Office Furniture In The Bedroom! Why Not?
I saw this ad for USM Modular in a magazine the other day and it caught my eye. I adore USM and specified it for an office project a few years ago. Their units come in lots of vibrant colors. They’re perfect for home offices as well. But in the bedroom? Why not?
There are no hard and fast rules these days. I think I’d accessorize this a bit differently to make better use of the storage and Read More…
Jr League of Detroit Show House Presentation
In between bouts of coughing attacks last week, I spend my time feverishly (pun!) putting together my presentations for this year’s Jr. League of Detroit Show House. The house is a beautiful, French provincial stone home set right on Lake St Clair. That’s the large lake seen at the end of Grosse Pointe Blank and Gran Torino.
I put together two proposals. My partner in this venture, Sandra Olave, did another. We needed at least three. I thought I’d share my presentations with you.
I’ve been sitting on this idea for a while, hoping to work on a little girl’s room one day. My favorite feature of this garden wonderland are the painted screen doors at the entrance to the room and the bath. Painted screen doors is an urban art form from my hometown of Baltimore. My screens depict trees. The doors feature window boxes (filled with handmade felt flowers and critters) along with a birdhouse.
The rest of the room continues that floral theme. The window boxes sit atop radiators. Caf?© curtains and a canopy on the antique spindle bed are dressed with flowers and floral fabrics. A floral wallpaper continues the flowery fun. I’m painting the ceiling, trim and fireplace in a coordinating color. A desk, similar to the one in the picture will be painted one color on the outside – another on the inside.
I find that this type of presentation is well received. I put it together on Photoshop and have it printed in tabloid size on good paper. It’s visually appealing, neat and clean. I don’t have to have actual fabric samples if I can find what I’ll use on a website. I scan things as well.
I’ll share my Bohemian Teen room tomorrow. Meanwhile, I’d love to know what you think of this room. Would your little girl like a room like this? Can I make a million felt flowers by May 1st, and how much should I sell them for? I’ve got to pay for this room somehow! :-) I can take the criticism. I don’t even know if I’m getting a room. I find out Friday.
Friday Favorite: Serena and Lily
I’d feature some of the things I found in Serena and Lily, a new (to me at least) bedding and home goods site. I like the details in their sheeting and especially the bedskirts.
Love this scalloped edging on this skirt. The ribbon is a beautiful touch.
They do a good job of mixing and matching sheets with pillows, etc. Again, the detailing is original.
The extra wide lumbar pillow looks great here. And it’s a nice change from the 3 pillows you typically see. Love the ribbon edge on the pillow cases and sheet, too.
I like the idea of mixing up the pillowcases. Buy two sets – each in a different pattern and put them together on the bed. I saw this at IKEA last weekend, too.
I really love a well-made bed. They’re lots of fun to play with.
Do you have a favorite way to make the bed? Share!
Bedroom Ideas & Inspiration: Canopy Beds
Years ago a very fancy woman told me that houses were like peanuts. Once you finish one, you just have to have another. Must be nice! I have to admit that I sometimes feel the same way. I want a super modern house. I want a bare-bones beach shack, a New Yrok loft. And I want a canopy bed.
There’s something very romantic and comforting about a canopy bed. I’ve selected a few of my favorites here. There are all kinds of ways to create a canopy. Let’s take a look.
This half-caopy frames a bed so nicely. I like the matching fabrics. It’s just plain pretty. And there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?
This is so French, isn’t it? I love the shape of the padded headboard. The informal draping of the bedding makes the bed appear more cozy and less imposing.
What’s your opinion of this mirrored canopy bed? Does it work with the striped fabric? It seems to. What I like, as an idea to save for a future project, is the way the headboard covers the entire back of the bed. I like the tufted aspect as well. This might be a good way to deal with a bed that’s not in great shape – you can hide the bad spots with fabric.
Here’s a way to create a canopy with very little fabric. A flat panel, draped and hung from the ceiling is terrific.
Here’s an incorporation of both ideas. The fabric isn’t gathered in the back. There’s just enough fullness to make this work.
Mosquito netting is so beautiful. It says, “I live in a tropical, romantic place.” Well, to me it does – even if it happens to really be Detroit. At night, all dreams come true.
Keep your upper lip stiff if you want to sleep here. Taker a closer look and there’s a good idea that you cold use in any setting. Why not use a piece of birch ply and faux paint it to look like paneling? Instant headboard. And, when it’s surrounded by the canopy, it becomes a thing of beauty.
Lastly, a light and airy room. This would make a perfect guest room. Except you’d never get rid of your guests!
Okay, so which one is your favorite? Mine is the first. I like the style of the cornice – like the one at the end. It bring out the girly-girl in me. How about you? I’d like to hear from the guys on this as well.
3 Golden Rules for Decorating Bedrooms for Teens & Tweens
I’m on vacation here at Sunset Beach, NC. Yay! But I’m still thinking about bedrooms – especially bedrooms for teens and tweens. I’ve written about the subject before and thought this would be a good opportunity to focus on my interior design rules for teen bedrooms.
Rule #1: Your color scheme and sense of style should end at a teenager’s bedroom door.
Teenagers are busy finding themselves – a very important thing that is too often overlooked. They often express their ever-changing sense of who they are through decoration. ¬†One day, they’re in love with the Jonas Brothers and their images cover the walls. Just as you’re learning the difference between Kevin and Joe, your daughter is rolling your eyes at you. The Jonas Brothers are so last week! ¬†Taylor Swift has taken over.
The image, above, is a good example. It looks terrific. But what will you do when your daughter decided she hates lilac next year?
If you’re a house-proud parent (and who isn’t), the best thing to do is sit on your hands, grin and bear it. Let your teens’ imaginations and identity searching run wild in the bedroom decor and, most likely, they won’t be running wild in the street. (At least I hope not!)
Rule #2: Set some ground rules and create a budget together.
When I was a teen I repainted my bedroom five times. To keep yourself from going mental and broke, set some ground rules before the arguing starts. Are black walls out or in? Can they paint the furniture? Try to think of things they can’t do, but also things they can. Write up a list together. If there’s something that’s not on the list, have them ask before they paint.
It’s a good idea, depending on the age of your teen, to give them a budget and let them do the shopping. A lesson in budgeting and planning for future change is always in style. Goodwill, Craig’s List and Freecycle are great places to find furniture and accessories at rock bottom prices. Challenge your teens to think outside the Pottery Barn box.
Rule#3: Place color on things that can be changed out easily.
Painting the walls a new color is really inexpensive – as long as he’s doing the work himself.¬† However, new furniture every other week is probably out. Remind your kids that they might not want blood red walls next year (you know they’ll roll their eyes at your total stupidity and develop amnesia next year).
Put the color and the trends on the walls and the accessories. They’re less expensive to change.
Jennifer’s Tips
- Let your teen decorate their own environment
- Set ground rules
- Create a budget – add a little extra for each year
- Use walls and accessories for trends
- Shop thrift shops for cool stuff and things that can be painted.
- If you think your teen as gone a too wild, just close the door when company comes snooping.
Need some more ideas? Here are some of my previous posts on the topic.
images: PBTeen, Momoy, Top Home Pic
Rule #3 Exp
