Connect the dots

I'm kind of smitten with this little pillow today.

Every now and then I find something really amazing from Land's End.

I love them because their prices are so reasonable.

My favorite thing about the pillow is how the polka dots have a painted look

that makes them more interesting and more chic than plain old polka dots.

It reminds me of a few other dotted designer fabrics that I love, Circo from Lee Jofa

and Tika from Lisa Fine, one of my favorite textile designers.

I've been thinking you could recreate this look with some diluted fabric paint

and a pencil eraser for a small scale look, or a round sponge for a large scale dot.

I haven't had the chance to try it out yet, but it could be a fun DIY.

Any takers?

I love a little bit of polka dot in an unexpected place.

It can take a sophisticated room and keep it from feeling too stuffy.

You expect to see a little bit of polka dot in a child's room

(love this from Jessica Helgerson)

but look how awesome it is in this office

And how Jamie used this ikat dot in her bedroom featured in High Gloss.

But my all time favorite use of any ikat/dots has to bee these chairs from Lilly Bunn Weekes.

Jenny turned me on to her blog last year and it has been a favorite read.

Do you have any dots in your life?

The look for less: Java Java

I've been a devoted fan of quadrille fabrics for a while now. I love the lines they carry, and they have such a fresh feel to them.  For a long time, my favorite print has been java java, pictured on the chair above. 

Well in case you aren't in the loop on fabric, Waverly has come out with a fabulous look a like for a fraction of the cost. It's called cross section and it is available online in a few colorways (green, grey,) and at Joann's stores in beige, hot pink, pale pink and brown. 

I used it in green on a pair of parsons chairs at a clients house

and Jamie used this same fabric on a darling loveseat at her store Furbish

And Camila over at High Heeled foot in the door used it on an ottoman

So the question is, have you already found a great use for this fabric? 

Or if not, where would you use it. I'm dying to know.

double take

If you like these industrial tolix bar stools, then you will love these and their fabulous price.

Here comes the sun

You may have noticed that sunburst mirrors seem to be popping up in every nook and cranny of the design world these days. I happen to love this trend and I always seem to a get a little butterfly in my stomach when I spot one in a beautiful room. 

The problem is, that these gorgeous mirrors usually seem to come with a matching price tag, which doesn't always work for the budget minded. 

Lucky for all of us, I had a little moment in the antique store a few weeks ago when I spotted this vintage syrocco clock. Suddenly I had an idea, what if I took this piece swapped out the clock piece with a precut mirror and voila, instant chicness. 

I was giddy just thinking about it. 

I took the piece home and began to deconstruct it. Once the clock face was off I sponged the whole face of the clock with liquid silver leaf since the gold tones wouldn't really work in my bedroom. I bought a precut mirror at my local craft store and with a couple of drops of glue, we were good to go. 

This was the stage at which I noticed my adorable toddler decided to break off one of the rays but we won't get in to that. I still love the result and the broken ray has since been mended. 

All in all this project cost me about $32.00. 

$24.00 for the clock

$3.50 for the silver leaf paint

$2.99 for the precut mirror

Not bad for a days work. 

If you're interested in trying to recreate this there are a handful of great clock options on ebay. Mine was vintage Syroco. 

close second

We all know and love the Jacqui collection from bungalow 5. It seems like these pieces have been popping up everywhere these days and in a rainbow of colors. I've been loving this piece for quite some time so I was really excited when I spotted this wave table at JC Penney a couple of weeks ago. It is a close second don't you think? 

These tables also give a similar look. 

And of course, just a little eye candy for y'all featuring Jacqui items. 

Lulu Love

If you love Lulu DK like I do, then you will really love what I have to share with you tomorrow! 

Nighty night. 

Art done simply (and cheaply)

image above via John Derian

From project to project I have learned that one of the most challenging and expensive things is coming up with affordable art that is unique and personal. I find that wall decor is usually the thing that breaks the budget (or really stretches it). Even buying target frames can add up. 

Most of the wall art in my house is falls in to four categories;

 thrifted paintings and sketches, family photography, botanicals or personal mementos. Any of you who have tackled this same issue know how much custom framing can cost, which is why I almost never do it. 

A great alternative to custom framing is buying ready made or vintage frames and then having custom mats cut. A standard mat for an 8 x 10 costs about 10-12 dollars. This is dramatically lower than custom framing would be and you get a really similar look. 

Often times I am working on projects that don't even allow room to purchase any matting. A perfect example is the groupings I had framing the fireplace at the Delta Gamma House. We were spent on the budget so I took pages from old Delta Gamma newsletters and mounted them on nice linen art paper from Michaels. The frames cost me $5 a piece and the paper was 3.50 for an 14x20 sheet. So for roughly $6 a piece, I have semi custom art on a budget. 

new and improved.

Some of you may recall that way back when, I mentioned I picked up a bedding set at Homegoods that was a knockoff of Kelly Wearstler's imperial trellis fabric. The duvet cover was a lightweight cotton but I knew I wanted to use the print for an upholstery project so I had some simple white canvas to line the thin cotton with and attached them with some simple spray adhesive for fabrics. The print is obviously still on a thinner fabric but the lining will help such a flimsy cotton to sit better on the piece and allow for more wear and tear. I paid $19.99 for the bedding set and was able to use the shams for this project. 

Enter our lovely pair of chairs who were just begging for a lovely print. I used paint that was leftover from a another project in a clean white and for a total of $34.00 we have an amazing pair of chairs.  Not bad, not bad at all. 

So next time you are out shopping and spy a bedding you love, don't write it off. Instead think of other uses for the fabric, curtains, pillows, an ottoman, chairs? The possibilities are endless and it is great way to score a lot of yardage for a good deal. 

These chairs were actually used as decor at my friends wedding this week and were a wedding gift to her. More details from her adorable vintage wedding coming next week. 

Enjoy your weekend! 

is it or isn't it?

I got an inbox full of emails asking about this parsons style console. Although this piece is similar to the West Elm parsons table this piece is actually the Malm occasional table from ikea and I had Hana paint it to fit the decor and the budget. The price on the ikea console can't be beat and I actually like how the legs are solid panels instead of four separate legs. 

I actually have one of these in storage that I've had for ages and lost love for it but work  the piece in this project has totally revived my affections. I'm going to paint mine navy blue and add nailhead trim around the edges. Of course pictures will be shared when the project is complete. 

You didn't think I would spend thousands on a mirror did you?

I got a few emails asking about the lovely mirror featured in my latest project. It really is a beauty isn't it? 

You may recognize this mirror from Josie Maran's apartment when it was featured on the cover of Domino last year. Her mirror is from Woodson and Rummerfield and costs a pretty penny. 

My mirror, is an unbelievable knock-off you can find here that cost a fraction of the price. We had it painted a creamy white, and voila! 

It might just be my favorite thing in the room.