Copying Bunny Williams – Well, Sort of

The most recent edition of Veranda includes a half page spotlight of three pieces of Bunny Williams’ second Beeline Home Furniture line of small scale tables and stools.

Although I loved all three featured pieces, it was the simple white painted stool upholstered in muslin called “The Pug Bench” which caught my eye.

I immediately thought of the footstool I purchased a while back for a few dollars at a thrift store.

 

Now I realize it is a very big stretch to compare the two as mine is a footstool and Bunny’s is a small bench and the lines of the two pieces are not similar at all. However, seeing Bunny’s bench was just the inspiration I needed to transform my formerly very dark footstool into something much more stylish. (I’ll explain the missing nailhead trim below.)

Here is how I accomplished this simple transformation.

Remove needlepoint cover. Lightly sand frame and paint with BM Paper Mache.

Use old cover as a pattern for new cover made of natural color linen.

Attach new cover using staple gun - same process as covering a chair seat.

Attach top to stool base using screws.

Add decorative nailhead trim.

At this point the project took a turn for the worse. I tried to attach the nails with a hammer and they just would not stay – this stool was not made for this type of trim.

Not one to give up I went to plan B – glue.

This did not work either. It looked exactly like what it was – glued on nail heads.

I regrouped, removed the mess-ups and settled on a plain top.

Much better!

Linking up to these wonderful ladies.

Final Bedroom Reveal

For the past few weeks I have been showing various parts of my daughter’s bedroom makeover. I so appreciate everyone who has followed along and shared such encouraging comments. Thank you! So, without further delay, here is the room in its entirety.

Where we began
As I have mentioned before, my daughter’s room was decorated around a blue and green Laura Ashley bedding set I used when I was in college.

I made the curtains from an extra set of sheets. The dressing table was a roadside find which I panted and stenciled. You can tell from the before photos, I was very much into everything matching perfectly. I have since come to realize by mixing things up a bit, a room becomes more interesting.

Putting it all together
Although my daughter has not reached double digits, she wanted a room where she could make some of the decorating choices. We were not initially on the same page, but through compromise – she wanted pink and dogs and I wanted a space that would fit in with the rest of the house and one she would not out grow in a few years - we were able to create a room we both love. The starting point for the entire project was the curtain fabric.

I have to admit it was a real struggle to find coordinating fabric to use for the Euro shams. After many hours online, I finally found the pink zebra fabric. (I apologize for not remembering the source.) The regular shams are made from left over fabric from another project and the long pillow with the flowers I made from inexpensive suiting material.

The bedside table is topped with a piece of marble I purchased at an antiques store. I love how the gray veining picks up the other gray features in the room and adds another layer of texture to the space. (To see the story behind the marble click here.) The lamp is one of a pair which I painted and glazed.

For artwork, I created inexpensive dog silhouettes, . . .

. . . updated a bulletin board with ribbon . . .

. . . and added a simple frame around the chandelier.

The dressing table was updated with a fresh coat of paint . . .

. . . and accessorized with vintage and yard sale finds.

Unplanned Changes
One of the biggest changes in this room was the flooring. You may have noticed from the before picture, the bedroom was carpeted. Installing hardwood floors was not in the original redo plan. In fact, the room was basically finished when we decided to replace the carpeting. We were at the point where something had to be done - markers, nail polish and lotion just do not work well with white carpet.

Replacing the carpeting with wood floors meant purchasing a rug. After what seemed like endless searching for the right color and size, I finally splurged on the pink and white rug you see above – the finishing touch to the room.

So there you have it – my daughter’s room redo! It is hard to believe the entire process started over 8 months ago. Overall, I think we achieved the goals of this project. I am very pleased with the results and most importantly, so is my daughter.

Sources:Bed – Ethan Allen
Dresser – Ethan Allen
Rug – Madeline Weinrib
Dresser lamp – vintage yard sale find
Bedside lamp – repainted brass lamp
Curtain fabric – Calico Corners
Pillow fabric (gray and pink) – JoAnn Fabrics
Pillow fabric (tan velvet) – Calico Corners
White faux fur throw – Home Goods
Sunburst mirror – Wisteria
Upholstered cubes – Target
Upholstered cube slipcover fabric – fabric JoAnn Fabrics
Bulletin Board – Ballard Design
Small Shelf below bulletin board - Target

Linking up to some of my favorite parties.

Recover a Vintage Stool

Several years ago I purchased this little vintage foot stool on Ebay. Though I loved the lines, I wasn't too crazy about the brown needlepoint cover. Last month I completed a slip cover project for a client and fell in love with the Zebra fabric she choose. As luck would have it there was a small piece of fabric left over - perfectly sized for my stool.

Recovering this stool was an easy process. Simply take off the stool cover by removing the small tacks with a hammer, pliers and a puddy knife. Use the old cover as a pattern to cut out your new cover. Since I was using upholstery tacks, I made my pattern about a 1/2 inch bigger on all sides than the original. This gave me some fabric to fold under for a nice finished edge.

Center the fabric on the stool. Place one tack in the middle of each side of the stool, folding the fabric under 1/2" and pulling tight. Work from the center out, trying to evenly space the upholstery tacks, until you reach the corners.

Fold the corners neatly and tack in place. You are done!

I love how this new fabric looks. Such a change from the old. If only I was brave enough to tackle the chair I have had for twenty years that needs upholstering!

Simple Stool Slip Cover

Here is an easy way to change the look of a simple square upholstered stool. The picture on the top shows the original stool. The picture on the bottom is the slip covered stool in "Zebra" (color - Steel) available at Calico Corners.

The slip covers below are made from a remnant of Italian fabric (top) and a remnant of embroidered linen fabric (bottom) also purchased from Calico Corners.

Requiring only a minimal amount of fabric and simple sewing, this project can be completed in less than 1 1/2 hours. The button-tufted stool is from West Elm and measures approximately 16" square x 18" high but similar inexpensive cube style stools can easily be found at a variety of other places including Target and Marshalls Home Goods.

Directions:

1. Determine fabric measurements - Measure top and four sides of stool. Add 1 inch to length and width of stool top for seam allowances. Add 1 inch to width of stool sides and 2 1/2 inches to height of stool sides for seam and bottom hem allowances. Cut out all five pieces according to measurements. Note: The slip covers shown were made of home dec fabric and required only 1 yard of fabric. If you plan on matching up patterns or using 44" wide fabric you will require additional yardage. Also, if you plan on washing your slip cover, it is always a good idea to wash your fabric before you cut out your pattern pieces.


2. Sew sides - Place two side pieces right sides together along "height" sides, making sure both pieces of fabric are going in the same direction. Using 1/2" seam allowance, sew together. Repeat with additional two side pieces. Place these two pieces right sides together along "height" sides. Sew together along both matched edges forming a ring. Using an iron, press seams to one side.


3. Bottom hem - Using an iron, press bottom edge of ring (slip cover sides)under 2". Fold raw edge under towards pressed seam forming a 1" bottom hem. Sew bottom hem.


4. Attach sides to top - Turn ring inside out. Mark center point of each side of slip cover top and each side of slip cover side. Placing right sides together and matching raw edges, line up and pin center points of slip cover sides with slip cover top. Pin and sew around entire top using 1/2" seam allowance.


5. Turn slip cover right side out and place on stool. Enjoy!