Pillow Power: a before & after story.

Some of you might already know about the wonderful salon going in next store. And if you don't, well considered yourself informed. I really heart these girls, and they're going all out on this place. I've had the pleasure of watching their space transform before my very eyes. They've chosen to {re}purpose items and give them new life-- bleachers and old doors have been made into the reception desk, tree trunks are now end tables and a coffee table, and lots of love was put into some old metal cabinets which now function as their stations. The only thing they were slightly unsure about was their sofa. Behold exhibit a). A classic, mid-century modern piece, with beautiful lines, perfectly placed buttons, and exposed wood on the arms and feet. I can see what they originally saw in this. In attempt to freshen it up a bit, they reupholstered the cushions in a dark-green velvet, yet it still wasn't the look they were going for. I was more than willing to sell it for them, but I wanted to try sprucing it up with some pillows first.

Exhibit b) Funky pillows galore. Now instead of a very stark couch, we have a warm and inviting place to sit. So next time you feel like starting completely over, remember pillows can add a dramatic finishing touch that will give you that finished look you're going for.  

 Tips: Mix and match patterns and textures to avoid a cookie-cutter look. The giraffe pillows are velour and really serve as an anchor to this couch. I chose brown to tie into the wood colors. The floral pillows add that pop of color, pulling from both the mustard behind and the green cushions below. The material on the single pillow in the middle is almost like a burlap sack (which I've been slightly obsessing over lately). It has strings of green stitched on the vertical giving us another pattern that's elegant, yet simple.

Spac-tacular

There are two reasons why I rarely show you pictures of my home, one being it's usually a mess, seriously, a mess, and two, because it's an ongoing project. We just had our carpets and stairs cleaned thanks to a groupon, and I guess that inspired me to tackle this room upstairs, which in turn made me say "what the heck, let's show 'em the room". The "em" in that sentence is you. Just in case you missed that.

Here it is as Tony's man cave. This is how we initially used it, since my brother occupied the room downstairs. Now that he moved out, we moved Tony's office downstairs, and I 'm preparing this room for when T no longer needs a crib.  

So here's the beginning of project toddler room. T's nursery is so small I don't believe it'll hold an actual bed at the same time as a dresser. Here's an old picture from way before she was born. I don't know why I don't have a finished picture of her nursery, but it's a little bit more put together than this. I just wanted to give you an idea of the space, it's actually like a 5'x12' space, with a cute little nook in which her crib fits perfectly.

Back to my plans for the new room. I'm a huge picker, I love to pick off loose paint, wallpaper, my daughter's boogers, you name it and I'll pick it. When we moved into this house, I immediately started getting this 70's grass wallpaper off, only to find this beauty standing strong underneath. 

 

 

 My husband went out and bought me all the tools to get it off, but as I started to peel it, pieces of plaster decided to come off as well. So instead of scoring it and bringing the entire wall down, I've decided to plaster in the cracks and just wallpaper over it. I know, probably not the best way to go, but really, who wants to re-plaster an entire wall? I used this handy, dandy premixed plaster-patcher and went to town. See all those white marks on the wall and down by the floor molding? Those are where actual holes existed in the wall from me pulling away wall paper.

My next step will be sanding all the little groves out, and then once I repaint all the molding and wood paneling with my "Dove Tail" white paint/primer, I'm going to wallpaper with this beauty:

I'm slightly having second thoughts about having such a monochromatic color scheme in my daughter's room, but I figured I'll accent with some bold colors. I'm thinking about painting her wood frame bed in a turquoise, and definitely throwing in some bright yellows in the pillows or bedding. I'll be sure to update you with the progress. Whenever that might be...

In reference to the store, we just got a beautiful matching buffet and server in. The wood grain on this piece is pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself.

Back To Tuesdays

 Is it just me or do you feel like we skipped winter this year? Either way, March is here, and that means we're open again on Tuesday. So come on by and see what's new. I'll probably be sitting outside on our new Cypress Tree Outdoor furniture enjoying the sun with the babe. Here are some pictures highlighting the newbies.

Wicker Seat or Floor Cushions
$15 each or 3 for $38