Making it Lovely

Tag: Williams-Sonoma

  • The Grid of Framed Tarot Card Art

    The Grid of Framed Tarot Card Art

    I wrote about wanting to add a mirror above the fireplace and a grid of frames above the red console back in (checks notes)… January!? Does it take that long to make a little change? Well, yep. I’m not rushing to fill a space, I’m refining. Taking my time to get things just right.

    Framed Tarot Cards, Making it Lovely

    I loved the peacock mirror that used to hang above the red table. (I’m holding on to it, even though I have no idea where else it might work.) Once I added a larger Louis-Philippe style mirror above the fireplace though, the art above the table had to change.

    Red Console, Peacock Mirror, Black Walls » Making it Lovely

    The square Wyeth print that I hung temporarily in its place is great, but not the right size and scale for that spot. I knew I wanted something else, but I didn’t want to hurry the process for the sake of filling the wall — I needed to find the right art.

    Living Room, Before

    Behold, the “Eros: The Garden of Love” Oversize Limited Edition Major Arcana Suite, by Uusi. I found the right art!

    Oversized Eros Tarot Cards by Uusi

    "Eros: The Garden of Love" Tarot by Uusi

    I’m not a believer in the metaphysics of Tarot (or astrology, or anything supernatural), but like all good Goths, I learned how to read Tarot cards in high school. I still find them fascinating, but I think this particular deck is simply beautiful. Uusi has other styles too, but these are oversized and nicely suited to framing.

    I typically hang art 56” high on center. I arranged the frames in a Photoshop mocku to be sure I liked the placement, and also to check that it worked well with the height of the fireplace and mirror.

    Photoshop Mockup: Louis-Phillipe Mirror Above Fireplace, Framed Grid of Art Above Red Console | Making it Lovely

    Yay, good! Measure, level, and go.

    Getting Ready to Hang Art on Plaster Walls

    Hanging a Grid of Frames / Gallery Wall

    I ordered black lacquer picture frames from Williams-Sonoma Home. They had mats sized for 5×7 photos but the cards are each 4×7, so I had custom mats cut by a local frame shop. The frames were on sale, so even with new mats (about $10 each), it was less expensive than going fully custom.

    Black Lacquer Frames from Williams Sonoma Home

    I like that you need to get close to really see what’s framed in there. From farther back, it’s just a pleasing grid with colors that kind of go with the rest of the room. Secret saucy sorcery!

    Nicole of Making it Lovely, Black Living Room with Framed Grid of Tarot Card Art

  • The New Design Plan for August’s Room

    The New Design Plan for August’s Room

    I’ve talked about rug choices for August’s room before. Basically, I was between ivory (what we already had), something super colorful, or graphic black and white. The ivory wool rug that was in there had been in his room, both here and in the old house, so it felt like time for a change. Vibrant, colorful rugs with a lot of pattern and movement, I’ve found, are excellent LEGO-hiders. Either you step on them, or they get vacuumed up — not good either way. So black and white was the winner!

    My rug would be perfect in the room, but it won’t be ready until next year. Instead, I ordered this 6×9 black and white cotton flatweave.

    Medallion Flatweave Rug, Black and White, Williams-Sonoma Home

    There was a ton of painting to do (ceiling, walls, trim, doors), so obviously that will have a big impact in the room along with the new rug. The other big change, furniture-wise though, is the bed. I had always meant to get around to upholstering the bed. I finally got serious about it and then, you know what? I realized that I could buy a bed that was already done for not much more than it would cost to do it myself. Sometimes I like a project. Like painting! I’ll do that, sure! But upholstering is something I always think I should DIY, and then I put it off and put it off because honestly it just doesn’t appeal to me. It’s not a skill I’m dying to add to my repertoire. So I saved myself the hassle and time of trying to perfectly upholster the bed (because it’s not worth doing if I can’t do it perfectly), and I ordered one. $170 and done.

    Linnea Red Upholstered Twin Bed

    Next came the windows. I spent a ton of time sourcing fabric thinking I might do custom roman shades. In the end, August picked his curtains out at IKEA. He liked the “moose” on this RÖDÄRV pillow and then we spotted and picked up the matching curtains.

    RÖDARV Curtains and Embroidered Pillow from IKEA

    I had seen that pillow months ago when I was there with my friend, helping her choose a sofa. I told her it could be cute in August’s room, knowing I might be working on it, and then I promptly forgot about it. Funny that he gravitated toward it without any nudge from me!

    Here’s how the plan came together, combining what we already had with the new pieces and a few new accessories.

    Design Plan for August's Room | Making it Lovely

    I’ll show you how it all turned out next week! Meantime, sources.

    1. Modern Metal and Wood Ceiling Fan, West Elm
      Confession: this is the only thing shown that I have not yet purchased. I’m looking at a bunch of others too and having analysis paralysis.

    2. Minimalist Travel Star Wars Posters, Justin Van Gendersen
      I bought these for Brandon before August was born, but he hath passed his nerd-cred down to him. These aren’t available anymore, but there are plenty of other great prints.

    3. Red Pillowfort Column Table Lamp, Target
      I picked a pair of these up when Target first launched their kids’ line, and they’ve held up really nicely.

    4. Oak Park Elementary Dresser, Land of Nod
      Long-discontinued (here’s a similar dresser of theirs), we’ve had this since August was a baby. Still in great shape, and I know it’s silly, but I like that it’s named after my town!

    5. Star Wars Boba Fett Fathead Wall Decal
      LIFE-SIZED.

    6. Safavieh Bentley Writing Desk, Wayfair
      Sturdy metal for a boy whose not always gentle on his furniture.

    7. Vintage Chippendale Chair, Turn the Tables (Consignment Shop)
      I drove out to pick up one set of vintage chairs and came home with another.

    8. Happy Faces Art Print, Kim Johnson, Minted
      It can’t all be Star Wars.

    9. Threshold 12″ Black Wall Shelf, Target
      A good price for these — I’d been looking for something similar!

    10. Threshold 12″ Black Mirrored Wall Shelf, Target
      I broke up a grid of four shelves with one of these mirror-backed versions.

    11. Paint: Frosted Olive, Dutch Boy
      “Olive” for a boy that wanted light blue? It works, trust. And in full disclosure, this isn’t a sponsored post, but they are sponsoring the reveal post next week.

    12. Linnea Red Upholstered Twin Bed, Wayfair
      Bright, poppy color and subtle seaming details! My only complaint is that as a cost-saving measure, the side rails are split in two with a support holding them together. Sound, structurally, but there’s a seam and a potential toe-stubbing issue.

    13. Windsor Floor Task Lamp, Pottery Barn
      No longer available, but this one from Rejuvenation is similar.

    14. RÖDÄRV Curtains, IKEA
      The colors in the print tie everything together.

    15. PUDERVIVA Linen Duvet Cover, IKEA
      A sophisticated color that would also be beautiful in a more toned-down room.

    16. RÖDÄRV Embroidered Pillow, IKEA
      I adore this little design, and the embroidery is a nice detail!

    17. Medallion Flatweave Rug, Williams-Sonoma Home
      Cotton, rather than my usual go-to wool, but the scale of the pattern is so good.