The Art of Compromise

I very much loved my solid oak, dovetail-crafted antique dresser, which I'd moved around from cabin to house to apartment since the early 1990s. I had to give it up as my fiance and I negotiated his move into my smallish two-bedroom apartment. I got to keep my couch and loveseat while his went to a quick and savvy Craigslist buyer. In return, practicality reigned and he brought over his much bigger dresser that we'd share.

The light pine, California Mission style with iron detailing on the heavy mirror wasn't in my line of thinking. Not that it was bad, mind you, but really, quite irrelevant to my taste. Plus, we're starting this new life together, and I wanted to integrate it into the rest of my decor.

So I painted it over with some leftover kitchen high-gloss enamel, and found myself at Anthropologie (yet again!) fondling the arty knobs, and having an actual place to put them. I painted over the iron foliage detail on the top of the mirror with some green acrylic. The result is a less formal, more beachy version of the dresser -- with room for everything!

Cost: $125 for knobs (but you can find them cheaper online at places like D. Lawless Hardware).
Paint: About $15 for a gallon of satin
Extra: $5 for the adorable 8-year-old neighbor girl who insists on helping and adds valuable design advice ("you could put flower knobs on your side, dragon knobs on his side, and share the middle drawer.")

Reimagining Possibilites

 

This fabric's original life as a curtain

Last weekend I haunted LA's fabric district and scored some material I loved for $2 a yard. I wondered if it should be a maxi dress. Or a skirt. I finally decided on curtains because I liked it so much, and that way I could look at it all the time.

But once the curtains were up and done, they just weren't right. They were missing the grandeur I so appreciate in my drapery, and I no longer had that beautiful morning light pour in.

So now, one of the curtains is a tablecloth. The other is just waiting to fulfill its potential.

Clearly, this piece was meant to be a tablecloth.

A Dramatic Effect From Just a Bit of Creativity

When we first moved into this house, the idea of the renovation (even just the cosmetic stuff) seemed like a fun, but overwhelming task. We bought this house as a foreclosure, so if you know anything about foreclosures, you know that we bought this house in VERY bad condition. I don't want to bore you with the gross details, so I'll just show you before and after photos of our guest room.
Before:

And after:

 

The room isn't quite finished yet, but what a difference, eh? This room cost me a mere $100: the TALLVIK lamps are from IKEA, the bed was acquired for free from Freecycle, and the curtains are just yards and yards (floor-to-ceiling) of damask material I found on sale at Joann Fabrics. [Did you know that you can use those 40%-off coupons that come in your junk mail on sale items? Mega score!] And those iron garden grate things? I bought them years ago at Marshalls for $5 each/on clearance.

I don't really know how I'm going to finish off this room, but no matter what I think of, I'll remain proud of how far it's come, and how little I've spent.

The best part? My guests just love it. The worst part? They don't want to leave.

I love shiny things, but my house is LACKING

Yes, this blog is supposed to be about all things pretty in the house. Great decor, crafty ideas, and amazing DIYs. But I must confess, before you and I carry on in this relationship...I hate to clean. And, I don't just hate it, I haaaaaaate it. I don't wash dishes, I don't do laundry, and I seem to be okay with it. I think there was a time in my childhood when I had to clean every inch of my family's house, so when I was old and free, I gave it up! Ah yes, the bad ol' days...

But I digress. The point of this second post is to come clean and let y'all know what I've got hiding behind my screen. So, *drum roll* I give you Exhibit A: My Christmas Tree. In Almost-March.

 

Yes, it's purple (I wanted it to match my living room!). And yes, that's dust you see on the flocked pine needles. Deep down I know though, this tree is going to spend a few more months right where it's at...hangin' out with that dust. Speaking of dust, let's move on to Exhibit B: DUST! Lots of it.

These are my favorite Port glasses. So favorite in fact, that they are currently being smothered in disgustingness (do you know what dust really is?). ACK! 

Finally, I give you Exhibit C: My dining table/mail-groceries-laundry-important paperwork-art supplies-dog stuff catch-all:

 

C'mon. Don't look at me like that. I work hard and I'm tired when I get home! Whatevs, I know it's nast. [Sidenote: this area was miraculously clean 20 minutes after I took this photo (thanks, Adam).] All shame aside, I really just wanted to share these photos in case any of my friends were wondering why I was suddenly living in a Home Design Museum.

Fact: Bold Colors ≠ Dark, Small Room

I've been told on many occasions, by many different people that too bold of a color makes the room dark and small. Not so! If you want to work with a bold color, incorporate white to help offset it, or do the obvious: pick a sunny room.

 Although this bedroom is blessed with three large windows, I still had to maximize the amount of light that came in. So, I took advantage of IKEA's sheer LILL panels (very affordable), added a ton of customized wall molding (thanks Adam!), and created a flowy canopy effect with some white muslin.

The black and white comforter was really just added for some contrast...but all in all, this room turned out bold AND bright! For a total cost of $225 to design the room (the handsome, handmade dressers were designed and crafted by Adam for a mere $60), I have to say I'm almost tempted to tear it apart and start over...just for fun.

House Tour via AT:NY

I can't actually explain just how deeply inspired I am after going through today's house tour on the notoriously amazing Apartment Therapy blog.

The mixing and matching, the smart buys (with occasional splurges), the turning something old into something new! Personally, I hope to achieve the type of home renovation Stephanie and Luke survived, but until then, feast your eyes, people!

Stephanie and Luke's House Tour

Jealous? I am.

Mixing and Matching

I'm a big fan of mixing up my favorite things to really showcase the interesting range of styles out there. I think a few old pieces mixed in with the brand new can make a pretty bold statement. In this living room, I found a customized suede chesterfield couch (a new play on an old style), paired it with a tufted bench and threw in a glass & gilded 1920's era coffee table.

 

The wall color was inspired by the Grey Gardens set, and the stone fireplace is yet to be updated. (Soon, it'll be covered in abalone glass tile to pull the colors of the room together.) For a touch of modern: the black Pier 1 entertainment center, the grass rug, and the sleek white frame were added to the room.

 

 

 We really don't spend enough time in this room. I mean, seriously...it's nearly March and our Christmas Tree is still up. That's how often we visit.

French Chic for Under $500

Pulling a room together is one thing. Pulling a room together with a cohesive style, using all second-hand furniture, and paying less than $500 is another thing.

I think the trick to remember here, is that a few bucks and a can of paint can go a long way. What I did in this baby nursery (yes, it's black), was I acquired furniture at negotiated prices from the locals on Craigslist and Freecycle, updated them a bit with a few sheets of sandpaper, and painted them all with the same glossy white paint.

Sure the project took a few months, but it was oh-so-worth-it. ;)