Mustache Art Tutorial + WonderUnder

Some of you asked for a little how to with the WonderUnder. It actually comes with some really great directions on the package, but just to get you to go out and buy some, I am going to show you some kitschy art I made this afternoon. Have I mentioned...ever...my fascination...with the mustache come back? Does this paparazzi style photo I snapped of this stranger clue you in? I don't know why, I love the mustache. It makes me laugh every time, and Mr. Sabbe and I were thinking we needed some sort of mustache related art in our apartment.

So I started with four of these hoops. Very cheap, $1 a piece.

I cut a piece of WonderUnder and ironed it to a solid fabric. Then I traced a mustache on the paper and cut it out.

  

If you rip the paper it makes it easy to pull off the fabric. The fabric will now have a sticky "iron on" backing.

After you have ironed it to your main fabric, do a zig zag or straight stitch around the applique. Zig zag is better for making sure it never frays, but straight stitch will work and make sure it never falls off in the laundry. I didn't stitch my mustaches, because I will never wash them.

  

They do make us laugh. What is your favorite 'stache style? I don't think I'll keep them up forever. Luckily these little hoops lend themselves nicely to rotating art.

Commit it to Memory

My new thing is doing a better job of committing things to memory. This includes everything from scripture memorization, to remembering how my TomTom got me to Ikea. I have also been making a better effort at actually studying design imagery. Whether it be magazine or blog, being a full time interior designer means I am inundated with fantastic imagery. And too often I smile, and say wow that's nice, I have to remember that {fill in the blank}....and then I don't. This week Brooke posted imagery from Anne Turner Carroll's kitchen that was published in the last issue of Cottage Living.

As I was studying these images I came upon a genius idea that could save a lot of kitchen renovations a lot of money!

She not only reused her existing cabinets, but she came up with the awesome idea to move them to the ceiling (if blocking is already there, that is an easy switch) which made room for that adorable shelf, but still left her with closed storage to hide all of the ugly things. I LOVE it! Seriously, love it!

Every client I have ever worked with would love to run their millwork to the ceiling. No one likes that dust shelf that a standard overhead cabinet creates. But running millwork to the ceiling is expensive. And that's why this little DIY is for sure going in the vault.

She sealed the deal with that thick crown molding, and my ever favorite white subway tiles. Good job Anne! Thanks for sharing Brooke!

Toile

As much as I love modern interiors, I will always love toile. My first major, adult sewing project was a toile duvet cover for my college apartment. It was wonky and uneven, but I loved that duvet cover.

Maybe it's the southerner in me, but toile will always be on my love list.

Burp Cloths

I worked on some overdue baby gifts tonight. Sewing is my favorite thing to do when I have had one of those days at work.

 

I {heart} applique. If you are new to sewing and haven't discovered Wonder Under, go now. It's the best. Martha Stewart has some cute templates. The possibilities are endless.
Update: I'll post a wonder under tutorial this weekend. It's so easy. You will be addicted.

Writing on the Wall

Another project on my weekend to-do list was to paint this chalkboard. The frame is from IKEA. I painted the chalkboard paint directly onto the glass. I had to add some padding behind it to make it stop making a terrible noise when I wrote. The funny thing is, I painted the frame white two weeks ago because I thought it would look good around the deer head. It didn't. It  was too busy. So I re-painted it black. It's projects like these that make my husband think I'm crazy.

I also made over this dresser last year. I bought it for $20 at a thrift store in Memphis. It was originally white and had big wooden knobs (sorry, no before and after) I painted it a satin black and bought these pulls from Target. If you have never check it out, Target has some pretty cool hardware for very good prices.

And on a completely unrelated note,keep your fingers crossed for me. I may get to go to New York with a client next week to look at furniture. I love that flying into New York for a day to look at Italian furniture is common practice for Bostonian designers, who knew, so fun.

Icing on the Cake

I will be honest, I liked the end table makeover I posted last week, but I didn't love it. Friday Lindsey sent me a text to let me know that Anthropology was having a 40% off all home good sale. I'll do a full post later on why it is a good idea to become real friends with your local blog friends. So Saturday morning I pleaded with Mr. Sabbe to please give one more try to removing the old, painted hardware...and low and behold... it came off. I immediately walked over to Anthro, which is dangerously located 3 blocks from my house, and bought these...both for $5! Aren't they pretty!? They remind me of big grandma earrings. I love them.

This evening I made these pillows. I have had this fabric since last spring when I was working on a large hotel project with my last firm. It was a sample we ordered for a headboard (i.e. it was free) It looks a little off in these photos, but they really go nicely with the end table.

 

 Let's play I Spy. Do you notice anything weird about these pillows? Not the stripe, that was purposeful. Look closer, see anything?

And that's it. I think I can confidently say I am finished with our living room (for now). Before and aftter shots later this week. I picked up some other hardware for a dresser in our bedroom. It will soon be making it's blog debut. The dresser is from my nursery when I was a baby, so I am trying to get my mom to send me a before{circa 1981} shot.

FYI: There is a hint of a mustache on the second pillow. I was thinking I would be funny and put mustache appliques on the tops of both pillows, so you could hold them up to your nose and look like you had a 'stache. Then I decided that was a bit too kitschy and aborted the idea. Well I the crushed the velvet texture on the one and did not realize it until I looked at these photos. It makes me laugh. I'm leaving it.

Design is in the Details: Vertical Surfaces

  Love it.

Notes on a Project

 I'm pretty in love with the Design Therapy blog and was excited to see one of Brad Ford's projects featured in the latest addition of Lonny. Great job Brad!

On a side note, I would like to say thank Lonny for being born. I'm in love with you too.

The Collage Pendant

We are looking at using Louis Poulsen's Collage Pendant in the project I am currently working on.

    

 

I looooove it. A decorative fixture that produces both light and shadow = amazing in my book.

End Table Makeover

Here is the before shot of my $20 Craig's List find.

And here is the after.

Lots of lessons learned on this one. Biggest lesson...if there are oil paint roses on a piece of furniture, no amount of Kiehls is going to cover it up. Sand those puppies off first, then prime. I would also LOVE to replace the pulls, but the screw are stripped and we cannot get them off. Any ideas?

I painted it three different colors before I went with this celery. I like it with my pillows. I think if I told my sweet husband I had to go back to Home Depot one more time he might ban me from projects forever, again.

Chair Makeover

My friend Heather is a designer in Atlanta. Earlier this week she sent me a photo of this chair she revitalized. How awesome is this chair!? The chevron fabric is by Paula Press and the piping was a JoAnn's find. The fact that she thought to do the piping out of a completely different, highly patterned fabric really makes the chair for me.

Good job Heather! Now start a blog so we can see all your many other creative ideas!

A Nursery for Lili

My friend Lili is having a baby! If you have been visiting my blog for very long you may have noticed that for a long time, my number one supporter was my friend Lili. She and I were in a Bible study together during the med school days and she has been a very sweet friend to me through the years. I had promised Lili this summer that I would help her with her master bedroom, and I still plan on it, but first I had to get excited for her little bun in the oven and put together a gender neutral nursery. She and her husband are waiting to find out the sex. I think that is so exciting.

For those who have asked, this was just a quick Photoshop collage. I was limited by the angles the furniture was photographed in...so it's not really a real rendering per say. I usually use 3-D AutoCAD to render a true perspective {which to most design professionals is very old school}. But honestly, I end up Photoshoping them to death in the end regardless.

I was thinking of gray and white walls, with black trim for the base and then when the baby is born she can add pink or blue accents to make it go boy or girl.  And then switch it for baby #2:)

The accent colors could be a million different things, but I think muted colors like these would be nice. She could also sub the gray portion of the wall stripe out for a color if this option is too stark.

 Most everything in this rendering can be found at Target:
Rocker and ottoman
Pillow
Floor Lamp
Changing dresser  (on sale)
Curtains 
(buy one shower curtain, cut in half. fold over the edges and iron with hem tape. add clip on rings to top)
Frames
Light fixture
Crib
Shelf (paint or paper the back)
Branch vase
Bird vase
Rug
Bird decals

Congrats Lili and Jeremy! You are going to be wonderful parents.

Warm Modernism

Thomas O'Brien is known for creating "warm modernist" spaces. This is his home in New York, it was published in Interior Design Magazine in 2003, which means it was probably designed between 2001 and 2002. I think it's a good example that modern/mid century design can be just as timeless as traditional interiors.

 

 

The way people stage a room is always interesting to me. I'm not so sure about the unmade bed look. I think it may be trying too hard to make it look "warm". By the way, do you read Dwell? Dwell! Quit putting people in every room scene. One or two is plenty. We want to see the design of the space, not a man in his robe eating a bowl of cereal. If you've seen this month's issue, you'll know what I'm talking about. Otherwise, I love you Dwell.

Design is in the Details

good job Kelly Hoppen

Living Room Additions

Over the holiday week I made a few new pillows for our sofa. I used a couple of my favorite Amy Butler fabrics. I also braved IKEA this past Saturday {crazy} to pick up the floor lamp I've had my eye on. We have no overhead lighting in our living room and no room for end tables next to our sofa, so the arm on this guy makes it the perfect solution. I replaced the plastic shade with a linen drum shade I found for $9.00 at Target.

And I finally committed to hanging some frames.

I am almost done with my living room, almost. I'll post full room shots soon, then we can move again, right?

Once upon a time {this past summer} a sweet lady emailed me about sending her photographs of my apartment for the Globe. I told her it was really not in great shape and I would work hard and get back to her in two weeks. Fast forward 4 months, READY now. But I cannot find your email address. Are you out there?

I also made two completely unrelated purchases.

How cute are these shoes!? I want to wear them everywhere. Forever 21. Go get some, guaranteed to make you feel pretty. I will note that Saturday night Mr. Sabbe had to piggy back me home from a dinner party, but I am kind of a whimp.

Carlee, I think you need this pair. Chris will carry you home.

I also bought the pretty little number to the right on Craig's List for $20. She's getting a paint job and will be making her blog debut shortly. Stay tuned.

Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective

A friend from NY emailed me yesterday to let me know that Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective is currently at MASS MoCA {thanks Lauren} So amazing! I think it's a must see.

Modern Mama

Who says modern can't be kid friendly? These little squirts look like they are having a pretty good time.

I will admit, I have the baby bug. But it's nothing new. I'm from the South. We start planning how many children we are going to have and name each one, when we're about six years old. Then we send those names off to the monogrammer.

image

Panton Paired

I have always been a bit indifferent about the Vitra Panton Chair. I don't love it, I don't hate it. But today, when I came across it paired with this traditional dining table, I decided to move it to the higher end of the like list. What do you think?

image

Meet Me on the Lawn

At Toole Ad agency you can meet someone on the lawn on the way to the break room.

The conference rooms are below grade and grass is planted in a tray like deck on top. It's an interior green roof! love it.

 

 

I love the way they did these offices.... looooove frameless glass.

Side Note: I once designed a corporate office space where we used a ton of frameless glass. I thought it was so clean and crisp and some how convinced our client that they did not need to put any type of film on the glass for safety reasons. I believe my exact words were "no one is just going to walk into a door, it has a handle. They will see it, trust me." A week later I am on the job site, doing the punch list and I hear SMACK. I turn around and a senior accountant, who works for the firm, is holding his nose...blood running down his mouth. My client looks at me and smiles.
I designed a film pattern for the glass that afternoon.

 

 

I love this space. I not only want to work here, but I want a client that is this fun.

images Interior Design Magazine

Chevron Tutorial Recall + the deer

First things first. Thank you to whoever commented about the contact paper ruining their walls. I forgot to mention a very important detail. Both walls I have applied this technique to have been lath and plaster, NOT drywall. I am understanding from a few comments that this may not work so well on drywall. I would believe them and steer clear. Damaged drywall is a waaaay bigger deal than painting where you were not supposed to. PLEASE don't ruin your walls by doing this tutorial. I will feel SO terrible.

I will say that the birds I did in my last house were up for two years and were easy to peel off when we were ready to move. So if you do have lath and plasters walls, you should be good to go.

Secondly, some people have asked about the deer head. Along with chevron, I was very big on the animal heads this past summer. I love, love, love this Etsy shop, but they were all out of my price range. So after looking everywhere, and even pricing a form and antlers for a major DIY attempt, I found this guy on Ebay for $25...

He is made of resin and the best part is, his antlers are detachable. So spray painting just the head was super easy.

For about $30 total, I think he's just as good as, if not better, than the Z Gallery version and almost 1/8th the price. I wish I could find the Ebay dealer, but I didn't see them when I looked. If you like it, I would check Ebay every now and then and see if they re-post them. My search was "deer head"

And to wrap this very wordy blog post up, please do not put contact paper on your drywall!

Can my conscious be clear now?

Tutorial: Contact Paper Chevron Wall

Like many city dwellers, we live in an apartment where we are not allowed to paint. At first, I was a little thrown off about what I could do to make the apartment unique and fun without painting. During that same time I had been searching high and low (unsuccessfully) for a navy blue chevron fabric to use for pillows on my sofa. This past fall I was on a big chevron kick. Then the idea came to me... I'll do a chevron on the wall with contact paper! The entire process was very easy, 1 hour start to finish.

Materials:

1 roll of contact paper

ruler

measuring tape

scissors

pencil

painters tape

exacto blade

optional: architectural triangle

Steps:

1. Measure the width of your wall.

2. Roll out contact paper to that length, add 2 inches.

3. Contact paper is gridded on the back, so if even if you do not have a triangle, you can figure it out. The triangle made it VERY easy. I aligned it with the bottom of the paper and drew one triangle. Then I took my quilting ruler (you could use a regular ruler) and drew a parallel triangle.

 

4. Cut out your first chevron and tape, centered, on your wall. Leave the extra inch in the crack of the wall on each side.

 

 5. To apply to the wall, peel one triangle at a time, ripping the paper off of the backside and smoothing to wall. This is the part that takes a little patience. Once you get it smooth, take your exacto blade, score both ends in the corner, and peel off excess contact paper.

6. Once you get your first one on the wall, measure from the bottom points to where you would like your next row to start. Measure every point and mark with a pencil. This is how you will align your next row.

7. Do the same for the rest of the wall.

 

 Two people would have made this project easier.

This four legged person was very unhelpful.

 

Don't they look super excited to be sitting next to their new chevron wall. The deer is excited. Good Luck! Happy Chevroning

UPDATE: I should have mentioned that in both houses I have tried this in (I did birds in my last house), the walls are lath and plaster, not drywall. Some people have commented that this does not do so well on drywall, so please proceed with caution!! The birds were up for two years and peeled off no problem when we sold the house.

Also, BIG thanks to Design*Sponge for featuring this tutorial! That made my day.