Canopy Beds: To Curtain or not to Curtain?

So. I have a big ol' canopy bed. Actually, it is similar to this one here (though mine is not as ornately carved). Very British-West-Indies-meets-farmhouse. I utterly adore it.

Bombay Company (alas, no longer in the US)

Like this one, my bed has those 4 horizontal slats across the top of the bed. All I do is stare at the center two. I'm not sure I want them there. They sort of bug me. I catch myself staring at them when I'm trying to fall asleep. I dream of ways to fix that sitch because it's weird to obsess over 2 silly slats. Options? Oh yes.

1. I could remove them entirely and have only the 4 outside slats (PS our ceiling vaults this same way):

{House Beautiful}

2. I could turn it into a very tall 4 poster bed:

{Paula Deen Savannah Poster Bed}

3. I could add curtains:

{Pottery Barn}

4. I could add an actual canopy like this draped one:

{Bombay Co.}

5. Or a tailored canopy like this one:

{Martha Stewart}

Which look do you like the best? I'm leaning toward either removing the 2 middle slats or adding simple tie-on curtains. There's something very cozy when I think of cuddling up behind drawn bed curtains as the weather gets colder. If they tie on, it would be very easy to clean them, too. Hmm...decisions, decisions.

Library Meets Dining Room

 {image}

What do you think of dining rooms with shelving? I'm seeing images popping up more frequently lately of dining spaces with shelving -- whether they be built-ins, floating shelves, armoires, etc. Does it not only work for small spaces, but for larger spaces, too? We have a gross lack of plain, flat, usable wall space in our home. AND quite a lot of books. Shelves of some sort could act as a design element AND be functional. But books in my dining room? Is it weird? Could it work? These photos almost make me think it could...

 

 {image)

Move Over, Ikea

{source}

How I wish we had it here in the States! I'm beyond in love with H&M's Spring 2010 Home collection.  These photos make me want to do some serious Spring cleaning. The kitchen island and natural linens make me giddy. Partly, I think it's seeing bright green through the windows that is making me smile. Oh grass, how I miss you so.

Plate Wall + Cathrineholm

{Lisa Congdon, Lena Corwin, Cathrineholm -- oh my! all via Dwell.}

"I owe my color sense to crayons." - Angelo Rafael Donghia

Farmhouse Modern

{1. This Old House. 2. West Elm via Knock Off Wood. 

3. Remodelista via Apartment Therapy. 4. Acacia}

I love modern-meets-farmhouse design. To me, it reflects the best of both worlds -- fresh, uncluttered aesthetics married to a nostalgic, comfortable place. Farmhouse modern isn't sterile or cliché. It is simple, unique and unfussy. A perfect combination, wouldn't you agree?

Just the other day, I was checking out 'say YES to hoboken', one of the blog finalists at The RikRak Studio's Handmade Olympics, Event #8 -- Favorite Blog with a Handmaking Focus. Tara at Scoutie Girl was the judge for this event and she posted all about SYtH, so I had to check it out for myself. Let me tell you how happy I am that I did, too, because I really love this blog. Full of inspiration, great photos and creative projects, it's right at the top of my new favorite dailies.

So, while poking around, I came across this rocking idea -- a DIY farmhouse table. As soon as I saw it, this DIY project jumped right to the top of our summer projects list. I love eclectic pieces and a modern farmhouse table would be a perfect replacement to our current dining table. Though our current auction-rescue table is still in pretty good shape and is a decent size, it's getting rickety, has weird legs that aren't conducive to seating lots of folks and I am desperate for something we can grow into.

Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that I really, really don't want to spend much money on it? Bubs is totally on board with a new DIY adventure (and this most def will fit the bill...), so I'm really excited to get started. As soon as the weather breaks, we're going to give this DIY farmhouse table a go. What do you think? Can we do it? For $30 in materials and a weekend, we're willing to give it a try. I may even keep my fingers crossed, head over to Columbus Architectural Salvage (one of my favorite places ever) and see if they have any reclaimed wood for the top planks. To make it even better, I have two wooden benches to pick up at my family's old homestead that would be perfect additions -- recycled, full of happy memories and free!

Refreshing the Kitchen: Stage 1 Complete!

{1. unknown, 2. Country Living, 3. unknown, 4. House Beautiful}

Winters in Ohio are a good time to tackle indoor home improvement projects. My friends did a bit of remodeling to their kitchen recently and it got me motivated to do a bit of sprucing up around here, too. I had been wanting to paint our kitchen white for awhile now. It's hard to resist when you see such gorgeous inspiration. Just look! Seriously, what's not to love about these kitchens? Bright, clean and inviting -- just the direction I want to take for ours.

There really isn't much wall to paint in our actual kitchen. It's mainly the eat-in kitchen space that needed repainting, so it wasn't that huge of a task, but wow, what an impact it had. Dingy beige walls, no more! We now have a bright, cheery, sparkly bright white kitchen and I'm seriously in love.  Just a couple of days and two coats of Sherwin Williams Pure White Harmony (low VOC and completely rocking) paint to get us that much closer to our inspiration kitchen.

Aren't blank canvases fun? I can't wait to keep going on this project! Here's what we have left to do:


Refreshing the Kitchen Project:
· Paint kitchen
· Replace eat-in kitchen lighting fixture
· Choose & install task lighting above counter
· Sew new banquette cushion covers & accent pillows
· Paint table legs & join to tabletop (Can't wait to share this!)
· Have glass cut for tabletop
· Replace the laminate countertop with butcherblock
· Find accessories & wall decor
· Declutter the countertops
· Create a recycling station
· Repair (or replace) the dishwasher


So that's what we're doing at home right now, but we're dreaming of lots more. What home improvement projects have you been working on or would like to begin?

Work Hard + Be Nice to People

{via Tasty Suite}

Trying to make today more productive than the last few + using this as my mantra. Happy Tuesday!

Candy-Colored Kids' Room

 {sköna hem}

How darling is this bedroom? It appeals to my inner Scandinavian, I think. The bright candy colors pop against the crispy white walls and furnishings.  Simple, clean & whimsical, just the way a children's room should be.

Details I'm especially loving: the big window, the dowel-rod book display case & the bunting/pennants.

Another thing I love about this room is how easy + affordable it would be to duplicate. There's a lot of potential for thrifting, repurposing, upcycling and infusing other green techniques in a space like this, too. Wood flooring could be sustainable bamboo or cork (which is naturally mildew-resistant, warm underfoot and a great insulator). Milk paint would transform those found furniture pieces into kid- and earth-safe items. Vintage fabrics and hand-me-down toys & books would help transform this blank slate into a magical space. Also, this room has staying-power. By that I mean, this is the kind of room that could grow with a child over the years. It wouldn't take but a few changes to update this room into something for a bigger kid or teen.

Attention All Handifolks and DIY Divas!

I need your help. My office needs your help. There is a gross lack of lighting in here and I am completely obsessed with this (discontinued) milk glass Martha Stewart Veneto Collection 5-Light Chandelier ($700. Ack!)

{casasugar}

Darn good thing I am equally obsessed with repurposed, spray painted chandeliers, like these!

{apartment therapy}

I plan to arm myself with an old chandelier, some spray primer and cans of glossy white to create version of the oh-so-hotness chandelier. However, there's just one problem. There's no ceiling fixture happening in my office, only wall outlets. I'm not interested in poking holes in my ceiling, fishing wire and adding stuff to use a hardwired chandelier, so please don't suggest I do so. I want it the quick + dirty, convert a hardwire chandelier-to-a-plug-in-and-call-it-a-day way. Everything I'm reading online, from electricians and other generally handy people, points to some issues with what to do with the ground wire from the hardwired chandelier because, apparently, the swag conversion kits you buy at the hardware store don't allow for a ground wire. I want to know what I'm getting myself into here, basically.

1. Has anyone ever converted a hardwire chandelier to a plug-in using a swag kit?

2. What did you do (or should you do) with grounding the chandelier?

3. Would the chandelier need to be grounded if it's converted and plugged into an ac/dc wall outlet?

4. I don't believe, because it would not be a permanent fixture  (rather a portable fixture, like a table lamp) that being to code is an issue. Am I wrong?

5. Why don't they teach these things in a class called Lighting Design, which I took and passed, mind you? Who gives a damn about parking lot lamp chemistry with practical, pressing issues like mine? Sigh.

If you've any experience in this arena or know someone who may know a little somethin-somethin, pleasey please please let me know. You'll make me a very happy lady if I can get this going! xo

Butcherblock Love

We eat, prepare, bake and cool food on our kitchen counter. We also use it as a beverage station during parties, a craft table and a drop spot for mail, groceries and other stuff. What are your thoughts butcherblock regarding cleanability, durability and appearance after breaking them in?

Does anyone have one who may share advice and bits of wisdom on their maintenance? We have atrocious faux butcherblock in the kitchen now and I'm not such a fan, but I also don't want to spend a fortune on granite...I'd prefer to save up for a sexy subway tile backsplash, too ;)

The Hot.

Stick a cork in it.

Or, perhaps, "Stick it in a cork." That seems more the more accurate phrase, doesn't it?

I need a cork board. Badly. Aren't these versions fantastic? One of these days I'm going to get around to making one. Simply too lovely not to! I can wait until after Christmas, honest!

{top to bottom: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

Have you seen West Elm lately?

That store is chock full o' goodness right now! Sis and I happened to pass by West Elm over the weekend and fell in love with a good handful of things just looking through the windows.

My faves:

{source}

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{source}

art's cool/ART SCHOOL

Now here's some real stuff to dress up those drab dorm room walls, kiddies.

Trust me. I know these things. I went to art school.

Buy these and lots more at The Little Friends of Printmaking Ye Olde Shoppe.

{all images: The Little Friends of Printmaking}

Hep Cat Kitchen

{source}

Doesnt' this kitchen just make you want to play Bridge and drink a Tom Collins?

Kitchen Inspiration Loveliness

{Cottage Living via MyHomeIdeas.com}

I came across this photo and am determined to polish up our kitchen in the same fashion. Honestly, we're pretty close as it is (white cabinets, silver pulls, some stainless steel appliances) but it would be nice to continue to push the design further. Those sliding glass doors are fantastic, aren't they? I wonder how hard our standard cupboards would be to convert..?

Currently, we have a rather cool metal Ikea shelf above the sink, with a small halogen light as well. It doesn't function quite as efficiently as I'd like it to, though I'd be sad to lose the light if we did a built-in plate rack (of which I am very fond.)

{Cottage Living via MyHomeIdeas.com}

Note the white subway tile back splash. Ah, love it! One can never go wrong with white subway tiles. They would contrast nicely with our chalkboard wall, wouldn't you agree? (Please ignore the poorly-placed phone jack.)

In the far corner of the kitchen, we have a nook with an L-shaped banquette of which I am not a huge fan. The lamp above where a table should be isn't centered properly and you tend to feel a disconnect from the rest of the kitchen, though the seating comes in handy. Personally, I'd like to replace it with this (and thanks to Copy Cat Chic, I know to opt for the JCP version!)

{JC Penny's via Copy Cat Chic}

What a Cute Pear.

Crocheted Copper Pears

{Courtesy Yoola's etsy}

So I know that the pear theme was le hot for some weddings awhile back and, honestly, I have always really liked it. Pears are delicious, cheap and make for a nice, simple theme to play from. Not to mention the tongue-in-cheek pair/pear. C'mon, word plays are a gimme for me!

Felted Wool Pear Pair
{Courtesy Cozycottagecreation's etsy}

Generally, I love faux fruit in surprising materials. Like wood, metal, cloth, ceramic..you get the idea. I think it began with my grandma's wooden fruit (of which I will have to find so I may snap a photo.) This old thing is so completely kitch, it's fantastic - solid wood banana, peapod, grapes and a gaggle of other fruit not so easily deciphered. I love it. We all do. It was always on the huge kitchen table at her house and anyone on that side of the family would most likely recognize it by sight. Though kept for strictly sentimental reasons initially, I have found that I now gravitate towards really cool fake fruit. Go fig :) (har har)

Handpainted Ceramic Pear Trio
{Courtesy Station 1528's etsy}

A Little Blue

Don't worry about me...I'm feeling peachy. It's my office that's looking a little blue :) Oh yes, the first big step to home office bliss was taken over the weekend and I could literally squeal I'm so happy.

Initially, I had plans to go out-of-town for the weekend, but they had fallen through. D. suggested we go to pick up paint in the shade I wanted and I thought it was a grand idea, so on Friday, we popped over to Sherwin Williams, and with Aviary Blue for the win, we came home with a gallon and set to edging out the room. After a bit, we were right at that crossroads of "keep going and skip dinner" or "eat something and finish later." We opted for the latter, cleaned up, went to dinner and he treated me to a movie (Angels & Demons...I liked it. I'd give it a B+). What a great night!

So...onto the rest of the weekend. As I mentioned, the out-of-town plans fell through, so my mom treated my sister and I to the *perfect* girls' day out on Saturday, with massages, a great lunch and window shopping in Grandview and the Short North. Now. Do you suppose D. waited for me to get home to help finish my office painting? Nope. The man painted the entire room by himself as a surprise. Can you believe that?! I am over the moon, seriously.

Oh no, that's not it. To make it even more spectacular, on Sunday, we made a trip down to Ikea and bought two new shelves and four baskets for my office (and dined on Swedish Meatballs and lignonberries, too, of course.)

And here I sit. Office in complete disarray, but my computer plugged in nonetheless. D. to be home in a half hour. The potato casserole I made to donate to my church's homeless shelter dinner cooling on the counter. The sun in shining. You can hardly begin to understand how much I needed a weekend like that. I feel renewed of spirit and this office makes me feel creative again. Isn't it amazing what a coat of paint can do for a person?

Here's a sneak peek -- pardon the mess and the seriously horrible desk and plastic drawers. One does what what must :)

I can't wait to put together my new shelving! This room is finally not going to embarrass me!

Dreamy Dream House

{All Images Courtesy Country Living}

I couldn't resist posting these images from this Country Living feature. Not only do I completely admire the Brahler family for doing their historical home complete and utter justice (and wow, do I mean WOW - this house is stunning), I love how they were able to capture the feeling of stately European country manor casual. The kicker? They live in the city of Jacksonville, Illinois' historical disstrict (go Midwest)!

There is something so intrisically charming about the whitewash, the rich green yard, the perfectly-chosen faded palette and the eclectic reuse of vintage pieces that make this house a home. You can almost smell fresh cotton and hear the giggles of children playing hide-and-seek. This is the kind of home you can be creative in...play Bach, paint something grand or perhaps you could finally finish that novel you've been meaning to start.

I am not even going to start thinking about the kind of wedding you could have in a house like this...ah, the possibilities!