DIY: Refurbished Chair (Update)

Remember the chair I bought off of Craigslist a while back? I promised to post an update after I finished refurbishing it, and, well...I still haven't. Three months later. I never could find the perfect fabric for recovering the seat, so I decided to wait until I move and choose the fabric based on the decor in that future home instead of my current temporary one. In the meantime, it is hanging out in my bedroom, acting more as sculpture than functional furniture. Oh well...I still think it looks pretty cool!

Step 1 - Giving the chair a thorough cleaning with a toothbrush and warm soapy water (and the assistance of my mom's dog, Lola)

Step 2 - Priming with Kilz Original Primer Spray to create a clean surface for the paint and to block the smoke odors that remained from the previous owner (I used one full can)

Step 3 - Painting with two coats (one full can) of Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch flat white spray paint, allowing to dry for 10-15 minutes between coats

The not-so-finished product

Maria Kitano

I'm seriously loving the work of German artist Maria Kitano. Her abstract oil paintings are inspired by nature--frozen lakes, waterfalls, trees, the night sky. Aren't they beautiful? (They're reasonably priced, too!)

(Clockwise from top left: Abstract 21, Forest 2, Waterfall, and Winter Reflections 2)

More Poufs!

Because there's more to poufs than Moroccan leather...

Calypso Home "Jodphur" Pouf, $375

Pier 1 Fat Stool, $29.98



CB2 Knitted Pouf, $79.95

Target Cube Storage Ottoman, $59.99

Pier 1 Round Rattan Pouf, $29.98

Missoni Home "Vevey" Cylindrical Pouf, $340
Anthropologie "Julah" Ottoman, $198

Inspiration Folder: Moroccan Poufs

I have been spending a lot of time lately daydreaming about my next apartment. I'm beyond ready to have my own space again, and I've been bookmarking all sorts of furniture and decor items that I would love to surround myself with. Even though Moroccan poufs have been quite popular for a few years now, my desire for one was recently rekindled when I acquired a couple of back issues of Blueprint (thanks, Jess!) and saw the turquoise pouf in the fourth photo below...so fun! I also love the pastel versions, because they make me think of candy :)

Candace Bushnell's apartment (Elle Decor)

Lonny editor Michelle Adams' apartment (Lonny)

Alexandra Wentworth's apartment (Elle Decor)

Editor Sarah Humphreys' NYC apartment (Martha Stewart)

Poufs as coffee tables (Domino)

If (or should I say when?) I get my own pouf, I think I will take a cue from Lonny editor-in-chief Michelle Adams and use it as a sort of side table and pull it out for use as occasional seating or an ottoman as needed. Color-wise, I really do love the turquoise, but I think yellow or red might be easier to incorporate into a room. And even though it's waaaaayyyy out of my price range, I can still fantasize about this super glamorous metallic version. Love.

Inspiration Folder: Credenzas

At the top of my vintage furniture wish list is a sturdy credenza with clean lines that I can give a colorful face-lift...

(via Little Green Notebook)

(via design*sponge)

(via design*sponge)

(via Odi et Amo)

(via Lonny Magazine)

*****

If I lived in the Brooklyn area, I would totally go pick up this little guy RIGHT NOW. I love the simplicity and the graphic vertical lines...would be perfect in an entryway (after a couple coats of sunny yellow paint and new hardware, of course)!

Liberty of London for Target

If you've been to Target in the last week, you've probably seen Liberty of London's new line of exclusive products for the discount retailer. The blogosphere has been abuzz about this collaboration for months, but I wasn't all that excited about it until I saw (and smelled) the items for myself. These are some of my favorites...

This fun, pretty flower pot featuring Liberty of London's
"Sixty" print screams spring and is practically a steal at only $9.99.
Yesterday was the first day of spring--it's time to get planting!

It's difficult to find inexpensive candles that smell really, really good, but Liberty
hit it out of the park with these jar candles. There are six different scents (my favorites are
sugared grapefruit, spiced black tea, and lotus & white flower), and there isn't a single stinker in
the bunch! At $9.99 each, you can afford to get one for every room.

You know I'm a sucker for pretty stationery, and these printed notecards
(which sell for $6.99, I believe) are no exception. They would be perfect for thank-you
cards or informal invitations for a spring brunch. There are three different sets, each
featuring three designs, but I think the set pictured here is my favorite.

Home Sweet

I am seriously loving the hand-printed textiles and home goods by Delaware-based artist Jennifer Nelson. Jennifer's designs are the perfect blend of geometric and organic, and she works with environmentally-friendly fabrics and inks. At the top of my wish list are the lumber pillow cover in the "sunburst" pattern (pictured above) and the "morning glory" printed fabric. Check out her website and her Etsy shop.

Inspiration Folder: Dry Bars

One of the first things I'm going to do in my next place is set up a small but sweet dry bar. I like the idea of being able to have impromptu cocktail parties when friends drop by. All you need is a small table or even just a tray, 3 or 4 bottles of liquor, a few glasses, maybe an ice bucket, and you're in business!

(First, second, and fourth photos via Lonny Magazine. Third photo via Design*Sponge.)

Bedroom Makeover: The Dresser

Since moving into this house, I have been searching for a dresser or chest of drawers for the empty space adjacent to my closet. Even though the closet is large, I wanted extra storage for T-shirts, PJs, and other items. New dressers can be quite expensive, so I checked Craigslist frequently and last week I finally found this beauty:

My new dresser

I absolutely love the design of this dresser. The clean lines are very modern and the cabinet on the bottom gives me space for books, magazines, and papers. It's actually two separate pieces that stack on top of each other, which I think is very cool. You can't really tell from the pictures, but the surface of the dresser is not in perfect shape, so I will most likely refinish it when I move into my own place. For the time being, though, the wood adds a bit of warmth to the space.

Hardware before polishing

One of the things I really like about this piece is the decorative brass hardware, but it was pretty tarnished when I first brought it home (especially the little cabinet door pulls on the left, which were practically black). With a little Brasso Metal Polish, a cotton cloth, and A LOT of elbow grease, I was able to get the hardware relatively clean, and it makes a big difference.

Et voilà!

With the addition of a mirror and a few accessories, what was once dead space and a dumping ground for laundry is now a lovely and useful corner of my bedroom. All I need to complete this project is a lamp for the top of the dresser. (This part of the room is sort of like an alcove, and it doesn't get much light from the ceiling fixture above my bed.) I'm really happy with how this room is shaping up!

(Sources: Dresser - GRQ Used Furniture, $60; Mirror - Target, $34.99; Orchid - Home Depot, $14.97; Terracotta Planter - Ten Thousand Villages, purchased for $8 in 2005 or 2006; Accessories - vintage)

Contenders

I still haven't purchased any fabric with which to recover my chair, but I have found some good options:

Calico Corners "Diamante" in Seamist - $20.99/yard

Calico Corners "Diamante" in Flax - $20.99/yard

Waverly "Lovely Lattice" - $14.99/yard

Robert Allen "Floored" - $17.49/yard

Amy Butler "Imperial Fans" - $7/yard

Ralph Lauren "Fretwork"

...or I could take the really easy way out and buy the chair I saw at the antiques store today that was already painted and reupholstered to my liking.

My New Favorite Blog

As I mentioned the other day, I have had decorating on the brain lately. Unfortunately, I have almost no budget to speak of, so I have had to be resourceful in outfitting my bedroom. Enter Little Green Notebook, a fantastic blog by interior decorator Jenny Komenda. Jenny's blog is chock full of DIY decorating ideas for the cash-strapped, and I already have a few projects bookmarked, including DIY roman shades, silver leafing, and lacquer boxes. What a great find!

DIY: Refurbished Chair (Before)

For the past couple of weeks, I have been immersed in decorating my bedroom. After three years of living in a studio apartment and sleeping on a futon, I'm enjoying having a separate room (and a real bed!) to sleep in. At the moment, the only furniture in my room is a bed and a nightstand, but I found this vintage chair on Craigslist last week, and I'm planning to give it a makeover and use it as an accent piece/occasional seating. Here are a few before shots:

Not too bad for $30.

I really like the Chippendale-style design.

Close-up of the horrible seat fabric.

I am generally not a fan of dark woods, and because my bedroom is painted a light green with white trim, I think I am going to paint the chair frame white. I am also going to reupholster the seat, because the fabric is hideous and stinky (the chair came from a very smoky home). It might take me a couple of weeks to complete this project, depending on how long it takes me to find a fabric that I like, but I will post the "after" shots here just as soon as it's done!

P.S. I know I probably could have haggled the price of the chair down a bit ($30 is a little much for a Craigslist find), but I just wasn't in the mood that day. I'm usually the bargaining queen!

A Wallpapered Nook

I love the idea of livening up a small nook with pretty wallpaper, à la this room by designer Ondine Karady . Here are my top five nook-worthy wallpapers (click on swatches to view information):

*****

Now I just need to make sure that when I buy my first place, it has lots of cozy nooks and corners. I would especially love a wallpapered entryway and a reading nook...