A Master Bedroom In Pink Fit For A (Yas) Queen

Guys, I've been working on a super fun client project that's finally coming together after months of planning and work. We're re-doing a kitchen, living room, a master bedroom and 2 bathrooms... I'm so happy with the way things are coming along & I can't wait to share images of the finished spaces BUT we're not exactly photo ready at the moment. Now that most of the design decision have been made I thought I'd start sharing a few of our mood boards so you can see what I've been up to... Starting with the master bedroom. The space has some challenges like a permanent AC window unit and it was in need of a paint refresh.  Nothing was crazy wrong with the room, like a loot of bedrooms the space was just a little neglected. Luckily, my client already had a great canopy bed and two white side tables so I incorporate them into the design.  I've still got a few exciting tricks up my sleeve, including a majorly exciting window treatment, but I'll save those for the final reveal! Keep reading for a look at our inspiration and the DL on the key pieces I used to bring this space to life.  

This home is located in South Kensington, London. Designed by Dyer Grimes Architects, via Home Adore.

1.// Oberlin Buffet Lamp: These lamps are super tall like super models. It's hard to tell when you see them online but they are really tall and well proportioned. The room has super high ceilings so these bad girls do a good job of anchoring the space on either side of the bed. 

2.// Mid-Century Nightstand: The side tables are simple, clean functional. I especially like the delicate legs. 

3.// Via Marble Bookcase: The bookshelf is technically just outside the bedroom in the hall but it belongs in our rose gold color palette. We got rid of a bookshelf in another part of the house so this little guy was really needed!  Bonus points for being the sexiest bookshelf in the land. It's even prettier in person! 

images via T Magazine // photography by Henry Bourne

4.// Cultiver Linen Bedding: I wanted a modern "unmade" feel for the bed to counteract the uber feminine color palette of the space.  Not all bedding looks good wrinkled so mastering the "unmade" bed without looking like a slob requires picking just the right texture (linen works great) & style (read simple).  I love the casual cool vibe of this bed by designer Fey Toogood. For my client, I chose sheets and pillows in 2 shades, Blush, and Dusk. Because clearly pink on pink is the theme here.

5.// Black and White Mudclot Pillow: This extra long pillow adds just the right pop of black and breaks up the sea of pink without going to a fussy, lots of pillows, place. 

6.// Architecture Bed: The canopy bed is simple and elegant. I think it adds just the right amount of glam with a kinda tough girl vibe. 

7.// Ralph Lauren Paint in Bonneted & Box Pleat: For the walls I originally thought I wanted to use Ralph Lauren Bonneted but when we got a test section painted on the wall it felt a little too pink. So, I mixed it with another Ralph Lauren paint (Box Pleat) to tone it down. A 50/50 Mix of these two colors produced the most beautiful shade!  I love mixing a custom shade just be sure to keep track of the ratio so you can recreate it for touch ups. That's why I like a 50/50 mix... Simple! 

8.// Smythson Shagreen Dresser: The texture of this dresser is unbelievable in person! I didn't want to add another wood finish to the space so the faux shagreen of the dresser worked perfectly! 

9.// Half Moon Mirror:  If a mirror and fiber art had a baby it would look like this. I'm in love with this piece. 

10.// Cobble Hill Ellen Bench: Again it's had to see in a picture but in person the scale of this bench is just perfect for the end of a bed!  I love that it ties back in with the white of the side table.

11.// Tufted Jellyfish Rug: This little rug is going to sit at the foot of the bed and keep the vibe of the room from getting too serious. I'm layering it over a larger natural-fiber rug that will cover more floor space.  Because the image is so pretty it didn't make any sense to hide 3/4 of the rug under the bed.  

Head over to Pinterest & check out more pieces from this Dreamy pink boudoir!!

A totally removable wall covering

A while back I shared my tips for creating a totally removable fabric wall covering on Design*Sponge. I love the ease and relative flexibility of this project because wallpaper can be super-intimidating, whether you’re a renter who’s simply not allowed to adhere anything to your walls or someone who lived through the 80s and has bad memories of even-worse wallpapers. The materials and labor are not cheap, and what if you change your mind? The options are basically endless for fabric walls & I can't wait to tray out another version some time soon!!! In the mean time, keep reading for my full step-by-step guide, or head over to the One Kings Lane Style Blog to check out the video and see the hanging process in action. 

To keep costs super low, I made a hand-dyed fabric the mimics the look of Shibori to adorn the walls of our bedroom for the project. I used several yards of Muslin (an inexpensive fabric used mostly for pattern making) and a couple bottles of Gray Rit Dye to create my fabric. 

Cut & Dye

To get started I measured and cut my fabric to fit, leaving an extra couple of inches on all sides (you'll cut that off later). Once I had my fabric sections cut, I folded the lengths of the fabric accordion style and held the folds in place with large binder clips. Next, I mixed up a batch of Rit dye according to the instructions on the bottle. To help the dye wick through the fabric, I completely wet my folded fabric bundles. Once my bundles we damp, I rested the folded edges of the fabric in the dye for about 12 min.  I recommend using a large plastic storage bin because it allows you to dye several pieces and once. The dye only needs to be a few inches deep, to achieve a look like mine. The dye should only come up one or two inches from the folded edge.   Getting the dye exactly like you want it requires a little trial and error. 

I created this treatment for our bedroom where we have a very typical New York City, style moldings that created a perfect frame for the fabric application. This allowed me to only cover a portion of the wall. Although this technique totally works for an all over treatment, matching up the seams can be slightly more complicated. 

 To Hang The fabric, Here's What You'll Need:

• Medium-weight or lightweight natural-fiber fabric (enough to cover your wall)
• A small foam roller and a roller pan
• Liquid starch (approximately one gallon per five yards)
• A large bucket or bowl
• Scissors
• A craft knife
• A rotary cutter

Wet the Fabric

Place the Fabric over a bowl or bucket, and pour the liquid over it until it's saturated. Once it's totally wet, wring out the excess starch into the bowl and set aside (don't discard!). 

Place the Fabric  

The wet fabric will stick really well to the wall. I used a couple of push pins to hold in place at the top and my hands to smooth it out.

I found that the fabric stayed wet for a pretty long time, but if it drys out while you're placing it or if you need to adjust a spot that has dried out, dip your foam roller into the starch and use it to rewet the fabric and smooth out as needed.  

Trim

Once the fabric is in place, use a craft knife to trim away the excesses. I found that the craft knife worked really well for tight corners, but for longer cuts I used a rotary cutter.

Finishing up

It takes 1-2 hours for the fabric to dry. When you're ready for a new look simply wet the fabric and peel it off.

FIN!  

My Friend and super talented photographer Manuel Rodrigues created the video and shot most of the images in this story.

Fabric Covered Photo Mats: Make A Better Gallery Wall

I'm just gonna come out and say it, gallery walls are tricky! You need to mix it up a little without seeming like you have a split personality.  We all love a good gallery wall but, depending on the artwork, it can sometimes feel a little disjointed. One simple solution is to use matching colored mat in multiple frames to unify the look. The end result is totally bespoke and it’s simpler than wrapping a gift. I choose to use bright blue linen because it worked with my graphic collection of art. Just keep in mind that the fabric you choose will be very prominent, so pick something that is going to play well in your space. To help keep things simple and budget friendly I used frames that came with pre-cut mats inside.

Here’s All You’ll Need

• Frame with a precut mat
• Archival spray mount
• Acid free double stick tape
• A square of fabric 2 inches larger than your mat
• Fabric scissors

Getting Started

Begin by cutting a square of fabric a little larger than your mat. Once it's cut, give the fabric a quick once-over with an iron to remove any wrinkles. 

Spray and Tape

Lightly mist the front of your mat with spray mount, and place it face down on the fabric. Flip the fabric and mat over, and gently smooth the fabric into place, removing any wrinkles or creases.

Next, apply acid-free double-stick tape to the inside and outside edges of the mat. The kind I used had a backing paper that I needed to remove to expose the adhesive. 

Trim

Use your fabric scissors to cut the outside corners off the fabric. This will reduce thickness when you fold the fabric over. Next, cut an X in the center of the fabric, going from interior corner to interior corner so that you form four triangular flaps. You’ll want to trim some of the excess fabric off the interior triangles, leaving four tabs about 1.5 inches deep.

Once you have trimmed off the excess fabric, you're ready to remove the tape backing, exposing the sticky surface. 

Fold

Neatly fold over the inside edges and smooth them into place. Repeat the process around the outside edges.

Finishing Up

Using the acid free double stick tape, position and secure your print in place. Now your reassemble your frame and hang that bad boy!

 This post originally appeared  on Design*Sponge where I sometimes contribute. 
Photos by Drew Gardner

 

Your Plain Closet Doors Never Had it So Good

When I'm searching for ways to beautify the ugly reality that is sometimes life I always try and look to classic architecture. Good design is all in the details, so what's a girl to do when face with lackluster doors? Never fear! Adding architectural upgrades reminiscent of a chic European Pied-a-terre could't be easier. With two Faux-plaster ceiling medallions and a quart of paint, I gave a pair of Hollow-core Bifold (read: boring) closet doors a new life. Keep reading for the step-by-step guide to this my simple DIY update. 

Here’s What You’ll Need

• 1 quart semigloss paint (I used Benjamin Moore, Spruce Green)
• Finish nails (I used 2″)
• Paintable caulk
• Hammer
• Painter’s tape
• Faux-plaster ceiling medallion (mine are 14″ in diameter)
• Dummy doorknob  (one per medallion)

Step 1: Secure the Medallion

To ensure the medallion is centered, use a tape measure to find the center of your door before you hammer it in place. To attach the medallion, use two nails, one at the top and one at the bottom. Depending on the thickness of your doors you might want to use a shorter nail, especially for closet doors, to prevent it from going all the way through.

Step 2: Seal the Edges

Next, I applied a bead of paintable caulk to fill the seam between the medallion and the door all the way around the edge. To smooth out the surface of the caulk I ran my finger along the wet bead, wiping the excess onto a paper towel.

Tip: Cutting the tip of the caulk applicator at an angle will help you get an even application.

Step 3: Paint

Once the caulk is dry it’s time to paint! For most doors one quart of paint is more than enough to do the job. I like to use semigloss paint because the finish is washable and more forgiving of surface imperfections than high-gloss paint. A 1-1/2″ paintbrush makes painting all the little details of the medallion a snap.

Step 4: Attach The Knob

To finish, I installed a dummy knob in the center of each of the medallions. These nonworking knobs simply screw into the surface of the door and act as handles, allowing you to open and close the door. And there you have it, simple as 1, 2, 3, 4… plain closet doors transformed.

This post originally appeared on the One Kings Lane Style blog where I'm known to contribute from time to time.  All Photos are by Manuel Rodrigues. 

Meet Our House

So here's the deal, we bought a house! Actually, we bought a house last year and were slowly renovating by ourselves. Some projects I've documented as part of my editorial work and some are just sitting on my laptop waiting to see the light of day. Now you might have seen some of these projects elsewhere, but as with any good story there's always more to tell! This blog is a way for me to knit together my editorial and personal design work in one place. 

Ready to meet our house? Great! It was built in 1910 and is located in Brooklyn (right on the Queens border) in a neighborhood called Cypress Hills, formerly  home to Mae West and current home to the  historic Neirs Tavern and Highland Park.  Over the summer I went to the Department of Buildings and got our original blue prints going to gain a little incite about the original layout of the house. My block is made up of identical row houses, thus the developer only filed one blue print for the entire neighborhood. You might notice that the house below is flipped with the front door on the left... that's why.   

As you can see this is a 2 story building with 2 (well 3-ish, I'll get to that later) apartments. Lucky for us the second floor of the house was already renovated, so it was ready to rent. Done and done. The first floor and basement (where we live) is not renovated... That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned because it give me the chance to restore some of the original details and generally design things like the kitchen from scratch. 

We looked around a lot for house with original detail that was in our price range. If your house hunting in Brooklyn, un-renovated property is almost always a cash deal. We didn't want to pay more/ live with a developers idea of a tasteful renovation. Although our house is not super fancy, there are still a few original touches that give the space character. Like unique ceiling details, a couple of stained glass windows, and cool tiles. More on all that later. 

We definitely have our work cut out for us with this house, both inside and outside. As far as the exterior is concerned, there are a few improvements I would like to make to up our curb appeal. They are things that don't really require any major technical skills so that makes them a higher priority. My mantra with this house is unless it's a safely concern were going to tackle the projects we can do ourselves first. Here's my list in no particular order.  

• Removing that aluminum awning above the door

• Paint the soffit

• Add some large planters 

• Replacing the front door 

• Get rid of the over abundance of old cable wires on the left side of the house. If anyone knows how I can get rid of them, I'm all ears. It seems like the cable companies should do that right?

• Deal with our fence! Originally, I thought I could just paint it black and I might still do that. After looking at some of the original fences in the neighborhood I really want to remove/replace it, or maybe just take off the midevel spikes at the top. Is that even possible? In a dream world I would replace it with something more original looking. The same goes for the white window bars. I think the previous owners chose white for the iron work because they thought it would soften the look. I think it ends up calling way too much attention to itself. I much prefer black!

See this house? It's just down the street and pretty much identical to ours. They got it right! black iron work, no awning, and see that? DOUBLE DOORS! This is how these houses were intended to look. Restoring the doors and removing the awning is gonna be a game changer! It will improve the functionality of our entryway and restore the original lines of the house.  Oddly enough, I've seen these doors at salvage spots around town,  so I think it's fairly likely that we will be able to find something vintage. 

This is our situation. There's a little vestibule and then another door that leads to the main entryway. The full sized door it's really too big for the space. See what I mean? Not only is it super awkward to open the door for guests the present configuration blocks out all the natural light. Ugh, Why? (fist shaking in the air) I hate this door so much I can't even bring myself to paint it. I don't want to waist a moment of effort on something that really just needs to be ripped out! 

On the bright side, the door works and with more pressing issues on the inside of our house the exterior will have to wait until Spring. Right now we're focusing on the interior projects that we can handle on our own. So stay tuned! 

The great thing about starting a blog after a full year of renovations, is that I have plenty of material to show you.  So this will all feel very fast and magical like an episode of Rehab Addict ... maybe.