Archive for August, 2010
Reader Redesign: The Beat Of Her Own Drum
It’s no secret that we love ourselves a big linen drum shade, so imagine how excited we were to see Ashley’s tutorial for the one that she made from scratch… to the tune of just $18. Seriously. Here’s her letter:
Okay, you have got to quit doing cute things in your house because I’m always wanting to do something else. My project list goes on and on. Ha! The latest thing you inspired was a drum pendant light. I decided to try to do something similar above our dining room table. Although I would love to redo the lighting altogether, I can’t take that on right now. I decided to try to use the current fixture and just build around it to save some money.
I used some cross stitching hoops, plexiglass, burlap, and a hot glue gun to make my own drum pendant light that would go over my current fixture and I did it for $18! I love it! There’s a post I did on my blog if you want to read the full tutorial.
Thank you for always inspiring and making “on the cheap” fashionable!!! -Ashley
Who knew some cross stitching hoops, plexiglass, fabric, and a good ol’ hot glue gun could produce such a beauty? We love the result and we still can’t believe Ashley made it happen for under twenty buckaroos. Plus her tutorial is super helpful for anyone who wants to tackle it themselves. Any takers?
Psssssst- Don’t forget to check out our weekly post over on BabyCenter. This week we’re elaborating on some baby documenting projects and some decor ideas when it comes to displaying those memorable monthly (or weekly) moments!
The Olympic Event Of Rug Hunting
Ok, we know we said our sunroom’s mini makeover was next on the agenda but we just had to share this fun den switcheroo first because we often get reader questions about how we choose room-making things like the right art or the perfect rug. Our reply is always that there’s no such thing as “the right” or “the perfect” formula or item because there are multiple ways to finish off a room that you’re sure to love. Think of it as a buffet with more than one delicious meal to choose from. So the good news is that there’s not just one “solution” when it comes to polishing off a room and calling it done.
Another pretty common misconception is that deals just fall into our laps when we’re usually doing some pretty major legwork to sniff things down that we love. In fact, just to demonstrate that the best deals (and the items that you’ll love for the long haul) usually have to be seriously stalked, we thought we’d share the play by play of our loooong den rug pilgrimage.
Why the need for a new rug in the den? Well, let’s just say we were living with a dirty little secret:
The $70 Lowe’s rug that we scored four years ago was, well, dirty. The natural jute fibers were somehow breaking down and shaking loose underneath the rug every time we walked on it (which is definitely not par for the jute-rug-course, we have other jute rugs in our kitchen and bedroom which never give us the same problem after years of use). And with a tiny human around, we weren’t willing to stand for those dirty little could-be-inhaled particles anymore. So it was out with the old rug and in with the new.
But which new 5 x 8′ rug would we be taking home? When we began our rug search it was much like the first episode of The Bachelorette. So many options, so little time (not to be confused with the smutty new show Bachelor Pad- there was no skimpily clothed Twister game). But after “courting” over 30 rugs and imagining them in our lives for a few decades, we were left with five finalists so to speak. Let’s meet the contenders.
First we came across this celery and beige beauty at a local lighting and rug outlet (pardon the terrible iPhone pic).
We loved it for the 100% wool construction (we like our rugs to be made from natural materials like cotton, wool, or jute without any rubber backing so we don’t have to worry about synthetics, offgassing, or unnecessary chemicals). We also liked the soft and serene colors. We definitely wanted to replace the shedding jute rug with something cushy and soft (since we know Clara will appreciate that once she’s a bit more mobile) but because our den has two storage ottomans that sit in the center of the rug, we didn’t know if the design, which was raised about a half inch, would make those ottomans sit oddly on the rug. So we asked for their best price ($200 on sale down from over $550!) and snapped this photo before leaving to “think things over.” Ideally our new rug would come in under $150, but we know how hard that is to accomplish when you’re looking for something so big made from a cushy & natural material like wool.
With rug number one still on our minds, we hit up a slew of other stores (including TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Lowe’s, Target, and Home Depot). No dice. Everything was either too pricey for our taste, made from something synthetic like acrylic, too rough and un-cushy (remember part of the criteria was that we wanted something softer underfoot for the beanette), or just not our style. So then it was time to let our fingers do the walking. We checked out overstock.com to no avail and also took a look around CB2.com and crateandbarrel.com – just in case they had something we hadn’t seen in the C&B store. Nada. Insert sad emoticon here.
Then we remembered that we had a $100 gift card to West Elm burning a hole in our pocket, so we reasoned that if we saw a 5 x 8 rug on their site that we loved, it probably wouldn’t be as cost prohibitive after we applied our gift card towards the purchase price. And it was there that we found our next three contenders. First there was this guy, who was full of interest and just enough color to be on the fun side (much like our yellow living room rug). But unlike the plush wool rug in our living room, this guy was a bit thinner and not nearly as soft. Happily though, it would only be $129 with our $100 gift card, which really wasn’t bad for such a large area rug. It was definitely something to think about.
Next we flirted with this guy, who also scored major points in the pattern & interest category. Our only fear was that since our house has dark mocha hardwood flooring throughout, it might blend in a bit too much with the brown wood floors instead of anchoring and defining the sitting area in the den as we hoped. And this option was also not as plush and cushy as we would have liked. Although the price wouldn’t have stung too much since it would have been just $129 after our $100 credit.
Then we considered giving the rose to this plush and lovely alternative. We really liked how soft and squishy it looked, and the fact that it was made from natural and undyed wool had us at hello (doesn’t get much more pure than that). But this one was a bit more costly ($179 after our $100 gift card) and although the subtle ribs were gorgeous, it didn’t really offer as much in the personality department as the other rugs with more hue and pattern. And the last thing we wanted was to replace our texture-rich woven jute rug for something that just looked like a blah brown rectangle on the floor- no matter how soft it would be on the ol’ feet.
At this point we were feeling a bit woe-is-me about the whole rug hunt. We had visited a ton of stores (both virtually and in person) and each “finalist” that we had hand-picked still felt like it was missing one crucial personality trait (either some cush-factor or some pattern & interest to keep our neutral toned den from feeling to yawn-inducing). Then inspiration struck. I had heard that it was possible to redeem West Elm gift cards at some of their sister stores, and after some quick google research I learned that they could be redeemed at Pottery Barn and even PB Kids and PB Teen. First we flipped through the options on PB Kids and PB Teen without seeing anything that fit the bill, and then hit up big poppa: Pottery Barn.
We had already visited our local Pottery Barn in person a few days back, but we reasoned that the online store probably had a lot more than the actual brick & mortar store had on hand. And we were right. In fact, we stumbled upon an 100% wool 5 x 8 rug that was both cushy & soft underfoot and full of pattern & interest. The big floral pattern was definitely modern and fun enough for our tastes, and the colors would really work perfectly in our cream, tan and chocolate toned den scheme.
We braced ourselves for the dealbreaker as we scrolled down to look at the price. Happily, it was on clearance (yessssssss) and would only set us back 130 beans after we applied our $100 gift card. Things were looking up. And speaking of looking up, when we scrolled back up to have another peek at the might-be-it rug, we noticed the name. Are you ready for this? It was called the Clara Rug. Not kidding. So of course that pushed us over the edge. Within ten minutes we had redeemed our West Elm gift card online and paid the remaining $130 while victoriously high-fiving and gleefully explaining to Clara that we just added a rug named after her to the family.
So here’s our new favorite rug living it up by the fireplace. Oh and we sprinkled in some already-owned accessories in a soft lime hue to tie things together and add a hint of freshness without spending another dime:
We definitely wouldn’t describe our hunt as easy (things that are worthwhile rarely are!) but we’re so glad that we searched our brains out both in person and online to find the best rug for our family- one that that scored high marks for price, material, softness, color, and pattern (thanks to our insane must-have list). Are there other rugs out there that would look great in our den? Definitely. But we love that we found our sweet new Clara Rug and we couldn’t wait to share the not-always-easy process with anyone else out there who’s still waiting for the table/lamp/print/mirror/chair/bed/sofa of their dreams. Don’t despair! Just keep your chin up and look like crazy and the right thing just might find you. And since there’s more than one right thing, the odds really are with you as long as you don’t give up or settle for something that’s not exactly what you want. No matter how crazy your criteria may seem…
Psst- Wanna know more about our (admittedly very subjective) rug rules? Check out this post and this post.
Fab Freebie: Market Fresh
***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries***
This week’s giveaway comes to from two awesome sources of inspiration who are dishing out quite a worldly and wonderful prize for one lucky reader. First up is Fresh Home, one of the few magazines to buck the vanishing shelter pub trend and actually make its debut last year (you may have noticed them in our monthly sponsor shout out last week). This fresh quarterly mag focuses on home improvement and decor ideas for anyone with a finite budget who still wants to make their home beautiful. We can definitely relate. And in a genius turn of events, Fresh Home has teamed up with one of their (and our) favorite sources, Cost Plus World Market, to score an $100 gift card for one lucky YHL reader!
The great thing about Cost Plus World Market is that they’ve got such a wide range of offerings that you could practically do a whole room from there without it looking matchy-matchy in the least. They have everything from couches, coffee tables, and rugs to pillows, lighting, and accessories. Heck, we even purchased the seat cushions for our new office makeover and the rug in our master bedroom there.
So here’s the full monty on how you can enter this week:
- PRIZE: $100 gift card to Cost Plus World Market courtesy of CPWM and Fresh Home Magazine.
- TO ENTER: Comment on this post with the words “I’M FRESH” and…
- BONUS QUESTION: … since the summer heat means feeling fresh is a rarity these days, why not tell us what you do to freshen up. A nice cool shower to start your day? A tall glass of lemonade when you come in from the heat? Or maybe a quick deodorant swipe or some mouthwash between meetings?
- GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Wednesday, August 18th at 8pm EST
- NUMBER OF WINNERS: One
- PRIZE SHIPS: The 50 United States
- USUAL STUFF: One entry per e-mail address is permitted. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced on Thursday. Good luck…
See our Giveaway FAQs page for more info. Pics from Cost Plus World Market and Fresh Home Magazine.
Store Crashing: Virginia Is For Clovers
We always love crashing a well designed house to get some inspiration and steal some ideas. But we also know that homes aren’t the only place to look for decor inspiration. Which is why we decided to take you shopping with us for some pretty amazing and totally implementable at-home ideas. Allow us to introduce you to Clover.
It’s an amazingly cool consignment shop for kids that just opened in Richmond’s Carytown district last month – and they gave us a sneak peek at the space before they unlocked the doors to the public. We scored the special treatment because the shop is a spin-off concept from our friend Lesley who opened the grown-up consignment version called Clementine years ago just across the street (both are now owned by two other fams). We also crashed her charming abode back in ’08, so we know she’s the real deal when it comes to having some serious style.
Oh, and you probably remember us mentioning Clover a few weeks ago in this giveaway because their floors sport the Sunny Goode paint treatment.
But the creative and inspiring decor doesn’t stop at those insanely amazing stenciled floors. Clover is full of playful DIY projects that are as adventurous as they are affordable – and it’s always good to remember that sometimes you just have to go for it to achieve that perma-smile-inducing look. It’s definitely not your typical kids clothing store:
Let’s start with what you can’t miss when you walk in: the dragon. This colorful Chinese dragon greets you at the front and weaves its way all the way to the back of the store. They scored it at Pearl River Mart in NYC (a store that Sherry often reminisces about- I’ve never been, but it was on Design Star this season for their first challenge). After Lesley hung it she wondered if it would scare any kids, but luckily they all seem to love the playful and imagination-inducing addition to the space. Maybe it’s that cheerful yellow color or those furry pink lips that keep the scare-factor down?
The front half of the store is split into boys’ clothes to your left and girls’ to your right. Each wall features an art installation that’s subtly gender-specific, but totally unlike anything that we’ve seen before. For example, the boys get buoys, which act as a colorful twist on the traditional nautical theme. The authentic buoys were a found on eBay for just $5.99 a pop (Lesley saved on shipping by making sure to order them all from the same vendor). The awesome 2″ thick braided rope also came from eBay – apparently it’s the same stuff you’ll find schoolkids climbing in gym class.
Over on the girls’ side was a 3D collage that was strangely fascinating and beautiful at the same time. Lesley meticulously pinned and velcro’d flash cards, paint swatches, playing cards, and even Pez dispensers into a wave of bright colors that anchors the entire wall (scroll up to the second photo to see it from afar). Even though there’s no apparent theme to the items, it’s somehow inherently playful and fun – and weirdly hard to take your eyes off of! Kind of like Where’s Waldo without the guy in the striped shirt. And we love that she used free items (like paint swatches) and super affordable things (like playing cards- 52 for $1) to cover a lot of ground without breaking the bank.
The wall art isn’t the only non-traditional element when it comes to the clothing areas. Even the racks themselves are a unique creation for Clover. They took metal plumbing pipes and had them fashioned into double- and single-level racks to house a slew of consigned clothing at the exact heights and lengths that they needed. We think it’s so cool that they didn’t go the expected route by defaulting to a basic wire rack. It adds just a glimmer of edge to this kids store, which keep things from veering off into the sugary-sweet territory.
And speaking of shelving, to house some of the non-hanging items, Lesley scored two of these wicker and glass shelves on Craislist for $45 each, then painted them a bold watermelon color (leftover from the floor) to fit seamlessly into the space. Sherry was especially enamored with the chic criss-cross back:
Back in the dressing area (little kids need to try stuff on too, right?) they converted a closet space into a private changing room with some clover-esque Ikea fabric ($8/yard) that they paired with a colorful backing (see the stripes reflected in the mirror?) and embellished with some red pom-pom trim. Lesley even loaned us some leftover fabric for one of Clara’s weekly photos. Score!
Next door to the dressing room is a little spot to entertain tiny shoppers, complete with two pint-sized chairs scored for $10 at a yard sale and painted a bright cloverly green (with already-owned paint). I picture this as the spot where exhausted baby husbands rest their feet while their baby wives try on outfit after outfit (at least there’s a nice little flat screen TV for watching Sportscenter Sponge Bob).
And of course there’s the spot where money is forked over. Clover opted for a simple teacher-style desk (which was scored at a local thrift store and painted black) to act as their check-out HQ, which is especially perfect for pre-teen purchasers who are just learning to pay for their own things.
Above the desk hang two pendant lamps that Lesley actually fashioned out of $10 industrial lamps from Home Depot topped with red bushel baskets (the top of the lamps feature a ceramic resting point for the basket so they never threaten to overheat the woven buckets). So simple and smart, right? And the DIYed pendant lights fit right into the color scheme thanks to some red paint (applied by none other than Lesley herself).
On the desk itself, they had a piece of glass cut to size and underneath it they laid some fun patterned fabric. But it’s not just any fabric, it’s custom Clover fabric that they had made by Spoonflower.com. We hadn’t seen any Spoonflower fabrics in person before Lesley’s, but we’d been in love with the concept for a while. Basically you can upload your own design (any design! the sky’s the limit!) and get it turned into custom fabric for as little as $16/yard. You can even check out a sample swatch before finalizing your order to make sure it’s perfect. We love unique and thoughtful touches like this- especially because Lesley only needed two yards of fabric and now has a desk that she literally “designed” to take Clover’s decor to the next level. Plus the desk was such a cheap thrift store find that she didn’t flinch when springing for the custom fabric to finish it off.
Last but not least, we’ll take all of you organization nuts ’round to the “employees only” part of the store where Leslie worked her magic again to beautifully arrange all of their extra inventory and supplies (despite it not really being directly visible to shoppers). They created an awesome workspace with butcher block counters (which they snagged on discount from Lumber Liquidators, who knew you could get a countertop there?). We love how clean and organized it all looks – and of course the fact that Lesley used more steel piping as fabric rods to close off some of the compartments below has us especially enamored.
And how could we not share a close-up of the über-organized baskets with charming tag labels that pepper the space. If you can believe it, the baskets were from Walgreens of all places (small ones were 2 for $5, big ones were 2 for $10). Doesn’t it almost make you want to work at Clover – just so you can bask in the beautiful order of things?
So that’s our spin around all the inspiration that is Clover. We hope you guys spotted as many fresh ideas in there as we did… maybe even a few that you can adapt for your own home! If you’re here in Richmond you’ll totally have to swing by (they’re near the Galaxy Diner) to see it for yourself – especially if you’ve got little ones to clothe (or just entertain for a while). And a big thanks to Lesley, Lyn, Jill and all the other Clover-folk for letting us pop by to enjoy all the amazing DIY details.
Did you guys spot anything in particular that caught your eye? Let’s play the always entertaining what’s-your-favorite-part game. And feel free to share any retail stores in your area that also boast unique decor. Who knows, if it’s not too far from Central Virginia we may just swing on over…
Burning Question: Closet Quandary
When it comes to your bedroom closets, what closures tickle your fancy? Do you like sliding doors, swing out doors, french doors, pocket doors, track doors, or bi-fold doors? Perhaps you’re a no-doors-at-all kinda person and some billowy curtains or even an open nook work better for you?
We’re excited to hear where you stand on the issue. In fact, we whipped up this handy little poll to keep everything tabulated:
[poll id="22"]
We’d love to hear more about why you voted the way you did, so feel free to comment away with more details.
Image courtesy of Ermoumag.
