Tag: pink

Choosing Window Treatments for Our Hall and Both Entryways

The big reveal of our latest One Room Challenge project went up last week! We took on the front and back entryways, along with the second and third floor hallways. The wallpaper was still in progress as of last Wednesday and it was finished up on Friday, so now we just have the repair and renovation of our back stairs to deal with. Old houses sometimes throw you a little off schedule with their fun ‘surprises’ (in this case a major plumbing leak that had us ripping open the wall all throughout that stairwell).

I’ll be delving into a few aspects of our project in more detail over the next few weeks, starting today with our window treatments from The Shade Store, one of the official One Room Challenge sponsors. They provided a shopping credit that covered the cost of shades for my ORC design.

I needed shades for five windows: one in the front entryway at the bottom of the stairs and another at the top, one at the end of the second floor hall, and another two at the top and bottom of the back stairs. All five windows had lace curtains when we moved in, and while they were period-appropriate for a Victorian house, they were not exactly my style. I left a couple of them up for privacy and I removed the rest, leaving several windows bare.

The pink wallpaper was one of my earliest design decisions, and it’s the element I looked to when deciding everything else. Paint colors, flooring, and window treatments were all chosen with that wallpaper color and pattern in mind, and the pink linen I ended up going with was not my first instinct! Below, you can see some of the other contenders alongside one of the actual shades.

I thought about stripes. I love stripes! The trim was going white though, with black doors. I figured I already had all the contrast I needed there, so that ruled out black and white stripes and I wasn’t so keen on any other versions. Black shades were also out, in part because of the black doors and in part because I wanted to let light stream through the fabric. Polka dots were another option I had considered pretty seriously. I had actually mentioned that I would be using them when I showed the design plan in week 2, but I changed my mind when I went to place my order. Polka dots are very cute, but I had kind of filled my cute quotient. What I needed was a solid supporting fabric, not another star element.

White is too stark in my house. Even the white paint we chose for the wood trim on the second and third floors is not a super bright white if you look at it in isolation. Ivory works, but that pink linen is subtle enough to read almost as a neutral, and it just looked better than ivory against everything else. If I were making choices for resale, I would have gone with ivory, beige, or taupe, but this isn’t for resale. This is for keeps, for us. Pink it is. (And since this often comes up, yes, my husband was on board with the color too.)

I knew I wanted roman shades (as opposed to a roller shade or curtains), but there were several types to choose from. I liked the relaxed roman and tulip shades because they were feminine and pretty, but the flat roman shades seemed a better balance to all of the other feminine details and colors we were already using. And again, the window treatments are playing the supporting actor role here, not the lead.

There were also several control types to choose from — how would the shade be raised and lowered? There was a continuous loop or cord lock option, but I liked the idea of going with the invisible cordless option. No ball chain or cord to attach to the window frame, and the shades operate with a gentle pull (there is a hidden pull ring sewn in). They arrived about two weeks after I had placed my order — right when all of the final details were falling into place and my workload was at its busiest. I was concerned that they would take a lot of time to install that frankly, I didn’t have right then, but they were super easy! Two screws, that’s it. Insert them into the header of your shade, hold it up and eyeball the placement, mark with a pencil, drill holes, then put the shade up and tighten the screws. Done. You can also arrange for professional installation, but seriously, you can do this.

I wasn’t a fan of the lace curtains that came with the house and I had gotten used to the bare windows, but now that our windows have proper shades, everything feels more polished. So happy with them. They play off of the wallpaper nicely, and they look great against the oak woodwork on the first floor too.

November 14, 2016
In the Pink

I’m narrowing down my One Room Challenge color choices for both entryways, and the second and third floor halls. Is it too much pink, I’m asking myself? So I started thinking about all of the rooms I’ve painted pink over the years.

The entryway and my home office in our apartment (before this blog existed). The basement, my former studio, Eleanor’s old room, my home office, and the living room in our first house — all shades of pink at various times. The library and dining room here. I even went for hot pink once, with disastrous results.

I should have a decision by this Wednesday’s update post. Is it too much pink? Psshaw.

October 10, 2016
Pleated Lamp Shades

I ordered a few different styles and brands of black chandelier shades for our new sconces.

We can talk a bit more about those once they’ve been installed. (Soon!) As far as the shades go though, I ordered a bunch to gauge quality (Royal Designs ftw), and among the options were black pleated shades. I loved them! Brandon hated them! Friends gently suggested that they looked dated, and Brandon said they belonged in a hotel. Since nobody liked the dated hotel look (except me — I forever and always love granny details), I went with sleek paper shades. They look fine. They look great, actually. But I’m still longing for a pleated shade.

There’s a whole lot to love about this room designed by Miles Redd, but that pink pleated shade is particularly lovely.

More pink pleats from Miles Redd.

And Summer Thornton delivers too.

I noticed when I was browsing table lamps for this post that I passed right by the one below on the left, but instantly gravitated toward the one on the right. It’s a smidge more traditional than I would typically go for, but oh, the difference a shade can make.

Yep. I’ve got to get some pleats in my home. I’ll leave you with a couple of vignettes from a room designed by Hamish Bowles to further make the case for granny details.

September 26, 2016
Making it Yours 15B: Pink Persian-Style Rug
Thank you for the great response to my new approach to these Making it Yours posts! I love sharing a bit more about the thought process behind the designs.

The last post was pretty girly and young, and this time we’re going a bit more grownup, a bit more neutral. Well, as neutral as one can get with a pink rug as the foundation, but I’m going to show an alternative color scheme at the end. This is going to be a living room, so with the rug already chosen (since we’re seeing it in three looks), the next big choice is the sofa. Sometimes I know exactly which piece I’ll be incorporating, and sometimes I have to look around a bit. In this case, I immediately thought of the latest sofa from Interior Define, designed by Maxwell of Apartment Therapy.

The walls are going to be painted either in Clunch or Dimity, both by Farrow & Ball (I’m considering both for a project I’m working on right now, so the colors are top of mind). Between the pink rug, pale walls, and the beige sofa, it’s all very light. We need a little depth and contrast in the form of dark finishes, maybe leather or velvet, and wood. How about a big display cabinet, or maybe a wall of bookshelves to start?

DARK CABINETS AND SHELVING: Chelsea Display Cabinet • Tuscan Flush Bookcases • St. James Armoire • Geometric Double Door Cabinet • Soft Metal Industrial Cabinet

It’s probably going to be the chelsea display cabinet or the geometric double door cabinet (both hit the right mix of modern and traditional), but I won’t decide for sure until everything else comes together.

Now chairs. A matching pair or two different styles? Maybe one upholstered (good way to introduce leather and/or color), and one wood? Gotta see what’s out there and what works. Maybe one pricier option and one more affordable — I try to mixup the price points as I would in my own home.

I started by looking for slim-profiled dark leather chairs with metal bases. These are a nod to the lines of the SAIC sling nightstand in the bedroom.

SLIM METAL-BASE CHAIRS: Barcelona Chair • Cue Chair with Brass Legs (velvet) • Borough Leather Chair • Milo Leather Chair • Major Leather Chair w/ Polished Brass • Mellby Leather Chair

My favorite of the bunch for this room was the cue chair with brass legs. It’s the only non-leather chair of the bunch but it fits stylistically, and because it’s fabric, it’s a bit more affordable than most of the others. I think wood is out for the other chair now; these need something more plush. And what color? Pink, bien sûr. Maybe a wingback, or something with tufting? It needs to be different in shape from the other upholstered pieces, and a bit larger in scale than the cue chairs.

PINK CHAIRS (numbered, so we can discuss)
1. Tom Dixon Pink Wingback Chair
  So cool! So tall! Too tall?
2. Linen Gwinnette Chair
  This is a good option. I like the tufting that’s not present anywhere else. On the traditional side, but that could work depending on what else ends up in the design.
3. Bliss Down-Filled Chair-and-a-Half
  I like the envelope styling of the cushions, but this is a bit too wide and low for the room.
4. Thompson Wing Chair, Blush
  Kind of feminine — a good balance to the masculine chairs.
5. Linen Astrid Chair
  Maybe too feminine? It’s a contender though. I bought this chair ten years ago in an orange/red pattern. Sometimes I still wish I had it.
6. Belgian Chair, Blush
  Subtle reference of the sofa arms, but not an exact match (that’s a good thing). Nailhead detailing is a plus, as is the traditional lines.
7. Söderhamn Light Pink Chair
  Great price ($330), but a little too flat and lean for my liking here.
8. Linen Glenlee Chair, Wilcox
  The rolled arms are too similar to the sofa’s pared back version of the same style.
9. Saba Powder Pink Amélie Swivel Chair
  A little deco. I’m into it.
Screen shot! Here’s what I’m looking at as I write this. (The post is coming together stream-of-consciousness style. It’s different for me, but I’m enjoying it! Also, we’re at the point where I want to chuck all of my furniture and do this in my house. Happens just about every time — I’ve gotten good at ignoring it.)

The rug, sofa, and black chair are staying. I think the geometric cabinet is staying. For chairs, I’m thinking #2, 4, 5, 6, or 9. Let’s look for a coffee table, shall we? Not brass — too on-the-nose with the brass chair legs. Wood, or maybe lucite? OK, found what I wanted without too much searching: the Boom Coffee Table has a nice wood tone, and the chunky/blocky shape is nice against the spindly legs of the chair and the turned legs of the sofa. A little gold accent table for next to the pink chair would be good with it.

Boom Coffee Table • Ellison Side Table

I had been thinking I would bring back one of the white table lamps from last time, but now I think a floor lamp would be the better choice, and I know just the one. Time to pull this all together!
OK, and just because it’s so simple to change this out, let’s take a look with a different color scheme. Everything is the same except for the rug and the color of one chair. Funny how color changes things so much, eh?

IDENTICAL, EXCEPT: 3. Thompson Wing Chair, Gold, Serena & Lily • 10. Taza Hand-Knotted Jute Rug, Dash & Albert
September 7, 2016
Making it Yours 15A: Pink Persian-Style Rug
Time for a new edition of Making it Yours! Our tastes change over time and our homes should reflect that, but we don’t chuck everything and start from scratch each time we’re ready for something new. Instead, the things we love get moved around as we reimagine how they might fit into our homes in new ways.

I’ll be using this pink Persian-style rug as a jumping off point for three room designs, showing how one piece can be used in several ways.

So pretty, right? All right. I’m doing this one a bit differently. Normally I pull the whole thing together and only present the three designs, but this time I’m sharing the thought process behind it all. That’s always the part that’s most interesting to me from other people, so I’m hoping you guys are into it too. Let me know how you like it?

First up, I imagined the rug in a fun, girly bedroom with a pink upholstered bed. (I’m thinking this is for a very lucky tween/teenager getting her dream room makeover.)

PINK UPHOLSTERED BEDS: John Robshaw Kerala Bed • Pondicherry Bed with Nailheads • Nail-Button Tufted Wingback Bed

Between the headboard and the rug, that’s already a lot of look. I would add simple black and white textiles to complement but not compete. A stripe or similar pattern for the window treatments, and then white bedding with a black border and plain white sheets.

CURTAINS: Emily & Meritt Sweet Scallop Drapes • Striped Slate Ikat Curtains • Corben Plaid Curtains
BEDDING: Fieldcrest Classic Hotel Duvet Set • The Linden Black Border Duvet Set • Häxört Duvet Set • Trio Shale Duvet Cover

Painted black nightstands would be a nice graphic punch amongst all the pink, but I thought the texture of raffia would be a better choice here. The design is already skewing young, and painted case goods can sometimes read as ‘kid furniture’.

RAFFIA NIGHTSTANDS: Jada Bachelors Chest • Chloe Side Table • Raffia Chest • Meade Raffia Side Table

Next, I wanted a wooden dresser to bring in another natural material — something with mid-century lines. As I pulled that into the design though, I realized I didn’t like the raffia nightstands together with it, so those went in a different direction.

DRESSERS AND NIGHTSTANDS: Calvin Dresser • SAIC Sling Table • Flynn Bedside Table • Matera Side Table • Gladom Tray Table • Bexley Nesting Bedside Table • Tate 9-Drawer Dresser

Yep, better. For lighting, I was thinking white ceramic lamps.

LIGHTING: Marlowe Ceramic Table Lamp • Fuchsia Ombre Lamp • Merie Table Lamp • Sylvia Table Lamp • Herringbone Ceramic Table Lamp • Berkeley Bright White Ceramic Table Lamp

The brushstroke lamp is super cute, but I liked the one with a wooden base here as everything else came together.

Time for art! I don’t necessarily match the art to the room; I look for something that I think the person living with this design would be into. Any of these would be a good fit, and I included a couple of mirrors too.

ART: Floating, Alice Gao • Potted Fiddle Leaf Fig, Catherine Jones • Colorblock, Catherine Jones • Nina Scalloped Mirror • Stockholm Walnut Mirror • Junius Round Gold Mirror • Pink Flight, Timothy Hogan • Pierrepont Place Silver Frame • Hydrangeas — Flowers for Aiden, Lulie Wallace

Then the finishing touches, and here’s how it all came together! The ceiling fan is all about function, and the pink princess phone is all form. Blush pink walls, a pink bed and carpet, and cute accessories make this a pretty girlish room, but there are just enough sleek lines and finishes to keep it interesting. I even snuck that raffia texture back in there as a trio of baskets.
Next time, we’ll see a different take on the same rug. I love putting these Making it Yours posts together, but do you like seeing the different items I considered as I worked on it? Is it too much, or do you like the additional options?
August 31, 2016
One Room Challenge: Week 4 (Rugs, Curtains, Bedding, and Other Fabrics)

I shared a photo on Instagram of the paint swatches, fabric samples, and finishes for the bedroom and den, but let’s dive into it all in a bit more detail.

The wooden hand holding the paint chips represents the wood furniture in the two rooms (two dressers and a sideboard). The brass is present throughout in the hardware choices (curtain rods, vintage dresser knobs), lighting finishes, and a small accent table. You saw in last week’s update how the paint colors from the chips below have been incorporated, and of course it’s all in the design plan. The fabrics represent the duvet cover and sheets, pink linen curtains, and a pair of chairs.

I knew from the start that I would be painting the two rooms different colors and because the bedroom and den are only separated by french doors, they need to go together. The ceiling, trim, and doors would be consistent throughout, but I also wanted to add continuity in other ways. I have a whole-house palette going on that I’m quite happy with (pink, teal, black, white, wood, brass, and a little red) and these rooms fit, but of course there is still room to play! Today, I’m focusing on the rugs, curtains, bedding, and other fabrics. What I chose and why, and how it’s all going to work together.

Rugs

The bedroom is 13×17 and the den is 13×15, so both rooms can handle large rugs. I wanted to repeat the same rug to bridge the two spaces, and I looked to Loloi because I’ve worked with them in the past a couple of times and liked both the designs and the quality. Though I’m often drawn to bold patterns, I was looking for subtlety this time — something beautiful, but that wouldn’t draw too much attention away from everything else. Initially, I had thought about maybe using the Journey rug that I’d styled in our living room. Once I decided to paint the walls that color though, adding a matching rug would have been too much. I suppose I could have used it in the bedroom and a neutral (or otherwise complementary color) rug in the den, but again, I wanted a matching pair. I found what I was looking for in the Nyla collection.

The rug I chose picks up on the wall color of the den, but it looks good against all of the pale pinks I’m using throughout too. And it is super soft.

Curtains and Window Treatments

Both rooms will be getting pinch-pleat pink linen curtains from Tonic Living. I’ve had my sample swatch of that fabric for about two years now, just waiting for the right project! The pale pink will blend in with the wall color in the bedroom, but be a nice relief against the deep teal blue walls.

The bedroom has wooden shutters on the bottom half of the windows, and that’s enough privacy most of the time, but it will be nice to have the option to draw the curtains again. Someone asked me how I sleep in with so much light, and I thought ‘hahahahahahaha — I have three young children, what is this “sleeping in” you speak of?’ It will be nice to be able to darken the room a bit though when we want to. I chose a standard lining for both rooms.

The den does need a bit more light control because we get a lot of glare on the TV. Curtains are going up, yes, but I’ve also ordered Allen + Roth solar shades from Lowe’s. They’ll help with both glare and temperature control, which is a big plus in an old home without central air conditioning.

I spent a ridiculous amount of time choosing the right fabric and options. I went with Marquis in White, 3% openness. I also liked White/Linen, and there was a 5% option too, but I think the brighter white will be better behind the curtain fabric and it isn’t so stark that it will look too modern or cheap, as super bright whites sometimes do. I chose the corded option (it has a safety mechanism to mount the chain to the window so little kids don’t loop it around themselves), and options like a finished hem and matching fascia to keep it as clean-looking as possible. Even though the shades are all about function, I want the form to be nice too.

Bedding

I used to have tons of options for bedding that I’d amassed over the years. A few quilts, a down comforter with various duvet covers, different sheets, and plenty of colors and patterns to mix and match. Then we went from a queen-sized bed to a king last fall, and I gave away all of our too-small bedding to friends and family. Now I have one duvet cover, and I’m up to three sets of sheets. I was pretty jazzed about finding that third set of sheets though, because due to the winking eye pillows on the bed, the patterned dashes look like a million little eyelashes are scattered everywhere. I’m so into it!

So the go-to has been those sheets with the pink duvet cover. I have my Moroccan wool blanket too, and while it looks good (pom-poms!) and is pretty warm, it’s not the softest thing. Plus it’s wool, so we can’t pop it in the wash. It’s not such a big deal now that the weather is warming up and we don’t need a bunch of layers on the bed, but I do miss having a light quilt. I’ll be adding the Boyfriend Matelassé Coverlet from Pine Cone Hill. In what color? Pink! (Nope, Brandon doesn’t mind the color at all. Yes, I’m asked about that a lot.)

It’s a lot of pale pastel goodness, but then it’s all set against the black of our bed. Boom.

Other Fabrics

The sofa in our den is from IKEA (Kivik — I wrote about choosing it here), so it would be easy to pop over to the store to pick up a new cover. I like the idea of keeping it neutral though and I still like the color it is now, so I’m not sure if it will change or not.

Ours is the top left and I like the bottom left a bit more, but it’s not a huge difference. Of course the white is nice and I’ve heard that the cushions clean up nicely in the wash, and the bottom right gray color could work too. The den is getting a throw blanket to match the bed’s coverlet, and there will be pillows in pink, blue, and black and white.

There is a pair of chairs coming from Interior Define. They sell customizable sofas and chairs through their site to customers across the country, but I was able to check out their showroom here in Chicago to see everything firsthand. I loved the Rose sofa and if I could fit it up the stairs, I would have chosen it in a heartbeat! English roll arms, turned legs, a deep seat, and very comfy cushions — perfection. Their furniture can be resized (you can do more than just choose a color!), but to shorten it enough to fit up our narrow stairway would have changed the proportions too much and I don’t want a love seat. Luckily, the same style is available in chair form, so that’s what I went with.

The Rose chair is available in 18 different fabrics and I requested samples of my favorites before deciding on a color. It was a toss-up between the ‘Natural Heavy Fabric’ and ‘Stone Basketweave,’ so I called their customer service department and asked about durability and care. The Stone fabric sounded like a more durable choice that would wear better and clean up a little more easily, and as a mom of three with five pets in the house, I was sold. The chairs are going to look great in contrast with our low, boxy couch.

The last big unknown was the coffee table. I had initially planned on a turquoise velvet ottoman, but I was worried about a timely arrival and it was indeed delayed again. I picked up a pair of slipper chairs two weeks ago from a local furniture consignment store (Divine Consign) and I also grabbed a coffee table at a good price as a backup for the room. I like the shape of it a lot, but it’s knotty pine and while I could paint it, the bigger problem is that it’s too big. If I could shrink the height, width, and depth down by about 15%, it would have been perfect! Ha. So I was on the lookout for another option. Turned legs or carved wooden details, or maybe a different ottoman?

Found it! It’s a “Rug Ottoman” from Annie Selke. Yes, as the name implies, it is upholstered with a rug. It’s actually a more practical choice than the velvet would have been, and they come in a bunch of different colors and patterns. My design is changing a bit (the turquoise is out, and in its place, stripes and turned legs), but I’m excited about the way it’s all coming together! And bonus: Murray’s dog bed is in the den and he’s going to get a little upgrade in the form of light blue and white stripes, also from from Annie Selke. Very cute.

Here’s how all of that goes together.

(Oh, vintage chair. You need a little freshening up.)

We’re coming up on that final reveal! Only two posts left!

Follow along with the One Room Challenge participants!

• Claire Brody • The Curated House • Design Manifest • Driven by Decor • Honey We’re Home • Hunted Interior • The Makerista • Making it Lovely • My Sweet Savannah • Pencil and Paper Co. • The Pink Clutch • Savvy Home • Simplified Bee • Sketch 42 • Jill Sorensen • Orlando Soria • Thou Swell • The Vault Files • Waiting on Martha • The Zhush • Media Partner House Beautiful • TM by CIH

My One Room Challenge Sponsors

Thank you to the following sponsors in this post for generously providing product.
• Loloi • Tonic Living • Lowe’s • Pine Cone Hill • Interior Define • Annie Selke

My One Room Challenge Posts

Follow along from the beginning!
• Week 1: The Before Shots • Week 2: The Design Plan • Week 3: All That Painted Woodwork • Week 4: Rugs, Curtains, Bedding, and Other Fabrics • Week 5: The Lighting

April 27, 2016