Category: Filing Cabinet

  • Paint & Fabric Instead of Wallpaper?

    Paint & Fabric Instead of Wallpaper?

    I hated the blue upholstery on the new dining room chairs (I’m just not a big fan of the color). I peeked underneath and saw green, so I decided to take off the blue fabric. I figured the fabric underneath would either be gross and need to be recovered (which would be fine), or it would be in good condition, having only been covered up for a change of color. Luckily it was in pretty good shape.

    Old Upholstery

    I rolled up the orange rug that was in the dining room and in it’s place I put the rug I’d been using in the living room. It’s not my favorite, but it’s neutral. It’s a pretty close match for the couch color, so it does bring a little continuity between the two rooms (like the orange rug and chair did).

    The New Dining Room Set

    One armchair is still blue because Mabel’s always sleeping on it and she looks so content I don’t want to move her. Kili is on another chair in that photo – in fact, there’s a cat on at least one of the chairs approximately 82% of the time.

    I’ve been looking into upholstery weight fabric, and I’ve found some great options. I love Amy Butler’s Primrose Lime from her Nigella line:

    Amy Butler’s Primrose Lime Fabric

    Maybe with a table runner made out of her coordinating Ritzy Stripe?

    Amy Butler’s Ritzy Stripe Fabric

    Anna Maria Horner also has some great fabric that will be coming out soon:

    Anna Maria Horner’s Drawing Room Fabric

    Then of course, there’s Tantsu and Satula, both by Marimekko. Oh, how I love them. I wrote a haiku about them last year.

    Tantsu:
    Marimekko Tantsu Fabric

    Satula:
    Marimekko Satula Fabric

    I ordered a yard of Satula, and I love it even more in person. So… I’m thinking of using paint and fabric instead of wallpaper for the dining room.

    The chevron wallpaper from Romo would have been “the one”, had I decided to keep the west elm table. The chunky, squared off lines of the parsons table offset the graphic zing of the zigzags. The new table and chairs are beautiful, but not with that wallpaper.

    I thinking of putting the large (huge!) scale Satula fabric in the back of the hutch. I could cover some luaun, or maybe just use little thumbtacks. I’d paint the walls a somewhat dark olivey/brown color, and then make curtains out of Tantsu. I can always use the curtains in another room if the right wallpaper comes along.

    Fabrics & Paint for the Dining Room

    Of course, this would also work with any of the other fabrics too. And I don’t mind recovering the seats if the green doesn’t work out.

    Thoughts?

  • rr’d

    Sometimes teh interweb is so weird!!1! All I know is that THIS is teh awesome.

    (more…)

  • Upside Down

    ˙ʎoɾuǝ ¿ʇɥƃıɹ ‘pɹıǝʍ

    ¡ssǝןpuǝ ǝɹɐ suoıʇdo ǝɥʇ ˙ʎʇıןɐuosɹǝd ʎuɐz ɹnoʎ ssǝɹdxǝ ʇsnɾ ɹo ‘ʇsɹıɟ ɯıɐןɔoɹd ʎןpnoɹd ‘sʇuǝɯɯoɔ ɔıʇdʎɹɔ ʎןʇɥƃıןs ǝʌɐǝן ¿sɹǝʇʇǝן uʍop ǝpısdn ɥʇıʍ ʎzɐɹɔ sɹǝƃƃoןq ǝʌıɹp ɐuuɐʍ

    ¡ǝɹǝɥʇ ʎǝɥ

    Upside-down Violet

    This post was brought to you by Violet, my upside down cat.

  • Casapinka’s Pink Bathtub

    Casapinka’s Pink Bathtub

    She just painted it!

    Casapinka’s pink bathtub

    Isn’t it great? I’m looking forward to seeing more!

  • Max 365 Perpetual Calendar

    I noticed Vignelli’s black and white perpetual calendar (which is currently on my wishlist) in a couple of recent catalog photos. Here it is in a home office from Pottery Barn:

    Pottery Barn Home Office

    And here, in a photo from DWR:

    DWR Office

    Obviously they’re trying to sell to their furniture to you (so they’re relying on good photography and styling). Both photos are pleasing, but my eye just goes straight to that calendar. It just makes me want one all the more.

    Max 365 Perpetual Calendar

    Luckily, it’s a classic and I don’t think it will be disappearing anytime soon. If you’re looking for one, you can find them here or here (and several other places, I’m sure).

  • Home Cute Home

    Home Cute Home

    Brandon and I have put a lot of work into our home, but the outside has been a little left out. We had spruced up our porch, but not much else.

    There are no bushes, no flowers, no landscaping of any kind. The only plant life out front was a little tree sapling. We bought the house in the winter and the photo from the house listing showed the tree with leaves on it, so we waited and waited all throughout the spring and summer for it to show signs of life. Nothing. Which of course meant leaving a dead tree out front as our only form of ‘greenery’ until we chopped it down in the fall. Nice.

    When Patricia van Essche of pve design introduced herself, I was really excited about the idea of having a sketch of my home. Then I remembered what our house looks like. Luckily, a little artistic license goes a long way.

    Our Home

    Ooh, my house looks cute! Look! Greenery!

    Also, can I just tell you how much I love Patricia’s photo? Brilliant.

    pve design

    She also has a blog, and is an all around amazing and creative woman. You can contact her here if you’re interested in commissioning an illustration of your own.

    (Thanks, Patricia!)