Round Back Arm Chairs

Guess what I purchased this weekend?? The title of this post kind of gave it away. Two Round Back Arm Chairs for the living room!

Upholstered Ottomans

We knew the day we got pregnant, the coffee table was a goner. Babies move, crawl and get into pretty much everything. Sharp corners on furniture are a baby no-no. To replace the low-lying sharp corner coffee table, we looked into a lot of different options. Considering that we like to set the coffee table away from the main living room area while baby is out and about, we concluded that a traditional coffee table was out of the question.

House Tour: Board and Batten Dining Room

Finally! Finally! My MCAT has passed! It was four hours of brain activity, sooo exhausting after almost five months of studying with baby in toe. I am so relieved. After I was done, the questions seemed like a blur. I’ve been trying to get my mind off of it. It’s not easy to forget because they do not release the grades for another month but the fact that the hubby is back to work and I’m on full mommy duty is a great past –time.  On the weekend, I was mostly busy renovating three bathrooms on this new project that I took on. So excited for the reveal. More details on this later this week. 

Today I wanted to invite you into my abode. Mainly my dining room.  I love accent walls and so when I had to decide what I could use to distinguish my dining room from my open concept living room, I knew that an accent wall was my answer. We put the Board and Batten treatment in during December 2009. It took us about a day and half to complete, not too bad.It was mainly mdf molding that we laid out on a grid pattern to our satisfaction. We added three long panels through the middle because the previous wall hangings were the perfect fit. The current feature is something fun and different that I picked up from HomeSense during their fantastic year end sale. Clearance! Clearance! for 10$!! Sorry I do not have process pictures of the Board and Batten. As I mentioned we completed this wall well before I had a website.

             The extended bar has always been puzzling for my tastes. I have never found this option useful. In fact, in any future homes, I would opt out of this option. Couple this with limited space in our condo, we needed to use this space efficiently. I suggested we add a sideboard that fits perfectly underneath. We scoured the city to find a narrow and tall sideboard, all to no avail.  I saw some beautiful sideboards some way beyond our price range but none that fit our specs. We looked into custom builds, just to see how much it would cost. My hubbie approached one particular cabinet maker within our city who gave us a quote of 250$ which was reasonable by my standards for a quality piece. This was before I learned that you can score some great deals on Kijiji. We went ahead with the custom build. I designed it and the carpenter built it.  At the end, it didn't cost as much as you think. We got lucky or unlucky depends on how you look at it. Pro: The carpenter who put it together charged us only 50$. 
Con: The legs are mainly there for show, they are quite flimsy. Its actually screwed into the kitchen island.  The drawers are half broken and the top is unfinished.
But its attractive and much more affordable than the 250$ we were quoted. It mainly holds party dishware.

After a lot of fearless dining room chair searching, we furnished the space with the Flower Chair from Urban Barn. I love these chairs. Their shape is timeless and they are simple but with flair. They have a modern look but with a slight traditional feel. They are perfect for us! These chairs have a tweed-like fabric in a taupe ginger colour.

The round pedestal table was bought from a moving sale and we cleaned the top mainly to find that it was in very good shape. It has gotten worse over time obviously, with water marks and scratches but we plan to refinish it someday soon.

The light fixture was a builder-grade fixture but we exchanged it with the new drum shade, crystal drops chandelier. This was another HomeSense purchase. I feel that it is the perfect mix between masculinity and femininity. The crystal drops are delicate and sparkly which  are juxtaposed with the masculine white drum shade and gunmetal grey of the fixture.  A perfect balance for this room.

Well there it is, our dining room, hopefully soon we can give you a tour of the living room and you can see how the accent wall really distinguishes the dining room from the living room. I have an emotional attachment to this accent wall because it was the hubbie and my first real DIY project together.  DIYs of any sort are special, not just because they are affordable but also because whenever you look at something that you have created, you feel satisfaction and accomplishment. It's such an appreciation for your own hardwork. I wouldn't change a thing. 

J'adore Home 1

As I am closing in on the big day (MCAT), I'm taking short breaks with family and looking at some seriously yummy images of beautiful homes and home decor. I am currently obsessed with sliding barn doors:
I must find a spot in our apartment for one:
Where? Oh! Where? can my barn door go?
Check these out:

 Courtesy of: http://yourhomeonlybetter.com/sliding-barn-doors-beyond-the-farm/

 Courtesy of: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/green-ideas/sliding-barn-door-and-wall-from-cliff-spencer-048867

 Courtesy of: 

http://yourhomeonlybetter.com/sliding-barn-doors-beyond-the-farm/

http://remodelista.com/posts/architectural-elements-sliding-barn-doors

These doors really make such an impact while adding another layer to room decor. This door style adds a rustic and comfortable feel which I'm really craving these days. IKEA has both doors and door hardware available for a great price. I spy a trip to IKEA coming in the very near future. 

 

Rustic Modern Master Bedroom

The master bedroom reflects a homeowner's decorating style in a more personal way than any other room of the house. It is also the space where we go to unwind, relax and rejuvenate. This space should serve a number of functions, provide comfort, storage and restful sleep. All while expressing your personality.   

In designing any space, I often look to inspiration pictures in magazines, flyers, hotel lobbies, Home Decor stores, Pinterest and home decor blogs. I save images, cut-outs and ideas that I find inspirational or would like to see in one of my spaces in a large folder.  After considering many styles, we have decided on a rustic barn meets downtown feel for our master suite. I have tried to create this look before with my pallet project seen here.

Generally, the rustic modern style attempts to incorporate the clean lines of modern design and add texture with rustic elements throughout. I put together a basic moodboard to show some of the elements that I would like to use.  The accent wall will be real wood, stained in a dark walnut colour which will be juxtaposed with our neutral wall colour which is grey with brown undertones. I will bring in natural elements and fibres such as cotton, burlap, linen and tumbleweed to bring the barn lifestyle into this urban apartment. For colours; brown, whites and green will serve to complement the rustic elements while using stripes on accent pillows and trims will mimic the clean lines of modern design.

 There are a few limitations within this space that I have to work with. One, I have a resin wicker Queen bedframe with a headboard and footboard that I must somehow incorporate into this design. Second, to optimize the space, I must incorporate the large window and the window frame into the accent wall design which will serve as the backdrop for the headboard of the bed frame. I want to center the bed with the window so that there is balance and symmetry within the room. In this way, any lighting fixture will be centered on top of the bed. An absolute necessity is to change out the builder-grade ceiling mount light will be changed out because one they are ugly and two I hate them. Since I cannot start from scratch, I have to accommodate these limitations effectively. This is a welcome challenge.

Here is the mood board, its still a work in progress but I am very excited to take on this challenge:

Pictures courtesy of:

Lantern Chandelier: http://pinksugarshop.com/product_info.php?cPath=55&products_id=398&osCsid=e8912529ccfc2f688a8d7e71fe6925c7

Accent Wall:http://amanda-designdevotee.blogspot.com/2011/04/wall-of-wood.html

Burlap cushion: http://texasyankee-calli.blogspot.com/2010/04/burlap-its-not-just-for-sack-of.html

Coffee table: http://www.furniturefashion.com/2008/06/02/drake_classic_modern_coffee_table.html

Woven Lattice Table Lamps: www.kaboodle.com 

Upholstered Chairs: http://morewaystowastetime.blogspot.com/2008/07/objects-of-lust-burlap-upholstered.html

Wicker Bed frame/Side Table: http://www.seasonalhomedecoration.com/wicker-bedroom-suite-by-accente-new-wicker-furniture-trend/

A Toast to the Host

Recently, one of my good old friends held her first get together in the form of a games night at her sister's home. I wanted to bring something a little something for her to enjoy with her family to thank her for hosting. I love hostess’ gifts, especially those with the pretty ribbon and greeting cards. It’s always optional to bring a hostess gift but quite thoughtful and a wonderful way to say a little thank you.  So the night before, I whipped up some simple white chocolate biscotti using this recipe http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mariettas-white-chocolate-macadamia-biscotti/detail.aspx ( I omitted the nuts and liquer)

A side note: These would make great additions to a cookie platter for a tea party, so elegant. Interestingly, the term Biscotti actually refers to any type of cookie, but in North America, biscotti is commonly used to refer to long dry, twice baked cookie. The ones that I buy once in awhile from the market are known as cake rusks but the idea is the same.

To make your own small hostess gift, you will need the following.

1.       A glass jar with a cute lid (I bought mine from the dollar store, washed and dried the inside and placed some biscotti neatly inside the jar).

2.       Homemade cookies, biscotti, or candy

3.        Cute ribbon

4.       Place card or attractive card paper to make a gift tag

5.       Scissors

Place your treats inside the glass jar ensuring that they are placed neatly inside without crumbling.

Write a kind greeting on the gift tag. Poke two holes into the place card and thread a small length of ribbon through the punch. Wrap this ribbon/place card around the glass jar and secure.

Voila! Bring this hostess gift to your next gathering to surprise your host.

 Here are some other fantastic ideas for hostess gifts courtesy of Martha Stewart

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/hostess-gift-ideas#slide_31 

Adding impact with a Window Treatment

Since green was a bold choice, at least for us, we paired the kiwi green with crisp whites, soft silvers and dark browns that added subtlety and glamour. We used the kiwi green fabric on the chair and added some much needed accessories around the room in varying shades of green to carry the colour around the room. I feel that the changes we made in this room give the room hotel appeal.

But the piece de resistance was our final addition, the window treatment. This window treatment started with two panels of two-toned silver-grey fabric. These were very simple to create using a simple single stitch on the sewing machine. I made it a point to keep the folds of the fabric on the bottom as large as possible to allow a nice fall. Upon first installation, these panels did not look finished. There were three elements that I did not like:

1.       1. It was a simple rod pocket panel. There was no wow factor. (Excuse the valance in front, this was the only picture I could find of the before)

2.       They did not reach the floor. The too-short length made the room look smaller and congested and quite unappealing. I have read enough design articles to know that drapes must be installed above the window frame to draw the eye up, adding height to your room as well as graze the ground.
3.   Finally, the colours did not match all that well with that gorgeous headboard we created.

But how could I change it with so little time left before my guests arrived? Luckily, a mere two days 

before they arrived, I came across a custom-built cornice that was being given away on Kijiji (Pictured as above). I looked for some inspiration pictures and decided that this was just the thing to take the room to a new level. We brought it home and got to work. 

We made another trip to the local Fabric Land and bought this soft-silver upholstery fabric for the cornice. Since this fabric was 16$ per meter plus 20% off, I decided that the cornice would have to be covered using two adjoined strips of fabric rather than one to maximize the use of fabric. My husband cut to fit the large cornice panel.We retrofitted the panel to the wall with the window as it made more impact as a wall treatment rather than a simple window dressing.

Next was reupholster which turned out to be quite the hassle. It was difficult to accommodate the curve on the cornice panel.  Tension from folding around the curved edges created obvious creases throughout the fabric. Little did we know but upholstering a curved suface is quite simple but you must cut the fabric to the shape of the wood. This was a lesson learned the hard way after hours of trials and failures. Overall, the cornice is well-made as I found out during disassembly, complete with a wood base, batting, and multiple layers of fabric to add a softer look. 

   Installation was basic, with simple wood screws into studs to hold the panel in place. The cornice panel works to hide the previously installed curtain rod and broken finials.

The five-inch strips of soft-silver fabric framing were added to the original panels in two stages. These two stages took a pain-staking 8 hours to complete. Mainly becayse of two sewing errors, where I sewed onto the back rather than the front of the panels. The first stage was to adjoin two strips of 3.5 feet each and 5 inches width to cover the full seven feet of panel. This was done to save on fabric. The second stage consisted of attaching the seven foot strip to the silver-grey panels from before. I am so impressed by the final look that we were able to achieve. I added extra length to the curtains and added extra height with the cornice. Furthermore the cornice adds dimension and style to the window treatment. This whole look adds one more layer of elegance and formality to the space.

I believe that these last minute changes were essential for the room to make a dramatic statement.

As I reflect back on this project and others throughout my house, I can’t help but feel accomplishment as well as more love for my husband than I have ever felt. This room was truly a  collaboration between my husband and I. He was there for every part,  we both got our hands dirty and added our own taste into the mix. My design therapy has worked to blossom our marriage into more than we could have ever achieved by just being a couple. Working together, creating together has been such a blessing and adds another layer to our wonderful marriage. Aside from the fact that this was a job well done, I am far from done.  We still have to hang our 1970s chandelier which we spray painted, finish the round frame above the bed by installing a mirror inside and finally complete the bedding with another green accent, perhaps a throw or some pretty green cushions. A few more wall hangings, in front of the bed or on the side are also in the works. The MCAT is glaring at me from across the street so until that ship has sailed, I cannot start any new projects in this room.