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Archive for the 'Fabric' Category


Check Check Check!

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
By Christa Terry

gingham ceiling

Blue gingham on the ceiling? Zowie! A wallpapered ceiling provides the foil for the stenciled painted floor below in this kitchen featured in Coastal Living.

gingham chair covers

Blue gingham is used a bit more traditionally in this French country dining room found on Vintage Amethyst. It’s a little overwhelmingly country-country-country for my tastes, but I’m loving the distressed dining table paired with the gingham.

gingham headboard

Upholstered headboards and footboards rock my world, if only because I grew up with one. Blue gingham makes this bed the focal point of the space in this bedroom from Belle Maison.

gingham plates

Finally, note that loving blue gingham doesn’t have to mean investing in new wallpaper or buying a new bed. These blue gingham plates from La Plates feature pretty monograms and won’t cost an arm and a leg.

To incorporate a little blue gingham into your own life, click on any of the pics below!

gingham flatwaregingham lettergingham sneakers
gingham tea towelsgingham platesgingham oven mitt


Paint a Canvas Floorcloth

Friday, July 10th, 2009
By Christa Terry

Let’s say you don’t have a thousand or so bucks lying around to spend on the perfect rug. You can forget all about it or lust after the rug from afar. You can look high and low for a cheaper version of the rug you really want. Or you can approach your little rug funding problem with the DIY spirit.

canvas floor covering

While I don’t know how feasible it is to dye a rug or draw on a rug, an artfully painted canvas floorcloth can stand in for other kinds of floor covering and are easy for the novice to tackle. So, floorcloths… right now you may be saying “Huh?” Which is okay, because I wasn’t aware that floorcloths existed either. Here’s the skinny:

The floorcloth originated in France and became popular in American in the early 1700s. At that time the floorcloth was made from recycled ships sails and the use was utilitarian. In early American colonies they were used to cover bare wooden floors or sometimes dirt floors. After being used for so long as a necessity, they eventually lost their popularity with the arrival of linoleum flooring.

The floorcloth eventually made a comeback but with a revamped attitude. Today’s floorcloth is not for necessity, but rather as a piece of artwork for the floor. The design is only limited by the imagination. Floorcloths are usually made from a heavyweight cotton duck canvas. Despite the fact their beauty comes from water-based paints, floorcloths are durable. The paint is sealed with several layers of water-based varnish so the floorcloth can just be wiped clean.

How’s it done? First, you need to acquire a piece of canvas — it is possible to buy pre-cut rug sizes that are already primed. If it’s unprimed, you’ll have to hit it with a layer of gesso and then a layer of latex paint, allowing for a 2-inch hem all around. Note that you’ll still need to apply the latex layer even if you buy pre-primed canvas. The next step is painting your canvas floorcloth with whatever design you like. You can rock ‘n’ roll freehand, use a stencil, or have someone who’s a better artist than yourself sketch out a design before you paint. Then you’ll need to seal your canvas floorcloth with a few layers of acrylic (non-yellowing) matte varnish. Finally, apply paste wax for a nice soft sheen.

Descriptions of canvas floorcloths don’t do justice to them. Check out this gallery of stenciled floorcloths for ideas and inspiration!

(Again, via Sterlingspider, who is awesome.)


Too Scared to Sleep?

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
By Christa Terry

I have a love/hate relationship with depictions of human innards, particularly the skull. Hate because I’m a total wuss when it comes to things like horror movies and gore, and love because stylized depictions of skulls tend to end up on my consumer purchases (think shoes, hoodies, artwork) with a surprising frequency. In other words, I am afraid of skulls that look like skulls and enamored with skulls that look like, well, pirate emblems or cartoon monkey heads.

Skull Island Bed-in-a-Bag

That’s why I’ve fallen hard for this uber cute bed-in-a-bag from Domestications. Sure, it’s still, and yes, it is sold in the section of the shop meant to appeal to a demographic rather far removed from my own, but I don’t care. Some skulls are scary and some skulls… they watch over you in your sleep, bwahahaha!


Color Combos: Pink, Black, and Green

Friday, March 27th, 2009
By Christa Terry

I find myself inspired by this shot of designer Mary McDonald’s Hollywood guesthouse den. Pairing pink and black with green tones down the overwhelming girliness that is a characteristic of pink and black alone so your space doesn’t end up looking like a tween girl’s wardrobe.

Mary McDonald

Of course, a brighter iteration of this palette could easily work in a tween girl’s bedroom, as you can see.

Pink black and green interiors

Want to DIY it? Hit up Amazon (or click the pics!) for tons and tons of pink, black, and lime green accessories, furniture, and bedding.

pink pillowblack and white beddinglime green chair


Pink Isn’t my Favorite Crayon, But I Can Dig It

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
By Christa Terry

I waver where pink is concerned. Whereas I know I’m definitely not into the whole bubblegum thing that I’ve posted about before, pink in smaller doses can pretty up an otherwise drab interior. On the other hand, it’s still so girly — case in point: I had a daughter, and suddenly my overwhelmingly gender neutral layette was immediately pinkified by friends and relatives.

Pink living room

The interior above — featuring fabric from Designers Guild — contains just enough pink to make a statement and, barring the fact that it’s just a tad too plushie for my tastes, I am definitely digging on the overall color scheme. There’s something a little retro about this living room, what with the thick furry couches and carpeting, but the jewel-like colors add excitement. Of course, you can achieve the same effect without ever introducing pink into your home’s color scheme with vivid and vivacious blues or greens or purples. Pink is just one place you might consider beginning your journey.

To help you start, here are six pink pieces that will add some va-va-voom to your office, kitchen, bedroom, or living room:

pink deskpink throw pink cat dish
pink butterfly chairpink tupperwarepink hamper

If you like what you see, click the pics for more info!


Tea For Two Will Sometimes Spill

Friday, January 2nd, 2009
By Christa Terry

When it comes to things you can’t live without, make sure they are steeped in style.

TEA TOWELS

Everyone needs a few absorbent strips of cloth — most commonly known as tea towels — in the kitchen for the wiping up of spills and the drying of digits, so why not choose display-worthy specimens? I’m currently loving these colorful tea towels from ferm LIVING. Yes, they are a tad pricey at nearly twenty bucks a pop, but one hopes that ferm’s 100% organic cotton will last a goodly long time.


Inspiration: Joel Dewberry

Thursday, December 18th, 2008
By Christa Terry

Joel Dewberry fabrics

If you need a break from all the holiday decor assaulting your eyeballs, check out Joel Dewberry‘s line of beautiful fabrics. Dewberry is a prolific designer, artist, and craftsman, though unlike many of his fellows, fabric is his medium of choice. I love how his fabric designs are all so different, yet they combine wonderfully, making them perfect for home decor and craft projects.









Disclaimer: Manolo the Shoeblogger is not Manolo Blahnik
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    (a.k.a. Never teh Bride)

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