Dining Room Progress

Well before the craziness of preschool and homeschool started in September, I spent some extra time doing projects around the house.  Thank goodness I did, because clearly, I don't have ANY time for it now.  I worked on my dining room in August, the same time I painted our kitchen chairs.  The inspiration for all the chair makeovers was actually getting our dining room to look like a dining room, and not an extra storage room.  As with many things, we're *almost* there. :)

Our dining table is piled up with stuff, again.  Let me tell you, it sure takes some discipline not to have that nice clear dining table as a catch all spot!  I'm almost tempted to set the table.  We'd definitely think twice before throwing stuff on there.  I hope to be able to share pics of our table soon.  :) In the meantime...

Here's our dining room buffet...

BEFORE

And here it is...

AFTER

It was fun styling the buffet top.  The only things that are new are the 2 buffet lamps that I got on clearance at Pier One for about $20 for the pair.  It was a steal!  I had fun shopping our home and seeing what we could use.  I fiddled around with different arrangements and nothing felt right until I added the woven tray.  Once I placed that, everything fell into place.  The tabletop needed some warmth and texture and the tray was just right.

Leftover dining chair fabric helps to bring some more warmth and softness.

I got this frame at Goodwill for $5.  Then I just had foamcore cut at Michael's for about $10 and got chalkboard spraypaint there too.  Voila.  I've always wanted to do this project and it was so easy.  If you've ever thought about, go for it!  So easy and gratifying!

I love maidenhair ferns and this was the perfect spot for this little guy.  Again he adds more softness to an area with alot of sleek, hard surfaces, but more importantly, he also hides the cords from the lamp.  :)

This buffet table will probably change with the sesasons.  I think this will be the perfect place to put my little Christmas village that I got on sale last year.  :)

Tomorrow... pics of our "new" dining chairs.

Pier 1 Finds - Lamps

Happy Monday!  I had a full weekend with lots of great visiting with old friends.  There is something extra special about old friendships and people that have seen you through many seasons of life.  I just wish I had another day or two to catch up on some rest too!  Alas.. another week.  :)

Speaking of old friends, I feel like I've been reintroduced to an old design friend, Pier 1 Imports.  I remember loving Pier 1 back in high school and college and always wanting one of their cool director chairs or their cozy papasan chairs.  Pier 1's style is probably more ornate than my typical style, but it's a great resource for great accent pieces that add glam and sparkle to your classic/traditional basics.  Not to mention, great prices!

Today I'm posting some of my favorite lamps from Pier 1 and tomorrow, I'll be posting about some great wall mirror finds!   

Gold Leaf Glass Lamp. 
A pair of these would add pizazz to any room.  The inside of the shade is gold leafed and is gorgeous!  Not bad for $125.  The shade also comes as a chandelier too!

Glass Candlestick Buffet Lamp.  I love the modern elegance of this lamp.  $125



Rosette Hayworth Lamp.  So much detail and could be so sweet in a girls room.  $99.



Serena Table Lamp.  This one will never go out of style.  Fabulous at $99. 
Want more style?  Just add ribbon to the top and bottom of the shade.  I'm seeing black or navy.



Have a great week and check back tomorrow for more goodies from Pier 1.



Fab Picks on Joss and Main

Caitlin Wilson's blog is one of my favorites.  It's on my blog roll and I just love her bold, fresh, aesthetic.  Never bland or boring, but classic at the same time.  I was so excited to hear that she was picking out some items for Joss and Main.  In fact, I joined Joss and Main just to see what she picked out and she did not dissapoint! 

There is some gorgeous stuff, I particularly love all the lighting she picked out.  If you're in the market for lighting, (lucky you) definitely check out Caitlin's picks.  Right now, I don't "need" anything, but I'm definitely saving many items in my inspiration folders.  I'll be keeping my eye out for things that I can diy to get a similiar look and vibe. 

These first 2 lighting fixtures are my favorite items from the whole collection.  Both designed by Jonathan Adler. Of course!  So fab!  Oh how I'd love to give them a home...

Check out the rest of the goodies yourself at Joss and Main!



(all images from jossandmain.com)



IKEA FRIDAYS - Meet MASKROS again

Helloooo readers!

I have exciting news!  On Wednesday, I was thrilled to see my MASKROS makeover featured on Apartment Therapy!  This is my 2nd time featured on Apartment Therapy and it's still has thrilling as the first time.  What fun for my humble idea to be featured amongst so many other incredible designs and inspirations.  If you're visiting me from AT... Welcome!  :) 

Click here for the full the post on Apartment Therapy.

I really do love MASKROS.  I've written about it here, here and here.  (The last link is to my DIY project) It is bold, fun and even more beautiful when you put your own DIY touch on it.  That's one of the reasons I love IKEA so much.  It gives us so many fabulous blank canvases to work with, MASKROS is just one of them.

Here's one more version of MASKROS that I love from Amy Butler's home.  It was after seeing this image, that gave me the courage to go for it and just paint it.


(via apartmentherapy.com)

Lastly, my survey is still up and I'd love to get your feedback on my site.  Suvey is here.  Don't forget you also get 30% your purchase at Jones Design Company.

Alrighty!  Signing out and I'll see you Monday!

IKEA FRIDAYS - Meet LEDBERG

We made this purchase just a couple of weeks ago and love it.  It's simple, but has added so much to our boys' room.  It's the LEDBERG light strip... a strip of LED lights... get it?  :)

We were inspired to add lights to the underside of our bunkbed after seeing it at a friend's house.  It makes the bed so cozy and perfect for cuddling up for some reading time at night.  I love these strips because they are so thin and very easy to install.  The cords and the switch are just the right length and we used 3M Command hooks and adhesives to stick them to the posts so there wouldn't be any tucking on them. 

If you have a bunkbed, I'd say they are the way to go!  It's $14.99 well spent. 

Have a great weekend!  I'm off to do the Seattle Rock n Roll Half Marathon on Saturday!   It'll be my first Rock n Roll race so I'm excited to see what it's all about!

A DIY Flower Chandelier: My MASKROS Makeover

Good Morning!  I'm very excited to post pics of my 2nd DIY project for my daughter's room.  I'm so happy with the result and all it took was some time and a few craft store supplies.  No artistic experience needed.  :)

Be warned... this is a long post as I wanted to share the details of each step.  Without further adieu...

Here's how it went down:

Step 1:  I wanted to cut down the flowers.  Nothing wrong with them and you can easily do this project leaving the paper flowers as is.  Personally, I wanted the flowers to be a little bit more structured and not so floppy and I thought this would be another way make this lamp truly custom.

All marked and ready to cut!

Step 2:  After  trimming off the ends on all the flowers (all 84 of them), we move onto the fun part, painting!  My vision for this project from the very beginning was to create something with an ombre effect, using one color and going from light to dark.  To do that, I bought 3 different shades of pink and used the white paint left over from the scalloped ceiling border.  I created 6 different shades of pink by mixing white with each of the pink paints.  I painted both sides of the flower, one color at a time.

** This step took a few days since I did most of my painting while the kids were asleep and I needed to wait for the paint to dry between sides.

Step 3:  After painting a couple of layers, I started assembling the chandelier little by little.  I couldn't wait to see it come together!

Step 4:  Touch up painting.  After putting the first couple of layers up, I realized the white backs of each flower and the white ribs of the chandelier were taking away from the pink of the flowers.  It was a little too visually distracting.  So... I began to paint the backs of each flower button and the ribs.  Oops, an afterthought.

**I would totally recommend doing this FIRST if you're going to be doing this project.  MUCH easier!  Lesson learned.  :)

Step 5:  Final install.  It's coming together beautifully!

And... DONE!

I really love it!  It's so much fun to look at and of course, so gratifying to know that it's one of a kind! 

Hope this inspires you to do your own makeovers!  I'd love to see your projects too!

MASKROS Under Construction

My DIY project for this week is transforming my MASKROS chandelier from IKEA.  Here's a sneak peak: 

I'm adding this:

and this:

I'm hoping to finish this project in the next couple of days and be able to share it with you next week!  :D

In the meantime, check out another incredibly inspiring transformation of MASKROS by Jenny of Little Green Notebook.  I just love her!  Click here for the full post.  Amazing!

WHY IT WORKS - A Simple Playroom

As much as I love design and patterns, and fabrics and the fun and fluff... every once in awhile I come across something that reminds me that sometimes, simple is best.  This photo from of the Carlin Home from Traditional Home is a great example of just that!

WHY IT WORKS:

• With a plain and understated backdrop, each individualy piece has a chance to shine.  Do I need to say anything about that light fixture?  It clearly is the focal point and lets you know that even though this room appears simple, it's certainly not short on style!
• A white slipcovered couch can work in any space.  I'm a big proponent of having some "grown up" seating in a playroom.
• Children's Art.  When looking for artwork for a child's space, there are a ton of options out there, just browse etsy!  But sometimes, the best ones are created by the little artists in your own home.  Throw them in a Ribba frame from IKEA, and you have instant, beautiful and meaningful art! 

INSPIRATION:

When putting together a child's space, here are a few things that I try to remember.

• Lighting.  No one likes to be in a dimly lit room, especially kids.  If you want to create a warm, fun space where your kids will want to stay and play, make sure there's good lighting.  The use of ceiling lights and wall lights are great because they eliminate the possibility of anyone touching them and or anything tipping over.
• Seating.  Chances are there will be plenty of adults spending time in this space too.  Don't forget to include comfortable seating for the "big kids".  Their grandparents will thank you.  :)  And it's always nice to have a place to be able to cuddle and read books.
• Display.  Every child love to see their work displayed, even if it is the simplest of projects or drawings.  It's tempting to fill up every wall with artwork or decor, but don't forget to leave room for future projects.  You can do this bulletin boards, frames, or these great art cables too.  This ones from Pottery Barn Kids for $39, but you can also get IKEA's curtain wire for under $20.

Click here to see more photos of this beautiful home. 

A Table Lamp How To

Thanks for your great comments about my HEMNES shoe cabinet finale.  Here's a how-to for the lamp I made.

It started with these Meridian Lamps from Lights Up that I've admired for a long time.  I love the fabric choices and the soft glow that they give off.

They start at $100 and I just wasn't ready to make that investment, especially since I'd want to get 2 like in the photo.  So... I went to my local Joann Craft Store to see if I could find something I could do myself.  I was so excited when I found this kit by Conso.  It's about $20 and I had my 40% coupon!  Now what to cover it with?

The possibilites are endless.  Of course fabric, but I was really drawn to some papers I saw at Paper Source.  Paper Source is one of my favorite places for color and pattern inspiration.  Walking through there is like a candy store for me.  I really like the patterns on their own PS line of papers.  Check these out.

The actual steps to completing this project is very simple.  You just want to remove the paper covering the adhesive.  You can use the paper to measure and cut your paper/fabric to the right length.  Then you simply start at one end and start working your way around, being careful to stay straight and not to get too many air bubbles.  Thankfully the adhesive is quite forgiving.  Then, voila you're done! 

A few pointers:  It's probably easier to do this with fabric as the adhesive would be less sticky with fabric.  Also, if I were to do it again with paper, I'd use a piece of fabric and go around the adhesive first, just to remove some of the tackiness. 

Now, I have some of this fabric laying around... hmm.. this may be my next one.  :)