of it shouts “lime green”.

OK, maybe these shout “lime green,” but aren’t they perfect?

Let’s take a peek upstairs…

At the top of the stairs is the bathroom, which plays the eclectic card, with cool, mod glass tiles and a vessel sink countered by a bohemian mirror frame.

Doesn’t this bathroom make you want to mix it up a bit in your house? Then there’s this, showing Claire and Aaron’s wacky senses of humor…

Or who knows…maybe they play with them in the tub! It’s not my place to judge!

The guest bedroom is warm and serene and made me want to move in. (Guess no one told Claire that a guest bedroom shouldn’t be too comfy cozy or your guests might never leave!)

On to the master bedroom. Let me tell you that today I fell in LOVE with the master bedroom! The last time I saw the master bedroom it wasn’t painted yet. When Claire told me the color she wanted to paint it, well, I was a bit skeptical. But it’s perfect!

Tiffany blue! What girl doesn’t like Tiffany blue? I didn’t think it would be warm and peaceful, but it is both, and it envelopes you in its richness.

The room is large, and has a cozy nook by the closet…

Love the ponyhair cube! The artwork is SO Claire! Another pattern I could see her wearing…

Working the eclectica with a touch of Greek goddess…

A dumpster diving friend in Manhattan rescued the dress form where Claire hangs her necklaces. And check out the lime green cowboy boots that I covet…

A vintage chest of drawers topped with an antique shutter that holds more jewelry and other tchotchkes…

Up close and personal…

Another vintage chest of drawers…

…holds photos and vintage hats…

A wall of family photos make the crawlspace door almost disappear…

That concludes today’s road trip. Wasn’t it fun? And inspiring!

Thanks so much to Claire and Aaron for opening their home to me to share with all of you! It’s a wonderful home, full of warmth and fun. Congrats to Claire for doing such a great job decorating in one short year!

inspiration from an historic building

27 February 2011 by Andrea Leave a Comment

Today I took the kids to the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus for a lesson in government and politics.

As we tooled around the historic statehouse, which was completed in 1861 after 22 years of construction, I drank in all of the amazing architectural details. The craftsmanship was stunning – so much intricate detail – no wonder it took 22 years to complete!

Believe it or not, I found plenty of design inspiration at the statehouse and thought I’d share it with you.

The beauty of the rotunda…

Corinthian columns in the Senate Chamber…

These fabulous blue velvet couches were also in the Senate Chamber. What I wouldn’t do to score one of those for my living room!

Wouldn’t you love these chairs in your kitchen? Gorgeous! And don’t you love the pink in the carpet?

An ornate metal grill covering something…

A beautiful wood medallion…

The Senate Chamber doors…they just don’t make things like these doors any more.

Even the trash baskets shout “Ohio”…

The trash baskets in the Senate Chamber are Longaberger, which is based in Ohio.

The hallways had beautiful black & white marble floors that I would love in my kitchen…

When you look up, there are beautiful coffered ceilings…

…and incredible medallions that I NEEEEEED for my bedroom…

The entire place was loaded with gorgeous antique doors! And an occasional bride & groom. I want to get married too…to this door, because I love it so much!

If that antique door was my husband, this one is my boyfriend!

So many antique doors, so little time.

Now I’m inspired to find antique doors and ceiling medallions and blue velvet couches to vintage up my house!

A statehouse may seem like an odd place to look for design inspiration, but design is everywhere, so why not find it in the statehouse?

What’s the strangest place you’ve found design inspiration?

no more peeping toms

13 February 2011 by Andrea 5 Comments

This weekend I picked off another home goal from my 2011 list and put an end to any peeping tom foolery in my master bathroom windows.

OK, so maybe I’m a little bit paranoid, especially since the master bath is on the second floor, but I feel as if people can look in between the blinds and the window and see me all nakey.

I decided that this year I would add some curtains, so I could rest easy when I’m waltzing around in my birthday suit, plus it would warm up the room a bit and the windows wouldn’t look so nakey either…

The tile on the floor and in the shower & surrounding the tub is a slate-like ceramic tile with a hint of light blue & teal blue…

…so I opted for teal blue as an accent color for an otherwise neutral room. I purchased 4 curtain panels for $9.99 each as well as 2 curtain rods at Target…

The wild fabric behind the box is the ironing board cover that I made…

…and got to work prepping to hang curtains.

Of course, I hit a snag. Literally.

Usually this would send me back to the store to return the item in a fit of frustration, but since I’m basically a lazy human being, I decided to see if I could remedy the problem myself with the help of my knitpicker.

At least that’s what I think it’s called. It’s what my mom the knitter calls it. The handy dandy knitpicker is a tool used to pull snags through knits. It can also be used on looser weaves such as this one.

So I knitpicked the snag…

And pulled it through to the other side of the curtain…

Crisis averted. Then I went about the business of hanging the curtain rods and the curtains. No small task considering that I had to work around this large garden tub…

I suppose I could have put a stepladder in the tub to work on, but that would have meant stopping the project & going downstairs, and as I’ve already stated, I’m basically a lazy human being, so I did it the hard way, precariously balancing, rockclimbing my tub like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2.

Nevertheless, the curtains were hung by the bathtub with care.

But I didn’t like the way the inner part of the curtain looked on the rod. Not as gathered as the rest of the curtain.

Simple enough to solve with some large safety pins.

Since these curtains will be remaining open, I pinned the back of the pocket to make it more gathered up. Here’s the end result…

Definitely solves the problem of covering the openings on the sides of the blinds. They warm up the room and they have great texture.

To be honest, I’m not sure I’m in love with the color. Seems a wee bit too bright. I’m usually not crazy about short curtains, and these seem to have a highwater feel to them, but considering that they’re right by the tub, and that the tub is used exclusively by my 10-year-old son who doesn’t care a whole lot about whether or not curtains get wet, they probably should be highwaters.

For now I’m keeping them. Maybe someday I’ll switch them out if they don’t grow on me more.

Also, I’d like to give a shout out to my special helper, Max, who was with me through this entire project…

Another 2011 house goal complete!

a bird problem

12 February 2011 by Andrea 3 Comments

According to my sister, I have a bird problem.

No, I don’t have a flock of annoying Canadian geese over-running my yard.

Actually, it’s more that I like faux birds and enjoy decorating with them as well.

Along those lines, I made this lovely little bird assemblage…

A faux bird appears to have nested in a vintage purse…

I had it listed in my Etsy shop, AngArtica, but as soon as someone expressed a shred of interest, I realized that I didn’t think I could part with it. So I decided to keep it & find a home for it in my own home. Maybe I’ll make another to sell some day.

Sigh. Will I ever become a minimalist?

Probably not.

Showing off at the link parties at Funky Junk Interiors and Remodelaholic.

joining the drop cloth curtain revolution

30 January 2011 by Andrea 1 Comment

I’m finally joining the drop cloth curtain revolution that is making its way across Blogland, like here and here and quite a few other places. Official name is the Internet Bloggers Drop Cloth Revolution (IBDCR). Viva la revolucion!

With two 8-foot tall windows in our family room and not much more than an $8 budget, I thought drop cloth curtains would be a terrific option, plus I love the grey-beige color and believe it or not, they look like linen!

Of course I forgot to take a before pic, so let’s just jump right in…

Click on the photo to enlarge

These curtains are so simple, just about anyone could make them!

Step 1. Buy 6′ x 9′ canvas drop cloth. I purchased 4 at $9.97 each from Home Depot. Get out clearance curtain rods ($12.97 each) from garage, where they’ve been “curing” for a year.

Step 2. Wash & dry drop cloths. Iron drop cloths.

Step 3. Hang curtain rods.

Step 4. Attach curtain clips to drop cloth panels. If panel is too long, fold a length toward the front of the curtain to the desired length (see photo). Slide rings on to curtain rods.

Step 5. Stand back and admire your handy work!

Did you notice? No mention of a sewing machine anywhere. This is a no-sew project!

Don’t they look fabulous? Really dresses up the windows, giving them a touch of class. and really warms up the room! No one would ever guess they weren’t linen!

Click on the photo to enlarge. And no, the left curtain rod is not uneven…that’s just the camera angle!

So, I added gorgeous window treatments to two 8-foot windows for less than $65. Plus, these curtains were so quick & easy, I might move on and use them on the sliding glass door in the kitchen!

Edited to add – This project is the first 2011 House Goal that I’ve completed. One down, 11 to go!

lookie what i found

16 January 2011 by Andrea 14 Comments

A while back, I found this in the trash in my neighborhood…

It was a sweet gift from the decorating gods, because I had recently seen what Donna over at Funky Junk Interiors had done with a mattress spring, and I wanted to try my hand at decorating with one.

Well, don’t know if you know this about me yet, but usually I allow my finds to “cure” for a while. The mattress spring was no different. It sat in my garage awaiting inspiration for a solid 6 months!

Then this weekend, inspiration struck, when I found this fun piece at Bed, Bath & Beyond…

I love vintage advertising style and I have a standard poodle, so there was no walking away from this one. Plus I had a $5 off coupon, so it was a done deal for about $15.

But before I bought it, I did ask myself where I would put it, because I don’t buy anything new for the house if I don’t think I have a place for it.

Then I remembered this section of the wall…

…that has been begging for something for a long time. I had thought about putting the mattress spring there, but it needed a little something.

A little something like the poodle print.

So I hung the mattress spring, making sure it was level…

…with a couple of screws in anchors.

To make the shiny silver screws less obvious against the rusty mattress spring, I just colored them with a brown Sharpie marker.

Then I placed the canvas where I wanted it, hung it with a nail in the wall, through the open area in the spring, and voila!

The perfect frame for a fun print!

I just love it! Isn’t it adorable? Decorating with found objects is great fun!

Linking up here…

Update…exciting news! This project was featured on Whisperwood Cottage!

house goals – 2011 edition

9 January 2011 by Andrea 8 Comments

Over at Nesting Place, the Nester came up with a brilliant idea – house goals!

Given that I work full time and procrastinate, leaving me with limited time and energy, I thought that house goals would be perfect for me.

So here are my 2001 house goals…

Repaint the stairway wall
Paint the kids’ bathroom- COMPLETE!
Add curtains to the master bathroom – COMPLETE!
Clean up my office
Scour my teenage daughter’s room after she goes off to college
Add drop cloth curtains to the family room windows – COMPLETE!
Get that damn satellite dish off the roof
Buy a dishwasher
Tile the kitchen back splash
Paint at least 1 kitchen wall
For the love of all things holy, DECLUTTER!

As you can see, it’s an expansive list. I probably could have listed 3 or 4 times the number of projects, but in the spirit of keeping it real, I decided to stick with 12, so that I could reasonably do 1 project per month.

Here’s a little more detail around the projects…

1. Repaint the stairway wall

So, the stairwell wall has already been painted, but it still needs another coat. And apparently it’s taken me a while.

Last year at work, we had a holiday white elephant exchange and do you know what I got? Paint! Two gallons of slate gray paint! The exact color that I was planning on painting the stairwell wall already. Every now and then, fate sends a little gift of home decor love. Now I’ve got to get on the stick and finish the job.

2. Paint the kids’ bathroom– COMPLETE!

No photos of this madness. All I have to say is this about that…teenage hair dye explosion. Walls, door trim, baseboard. Splattered with dark brown hair dye.

Needless to say, all future hair dyeing has been banned.

I thought that I might get this project done when I was on vacation over the holidays, but it just didn’t happen. However, paint has been purchased, so it can happen any time inspiration strikes.

3. Add curtains to the master bathroom – COMPLETE!

I just can’t seem to get past the creepy feeling that people can look into the cracks between the blinds. So curtains are in order. Just need to find the right ones.

4. Clean up my office

This seems as if it should be a simple enough project, but it’s my combination office, craft room, and general lounging area. And it’s been neglected for quite some time. Lots of filing and decisions to be made about what stays and what goes.

5. Scour my teenage daughter’s room after she goes off to college

The same teenage daughter who experienced the hair dye explosion has a room that could potentially be condemned by the health department. And honestly, I’ve given up on getting her to keep it consistently clean. Every now and then she has a flare-up of cleaning, but it gets out of hand more often than not.

So, when she goes off to school, I’ll be in there in my hazmat suit, ready to sanitize.

6. Add drop cloth curtains to the family room windows – COMPLETE!

I’m planning to join the Internet Bloggers Drop Cloth Revolution (IBDCR) and make curtains out of drop cloths. ‘Nuff said.

7. Get that damn satellite dish off the roof

So, I happen to have a satellite dish dangling from my roof by a thread. No, we don’t still use the satellite. And yes, I’ve become that neighbor.

But who can I hire to get that damn thing off the roof? I just don’t know who does that kind of thing.

8. Buy a dishwasher

Although my house is only 4 1/2 years old, the dishwasher is no longer working. I’ve already spent a small fortune to get the problem diagnosed, but it’s still not fixed. It could be fixed, but the dishwasher repair guy told me that it’s a design flaw, and would likely be broken again within a year. So I opted to not fix it and put the money toward a new dishwasher. In the meantime, I’m using a $2.99 solution…a dishpan, and frankly, not doing such a great job of keeping up with the dishes.

9. Tile the kitchen back splash

OK, what I’d really like to do is an extreme kitchen makeover, because the layout of my kitchen is really dumb. But since I don’t have an extra $10-20k hanging around, I’ve got to make due with what I have. So I’ll at least add some cosmetic changes, the first being tiling the back splash with those cool & funky little glass tiles.

10. Paint at least 1 kitchen wall

Most people probably wouldn’t stop at just 1 kitchen wall, but with an open-concept floor plan, the walls go on forever, without a logical stopping point. So I’ll start with a goal of 1 wall, and figure out where to go from there.

11. For the love of all things holy, DECLUTTER!

Well, there’s probably not a whole lot more that needs to be said about this issue. I’ve been leaning more toward minimizing than maximizing, and I am going to continue to follow that trend, little by little, throughout the year.

Those are my true confession house goals 2011 edition…what are your 2011 house goals?

it’s so fluffy!

4 January 2011 by Andrea Leave a Comment

As you may know, I’ve been trying to update my place a bit by adding a touch of mod here and there.

Recently, I fell absolutely head over heels in love with this long, curly-haired wool pillow from Pier 1 Imports…

But at $39.99, I just couldn’t begin to justify buying it, let alone buying more than one.

Fortunately, fate intervened, in the form of my sister inviting me to go to Target on New Year’s Eve, where I was thrilled to find these fabulous cream-colored flokati knock-off pillows for a mere $12.99 each! Of course I bought two of them to mod up my couch a bit.

Here’s what my couch looked like before…

Nothing wrong with it. Just lacking punch. In a word…dull.

And now…

Definitely increased the mod factor and the fun factor. Plus, every time my 17-year-old daughter comes anywhere near the new pillows, she shouts the line from Despicable Me, “It’s so fluffy!”

The old green pillow covers are removable, so I will try to find some funky fabric to make new pillow covers to add to the fun. Of course you’ll hear about that here when it happens.

And, I want to get new throws although I’m not quite sure what kind yet. I’m thinking something nubby and textured, perhaps with yellows and oranges in it.

What kind of throw would you suggest?

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