Living Room Updates: Sneak Peek

This past weekend was a productive one.  Thanks to my parents-in-law, who are very generous with their time, my husband and I were able to make a dent in a few projects while they kept an eye on the little guy.  One thing that's been on my to-do list for over a month is getting grasscloth wallpaper on the backs of two new shelves for either side of my fireplace.  I purchased these units from IKEA at the beginning of June, and they've been randomly sitting at the end of the living room since then:

I'm actually pretty pleased with how these look.  They are solid wood construction (surprising for IKEA), the ends are paneled, and they sit nicely on simple square legs.  The finish is kind of a white "wash", which I wasn't sure about at first, but it reads as a solid color in my space, so I'm happy.  Plus, they were on sale (also surprising for IKEA), so I feel like I got a deal.  In a perfect world, I would have an entirely custom built in fireplace surround like what I design for my clients, but that's not always "in the budget" :)  More on that in a future post!

After our grasscloth disaster got resolved I had a few feet of leftover material--just enough to cover the backs of my new shelving units.  The result is exactly what I was looking for, and gives them a more custom, 'expensive' look.  Here's a little peek:

It was easy to style these shelves, since I've had all of these treasured little items stored away just waiting to get out and on display.  I like to take the jackets off of all my hardcover books anyways, but feel like they look even more uniform and pretty when turned around so the pages show.  My plan is to have both shelving units accented with hits of turquoise and chartreuse--the colors really pop against the gray-toned grasscloth back, and tie in with the rest of my living room.

This die-cast, Franklin Mint car is a recent acquisition, and a most treasured possession.  My dad has collected these for years, and has a beautiful collection of classic cars that spans many decades.  This 1958 Chevrolet is one of his favorites, but he parted with it so I could have a little "piece of home" in my living room.  I chose it, of course, for its shape and color, and love how it looks.  Thanks dad, for sharing your toys!

After we got married, my husband would say to me almost daily "I love my life with you".  I loved hearing those words, and was so excited when I came across this graphic card that said the same thing!  I framed it in a simple IKEA frame, but wrapped the mat with natural linen to make the words stand out even more.  Its been sitting like this under my bed for almost a year--I'm glad I finally have a place to display it!

Let me tell you about this little piece.  For all of you Canadians out there, lucky you.  You likely have a Winners/HomeSense right out your back door.  Being in the USA now, I miss this store terribly because others like it--TJMaxx/HomeGoods just aren't cutting it for me.  The two retail chains are similar in concept, but I would say that the US version (HomeGoods) is like HomeSense but without all the stuff :)  Take this amazing find, which I spotted for $29.99.  Initially I thought it was a bit pricey, since small little objects like this are usually under $20.00.  Upon closer inspection though, I realized that it was a Jonathan Adler piece, normally selling for $110.00!  You bet I snapped it up.  I usually walk out of HomeSense with a handful of treasures, and this trip was no different.  More on that in a future post.

I have stacks of Canadian House & Home Magazine--I think I've had a subscription for over ten years now. I can't seem to part with any of the issues, largely because the content is so good, but also because the spines are so pretty and I've always wanted to display them like this.  I grouped like colors in a few colorways, and plan to fill the top row if each shelving unit with them.  Cheap, easy, and a great way to store and display my over-abundance of design magazines!

That's as far as I've gotten so far, but I'm having fun styling and playing around with this little decorating project.  Again, I'm so pleased with the way the grasscloth elevates the style of these units, and recommend it if you're looking for an inexpensive and easy way to add some style!

Entryway Progress: My Top Wallpaper Choices

With the entryway disaster behind me, I'm moving forward to get the walls in that space corrected and looking fabulous.  Thanks for all of your comments--I have renewed hope for grass cloth, should I go that route again.  Since I've been looking for the right wall treatment for some time, I revisited some of my original choices as I went back to the drawing board in search of a wall covering.

If money were no object........

Imperial Trellis in Citrine would be my number one choice.  Everyone loves this pattern--in fabric and wallpaper--and I'm no exception.  Maybe its the graphic pop, or the combination of curvy and straight lines, or maybe its the striking repetition of pattern--whatever it is, this design is so interesting, and I love the acid green-against-white colorway.

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I also came across this trellis pattern, which would be a great second choice to the Imperial Trellis:

Unfortunately, the paper itself is "thinner" than I think it should be for the condition of our walls.  We've patched them as necessary, but I feel I need something with more thickness to hide the imperfections I'm not seeing.  See more patterns and colorways from this collection here.

In  my search, I came across this and was drawn to it because of the light silver-gray color and overscaled pattern:

I took a quick photo when I was at the store, and neglected to write down the brand.  Needless to say, while I love the pattern and subtlety of the color, it has a metallic sheen to it that I think I'd get tired of too soon.

So after looking through countless wallpaper books, and really adoring so many of the graphic, colorful and interesting patterns out there, I feel like I just can't commit to anything too trendy for my entry and stairwell area.  If I was considering changing it out again in a few years, I'd definitely take the plunge and do something more fun, but since that's not the plan (WAY too many other house projects chewing into the budget), I'm back where I started......still wanting my grass cloth.

This photo shows the two new samples I found that are closest to what I have on some of the walls (my current grass cloth is the background).  The weave of the new ones is a bit more course, but I don't mind the added texture.  I think the top one is the one that will work best as it leans more toward a green-gray than a purple-gray like the bottom one.

Grass cloth adds so much glorious texture to this room, designed by Frank Roop, and plays well with the other textures going on in the space.

So with all of the many books and patterns I've looked at (and there have been a ton), I'm sorry to say that I'm not more of a risk-taker with pattern and color.  However, I need to go with what I know I'll love in the long run, and my plan is to get the stuff on order this week!

Entryway Progress & Grasscloth Disaster

A long while ago I posted these inspiration images for the walls in my entryway.  We've been living with this awful wallpaper for over two years now, and I'm dying to get rid of it.  You know how sometimes when you live with something long enough, you kind of get used to it and "forget" that its there?  Not with this stuff--it yells at me everyday:

It was discovered underneath another layer of paper that we immediately peeled off when we moved in.  This layer, however won't budge.  We've tried everything and even called in experts to have a look, and the verdict is that its not coming off.  In addition to that, the walls aren't in great shape, so I've been considering several options.  Either skim coat the entire entry and stairwell and prep the walls for paint, or cover it in a beautiful wall covering.  Wall covering it is--grass cloth to be exact.  I searched high and low for an affordable grass cloth, and when it seemed like I wouldn't find what I was after, I stumbled across the perfect color (and price) at Lowes of all places.  Its a gorgeous gray color, and nice and neutral with no weird undertones.  Plus, it has a very fine weave, and looks like a lot of the expensive grass cloths I've found in high end books.  After waiting five months for it to arrive (it was backordered), we had it installed last fall right before the baby was born.  As soon as it started going up, I loved it.  This photo isn't the best, but its an idea.

However, shortly into the process, things started to go wrong.  Keep in mind that all the correct adhesives were used, and the method for hanging used by my (experienced) installers was careful and meticulous.

I hope you can tell from the photos that every seam is completely bleached out and horribly visible. While I understand that one of the interesting characteristics of grass cloth is that the seams are visible once its installed, this was not the kind of "visible" that I was used to seeing, and obviously a product failure.  What's more, not only were the seams bleached, random patches in the middle of a sheet had lost color as well:

And the worst area:

Needless to say, after this started happening to literally every sheet that was hung, we stopped mid-process, and now the project is half done.  Lowes was great about it, and offered to replace all of the rolls I purchased with new ones if we wanted to start over and "hope for the best" with a new batch.  I was ready to take them up on this, and then found out that the product had been completely discontinued!  So back to square one.  Its now almost been a year since I started the process and I still have ugly walls in my entry, plus 40% of the walls covered in faulty grass cloth that has to be removed.

The silver lining?  I recently found several great new options for wall covering for the entry, and am ready to make a decision and get the project back on track.  I'll post my findings this week, and hopefully make a decision and get something ordered very soon.

Has anyone ever run into this problem with grass cloth before?  Its such a beautiful product, and so hot right now that I'm sure I can't be the only one.  Hopefully the second time is a charm with this project!

Art in the Kitchen

I've been staring at a blank wall in my kitchen for over two years now, tossing around several ideas of what to do with it.  In one of my concept layouts I had cabinetry along that wall, but in the end the design took a different direction and the wall remained as it was.  I know I need to do something there (see photo below--the wall in question is to the left of the fridge), and I think a great piece of art, or arrangement of pieces would look great, but that's where I haven't taken enough time to find the perfect solution.

I think that wall art adds an element of the unexpected in kitchens.  Often in kitchen design, walls are consumed by cabinetry, windows, open shelving, tile, etc., and there is little space left for anything else.  Either that, or kitschy (sometimes cheesy) art prints of food, fruit or wine end up being hung on blank walls to occupy the void.  So is there a happy medium--a place for great artwork in the kitchen that doesn't come across as too literal?  I hope so, because that's what I'm looking for.  Here are some great "art in kitchens" images I found as I started the search:

I absolutely love these prints, and even though they are very literal, their style makes them unique and very appropriate.  I like how they add a modern pop of color to a more traditional setting.

Canadian House & Home

This large floral painting by Bobbie Burgers looks like it was not only planned into the space, but gave inspiration for the design direction as well.  I love how it connects the outdoors, the yellow range, and the rusticity of the island table and makes everything look so cohesive.

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Again, this is a literal take on something found in the kitchen, but the application makes it unique.  Its size and scale is unexpected in this tiny kitchen, and the high contrast is perfect with the existing color scheme.

Canadian House & Home

Keeping with the black and white theme, this framed chalkboard looks classy and compliments the kitchen's scheme.  Additionally, it becomes a forever-changing piece of art.  Great idea.

I've tossed around doing a collection of family photos on my blank wall, but thought that there wasn't enough context for it in the space.  However, this dining corner is perfect for the gallery of photos, and I love how the frames are eclectic and carried up over the window.

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I've posted this kitchen before--its always been a favorite of mine.  Designed (and lived in) by Canadian designer Lynda Reeves, I like how she's added framed abstract art right next to the range hood, and then repeated it again over a desk in the corner.  The artwork brings a sense of sophistication to the space.

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This vintage sign is also a clever idea, and is non-traditional and unexpected in a kitchen space.

There are a ton of ideas out there, and I also did a short search to see what other "unconventional" pieces might be interesting:

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Vintage botanical prints

Not-so-vintage (but very affordable) framed botanicals from West Elm

Affordable framed abstracts from West Elm

Original art hardware drawings from Restoration Hardware (there are over 1000 to choose from!)

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I also love this vintage eye chart--it would add a nice graphic punch to any wall.

Well, those are my thoughts for now.....I'm not sure I've figured out the perfect solution, but at least I've started thinking about it.  I'm tired of staring at that blank wall!

Cozy Whites

With the weather getting cooler, I'm already thinking about warming up the house with some winter decor, and I even have a bit of Christmas on my mind.  I can't wait to pull out all of that sparkly goodness!  I love white, but it can seem more "cool" than "cozy" during the winter months.  Check out these pretty little finds though--white and warm.

1.  Ruffly Felt Wreath - Tutorial via Design*Sponge (I WILL be making one of these this season!)

2.  Sweater Vase

3.  Mongolian Lamb Pillow Cover

4.  Oversized Cable Knit Throw (almost worth learning to knit so I can make one of these!)

5.  Owl Candle

6.  White Birch Bark Wreath

7.  Birch Log Vases

8.  White Pumpkins

9.  Winter Scene--snow covered and cold, but there's something so warm and familiar about a winter frost

I'm not wishing for snow quite yet, but these cozy-cool pieces make me want to string up some white Christmas lights, sip on a cup of warm hot chocolate and curl up with a good design magazine.  How about you?

My Favorite Canadian Shopping Experience

I'm thankful to be safely back home in Minnesota.  It was simply wonderful to spend time with my family in Canada, but the driving experience both there and back was quite the adventure.  Its back to work tomorrow, and I'm so excited to share some upcoming projects, as well as some inspiring 2010 projects that I completed.  For right now though, here are some quick and fun photos of one of my favorite Canadian shopping destinations......HomeSense, how I miss you!  When I moved to the U.S., I was delighted to find TJMaxx/Homegoods, and thought it would rival the collection of great pieces I always find at HomeSense.  I soon discovered that this is not the case, and I'm pretty jealous of all of my Canadian friends who are able to swing by this decorating mecca at a moments notice.  My trip this past week yielded some great eye candy......here are a few shots of the "designerly" pieces I found.

 

This is one of five or six glorious rows of pillows.  I found this beauty here last time, and the huge selection never disappoints.  Below is a close up of a couple favorites...

Wish I could have taken this home with me......I think its a great knockoff of a Wishbone Chair.  And if you're not liking the black, how about turquoise.....

Stylish lamps a plenty.....

 And a gorgeous mirror to reflect all of that pretty light.....this one is only $60.00!

 These gold wire bowls had an "expensive" look to them.....I regret not snagging one for myself.....

And finally, aren't these bird book-ends so unique!  Another item I should have picked up for myself, but lucky for me, I have a sister-in-law who is one of the best shoppers I know.  She lives just blocks away from a great HomeSense, and would be more than happy to look for some unique items for me if I need a "fix".

So to all of you Canadians out there who are lucky enough to have one of these wonderful stores right in your backyard, good for you......happy hunting!