Cavallini Butterflies. I used
this paper in Lucy’s nursery.
Framing single sheets of high quality gift wrap or handmade
fine paper is an easy and inexpensive way to fill a wall with art.
I’ve used these types of papers in both my kids’ bedrooms to add
accent colors and fun images.
Paper Source is my go-to place for a great selection of both
fine papers and fun gift wrap sheets. I actually worked there while
we lived in Seattle, and remain a huge fan of their products to
this day. They have such a variety, you could easily find one
to work in every room of your house, or buy a few, trim them
to various sizes and create a gallery wall. Here is a small
sampling of the vast choices, with
prices between $3.95 and $6.50 a sheet.
Rifle Paper Co. Midnight
FloralRifle Paper Co.
Ombre.Paper Source Seattle
MapCavallini
Skeleton.Blue Watercolor Stripes fine
paper.Gold Scallops on Sea Green fine
paper.
If your budget is super tight, just forgo the frame and use
Scotch Removable Mounting Squares to adhere it to your
wall without damaging the paper or your walls. I’ve had great
success with these, they have superior wall adhesion.
The fine papers would also work nicely to cover the back of a
bookcase, adding a pop of color without the permanence of paint.
Check out Paper
Source’s website to find just the right accent for your
decor.
What is cozier than the image of a woodland animal preparing
their nest for the cold season? You, feathering yours! Sweet
little forest animals are popping up on all kinds of decor
accessories. In my book, a bit of kitsch adds a bunch of charm.
Maybe you should invite one of these fur-inspired finds to
spend the season in your home?
Call me crazy, but that last squirrel is so corny, he’s cute.
Imagine him nestled in with your display of tiny gourds and
heirloom pumpkins… Happy fall everyone!
A collection of fabric patterns
that will work together to create a cohesive, but cozy dining
nook.
Love that eclectic, but pulled together look of a room that has
multiple fabric patterns on various surfaces? Me too. I like how
multiple prints in a room lends a layered, welcoming
vibe. Truly, I just love fabric, pattern and color in general,
and over the years I’ve hit on how to balance it all, without
making it feel like a visual assault.
I have plans to cover my dining bench in cushions and pillows to
create a spot for reading, working and lingering over dinner. The
color pallet is three parts indigo blue, one part poppy and
one part golden pumpkin. My goal is for the nook to have a
global-bohemian appeal, and to feel casual and cozy. Here are the
fabrics I am choosing and how they work together.
1.Choose a print that incorporates most of the colors you intend
to use in the space. This fabric or pattern will lead you
through choosing all of the others. For me, this is a fabric by
Robert Allen, with a medium-scale ikat pattern, that I will use for
a pillow or two for the dining bench.
2. Play with scale. This next fabric has a very large-scale
paisley pattern, which I love. It will also be on pillows for the
dining bench. A pattern like this would also look amazing on
drapery panels. Conversely, I plan to use a small-scale dot print
for the bench cushion, which will help in hiding crumbs and the
inevitable spills.
3. Pull out accents from your main fabric. The first fabric
has little hits of poppy red and golden apricot. I’ll use these
next two fabrics to warm and brighten up the room. They will
provide a happy foil to the all of the cool blues.
4. Provide a place for your eye to rest. Bring in a solid with
texture, to balance all of the pattern. I like this linen blend for
its softness and warm hue. I’ll use it on a lumbar pillow for the
bench.
Mixing patterns is all about balancing scale and color.
Repetition of the same hue in several fabrics weaves a common
thread, while introducing pops of complementary colors provides
warmth. Using patterns of varying scale, but with a
similar theme (ikat), creates visual variation, but not
discord. I hope that you’re now inspired, not intimidated, to
combine different fabrics to add charm and cheer to your
home.
Valley Vintage Market is an exciting monthly flea
market held at the Central Valley Road Grange Hall. This
month’s event is Friday the 18th from 3-7pm and Saturday
the 19th from 9am-4pm. You’ll find all sorts of vintage
treasures and re-purposed furniture, as well as work by
local artists. Check out their facebook page for additional sneak-peek photos. The
market’s address is 10140 Central Valley Road, Poulsbo.
This month, I’m excited to discover the illustrations and
chalk-work of Poulsbo artist Brynn James, who recently won the
nation-wide mug design contest for Starbucks. Her
chalk-painted silver trays would be a sweet accent in just
about any room of the house.
It’s so hard to let summer go. In an attempt to extend the
season, I’m bringing a bit of the outdoors in. Succulents are
beautiful, and they can thrive indoors, given the right
conditions. They also add a natural, textural design element
to any room. I gathered some small containers at home and
purchased several little succulents at one of my favorite
garden shops, Bremerton City Nursery.
Your succulents need to have good drainage and a spot near
a window, so they get about 6 hours of sunlight a day. I
placed a layer of small stones at the bottom of each container,
removed the plant from its pot, loosening the soil and exposing
some of the roots. Then I tucked them into their new homes. I
watered them just enough to soak the soil. Do not over-water your
succulents! When they are inside during fall and winter, they
require even less water than when outdoors. Wait until the soil is
completely dry before watering them again.
I chose to group my succulents together on a tray for
maximum impact, but they would also look nice sprinkled throughout
a bookcase display, on a kitchen window sill, on the bathroom
vanity or even as a centerpiece at your next dinner party.
I recently had the pleasure of walking along
Poulsbo’s Front Street for the first time in far too long. I
was so happy to find some new shops, brimming with great
vintage decor finds. Among my favorites is Red Plantation Marketplace. Owner Gabrielle Elliott
has curated a great mix of vendors offering all sorts of vintage
furniture, from pieces with an industrial edge to rustic chic,
and lots in between.
Gabrielle also stocks Amy
Howard products — a collection of chalk and milk
paints, as well as waxes and finishes — and teaches classes on how
to use the products. In the next session, held at 1 p.m.
on Thursday, September 24, she’ll walk you through
steps to get an aged look when painting furniture. I’d like to
attend one of the classes myself, as the chalk painted furniture
trend is far from over.
Even if taking the class isn’t for you, this shop is well worth
a visit to get inspired from the creative displays and grab a
few vintage accessories to personalize your home.
Sue wrote to me with a request for pantry organization
solutions. Hers is under the stairs, so it is quite oddly shaped.
While it seems she is all set with efficient pantry-depth
shelving, she still has struggles. She sent some photos:
In studying the photos she sent in, I came up with five good
tips that just might help her keep what she needs within easy
reach.
Think of your pantry in terms of zones: Baking, Canned
Goods, Boxed Foods, Tupperware, Glassware, Small Appliances, Party
Supplies, etc. Put items from the most used zones in the front.
This helps tremendously when it’s time to prep a meal and when
groceries come home.
An over-the-door clear plastic shoe organizer can
hold your seasoning packets, soup mixes, back stocks of
spices, even canned items or animal treats.
Magazine holders are just the right size to hold
aluminum foil, Saran wrap, and wax paper upright and make it easy
to grab.
Use milk crates, or plain cardboard boxes to corral larger
items like appliances or bulk bottled water on the floor of the
pantry.
Small- and medium-sized, clear or perforated bins work
perfectly for grouping like items. Use one for all of your pasta,
one for your grains, one for bags of rice, one for beans. You can
use them for canned goods too. Label them clearly. It’s
much easier to pull out a whole bin, than to push items aside, to
find something at the back.
Here are some suggestions to help with the process. All of the
following products can be found at Target stores or at
Target.com.
Have a lamp that needs a refresh? So did I. A while back, I
bought a pair of ceramic ginger jar lamp bases at the magnificent,
annual Bainbridge Island Rotary
Auction. I knew they had potential, and at $2.50 each, it
was hardly a gamble. The pale yellow finish was cracked and drab,
so I covered them with Krylon’s high gloss white spray
paint. While they didn’t turn out quite as glossy as I
thought they would, it was still a vast improvement over their
previous color.
Next, I bought two basic white drum shades at Target and covered
them with burlap. On the inside of the shades, I used burlap ribbon
from Paper
Source, to cover the uneven glued edges. Covering a lampshade
with fabric is an inexpensive and simple way to add another layer
of texture or pattern to a room, and I’m a big fan.
How much material you’ll need for the project depends on the
size of your shade, but take into consideration whether the shade
is straight or angled. Angled shades will use more fabric. Here is
a basic step by step.
Lay your shade down on top of the fabric piece, lining up the
seam on the shade with the edge of the fabric. Then move it in
about two or so inches, giving yourself an extra two inches or so,
to fold under and make a nice seam at the end.
Use a pencil or fabric marker to trace the bottom edge of the
shade as you roll it across the fabric, so that you’ve made a
complete turn from the start of the shade, all the way to the other
side of it. Line the shade back up at the start and repeat
the tracing with the top edge of the shade.
Make a line connecting the top and bottom lines. Now, add about
two inches of height to each the top and bottom lines. This is your
pattern. Cut on the outside lines.
To adhere the fabric to the shade you can use fabric glue or
hot glue. Starting at the vertical seam on the shade, glue
down the first edge of the fabric. Wrap the fabric around the
shade, pulling it taught as you go. Fold under the last couple of
inches, to create a clean looking seam and glue. The trick
here is to keep that fabric tight while wrapping and gluing, so the
completed product doesn’t look baggy.
Fold the top edges of fabric toward the inside of the shade,
and glue as you go. Repeat with the bottom edge. You can
either try to make the folds look nice or use a complementary
ribbon, like I did, to cover any jagged edges.
If you want to further embellish the shade, you can glue a
decorative trim or ribbon on the outside bottom and top edges. Here
is a before and after of my project!
BEFORE: The drab yellow wasn’t a good complement to
my decor.
AFTER: This lamp now fits in with its
surroundings.
