Friday, November 30, 2012

You Win Some . . .

you lose some. Such is life. It's all a cycle. Thanks for all those who supported my chair quandary yesterday. As you probably saw from the "update" at the bottom of yesterday's post, the chairs were indeed sold. Sigh. I just take this as a sign that there are even better chairs out there somewhere just waiting for me. But never fear, the winning in the title (hope I don't sound too much like Charlie Sheen) refers to a gilt rope and tassel bench I scored this morning!
Yay! My obsession with rope/tassel furniture is well documented here so you know I was thrilled to find this vintage "Made in Italy" gilt rope and tassel bench. I'm thinking it will go in my new office (which I swear I'm working on along with other projects). Now, it has a terrible faux needlepoint/tapestry fabric on it . . .
He's whispering, "Do you think this fabric is as hideous as I do?"

But, that's an easy fix. It has the type of seat you can just unscrew from the bottom and staple gun on something new. Cannot wait to look for some fabric or maybe comb through my remnants and use something I already have. Either way . . . project! Another one. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend. I'll be hitting a local event called the Porter Flea that promotes the indie craft movement and supports artists, small businesses, and nonprofits across Nashville and beyond. I'm very excited to partake in the local flava and expect to see some really cool stuff, including a lot of hipsters I suspect.

I'll be back next week with some creative projects I've been working on including a DIY faux shagreen tray. Don't laugh . . . I can be crafty (sorta) too.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Considering

I ran across these chairs (there are four of them with a table I don't want/need) the other day on Craigslist.
Of course, I love the brass and Z shape, and I've thought about adding more modern elements in my home recently (I'm always thinking about something). I think they would be great in my somewhat traditional dining room or as office chairs or scattered about. What do you think? Are they cool or do they scream 80's?? They would need to be reupholstered because I'm not a fan of the button tufting. I think they would look amazing in a faux ostrich. Hmm. Some inspirations to help you see my vision of how some brass chairs could liven up my decor . . .

The point may be moot because the owner just responded to me this morning that someone is coming to look at them soon. So, it may not be in the cards. But, if they are still available later, should I pounce on them?

UPDATE: I apparently didn't pounce soon enough because the chairs are sold. Total bummer. But, I think that just means the perfect set of brass chairs is just out there somewhere waiting for me. That's what I'm telling myself anyway. 

Monday, November 26, 2012

Details

As Charles Eames famously said . . .

Is that not the truth? Tell it, Charles. Some details I've been loving lately in no particular order . . .

I know you think I've flipped and gone crazy for roping/tassels, but I can't help it. I saw two of these pedestals holding up shelves at an antique mall recently (NFS, of course, or I would have bought them), and I can't get them out of my mind. Of course, they're meant to be in the garden to hold statues or something but I think they would be amazing as side tables or the base for a coffee table, etc. You could leave them antique white or paint them black or gold. Oh, the possibilities. You could even have them drilled for lamps. I think they're composite material not concrete so they're not as heavy as you might think. Don't be surprised if one of these pops up in a room in my home in the near future. 

Next, I'm sure a lot of you have seen the new House Beautiful. While it had lots of pretty eye candy, I was drawn to this photo in particular . . . 
Sorry, iPhone photo.


There were several things that drew me to this space designed by Kevin Isbell - the orange painted lantern, the grass cloth wall covering, the regency mirror, black banister and lamp shades. But, what really got me was the molding at the top. Do you see it? It looks like faux tortoiseshell but is really just inexpensive split bamboo! Love this detail. 

Finally, I've been pinning like a maniac lately. You can follow me on Pinterest to see more of what's inspiring me. Since I've been focusing on my office and storage solutions, I'm loving the VITTSJO shelving units from IKEA. There are so many hacks flying around the internet, but I love the brass version. Thinking a couple of etageres painted brass flanking my loveseat might be just the thing.

What details have caught your eye lately?

Monday, November 19, 2012

Guest Post & Old Tricks

Happy Monday. I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing weekend like we did . . . it was much needed and appreciated! Today, you can find me over at Interior Canvas talking about my five top picks for dining room chairs (just in time for holiday gatherings).

Interior Canvas is the brainchild of design-savvy Nashvillians Anna Kristin Yarbrough and Cameron Weaver who have tapped into the (mostly) local interior design community to provide readers with posts that are enlightening and inspiring. Please check out my post and poke around Interior Canvas while you're there . . you won't be disappointed. 

As far as the old tricks portion of the post title, that refers to my treasure-hunting ways. I hit some estate sales this weekend and found these goodies . . . 
Huge, gilt mirror in a great shape. Perfect for an entryway.

Vintage original oil painting. Vivid hues that would brighten any gallery wall.

Reed & Barton 3-piece lotus dish complete with flower frog.

Matching Reed & Barton lotus candlestick holders. These are the perfect pieces for a holiday table setting.

Original Greek plate in golds and blacks. Perfect small accessory for a tablescape or bookshelf.
The best news is that these pieces, along with some other items from my hoarding collection, are up for sale at my friend Jennifer's store, tag. 
tag
Treasures, Antiques & Good Stuff
8333 Sawyer Brown Road
Nashville, TN 37221

Please check them out if you're in the Nashville area. And if you're not, just shoot me an email if you're interested, and I will let you know pricing and shipping. 

 




Monday, November 12, 2012

Weekend & Giveaway Winner

First of all, my apologies for not posting the Novica giveaway winner on Friday, but I was on my way out of town and just ran out of time to post. So, without further ado, according to the random number generator, commenter #17 won and that is the sweet Karena from Art by Karena. Congratulations, Karena. I'll be sending you an email with the details!

So, where was I this past weekend?
Vegas, baby. My husband had a conference so I flew out to meet up with him and his staff. Of course, lots of fun was had. There was a little of this . . .
A little of this . . .
I bought these crazy print pants at H&M (which we don't have here in Nashville), and I love them so much. Very out of character for me (I usually play it safe with my fashion), but very cool.
And I'm not going to lie, a lot of this . . . 

Now, I've got to regroup, do some laundry and grocery shop. Thanks to my mother-in-law for watching the children. Oh, and for you curious ones out there, I did get the loveseat for my office the day I left. Here's a quick snap with my phone.
And another little close-up (there are two different pagodas) . . .
 I really love the richness of the colors against the black walls. However, the background is more of a dirty beige-y oatmeal color (than the cream it appears here), so I'll have to work on getting it to work with the brighter whites I've got going on in here. But overall, I'm very happy with it and it looks great in the office . . . a much better scale than the daybed. Oh, and still haven't figured out what the fabric is. A very kind reader (thanks, Thayer), suggested it might be a Bailey & Griffin fabric which I had honestly never heard of. However, after reaching out to them, they assured me it was not. But the B&G guy suggested it might be a Stroheim or Lee Jofa fabric. Really doesn't matter . . . I'm just the curious kind. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend!


Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Advice Needed

Wow, two posts in two days. It's a miracle. I'm reaching out because I need your help. Or someone's help, preferably someone with a photographic memory when it comes to vintage fabrics. A little back story -  my husband seems to think the daybed that currently resides in my office is simply not working - too big, too clunky. (Since when did husbands get so opinionated about design??) But, in this case, he might have a point. However, the space still needs to accommodate a guest or two from time to time. His solution? A sleeper sofa. Well, what should happen to pop up on Craigslist but this lovely little sleeper loveseat? It has a very unique fabric on it which I really like . . . I think it looks expensive, familiar even. Without further ado, here it is . . .
And close-ups of the fabric:

Does anyone recognize this fabric? It's got a pagoda on it, people. You know how I love pagodas or anything even vaguely Chinoiserie-esque (I know that's not a word, but just go with it). Anyway, it would be going in the office I just painted black. Granted, it has no black in the fabric, but once again, anything goes with black, right? Just nod in the affirmative. Seriously though, any thoughts on this?

Oh, and not to confuse you but just to remind you, here is the current state of my office . . . it is painted black but basically has furniture and stuff crammed in it until I find a pleasing furniture arrangement and get my chandelier hung. Oh, and the credenzas are back from the painter. They look fabulous, but don't both fit in here (in the current arrangement), so I'm thinking one will be going in my daughter's bedroom at some point. 






So, there you have it. Keep the daybed or get the loveseat? And is that fabric nice or just eh? I can't get it out of my head for some reason. And, I do kind of like the idea of a quirky pattern thrown in with all the black and white. Might make it a bit cozier. You can see the chiavari chair I painted electric blue, the little Greek key metal tray I painted gold (duh, what else would I do?) and other little odds and ends like the Windsor Smith Riad fabric I snagged yesterday at Calico Corners' going-out-of-business sale (makes me sad when businesses don't make it). 

And while I've made the case for patterned sofas before, here's just a refresher of how they can make an ordinary space a little more special . . . 

So, discuss amongst yourselves, then leave a comment telling me how you feel. Oh, and don't forget to enter the Novica giveaway!

Monday, November 5, 2012

A Giveaway to Kick Off a Better Week

Sorry I sort of dropped off the face of the earth last week. It was a weird week, no other way to put it. First of all, Hurricane Sandy impacted SO many people creating a pall. Sometimes I just don't feel like blogging when people are suffering. My thoughts and prayers are still with those recovering from this tragedy. Personally, it was just strange - my car was in the shop twice last week, I got rear-ended and all week I had horrible head and neck pain (not from the fender bender), but I'm much better now. Then throw Halloween in the middle of the week, and it was pretty much a wash. So, onward and upward - this week has to be better. Nowhere to go but up, right? Well, to contribute to the positive vibe, I'm hosting a giveaway this week from Novica.
Not familiar with Novica? They are a great company that works with National Geographic to provide a forum for artisans around the world to showcase their work. Novica brings unique items from around the globe to you, so all you have to do is make a few clicks from your computer. Above are the "Cool Serpentines" set of four bracelets from an artist in Java. Of course, there are home decor items like this "Cubic Illusion" wool rug from a father-son Peruvian team . . . 
And fashion items like this Alpaca blend wrap from Peru. Plum and capes/wraps are in, so go for it. 
 

You get the point. There are literally thousands of items that could beautify your home or yourself. So, to enter this giveaway for a $50 Novica gift card, simply do these things . . . 

1. Become a follower of my blog by hitting that "Join This Site" button on the left sidebar.

2. Leave a comment letting me know which item you might use your gift card toward. 

3. For an additional entry, you can blog about this giveaway, tweet it or share it on Facebook. Just be sure to come back and leave a separate comment letting me know you did so. 

That's it. I'll announce a winner on Friday, November 9. Good luck & have a great week!