Spotted!

When I was in New York in June, my friend Sarah suggested the Marlton Hotel for a meet up with our friends from our public art days.  Sarah is my incredibly stylish friend who is always in the know about the latest places, and the hotel's decor is fabulous-- current without feeling overly trendy.  I didn't take any photos (well, except for one of their cafe curtain construction as reference for a project--I know, nerd), but you can see tons of photos here.

The other picture I took?  This fabulous Andy Warhol-inspired wallpaper in the bathroom.
And I just found the source!  Flavor Paper offers this paper in 4 colorways as part of the Warhol Collection.  Prices are steep at $350 for a 15 foot roll, but if you're smart you will use it like the hotel's designers--above wainscoting or another half-wall.

It feels retro yet current, right?  I guess that means it's just timeless.

New Wool Flatweaves

What do all of these flatwoven wool rugs have in common?

They are from Ikea!

That's right: perhaps inspired by the wild runaway success of their black and white broken stripe dhurrie, the Ikea folks are at it again.  I saw a number of these in person today, and out of context would never have guessed the source.  (Well, maybe not never.)  Most are good sized (around 5x8 or around 8x10), and all are under $300.

I personally love all the classic stripe options.  Surprise, surprise.

Have you stumbled upon any great finds lately?

Found!

Years ago, living in NYC, I splurged on a pair of hand blocked pillowcases from that revered emporium of all things home, ABC.  I made several major investments at the ABC outlet in the Bronx over the years, but this lone pair of pillowcases was my only purchase at the store proper.  I loved the colors, the Indian motif, and the little quilted triangle design at the edge, which made the cases feel both hand-made and high-end.

After years of washing, the beautiful cotton finally gave way, but I couldn't bring myself to toss the cases out.  (Weird?  Maybe.)  They lived in this bedroom in Park Slope over a decade ago

Moved to this bedroom in our South Slope row-house

(yes, we have had some intense bedroom wall colors!)

Skipped our house in Boulder, but found their way into my current house's guest room's very early (very unfinished) schemes

And stayed in the room even when the walls went dark,

At which point they really finally bit the dust.

I love a well-traveled textile or accessory, don't you?  Just goes to show how collected pieces can give us a sense of our own history while changing with their surroundings.

Anyway, when working on this bedroom, I stumbled upon the website of Kerry Cassil design.  I loved the prints and patterns, and the (relatively) reasonable price tag for such individual-feeling pieces.  And then I noticed something.  The little quilted triangle detail at the pillowcase edges.  

Boom: Kerry Cassil is the designer of my favorite-ever pillowcases!  (you can see the quilted edge best on the stripes, just above.)

Now that we've been reunited, this will quickly become one of my favorite bedding sources, putting so many of these (and these) sheets and shams to shame.

Go forth and purchase.  You will be happy for years to come.

Retail Wallpaper

It's no secret that wallpaper is back in a big way.  So perhaps it should be no surprise that the most trend-forward big box. catalog retailers are getting in on the action.

There have been a few retail sources for to-the-trade papers for a while now, most notably Walnut Wallpaper, and Anthropologie was early to the table with a tight selection of some designed-elsewhere papers.

Now, West Elm and Serena and Lily are out with their own collections, available direct to the consumer.

Serena and Lily's collection has 25+ designs, most in various colorways, and retail for a reasonable $88/ 27' single roll, which is similar to many of the trade papers I sell.

West Elm's papers are pretty pricey at $299 for an 11-yard single roll, but they are low-VOC and, it appears, removable, making them an option for apartment dwellers and all you DIY types.

So, are you craving wallpaper these days?  I seem to be choosing a lot of it for clients lately.

And P.S., Serena and Lily is having a huge sale right now.  Just use code GOODSAVE at checkout to get $100 of $500, $500 of $1500, and various deals in between.

Source Alert: Jaipur at Zinc Door

Searching for flatweaves the other day, I was surprised to see that Zinc Door now sells Jaipur rugs.  Jaipur has a wonderful selection of wool flatweaves in variegated stripes and contemporary patterns, and while I've seen them pop up on the flash sale sites now and again, I haven't been aware of a simple, direct retail source until now.

Some favorites:

Prices for wool flatweaves go up to about $1100 for a 9x12.  Not dirt cheap, but very reasonable!  They also make beautiful hand tufted pile rugs, but those cost more.

See the whole collection here.

Drapery Rods and Hardware: new custom-look options

One of those "it's all in the details" areas I often skimp on is curtain rods and hardware.  It doesn't shame me to admit this.  Often, if you hang your curtains high, the rod is not particularly visible anyway, and the truth is, the cost gap between a rod from target and a custom rod is vast.  Since I work with many clients who want to stretch their dollars, I have certainly advocated for cheap rods to allow a little splurge elsewhere (or to make sure we can do everything in the room within budget.)  None of my own curtain rods are custom.

All of that said, I know that many rooms call for more substantial hardware.  This client's 12-foot drapes would have eaten a smaller rod alive, and this bedroom's large furniture required balance.  Additionally, if you are opening and closing your drapes constantly, telescoping rods (the ones that can extend because they are made in two or three pieces) can catch your drapery rings or panel headers, making it a big pain in the butt to utilize their function.

Okay.  Guess what?  A compromise has arrived.  Lowes and Bed Bath and Beyond are both offering limited collections of wood rods that can be cut to length on site.

Lowes Allen+Roth brand:

Bed Bath and Beyond's Cambria Collection:

Excuse the cell phone pics.  I took them to show a client, but it turns out the websites for these stores are not particularly useful where these products are concerned.

With both collections, the rods come in three lengths, 4, 6, and 8 ft, and can be cut to measure.  (Not by the store: by you.)  Rods also come in two widths, which we will call thinner and fatter, and there is some variation of smooth, fluted, and twisted. They come in black, white, and two tones of wood, and each collection does have several finial options and tie backs.

While they are more expensive than Target rods, they are still cheaper than telescoping rods from pricier big box stores like Restoration Hardware, and you get that custom look.

I am testing some from Lowes in a project and will let you know how it goes.

I'm excited!

Oliver's Nursery: Sources and Projects

Thanks for all your feedback yesterday! In addition to the nice notes on the blog and facebook, I have been assured by my mother, who visited Oliver yesterday, that the room is much better in person.

As I mentioned, Oliver's nursery was a total labor of love. I think it took Nicole and I three or fours days to completely finish the continent painting, Nicole learned to sew in order to trim out the white curtains, and her mom took a community ed refresher sewing class AND enlisted the help of a neighbor to sew the striped cushions for the storage bench, not to mention all the many small projects along the way.

The deets: where it all came from, how much it cost.

Storage benches: Ikea Trofast, $39.99 each, with plastic containers and shelves, $188 total
Green awning stripe fabric: Ikea, 5 yards at $7, $35 total
Foam, piping, and zippers for striped cushions: about $60
Plaid throw pillows: 1 yard fabric, S.R. Harris, $7.49; velvet remnant (on backs), $2.50: Total $10
Nickel curtain rod: JC Penney: $30 (on sale)
Curtains: Ikea Merete, $19.99, trimmed with two yards of striped fabric from S.R. Harris, $14: total $34
White frames: Target, $7.99 a piece: $24 total
Dresser knobs: Pier 1, $28 for two sets of four (no longer available)
Mirror: Home Goods, $39.99, spraypainted Rustoleum dark bronze (which I had on hand)
Lamp: Home Goods, $29.99
Orange tote bags: Old Navy, $16.99 each (no longer on the website, but I think you can still get them in stores?)
Nickel robe hooks for tote bags: Target, package of 2, $3.99
Paint: California Paint (no VOC) in Coastal Sand, one gallon, about $40

TOTAL: $556.95

A few of the detailed projects:

Curtains before

After


Mirror Before


After


And please pause to appreciate the orange piping on these striped cushions, and the perfect alignment of the stripes. Amazing job, Sharon!


Let me just say, I am SO glad I was not the one to tackle this endeavor.

Finally, two big points about what we didn't change.

We could have changed the wall color before we started down the path of painting murals. But the homeowners liked the pale green, painting all those slanted walls and cove ceilings would be a pain in the arse, and once we decided to do a mural, we needed the windows to kind of disappear. Since they already had custom roman shades that matched the walls, repainting also would have meant new window treatments, and we simply didn't have the budget. Plus: not broken, don't fix.

And, the carpet. Kind of blah neutral carpet. We couldn't change it--again, budget, plus it runs through the rest of the upstairs--and I'm not really a fan of layering rugs over plush wall to wall. Sisal? Sure. But anything with a pile, well, it's not my favorite look. Plus, budget. I do think that by choosing a color for the continents that is quite close to the color of the carpeting, it makes it all feel deliberate. And with the furniture more balanced out, I really think the wall to wall makes the room look huge and airy, so it all works out in the end!

While it is so nice to have this room done, I have to say, I will miss hanging out with Nicole and Oliver. But she assures me we will do the rest of the house together--once she wins the lottery.

As for the rest of you. If you'd like help transforming your home into a space you love, on any budget, email me at heatherjoypeterson@gmail.com for design services and rates.