All the Trimmings

While painting our bathroom, we ended up getting a bit of paint on the trim. I didn't seem to think this was a problem, as I had a quart of white semi-gloss kicking around for touch ups. And what did we discover: the trim in our home is not white at all. The white touch up smudge stuck out like a sore thumb, and certainly made the trim look very creamy. White trim in a home is generally a fail-safe option. White goes with everything, and can accommodate almost any decor scheme. I'd even wager to guess that if you were to look around your settings, you'd find some bright white trim around you.

To contrast, in the Martha Stewart Living Paint brochure, out of the 8 different rooms she displays with her paint, not a single one of them is painted with white trim. Why is that? Is it just a devious ploy to get the consumer to buy more paint? Possibly. When I first entered the paint scene, I painted my office an autumn orange with black-brown door and trim in FLAT paint- big mistake. The paint claimed to be scrubbable, but it was like chalkboard paint on steroids- it would mark up just by looking at it!

I do think there's validity in painting the trim to coordinate with the room colors. I don't think it's always the best answer, but I do think that it adds a touch of thoughtfulness to the room, and incorporates a flow into all elements of the room, rather than promoting a jaded mismatch of random colors. I would especially recommend it if your home displays strong architectural features such as crown molding or wainscoting. But then, if you start to paint the trim a different color in one room, do you have to follow through and paint the trim in every room? How else can you maintain a sense of continuity throughout your home?

I'm also seeing another variation of this trend that's on the rise: painting the trim in the same color as the wall, but in a different sheen. From what I've seen of this, it tends to elongate the space in both width and height. It also can make your room accents pop, as they aren't competing with quite as many colors.

My verdict on this one is, if you can, do it! Choosing a different trim color (that goes well) will only soften the feel of a room and set yours apart from all the other ones that subscribe to a standard formula of plain white trim. 

How to Create Artful Arrangements

Many homes have the right stuff- a great color palette, beautiful textures, a plethora of pattern- but fail in a common area: arrangement. Just like a great composition, if a home's arrangement doesn't flow and jive, it literally falls flat.

Our homes come preset with opportune areas for displaying objects and accents: from matels to credenzas to dining tables- these flat surfaces beg to be lathered with items that show off your tastes and personality. 

Here are some tips for displaying objects that will truly bring your arrangements to life.

1.Symmetry
-When displaying collections, try to incorporate one or two elements of symmetry within items. Symmetrical objects can weight the vignette and create the illusion of a more full and complete space. The eye is more pleased to view an odd number of objects than an even number, so use symmetry sparingly.

2. Edit
-Displaying books can be challenging, as the varied colors and mismatched spines can create a visual disaster. Edit the books on display by keeping book spines similar in color (keep it limited to one or two colors) and store the extra books in a different location.

3. Layer
Stack books and boxes horizontally and vertically to keep the eye moving. Once you have your key foundation or larger items in place, consider placing smaller items on top (for example, finishing off a small stack of books with a bud vase on top will truly be the cherry on top!)

4. Space
There is such a thing as too much when it comes to displaying objects. Surrounding items with ample space will make your collection look thought out, and as if it specifically belongs in that location, rather than being crammed in place.

The Fabulous Second Life of a Bathroom Cabinet

This is a post that's been many months in the making. Originally it went under the title of "The Great Bathroom Adventure Pt. 3" to conclude this post over here, but a lot has changed over the past few months.

I suppose the best place to begin is at IKEA, because it seems like so most of my stories begin there. We set out on a journey to the Swedish Mega-mall one night in hopes of finding a bathroom storage cabinet (because our bathroom is very small and lacks storage, and we both like hair products...OK...I like hair products, and need some place to put 'em!). The cabinet that I liked was over $100, and was a bit out of our price range. But beyond that, we just had no luck finding a cabinet that would be functional, slim, and would fit into the decor. And by a twist of fate, on the way out, we happened to swing through the AS-IS section to find a white horizontal cabinet marked down from $80 to $30, and what a deal that was! It was a floor model of the newly discontinued LILLÅNGEN bathroom series.


It's not much to look at... (in fact, you can barely see it- picture a big white rectangular cabinet)
 but it's big on function!... and you would not believe how difficult it was to find
a picture of this cabinet now that it's been discontinued!

 What we loved about the cabinet was that it was narrow and could be mounted high and out of sight, it came with a shelf for even more storage, and it was horizontal- meaning that the door on it opened up rather than to the right or left- a new concept for me. And I'm a believer now. Someday, when we reno our kitchen, we're going to put in horizontal cabinets only because they're beautiful and crazy functional. On the way out, we realized there wasn't any shelf pegs to hold the shelf in place (the beauty of AS-IS, I suppose). I asked the lady working at the Returns desk if there was any way to purchase them, and she gave me a set for free! How hospitable!

We left with great hope and plans for that cabinet. And like all great projects, it sat in our closet for 5 or so months, and was an obstacle to trip on daily as I would get ready for work. The thing that held us back from installing the cabinet was that it was a beast to lift! (And it didn't really help that whenever I ran the stud finder on the wall, a little lightning bolt symbol kept appearing). Shortly after we re-painted the bathroom gray, we decided that it was high time to get that cabinet hung. And as I went to screw the first anchor in the drywall, it began to spin about 1/2" in. And sure enough, out of all of the areas of the wall, I managed to select the one that was where a screw lay, mounted into a stud. I essentially was trying to screw into a screw. The trouble was, we couldn't move the cabinet slightly up, down, left or right, as any movement would render the cabinet useless to us (it would get in the way of the door, for example). I learned two lessons that day: when mounting a cabinet, always mount the cabinet first and attach the door later, and I need to find a better stud finder. And the cabinet headed back to its home in the closet. And there's still a hole in the bathroom that needs to get filled.

A month or so ago, I started to notice a trend of taking old drawers or crates and wall mounting them in groupings for decorative storage. I admit, I did become slightly obsessed with this look, and thought it would be a great way to show off some decorative items in our bedroom. After a few trips to local thrift stores, I came up empty handed (all the drawers were still attached to desks and other furniture items).

And then, by some miraculous divine intervention, I was walking home from work at 9 PM, and a house down the road from us had an old sewing desk sitting in their yard, with a cardboard sign that read: FREE. I could just feel the angels harmonizing around me in this twist of fate. The very drawers I was searching for lay directly in front of me, and were free!! I admit, I had no interest in taking the desk as well- as I had no use for it- just the drawers would suffice. With shifty eyes, I looked around, nabbed three drawers, piled them high in my arms, and with an intense rush of adrenaline, I ran home. I did feel a bit guilty for taking the drawers only, I admit. But there was a FREE sign.

Once I arrived home, Jackie opened the front door and stared at me with wide eyes and a mouth gaping open. I think it caught her a bit off-guard to see me returning home from work with drawers in hand. I shared my vision with her, and over the next few days, set out to make it a reality. Understand this- I'm no handy man. When the cedar shims I bought to level out the back of the uneven drawers (for wall mounting) didn't pan out, I gave up. And, like many things, the drawers are sitting, waiting for a chance to shine. Jackie suggested drilling a hole in each, painting them, and turning them into planters. I think I may just do that for my spring bulbs.

I was pretty bummed out that none of my great ideas were panning out. And then, I had a stroke of brilliance: I could wall mount the bathroom cabinet (without the door), and have the same open shelving concept! To give the cabinet a bit of personality, I lined it with a bit of wallpaper. The teal in the paper really matches well with the teal that we have already in the room, and the metallic leaves and foliage really pop against the brown background. Once I removed the door, I discovered that the cabinet itself was actually quite light.



These are 2 picture frames I got from a store called NOOD. They're
male/ female symbols, and someday I'll get around to putting out pictures in.

 

pretty wallpaper.

 I realize that this post is somewhat long-winded, especially because the final project itself was so quick to execute. I think I learned through this whole experience to open my eyes a bit more. We're surrounded by objects daily that we seldom use, and I bet that if we gave it a bit a thought, we could give many items in our homes a second shot at life and purpose. Consider that the next time you're about to take a load of housewares to the dump. And just enjoy dreaming up the possibilities!

 

I think it just needs an LED under-cabinet light to brighten things up!



Trend To Watch: The Moustache

As I reflect on childhood, I realize now that many of the older men in my family- mainly uncles- were people that lived through the 60s and 70s, and all had burly moustaches. Up until recently, the clean cut male has been perceived to be the sexy archetype of what is desirable from females. However, as facial scruff has grown in popularity, naturally, the moustache has begun to reclaim its place in culture. The moustaches that are being pursued aren't unkempt with bits of food stuck in them, but rather boast wax that holds it into shapely place. I've been noticing them on everyone from actors, to musicians, to the receptionist at my tattoo shop. And I have given a thought or two of growing one of these shapely features above my own upper lip, but the thought of the upkeep steers me away from following through.


While this trend has been popping up on men everywhere, I also have noticed that its presence has been breaking into homes as a nouveau decor icon. Is the moustache the new definitive home decor symbol that we just can't get enough of? And if so, why has a symbol that has been associated with creepy sleezy men for so long, taken a 180 degree turn, and is cool again?


Moustache Tea Cup, ETSY

Pillowcase Set, Urban Outfitters

Moustache Wall Clock, Urban Outfitters

 Our Entryway:
 

Color Of The Week: Exotic Red

This week's color is Exotic Red and is also an exploration of red-tones themselves, and the beautiful nightmare that they are!

Exotic Red 2086-10

As of this past week, I have a newfound appreciation for red tones. On a project we've been working on that uses a vibrant orange-red, it took 4 coats of paint (5 if you count the primer) to acheive the actual color itself. Reds are a nightmare for the paint world. I once had a customer come in to the store, looking battered and exhausted at 9PM, and tell me that she had been working on a shade of red (very similar to this week's color), and was on her tenth coat. TEN! Most people shudder at doing three, but ten!?!

Not many understand the science behind this, but if you are inspired by this week's color and run off to Benjamin Moore to paint your kitchen apple red, don't freak out immediately when you get home! When you open that can of paint, you are unlikely to find the exact shade that you selected. True reds, when in liquid form, often appear much more vibrant and tend to exude bubble-gum pink qualities. In nature, red is a very translucent color, and it can take many coats of building those red shadows on top of one another to acheive that color that you have in mind. One thing that can help speed up the process is to use a primer tinted to a similar red tone. Primers have great hiding properties, and can potentially eliminate a couple of coats! Also, the tint that goes into paint has come a long way in the past few years, giving paint a much more solide hide.

Having send that, I believe that red is a color that holds powerful qualities, and when used skillfully, or in moderation, can make quite the statement. Also remember that, as my mother in law often reminds me- every kitchen needs a punch of red. Just keep in mind- that a little bit goes a long way.

The Closet Pt.1

I seriously suck at BEFORE/ AFTER shots. I think that my DIY stories would hold so much more weight if I could show you the before shot...but alas, this post, which chronicles the adventures of a closet makeover lacks a Before photograph. OK, new resolution: always take a before shot!!

Now that we've got that out of the way- as hinted at yesterday: we reno'd our closet! yay! It's been a looong time coming, and I'm so glad that it's near completion (thus the pt.1 of the post).

So, why the need for a reno, as our building is relatively new and shouldn't need that much fixing up, right? Well.... the space is a walk-in, and it simply was not functional for us at all. It was lined wall to wall with a row of wire shelving, that protruded with long brackets- which got in the way of the bit of bookcases and shelving that we wanted to put in there for storage. The walk-in is our main source of storage for our place, so it had to house a lot more than just clothes, and we needed it to become as functional as possible. Thus, the reno!
The only picture I could find of the closet was a formerly blank wall as Jackie began painting:



<3

 The whole thing started with us viciously tearing out the wire shelving (speaking of which, if you can use an 8' length of wire shelving, you can have it for free!!). The brackets for the shelving weren't screwed in, but rather nailed in... and the only way to remove it (after much research) was to yank out the entire anchor, which left some pretty nasty holes in the wall. We spackled, and Jackie cracked open a can of "Mimosa" by Martha Stewart. I'm going to spare you the details of how long it took to decide upon a color.... We wanted something different, but that felt continous with our room decor or teal and purples. There was a bit of yellow in our bedspread as well, but yellow itself didn't feel right. We ended up with this color because it had a green presence to it, making it bright and fresh, and gr-ellow. We also appreciated the cheeriness of the color and it added a much needed brightness to this dark space (After we were done painting, I noticed that the color looked very similar to our Pale Avacado dresser...so I fetched the swatch, and sure enough, the color was almost identical!!! I was beside myself that we spent all that time picking a color, when the one we wanted was right in front of our noses. Jackie admitted that she realized this days ago, but decided to keep it a secret. :-P)

After it was all patched and painted, we installed the metal curtain rods- one for each of us. On the left side we also mounted a skinny bookcase, and on the right we affixed another bookcase on top of my dresser- which left us a reasonable amount of space for shelving.

Jackie chillin' out with our new metal closet rods!

The shelving that we needed wasn't standard sizes...and I was shocked at the prices I found as I shopped around. Instead, we opted for the built-in look, and had some pine cut at good ole' Home Depot, and stained it to match the black-brown IKEA furniture. We used Espresso stain from Varathane- and I was genuinely impressed with the product. It was also Jackie's first time staining, and it was a blast. I propped boards up vertically and left them out on the deck to dry over night. The next morning....

...there was a burning smell coming from the deck. And you guessed it- the hot morning sun was making the pine really hot... and to my utter dismay- it warped the boards! I seriously felt as though I'd been kicked in the stomach. Everything seemed to be going right on track with the project, and then this speed bump happened. It really slowed things down from there, as I was frustrated to get more wood and re-stain. Eventually, it happened, and I took my sweet time hanging all the shelves using some really cheap (and slightly ugly) brackets. My theory was that they're cheap and eventually would be covered by all of our stuff.... but, remember kids: once an ugly bracket, always an ugly bracket.



Left side of the closet



I earned the status of "handy hubby" on this one (at least, according to Jackie's Facebook status), and it felt really good to get this project accomplished.



Right side of the closet



Oooo! Look at all those fancy built-ins!

 The newly positioned shelving really makes the most of our space, and while the project took up a bit of time, it really didn't put a financial strain on us. The purchases included pine boards, brackets, stain, and paint- that's it (and a lot of screws and anchors).



The tools that got me through.

 I've heard many people gripe about their own closets and storage spaces over the years, and after taking the time to complete this project, it makes me wonder- what's keeping you from making your own space more functional?

And while we're at it, let's check in on my Get-It-Done-Before-December-To-Do list:

-Finish Closet Renovation

-Make Hazel a play kitchen (in progress)
-Construct a headboard for our bed
-Find a bathroom storage solution
-Paint the front door
-Hang Pictures (Hazel's room, our bedroom, and hallway)
-Finish lining Hazel's toy box, and donate un-used toys
-Cover the dirty Tullsta chair in our living room

or- sell the chair, and find a new seating option

-Sew some throw cushion covers
-Re-secure the Curtain Rod in our bedroom

Yay! I love crossing things off- makes life feel much more accomplished!

Spolier Alert

It's coming....