Transforming a photograph by staining the frame

Another day, another progress shot.  Isn't this fun?

This one is from the office I'm almost done with, the one with this major gallery wall.  We had some art to work with that the Foundation had been given over the years, pieces that related to the work of the Foundation but had seen better days.  Rather than start from scratch, we worked with what we had.

Before:

After:

This black and white vintage large-scale photograph of Notre Dame was done no favors by the pickled wood frame, which just further washed out the faded colors.  Several thin coats of black stain brought it to life, and a goldleaf pen on the inside edges saved me from getting stain all over the photo.

Of course, a custom bench in a Schumacher wool doesn't hurt anything, either.

A custom coffee table in the finishes below is the final piece to come in to the room, and I can show you the whole shebang!

French gold frame and heavily burnished glass top.  It' going to be a stunner!

Exterior Colors

This week is all about progress with ongoing clients.  I worked with a client on a whole-house (interior) paint palette as well as a design framework and some specific furnishing and rug selections, and they get so many compliments on the colors, they asked me to tackle the exterior.  Which of course I was happy to do!

I love the balance of bringing green against the orange brick, whether with dark olive trim

 Or light trim and deep, burnt orange mullions.

Pale green walls with ivory trim is a brighter take on the scheme, with charcoal mullions for contrast.

But green was a no-go, so we had a go at grey, another nice compliment to the orange brick.

In the end we went with a lighter/ brighter approach.

It is the least "different" from the existing house colors, but it gives the best hint at what's inside (like aqua living room walls!).  

What do you think: should the exterior of a house give some hint to what's inside?

Client breakfast nook

I've been working with a client in a sort of modern craftsman home, bringing in investment pieces little by little.  They have a charming breakfast nook, surrounded by windows, with medium wood frames and green beadboard below.  We recently brought in a lovely pedestal table and cross back chairs (which came in white but will be painted.)

Now: fabrics!  The banquette will get a cushion in the stripe, with a suite of throw pillows that can move between this space and the living room sectional.

I'm pushing for orange chairs (see paint swatches above), but we may settle for a warm ivory that matches the table base.

Here's the inspiration I sent my client to put on the hard sell....

Adorable, right?

Sneakity Peek

I just uploaded cell phone pictures to my computer, and realized I have really been holding out on you.  So many little progress shots, and since I have not joined the instagram revolution, none of you have seen these yet.

How about little updates on client projects all week?

Yes, I think this is a good plan.

Today:  new light fixture and gorgeous grasscloth in a bedroom.

Can't wait to pull the rest together, including these elements:

Meanwhile, grasscloth is going up on this lovely ceiling tomorrow, for this design, which has also gone through some changes.

Looooooove grasscloth!

Small Measures: Chalkboard bathroom

The weekend series returns with a great idea from Beastie Boy Mike D:

Chalkboard paint in a powder room.  Makes me think of the designer's bathroom--was it Albert Hadley?--where guests were encouraged to trace their hands on the wall and leave messages in sharpie (only a little less permanent).  Or maybe it has more to do with public bathroom graffiti?  Either way, really, really fun.

But What Rug?

Ah, yes, I love a good saga, don't you?

In short: the beloved orange trellis rug that was living in the living room felt a little "hot" to me.

It moved upstairs to the rugless girls' room with the idea that I would rather invest in something new for our main living space.

I took this jute rug that had been layered in the guest room,

And put it in the living room temporarily (it's too small).

I like the look but not the size.

Then I lost my mind and ordered the wrong striped rug from Overstock.

It was a great rug and actually pretty good for the space, but did not play nice with the adjoining dining room rug.

Now we are all caught up.

With all the browns in the living room, I'd like something cool on the floor.  Ideally it will work with the existing green and orange accents, though the green chair will likely eventually be recovered.

I was planning to do a custom Indian Dhurrie in wool, probably in a blue and ivory where the blue was more like the blue of my dining room chairs.  One of these patterns (colors are fully customizeable):

But then I spotted this.

Too trendy?  Maybe.  (Less so because of the color, but still.)  I brought home a sample and my just-turned-7-year old said "Mom, I LOVE this swatch."  Because it is super soft and plush, much cozier than jute.

But here's the other thing.  This room is an odd shape/layout because of the L-shaped half-wall fireplace/storage.

This means that it is impossible to have a regular rectangular rug cover the whole floor, making the small space seem smaller than it actually is.  Unless I did something custom in sisal or jute, with a notched corner.  Like this.  (See the corner wrapping the fireplace hearth?)

Usually I don't love the look of an odd shape and I don't like spending money on something so specific (i.e. something that won't work elsewhere.)  But we plan to be in this house for a long time, and a rug that fits that space would make a small living room feel bigger and would help all the off center elements feel more centered.

So....the look/feel of a bohemian blue rug?  Or the function of a larger custom natural rug?  Perhaps I could go for the best of both worlds and find a natural rug with blue or metallic woven in, like the ones below, but that can be made to my space?

I think this post made up my mind for me.  Curious what you all have to say....

Also, for the record, last week I helped a friend moving in to a new house choose paint colors for every room as well as several furniture decisions, all in one day.  At the end of the day my friend said "I can NOT believe how many decisions you just made."  See?  I can be very decisive.  Just not for myself!

The Universe Has Spoken

And it has whispered thus:

Go on, go ahead and get a rug for your living room, and don't cheap out:  make it the right rug.

Don't you love it when the Universe is on your side?

Do you want me to tell you the whole story?  (It's okay if you don't.  My husband has spent the last 10 years trying--in vain--to train me to skip all the backstory and get to the point.)

Okay.  I'll tell you the short version first.  I bought a rug on overstock one late night in a panic of SELL OUT RISK: HIGH.  I knew it was probably not right but I went ahead and done did it anyway.

See?  Kind of sort of almost great.  But truly the stripes should not be variegated (but more even, like most of these) and the blue is off--too True Blue.  Too coastal.  I lived with it for a couple of days kind of squinting at it to make the color work because the price tag worked.  (I am a professional: do NOT try this at home!)  I even tried to pretend that I needed to boot the dining room rug in favor of this guy.  (Long story here.)

The truth is, I am not very good at saving up and patiently waiting for perfect.  I am much better at finding really good right NOW.  Plus, it's hard, structurally, to save up for a purchase like a 9x12 rug when you run your own deal and your income ebbs and flows accordingly.  My husband, bless him, said to me, as I rolled up the "really great deal" in really great despair: well, you'll just have to find some extra money to get the right rug.

Yes he did.

And the very next day I got a call about a freelance writing gig, and I spent the weekend before the fourth holiday single momming it while my husband was at a bachelor party out of town and writing 5 articles to the tune of almost the price of a new rug.  (Very excited about this new gig and hope to tell you more about it soon.)

(Oh, and that's a picture of "single momming it," in case this is not self-evident.  Yes, I carry my children on my back, crawling on my hands and knees when my husband is away.)

And then last week the phone rang and a major magazine that I subscribe to invited me to come to a paid focus group, for just about the amount I think I need to close the gap on new rug-hood.  And that's what we call "finding extra money" folks.

Now.  It is possible that the universe intended to hand me this money to pay the hospital bill for my 4 year old who was sent to the emergency room by an over excited Target Clinic employee.  Or it is possible that the universe wants me to pay to take down the near-dead tree in our front yard that could have caused major damage during the recent storms that brought down a ton of beautiful old trees.

But, as I make a collage and wait to see what is in the next envelope for my focus group homework while making out with a Coke Zero to keep myself up at night, I am accepting only one earmark for these dollars:  One new rug.

(making out with a Coke Zero.  Is it weird that I'm kind of palming it?  

In all honesty, these are the kinds of pictures my husband chooses to take of me.  Isn't he sweet?)

Thanks, Universe.

Now, what kind of rug shall it be?