Category: Filing Cabinet

Analysis Paralysis

Have I adequately conveyed the amount of over-thinking I do for everything around here? Are you familiar with analysis paralysis?

“The state of over-analyzing (or over-thinking) a situation so that a decision or action is never taken, in effect paralyzing the outcome. A decision can be treated as over-complicated, with too many detailed options, so that a choice is never made, rather than try something and change if a major problem arises. A person might be seeking the optimal or “perfect” solution upfront, and fear making any decision which could lead to erroneous results, while on the way to a better solution.”

Yep.

I think my favorite category of home decor is lighting. I’m looking for sconces right now and I can find plenty in the $250-350 range that I like, which is doable if you save up. But times three for the third floor, and then three more for the second floor? Now you’re looking at $1500-2100. You’d better damn well love those lights. Meanwhile, there are open junction boxes in the hallway outside our bedrooms, and the sconces on the third floor look like this.

Bad patch jobs, complete with joint compound on the fixtures themselves. I’ve gotten really good at ignoring the problem until now, but it is starting to drive me batty. Hence the renewed sconce search!

A bunch of my favorites have already been pinned to my lighting board, and there are more that I’ve been eyeing as I think about what would work for the house. But then I went ahead and put some sconces in my cart and instead of letting them sit there while I spent four more days looking at every option from every source, I actually bought them. Boom. Done.

They are not my absolute favorite. They aren’t really brass (“water-based finish is painted in antique brass or bronze”), and the second floor hallway needs a mix of single and double sconces, so these aren’t an option for that space. I’ve gone ahead and ordered three for the top floor though where I needed something classic, not too big, with traditional details. On sale for $62 a pop, plus another $10 or so for each shade.

They won’t be the stars of the space, but I got three for less than one of the others I had been considering. They won’t be perfect, but they will be so much better than what we have now. That’s one more thing checked off of the house’s long to-do list! They should get here by the end of the week.

August 24, 2016
Giveaway: $250 in Products from Rejuvenation

I’ve bought a few lighting fixtures from Rejuvenation since moving into this house, using their Hood Pendants in the double parlor and more recently, the Falcon LED Ceiling Fan in the bedroom. I’ve also placed orders for sconces, picture hooks, and picture hanging cord. They’ve become a go-to for me because each time, I’ve been impressed by the quality of materials, the design, and the customer service. And I look forward to paging through their catalog every time it arrives because it is without fail full of inspiration.

Rejuvenation sent their Cedar & Moss Double Table Lamp over recently, and it has taken up residence on the fireplace mantel. Such a happy dose of mod in a very old house! There’s a single light version too, and the whole Cedar & Moss line for Rejuvenation is pretty fantastic.

Want to go shopping for something of your own? Rejuvenation is providing $250 in products to a Making it Lovely reader! Check out the entry form below for a chance to win. There are several ways to enter and a winner will be randomly chosen and notified by email after the contest has ended. If you leave a comment (which is one method of entering), I’d love to know what you’d choose if you won.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May 16, 2016
The Sara Chandelier
This was one of four turquoise chandeliers in yesterday’s post, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s stunning — the kind of light that makes the room.

I think the craze for this light can be traced back to Sarah Jessica Parker’s home featured in Elle Decor back in 2010. It was designed by Eric Hughes and featured an Egyptian hand-blown glass chandelier from Liza Sherman Antiques. The light is still sold through them for $7800.

There is another version available from Canopy Designs: the Sara Chandelier. They sell to the trade only, but I was able to find it on several sites retailing for about $2500.
The frame color can be customized and the glass shades come in various colors (Aruba Blue, Twilight Blue, Antique, White, Garnet, Coral, Lavender, BK Green, Pink). Clearly people are into the blue options though; they are by far the most popular.

It’s new and old at the same time, and it isn’t style specific so it’s versatile enough to work in a variety of homes. Modern? Victorian? Country? Industrial? A builder-grade suburban home lacking in architectural details? Add this chandelier. It will work.

Raise your hand if you’re dreaming of adding this light to your home now. * hand shoots up *

Image Sources: Wendy Resin Interiors • Elle Decor • LDa Architecture & Interiors • Rachel Reider Interiors • One Kings Lane • Lynn Morgan Design • House Beautiful • Bear Hill Interiors • Amber Interiors • House Beautiful
March 10, 2016
Share the Love Contest

Thank you Pier 1 for sponsoring this post. While this was a sponsored opportunity from Pier 1, all content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Want a shot at a really awesome giveaway? Pier 1 Import’s Share the Love Photo Contest is going on now through the end of the month, and you can win a $5000 gift card! Snap a photo, sharing how you’ve incorporated Pier 1 into your home on Instagram and tag it #Pier1LoveContest to enter. There are more rules and details on the official contest page, including an alternate entry method if you’re not on Instagram (or your profile isn’t public).

My favorite Pier 1 find of all time is my peacock mirror, but I like popping into the store each season to see what’s new and I’m most often drawn to the tabletop section. Linens, display and serving pieces — I love mixing new finds in with what I already have to come up with something different.

I picked up a floral cake stand a couple of weeks ago, so I planned on using it for August’s birthday cake. (Just a small cake, because it was for the five of us on his actual birthday. He just turned five, and we’ll have a bigger party with a bigger cake for him soon when all of his friends come over!)

Botanical prints are trending right now, and that cake stand is so good. I also spotted these lemon leaves placemats and picked up a few for the sideboard. I liked the look of these round cabbage leaves placemats layered under a charger made of wood or rattan, but the square format was better for making a backdrop. I cut one in half and another into quarters, arranging them and overlapping them with three full-sized placemats for a seamless effect.

The green napkins were from Christmas, but they work here too. With tulips, it’s all feeling very Spring (which we are eagerly anticipating), but then everything can always be mixed and matched again for a completely different look.

August was pretty excited to see the dining room set up especially for him. Rearranging things and making displays is my kind of fun anyway, so it’s nice that it can bring a little happiness to the rest of my family and make a day feel more celebratory.

Do you like switching things up in your home too? Share a photo of your favorite Pier 1 finds in your home and tag it #Pier1LoveContest on Instagram to enter that $5000 gift card contest. There will be five winners, and I would be pretty happy if one (or more!) of them were my readers. Good luck!

February 9, 2016
Look for Less: English Roll Arm Sofa

Let’s consider this a public service announcement, shall we? Questions about my sofa come up constantly, and now there’s a good way to get the look for less.

I love our teal Winifred sofa from Anthropologie. The size and scale is great, the quality excellent (super sturdy, super comfortable), and it’s pretty darn cute… but it’s also the most expensive piece of furniture we’ve ever owned. It was listed at $3300, and I bought it when it went on sale for $2300. I feel like it was worth the price, but it was definitely a big chunk of change to put down.

Fast forward to a few years later, and it’s no longer available. If you love the look though (and not the price), IKEA now sells a reasonable facsimile: the Stocksund 3-1/2 seater sofa in ljungen blue.

Why the difference in price? The stores play a part, of course, but there are a few differences in quality too. The Anthro sofa is 98″ long with cotton/linen upholstery, a kiln-dried hardwood frame, down and polyfill cushions with eight-way hand-tied seat construction (and that cute button tufting), handcrafted in USA. IKEA’s sofa is 90″ long with a polyester cover, a frame made of particleboard, plywood, and fiberboard, with polyurethane foam cushions that have inner springs. The overall styling is slightly different as well, along with simpler turned legs and no castors on IKEA’s version.

I would expect my sofa to have a longer lifespan, perhaps needing reupholstering eventually rather than replacing, but the less expensive option is still a great choice! (We own an IKEA couch too — the Kivik — no complaints.) Throw a few pillows on there, style it up, and bam.

February 3, 2016
Protecting Our Upholstery

I am a compensated Scotchgard Brand blogger ambassador. Opinions are my own and additional products used in the project were selected by me.

Remember the pair of chairs in our living room? The ones that I mentioned were the recipient once of a nice dousing with orange soda?

Yep, those are the ones. We usually only eat or drink at the dining room table, but the soda was spilled during a party when we were being more lax (and by an adult, not one of the kids!). We got to it right away and luckily it came up without staining, but it wasn’t a good feeling to worry that the upholstery might have been ruined by one little accident.

I hadn’t taken any steps to protect them, even after that incident, until after I started working with Scotchgard Brand. I’d heard of them before (most of us probably have), but I hadn’t used any of their products or seen them in action so it didn’t cross my mind that it was an option. When I met with their team and was able to see a few demos, I realized how helpful it would have been for my chairs! Scotchgard Protectors don’t change the look or feel of your fabric at all, and you would never know a fabric had been treated unless you were to spill on it. Liquids bead up on the surface, so if something spills you have a little leeway to go get a towel and clean things up before anything soaks through.

I used Scotchgard Fabric and Upholstery Protector starting with the front of each chair and moving my way towards the backs with a single can. Come over and spill all over my things! They have magic forcefields now. Or at least it seems like they do.

I am a compensated Scotchgard Brand-sponsored blogger. Opinions are my own and additional products used in the project were selected by me.

January 27, 2016