Upholstery Basics

I admit that when it comes to reading blogs I'm mostly about the pretty pictures and great tutorials but this picture post by Cassie at Hi, Sugarplum is just too awesome:

I learn something new every time I take a project to the upholsterer or workroom but I love the way this sofa was made to allow for a side by side comparison of different options.  I find over and over that not everyone can articulate what they like or don't like but they definitely know it when they see it!

Still Loving.....Anything with a Greek Key Detail

Like this tile flooring in a historic mansion turned B&B I was in recently:

I wonder if my husband or my tile guy would be more annoyed with me if I suggested cutting out a portion of the barely a year old black hex tile on the floor of my guest bathroom to add this border:

I bought the entire spool of Greek key trim at Joann Fabrics recently and can't decide if I want to do bolsters on the guest beds or trim out the curtains (or both) with it.

I love the trim used with a strong Ikat print in the same same color here:

I keep looking at, and walking away from, a set of Hollywood Regency horse head bookends with a Greek key motif around the base at a local consignment shop.  I really think I need to go get them for my office.

I'm also pondering painting a wood tray (I'm obsessed with trays) I picked up at Goodwill aqua and using a Greek key stencil (in gold) either around the outside or in the inside bottom of it.

I'd love even just a few pieces of the Jonathan Adler Greek Key china:

This bench with Greek key details would be gorgeous in almost any room:

I will probably always regret not buying the coffee table version of this from Williams Sonoma Home:

I know Greek Key is having a really popular moment right now but I still think it's a classic and can't get enough of it!

Client Project: Basement Kitchenette

I was so excited to do glass subway tile in a vertical herringbone pattern as a part of this project, but when I saw this tile I knew the client would love it:

I think we may run it vertically though:

It's the Oak Moss Crackled Cardine from The Tile Shop that can be found here.  I really do love the availability of their products and generous return policy so much that they are usually my first stop when looking for tile.  Where else can I over order high variation tiles and return the pieces I don't like?

Our House: My Long Neglected Office

Last fall I made the permanent shift to working from home full time and my home office went from mainly unused to needing to support actual work.  No longer just a place to put paperwork and random furniture (my husband's massive wing back chair, the Room & Board Loring Sofa that wasn't comfortable enough for the living room....) but the room in the house where I'll spend a huge chunk of my time.

This was such a 'non-room' for me that I don't even have any proper before photos:

The only in progress photo is a random one taken by my mother in law shortly after we moved in (before it was totally crapped up):

When I look at my Home Office board on Pinterest there are some common themes that jump out to me right away:

Clearly I like the two matching tall bookcases flanking a desk or shorter table (and I must be the only one that needs actual office equipment in my office.)

I picked up this vintage drafting table on Craig's List for $100 (and was THRILLED with the price):

Clearly it needs some cleaning up but I still think it'll be perfect for my office.

Sometime last spring I came across a set of campaign bedroom furniture and just had to the buy a single drawer, 2 door little 29" tall chest.  I had no idea what I was going to do with it but I couldn't not get it.  So it sat in my garage as one of the many pieces of random furniture that were occupying my parking spot for months.

Then I bought a 3 drawer campaign chest the same size and decided I should have hutches built to get my vision of the tall bookcases.

Then I got prices for the hutches.  I seriously miss my hourly finish carpenter. Badly.

I procrastinated on the hutches for months.  My office is embarrassingly overflowing and disorganized at this point.  Olive thinks blueprints are her bed (which makes perfect sense considering slippers are her favorite toys).

Yesterday I bought two vintage Stanley furniture bookcases at St. Vincent de Paul, they're well made, in a great condition, and cost far less than having the hutches made for the Campaign chests.  Not to mention they are ideal for my needs:

They've already been stripped of their hardware, cleaned and sanded.  Choosing the 'right' dark teal/peacock inky blue color is proving harder than I expected.  I'm debating between these two colors at the moment but oddly enough Hague Blue looks brighter and lighter in most actual photos and Teal darker:

          

           Farrow and Ball Hague Blue

             Benjamin Moore Teal

Either way though, the inside is going gold!

I'm not still feeling the massive surge of motivation to get stuff done like I was a few weeks ago but I'm definitely ready for this progress. 

Spring Fever

I'm not sure if it's the season, my in-laws impromptu visit next week or just having reached the point where I need my own house to feel more done while I continue working on other people's homes but I've been buried in various at-home projects for the last few weeks.  On top of my regular gig and client load.  I'm a tired girl at the moment but pleased with the progress for sure!  I'm "this close" to being done with 10 different projects so I have no final photos to share yet.

The hunt for a credenza to use as a media stand has been never ending.  Last month at a local consignment shop I found a faux bamboo bedroom set that had a long dresser similar to this one:

I felt moderately guilty showing it to my husband, I mean the guy actually wrote into our wedding vows that I couldn't put faux bamboo and lucite in every room of our house but after weeks of seeing nothing else I took him to see it Saturday afternoon.  I made a direct beeline for it when we got to the consignment shop and was so relieved it was still there I didn't even notice the SOLD sign that was silently mocking me.  I wanted to kick my husband for pointing out that it had sold the day after I'd planned to go back for it earlier in the week.

At our next stop we did finally mange to find and agree on a piece and our TV is currently sitting on all 81" of it's MCM glory.  I couldn't be more pleased with it.  It's exactly what I wanted originally and I'm loving the warmth that it brings to the room.  Photos to come.....

As soon as we got the credenza home I decided it was time to paint the coffee table base.  So this is currently in the garage with it's first coat of gold paint on it:

I love this table like none other, and did long before antlers were everywhere.  My husband thought he could not possibly hate it more, until I told him I was painting it gold.

I'm not loving the current gold spray paint I'm using so I may be running to the hardware store for a few others tomorrow.  Any suggestions?

If I could sort out a fabric color for the ottoman (I'm thinking coral, my husband readily agreed but pointed out it might be bit much with the gold table, uh huh) and what to do about end tables I could possibly almost start to feel like our living room was making real progress!