Love Your Space

Small Measures: Graduated doors

2012-03-03T08:28:00.000-06:00

So much more fun than a solid, especially against this light and airy backdrop.

Christian LaCroix

2012-03-02T07:26:00.000-06:00

here

Loving this wallpaper from Christian LaCroiz for Designer's Guild. Reminds me a bit of this paper

via Living Etc.

But a little more haphazard, like a super chic pinboard gone trompe l'oeuil.

Ooh, and while we're on the subject, loving this one, too. Not for me, but loving nonetheless.

here

It could be a fun DIY to "wallpaper" a small space by decoupaging your own ephemera, and add a clear polycoat over the top. Add it to the list of things I would do in a crumbling old house, if that's where I lived.

Anthropologie rug: the look for less

2012-03-01T07:04:00.000-06:00

I have always loved the Anthro "festival" rug.

But I don't love the price tag. At $998 for an 8x10, it certainly isn't crazy, but when you are doing a whole house (or even a whole room), the price tags add up.

Check out a similar rug from NuLoom.

You can find it right now at rugstudiousa where a 7'6" x 9'6" is only $425.60 (sale price).

Noe, I do believe that you get what you pay for, and the big difference here (besides the slightly murkier color palette from nuloom) is the way the rug is made. The anthro rug is a quite detailed crewelwork construction, while the nuLoom appears to be machine tufted.

Either way, though, you get that bohemian look at a good price.

Leap!

2012-02-29T08:27:00.002-06:00

Taken any leaps lately? Perhaps today is the day?

here

here

here

here

here via here

here

here

Contrast back

2012-02-28T10:01:00.004-06:00

Have you noticed the interesting trend towards patchwork these days? It feels like I'm seeing a lot of upholstery where every little part is a different fabric or color. Bohemian, I suppose, but a little much for my taste.

But two fabrics on one piece? That can be perfection. Looking around for some inspiration images for a client, I notice that Katie Ridder is the master of the two-tone dining chair. Check it out:

A detail of the contrast welt (you know I will never argue with raspberry, cobalt, and chartreuse. No, not ever.)

And this pair is fun--same room, different styling. Even the lighting makes a difference, with the top image looking much more contrasty.

What do you think? Would you pair a contrast fabric on the back of your dining chairs?

Photos: katieridder.com

I feel like Emily Von Henderson

2012-02-27T07:01:00.000-06:00

Because we just got a pair of these vintage Dunbar chairs (from craigslist!) back from the upholsterer

And now they look like this

(Emily Henderson is excellent at finding cool old furniture and updating it with pretty grey fabric.)

This fabric is SO pretty--grey with flecks of teal and rust, and a hint of shimmer. Love the way the cooler color makes the wood base pop. While I do believe golden corduroy upholstery has its place, this silvery re-do is oh so sophisticated.

(Can I also mention how ashamed I am that my client's photo, the top one, taken with her iphone, is SO much better than my photography, and I was using a Nikon D70? Yeah.)

And hey, new followers, welcome! I'm so glad you're here.

Small Measures: chalkboard wallpaper

2012-02-25T09:47:00.002-06:00

Source: designsponge.com via Heather on Pinterest

Chalkboard paint in an unexpected room. Simple patterns, like wallpaper. The freedom to change it up. Brilliant.

Vintage Shopping Tip

2012-02-24T11:33:00.001-06:00

I wrote a long post a long time ago chock full of tips on vintage shopping, which you can check out here if you are so inclined.

I have something to add, especially for online and long distance shopping. Ready?

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR MEASUREMENTS.

It seems obvious, and yet sellers make it real hard. Have you noticed how often craigslist sellers fail to include measurements in their descriptions? Vintage sellers, you know what would be an awesome added bonus (in addition to listing measurements)? Photographing your items in context of other items that can give a sense of scale.

To wit.

I recently found this amazing set of 8 vintage '70s Danish dining chairs for a client.

Love at first sight.

But guess what? No measurements. And when we got them from the seller, it turned out these gorgeous chairs are practically child-sized. If they had been photographed with a dining table, we would have known from the get-go that they are barely the height of a table. And the seats are only 2 inches wider than a set of child chairs I have from Ikea.

I'm curious: have you ever purchased something from photos and been surprised by the scale when it arrives? It can happen!

Genius product!

2012-02-23T07:51:00.000-06:00

Want the elegance of cloth napkins with the convenience of paper?

Look no further.

I had a little happy hour at the fabulous downtown pad of a new friend last night, and he introduced me to these ingenious rolls of reusable cocktail napkins.

They're perforated, so they roll out and tear off just like a paper towel, but they have all the panache of linen. I will add to my little user review that they feel great and have a nice hand to them.

At $25 for a roll of 50, that's just 50 cents a square.

My friend (an artist) got them from the Walker Art Center's gift shop, so this is also a great moment to make a little plug for your neighborhood museum store. I'm lucky to live in a city with several world-class art institutions, but I've noticed that even much smaller museums (like the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, where we used to go as part of our farmer's market outings) have excellent and unique offerings. Plus your purchases support the arts. Win/win, I say.

Go forth and buy arty stuff in a house of art near you.

Creative Photo Display from a surprising source

2012-02-22T07:04:00.000-06:00

I'm a huge fan of the extensive gallery wall for family photos (among other things). I know, big surprise. I did it here and here and here and here. And here. I have my methods, but it is interesting to see the kits popping up around the big box shops.

Well, Urban Outfitters is getting in on the action. They offer this gallery wall collection of 10 frames for just $39. (Also comes in gold(!) or white.)

But they also offer a ton of other options. These are pretty casual for me, but super fun, very inexpensive, and feel like they fit right in to that sort of "undecorated" vibe that's big these days.

Picture Window, 2 for $25

Cable Photo Holder, $8 or 2 for $10

Mobile Spider Frame, sale $10 (regular $12)

4x6 Baltic Ribbon Triple Frame, $29

Picture Window Wide, $15 or 2 for $25

Fun, right? Where would you use one of these? would you group the photos by theme?

Tag, you're it!

2012-02-20T20:30:00.001-06:00

There's a little game going around blogland right now.

Project: about me.

A way for bloggers to interview other bloggers, crossed with a chain letter. Fun, right? I was tagged by Inspire me Heather, who tagged eleven bloggers named Heather. Clever!

RULES

1. You must post the rules!

2. Answer the 11 questions the tagger posted for you , and then create

11 new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.

3. Tag 11 people and link them in your post.

4. Let them know you’ve tagged them.

Why did you start your blog?

Long before I had this design blog, I had a mom blog. We lived in New York at the time, far from most of our family and old friends, and the blog was a way to gather photos and baby updates in one place. When we moved into our current house in Minneapolis, I was posting a ton of decorating content instead of kid updates, and when I mentioned the idea of a design blog, one reader said "but isn't your blog already a design blog?" It was obviously time to separate the content. I wrote down my ideas, and seeing I had enough content for my first month's worth of daily posts, I made the plunge.

What has been your most popular post?

My Reader Design Dilemmas have been the most popular, with What do Do with a Brick Planter (that you don't want to remove) topping out the numbers for page views. Funny--lots of people must have these in their homes?

You can see the whole series here. (Send me your dilemmas! I love tackling them).

What would be the best piece of advice on blogging you could give?

Manage expectations. Do your best to keep to a schedule, but give yourself a break, too, just communicate it in advance. If you begin to resent your blog, your readers will feel it and stop reading.

What was the best piece of advice on blogging you have received?

Do you blog in the morning, in the afternoon, or at night?

The best writing advice I've been given also applies to blogs: write what you know (and love.)

I usually write posts at night and schedule them for the following morning. But I try to plan out about a week in advance to be sure each week has a good balance of inspiration, DIY, specific ideas, and shared resources. This feels a bit like lifting the curtain: I've had so many readers tell me they're impressed that I'm already done blogging at breakfast!

What is your favorite blog to read?

Little Green Notebook is really the blog that brought me into this whole world of design bloggers, and it is still one of my first stops each day. I love the mix of personal projects, genius DIY, great resources, and a bit of Jenny herself. It's a mix I strive for (though I'm no Jenny Komenda where DIY is concerned!) I also love Sherry Hart's Design Indulgence for her ever-amusing take on the world of design.

If your blog design could look like someone elses, who's would it look like?

I wouldn't want my blog design to look like someones else's--I want it to look like me! That said, I find that I really love a clean and simple design with room for really big pictures. Sketch42 Blog, Door 16, Manhattan Nest, The Brick House, Bright Bazaar, Small Shop Studio, Mimi + Meg....these guys all do this really really well, and it allows their content to shine. I'm not really a minimalist, though, and in the details, the blog I find myself most tempted to copy is Design*sponge. Those velvet ribbons? Perfection.

How would you describe your decor style?

Global eclectic on a traditional backbone. Check out my About Me page on my website for the list of design elements that make my heart go pitter pat. Or my pinterest page--the Dream Home board has some favorites. (And go ahead and follow me while you'e there!)

What decor trend are you just not liking and why?

Generally speaking, I see a lot of spaces these days that all look the same. Let your personality shine, people!

To choose one specific trend that I just don't get? How about The Union Jack in decor. Unless you are British or of British Heritage, or using it in a themed space, it makes no sense to me. It's a symbol divorced from meaning.

What is your next DIY project?

Stripes in my girls' bathroom. I painted test swatches ages ago, but painting in the winter in Minnesota is tricky--you don't really want the windows open--so it may wait until spring! Here are the sample boards taped up for perusal. And my post about stripe styles.

What was your favorite DIY project?

It's hard to choose! I generally DIY because I want a certain look but can't really afford it. In general, I want my projects to look like I did not do it myself at all. I'm proud of spaces like my guest room, where I did all the work but (I hope) you would never guess. Curtains, paint, headboard, pink pillows, and wall sconces, all by me.

Whew. That was a lot of information about myself.

Now it's my turn.

I'm tagging eleven of my regular reads. These are all ladies whose daily musings I follow, and now I get to learn a bit more about them.

A Delightful Design

Parlour

Roost

M Street Denver

Chattafabulous

My Interior Life

Design Manifest

A Thousand Laughing Starfish

Meet Me in Philadelphia

Bryn Alexandra

Design Indulgence

And here are my 11 questions (A twist on many classics):

1. Do you blog for business or pleasure? Tell us more.

2. What's your favorite post (on your own blog), and why?

3. You're stranded on a desert island. What five items washed ashore with you to decorate your newfound home?

4. If your blog had a soundtrack, what would it be?

5. If you could have dinner with any designer or blogger (living or dead), who would it be?

6. What is the first major design decision you made? (Mine: orange walls, age 5. Thanks mom!)

7. What is the craziest color you ever painted anything?

8. Do you remember paint color (or nail polish, lipstick, etc.) names? Share one off the top of your head, and what kind of color it was. Or let us guess.

9. What is your biggest design or DIY fail?

10. What is the coolest opportunity that has come your way because of your blog?

11. If you were invited to write a decorating book, what would it include and/or what would the title be?

Okay, hope this is fun ladies.
Let's all check out these lovely blogs!

Small Measures

2012-02-18T07:56:00.001-06:00

Source: thepeakofchic.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Nailhead patterns on a door. A million possibilities.

Sometimes my job is crazy

2012-02-16T06:49:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I hung a giant taxidermy marlin in a dining room.

And it is awesome.

I was working with a friend/client to put some of the finishing touches on her home (following a drawn-out renovation), and as we gathered artwork from around the house, there it was, an 8-foot fish, hanging from a bunch of chains in the basement. (Chains as mounting mechanism = men are weird sometimes.) My client's husband caught it deep sea fishing on a trip to Mexico, and the pre-set deal had been that any catch over 8 feet could come home with them. (of course, when this deal was made the assumption was that there would NOT be a catch of that size.)

The only wall in the whole house that was really big enough to handle this guy was in the dining room. With a somewhat open floor plan, you see him from the entryway, the living room, the kitchen, the mudroom--and, of course, from the dining room table.

I'm so curious to hear from my client how her husband reacted when he came home.

And of course, in the marlin's honor, some favorite interiors that manage to incorporate a giant fish, chic as can be.

This is the room I was picturing in my head all day:

From Domino. So snazzy on a simple white fireplace with some broken-in leather.
And then there are these:

Domino

Coastal Living

Coastal Living

My Home Ideas

Coastal Living

Apparently, these things work in all styles and in all rooms, including--ahem--the bathroom. How's that for a showermate?

via LA Times

And finally, if the real thing is just not for you, how about this?

That's right, a marlin sculpture, in glam white, on a yacht, thanks to Kelly Wearstler.

What do you think: would you hang a giant fish in your home?

Lucy's Room

2012-02-15T08:25:00.002-06:00

I mentioned last week that my best friend in NY just had her second child, a little girl. For months and months, I have been almost grabbing a memo for this gorgeous linen fabric with velvety dots (kind of like pom-poms sliced in half). Well, I finally get to work it into her room, as a crib skirt.

Walls will likely be Benjamin moore "Peace and Happiness."

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(Yes, I'm on of those people who is influenced by the name when picking my nail polish). But really, what could be better for your baby's room?

Some details will surely change, but can't wait for it to come together.

A little love

2012-02-14T10:12:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Lots of love (and pillows.)

Sources Here.

New(ish) product

2012-02-13T07:41:00.000-06:00

Kind of loving the Genevieve Gorder rugs. Have you seen them? Especially perfect with kids rooms on the brain. Not that you couldn't use these in grown up spaces, too.

Kind of loving that green and white number in the third row down.

What do you think? Are you more (or less) likely to go for one of these because they have Genevieve's name on them? Or are you more like, Genevieve Gorder, who is THAT?

Small Measures: bisected door

2012-02-11T11:04:00.002-06:00

Source: designsponge.com via Heather on Pinterest

In an otherwise minimalist home, even a straight-up paint job on a single door would offer a jolt. Color block on the diagonal? Electrifying.

Online design boards

2012-02-10T08:46:00.000-06:00

Did I forget to show you this?

I think I may have.

A client in New Jersey had the foundation pieces for her living room--a great couch, chair, and ottoman from Crate and Barrel, a transitional Pottery Barn rug--and needed help pulling together the rest. I find it sort of restful to do eclectic traditional, and had fun pulling together two looks for her. Both offer more seating, new occasional and coffee tables, additional lighting, and the warmth/softness of drapery panels and soft goods.

Look 1:

Look 2:

And the tweaked final version:

I have to say, I love the mix!

Happy Weekend, everyone.

Have you seen this?

2012-02-09T07:26:00.002-06:00

Editor's note: I should clarify: This is NOT my content. This is an excerpt from a tumblr started by someone else. My sense is that the "f---" is an insult in some cases, and sort of a jealous comment in others, and in both cases is the personal opinion of the person behind the site. While I can see it being problematic to use actual people's photos (just not nice), at the same time it seems like a tongue in cheek way to express a feeling towards trends. But I'm curious what you all think!

Have you seen this tumblr?

An example:

Fuck your thing that says EAT in your kitchen

Fuck your ornamental vintage typewriter

As readers (and writers) or design blogs, I ask you: offended? Or amused?

I'm amused. Here, I'll add on of my own.

Fuck your bunting.

There. that kind of felt good.

There are definitely trends I don't get out there, and I don't always feel at ease mentioning them. This tumblr--so simple--is a brilliant way to take them on.

Is there a big trend out there that makes your eyes roll?

Do tell.

Fun Finds

2012-02-07T13:45:00.003-06:00

I made a mad dash through Target yesterday and spotted some good finds.
You know that one aisle of home goods that is separate from the rest of 'em, in order to be on the big side aisle? (Have you notice this? Am I the only one who thinks about the layout of the store and random merchandising?) Anyway, THAT aisle often has the best stuff.

Right about now:

Cute, small scale embroidered poufs.

Throw pillows: large-scale zig zag (in pale blue as well) and yellow felted flower.

Great aqua lamps (Both West Elm and Ballard Designs are making a big deal about aqua right now), striped and yellow trellis print lamp shades

West Elm style (via Serena and Lily style) african-inspired baskets

Trendy foo dogs in trendy grey

Excellent color block vases. (I would buy these if they were a little more raspberry or rust.)

I love hitting even the big box stores for clients--even when rushing through, I see things differently.

Any great finds lately?

We welcome Lucy Faye with some girls' room goodness

2012-02-06T07:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, my best friend in New York (the maid of honor at my wedding) welcomed baby number two into the world: Lucy Faye. Marni is also in the midst of a major renovation, and I will soon have the honor of designing rooms for Lucy and big brother Daniel. For months now, I have been resisting the call of little-girl fabrics because, well, we didn't know whether a girl or boy was on the way. Now I can go wild.

Before I officially dive in, some inspiration to get Mommy thinking. (Because that is what a mom to a brand new baby is thinking about: the nursery design. Right?)

Source: spearmintbaby.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: materialgirlsblog.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: housetohome.co.uk via Heather on Pinterest

Source: estateeclectic.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Can't wait to dig in!

I have three other girls' rooms in the works, and I have to say, I think they are the most fun.

Congratulations, Marni, Matt and Daniel, and welcome Lucy!

Small Measures: Fabric Backsplash

2012-02-04T08:33:00.000-06:00

via Rachel Ray Everyday

No tile? Fabric under plexi makes a splash.

Amazing Stuff in Blogland: new ideas, products, and resources

2012-02-03T07:19:00.001-06:00

It struck me, when lots of random people started following me on pinterest, that I look at a LOT of images related to the home and home design. Probably a little more than most people.

On average, I look at about fifty blogs a day; sometimes that number is double or, dare I admit, triple. Naturally I encounter a lot of great ideas, inspiration, and resources. Sometimes when blogs share great ideas they've seen on other blogs, I find myself thinking "duh, saw that." But you, my readers, may not look at 50-100 blogs a day. You may not have 400+ pins on pinterest. You might like to see the great ideas, and be introduced to the great products, that I encounter in my travels.

So maybe I'll round 'em up on occasion.

This week, I was inspired by:

Hand-drawn Schumacher-inspired "wallpaper":

Can you say amazing? Shannon from Shannon Berry design created her favorite Schumacher wallpaper with a SHARPIE and CRAFT PAINT. Not sure where I first spotted it, this one is (rightly) making the rounds! Check out her full tutorial here.

Amazing Photographs of Rickshaws

By Greg Vore, spotted on Elements of Style Blog. He shoots the rickshaws, with or without drivers, on makeshift seamless to really spotlight the colors and designs. I would love to add one of these to my art collection, which is growing more "idiosyncratic" by the day!

This week, I discovered some great sources and products:

Awesome silhouette necklaces

From Crafted by Kirsten, via Milk and Honey Home
We know I love silhouettes (my girls, botanicals, animals, painted); if anyone wanted to commission one of these babies with silhouettes of the girls and their initials, just like the one above, that would be okay by me.

The perfect sized pillow for a single large bed bolster

PBTeen via Little Green Notebook

Great, inexpensive Sofas

"Anna" sale price from $549! From Monarch Sofas. (Save an extra 25% through Sunday using coupon code 7UYC)

Via Caitlin Wilson:

Caitlin says it cost a ton to ship her pink linen sofa from California to the east coast, but that it was still a deal over all.

Eco-Friendly Textiles

From etsy shop Shapes and Colors Textiles via Emily Henderson's Throw Pillow Round up.

Modern Cement Tiles:

From Mosaic USA via Modern 24/7 (check out her round up of inspiration images, here)

Closeout Rugs:

Michaelian and Kohlberg, via Naomi's round up of the NY Gift fair, seen on her blog Design Manifest

I should mention that Namoi highlighted a new product, but when I checked out the site I spotted the outlet. I never met an outlet I didn't like.

Now, these are not "cheap," but there are some great deals to be had, like gorgeous hand knotted wool and silk tibetan carpets marked from $12,000 down to $3,000. The one you see above happens to be a 3x12 runner, which I would snap up in a second if only I had $400 to spare just now. (It would be perfecto in the upstairs hallway, if only I hadn't painted it chartreuse.)

Wow, it was a great week around here.
You know what might be even better than sharing all of this goodness with you?

Cleaning up all the tabs I have open in Chrome.

Enjoy!

Client work: Design Process

2012-02-02T07:45:00.000-06:00

I believe it is my job as a designer to help you love your home.

I know there are a lot of big name designers out there who have a recognizable look, and people pay big bucks to have it. That's all fine and good, but I think your home should look like you, not like me.

Because there is no way to predict every single thing that you will love (or every single pet peeve you didn't even know you had about decor), there's a good chance that I will show you lots of things you love--but also the occasional item that you just can't get behind. That's okay. I love when clients bring their ideas--and specific products--to the table. Incorporating something you love that I may not have chosen is an excellent challenge.

Allow me to demonstrate.

I'm working with a lovely new client who found me through the article in the Pioneer Press. (How great is that?) After our initial consultation, I set to work on a budget-friendly plan for her living room, and came back to her with design two directions. (I have found that most people do not subscribe to just ONE style.)

"Fresh Modern"

"Earthy Global"

She loved them both, but alas could choose just one. She ended up going for the fisrt option, with one big concern: she didn't like the chairs. She worried that the yellow might be too lemony for her, and wasn't too keen on the mismatched legs (see what I mean about predicting pet peeves?). She hopped online and found a chair from the same line in a fabric that she DID love. Enter the domino effect: the new pattern fought with the old curtains and matched the green rug binding and garden seat a little too well. A few changes later, and she loves everything.

She's happy, I'm happy.

What do you think: Do you have a favorite?

Reader Design dilemma: Living room with no solid walls

2012-02-01T07:26:00.000-06:00

Many older homes were built for a different kind of lifestyle--and different scale furniture--than we have today. One of the biggest challenge I encounter is how to make these spaces work for life as we know it.

Steph wrote to me with a major space plan dilemma:

What do you do with a room only 10 feet wide, with an entry door, a staircase, a big fireplace, and two large arched entryways defining its walls? Both the dining room (above) and the den (below) open off this space, but right now this is a lot of wasted square footage, and a very awkward set up with the TV across the room and at an odd angle to the couch.

From the living room and family room, Steph and her family need:

- a conversation area
- toy storage and playspace for two kids
- a place to watch TV

Let's tackle the conversation area first.

With no solid walls, the only choice in the living room is to float an arrangement in the middle of the room, and the 10 foot width of the room limits choices to chairs or loveseats. An arrangement of four chairs around a coffee table is one possibility, though I think I would go for a facing arrangement.

Options 1: A pair of 60" loveseats, like we did in this home of a similar vintage, in New Jersey. Armless loveseats, like the one below, are particularly useful for keeping things open.

Design by Lonny, in Lonny

Option 2: A loveseat and a pair of small scale chairs. I like the use of these shell chairs here: they don't take up a lot of visual weight, and they are literally light, making them easy to move around the room.

Paul Caddell, Lonny Mag

Options 3: A loveseat and a daybed. Daybeds are great for a conversation area (less so for watching TV), and make a wonderful play surface for the kiddos. And again, the armless/backless scenario means that it won't stop the eye, making the space look bigger.

Jarlath Mellett in Lonny

Or, surprise option number 4, a loveseat and a pair of upholstered ottomans or benches.

Celerie Kemble, Lonny

In any of these scenarios, go for an 8 x 10 rug to define the seating area, and a couple of small and lightweight occasional tables that can be moved wherever they are needed most.

Now let's kill two birds with one stone.
Moving the TV from the corner by the fireplace into the family room both opens up ample space for kid storage (shelves or closed baskets), and takes the TV watching out of the mail living space, tucking it into a cozier corner.

In the family room, I would swap out that couch for one just a few inches shorter, to keep it contained in one room, and mount the TV on the wall where the tall bookcase is.

In the fireplace corner, I would move those tall shelves from the family room, and tuck a small round table in front of it for drawing.

Bonus space
Believe it or not, there is still space for a little sumpin sumpin in front of the radiator at the far end of the living room. Depending on need, this could be a slim desk with tuck-under stools, a chair in the corner for a reading nook, or a buffet for the adjoining dining room. Whatever the case, I would hang floor length curtains to soften the window and bring height to that end of the room.

So, what do you think? Can you see it? How would you tackle a space like this?

pssst. Have a design dilemma? Email me at heather@heatherpetersondesign.com. Let's talk.

Go Vertical

2012-01-31T07:48:00.000-06:00

Let's forget, for the moment, about the "art wall." It's a thing these days. I know them and love them.

But there are lots (and lots) of ways to hang art for impact.

Do you remember this cover of Domino?

I have always loved the way it made use of that sliver of vertical space between the windows. Those drawings are so simple, and the repetition packs a graphic punch.

Interestingly, when searching for this image in lieu of scanning it, I came across another version which leads me to wonder if the good people of Domino edited in those extra frames for impact.

Taking the arrangement to the top of the window treatments makes a huge difference, doesn't it?

You CAN try this at home.

Over Christmas break, I had a few days home alone, and I decided that the upstairs hallway needed some BIG art. Like the 4 foot by 5 foot Smashing Pumpkins poster that my husband bought at a concert in 1993. The six smaller frames marching down the hall felt a bit staid. I knew they could have more impact somewhere else.

Like the dining room. In a room with tall ceilings, a vertical column can add drama and emphasize the ceiling height--win/win, if you ask me. For an added bonus, fill the frames with something small and intimate. I love watching people get drawn in to these images, which are small scans of vintage African stamps that I (randomly) collected in Junior High.

Want further proof ? I went digging for additional examples of vertical arrangements. Here's what I found.

Formal: gold frames, stacked one on top of the next.

Source: homedesign.marthastewart.com via Heather on Pinterest

Modern: small, colorful abstracts in clean-lined frames. Taking it to the floor makes it very modern.

[via Lonny]

Traditional: collections grouped in simple frames, evenly spaced for balance.

[via Arianna Belle]

Warm: a little movement within the rectangular perimeter takes the edge off, as does the eclectic grouping of images.

[via Arianna Belle]

Bohemian: mixed frames, rustic finishes, COLOR, and a haphazard edge take the edge of the structure here, giving it a little bohemian flair.

[via in your back pocket]

Gallery wall! Okay, even the ever popular salon-style wall can work in a column!

[via in your back pocket]

See? Works with any style home. What do you think: are you ready to go vertical?

What's in a name?

2012-01-30T10:22:00.002-06:00

I remember someone telling me once that Heather is a stripper name.

I was shocked, mostly because I was actually named for the flowers that grew in my parents' backyard in California, and I always thought of it in a category with Rose, Daisy, and Iris. Those old fashioned names are a far cry from a stripper pole. But it made me very aware of the associations that come along with naming. (I happen to be one of those people who chooses her nailpolish by the name as much as the color.)

Our younger daughter's name is Eleri, which we thought to be an Irish "Ellery" (and we pronounce it that way.) (If you are so inclined, more on that here.)

Most people have either never heard of the name or, if they are of an older generation, associate the name with Ellery Queen, a fictional detective appearing in a series of novels in the 1940s. So I have been interested to see that furniture retailers have picked up the name lately.

First there was the Ellery chair from West Elm.

And now the Ellery stool from Anthropologie.

Somehow, looking at these, I can't help but feel we chose the right name for our daughter. A little tough, but round around the edges. A little cool, but not overly so. More complex than first sight might let on. A bit of a tomboy, but not too interested in getting her hands dirty. I bet a group of "creatives" sit around a room throwing out names for new furnishings, writing lists of attributes they associate with the name.

My younger brother and I refer to Room and Board sofas by name.

A client recently bought a pair of vintage chairs I found with the name of the maker and the designer attached, and I remember her commenting that she loves that her chairs have names.

I wonder, do you refer to your furniture by name?

Small Measures: painted doorframe

2012-01-28T09:18:00.000-06:00

Source: housetohome.co.uk via Heather on Pinterest

Tape off an area the size of the baseboard. Add a stepped detail on top, and finish it off with a wood finial. Pick a color, any color. Voila.

If money was no object: Chandelier

2012-01-27T09:10:00.001-06:00

I like budgets.

(Okay, I don't necessarily like following them.)

In project management, I like that budgets tell the complete story of what you are planning to do. I like that they require choices. In decorating, I often feel that because a limitless budget means limitless choices, it would be impossible to start anywhere. My own home, which I love, is the product of the ingenuity that comes from the more limited choices of smaller budgets.

But my blog friend Elizabeth recently posted about the pieces she would choose if budget was no object, and it has stuck in my head. Without being limited by dollars, going totally on what I love, what would I choose?

And so, a new series.

I'm starting with the one definitive thing that popped into my head: The crystal ship chandelier.

First spotted in Muriel Brandolini's living room, and blogged here.

It may also be familiar from this post, "if I could steal someone's living room."

And look, here are more.

Source: lookbook.elledecor.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: thedecorologist.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: lisagouletdesign.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Yup, no question about it. If money was no object, I would have a crystal ship in my dining room.

Do you have a favorite chandelier? Remember, money is no object!

A chair makeover and an upholstery trick

2012-01-25T08:57:00.000-06:00

Reupholstered wing chairs have been a huge trend lately--have you noticed?

Jamie Mears of Furbish is the queen of radical makeovers, like these,

but plenty of people are getting in on the act.

Here's why: a good-quality new armchair starts at about $900, and goes up from there. Often, the fabric choices are basic or bland. And there are only so many options with the kind of height and presence that a wing chair offers. While you can easily spend that much remaking an old chair, you don't have to; and if you do, it will be a completely unique piece.

I'm in the process of putting re-upholstered vintage wing chairs in three different homes (in three different styles), and the first one came back from the upholsterer yesterday.

Everybody loves a before and after, yes?

Fun, right? (Ignore the wallpaper and carpet. It's all going eventually.) For this room, I needed something bold, but the pattern couldn't upstage the art in the room (landscapes and floral still lifes) and couldn't cost a lot. This ikat stripe was perfectly in my color scheme and, at $7.49/yard, I couldn't really go wrong.

Now, a trick.

Most upholstered chairs have some cording around the cushions and finishing the seams; this is called the "welt." You can "self-welt" with the chair's fabric or contrast welt with anything you like. Self welt is meant to sort of disappear into the chair, where contrast welt is meant to pop, like so:

[cb2]

For our chair, a self-welt felt a little messy to me with all the stripes, so we created the welt from the widest silver stripe in the fabric.

It is a cleaner look without being too contrasty. Love the way it turned out.

Want to try this yourself? Scour craigslist and vintage stores, and plan to pay about $50 for the chair. Wiggle the frame to be sure it is solid, lift the chair--it should be on the heavy side--and push on the seat to see if the springs are tight. While new foam is not super expensive, spring repair can be. For a modern take, look for wing chairs with straight legs, a smaller rolled arm (or straight arm, though that can be hard to find), and minimal flourish to the back, and have fun with the fabric.

Stay tuned for the reinvention of a pair of these ladies.

From twin to queen

2012-01-24T07:34:00.000-06:00

Don't you just love seeing "finished" rooms evolve?
In a random frenzy of pinning yellow and purple inspiration, I came across this room in Amanda Nisbet's house, an old favorite, as featured in House Beautiful.

[via House Beautiful]

And then I stumbled upon this version, which I assume was the later iteration as it seems unlikely that one would downsize from a full or queen to a twin.

[via simplified bee]

Which do you prefer?

Rest your back

2012-01-23T07:42:00.000-06:00

There are a number of built in backrests in my future. One is a kitchen banquette flanked by tall cabinets, and I like the idea of giving the backrest some shape--a straight back feels a bit linear with the built ins. I am loving this shape, borrowed, I suppose, from upholstered headboards, but somehow all the better for its grander width.

Especially that first one, with the slightly irregular, definitely not perfect, curve and almost-wonky nailhead trim.

Also, strike me down, I have no sources. When I grab reference for a project (as opposed to specifically for the blog), I am much lazier about tracking where it came from. If you've spotted these before and can fill me in, please do!

Small measures: partial slipcovers

2012-01-21T13:25:00.002-06:00

Classic Windsor gone casual fun. We're doing this in one client's house to play down the spindles, and in another's to amp up the color. About the easiest slipcover imaginable!

Floating Office

2012-01-20T08:17:00.001-06:00

For a little girl's room that I am working on, we're planning a wall of built ins. Originally we were thinking a wall of shallow, front facing shelves like this.

[via Elizabeth Sullivan Design. Hi Elizabeth!]

But then we decided that we should add a work surface, for drawing now and homework later. And the more we thought about it, the more we realized that full depth shelves probably made more sense in the long run.

To start to think through the function and the look, I started pinning.

Source: google.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: emeraldinteriordesign.ie via Heather on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: buckboardhill.typepad.com via Heather on Pinterest

Feeling inspired!

Do you have any great book and desk solutions in your space?

A whole new take on "exposed brick wall"

2012-01-19T07:24:00.000-06:00

While DIYers the world round paint over their brick fireplaces, artist Jim Drain offers a brick substitute to those lacking the real deal.

This makes me miss working with artists.

Lampshade update (diagonal stripes!)

2012-01-18T08:39:00.000-06:00

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?

2012 Home Goals

2012-01-17T07:05:00.000-06:00

OH, boy.

Over the past year or so, I've seen a number of bloggers post their home to-do lists. I find them interesting to read, actually, and I have thought about posting my own. Nothing like a sense of accountability to keep you on track, yes? And then I just saw the goals link up at The Nester, so I figured, what the heck?

I often think about my own projects in terms of the short term, longer term, and waaaaay on the horizon.

Short term: I may have already purchased supplies, basically know what I want to do, and just have to do it.

Longer Term: I see a problem and am ruminating on solutions. I would like it done sooner than later, or as budget allows.

Way on the horizon: dreamy ideas that, truthfully, may never happen. And I'm okay with that.

So without further ado, my 2012 home goals (plus a handful of waaaay on the horizon)

SHORT TERM

Girl's room:
Finish small pillow for swing chair
Make a new book bin for under the bedside table
Frame and hang final art
Paint the bathroom stripes

Upstairs hallway:
Build and buy new frames for large-scale art to layer over magnetic paint

Guest Room:
Decide about final fabric for bedding, order, sew pillowcases
Cover roller shade in fabric or replace with bamboo blind

Master bedroom:
Paint moroccan side table
Add to gallery wall
Clear top of closet shelves

Office:
Comfortable office chair (since the cushioned ghost chair isn't cutting it)
Revamped toy storage

Dining Room:
Spray bases of Eames chairs
Fix sheers (currently too short, and tab top)
Frame Japanese print and hang

Living Room:
finish sewing curtains
interesting trim treatment to curtains (pinboard in motion)

LONGER TERM

Wallpaper or paint treatment for Living Room fireplace wall
Build frame and create artwork to hang over TV when not in use
Paint treatment or upholstery on office accent wall
Paint backs of office shelving
Possibly recover guest room lampshades
Indoor tree in front of dining room windows?
Laundry room. Just that, Laundry room!
Move new fixture to dining room, maskros to stairwell
Deck dining furniture

WAAAAY ON THE HORIZON

New ceiling light fixtures in all bedrooms
Wallpaper or something interesting on powder room walls
amazing modern adirondack chairs for front yard
finish the basement!!

Well, I hate to say it, but I kind of regret doing that. Going in, I was thinking what a short list I have. Ha! Not so short. And I probably forgot stuff.

Well, at least I have you all along for the ride!

Fabric Fun (A project update)

2012-01-16T08:15:00.000-06:00

Remember this living room update?

We've shifted the color scheme a bit. The husband felt the yellow rug got a little lost on the wood floor, and the wife had a hankering for raspberry (which, of course, I will never argue with). We're keeping the mix of diamonds on the curtains and large-scale floral for an accent, but here's the new grouping (the grey couch doesn't change).

The raspberry diamonds will be panels on two sets of windows, the small-scale turquoise cut velvet upholstery goes on the pair of Danish chairs (those are going to be ADORABLE), the floral gets piped in that teal linen on 2 20" squares, and the lighter metallic gray will go on a bigger chair (yet to be found.) The new rug is an ivory shag with lots of different textures, Safavieh but found at Home Goods. Walls are light grey.

Can't wait to get these fabrics ordered and get this transformation up and running!

Heather

Small Measures: Notepaper lined cabinet

2012-01-14T09:54:00.000-06:00

Romantic. Shabby Chic. Pretend they are old love letters (as if anyone has handwriting like that anymore.) Fine, then: letters from your favorite grandmother. When script is an artform, why keep it in the drawer?

I want to go to there

2012-01-13T07:35:00.000-06:00

I'm a color kind of a girl. I made my mom paint my room orange at the tender age of 4. My husband buys me gold shoes for big birthdays. The palette for my current house is raspberry, green, chartreuse, blue, rust, yellow, brown, black, white, and gold. (I wish I was joking).

And yet:

I just made this, and I want to crawl in and live a new life. And write in my pristine muji notebook and stare into the serene landscape hanging on my wall, or lie on my bed and touch my cascasing flower chandelier with my toes.

This board was actually inspired by the sophisticated ombre curtains. I spotted them at Crate and Barrel the other day (not really generally known for their textiles), and was intruiged by the vertical fade and the super tonal and subtle colors.

After yesterday, I felt those little frenchy x-back chairs deserved a turn out of a dining room. And so, voila.

The exercise of creating a dreamy bedroom sent me many places:

The all-white living room I created at 24, because "better do it while you can." (where's the color in that, you ask? In the bedroom.)

The four quirky and delicate white ceramic vases I brought back for my then-roommate from a road trip to Arroyo Seco, New Mexico.

A photo shoot in L.A. that led to a night of camping on a cliff over the surf of Ensenda, Mexico.

The carved-wood bowls my father in law is thinking of making.

Perhaps I am starting to understand the reason for a restful palette:

The room recedes, allowing your own crazy dreams to stride forth.

Round up!

2012-01-12T07:17:00.000-06:00

I just love a good classic. When I first suggested a cross-back french bistro chair for a client in New Jersey, I had a hard time finding images of them in inspiration images. But in the months since, they seem to be everywhere--not just in designed homes, but in just about every retail outfit you can think of. I went down the rabbit hole of pinterest for quite some time last night (my account was on fire with re-pins! Follow me here), and found it reconfirmed: this chair seems to work just about anywhere.

Funky Modern:

[source unknown]

Traditional:

[Via Coastal Living]

Rustic (and dressed with linen pillows):

[via Canadian House and Home]

Industrial:

[via Living etc.]

Serene and Sleek:

[via House and Home]

Shabby Chic:

[vi Canadian House and Home]

And the product round up:

There are slight variations in color and seat construction, but all at a reasonable price point. So take your pick!

Ballard Designs Constance Chair, set of 2 $299 (Chestnut, shown. Also in black or driftwood oak)

Home Decorator's Collection Anna Bentwood Chair, set of 2 $299 (shown in Chestnut, also available in black)

William Sonoma Home Bosquet side chair, $149 (shown in driftwood, also available in honey)

Arhaus Cadence $199, sale $139 (in black, medium wood, and grey)

Arhaus Kensington Dining Chair, $199, sale $129

Teva Living Cross Leg French Chair, Oak Wood, Special $95 (regular $115)

Overstock.com Classic Bradford x-back chairs in antiqued balck, set of two for $189.99

Taking it one step farther

2012-01-11T07:19:00.000-06:00

I posted some stripey possibilities yesterday for my girls' bathroom, but there's one more thing I can't seem to get out of my mind.

Loose, imperfect, hand-drawn stripes.

Collecting images these past few weeks, I couldn't help but fall for these painterly interpretations.

Lovely ribbon spotted over at Design Dump

The Delavan Stripe fabric from Rubie Green (Rubie Green is the eco-friendly fabric line from Lonny Editor Michele Adams; I've always assumed this stripe is named for decorator and former Domino design guru Tom Delavan, She was an assistant there, after all.)

But when translating this to the walls, I worry about ending up with a sloppy mess. But look, I see two possible ways to carry it off!

Source: tudorks.wordpress.com via Heather on Pinterest

By simply painting semi-regular stripes in white over an existing paint color, the room above is painterly without being sloppy. The sharp silhouette and stark color of the black lamp sure doesn't hurt, either. What you might need: a 3-inch roller and a wobbly hand.

Spotted in country Living this month, these stripes are more random in their width and the way they repeat. Somehow the washed effect of the paint (as opposed to a solid-looking stripe in a latex-based paint) keeps the mood super romantic, and almost bohemian-country. (Can that be a thing? THAT would be a mash up!) What you might need: various sizes painters tape, water-based paint, and a dragging tool.

I love a modern aesthetic, but I have a traditional backbone, and somehow the clean lines of my house always seem to be TOO clean. Instead of honoring them I'm always trying to soften them. Rustle 'em up a bit. Maybe this would be a good way to do that? And if you can't experiment in an upstairs bathroom for kids, where can you?

So. NOW any preferences?

I'd love to hear from you!

Stripe styles

2012-01-10T07:13:00.000-06:00

I know: stripes are not exactly a newsflash these days. They're everywhere! The big trend of the last year seems to be bold, wide, horizontal stripes, like those found in these bloggers' homes:

Emily Clark

Honey and Fitz

Modern Jane

Sherry Hart

Danielle Oakey

Modern 24/7 (actually this was for a client of hers)

Abby at A Delightful Design

(Lovely, ladies!)

If you want to take this on, these ladies have you covered--follow th elinks above to their tutorials if you are so inclined.

Stripes are one of the most classic patterns out there, and their popularity is due in no small part to the nice way they play with others: florals, geometrics, traditional, modern, you name it.

My girls' room has a nice big bathroom adjoining it, and I'm planning to use the leftover pink paint from the bedroom to stripe it up in there. Not a big bold cabana stripe, though. I've been thinking something more like a Farrow and Ball wallpaper.

FB block print stripe

FB tented stripe

Here's some context for how this type of stripe plays on the wall.

[Celerie Kemble in Lonny]

[Source unknown]

A bit more traditional without being stuffy. I also like Farrow and Ball as a reference point because some of their stripes are actually produced with paint--the paper is dragged through vats of paint--and since I'll be painting the walls, I'll be going for a similar effect.

Before signing on for HOURS of measuring and taping, I figured I'd better determine just the right pattern. So I pulled out some big sheets of white paper, some painters tape, and the can of paint and went to town.

The choices (from top to bottom in the photo above):

1) two-tone. The wider stripes are the bedroom color. The narrower stripes come from a can off the free shelf at Hirshfield's.

2) Wide variegated stripe

3) Narrow variegated stripe. Same idea as the above, just everything closer together.

Any preferences? I'd love your opinion!

New and improved

2012-01-08T21:03:00.000-06:00

I was so thrilled to have my blog and business featured in the St. Paul Pioneer Press yesterday, in their Open For Business column, which highlights Twin Cities area businesses that have been operating for less than a year. (If you are so inclined, you can read the article here.) A big thanks for the opportunity!

A nice side effect of this press is the potential for some new people to come visit the blog, which got me to thinking about all the good content that is not so easy to find around here.

So I switched some things up. See the tabs up top? I separated out some of the different series as an easier way to access the archives. Now you can find all of my project/how-to posts in one place, under "tutorials." It was actually really satisfying to pull this together and to realize how much I have MADE this year, how my sewing and DIY skills have improved, and how many new skills I have gained. (I put some to work over the break that I will share soon.)

Check it out, and I'll be back all week with inspiration images, design ideas, and all that good stuff.

Thanks for reading!

Small Measures: layered upholstery

2012-01-07T09:13:00.003-06:00

(here)

Take quiet fabric up a notch with a panel over the basic upholstery. Stripes every which way!

Birds in flight

2012-01-06T11:19:00.001-06:00

My girl are still on winter break. Driving home from a day-long playdate yesterday, we encountered a little traffic on a particular stretch of highway that overlooks downtown Minneapolis on one side and wide open space on the other. The sun was just starting to set and the sky was luminous blue with an edge of pink and all of a sudden, dozens of birds took flight.

The girls stared out the window, and the three year old said quietly, "Mom, look! A hundred million birds!" And then they were quiet, unlike the "ooh, ahh, ooh, aah" that they produced for "Christmas houses" when we drove past them, lit up at night.

The birds were far enough away that they were abstracted shapes, just simplified outlines, and almost blurred at the edges.

I thought: I wish that was a wallpaper.

Then, looking at the current issue of House and home, I was reminded that it (almost) is.

(here)

This one doesn't quite capture the rhythm of the flock for me, but Jill Malek makes one that is somehow organic and geometric at the same time.

(here)

We're thinking of putting it in a client's living room to introduce a sense of movement.

As always, the natural world is such great inspiration!

With the girls back at school next week, posts should come back on the early-morning schedule.

New Year

2012-01-04T21:58:00.002-06:00

I'm not much of a maker of resolutions: too much pressure. Too random, pinning it all to a day on the calendar, counting down to failure.

But this year, right now, seems like a good time to start changing some things around here.

For a long time, I thought "I'll be happy when [fill in the blank]." It actually became a joke around here. So often did the words "it will be better when..." pass my lips, that my husband would jump in for me: "next week? Next year? When this project is done? When that event is past? When?"

When, indeed.

Here's the thing. These last six years, we have been on one whackadoodle roller coaster ride. In six years, I (we!) got engaged, got married, had two kids, got promoted, quit a good job in the depths of a recession, sold a house (without a realtor) at the bottom of the real estate market, moved cross country twice, applied to eight schools in three cities for my two children (plus one each for my husband and I), developed and taught new classes at two universities in two different subjects and two different formats, edited two books, saw three close family members and one dear friend through seven cancer battles, started two small businesses, looked at 50 houses before buying this one and beginning on an odyssey that ultimately ended with this blog and Heather Peterson design. And that's just the big stuff.

But now, hopefully, the roller coaster is over. We are settling in, and in truth I have everything I said I wanted. It is the ultimate "when." And yet I'm still waiting for that elusive invitation to happiness.

I've been thinking about all of this these past few weeks, in the rush and swell of the holidays, in the quiet of a blog break, and then I saw this.

Images from an installation where the artist Yayoi Kusama created an all-white interior environment and handed a bunch of kids thousands of stickers and let them go crazy. (here.)

And then I read an interview with the writer Diablo Cody (she of Juno fame) in which she shares a life-changing encounter she had in her twenties when she was in a deep dark, "Why me" phase. She met someone in bad-luck circumstances--the details are irrelevant here--who simply asked "why NOT me?" The point being, of course, that it's all about attitude. That our responses to all the things in our life--good or bad--are a choice.

And then I remembered my wonderful friend and former boss, an indomitable woman who starts the year off with not a resolution, but a mantra. I remember my favorite one (so good, in fact, I think she kept it for two years):

Choose joy.

Simple, no?

And then I was reading the most recent Elle decor, and feeling sort of disappointed by the whole thing, until I saw this.

I wonder if anyone is seeing what I see.

Well, here it is: the curtains are much too short. And uneven. They are all wrong, really. And yet this interior--fabulous in plenty of other ways--is in Elle Decor.

So perhaps my intention for this year has to do with taking things less seriously. Being less hard on myself. Allowing the time and space needed to build a life. Saying what I really think instead of what people might want to hear. Remembering that fun is a choice, too. Enjoying what I DO have (so many blessings), and enjoying it now. Right now. Not looking to some mythical future moment when.....

I have yet to find just the right words for my 2012 motto, but you know what?

I'm not going to sweat it.

Or--lest I set myself up for failure--I'm going to try. To not sweat it.

It may sound half-assed, but man, is it huge.

Giveaway winner!

2011-12-26T13:31:00.001-06:00

Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas, if that's what you celebrate.
I'm taking a blog break this week to spend some time with my family, get some work done, tackle a whole bunch of projects around the house, and generally rejuvenate.

But first! I need to anounce the winner of the custom initial necklace giveawy from Mish Mash studios.

Southsloper, come on down!

You can email me directly at heather[at]heatherpetersondesign[dot]com or leave a comment here with your email and I'll put you in touch with Annie to discuss your necklace.

Enjoy!

Catch you all back here in the new year.

Heather

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T08:46:00.003-06:00

Today is a day of last-minute shopping, wrapping, stocking-making, and possible a trip to Macy's Winter Wonderland.

There's still time to enter the necklace giveaway, details here.

Happy Holidays!

DIY stockings: Great use for upholstery remnants

2011-12-22T12:02:00.002-06:00

This is the first year that my girls will wake up in their own house on Christmas morning.
Among other things, this means that we needed some stockings, pronto.

I didn't want to spend a lot (okay, any) money, and I don't like the cheaply made generic ones that are out there on a budget. The other day I was looking at my stacks of fabrics that were either left over from projects or never got used, and I had an idea.

Reversible stockings.

I let the girls choose one fabric, then offered them coordinating options.

Clio's red leopard print reverses to a Ralph Lauren cream and navy stripe.
Eleri's Orange and green stripe reverses to a lovely green graphic from Calico Corners.

The other two are still in production. I love a hard deadline, what can I say?

To make, you basically just make a pattern (I traced one from a Christmas craft book), then cut out two pairs of fabric pieces for each stocking. Sew likes together, turn inside out, stuff one stocking inside the other and seam the top. Done.

Now I just have to figure out where to put them. You may recall our fireplace looks like this:

No mantel to speak of. time to get creative!

Does your family have special stockings? I can't wait to fill ours up!

pssssst. There's still time to enter the giveaway for a custom initial necklace. Details here.

Breaking From Tradition

2011-12-21T08:20:00.000-06:00

Public Service Announcement!

It appears I left out some details about the custom initial necklace giveaway.

Here's my 5-year old wearing hers. We chose a sort of art deco "C" and a little stamped disc that says "love." Clio loves it so much, she keeps it in a little thumbprint bowl on her bedside table.

(At the same time, she hates having her picture taken. I did my best.)

The giveaway is for a custom piece. Annie will work with you to choose shape, size, the type of letter, etc. Locals could do this in the shop, anyone else by phone or email.

More details about Mish Mash here.

Giveaway is open through Christmas Eve. This would make a great gift for any of the ladies in your life.
To enter:

1) follow this blog
2) follow Love Your Space on Facebook
3) follow Mish Mash on Facebook
4) mention this giveaway on your blog or facebook

Leave one comment on this original post for each action above.
Winner will be chosen by random.org Christmas eve at midnight, just as Santa is setting down on roofs everywhere.

******

When it comes to the holidays (or anything else, really), do you stick with ingrained traditions? Or, as an adult, do you make your own?

My family has always been a Frasier Fir or, as back up, Balsam Fir kind of a family. When we went to Mother Earth Gardens for our Christmas tree the other day, that's what I was looking for. Instead, I was drawn to the tall, skinny, bare-branched pines--the ones that look straight out of Norway. Or A Charlie Brown Christmas. For the first time, I found myself wondering what kind of tree I liked. And I have been buying my own tree for nearly twenty years now.

My girls, too, were drawn to the softer needles of a pine, and to seal the deal, the white pines were about half the price of the firs. As it turns out, they are native to Minnesota so they grow easily and naturally here, while Frasier's chug water like a frat boy doing a keg stand, and they take a lot longer to reach maturity.

We brought home a huge, un-dyed white pine, and put it in the big window in the dining room. It is the first thing you see when you open the front door. I feel that my happiness level is raised by the presence of this tree.

It's funny: going with tradition means you never have to think about what YOU really want. Sometimes that's easier. This is the first year that my kids and I will wake up in our own house on Christmas morning, and it feels like an opportunity to create our own Christmas traditions. Such a fun opportunity to think about our family and what we want Christmas to look like. But daunting, too: creating all the magic is on us.

What are your holiday traditions? Are they your own, or inherited?

Giveaway! Custom initial necklace from Mish Mash Studio.

2011-12-18T23:45:00.002-06:00

Hello friends.

Meet Annie and Marlena, the proprietors of the aptly named, quirky and wonderful Mish Mash studio.

Welcome!

Here's what's in store for you at this new(ish) Twin Cities gem: well priced (dare I say cheap?) vintage finds. Seasonal (Christmas) decor. Local, handmade goods, jewelry, and art. Vintage wallpaper! (One of my favorite things in the store.) Craft classes. Birthday parties for kids. Custom jewelry.

That's right, custom jewelry, of the initial necklace variety. Perfect Christmas gift, and we're giving one away.

When I stopped by on Friday, Annie was cooking up a bunch of custom orders.

Aren't these the best?

The giveaway is for a custom initial (the letters come from vintage books and are covered in resin) on a chain with a bonus doo-dad. Could be a little gem or charm or stamped disc (my daughter Clio has a "C" with a little "love" disc. It's the best.)

Details at the end of this here post. If the straight-up stamped-metal necklaces are more to your taste, you're in luck: they're on special this week, 30% off while supplies last.

Shall we take a look see around the shop?

Seasonal decor and vintage gifts:

Local, hand made goods and art:

Vintage wallpaper!

And custom jewelry.

To enter the giveaway, just do one of the following, and for each action, leave me a separate comment here on the blog. A winner will be selected at random on Friday, December 23. That's Christmas Eve Eve to you.

1. Follow this blog (click "join" on google connect in the right column)
2. Follow Love Your Space on Facebook
3. Follow Mish Mash on Facebook
4. Post this giveaway on your blog or facebook

Easy peasy.

And some additional deets about the store.

Mish Mash Studios.
Holiday hours:
M-W, 10-6
Th, F, 10-7
Christmas Eve, 10-2.

10-4 all week between Christmas and New Years.

Not local? Select finds are up on etsy under seller mishmashit. Just a handful right now, but Marlena tells me she's loading more for the holidays.

And one more thing for locals to look forward to: in the coming months, Mish Mash will hold assorted classes twice a week, possibly including but not limited to jewelry making, metal stamping, upcycling, chemical-free cleaning, gluten free cooking, and clothing and jewelry swaps. Classes range from free to $25. You want in.

Go forth and shop.

And enter the giveaway.

Small Measures

2011-12-17T09:25:00.000-06:00

via Design Sponge

Color-block on the inside: a delightful secret. With this paint treatment, maybe you wouldn't mind so much if the drawers were left hanging open.

pssst. Come on over on Monday for a charming little giveaway!

Bande a la parte

2011-12-16T08:32:00.001-06:00

I have to say, I don't generally love the look of curtains with a separate color band at the bottom, but this one sort of knocks my socks off.

It helps that this stunning room employs my favorite color combo, but I think this room needs that extra hit of pattern and interest, and that this band, set apart, and made from a crazy pattern, is just the thing.

Speaking of a band a part, have you seen Band a la parte? Now titled Band of Outsiders en englais. A French new wave film from Jean Luc Godard, available from Criterion. I highly recommend it.

Hey look- the movie poster is for sale, here.

And now you see the random connections my brain likes to make.

Cushions for ghost chairs?

2011-12-15T09:19:00.002-06:00

Several years ago, my husband and I agreed to a big splurge: a set of 4 Ghost Chairs, in white, for our tiny Brooklyn dining room. In our current house, we had the space (and the need) to seat more than our little family of four, and it was more economical in terms of both space and money to buy a vintage set of eames shell chairs than to double our Ghost collection. Now one of the Ghosts is in the living room, one is at my desk (sitting in it right now), and I always figured the girls would each eventually get one as a desk chair.

But guess what? Taken away from the dining table, they are not the most comfortable things on this earth. Especially if you sit at your desk quite a lot. But funds are too low to buy a matching orange shell armchair with office base (and Modernica is out of stock anyway.)

So I was interested to spot this cushioned version on SF Girl By Bay (via House to Home.)

When I went looking for a higher res version on the House to Home website, I was surprised to find that the Brits have, apparently, embraced the cushioned Ghost chair.

[all images House to Home]

Not sure. I'm probably too uptight to go for the last look--looks like down inserts without covers (though I suppose with those windows and that paneling you could get away with just about anything), but maybe the first, really tailored version?

What say you?

Two Ways: Lantern chandeliers

2011-12-14T08:25:00.002-06:00

Sometimes when the inspiration is flagging, it's fun to play around and experiment with a space that may or may not exist. This "two ways" series is such a fun way to push myself in new directions, and this one is no exception.

Typically, we think of lanterns as a fairly traditional element. Check out the roundup, here. But a little bit of tradition can ground a modern, bohemian space. And the new lanterns coming out these days are so architectural, they're suited to a modern, sculptural interior. Check it out.

Neutral and Sculptural

Colorful and Bohemian

(Note: There would be 6 dining chairs in each room--it just looks crowded when you do that in a design board.)

I have to say, I would move right in to that second room. But working with clients with an aesthetic more modern than mine is giving me added appreciation of form and texture (as opposed to color and pattern.)

What do you think?

Or do you prefer your lanterns a bit more traditional?

Seating in the Round

2011-12-13T13:49:00.001-06:00

So often we think of a living room layout as grounded by a sofa, paired with assorted chairs.

I've been seeing a lot of this seating arrangement lately with four chairs in the round. This makes for such a cozy little conversation area, and can work in all design styles.

What do you think--do you like the look? Would it work for your lifestyle?

Peter Dunham for Steve Tisch

Country Living

via Color Outside the Lines

Source: architecturaldigest.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: emilyaclark.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: housebeautiful.com via Heather on Pinterest

A couple more variations rounded up over on my pinterest!

Making the best of what you have: the entry

2011-12-12T15:39:00.002-06:00

Let me ask you something.

So you use events in your home as a motivator/ deadline for completing projects? For as long as I can remember, there has been no better way to accomplish projects than planning to have people over. Need to paint the living room? Schedule a game night. Time to stain the deck? How about hosting a barbeque?

We had a little tree trimming party this weekend, and it was no exception. Most of the projects were not particularly pretty. We decided to include ping pong in the festivities, which meant letting people in the basement, which meant reorganizing the storage, utility, AND project areas down there. I did manage to accomplish one little project that I can show you.

Remember my little entryway transformation? I used a hand-me down church pew, gifted poufs, and art and accessories I had on hand to create an inviting vignette in the entryway. Only problem: the pillow was really too small.

I happened to have a yard of fabric from the Iman line at Calico Corner's that I got for less than $10 (bolt-end special) and planned at one point to use in this living room. When the color palette changed just a bit over there, I kept it for myself.

I love the larger scale, the way the fabric has a sort of "grain," like the old wood, the stripe and ikat mix, and that it picks up most of the colors from my "whole-house color palette": The green from the living room, office, and master bedroom; blue from the dining chairs; raspberry from the guest and girls' rooms, and a hit of bright yellow, a color found in very small doses just about everywhere. (That yellow is also really textural, like a boucle. It's cool.)

I will say, Dave thought it was a funny project to take on when there was food to make and floors to scrub, but it made me so happy that this was the first thing guests saw when coming into our home.

So, fess up. Ever scheduled an event for the major purpose of getting something done in your house?

Great fabric deals!

2011-12-09T08:15:00.000-06:00

Calico Corners is selling closeout fabrics for $9.99/yard. No samples, no backsies, so you have to be sure.

Here are my favorites:

Baroda Tarnished Silver

Beads Jelly Bean

Sagar Raspberry (we know how much I love raspberry!)

Syracuse Leaf (makes me think of Olli's room)

Aviary Blossom

Belfast Turquoise

Theodora Blush

Modesto Arbor

Good stuff, I tell you! Check out the full lot of choices here.

Happy project planning!

Trying to do it the easy way

2011-12-08T09:49:00.001-06:00

My husband does not like curtains. But he concedes that sometimes window treatments are a necessity. Like in our west-facing living room, where the huge window casts a whole lot of afternoon light on our TV. The afternoon, in case you did not know this, is often when they show football games. So window treatments are a good compromise if they improve the football watching experience.

Here's the problem: Huge, modern windows.

Wood blinds came to mind, and I found the right size at Home Depot for $100. I can't even remember why these got the thumbs down.

Next up, a flat roman shade. These can be expensive, but I planned to teach myself to make them. (I'm not very good at squaring corners--on anything--so that might have been a problemo.) The bigger problem? My husband is very wary of shades because they obscure the top foot or so of the window, and he basically wants all light in or all light out. There's no middle ground on this issue.

So in a weird turn of events, my curtain-hating husband determined that curtains were the way to go.

Enter fabric paralysis. I needed at least 15 yards, so it had to be cheap. I happened to have about 18 yards of a GORGEOUS Irish linen in hot coral from some project I can't even remember, many moons ago, and I spent a lot of time with it taped up next to the window, acknowledging that it was CRAZY with the bright orange rug, but that design is about taking risks, right?

Finally, finally, it dawned on me. The opposite.

White.

White curtains!! I never even think of such things because it seems too "boring." But my mother solved the same problem--a wall of modern windows--with the same solution: floor to ceiling linen drapes in the same color as the wall. And I love the way they disappear, but soften the room at the same time.

Just the right white linen can be expensive. And most retail curtains do not come long enough--I needed 102". But then I noticed on Bryn's blog that certain Ikea curtains come in a much longer lenth--112" or 118", I think.

And so I decided to do it the easy way. Well, kind of.

I bought two sets of curtains at Ikea--the same ones Bryn used in her parent's room, which are cotton with a linen-look, and some actual linen ones, which were shorter, but I thought I could add a panel of a color at the bottom. (See, I resist the easy way.) When I got home a couple of hours later and unloaded the car, there were no curtains. I bought 4 pairs of curtains and came home with none.

So my family "got" to have dinner at Ikea while I straightened things out. The return trip convinced me to just get the curtains that were long enough and not mess with the panel. See? I'm learning to go for the easy way.

Now I just need to sew the panels together, hem them, and pinch pleat.

And my total cost for the panels is $75. That's about $5/yard, and I don't have to put in the side seams. Score!

Thanks, and a random clever idea

2011-12-07T15:26:00.001-06:00

Funny story: I accidentally posted this on my other blog earlier. Oops! It's actually kind of funny that that has never happened before. When I went to add a tag, I couldn't figure out why :DIY ideas" did not pop up as I typed the first letters." That would be because my mom blog does not have a tag for DIY ideas.

Second, thanks so much to Carrie at Hazardous Design for passing along the "Versatile Blogger" award to yours truly. This award comes with the requirement of sharing 7 things about yourself. You can check mine out here, then you will know way too much about me.

And third, here's a random, clever idea.

I was at a client's not too long ago to take photos of a bunch of art walls I hung in her home, and she showed me this.

They collected various man hole covers that were no longer in use, and installed them as pavers to make a little patio outside their walk-out basement.

Genius!

Hope you're having a good week, all.

Christmas Wish List

2011-12-06T07:27:00.000-06:00

I keep asking myself: Is it sad that all I want for Christmas is some grasscloth wallpaper (and other assorted homegoods)? Surely there is more to life. Like....ankle boots?

Okay, I kind of can't help myself. I didn't have this platform last year. Might as well make use of it!

1. Grasscloth wallpaper.

I've been steadfast in my desire for gold metallic grasscloth wallpaper, but all of a sudden, I think I might want black. Probably just one double roll will cut it. (If all else fails, I could do this. Danika is a genius.)

2. One yard (okay, two would be great) of this fabric.

3. These boots.

4. Modern jewelry, like one of these woven ceramic necklaces

or these simple elongated beads

(both spotted at Simple Lovely, where Joslyn always finds the best bits and pieces)

5. This book

6. This photograph

7. This magazine

8. This coffee maker. The evolution of coffee-making in my house is a long story. Perhaps this would be the final sentence.

9. A letter to Stacy and Clinton that gets me picked for their show. Seriously. Never thought Iwould need the help of these fine fellows, but all of a sudden, I have nothing to wear!

10. Surprises.

I love thoughtful gifts of things that are so perfectly me that I don't even know about yet. Isn't that the best?

What about you: what are you dreaming of this holiday season?

Zebra that isn't zebra

2011-12-05T07:53:00.000-06:00

Thanks for all of your comments on Friday's post--I'm so excited about my finds!

I was also inspired by my little zebra print to bring you this little round up.

If you love the look of zebra, but don't want the real thing, you have options.

Zebra-print cowhide:

Hand-hooked rugs:

Jonathan Adler, $999

Ballard used to have a needlepoint version, which appears to have been replaced by this hooked one. Ballard Designs, $199.

and now, Flor offers their own take, in solids. $278.

Super fun, right?

and, by the way, if you want animal print but not animal shape, Horchow has a TON of options. Here.

Small Measures: Unexpected ribbon trim

2011-12-03T14:04:00.001-06:00

Vintage couch + hand-sewn ribbon trim = genius.

Score of the Century!

2011-12-02T08:52:00.001-06:00

Okay, perhaps I am prone to hyperbole, but seriously, I can hardly believe the treasure trove I stumbled upon yesterday. Feel free to scroll straight to the pictures if you must, but I love a good story of serendipity. Perhaps some of you will idulge me.

There's is this HUGE consignment store near S.R. Harris, the fabric warehouse that I love and visit often, and sometimes I make a morning of it, picking up fabric and then swinging by Consignment Central on my way home. Yesterday I hit the fabric store in the morning to pick up 8 yards of a fabric for a client. There were only 5 7/8 yards left, but it just so happened I had seen the exact same fabric at the Robert Allen showroom the week before, so I persuaded the good people of S.R. Harris to hold the bolt, I clipped a sample from it, ran to IMS to confirm that the fabric was a match, priced it, cleared the extra yardage (with the higher price tag) with my client, and, before picking up my kids, headed back to the warehouse to buy the original bolt. (By the way, to give you a sense of the deals to be had at S.R. Harris, I got the Beacon Hill fabric for $9.99/yard, and retail is $106!).

At that point, I had about 1/2 an hour before having to get my kids, so I thought I would just pop in to Consignment Central to see if I could find any treasures.

Well, Shazaam! I spotted this brass chandelier.

(It has light bulbs for bot the top and bottom of all those spokes.) Turns out the guy had JUST put it up. Price tag? $99.

This is basically the chandelier on which Jonathan Adler based his Meurice, and that goes for $750.

You often see similar on ebay for big $$$, too. Right now the closest is this (admittedly cooler) brass and lucite number,

but at $1499 plus shipping, you get the idea.

I knew I had to get it, but also that I probably shouldn't. I tried to play it cool while I browsed the rest of the store, but I'm sure my face turned bright red. I asked someone for measurements, double checked the price, wandered around, all the while making calculations in my head, trying to justify the purchase even while worrying that someone else would come in and buy it out from under me. By the time I cam back to the counter to say I wanted it, the employees were on to me. I overheard the owner ask one of her consigners if the chandy "was worth real money." But it was too late to up the price, and I snagged it.

But that's not all, folks.

About a year ago, I was on the search for a little George Nakashima chair to go with the x-base midcentury desk in the guest room. There were a bunch on ebay, but mostly in pairs or groups and mostly going for upwards of $250 each. Oh look, here's one on ebay now:

$495 for the pair, plus shipping. And these are "in the manner of" George Nakashima, not originals.

But what did I see by the checkout at Consignment Central? You got it. A chair in the manner of George Nakashima. For $24. TWENTY FOUR DOLLARS. That's like the cost of a new shirt at Old Navy.

Now, I didn't need it for the desk. My friend Sara took care of that LONG ago, sending me an extra that she had from a set. (I have awesome friends.) So I didn't even have a spot in mind for this guy, but there was NO WAY I was leaving it behind.

Turns out I do have the perfect spot. Clio sometimes gets up first and comes downstairs to read. I've been wanting a chair in the corner of the office for just this purpose, and this one is the perfect scale--both for her and for this little corner.

Perfect, no?

And there's more. Okay, this last one is not of the same magnitude, but special in a different way.

This limited edition print from MN artist Marge Bohlander was 25% off of $20. Hello. I've been really drawn to bright and/or acidic yellows lately, and this, too, is great in the office, with the yellow desk lamp. I looked up the artist and it turns out she lives about 10 blocks from me. She's about my dad's age, and it appears she is a gallerist as well as an artist.

The print also reminds me of this classic Scalamandre wallpaper

Now, naturally, the chandelier complicates things. First of all, I need to find a new chain and most likely need to hire someone to hang it. Secondly, as my husband put it, we already have a chandelier in the dining room. But much as I love the Maskros, I always intended to replace it with something more substantial and permanent-feeling when I either stumbled upon a great deal or could afford to invest in one. I want to use the Maskros to fill the cavernous space of our stairwell, so it will be put to good use.

Okay, long story longer. Yikes! Can you tell I'm excited? While I technically should not have spent the money, my birthday is in 8 days, so I decided this would all be a birthday present to myself. Seems fair enough, right?

Like I said, I love a good serendipity story, and if my day hadn't been re-outed around some fabric shortages, I would not have lucked into this chandelier!

Craigslist BONANZA

2011-12-01T11:52:00.001-06:00

Lately, I've been despairing about the quality of stuff available on craigslist here in Minneapolis. several bloggers in other parts of the country do round ups pretty regularly, full of awesome stuff for great prices. And while I've had my fair share of scores (upholstered headboard, campaign dresser, and hanging rattan chair, for example), the fabulousness seems few and far between.

So imagine my surprise today, when wading through the usual sea of bad photos and mattress ads, to find some great stuff. (It should be noted that I did not find even one of the three things I am looking for.) But check it out:

Bernhardt Campaign dresser set (chest, nightstand, and desk), $170. The chrome fittings are so unique! Here.

Glass and faux-bamboo coffee table, $5!!! (I want it). Here.

Flame-stitch couch, good lines. "Gone today, make offer," here.

Tall campaign dresser, $35. here.

Crazy headboard, $15. Paint it orange or cobalt blue. here

Pair of twin headboards, $10, here.

Hex side table, $12. I's paint this one, too. Maybe black? here.

Set of 4 Marcel Breuer-esque dining chairs, $25. here. (re-upholster, obviously).

mid-century low boy. $225 obo. Not great, but not bad if it's in good condition. Great lines. here.

mid-century dresser set (high boy, low boy with mirror), $150, here.

And a Heywood Wakefield credenza for $300. Here.

Asian-inspired desk and nightstand, $95. Here.

Betraying my love of rattan once more. I would reupholster the cushions in something bold. $120, here.

And then there are the gorgeous pieces form dealers. Not cheap, but priced well.

I remember looking for something along these lines when I was preparing the nursery the first time around. The closest I found was $600. Here.

mid-century caned king-sized headboard. I was just marveling at a similar one in Jasmine's bedroom on Parenthood. $270, here.

Hello, gorgeous. $1500, pick up in Iowa City. Here.

chrome and glass etagere, $1100, here. I have mostly seen these in brass- love the chrome.

leather chaise, $1800. Here.

Eames lounger, $450, here

Well, that was fun.

Client Progress: All about proportion

2011-12-01T07:49:00.000-06:00

Okay, more inspiration. I figure it's time for updates from some client work!

This client has been in her home for more than thirty years, and while she had accumulated various things over the years to create home, she had never really designed the space just the way she wanted it.

One big obstacle: the living room had some space challenges. My client had tried just about every furniture arrangement she could think of, but nothing felt like it properly utilized the space. Here's where we started:

The solution? To really use the space. This is a room with twelve foot ceilings, the upstairs hallway from a split level, an entryway that shares space visually with the living room, and an awkwardly placed fireplace with open entryways on both sides.

First, we claimed the vertical space, with floor to ceiling draperies and a dramatic fireplace transformation.

(The wing chair is not staying, and the two black dining chairs are standing in for armchairs)

Fireplace before:

And after:

We used a corner fireplace insert to redirect the fireplace into the room, and flipped the furniture arrangement to put the couch sort of kitty corner from the fireplace. (there will be a game table and four chairs directly in front of the fireplace, and a TV and media stand across from the sectional.)

Next, bigger furniture! The old couch was a dainty 72 inches. The new one is 113 inches, gained an extra seat, plus the chaise helps divide the room without interrupting the view of (or access to) the sliding glass doors.

There's (obviously) lots missing from this room, but I have to say I was blown away by the transformation these three changes made, and I thought it would be fun to share! The kitchen and dining room have been getting a pretty major treatment of their own. More on that to come.

What do you think? Have you ever transformed a room just by rethinking scale?

Inspired!

2011-11-30T09:51:00.001-06:00

Hi friends.

I have to say, I've been feeling a little uninspired about blogging lately. It can happen, right? Normally I pride myself on my diligence and consistency, but my posts were starting to feel a little diligent and consistent to me. So I took a little break, kind of accidentally.

But guess what? Totally inspired.

Do you remember this post from my favorite series?

Well, my friend Rachel saw it and decided to interpret it in her own home. We had talked about it so I knew the project was a-foot, but I just got the photos in my inbox today.

I have a post on stair risers half-written somewhere, but these two photos are so lovely and joyous, I just had to share. Aren't those kids just about the cutest thing ever? Nadia is particularly stylish.

This is the stairway to the kids playroom, and I love how airy and dreamy it is. Actually, it reminds me of this beach house from Muriel Brandolini. Love the cool, soothing palette.

Nice work, Rachel! Who knows, maybe the inspiration will extend to that half-written post about stair risers. Maybe tomorrow?

Black Friday!

2011-11-25T08:49:00.000-06:00

Rather than hitting the stores on this crazy day, why don't we pause for a moment in revelry for black?

Source: housebeautiful.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: hometrendesign.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: designsponge.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: shelterinteriordesign.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: eclecticrevisited.wordpress.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: chinoiseriechic.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: abigailahern.wordpress.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: picasaweb.google.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: designismine.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: sfgirlbybay.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: apartment34.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: housebeautiful.com via Heather on Pinterest

That's much better, don't you think?
Lots more black inspiration on my "black" board here on pinterest.

Before we even moved in to this house, The one thing I was "sure" of was painting the fireplace wall black. I may be coming back to that....

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T08:10:00.000-06:00

via House Beautiful

via

We're hitting the road today for points South.
I hope you have a wonderful day full of whatever it is that makes you thankful!

We like to have manicures and pedicures while watching the Westminster dog show, followed, of course, by a big turkey dinner with family.

Looking forward to it!

Dreamy Dining Room

2011-11-22T07:38:00.000-06:00

I started this board as part of a links party a week or so ago, but sort of forgot about it until I went on over to olioboard to work on something for a client. The perfect follow up to yesterday's dining room post? A different take, for sure.

I've been craving lavender and, oddly enough, peaceful palettes. I'm loving the play on grey, lavender, and silver, and the different textural sheens, from the silvery thread in the rug to the galvanized chairs, mother of pearl sideboard, pressed tin mirror, and gilded chandy and nailhead. Of course, I can't afford a one of these items, and while I usually make accessible design boards with a balanced budget in mind, sometimes it's fun to play with materials and shapes without the constraints of numbers, no?

What does you dream dining room look like?

From the Archive: dining room board

2011-11-21T09:42:00.001-06:00

Between two dinner parties this weekend--one hosted, one attended--and the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays, I suppose I've got dining rooms on the brain. I was planning my dining room before I started this blog, so I thought it would be fun to take a look back at a TOTALLY different direction.

archives: dining room by heatherjoypeterson on polyvore.com

The orange rug is in my living room, and the suzani armchairs were a possibility before we decided on a loveseat in there. I was planning to use my four white ghost chairs in the dining room, bring in those great black host chairs and a black chandelier, and go wild with a rug from anthropologie. (The chinese cabinet is a stand in for the one I actually have.)

Isn't it funny how things change? First I realized that the turkish rug I was planning to use in my bedroom would work better in the dining room, so that set the color palette. (I remember that when I bought the orange rug, it was with the idea that it could easily co-habitate with the turkish one). Then I realized that it would be far cheaper to buy a new set of chairs than to buy two additional ghost chairs plus a pair of host chairs. Enter the eames shell chairs. With smaller-scale chairs (and our technically too-small farm table which we love because my father in law made it for us), the room needed a bigger chandelier. Enter the Maskros.

And just like that, one change at a time, and I arrived at a completely different room.

Dominos.

Small Measures: Botanicals as wallpaper

2011-11-20T12:15:00.001-06:00

via Living Etc.

Botanicals take a casual turn in black and white, pinned or pasted up in a random arrangement. Part two: paint an apothecary chest with blackboard paint and have at it.

Random funny

2011-11-18T08:46:00.001-06:00

Okay, I know this is random for me. This video has NOTHING to do with design, but when my husband played it for me the other night, I couldn't stop laughing. (beware, it kind of takes a dirty turn for a second in the middle.)

It also really got me thinking about the words that get used over and over again on decorating blogs, and the sort of trendy phrases that have snuck in to the collective vocabulary. I have always, always sounded stupid when I use trendy phrases--I remember my best college friend, Jeff, trying to get me to use "word" (and also getting me into those huge raver pants that looked like a floor length denim skirt--is anyone the right age to remember those?). So I try to avoid most of these here--they are just really not me. Goodness (as in, "too much purple goodness"). Pop (as in "a pop of color"). I die (as in, catchphrase from Rachel Zoe). Amazeballs (where, oh where does this one even come from?). There are more--can you think of any?

Also, random part two, I had a dream last night that someone gave me a little pod--it actually looked like a drapery weight, only softer--that you eat in order to watch a movie with your own eyes as the screen. Even in the dream I was aware of how AMAZING this was--I was trying to explain it to someone. Maybe I told them it was amazeballs, who can say. And then someone set me up with a trust fund for 20 million dollars. That's right: 20 million. I guess, in my subconscious at least, I aim high!

Happy Weekend!

My Favorite Things

2011-11-17T10:38:00.001-06:00

Fellow blogger Ashley at Meet Me in Philadelphia has been featuring some of her favorite things this week, and today she featured favorites from a half dozen other bloggers, including moi. Check it out here.

Ashley did these posts partly in an effort to appreciate what she has--as bloggers, we tend to write about other peoples amazing homes and stuff, and it can lead to too much wanting. Instead of wanting new this week, I loved looking around my house and focusing in on all the things I already have that I love. I'm almost 37 (!!!) which means I have had time to collect, and in addition to my own purchases, I have been the lucky recipient of some great gifts and hand me downs over the years. As a result, I had a hard time narrowing down just one favorite thing for Ashley, and I thought I'd share a few more here.

1. Gold pig bank

My husband gave this to me for my birthday 6 years ago. (Metallic gold is my favorite color. Other birthday gifts have included crackled gold metallic leather stack heeled mary janes from Sigerson Morrison and a vintage gold chain-mail belt!) Also, bacon is my favorite food. Well, maybe I've grown out of it, but for a long time bacon was always in the list of top 5 favorite foods. So i guess this bank is like gilded bacon, in a way.

A couple of years later, my best friend Marni was presenting me with a gift at her bridal shower, which I hosted. Marni told the crowd how hard it had been to find just the right thing for me, but that one day, she took the elevator up to the housewares floor at Saks, and it was like the heavens opened up and shone starlight down on the Perfect. Present. Guess what it was?

Yup, gold pig number two. I guess it just SCREAMS me.

2. Modern murano glass bowl

This one was a gift, too, from my cousin Connor. My fabulous cousin who came to New York and lived with me for the summer when he was 17, so he could take classes at FIT. That summer sealed the deal and he is a life-long New Yorker (even as I have moved on.) I can't remember what this was a present for--perhaps just because?--but I love the unexpected colors. I've always used it to hold shells and stones that I've collected on random travels. It has been a number of places in a number of homes, but currently lives in the guest room, next to a little frame my Mom bought for me at an artist fair in Arizona.

3. Silhouette of Clio

I made silhouettes of the girls, but Clio made me this one for me, in school, for mother's day. I love that it is big and sort of wonky, and that the 3 year old who refused to have her picture taken allowed herself to be captured this way, instead. Currently in the powder room.

4. Small wooden vases

A souvenir of a trip to Costa Rica--Dave and my first big trip together--purchased from a small, side-of-the-road type shop.

5. Turkish Rug

I bought this at Riverwalk Antiques in Minneapolis a dozen or more years ago. I love it because it was such a "grown up" purchase, one of the first for my first "grown up" apartment, and that it shows that I have had interesting taste (and a good eye) all along. I also love that it came from a shopping trip with my Aunt Eileen, who is a kindred spirit in all things home and DIY. Currently in the guest room.

6. Painting from my seven year old self

I remember being so very proud of this painting! I also remember the mistake that required whiteout--quite visible three decades later when the paper has yellowed! The fact that my parents framed it is so sweet. We also entered it into the Dakota County fair, and I walked away with a blue ribbon. I love having it in my girls' room now!

Okay, I could go on and on. And actually, this process has made me realize that there is a box in the basement labeled "objects" and full of other wonderful things. Maybe I will dig it up....I've been thinking in particular about a pair of brass book ends--chinoiserie koi fish--a gift from Eileen.

Even if you don't share it with anyone, I highly recommend this exercise of looking around your home and relishing the meaningful things you have collected over the years!

Heather

Art You Can Afford: Society 6

2011-11-16T07:26:00.000-06:00

More and more of these affordable-prints sites are cropping up.

From what I gather, Society 6 is not curated the way many are, and rather than produce a limited-edition run, they print on demand. In addition to art prints or stretched canvases, a number of the images are available as iphone or laptop covers, t-shirts, and other products. Because any artist can submit to sell their work here, it feels a bit more like etsy--some great stuff, but also lots of less-great stuff to wade through.

Interestingly, I found myself turned off by the images that were available to be printed in every format--it almost felt like the prints that were only prints had the most integrity, and I almost wished the site was divided by "art prints" and "graphic design". But that may just be the curatorial degree rearing its (ugly?) head.

All that said, here are my top picks:
(note: because these are all available in multiple sizes and price points, I'm providing links to each item, but not writing in price points or other information here. Click the picture to take you to the site. Most prints start under $20 and top out under $100.)

There are tons of great choices for kids spaces, too.
Do you have a favorite?

Sew your saying

2011-11-15T07:16:00.000-06:00

I'm loving the textile take on all the "word art" that's out there these days.

I remember first noticing these felt-applique pillows from this etsy shop when they were featured in House Beautiful a while back.

I was liking the idea of creating something similar but more in my colors (or commissioning the seller to do it).

And have you seen Muriel Brandolini's custom words wallpaper? She created the lyrics to a family's favorite Rolling Stones song and applied it to the walls in all sorts of crazy textures.

Well, I just recently spotted these one-of-a-kind embroidered textiles, many of which use popular song lyrics, from Australian shop Castle and Things.

Some play around with composition and negative space in quite a fetching way.

This one makes me hear John Denver in my mind. (NOT a bad thing, I promise you.)

There are also non-word compositions that still create a little story. this one is called Dream a Little Dream.

These are pricey (in the hundreds of dollars), but they use great materials and could be a wonderful gift (even to yourself).

I like the idea of creating your own felt applique of a meaningful lyric, poem line, or saying, and making a throw pillow or framing and hanging it.

So personal.

Guest Post and Sneak Peak

2011-11-13T21:04:00.001-06:00

Today I'm guest posting over at 10 Rooms for Anne-Marie's series Crushing on Color. It may come as no surprise that I am crushing hard on raspberry. I've been randomly collecting pictures with the hue for ages, so I had lots to choose form when putting together this post.

One of the key ways I'm seeing raspberry? Paired with blue. Cobalt, teal, turquoise, and aqua. And you know what? Just a hit of turquoise took raspberry to the next level in my girl's room. A few projects to go before a full reveal (or the "after after," since I already shared a before and after last winter), but here's a peek.

Go check out a ton of inspiration, here, and let Anne-Marie know I sent you!

Small Measures: Stenciled Baskets

2011-11-13T11:36:00.001-06:00

Hank Azaria's house. Love the random numbers on the baskets, but I wonder where they keep the reference list of what items go in which numbered basket?

Kudos

2011-11-11T07:55:00.000-06:00

Three bits and pieces.

First.

Metro Magazine invited me to be this months "guest expert" for their "Feng Shui Rater," in which someone in the design field "judges random home design trends by their energy," and, naturally, I used DIY trends as my organizing principle. Some of my choices may be controversial (I sent Union Jack-painted furniture way to the bottom of the list), but I'm so glad to see a shout-out to Danika and Cheryl at O'Verlays right there in print. Metro, thanks for having me!

Second.

West Elm knocked my socks off today. How, you ask? I installed a fabulous gallery wall using some of their gallery frames (okay, like 30 of their gallery frames), and I was sooooo happy to discover that they come with their own little mockups. In hot pink, no less. (It's the little things, right?)

Usually I cut these myself from kraft paper (like this), and I'm sure having them pre-made saved me an hour of install time. Plus, they actually work for hanging. See the little illustration for the hook?

Shockingly, they are in the right place. Another chunk of time saved.

Third.

I share my current color obsession on Monday over at Anne Marie's Blog 10 Rooms for her series, Crushing on Color. Be sure to check it out, then come on back here to see how I put one of the illustrated color pairings into practice when I rearranged some things in the bedrooms.

I'm working this weekend, but it's all fun projects. Which is good, because the alternative was a girls weekend in NYC with two of my best-ever girlfriends. (Have fun ladies--I will miss you!) How about you--anything fun planned?

Oh, fourth.

Speaking of NYC, tomorrow night Dave and I are going to see The Moth live here in Minneapolis. It's like a little slice of our New York experience following us out here, and I can't wait. Here we are at a Moth event early in our dating days, I guess March of 2003? I was WAY ahead of the curve on the brightly colored pants trend, let me tell you. (Purple!) And those yellow dangly earrings were an absolute fave.

Love this room.

2011-11-10T07:19:00.000-06:00

After various product and project posts this week, I thought this little blog might need some inspiration in the form of an awesome room. Luckily, my latest batch of passed-along magazines came from my mother in law not too long ago, and with the start of swim lessons for the girls comes a nice little 20 minute pocket of time to myself for sitting and flipping the pages. (And peeking in on their progress now and again.)

Chicago Home and Gardens put out a Color issue in September, the perfect treat for a color hound like me. I can't seem to get over this quirky living room, decorated by the homeowner, and full of risks that somehow look completely natural. Check it.

This picture reminds me that:

- I want to paint the office built in shelves a deep, saturated color (or stain them dark, like these)
- I'm still down with orange, green, and blue
- A velvet couch goes to the top of my "someday" list
- Paired chairs can mismatch in every possible way and still work.

Let's talk about those chairs a bit more. With all the balance and symmetry on the couch side of the room, I love the mismatched pair to throw things off a little, but not many people would take a tall skinny leggy midcentury piece with an overscale bold pattern and sidle it up to a squat barrel-back intricate wood frame chair in solid upholstery and call it a day.

I think it also helps that this pair of chairs sits off to the side.

So the room gets its symmetry after all.

Have you seen a room lately that you wanted to just move into?

Kick.Stand.Press

2011-11-09T07:58:00.000-06:00

Awesome Product Alert!

Local (Minneapolis) screen printing studio Kick. Stand. Press making some some Kick. Ass. Wallpapers.

Love the random feeling shapes (and of course the color palette) here:

[Organic Compounds 2011]

Weirdly, it almost looks like state divisions on continents in old maps, doesn't it?

Love the whole structured nature thing going on here:

[Vinewall]

And I almost want to put photographs in the ovals, you know?

Also loving the whimsy of the bike embedded in this block print scenario, which almost has a classic Indian vibe. Yet not.

[Victorian Bike Love 2010]

And my personal favorite, which I would like very much to put in the hallway upstairs (yes, and cover over the magnetic kid art stripe I just created), is this:

[Red Feathers 2010]

right now, it is a small collection, but I am liking each and every one.

And what's better than bringing the "local organic" movement from our food to our decor?

Right. Nothing.

Feeling Ambitious

2011-11-08T07:39:00.000-06:00

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!

Art You Can Make: Typography

2011-11-07T07:15:00.000-06:00

This weekend we went to the Walker Art Center's Free Family day (first Saturday of the month). They always have amazing, creative activities for kids that relate to the current shows in the galleries, and right now there is a big graphic design show on. (As an aside, I was thrilled when my husband noticed that a book I worked on is in the show: Above the Pavement, the Farm, with WORK architecture company and designers from Project Projects). In keeping with the theme of the show, one of the art activities was to create your own font or typeface out of common objects, and to do your own printmaking.

Let me tell you, we got IN to it.

Typography prints are so big these days, I was inspired by this activity, thinking you could make original works at home--on your own, or with your kids. It would be fun to take a phrase meaningful to you and your family, but I love that even a "standard" phrase, something familiar in the lexicon, can take on different personalities when hand-printed. The layout, the shapes of the letters, the colors--it all adds up to something uniquely you.

To illustrate, I chose a couple of prints from Etsy with the same phrase. (There were 540 to choose from for You Are My Sunshine!)

here

here

Fun, right? Each totally different than the next.

To make your own, you could simply buy a set of stamps (or a couple of sets to break up the sizes and styles), or keep an eye out for vintage woodblock letters at vintage stores. (I once made monogrammed stationery for a friend this way, and gave her the stationery AND the stamps as a gift. They look cool on a shelf and that way, you can always make more.)

Or you can make your own letters--this is what the Walker exercise was all about.

As I understand it, creating a font is all about creating a language of elements and applying it to all of your letters. Dave watched a movie about typeface design, and from this he learned that you always start with the lowercase h: it determines both your straight and curved elements, and sets the height for the set. (Another aside: Helvetica is a pretty cool documentary about one of the most common typefaces in use, and Typeface, about a type museum in rural Wisconsin, looks intruiging.)

At the Walker, we started simple. Clio and I created "daddy" and Eleri and Dave created "Mommy."

Then, Clio and I got ambitious. She chose a phrase from a favorite bedtime song. We got the poster sized paper and started printing away.

Take me out to the ballgame. (It looks better in person. I'm SURE this image is not convincing you to go out and do this, but it's fun, I swear.)

I hung it up in my new hallway vignette just for fun, and I love the idea of creating a more finished piece using this technique, possibly for the downstairs bathroom.

To make our letters, we used a combination of wood pieces and foam blocks, coated them in ink (it was spread out on glass trays), and pressed them on the paper. Simple.

What do you think: would you get crafty and make your own typographic print? What phrase would you use?

Small Measures: Color Coordinated Candy

2011-11-05T15:29:00.001-05:00

8 (or so) jars. Jordan Almonds. Bright and fun in a quiet(ish) kitchen. Plus, yum.

Magnetic Paint: The Deets

2011-11-04T07:12:00.000-05:00

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

Pinterest Challenge: Magnetic Hallway reveal

2011-11-03T08:38:00.000-05:00

Well, the upstairs hallway is done. For now.

There were a few hurdles in this project, I'm not gonna lie. And it ended up being not super cheap, either. Tomorrow I'll post my tips (and a few complaints) on using magnetic paint, but for now, let's just say that this:

plus this:

Took this:

To this:

With the added bonus of this:

Night time pictures. That's what happens when you finish your project round about midnight!

Details, tomorrow.

In the meantime, you can head on over to Young House Love to see the 600 or so projects that people have linked up (actually, I just checked. I'm 686). And of course, see the projects of the challenge originators (just "challengers", I guess?) here, here, and here.

Designer Crutches: Peter Dunham

2011-11-02T09:49:00.001-05:00

You know how US Weekly (or one of that ilk) does a column about celebrities who are quite shockingly seen carrying the same bag twice? It's usually a two page spread and it shows how, say, Jessica Alba relies on a particular pair of boots to pull together an outfit.

Designers have a tendency to rely on a really great side table, or a favorite fabric, too.

Take Peter Dunham. These rush chairs have his name all over them.

If I see these in a space I almost always think he is the designer. But I was looking through his portfolio the other day for a guest post I'm cooking up, and I notices that he also repeats this raspberry linen ikat fabric (of his design) again and again and again.

And lookee here: he even has both in his own home.

(All photos peterdunham.com except the one from Architectural Digest)

And I wish I had both in my own home. So wonder he's one of my all-time faves.

I have to say, I kind of like the idea of some old favorites. If you find a great product, why not put it in many clients' homes? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Are there items that you use over and over? Either in your own home or, decorators, in your clients' spaces?

Okay, off to tackle the pinterest challenge wall. Eek.