Tuesday, March 31, 2015

design vs SPORTS


This is post is for all my sports fans out there!! (...you there?)

I think we are all familiar with the term Man Cave.  This room is usually sequestered to the basement, hidden from guests, and is occupied by the husband and all of his bachelor stuff.  For example: the big (HUGE) screen TV, the poster of dogs playing poker, and lots of sports memorabelia that just wouldn't look good in the main living room of the home.  Sound familiar?

Well, I was recently contacted by Fanatics.com.  Come again?  Turns out they are reaching out to bloggers, like myself, and would like to get our take on a well decorated "Fan Cave."  Hmmm...I think it's so easy for a sports room to go wrong, design wise, so I was intrigued by this challenge.  The only guidelines were to select a NFL jersey from their website, and share my design.  GAME ON





I recently moved to Portland, Oregon so I thought to choose our team, well that is until I remembered we don't have one.....So who else can represent the northwest? The Seattle Seahawks it is!
I can definitely work with this team's jersey: Navy blue, grey, and a punch of bright green.








I started with a neutral grey wall knowing that it would get covered with sports paraphernalia.  Then I found this handsome leather sectional in an espresso brown.  It is comfy to stretch out on, but has a tailored profile- no pillow-back recliners here!  And if someone spills a drink, just wipe it right off.  (It's not pigskin, but that's the idea.)  Next I wanted to punch some color into this design and found these great metal green coffee tables.  They are durable enough for the outdoors, so it can surely survive a "Fan Cave."  Green is repeated in the modern, geometric rug and adds some much needed pattern to this room.  The retro floor lamp reminds me of bright stadium lights, and the old-school clock can probably be found in the locker room.  The rustic wood finish on the end table is the perfect spot for a bowl of chips (...and dip?).  I added some bold stripes on the wall to unify the prized team jersey and other Seahawk paraphernalia.  STOP THE CLOCK




I think this is a sports den worthy to share with your guests, don't you?  There's no reason that sports and good design can't exist together.  It's all about balance, and using the sports team as inspiration instead of recreating the team's gift shop in your home (Haha- you know who you are...)

So it all comes down to this.... Does my mismatch design score a touch-down on this Seattle Seahawk's "Fan Cave"?





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SOURCES

Jersey: Fanatics
Sofa, End table, Clock, Picture ledges: West Elm
Coffee tables, Rug, Floor lamp: CB2



Sunday, March 29, 2015

dining table FLIP: Part 3


We posted our dining table on Craigslist Wednesday.  As I mentioned, everyone likes to negotiate and haggle the price on this website, so we started at a price way higher than I ever expected to sell it for.  I thought it was crazy, but if no one replies, we'll just lower our price and post it again.

To my shock, we got an email reply on Thursday.  She said she will pick it up on Saturday.  And for how much? Exactly what we asked for- she didn't even talk about price!  I was flabbergasted (yes, flabbergasted)....My husband said to come by anytime after 5:30pm on Saturday.  How awesome is that?

On Friday she emailed us her phone number to arrange the pick up. It was a good sign she was following up on the purchase.

Saturday morning she texted and asked if we'd go 20% less, and my husband replied offering to settle for 10%.  And surprisingly she agreed- yay!

Then Saturday afternoon I was at work finishing my late lunch.  I was about to check my phone and just had a feeling bad news was waiting for me.  Sure enough, there was a text from my husband that our buyer pulled out.  Seriously?!  She said they decided to go with something else.  But something felt off to me, and I suggested we give her one more price reduction, and if still nothing, to let it be.  We offered 40% off our original price.  Two seconds later they agreed- Ha!

The table was picked up before I got home from work.  I was so excited.  40% off is the price I really had in my head all along.  While I'm not surprised it didn't sell at our original listing, I am still surprised someone even contacted us about it.  Just like they say, all you need is ONE.

The original cost of the table with the added cost of supplies, we profited $28.00.  It's not life changing, but its a 100% profit from our purchase price of the table.  Not too bad for our first flip, right?

Now I can't wait for the next project!



If you missed the DIY post, here it is 'dining table FLIP: Part 2'

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

sheers by SURPRISE


Yesterday I went to my local West Elm to look for new bedding.  I was on the search for Kate Spade Saturday Floral Duvet Cover + Shams.  I was a bit sad when I couldn't find them in the store, so I kept looking around for some more design inspiration.

Not only did I find some inspiration, but I found a great deal.  I was scoping the sale section, as you should know is my new favorite past time, and found some geometric sheers.





by ME




I think these would look pretty cool in my living room.  I showed them to my husband, and he agreed without hesitation- YES.  However, I couldn't find the tag with the name of the sheer.  Everything else was tagged, so I figured they must be out of stock already...

I found a cool lamp and pendant, but came back over to the drapery section.  I looked through all the packages and finally found two on the bottom row, marked at 50% off.  They did not have more in the back, but said I could buy these two for 75%  off.  What a steal, but I need more than two for my bay window.  I asked if they could check their Seattle location.  Looks like they should have 14 in the system, but turns out they had none....But then we found seven in California- put those babies on HOLD!









I bought the last two in Portland to take home and confirm they were going to work in our living room.  Of course, this idea was totally out of the blue.  I had been planning to use decorative panels in between and on the outside of the bay window.  I could picture these in my design right away.  I like the Moroccan, geometric, and feminine feel they bring to our space.  Sheers will filter the light in our space and cover our builder grade metal blinds.

When I got home I learned that my ceilings aren't quite 8 feet tall, so I'll need to hem them a bit.  The panels are 48"W, and sheers should be about 2x-3x fullness.  This makes the sheers look more luxurious, and not as if you hung a sheet up on the wall (very college-esque).  As a discontinued item there is only a limited amount available, so mine will be about 2x fullness. That means 1 panel per 24 linear inches.  


(PS....You can still find the Rosette Tile Burnout Curtain online in the 84"L)


Monday, March 23, 2015

dining table FLIP: Part 2

Like I mentioned in "time for TABLES," I found the perfect pedestal table for our dining space.  Only thing is, I already bought one at a thrift store a month ago.  So, I decided to seize the moment and take this as an opportunity to do my first furniture flip.

I thought of several color combos for the table, and asked for your opinions last week in my post "dining table FLIP."  (Thanks family and friends for sharing your opinions on Facebook!)

Here's a behind-the-scenes look:





Before: Here is the dining table.  It has a finish coat on it so it's quite glossy.



 

Before: I'm also going to advertise it as a console table or buffet.  With folding leafs on either side,     it's multifunctional in your home.





Before: Here's another view to see both leaves folded down





These are the supplies I used on this flip.  I went to Lowe's because I knew they would have everything (and it was near Jamba Juice!).





I read through a handful of articles about refinishing wood furniture on Pinterest.  I decided to go with chalk paint because no prep work was required.  However, my husband was so excited to buy a sander, we decided to give it a light sanding.





I didn't think it was necessary to paint every surface of the table, but a border on the underside of the tabletop would be a nice detail .   I taped a border about the width of the masking tape all around the underside.





It was suggested to use a foam roller to apply the chalk paint.  I was surprised to see so many bubbles pop up as I was rolling, but they all disappeared and was not an issue when it dried- phew!  The skies were getting awfully dark grey, so my husband urged that we take the table inside.  That's what happens in Portland rainy season...We finished the first coat in our dining room by dinner time.




The next day my husband applied a second coat of paint.   The day after that he sanded the table top, but paint came off in a few spot and touched it up.  

A few days later we applied the sealer in a satin finish.  The instructions said to paint it on, let it sit for 1-2 minutes, then wipe off with a cloth.  That's what I did, and some paint was wiping off with the sealer....I was so nervous to continue at this point.  By the time we finished, almost an hour later, we had a good system in place.  I apply the thinnest about of sealer, and feather it out till nothing is left.  Then a moment later my husband wiped it off.  Now I know for next time- and there will be a next time!





After: Here is the new grey dining table!!  It's several shades lighter than the paint chip implied, but it still looks like a whole new table.  Much more contemporary , wouldn't you say?  This could easily work with any style home.





After: And I just love it as a console...I kind of want to keep it.  It's perfect for displaying your favorite accessories, or some family photos.  Or use it as a drink station at your next party- I'll have a Cosmo, please.





After:  Here you can see the border of paint on the underside of the tabletop.  I know it's not mind blowing, but I think it's a nice finishing touch.

I'll be posting it on Craigslist today or tomorrow.   If it doesn't sell on its own, I'll flip two dining chairs to go with it.  I hope that someone will appreciate the labor we put into our first Flip!






I can't believe how much better this table looks now.  So how much is it worth?  Everyone tries to haggle the price on Craigslist, so what should we list it for, and settle for?





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SOURCES

Photos: my ME and my HUSBAND


Thursday, March 19, 2015

time for GREEN


I didn't find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, or search for 4-leaf clovers, but I did find some leafy pins to share with you.

Have you been seen my new board "some outdoors INSIDE" over on Pinterest?

For the first time in my life, I'm seriously considering some indoor plants in my townhouse.  This is not my thing, trust me....But with the popularity of succulents and air plants over the last few years, as well as other large potted plants that can live indoors, I figured I should jump on the band wagon!





               SF Girl by Bay










    Flicker, Olivia Rae James


Have you joined the bandwagon for indoor plants?  Which do you recommend if I don't have a green thumb, and limited sunlight?


Sunday, March 15, 2015

dining table FLIP

As you saw in my last post, I found a new round, pedestal table last week which is perfect for our dining space.  So what do I do with the one we already found at the thrift store?  Flip it, of course!

Did you ever see the show Flea Market Flip? It used to be on HGTV a while back.  The premise of the show is that two teams each have one hour to find three items at a flea market for the best deal they can.  Then they have one day to "flip" their items, which means to give them a makeover.  Then they return to a flea market to sell their "flips" with the goal to make the highest profit, and win the ultimate prize of the show.  It never gets old!

Some flips turn out better than others, but it is just so much fun to watch.  It really gets our wheels turning!  This extra dining table of ours is the perfect opportunity to get our feet wet in this business.





This is the dining set I bought.  It wasn't sold as a set, but I pulled it together to be so.  You can see it can be used as a dining table or as a console.  The leaves fold down on either side, which makes it multifunctional.  I want to spruce it up, but I'm debating how creative I want to get.





1. Refinish the wood top, and paint the base navy blue:  Navy is a great neutral, and is something a little different but not distracting.

2.  Refinish the wood top and paint the base black: This is such a classic combination, and adds some sophistication.

3.  Paint the top Kelly Green, and the base charcoal grey.  The pop of Kelly Green is energizing.

4.  Paint the whole table a tone of teal.  It's a burst of color, but with some grey in it still makes it more livable.  On the other hand, maybe going bright teal is the way to go with a bold statement?

5.  Paint the whole table charcoal grey.  It is a soft and modern neutral.  It will go with any decor you have.

6.  Paint the whole table mint.  This color is everywhere these days, and pastels are still popular this year.  (Plus, it was my wedding color in 2012 <3  )


My husband and I both have the day off on Tuesday, so that's our day to get this flip flopped. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

I am going to post it for sale on Craigslist.  I'd like to make top dollar for it- especially because our new table cost a bit more than expected!  Which option do you think will do best in Portland?


*** visit "dining table FLIP: Part 2" to see which color I painted the table***


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SOURCES

Photos: my HUSBAND
Drawings: by ME


Thursday, March 12, 2015

time for TABLES

If you read my post 'dilemma of a RAG RUG' you'll know I was debating between the display rug and the one I actually brought home.  But I couldn't get a realistic feel for the rug without a coffee table, so I borrowed my nightstands to act as small coffee tables or ottomans.  (They were actually end tables in my last apartment).  After persuading my husband, I mean explaining to him why I like the two small tables instead of a large coffee table, he is totally on board.  So, now I'll explain it to you.





My reasoning is for flexibility and to break the space up a bit.  There are several large rectangles in our living space already.  The sofa console, sofa, media units, end table, and even the dining table.  It is starting to look like blocks and obstacles to move around.  I was also thinking about where to put the large coffee table when I do my workout videos, or when we extend the sleeper sofa.  I just had a feeling I was going to dread lifting that thing every time.  Plus, I can only use that as an excuse for not exercising for so long!





Do you see how the small square tables make the space feel a bit lighter?  If not, just take my word for it, it makes a difference.  They can even double as extra seating if you really think about it, right?

Did you notice the other improvement?  It's big and round....Yup, it's the new round pedestal dining table.  We went to IKEA for a walk (I know you're smirking at that) and ended up at the famous 'As Is' section.  After stalking the Ingatorp Extendable Table for an hour until closing, my husband went back the next morning and bought it for an excellent discount- ALRIGHT!





(View towards stairs)

I initially wanted a round pedestal table to keep the flow smooth and improve circulation in our small space.  Not only will it sit four people easily, but it opens up and has a butterfly hinge system with a leaf in the center.  It's a great investment piece, and will have longevity over the years.





(View towards kitchen)

Lastly, we moved our end table across the room, next to the door.  I didn't want two black tables next to each other, plus it was getting a bit snug.  Now it serves as the drop-off zone for my husband's stuff when he walks in the door, instead of just a pile on the floor- much better!  It also looks brighter with the side of the light grey sofa fully exposed.

Remember to 'missmatch' the shapes in your space.  It's good to have repetition, but a space also needs accents for variety.  There are several rectangles, a pair of squares, and two circles in different sizes.  Variety keeps the eye moving around the space, and keeps it interesting.





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SOURCES

Drawings: by ME

Sunday, March 8, 2015

apartment therapy TRENDS



I subscribe to Apartment Therapy and read this great article today that really resonated with my design style for my Portland townhouse.

The article, 9 Colorful Trends to Brighten Up Your Home touches on most of the ideas that I love right now.  In my opinion they are not strictly trends.  Depending how you use these so-called trends, that can have a timeless appeal.









I especially love the bold artwork, Moroccan rag rugs, indoor plants (but not so large), and a colorful bedspread focal point.  Have you seen the rug I'm thinking to use in my living space?  See it here.

What's your favorite trend that you can use in your home?


Thursday, March 5, 2015

dilemma of a RAG RUG

Two nights ago I went grocery shopping with my husband at a mega store.  It had all of the amenities of a Wal-mart, but fancier.  We went to the home area to buy some small trash bins for the kitchen, then made our way to the grocery section.  But then I pulled over because something gorgeous caught my eye...





WOW......Aren't the colors just amazing? I just love how bright it is, and I love the texture.  I have been looking for a super colorful rug and this might just be it.  Or is it a bit too crazy?  Okay, back to the grocery list!




So, this rug totally reminds me of this image I found on Pinterest.  It's just a mish-mash of colors, but more modern in a geometric pattern:








My husband surprised me the next day.  When I came home from work, he had the rug sitting in the back of his car.  As he carried it inside, I thought it looked a bit red/purple heavy, but who can really tell from the outside of the roll, right?








Apparently, I could!  This was definitely not the same coloring as the display rug- shoot....My excitement plummeted...You can see in the photo it is very heavy on the red, magenta, purple colors on the right half of the rug.  Then totally opposite, the left 1/4th of the rug is super neutral with grey, green and blue.  So random...  I decided to leave it out for the night and see how I felt the next day.

When I came down the stairs this morning, it wasn't so awful anymore.  From going to a white room, to plopping down this mega colorful rug was a bit shocking last night.  I kept it out to give myself time to adjust, and I'm still adjusting.  It is also stealing all of the attention in the room because I do not have any other accessories, or pieces for it to make sense with yet.  





See our "lovely" brown carpet?  Well, that's exactly why I want to add color with a rug in our living space!





And here comes the color... It's a lot to take in, but it may work.  I'm thinking that having these rich colors grounding the space will allow me to experiment with some neon up on the walls.  It may create the balance I need to work with such bright colors around the room.





I brought down our night tables to help me envision a coffee table or ottomans on top of the rug.  (I'm not sure what color our "coffee table" will be yet.)  At this point in time, I'm staring intensely at the rug because it's the only thing to look at so far.  In real life, the rug will be a supporting player and not the main attraction.  A gallery wall, drapery, and soft accessories will really bring everything together.





But again, the multi-colors of the display rug is what I originally fell in love with.  I'm going to head back to the store and ask if they will sell their display.  The nature of the handmade rag rugs is that each of them are so different, and that's the beauty of them.  The key is to find the right one for your design aesthetic and scheme.  




Hmm....I'm not sure how I feel about the colors, or the overall weave yet.  I have to admit that it is very cushy under my feet, which is an added selling point.  I'll let you know what I decide.  Any thoughts?


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SOURCES

Photography: by ME


Monday, March 2, 2015

my portland STYLE



OMG- I can't believe I've been in Portland for 4 months already...and there is nothing on the walls!!

It's been a slow process of recovering from moving costs, finding furniture deals and unpacking along the way.  But I think it's just about that time for the fun design part to take over- yay!

A while back, I mentioned that I want to explore how to use neon colors in a living space.  Portland seems like the perfect place to try something off the beaten path.  Keeping it weird, as they say here.  Neon yellow seems to keep creeping into my subconscious, so I'm pretty sure that will be my accent color.  I'm going for an eclectic artsy feel with a mix of patterns and styles.

I've been adding inspiration ideas to my secret board on Pinterest.  I want our Portland home to be light, bright, and electrifying.  Neutrals paired with color and neon for balance and contrast.

Here are some of my inspirations:



































So, does it look bright and happy to you?  And a bit artsy?  I'm finally having some clarity on colors for the downstairs area.  Stay tuned for more inspiration photos from my secret board on Pinterest.  I plan to reveal my board to you by April, and  I'll share more of me design with you as I go.


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