Saving Dollars on Window Treatments

Last week, Design Sponge did a story on saving money on window treatments.  Custom window treatments are the biggest source of sticker shock for clients, and while I totally think they're worth it, there are also times to save instead of splurge.

Remember this kitchen refresher?  This client is likely a few years out from a major kitchen renovation and addition, so the idea was to spruce things up in the meantime.  I have yet to shoot an appropriate after, but here's a peak at a cheapo window strategy: the Faux-roman shade.

Here is this spot before:

We relocated the pots to a floor-to-ceiling peg board (a la Julia Child).  We wanted to bridge the height of the flanking cabinets but soften the window.  Hence the roman shade.  My client wasn't looking for privacy or light control, though--this is purely an aesthetic fix.  We used inexpensive cafe curtains on the two kitchen windows, and I bought an additional set for here.  I simply tacked in the folds and hung it on one of those $6 spring-mount tension rods.

Easy!

Dispatches

I always love getting photos from far off friends (or strangers!) who have been inspired in some small way by this here blog.

Amy sent me some progress shots of her basement, where a fireplace went dark and the stairs got some ombre.  (Yes, those links are to the inspiration posts.)

Thanks to the crazy weather of 2013, these guys had a flood in their Colorado basement.  Here's the waterlogged before:

And the lovely after!

Detail of the stairs:

I love how the same technique has such a different feeling in a different context.  This one is so much moodier than the bright and airy inspiration.

Amy is an artist who is always adding her special touch to her home.

Making it ours: isn't that the fun of it?

Skirted

Every once in a while, I get the tiniest burst of motivation and I complete a small project around the house.  (I have major bursts of inspiration, it's just the motivation to DO THE WORK that is lacking.)

Loooong ago, I planned to paint pink stripes in my girls' bathroom.

(In hindsight, I'm so glad I chose to photograph that with the toilet seat up.)  I'll tell you what.  When it came down to it I was simply too lazy to measure and tape out all those stripes, and too cheap to pay someone else to do it.

Meanwhile.  Loooong ago I learned the hard way that you can't return opened bedding to Ikea, and planned to make a duvet cover into a pair of bedskirts for my girls.  But you know what?

Lazy.

This weekend I found the path of least resistance when I took the pink and white striped duvet and turned it into a couple of sinks for the girls' bathroom.

I got the stripes in there, I used the fabric, and the project took all of 1/2 an hour.

Lazy AND satisfied.

Triumph!

Once daylight savings set in, and before Minnesota returned to a state of perpetual winter (a winter storm warning is in effect and another 4-6 inches of snow is predicted as I write this, on APRIL TWENTY-SECOND), there was a brief moment of evening sunshine.  This was so very lovely, with one little problem: my children would not go to sleep because their in-progress window treatments let in all that light.

And so, last weekend, I finally made a pair of light-blocking draperies.  People, let me tell you, if you have ever been knocked over in shock at the price of custom draperies, you just need to make yourself a pair to understand, and you will never complain again.  Promise.  (Well, you might complain, but you will know you are not being ripped off.)

Mine are only a single fabric width, only because I bought this fabric a dozen years ago and I didn't have any more.  I used black-out liner, and that business is HEAVY.  I used this tutorial for lining, but made my own pinch pleats instead of using pleat tape.  As it turns out, pleat tape is basically useless if you want any control over the spacing of your pleats--which you do if you want them to fit the window properly.  And if you're going to all this trouble, you definitely want them to fit your window properly.

What this means is that when the draperies are closed, they overlap about 2 inches in the middle, and the return at the outside ends is the right size to actually wrap around the side of the window and touch the wall.

I chose a butterfly pleat, which seems sweet for a girls' room, don't you think?

For the drapery rod, I used this one from Allen + Roth at Lowes, which I blogged about here.  I love the look, and it was very easy to customize the length--my husband just cut off about a foot section and drilled a new hole for the finial.  My big complaint is that the rings do not maneuver smoothly on the rod, and for curtains that get opened and closed daily, this is a problem.  That said, I got the rod, rings, brackets, and finials for $50, about 1/4 to 1/8 of the price of something similar from a higher-end custom line.  So in the future, I would consider using the slightly narrower pole with these rings.

Noe I jut need to revisit the beds.  I've been thinking about tufted headboards in white, natural, or blush pink linen.  But then today I saw these.

Love the shape.  Painted white, I think.

What say you?

I've always wanted to

I've always wanted to wallpaper a room in book pages, and today I am doing just that.  this is just the sample board.  We're doing the bathrooms (above a tile base) in a restaurant with a London Deli vibe.  I found AMAZING books at the local vintage book emporium Midway Books, including one called At Home With the Royal Family that has appendixes listing all of the Queen's household.  Things like Swans, Keeper of The.  And Travelling Yeoman.  And another with line drawings of all the grand old houses of London.

Can't wait to get started!

Sneak Peek: console DIY

My impatient streak continues. I'm going to show you a nearly-but-not-quite-finished project that is completely unstyled. Heck, we didn't even clean up before I snapped these pictures.

My client had this old mid-century console that was in rough shape. Her dad refinished the exterior, but the doors and drawers were a mess, and my client wanted to transform it into a quirky statement piece for her family/play room.

Enter vintage wallpaper and some leftover navy chalkboard paint.

So cute, right?  I love that the wallpaper has lots of movement and a cream background to lighten the piece.  And leaving the pulls in their natural wood state connects the front of the piece to the outside.

After testing various adhesives on a piece of plywood at home, we ended up using mod podge, both under and over the paper, and are pretty happy with the results.  I did not take step by step how-to photos, but I can try to break it down another day if anyone would like to try this at home.

Hey, don't forget to enter the Novica giveaway!

Adding to the fireplace vignette

When I revealed the black-painted fireplace wall, I mentioned that I was planning to add an upholstered top to the mid-century bench.  The wall needed a textile for softness, the new coffee table meant I needed a little extra height for the bench, and the wood-slat, though I love it, was reading a little too casual for where the design of this room is going.

Using a leftover piece of glazed linen (it was welting for client pillows), a piece of plywood I already had, and leftover foam from a headboard project, the only expense to this project was a couple of dollars in batting.

I also went looking for baskets to use under the bench a couple of weeks ago, and came up short.  Friday, however, I hit Consignment Central and found this pair.  They were exactly what I was looking for.

Because they were $12 each--pricey for consignment--I almost didn't buy them.  Then I remembered that most of the baskets I had looked at (at Michael's, World Market, Target, Home Goods) were more expensive and less perfect!  I'm thinking of giving them a dipped effect with either gold or silver rub n buff or spraypaint.

Kind of like these two combined:

both photos, Martha Stewart

This way my husband and I will have his-and-hers magazine bins, eliminating the conflict of who/when/how magazines get sorted and recycled.

Isn't it funny how we almost walk away from what we want because we are expecting a "better deal"?  I also almost bought just one of the baskets, but the truth is, you should never split up a good pair!

Hand block-printed shades

If you follow me on Facebook, then you know I was featured with six other bloggers (including my blog friends Kathy at My Interior Life and Autumn at Design Dump) in a round up of budget decorating DIYs on the Style at Home website.  My project is an oldie that I hinted at but never shared.

In fact, this project started as a cautionary tale.  When we moved in, this house did not have window coverings in the bedrooms, and since I had no design plan and had not even begun to think about budget, I simply ran to Home Depot and had some white vinyl shades cut to size.  This was basically the cheapest option with good light control.  Fast forward a year or so and you encounter the problem: because we already had window shades, we did not want to buy new window shades.  (The lesson: don't buy "temporary" unless you are okay with it being basically permanent!)

So I needed a fix.  I ordered a carved block used in block printing off of etsy, read tutorials on painting vinyl shades, and got down to business.  Before starting in on the shade, I tested some patterns and colors on large paper.  I quickly realized that a light color would work better than a dark one, like the navy wall paint from the guest room, which showed too many of the irregularities in this process.

So I settled on the wall color from the girls room.  And rather than the climbing vine motif above, I settled on a simple grid pattern.

I taped a tape measure across the bottom of the shade, used a roller to layer paint on the block, and printed every five inches.  (Look closely to see the paint!!)

When it was time to do the next row, I used a ruler to make sure the spacing was even in both directions.

I printed a straight square grid first, then added one stamp in the middle of each square.  I just eyeballed that.

To finish it off, I used a krylon matte sealer and let it cure for a couple of hours before hanging it back up.

These shades have gone up and down at least once daily for about 9 months, and they are still looking good!

Of course, I would still love custom matchstick blinds in there, but for now these are pretty cute, but darn hard to photograph.  In fact, this may be why I never did share the project--that pale pink is sure hard to see, and when you have to shut out the natural light in a room (but don't have professional lighting equipment at your disposal, well, it doesn't look like much.

But tell me: would you ever hand-block print anything?  It actually took way less than an hour once I made decisions about pattern and color and got on with it already!

Fireplace transformation

People.

I have been holding out on you with the long-promised fireplace transformation.  Why?  Because I was planning one more little project for the whole fireplace wall.  But then I had a nice, sunny warm day, great for taking pictures, so I decided to show you anyway.

BEFORE

The before.  Yikes!  Now that it is better, I can't believe I lived with this for two years.  The fireplace insert is just so awkwardly placed, floating in the wall, with no surround or mantel--no nothing!  And my assortment of random objects placed in descending height order is not helping.

Well, all that has changed.  Witness:

It's good, right?  Here, take another look:

So what was the project?  I'm making an upholstered top for that bench which isn't really a bench but a coffee table.  My husband is VERY unhappy at the idea that people will sit on this, but I bought the thing at the flea market when I was 24 and I went ahead and pulled rank.  And then compromised with the idea of an upholstered board instead of a loose cushion--for more stability, weight evenly spread across the bench, yadda yadda practical stuff.

I'm choosing a fabric from the stacks, and thinking tealy/emerald green glazed linen.

But in the meantime, books work.  Fur throws and pillows work.

It is a dramatic change (and the very first design idea I had for this house.)  My only regret?  I should have done it sooner.  Even if it was terrible, it's just paint!

Easy peasy canopies (and a giveaway)

Doesn't that make you want to say "can-o-peasies?"  Or is it just me?

I've been staging a house.  The owners are adorable and have made a ton of great choices, like painting out the upper half story white (it was knotty pine) and installing white flooring, thereby making the long narrow room as expansive as possible.  (Also creating ombre stairs to that space, as shared here.)  But, they have been living in 1100 square feet with their two kids, two dogs, and two guinea pigs for long enough that they started to lose perspective.  It happens.

After lots of clearing out and refocusing rooms, the house is looking great and will be on the market soon.  My favorite change?  To make the most of the sloped ceiling upstairs and mask some odd doors and built in nooks in the walls, we made a pair of canopies from inexpensive fabric.

Cute, yes?

The best part?  We put them up with velcro.  Quick directions (if you sew):

-hem the bottom 4 inches
- put in 1 1/2 inch hems on both sides
- put in a 3 each hem at the top
- get some velcro for decor projects.  This kind has adhesive on one side and you sew on the other.
- adhere the sticky side to the place where the wall meets the ceiling and where the half wall meets the straight wall.  (Allow 24 hours to fully cure).
- sew velcro to the top of your panel
- put your panel up at the top, drape to determine how much fullness you want (we did not want a a lot), and pin in two spots across the fabric where the second strip of velcro will go
- sew in second strip of velcro

Alternately, you could use a pre-made curtain panel and just sew the rod pocket closed on the sides to avoid sagging.  Easy!

Hey, you know what else?  A little GIVEAWAY today.

Shabby Apple is offering a $50 gift card to the winner.  Check out their adorable, vintage-inspired line on their website.  To enter, do any of the following, then leave me one comment here for each action (and while your at it, tell me your favorite item from  Shabby Apple):

- Check out the Shabby Apple facebook page
- Follow this blog (see "followers" in the sidebar?)
- Share this post on facebook or recommend on Google+
- Tweet this page

You must have a valid US address to enter.

If I won the gift card?  I would choose this skirt:



Stripes!  Shocking, I know.

Upholstery

This is what my basement looks like right now.

Off to install a bunch of headboards/back rests and other bits and pieces today--can't wait to see it all in the space!

I used to make headboards using an old hand held staple gun.  With lots of layers (like in a corner), the staples barely held, and I would always walk away with bruised hands.  A while back, my father in law gave us an air compressor, so after some research, my husband picked up a pneumatic staple gun for me.




Since we already had the compressor, this was only a $40 investment, and it made these projects go much, much, MUCH faster, and the staples really hold on.  The end result is a much cleaner, more professional piece.

If you plan to take on some DIY upholstery, I can't recommend this highly enough!

Lampshade update (diagonal stripes!)

Yesterday I shared a loooooong list of things to do.
Afterwards, it occurred to me that I have also actually accomplished a number of things over the past few weeks that you haven't seen yet.

Like a little lamp update in the girls' room, taking this turquoise lamp from this



To this

Much better.

It is subtle, though a leetle less subtle than it appears in this photo (the combo of pale and bold colors in this room is turning out to be very difficult to photograph).

With all the bold patterns in there, I wanted something soft and quiet, and with floral and ethnic already employed, stripes was the way to go.  This is a lovely Ralph Lauren silk that I got for only $12/ yard at S.R. Harris.

Applying it was simple.  There are lots of tutorials out there, but I basically followed the two on Isabella and Max, here and here.  I did not remove the tape trim at either end of the shade, simply covered it up with the fabic because I wanted a very simple clean edge.   I used a tacky spray to attach the fabric all along the shade, then I cut the fabric to about 1/4 inch past the shade, tucked it under and glued it with some dritz liquid stitch.

I love how the stripes are off kilter (because the shade has a slight cone shape, a patterned fabric is not going to stay straight, and a stripe only exaggerates it).  Much of this room is symmetrical and very finished; the wonky stripe feels a little more bohemian.

What do you think?

Feeling Ambitious

So, in addition to signing on to the pinterest challenge last week, I finally went ahead and researched and bought one of these.



That's right, a teeny tiny hand-carved block from India, for block printing.  From this etsy seller--she had the best supply of reasonably priced blocks with great designs that felt modern and not over the top Indian.

Any guesses what it's for?  I'll give you two hints: It's fo something in the girls' room, and I must be a masochist.

Although, Jenny at Little Green Notebook just posted about trying her hand at multiple-image block prints, inspired by sticker murals.  And she's planning to hand-carve her stamps with icons special to her family.

Perhaps I am not so ambitious after all!  I aspired to it, once.  I have lino blocks and cutters and ink somewhere in the basement, which I bought probably a decade ago in NY to make some throw pillows.  I moved them cross country (twice), but I have yet to use them.  Maybe I'll put them to use and make a second pattern to alternate with the one I bought.....

Unlikely.  But who knows!

Magnetic Paint: The Deets

A number of people have expressed interest in magnetic paint and wondered how it's working.  The short answer is so-so.  Here's what I learned. 

1. First up, the product.  

I used Rustoleum, I suppose because that's what they had at the store.  It's not cheap at about $25 for a quart.  The label says to use three thin coats, and that a quart will cover 16 square feet this way.   I covered exactly 16sf (the length of my hallway times one foot wide) and had a bit of primer left in the can.

2.  Color and consistency: tar black and splattery.

It went on thick but uneven, and I found it to be extremely splattery.  Okay, I made that word up, but see below.

Splattery.  (You should see my hands.)  I would recommend covering the wall surrounding your magnet space in plastic, and be sure to tarp the floor CAREFULLY.  The black splatter does not come up with a baby wipe.  (My extra special and foolproof method for removing latex paint from wood.)

3.  Coverage

The can suggests two coats of your chosen color so as not to interfere with the magnetic powers of the primer.  The can also says the primer will be grey, making it sound like it should not be too difficult to cover. But after two coats of Ace's California Dreaming (see below), I knew I was going to have to go for a third color coat and cross my fingers that magnets would still hold.

I should mention too that there is no warning from the product that light colors may not cover well enough.  In fact, there is a picture on the can of a mint green magnet board.

4. Edges and Texture
When I removed the painter's tape, I encountered another problem:  the magnet paint had bled a tiny bit, but the top coat had not, leaving a pencil thin line of black along the top of my painted area.

And some messy seams along the corner.

It's possible that this is because I was out of the awesome Frog tape and instead used the look alike green tape from Ace which may just not be up to the task.  I will probably tape just above the line and fill in with the citron color, though I am very nervous about adding MORE paint over the magnet surface.

5. Texture
Problem: there is some.  The magnetic primer leaves a sort of rough texture on the wall (despite using foam rollers for smooth surfaces as recommended).  You can totally see the difference between the painted bits and the painted over magnetic primer bits.  I can't seem to capture it in pictures, but believe me, it's annoying.

6. Hold
But does it work?  You will ask.  And I will answer: yes.  Sort of.  We have some fashion magnets that hold to the wall on their own, but add a piece of paper and it's kaputzies.  The Small and Mighty magnets seem to be working just fine, so we will get more of those (adding to the tally for this seemingly "simple" and "cheap" project!)

7. Recommendations
If I were planning a magnet project with my newfound knowledge, I would NOT try to do a partial wall and match the color.  I would either do a discrete area or go wall to wall (though that could get priey, fast.)  I would be tempted to try four coats of the primer.  I would also not try to cover the primer with a light color.  I would go for Navy or Purple or Charcoal or Black.  (Why am I capitalizing my colors?)  Or chalkboard paint--I think this is a wonderful idea, though I know form experience that chalkboard paint only looks good for so long before it needs to be washed, and that eventually it really needs to be repainted, at which point you might weaken your magnets.

We'll see how it holds up.  The girls seem excited about it, which is a big part of the point, and the hallway definitely feels more finished, but I have to say, it is a little clean-lined for my taste.  Maybe I will end up with one foot stripes of citron and white.....

Anything I missed?  Happy to answer additional questions.  Unclear?  I hear you.  For some reason my tired brain had a difficult time organizing this information into something useful.

Heather