Making it Lovely » Living Room

Pink Loves Blue

Making it Lovely — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:44:47 +0000

There’s a sofa at Anthropologie that I keep calling the staff to pester about. I’m trying to catch it on sale once they’re ready to let go of the floor model so I can see if just maybe it can come live at our house. It’s big and comfortable and so pretty with its curves and single-button-tufting. And it’s blue. Kind of a teal/turquoise really, but to my surprise, I’m smitten with it. My iPhone pic isn’t doing it justice.

It isn’t on the website, but it’s the same as the “zesty” Winifred with solid upholstery and an additional support in the center. Same price too, but if I could sell my sofa and get that one on clearance, it wouldn’t be so out of reach. (A leather sofa can always wait.)

OK, so we’re probably not getting it. There are a million other things we could (and should) spend our money on first, but yeah, I’m embracing my newfound love of the color blue. I pinned the image below recently, and I’ve been finding myself going back to look at it over and over again. I like the symmetry, the hive vases, and the metal finishes against the wood, but what I’m really drawn to is the contrast of pink and blue.

(image source)

So good! I blame the the upstairs bathroom with its turquoise blue fixtures. Six years of living with them, and the color has charmed me.

Pink Rugs: The Choice of Design Bloggers

Making it Lovely — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:44:50 +0000

Can I make that sweeping generalization in the title? Probably not, but I do love having a pink rug in my living room. (Although those chevrons have been done to death. It was not so when I bought my rug in 2008!)

I love this space from Holly Becker of Decor8, with its pink overdye rug. The photo appeared in her book, Decorate Workshop.

And Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan of Apartment Therapy has a hot pink rug, too. This was his living room, featured in Apartment Therapy’s Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces.

You see what I mean about design bloggers and pink rugs? Maybe we’re an odd bunch, but I love the look.

I just wish I’d known better than to choose cotton for a busy living room in a house with two young kids, a dog, and three cats — though in my defense, we didn’t have children at the time. I’ve been looking at wool rugs for a possible replacement (maybe?), and I keep coming back to pink. Here are some of my favorites.

Madeline Weinrib Zigzag Rug
cotton, available at ABC Carpet & Home
This is my rug. It can be ordered in custom colors, but when I came across it in shades of pink, I had to buy it. I would still recommend it, but for a room with less foot traffic.
Dippy Pink Rug by Susan Sharp
wool, from The Rug Company
Gorgeous, and less in-your-face ombré as it appears on screen (as seen in Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan’s home, above, and repurposed in his apartment). It’s expensive though.
Preppy Pastel Pink Rug
wool, from The Land of Nod
The color looks more vibrant than pastel to me. The price is right, but the solid color is a bit plain.
Overdye Magenta Rug
wool, from Rugs USA
I like that the underlying pattern is less obvious than in some overdyed rugs. Less trendy. I would love this rug in my living room. Think it would work with my floral chair?

The Murphy Sofa

Making it Lovely — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 22:42:06 +0000

I spotted Room and Board’s new Murphy sofa online, and it was love at first site. (Get it? ‘Cause it was online? Never mind.) So I proceeded to have daydream fantasies of lounging on my lovely little velvet sofa, and I imagined how adorable it would look in my living room. I looked at the dimensions and saw that it was 5″ smaller than my current sofa, but what’s five inches?

I took my tiny design assistant with me to check it out in person.

The sales associate said that they modeled the sofa on one of their chairs, Quinn. Cute. It also reminds me a little of these two.

photos: 1, 2

Unfortunately, that 5″ difference matters. The sofa feels diminutive. It’s also not terribly comfortable. It isn’t uncomfortable, but the cushions are thin and firm (and easily misaligned, too). The other problem with using it in my home would be that it’s too similar to the other furniture in the living room. The arms on my crazy floral chair flare out the same way, and the lines on our Eames rocker echo the shape as well. They bring feminine curves and balance to our boxier pieces, and the Murphy sofa would weight the room too far toward the girly side.

Yet I still want to love it! Foolish heart.

Christmas Decorations (Part 2: Downstairs)

Making it Lovely — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 21:43:26 +0000

Yesterday, I showed you the upstairs, as it is decorated for Christmas. Today is all about the main floor.

I did find a better place for my DIY Colorblock Christmas trees than the dining room hutch. I split them into two groups and put half on a side table, along with a snow globe, little brass tree, and tiny deer. I have a lot of deer in the house right now. I put the others on the coffee table. I added a poinsettia (~~poisonous!~~ [oops, they're not]) and my Eames bird (sharp little spike feet!) for the photo shoot, but those are both now safely out of reach. The kids play on the coffee table everyday, so I usually keep it completely cleared.

Fa la la la la, pink Christmas tree.

So, the pink bulbs. They’re not my favorite. I love (LOVE) my pink Christmas tree, but I’ve always wished the bulbs were clear. Well over a third of them were burnt out, and we’ve tried many times to find replacements. Last year, I called Treetopia (the company I bought the tree from) to ask about replacements, and they said that they couldn’t help. This year, I tried again because we had the magazine shoot scheduled, and I didn’t want a bunch of dark spots on the tree (since I’m sure the pink tree is what they were most interested in). Apparently you can now buy replacement bulbs, and the “lightbulb specialist” I talked to said that they were available in clear with a pink base. Huzzah! Two weeks went by, and I received my bulbs. I ordered 250 clear bulbs, I received 50 pink ones. Better than nothing, but not what I was hoping for. Thus, the onslaught of hot pink lighting. Supposedly replacements will be on their way, probably sometime in January. I like pink as much as the next person (OK, way more), but I want those clear bulbs.

That was a fun tree-light diatribe. Onward, to the dining room!

I picked up all of the mercury glass on sale from west elm, and the banner across the window is from Minted and Alt Summit. The rest of the table setting was done with what we already had on hand.

There are a couple of kid-friendly flameless candles in the corner, and a few twee vignettes in the hutch. Our stockings are hanging by the built-in, and that area has also been de-coned, as noted. There was just too much going on over there. Related: Oh look, more deer!

This is what the table will look like when we host a family brunch on Christmas Eve. Except, you know, with food. I’m angling for Chilaquiles. That’s sort of festive, with some red and green, right?

I’m looking forward to seeing all of our decorations as photographed by a pro. I’m not sure if I’ll get a sneak peek, or if I have to wait until next year when the magazine comes out. I’m eager to see it though! When I was contacted for a possible shoot, I responded “you know our tree is pink, right?”

Seriously, those clear bulbs need to get here.

Coffee Table, V3.0

Making it Lovely — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:49:25 +0000

Erin, of Apartment 34 has one. So did Morgan, of The Brick House. My dream coffee table.

See it there, behind Erin? Here’s another shot of it, from Morgan.

That’s the one I’ve been searching for, with no luck. The original coffee table that we had (Thomas O’Brien for Target, circa 2005) was fine, but it was getting a little wobbly, and for safety’s sake, we thought it was time to find something new. (Actually, Brandon suggested it, and who am I to argue?)

I kept checking at all the usual places (west elm, CB2, Crate & Barrel, and so on), and I trolled Craigslist and eBay. Every trip to a thrift store had me searching for something that would work, and I wasn’t finding anything I liked well enough. But then I found a lovely long, wooden coffee table at The Renegade Craft Fair that I thought would be good.

Great lines, interesting details, in decent shape. Perfect! I pondered painting the top, but though I like the idea of lightening it up, paint wasn’t going to give me the look I wanted. Too slick. Replacing the top with stone would have been gorgeous, but I don’t think the table would have supported the weight.

Resigned to keeping the top wood (not that it would have been a terrible fate), I started to get used to the look of it, as-is. And I liked it! Not as much as I would with a different top, but it was growing on me. The size, however, was not. It’s about a foot too long, and in a living room that’s only 12′x12′, a foot too long really starts to bother you.

The other day, I noticed that one of the coffee tables I had initially spotted and considered, the Bel-Air, had gone on sale. I had a gift card and some store credit that brought the price down even further, so I bought it. I wasn’t 100% sure, but I figured I’d buy it and try it in the living room to see how I liked it.

Uh huh, I like it. Although I still wonder about getting a travertine top. This one is strong enough to handle it, and it gives it the look of the one I covet so. I made a mockup. What do you think?

Some Christmas Decorating

Making it Lovely — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 19:14:43 +0000

So. Speaking of sequins, they’re featured prominently in my home for the holidays.

The house may be photographed for a magazine (to appear in a Christmas issue next year), so I’m feeling extra pressure to do it up right.

I bought our pink tree in 2009. Three years later, about 1/3 of the lights have burned out. Supposedly a “lightbulb specialist” will be calling me tomorrow so that I can place an order for replacement bulbs. I’m hoping I can get clear ones because when the tree is fully lit with its pink bulbs, the effect is a bit bordello-ish.

I have more to do (the pressure!), so there’s more to come. Next week, most likely.

New Art in the Living Room

Making it Lovely — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 05:36:46 +0000

This new painting by Emily Rickard is making me all kinds of happy. (She sells prints and other products featuring this painting too.)

When I mentioned wanting to “frame the new painting in the living room”, this is the one I was talking about. It looks fine with its white edges, but I’m thinking it needs a simple frame in a medium-toned wood, or maybe plain black.

I’ve tried a few things in that corner of the living room over the years. Here’s an old shot from the same angle.

Sigh. I really don’t miss all that unpainted wood because it didn’t look good in person, but it was mighty pretty in photos. Anyway, I liked that print by The Black Apple for a long time, but I was ready for something different. I hung my Amy Ruppel painting there for a while too.

It’s now on the opposite wall, above the floral chair. I briefly tried this giant botanical print in that corner next.

It was way too big for the space, and it looks so much better in my bedroom. The new painting is the right size, the right colors, and I love its movement and design.

And are you digging the tiny fingerprints all over the TV? Me too.

A Vintage Wooden Coffee Table

Making it Lovely — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:23:34 +0000

We’d had our old coffee table for six or seven years. It was part of the Thomas O’Brien line for Target, and I still really liked it. Brandon had actually been the one who was interested in us having a new coffee table, because the old one (as cute as it is) was starting to concern him with its wobbliness. I think it’s still got some life in it yet, but I agreed we should probably look for something new.

See ya, old chum! (Actually, it will probably be useful in the basement, if I ever get around to setting up the playroom area.)

This one below is my ideal coffee table, but I’ve been looking for one for over a year and a half with no luck.

But then I found this one at the Renegade Craft Fair the weekend before last. I prefer a round table in our living room, but I had to give this one a try.

Not bad.

I think there’s too much wood in the room now though. I’m thinking of getting a travertine top cut for the table to replace the wood, but I’m not sure if the legs could support the weight. I could paint the top, but I don’t think it would hold up as well with the kids, and I’m not into the distressed look. My other thought was to get a laminate top made for it because that’s what the old one was, and it held up to a lot of abuse. I’ll get a quote on the stone top first, and go from there.

Update: I played around with it in Photoshop. I’m even more convinced now that the table needs a lighter top.

A Guide to Mixing Patterns in Your Home

Making it Lovely — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:51:08 +0000

Mixing patterns in fashion happens all the time (I’m always a fan of stripes and florals), but people seem to shy away from doing it in their homes. I mean, other people tend to shy away — not me. I’m a pattern mixing fool, so today I put together a guide to doing just that. Huzzah!

I think of Photoshop as a decorating tool, just as you would consider a designer’s measuring tape or sketchbook. Seeing how everything comes together digitally has been the best way for me to get a good idea of what will work in a space, and I love putting together layouts for you. Below is the guide I’ve created, with 27 patterns matched to perfection.

• You can find the links to all of the patterned chairs and pillows used in the graphic above on my Pinterest board.

The trick to mixing patterns is to start with a bold scale. I like accent chairs in oversized prints, so I begin there. Pick something like this one in pinstripes, or maybe something a little crazy like this one in raspberry ikat or my floral grandma chair. It will be easier than you think to make it work! For example, my chair may seem limiting at first, but there are so many colors in it that it’s easy to find a match. (In my home, that match is of course pink. And now coral too.) Next you add a contrasting pattern. In my case, the next thing would be my pink zigzag rug.

You can stop at two patterns, but you don’t have to. I certainly don’t! Vary the scales enough (something large, something significantly smaller, and then maybe a teensy ditsy pattern), and everything will look fine. This corner of my living room, below, has a whole lotta pattern going on. Bold floral fabric on the chair, a zigzag rug beneath, wallpaper in the room beyond, a textured (read: patterned) side table, art above, a patterned throw, and a patterned pillow. But it all works.

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Scientific Botanical Prints

Making it Lovely — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 15:58:15 +0000

Would it really be surprising that someone as fond of pink as I am would also be fond of flowers? Even the less girly among us can appreciate a good bloom, no?

A few people, in writing about my keynote at BlogPodium, noted that I had dressed to match my blog. My branding. The truth is that I’m just consistent in what I like. My blog matches my clothes, my home… even down to some of the book on my shelves. For example, here are two of my favorites.

The Rose: An Illustrated History, and more recently, The Art of Instruction. My dog rose print is the same one featured on the latter’s cover.

I designed two themes for Making it Lovely, and if you’re on the default “Lovely” theme, you’ll see an abundance of flowers in the background. Even if you choose to view the blog in “Minimal” mode, you’ll still see my custom floral illustrations in the header. As much as I love a good, clean site with a true minimal aesthetic, it’s just not me. The flowers (and colors and patterns) I use aren’t part of a larger, calculated move on my part to reflect my branding (though it works as one), I just like them. Simple as that.

I saw that a flash shopping site was selling framed botanical prints a few weeks ago. I had enough credits to cover the cost, so I bought one. They’re no longer available on that site, but they can be found (unframed) at The Evolution Store.

I would have loved to hang two prints over the sofa (like this), but the picture rail in my living room doesn’t leave enough clearance.

These prints are huge. I love the scale of mine, but I don’t know if that corner of my living room is interesting enough to warrant art of that size. Something feels a bit off too, between the print, the plant, and the vase on the other side of the TV. I’m going to leave things as they are for a while to see if I get used to the print’s (rather commanding) presence, but I may play around with the placement. It’s beautiful though; I’m glad to have it.