12

Fun Shoe Laces

September 2, 2010

I spruced up my red Keds with these. I want to get some striped laces for Brandon’s shoes too.

New Shoe Laces

Style | 12 Comments |
219

Why I’m Painting the Wood Trim in My Home

September 1, 2010

Painting wood always draws up strong feelings on both sides. A lot of people are all for it. Some are hesitant in most cases, but willing to make exceptions. Then there is a school of people that thinks it is a sin to paint wood. Take this comment from Jess on my last post:

The natural wood trim is so fantastic and really adds to the value of the house. Painted wood trim, no matter how much you agonize over the color and paint it perfectly, is just never as special as the original wood. It’s really interesting to me that Nicole feels that the dining room set is too beautiful as natural wood to be painted, but doesn’t feel the same way about the delicious natural wood trim in the room.

Or Sara, who said “I would kill to have your hutch in that condition.” I know, Sara, but let me show you the truth. Is this the condition you thought it was in?

Wood Trim in the Dining Room

I understand why people don’t like to paint wood. Let’s contrast the wood grain of the trim with that of my table, which I’ve said I’m not willing to paint or alter in any way. This is beautiful, quality wood.

Wood Dining Room Table

See the difference? The wood trim in my house is (in Clueless’ parlance) a total Monet.

Wood Trim in the Dining Room

And that is why I’m OK with painting it. We painted all of the trim upstairs when we first moved in because the second floor trim was not special, and not original to the house. I thought that I didn’t want to be the one to paint the natural woodwork on the main floor because it has survived in that state since our home was built in 1910. But you know what? We’ve been here for three and a half years. This is where my family actually lives, not a historical time capsule. I’ve decorated around the wood and the more I look at it, the more I can’t get over the crazy grain and the stain that has seen better days. Painting the trim white will make me so much happier with the look of my home, and what good is preserving a home’s features if those features don’t actually make you happy?

Dining Room, Paint | 219 Comments |
96

Black Spindle Back Chairs

August 31, 2010

I’ve been hankering for a change in the dining room lately.

I’m going to paint the wood trim white (it’s on my 30 Before Thirty list), and I’d like to paint the ceiling too. The wallpaper is staying (I’m going to have to be very careful when painting the trim), and so is the rug. Now, while I do love my vintage dining set, I have been pining for new chairs.

Wallpapered Dining Room

I like Eames shell chairs (especially with the dowel legs), but doesn’t everyone? And I already have two Eames chairs elsewhere in the house. I still have eight stackable plywood chairs in the basement, though we should probably just go ahead and sell them on Craigslist. And I could just change out the pink fabric on the chair seats for something else (faux-leather?). Or there are always the cute oval back dining chairs that I’ve long admired. But do you know what I’m really into lately? Black spindle back chairs. Like these…

  1. Family Chairs (available as a mixed set of four, or individually), MOMA
  2. Salt Chair, DWR
  3. Thatcher Side Chair, Room & Board
  4. OLLE Chair, IKEA

I can sell my current dining room set on Craigslist, and then use the money toward new furniture. I know the OLLE chairs are affordable, but the other chairs all have more graceful lines. OK, or I could just see how my vintage set (which I do not want to alter other than seat fabric) looks in the room once the trim has gone white.

What would you do?

Covetable, Creative Process, Dining Room | 96 Comments |
31

Sixteen Months Old (Eleanor’s Monthly Photo)

August 29, 2010

Sixteen Months Old (Eleanor's Monthly Photo)

(I’ll be taking a photo of Eleanor sitting in the Eames rocker and wearing her pin each month until she’s two years old.)

Previous photos:
The First Year • Thirteen Months Old • Fourteen Months Old • Fifteen Months Old

Parenthood | 31 Comments |
16

Honor Roll (No. 14)

August 27, 2010

Sometimes I come across something so cute/sweet/charming/funny/pretty/inspiring/lovely that I just want to share it with you. These are the things that have made my honor roll.

Honor Roll | 16 Comments |
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