Making it Lovely

Category: Filing Cabinet

  • Birds for Sale

    …at Day-lab! If you liked the white birds I bought, it looks like there’s another pair available (in gold this time).

    Happy shopping!

  • Too much?

    Too much?

    I’ve been playing around with a photo that I pulled from Benjamin Moore’s “personal color viewer”. The wall color for the living room (wild aster) and the kitchen (bronzed beige) are there, and then I’ve been swapping out different wallpapers for the dining room. Photoshop + me = true love 4ever.

    Yes, I sort of love this. Is it too much?
    possible dining room wallpaper
    wallpaper by Orla Keily

    Of course that isn’t my house, but it’s a pretty good representation. I do have my orange chair in that same position and you would see the wallpaper behind it like that.

    This is another strong contender:
    possible dining room wallpaper
    wallpaper by Romo

    I have a tendency to come up with some nutso ideas for the house. I don’t usually follow through. I have been planning to wallpaper the dining room from the start, but I’m not sure if I should tone it down and stay within the style of the house or just go for it. I want to just go for it and be bold! Brandon is actually really good at reining me in (but um, he’s asleep right now, so…).

  • "And Brown Loves Pink"

    "And Brown Loves Pink"

    My commissioned Amy Ruppel painting has arrived! (Good timing, eh? I’ve had art on my mind a lot lately!)

    I love Amy Ruppel’s work, so quite a while back I contacted her to commission a larger scale painting. I wanted some pink or orange in it, and then I left the rest up to Amy. The painting is titled “and brown loves pink”, it’s 18″x15″, and it has pink and orange, and I love it! Yippee!

    I know I’ve been looking for a something to go above the sofa, but this isn’t it. I need to choose a more special spot for this one.

  • Collecting Art

    Collecting Art

    My quest for new art has gotten me thinking…

    The May 07 issue of Elle Decor featured the loft of a “smart, eligible” man with amazing art (“Single Minded”). His home was stunning, but I was also a bit bothered by it all. Every painting, every photo, every objet d’art was by a famous artist. Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Chuck Close, Barbara Kruger, Ellsworth Kelly… I’m sure the list goes on. The furniture was equally recognizable. Barcelona Chairs? Check. Vintage Bertoia? Of course.

    Yes, hello young bachelor. We can see that you have a lot of money – how nice for you. Your loft is beautiful. It’s all a bit predictable though, isn’t it?

    If you had scads of money at your disposal, would you turn your home into a Modern Art 101 museum? It seems to me that a home like that isn’t for appreciating art, but rather for impressing people. Maybe that’s the point?

    I’d rather walk into a home with art that’s there because the person that lives there loves it. Prints from Etsy? Great! A screenprinted gig poster? Love it! A drawing from your niece? Frame it and hang it prominently! And hey, maybe you can afford that Chuck Close portrait… Amazing! But only if it’s there because you love it.

  • Kitchen Light

    Kitchen Light

    I finally found a kitchen light. Huzzah!

    I went to Hortons in La Grange. I told the person that helped me (Michael) that I was looking for a flush mount or semi-flush mount light that could take three light bulbs and wouldn’t look out of place in our 1920 home. He showed me several choices in the store and pointed out more options in a catalog that could be ordered. The one that I chose was in stock (yay!), so I bought it and took it home.

    And it looks a little something like this:

    It’s nothing amazing, but that’s OK. It’s a simple, good-looking light that isn’t a period piece, but it isn’t ultra mod either. And it can take three 100 watt bulbs, which is great (since it will be the only ceiling light).

    Now I just need to make a decision about the under-cabinet lighting… fluorescent, halogen, or xenon? I’m leaning toward the xenon fixtures. The light is adjustable (high/low), and not as hot as halogen. Plus it’s easier to wire (no need for a tranformer box). The downside is the cost ($300 for xenon vs. $100 for halogen). Eh, I’ll figure it out.

  • Gold Flowers

    I haven’t been up to much around the house lately. I did get some fab gold flowers though. See?

    gold flowers

    I love them.