Orange (James’ favorite color) is back, though it’s a brighter happier shade now for a kid’s room. It shows up in the bedding, bedside table, and the floor bin that they fill with toys. Blue is a perfect complement to orange, and it’s on the walls, in the striped rug, and even in accessories like the lamp and clock. The simple bed is low to the ground and small in scale, so it’s the perfect size for a child’s room. Their little boy is a big fan of robots, and James and Eugenia are happy to indulge him. He has robot sheets on the bed, and a little robot coin bank on his nightstand. The Space Invaders style wall graphics are a playful addition to the room, even if the game was a wee bit before the boy’s time (he just likes the way the aliens look).

Making it Yours, Fifth Edition

We’ve seen the mid-century rocker chair in five different rooms now, completing this edition of Making it Yours. Remember, these looks are meant to work with any vintage or reproduction Danish Modern chair, whether it’s a rocker or not. Did you have a favorite room from this time around? I’d love to hear what you thought!

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as MiY 5e: Little Boy’s Room | 44 comments

Bookshelves with glass doors line the wall (the same bookshelves we have in our hallway library), and a glossy black floor lamp illuminates the area. The walls are painted a charming blue-green, and there isn’t enough room for a full rug but a graphic black and white runner works perfectly here. The apartment has a nice lived-in feel, so books are always scattered on the little side tables along with a few coffee mugs that hadn’t made their way to the kitchen yet. Eugenia also likes to keep a blanket (in orange, James’ favorite color) over the arm of the chair in case she gets cold.

James and Eugenia have a spare room that they thought they’d setup as an office, but it looks like they’ll be turning it into a nursery instead! We’ll see that room next time in the final look for this edition of Making it Yours.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as MiY 5d: Reading Nook | 21 comments

The furniture here is pretty sleek (that’s James for you), like the low dresser and the Eames-inspired bed. The wall color is fairly masculine as well, though it’s the same color we used in our bedroom. Eugenia’s represented here too with the soft throw, slightly granny-ish rug, and hysterical kitty pillow (ZOMG, kitties!). They hung a sconce over each side of the bed so they can read at night, and the swallow mobile adds a little decoration.

Hey, I hear Eugenia’s about to land a new job and they will be moving to Chicago! The rocker will be finding its way to a sweet little reading nook in their new place.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as MiY 5c: The Bedroom | 18 comments

I may or may not be basing this on my actual friend Eugenia who wants to live vicariously here.

OK, we know James had some pretty good furniture to start with. The mid-century rocker is staying since we’re basing each room around it in this edition of Making it Yours. We’re also keeping the sofa, orange pillow, pouf, lamp, and table. The molecule set is staying too, and we’re adding a vintage-style apple tree biology poster.* Eugenia and James painted the walls green, added some new curtains and a pillow, and put down a soft new rug to make the place feel like home for the two of them.

James and Eugenia will be moving the rocker into their bedroom soon, so when we check in on them again we’ll see how they’ve incorporated it.

* Did you know that apples don’t come true from seed? Apples are pretty interesting; read The Botany of Desire if you’re curious.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as MiY 5b: Moving in Together | 18 comments

James loves orange, so when he bought his new couch he figured he may as well get one in his favorite color. He also picked up an orange pouf to rest his feet on and an orange pillow for the rocker. The couch has a faux wood grain pillow and a blue pillow that goes with the wall color and curtains. The cowhide rug, black floor lamp, and Ringside print are masculine and good-looking, much like our young bachelor (ba dum bum). And what could be more perfect on a biologist’s coffee table than a molecule building set? Awesome.

Next time we check in with James and his mid-century rocker, he won’t be a bachelor anymore… his girlfriend is moving in.

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as MiY 5a: Bachelor Style | 64 comments

Remember, this is what my Making it Yours series is all about:

I really love the way rooms come together over time, with special pieces finding their way into different rooms at different stages of one’s life. A chair that was once on your front porch might show up in your son’s room five years later, in the family room after that, and maybe twenty years later in a vacation home. Pieces that you carry with you throughout your life become more than just an object you bought at some store, they become part of your personal history.

The rocker will make its way into two versions of a living room, a bedroom, a reading nook/library, and a kid’s room. I’ll have the first room ready for you soon, and I hope you’ll enjoy following along again. I’m excited about this one!

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as Making it Yours 5: Mid-Century Rocker | 23 comments

The bed, sofa, lighting, and tables that we have followed throughout this edition are here again. Sheer shades instead of curtains, a black rug, and a creamy gray wall color help the room feel restful and modern. I’ve added ochre bedding (paired with white sheets) and a black bedspread, along with art that picks up on those colors. A green velvet pillow matches the sofa, and an interesting vase (that I found via Design*Sponge) would be beautiful in this room.

You can go back and see each previous design in more detail: 4a: Striking Stripes and Polka Dots, 4b: Feminine Moorish, 4c: Fresh Picked, and 4d: Seaside Fair.

This was an interesting challenge because normally I only use one piece of furniture for my MiY series. The four items in this edition were not inexpensive, but I wanted to show that you can invest in a quality base while allowing for different styles with easy changes. What do you think? Did you have a favorite out of the five designs?

As in the first three looks in this edition of Making it Yours (MiY), the bed, tables, lighting, and seating remain the same. Even the reversible quilt and sheer linen curtains have made a reappearance, yet this room looks completely different from the last.

That bold green color is the same one I used for the rug I painted on our front porch. It’s a little more vivid than I would usually recommend, but the fun wall color paired with embroidered scallop sheets and pom pom pillows would make for a pretty fun look. The round, graphic rug adds some zip, and the ferris wheel photo is perfect for this room.

There is just one more look to go!

I really like the idea of the apple and the pear pillows representing the couple that sleeps in that bed together! Those sheets (on sale for half off) look like sketched stripes until you look closer and see that the print is made up of tiny triangles. And because I love red and aqua together, we have the reversible quilt with two lovely shades of blue, pale aqua paint on the wall, and sheer linen curtains in a similar tone. Soft rugs like this shag are perfect in a bedroom, and that giclee print is a fun, colorful addition.

The upcoming fourth design will feature various shades of greens and blues, and we’ll be seeing that quilt again.

The rug has a moorish tile design, yet it’s done in a cheery coral and the bedding picks up on that. The curtains also echo the shape in the rug, but on a smaller scale. Creamy white paint, a white pillow with feminine details, and the photography keep the look light and sweet.

Next time, we’re drawing inspiration from the fresh produce section.