My Friends 
Design Blogs
- Always Mod
- Apartment Therapy
- Bloesem
- Bossy Color
- Damned Good Design
- Decor8
- Design Milk
- Design*Sponge
- Finkbuilt
- growers and nomads
- Housewears
- Hue
- Le Petit Cabinet de Curiosités
- Mocoloco
- Pan-Dan
- Patricia Gray
- Pigtown Design
- Print & Pattern
- Remodelista
- sfgirlbybay
- Sippican Cottage
- SoHaute
- Sweet Paul
- Tchochkes
- The Kitchen Designer
- The Style Files
Destinations
Detroit
Laughter
Archives 
- March 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
Decorating On The Cheap
Today’s New York Times ran a brilliant and funny article about a $1,000 redecorating project gone wrong, then right. I thought you would, too. You’ll also enjoy seeing the room designed by HGTV’s Ron Marvin.
Ron is the host of Small Space, Big Style. He agreed to redecorate a woman’s living and dining room for free with a budget of only $1,000. Did she appreciate getting saving a $6,000 design fee? Not.
To read the article and see more images, follow this link. But first, here are some of my favorite bits from the story.
Mr. Marvin offered solutions for nearly all of her design problems, all for $1,000. Ms. Sperling, however, seemed upset. “I don’t want to totally say no,” she began, before pessimistically questioning nearly all of his recommendations. When told the dark sideboard would be repainted white, she asked “what kind of white?” When Mr. Marvin said the top of the dining table would be replaced with glass, she asked, “Isn’t glass expensive?” And as for the coffee and end tables from Ikea, Ms. Sperling wanted to know, “Is it made well at Ikea?”
later…
He was also perturbed that Ms. Sperling suggested spending more money. “She was being so detailed and picky about the whole budget,” he wrote in an e-mail message to this reporter, and now she is “adding more things!”
still later…
The next day, Ms. Sperling e-mailed back a lengthy explanation for why she wouldn’t be able to make it to Ikea for another week, how she didn’t like any of the three rug options Mr. Marvin sent, and why, according to her calculations, the mirror or a lamp would have to be cut.
Jeez! Thankfully, she liked “99%” of the finished room. I’ve been so lucky to have had great clients. But, there was this one lady….
Before & After: IKEA Chaise
Fellow blogger, Candy Glendening, sent me this photo of her chaise DIY project. Candy bought the white slipcover to go with her Ektorp chaise. Then dyed it the perfect color green. Cold water dyes work best to prevent shrinking.
a
a
Here’s a photo of it in the room. I love the red curtains with those dark blinds. You can read the details of her room makeover on her blog by following this link.
Do you have a DIY project you’re proud of? Send it my way. In the meantime, lets all pat Candy on the back for her project. Pat, pat, pat.
Instant Room Makeovers: 3 Ways to do Slipcovers
We’re well into summer, but it’s never too late to bring the feel of summer into your home. Paint is one way to accomplish a new look. But you have to live with that all year round. A better way to makeover a room instantly, and one that can change with the seasons, is to throw a slipcover over the sofa and/or arm chairs. Even the dining room will brighten up with a set of relaxed slipcovers.
In a few months, when winter rears its ugly head and you’re longing for something more cozy, simply remove the slipcovers and you’ve got yet another instant room makeover. Plus, the original upholstery will seem new again after living in seclusion for several months.
Here are some decorating ideas and resources to guide you.
1. Custom Slipcovers
Here’s one of my own projects. The fabric on this wing chair (from Cowtan & Tout) was beautiful and in great shape. But the room was undergoing a total makeover, which meant a new color palette. A slipcover was a great solution. We have our new look without having to sacrifice the original fabric.
A custom slipcover was the way to go here. We wanted to choose just the right fabric and the unusual shape of the chair eliminated any ready-mades. Also, we could style the slipcover any way we liked. Here are some tips to custom slipcovers.
- Find a workroom by searching on Angie’s List or your local fabric shop. Ask to see their portfolio before you hire them.
- Create a work order for the seamstress or workroom. This lists all the details of the work to be done, such as the style you want. Include a photo, if you can find one, and any details such as welting, etc…
- Labor for a slipcover, like the one shown above, will cost about $300 and use about 9 – 10 yards of fabric.
- Save on fabric by selecting a solid. You won’t have to match repeats. I found this white twill at JoAnn Fabrics and took advantage of their frequent 40% off sales to get a great price – about $11.00 per yard. That’s better than any designer discount.
- You can dress up a solid fabric by adding a toss pillow.
More slipcover tips after the jump! (more…)
Mitchell garden revisited
If you recall, last year misterarthur and I finally got around the sprucing up the side of our house, which had become a gravel pit (that reminded me of a kitty litter box). You can read the first exciting episode here.
Here are the before and after photos taken last year before and after we planted several Variegated Willow trees in said gravel pit. To read the second exciting episode, follow this link.
Our little trees have now grown and are well on their way to becoming a beautiful allée.
What a difference a year makes. We bought these at Detroit’s Eastern Market – the place to go for all kinds of plants at great prices. Be sure to go early on Saturday to get the best choices.
Later this week I’ll post some photos of our neighbor’s roses. He’s got a golden green thumb that even Mr. Pigglesworth would admire.
DIY project: Covering an ugly brick fireplace surround with metal
Design Hole reader, Elisa, sent me photos of a terrific project she and her husband did themselves. They covered their brick fireplace with sheets of steel. I asked her how she did it. Here’s her story.
Creating a metal fireplace surround
We first got the idea to cover our brick fireplace from a design magazine years back. This was a stainless steel fireplace with a curved design. So we went to Supermarche du Metal, in Lachine, Quebec City, to see what they had. The bottom line was we couldn’t afford to copy the exact design. It was waaay too expensive.
Before: boring brick and a tired brass firescreen
Then, we saw they had sheets of the polished gridplate that was in our budget. We bought two sheets and the very nice man from Supermarche directed us to a place where a guy could bend the corners. Luckily, we had exact measurements. We had the two sheets bent and delivered to our home.
The two metal sheets meet in the middle
We screwed the metal sheets into the brick with small screws on the side and middle. You can barely see the screws. If we ever get bored with it, it can easy be removed. We also sprayed the brass fireplace doors using heat resistant black paint to give it a more modern look.
Elisa did an excellent job, don’t you think? The end result looks very professional. Having perfect measurements is the key to a job well done. Thanks for sharing this with us Elisa!
If you’re interested in ordering sheet metal online, try McNichols.
Do you have a DIY project you’re proud of? Send me the photos via the “contact” link.
Before and After: from Rejuvenation
I’m fairly impressed at the high aesthetics of the entries in Rejuvenation’s current contest. They’re asking everyone to vote for their favorite. This is mine.
The couple bought this bungalow after it had been a rental for ten years. That was brave. Fortunately, most of the molding was still intact.
I think the 2 things that make this room so beautiful are (a) the lighting detail over the mantel, and (b) the historic green color teamed with the dark brown trim. Well done Julio!
Scoot over to Rejuvenation and vote. Get some styling ideas while you’re at it.
(Contests seem to be everywhere all of a sudden, don’t they?)
Before & After: Chum Bucket, part two
Did you read yesterday’s installment of my beach house transformation? If not, click here to get up to speed on the project.
Today, we’re taking a look at the bedrooms. There really isn’t a whole lot to say about the before photos, except, “Huh“? Maybe, “Egads” or “Eeek“?
We painted the entire house light blue using Sherwin Williams’ satin oil-based paint. Love the art on the easel thing! Fail. Toss.
We bought new blinds from Lowe’s. Cheap! The art in every room is from IKEA.
The house needed a king-sized bed to attract more renters. I chose IKEA’s Hemnes bed. We still need to change out the bedside chests. But I can’t decide whether to paint them or chuck them. Suggestions?
The chairs came from our basement. I had new cushions and pillows made. I know the plant is “eeeew.” But I’m cheap and can’t find any fake plants in my price range. Suggestions?
I love this mirror (from Lowe’s – cheap!). I hate those blinds. I’ll change them out to curtains next year.
See the other bedrooms and bath after the jump. (more…)
Before & After: Chum Bucket, part one
Often, when you buy a beach house, you don’t just buy the house. You get everything inside – whether you want it or not. This was the case when we purchased Chum Bucket a few years ago.
Over the next few days, I’ll show you the wonderful transformation of our rental home on Sunset Beach, NC.
Did we buy a cabin in the woods or a beach house? Did someone say, “dumpster“? Almost all the existing furniture went to Habitat for Humanity.
I started this project with a new space plan, and fresh “bones”. New “wenge wood” floors (covered with an Olefin, “sisal” rug) and light blue satin paint let the sunshine in. The pillows on the sofa reflect the color palette – navy blue, turquoise, white and a touch of red.
Too bad I took this photo after taking down the “artwork” hung on the door. I moved the dining area to the right, so we could access the closet, and painted the door the same as the walls, so it blends in. The backs of the bookcases were painted blue to match the color scheme.
The new space plan allows for a main traffic path, seating for ten at the table, and storage.
A beach house should be light, breezy and fun. Not creepy, right? I harvested the sunlight by using reflective surfaces and using a satin paint finish. The painting is by Daniel Stewart.
More photos, info. and resources after the jump. (more…)
Before and After: from girl to guest
Sarah K sent me this photo of a room she redecorated herself and did a great job doing it.
This is a cute room. But when Sarah’s daughter switched rooms, it was time for this one to grow up.
Sarah was a recessionista before we were in one. “I’m not afraid to bargain anywhere – even in a high-end antique store,” she told me. “Almost anyone will lower the price if they know you’re a serious and a possible repeat customer.” The antiques in this room are some of her bargains.
Does anyone have a good bargain hunting tip? I research things on the internet before I shop for antiques. How do you feel about asking for a discount?
30 Minute Makeover
How do our homes become filled with debris? Even designers (like me) are victims. It seems as if the Clutter Fairies descend upon us, sprinkling our rooms with old socks, magazines and other miscellaneous objects until we begin to think that nothing short of a complete overhaul will suffice.
Before you tear down the drapes and buy a gallon of paint, I suggest you try de-cluttering. Then, go shopping in your house for long forgotten vases and things that will spruce things up a bit. You’ll be amazed how much nicer the old curtains look when the rest of the room is on order.
To illustrate my point, here’s a clutter-filled victim from my own home. This desk fits beautifully under the window of our bedroom. But it’s never used, which is why it has become a place to stack things and forget about them. Also, since misterarthur and I read too much, we’re always running out of space to put our books, which led to the eyesore, above.
This desk needs to begin its new life as a dressing table. Let’s see how, in 30 minutes, I turned this mess around.
I started by putting everything in its proper place. The bed board went into the trash, the hat into the closet and the magazines into my office. That was easy. Then, I dressed the bookshelves so they looked a bit better. Finally, I went shopping in my house to create a visually appealing dressing table.
Now I no longer have to bend over the bathroom sink to apply my spackle makeup. And, because the desk now has a purpose, it’s less likely to fall vistim to the Clutter Fairies.
I pulled a silver-plated tray and jewel box from the bathroom and out from a drawer in the desk. Now I have a place for some of my favorite jewelry. I cleared out the junk from the drawers to create a new place for my makeup. Finally, I purchased a mirror from Restoration Hardware so I can actually see what I’m doing and convince myself that I don’t need Botox.
Straightening up the bookshelves was easy. I arranged them loosely by size and left some room for ornament, such as the antique Chinese slippers and little silver box. The left-overs went into our donation box in the basement.
All done in 30 minutes. One final note: don’t fix one area by making a mess in another. The hat, for example, went into the closet (as opposed to a chair) where it’s supposed to live. Of course the closet is a mess. But I’ll save that for another rainy day.
Before and After: Bookshelves
A week or so ago I wrote about how to dress your bookshelves – one of my favorite things to do. I heard from Sarah, a Design Hole reader, who sent me photos of her own great bookshelf redecorating job.
Sarah’s bookshelves: before
She said that, when she’d moved into her new home, she’d just thrown some things on the shelves to get the boxes out of the way. But after ignoring it for some time, realized they needed some attention.
Sarah’s bookshelves: after
The process took less than an hour to spruce up. I suggest going shopping in your house for little things you’ve forgotten about. We all have them. If you have relatives and friends coming over for Thanksgiving, take an hour to put away all the clutter that’s collected over the year. Clear off the kitchen counters. It’s amazing what a difference little things like that can make.