Tag: Target

The Bedding for August’s Room

I don’t know if other kids are as into decorating as mine are. (So this is how I’m making them weird! Got it.) They’re always seeing the house get shuffled around, they’ve been to their fair share of home stores and flea markets, and they have definite opinions on furniture, colors, and layouts. Quote of the morning: “Hi, mom. Whatcha doin’? Oh! Making the bed more beautiful!?” Yep. The next generation of decorators, right here in this house.

All of this is to say that August is excited about each little change and new addition to his room. I took his mattress off and removed the slats so I could prime the frame, and while I had it taken apart, I tightened everything up.

I’ve also been pulling together the bedding, and I think we’re at a good place with it now. I like to have multiple options for each bed so we always have a clean set sheets ready. (Even past the kids’ potty training days, we’re always just one stomach bug away from a middle-of-the-night change of bedding.)

The golden mustard stripes in the curtains pick up on the honey tones in the woodwork, and the creamy white brightens things up. I have polka dot sheets in the same colors, but also a set of black and white sheets with teeny tiny plus signs. A black and white duvet cover from IKEA looks good with both sets of sheets, and I picked up a cable knit blanket and matching throw pillow in deeper color than the curtains. The green quilt that was in the room will be a spare, tucked away in the closet.

We’re getting there! I wanted to find a chambray quilt, but that was before I came across the blanket that’s on the bed now. I’m getting ready to finish painting the bed and upholstering the headboard, and now I’m thinking I might go with chambray there instead. A trip to both the fabric store (upholstery weight options) and the military surplus store (wool blanket?) is in order.

September 28, 2015
A Post-Summer Perk Up

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Everything has kind of been up in the air, house-wise, waiting for the rewiring work to be done. There are some holes in walls waiting to be patched, and some pretty terrible patchwork waiting to be fixed up. (The electricians are fine electricians, but not so fine at plaster repair. We told them we’d handle that part after seeing how they did it.) I have all of these ideas swirling around for things I want to do in the house, but I have to wait. Gah.

Target asked if I wanted to take on a little post-summer perk up, and I was definitely on board. A quick and easy decorating project was sounding pretty good right about now! The rewiring on the top floor is done, so I gave the bathroom a good cleaning (plaster dust was everywhere) and went out in search of a new shower curtain. This city sketch print was cute, but I chose coral pink because of course I did. We may be transitioning from summer to fall, but I’m always in favor of bringing in more pink all year long.

Since I was changing out the shower curtain, I picked up new brass shower curtain hooks to replace the plastic white ones that were there. It’s easy to find silvery finishes for bathrooms (chrome, nickel), and oil-rubbed bronze is all over the place too, but I was looking specifically for brass and I was glad to see a couple of options for the bathroom at Target without having to order from a more expensive source.

There’s a pink hand towel on the pirate ship hook (why not, right?), and matching bath towels. I hung a couple from the hooks on the back of the door for a picture, but they would normally be tucked away below the sink, in the bottom drawer.

(And I feel like I should point out that the mirror’s dark spots are the result of aged mirror glass. It’s clean — promise.)

I picked up a little red accent rug too. It isn’t a bathmat but it is cotton, and I think it will work well in that spot.

Our routines are about to shift once school starts again. Obviously the kids will be going back, but I might be going back too (depends on whether enough students sign up for the new course I’m supposed to teach). I love that I was able to knock out an update while our days are still relatively calm by just picking up a few new things in a favorite color.

August 18, 2015
Three Silver Side Tables
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Target has their new pieces out for spring, and I’m working with them today to feature one of the new side tables. I chose a silver drum table because I like that the finish is shiny enough to reflect whatever is nearby (that red rug in front warms it up a lot), but it doesn’t show fingerprints and the hammered detail gives it texture and interest.

I try to have a coffee or side table within reach of each seat so there’s always a place to set down a drink (or as is usually the case here because of the kids, a place to leave your toy cars, horse figures, and Lego people). Of course, they also make for good opportunities to bring in a few accessories, like the flowers and candle that I picked up.

(Hey, having the same initials as Nate Berkus has finally paid off!)

A drum table is versatile enough to pair with sofas and chairs in a wide variety of styles — even as a bedside table or extra seating as a stool. I’ve been working a lot with brass and warm metals in this house, so I thought it would be fun to switch it up and take a look at silver instead. I matched up the same metallic drum table with a different chair, and also pulled in two other options in my sketch below. (These are so fun to draw!)
1. Candace Arm Chair (Garden Craft Seafoam)
  The feminine lines of this chair are great, and it comes in a bunch of patterns and colors.
2. Threshold^™ Silver Drum Accent Table
  A classic shape gets a metallic update.
3. Safavieh Accent Table (Silver)
  Slender and stylish. A cute little table just big enough to set a drink down on.
4. Threshold^™ Rope Wrapped Accent Table with Hammered Metal Top
  The rope detail would be at home in a beachy setting, but the hammered metal and geometric base give it a bit of edge that helps the table work with a more modern style too.
5. Safavieh Sasha Club Chair (Tan)
  Such a great, neutral chair. Would be perfect as a pair facing a sofa.
April 21, 2015
At a Snail’s Pace

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Our bedroom has been a work in progress for a long time now. In the beginning of last year, I wrote about how I was hoping to make the bed more often (because I’m terrible about getting in the habit), and I talked a bit about the search for curtains and art. Progress has been slow since then, but even though I look around and see all of the projects I want to tackle, the room is actually looking pretty good.

I picked up this fringed wall art to go above the antique dresser. I’d hung those two small paintings with a third initially, but the overall effect was that they looked bitsy. They needed one larger piece to anchor the grouping, and this was an inexpensive way to get in on the woven wall hangings trend. The metallic strands that are woven in are particularly nice, and there’s a larger version available too.

The little bird is an encaustic painting by Amy Ruppel, and the other was a commission by Paul Ferney (from this photo!). I’d still like to add more art to the bedroom, especially over the bed, but obviously I’m not in a rush. I like the vintage “dying flowers” (as Brandon coined) painting hung asymmetrically over the bed.

I’m trying to pull off the ‘I made the bed but it’s disheveled on purpose’ look that all the cool kids are doing these days. Successful? Not sure, but I do like the mix of color, pattern, and texture in the bedding. I had the throw pillows on hand and they’re no longer available, but the quilt and patterned sheets are. They pair nicely with a linen duvet (similar) and chunky knit throw blanket.

Curtains would soften the windows and cut down on the abundant wood tones in the room. I get overwhelmed with possibilities sometimes; plain white, a small scale pattern, subtle stripes, or something darker would all look good. I ought to just pick a direction and go with it. Maybe by this time next year, eh? That seems to be my pace in here!

This post is sponsored by Target. Shop Home Décor for modern luxury made easy.

January 6, 2015
The Fireplace Mantel, Decorated for Christmas

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Confession: we waited until after Thanksgiving to put our tree up, but I started bringing out the Christmas decorations for the rest of the house a couple of weeks ago! The fireplace is sporting a mix of decorations that we already owned with a few new additions from Target.

I really liked this holiday berry garland, but I used the silver ornament garland that we already owned and then added a few loose gold ornaments to fill in some bare spots. The candle holders are the same ones you saw last month in the dining room. I picked up several small and large bottle brush trees in both silver and white to add to the mantel, and further staggered the height by propping a few of the trees up on small upside-down bowls that are hidden behind the ornaments.

The brass deer are vintage. I loved decorating with them each year in the old house, so it’s fun to see them here on top of the fireplace. You can pick up this guy if you’re looking for a new deer of your own, or maybe just a small ceramic stag head for kicks?

Had the vintage painting leaning on the mantel been something more precious, I probably would have hesitated to string the “happy holidays” glitter banner across it. It may not be the greatest work of art, but I think it is the perfect backdrop for those sparkly letters! And speaking of sparkle, behold. Glitter! Gold! Silver! It’s all very merry.

Our stockings will soon be hung by the fireplace, but that isn’t the only change to come. My sister is hosting a Christmas party this year and she asked if she could borrow some decorations, so I have a feeling some of these will be moving to her apartment soon. At least I was able to enjoy this setup for a little while first! Besides, what are sisters for? (For stealing all of your cute Christmas decor, apparently. Ha!)

This post is sponsored by Target. Shop Home Décor for modern luxury made easy.

December 8, 2014
A Fall/Winter Holiday Table

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Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away, and then we’ll be looking forward to Christmas! To get in the spirit of the season, I set a festive fall/winter holiday table with items I already had on hand mixed in with some new finds from Target.

I wanted to work with gold and silver for most of the decor, but a red runner made a colorful base for everything else to play off of. I love the way the polka dot fabric napkins look with it!

I added candlesticks in two heights, and then picked up several sizes of silver frosted mason jars. I used the smallest jars to hold tealights as intended, but instead of putting candles in the others, I used the larger ones as flower vases.

The table was set with our everyday silverware and classic white plates. So many of us have those standards on hand, but they felt more special with gold chargers at each seat.

The centerpieces were fun to arrange. I think that white ‘flower’ is in the cabbage family. Plus berries! I always go for the berries this time of year.

All together, the mix of metallics and the candlelight feel perfect for special occasions. I’m looking forward to using the decorations throughout the year for other dinners and holidays, too!

November 10, 2014