Put Some Trim On It

Not too long ago, I was hanging out at my brother and sister-in-law's house, and looking around, I felt very settled: everything in their space just feels finished.  This is, I think, partly because they have been int he house for about 10 years and partly because they run Union Place, a home theater and design shop in Excelsior, Minnesota.  While their taste is much more traditional than mine, their facility with layers and details can apply to any decor.  The fringe on my niece Lucia's curtains was one of the inspirations for the tasseled trim in my girl's room.

My favorite fabric store (well, discount fabric warehouse, really), happens to have a sale right now--all decorator trims are 50% off of the already insanely good prices.  (Get the coupons on their website, print 'em out and put 'em to good use.)  I'm trimming the life out of the curtains around here.

I love this tape trim for the dining room.

It has the chartreuse, picks up the raspberry from around the house and that hit of black will give some drama.  This is going on the leading edge and then--who knows--maybe I 'll add it to the outside as well.

This raspberry trim is very close in color to the guest room curtains--I love the way it almost reads as lace.  I'm thinking leading edge plus bottom hem, to sweep the floor.

Then there are these, possibilities for client projects.  A couple of fun things in the works.

And how about that orange and green leopard print?  It's fully reversible so you can choose which is the pattern and which is the ground, and it was a remnant, just $6/yard and the piece is 2 1/2 yards.  I'm thinking headboard.  I just don't know for who.  Yet!

So I guess I'll be doing a little sewing this holiday weekend.  What about you: what do you have planned?

On the Fringes

One of the things I love about my current work situation is the variety.  When I get a little burned out on design work, I can write a blog post.  If I need something concrete, there is always book keeping.  I happened to have 3 or 4 projects all in the conception stage at the same time, which is incredibly fun, but it also left me feeling the need for something a little more tangible.  I wanted to make something, to do something, to see an end result now.

So I made some time and knocked a couple of items off my own project list, and I'm feeling great.  Nothing big, just small signs of progress under my own two hands.  I'll share some with you this week.

First up, you may be tired of seeing the girls' room, but here it comes again.

It's completely counter-intuitive, but moving in to this modern house with simple lines has brought out the traditional girl in me, and I have not only done more floor length draperies on a per-window basis in this house than any previous house, I have also found myself drawn to more formal trappings like pelmets and fringe.  I think it might be a desire to layer in details to a house with minimal architecture.  With a limited budget, I've mostly left out this particular finishing touch (the navy blue Ralph Lauren silk tassel trim I wanted for the guest room curtains was $30 per yard even at my fabulous fabric outlet.)  But after finding just the right trim for $8/yard, almost a quarter of the price of something similar at, say, JoAnn's, I decided to go for it.

Here are the curtains most recently "before"

And here they are after.

I love how the tassel reinforces the three dominant colors in the room--the green, pink, and yellow--but leaves out the blue.  I also like how finished the treatment looks, and how playful the overall effect ended up being.

I will admit that these curtains didn't "need" tassels with such a bold pattern and the finished effect of the cornice box, and at $45 for the 5 yards I needed, this was not a super cheap change.  But I think sometimes these subtle bits and pieces add up to a lot of impact.

I also think trim could be used to jazz up inexpensive curtains for a very custom look.

Take a pair of basic ikea curtains for about $20, add this pom pom trim on both sides of the panels,

and you have your own version of these anthropologie Toorie panels.

Or add these ruffles (they come in lots of colors)

 in vertical strips a couple of inches apart and you have something like these panels from Urban Outfitters.

Run your ruffles horizontally for this effect, a la Land of Nod

(if you did several rows on floor length curtains, these would be worthy of a grown up space.)

Go over the top fabulous with layers of box pleated taffeta trim and pretend you run with Miles Redd.

Okay, not quite the same thing (his is silk organdy, inspired by Oscar de la Renta couture gowns) but you could get something of the look for less.  As an aside, this is one of my favorite bedrooms of all time.  Seriously, I would take it in a heartbeat.

Okay, back to embellishing curtains.  I also like the idea of getting a little exotic.  How about linen curtains with short beaded fringe for a sort of tribal look?

Or feathers??!!

(Truth be told, I tried to get my mom to go for some feather trim on curtains in her guest room.  If anyone was going to go for feathered curtains, I would think it would be my mom, but no dice.)

For a more sophisticated take, you could add a simple tape inset from the edge.  Maybe a greek key or a classic scroll?

Come to think of it, I kind of like that scroll for my chartreuse silk curtains in the dining room....

I think trim might be a love it or hate it kind of a thing.  Which side do you fall on?

Riveted

Well, that was more of a hiatus than intended.
Blogger issues + personal computer issues = 4 days off, plus one late post.

But here I am, ready to say that I have always been quite taken by Phillip Jeffries wallpapers, and while it is usually the Voyage collection that I drool over (hand block-printed natural textured wallcoverings), I'm kind of digging the harder edge to the new line, Rivets.

I love both the different metal finishes and the textural backgrounds, but it is a lot of look.  Instead of all-over rivet madness, how about just a finishing detail?

I love the nailhead trim along the ceiling line in this room by Joseph Minton.

Okay, there's lots of cool stuff to see in this image, like the amazing crown molding in the hallway and the details on that mirror.

Come closer.

There it is.

These walls (and ceiling) are upholstered, making this trim a good way to finish the seams, but you could simply trim out painted walls in a coordinating trim, and finish with overscale nailhead.  What a nice way to bring an edge to your walls, especially if you don't have moldings.

Of course, I'm still dying to upholster a room.  Or at least my guestroom ceiling.

See you tomorrow!