It's All Black and White

I've been working hard to redecorate my dining room. As you may recall from this post, I've already painted tone-on-tone horizontal stripes on my walls, embellished some curtain panels with ribbon and recovered my dining room chairs in a black and ivory striped fabric. My next step is to add some color to the room.

In order to find some inspiration, I headed to Google Images and typed in "black and ivory" rooms. Guess what? The only images that I found were black and white rooms. I didn't mind though, I love black and white rooms. They are so timeless.

Image from House Beautiful



Aren't the yellow lamps the perfect accent here?

Image via Houzz.com

Images from Houzz.com

Image from Where the Sidewalk Begins

Image from remodelista.com

Image from nj.com

I'm still searching for the perfect colors to add to my room. Any ideas?

Results of Halloween Contest and a Big Thank You

Stephanie's winning entry

The votes have been counted for the Halloween E-Design Halloween Contest at Paula Grace Designs. Sadly, I did not win. The winning entry came from Stephanie at A Brooklyn Limestone. Stephanie changed things up a bit this year and reports that the kids from the neighboring elementary school love what she's done. Aren't the kids the reason we put effort into decorating for Halloween anyway? She can rest assured that she will not have to worry about any bags of burning poo on her front porch come Halloween night.

If you'd like to see how Stephanie spookified her home for Halloween this year, go here.

I'd like to thank Paula for hosting the contest and featuring my nailhead pumpkins. I'd also like to thank all of the readers who took the time to stop by and vote. Much thanks!

Happy Halloween!

A Must Read From The Little Green Notebook

Jenny's Dining Room

If you haven't read the latest post from The Little Green Notebook, drop everything and head over. Jenny is highlighting her dining room transformation from pretty but dark to absolutely bright and beautiful. This is one of the best posts I've ever read, stuffed full of great information. Be sure to check it out.

How Blogging Helped Me Lose Weight

Image from adaringadventure.com

Last March my husband and I went to Chicago for the weekend with some friends to celebrate my birthday. I was having a great time. We met up with a friend who moved to the Chicago area, shopped, and went to a piano bar on Friday. On Saturday, my birthday, my fabulous husband surprised me with a spa day for myself and my friend, Katina. Then the fun came to a screeching halt when I was getting ready for dinner that night. While checking out my ensemble in the hotel's full length mirror, I noticed that I had put on weight. Not a lot of weight, but I definitely saw a little pooch developing. I hadn't noticed it before. You see, we didn't own a full length mirror. Every mirror we owned stopped just short of my waist. I didn't let it spoil the evening. As a matter of fact, my husband and I shared a delicious chocolate dessert after a sumptuous meal. But I did order an egg white omelet with vegetables for breakfast the next morning.

What does this have to do with writing a blog about budget decorating? Blogging has helped me lose those 10 lbs that I accumulated last winter. Before I started blogging I made a list of all the projects that I wanted to accomplish for my home and subsequently detail in a post. Now, instead of spending the afternoon munching on tortilla chips while watching "Ellen", I am working diligently on DIY projects. Painting, sewing and writing are ideal ways to keep my mind off the fresh-baked brownies cooling on my kitchen counter.

Shortly after the "incident" in Chicago, I joined the gym where my husband works out. While I used to hop on the elliptical machine and listen to Lady Ga Ga or Michael Jackson to get through my 30 minutes of cardio, I have switched off my Ipod and spend that time thinking about my next project or post. I always say that I do my best thinking on the elliptical machine while the blood is coursing through my veins.

So that's it folks, I am proud to say that I currently 10 lbs lighter and I owe it all to blogging. By the way, I now own a full length mirror.

I promise, tomorrow I'll be back to talking about design.

Craft Room Contest

Do you have a fabulous area for crafting that you'd like a chance to show off? Nicole at Order Over Chaos is having a Craft Room Contest. The deadline for entry is October 30. You still have time to enter.

Flashback to the '70's

If you were to walk through my front door and look immediately to your right, you would be staring directly into my dining room. On the far wall of that room, (hopefully) partially hidden by the the dining room table is this hand-me-down monstrosity:

Did I mention that I couldn't find replacement hardware that would work?

Wouldn't it fit in exquisitely in the Brady Bunch dining room? Alice could set a platter of pork chops atop this lovely piece of furniture while Marcia informed the family of her hot date Saturday night with the Big Man on Campus. Unfortunately for me, it is 2009 and I'm stuck with this very large, very heavy buffet.

Trust me on this, the picture here is deceptive. It looks even worse in person. Whatever was used to finish this piece is extremely shiny. The way I see it, I have one of four choices, each of which has pros and cons:

1. Replace it
2. Remove it completely
3. Prime and paint
4. Cover it

Replacement is not an option right now and removing the buffet would require relocating the many dishes, silver, crystal and serving pieces that are stored inside. Also, I am not inclined to run up and down the stairs to my basement every time I need a serving piece or a few dishes. That leaves the last two options.


A while back I e-mailed Holly from Life in the Fun Lane for her opinion. Holly has been known to turn cast-offs like this:

into beauties like this:

While Holly said that she hadn't worked with that type of finish, her recommendation was "...just go for it." That may be something to consider, after all, could it really look worse?

My final choice would be to cover the buffet in a style similar to this piece found at Little Green Notebook.

Love the Ikat fabric!

Skirting the buffet would help add the color to the room that I desire. The trick here would be finding the right fabric for the job. Since it is a large piece it might take 4-5 yards of fabric which could get expensive. Even if I found a fabric that I liked at a reasonable price, there is still the issue of construction. My sewing skills are relatively limited. You may remember from this post about reupholstering a chair for my office/guest room. Any sewers in the crowd who would like to offer their advice?

Those are my choices. I won't make a move until I hear from you. What would you do?

Dining Room Update: Ribbon Embellished Curtain Panels

A little steaming and "fluffing" are in order. Otherwise they are complete.

One of the reasons that I started this blog was to journal about my experiences in redecorating my home with budget in mind. I have found that one of the best ways to keep costs down is to re-use items that I already own. For my guest room/office, I turned an old kitchen table into a desk, made a wall-arrangement from items that I already owned, and separated a set of nesting tables to use as bedside stands. While I still have plans for that room, more recently, I have been devoting time to updating my dining room. Last week I shared a few of my plans for that room. Read about it here. With painting and upholstering accomplished, it was time to move on to the windows.

The wood blinds that were on the windows were fine for privacy, but weren't doing anything to add warmth to the room. Some curtain panels were in order. My first instinct was to run out and buy new panels. I love the green apple color of these panels from Ballard Designs , but two panels would cost $346.00. After shipping and tax, chances are that I would have to pay close to $375 for the panels.

:

Being the recessionista that I am, I decided to use a set of inexpensive champagne colored panels that I already owned and embellish them with ribbon for a new look. While I love the green apple color, I ultimately decided to use black ribbon to coordinate with the black stripes on my dining room chairs. The room will have a neutral background and I will be able to add color with art and accessories.

This was a surprisingly quick and easy project. I purchased 5 rolls of 1 1/2 inch wide black ribbon and two spools of Stitch Witchery, an iron-on fusible tape, from Michaels. The ribbon was on sale for $2.50/roll. With supplies in hand, I was ready to begin.

Since I had never attempted this project before, I chose a simple design based on a Greek key pattern. Using the hems of the panels as a guide, I rolled out two lengths of ribbon, ending at the stitching of the bottom hem. I added an addition two inches to the top so that I could wrap the ribbon around the top edge of the panel. The squares were created by cutting four 7 inch pieces of ribbon and one longer length to connect the squares.

Ribbon was measured and cut to form the desired pattern.

To assure that my ribbon would lay perfectly vertical, starting at the top of the panel I measured 5 1/2 inches in from the edge of the panel and pinned the ribbon at this point. Moving down the length of the panel, I continued measuring every 5 1/2 inches and pinning the ribbon until I came to the end.

With the length of ribbon in place, I formed three sides of the square at the bottom by using the side and bottom stitching as a guide. (The final side of the squares would be the horizontal piece of ribbon that would connect the two squares. This is the last length of ribbon that should be added.) I made a miter at each of the corners by folding the ribbon under on a diagonal and ironing them in place before pinning.

With one side pinned in place, I began the process of adhering the ribbon to the panel. To make the ironing more manageable, I worked in short segments of about ten inches starting at the bottom and working my way to the top. I unpinned a short section of ribbon and positioned two segments of Stitch Witchery parallel to each other beneath the ribbon and ironed in place. The iron was held for 3-5 seconds to ensure that the tape had properly adhered. I continued this process until the entire side was complete. (It is important to position the fusible tape right at the edge to guarantee that the ribbon will be completely secured to the panel. The fusible tape could also be applied to one side at a time rather than laying them parallel.)

Once the first side was complete, I repeated the steps for the second side of the panel.

The final length of ribbon was added by positioning it horizontally across the bottom of the panel to complete the squares. Mitered corners were formed and ironed in place before pinning and adhering the ribbon to the panels.

Finished!

This project could be accomplished by stitching the ribbon in place. However, keep in mind that if your panels are lined and inner-lined, this may prove a bit challenging. In total, I used about 15 yards of ribbon to complete both panels. Since I already owned the panels and the ribbon was on sale, the total cost for this project was about $15. Sure beats the $375 I would have paid for the panels from Ballard Designs.

If you have a set of panels that you are planning to ditch, consider adding a little embellishment. Ribbon is available in a variety of widths, colors and patterns at fabric and craft stores. Here are a few ideas to consider:

A simple ribbon trim in the color of your choice on both the leading and outside edge of a panel could be added in a matter of an hour to create a look similar to these panels from Pottery Barn.

Adding a vertical pattern with ribbon gives the illusion of height to your room:

Image from DIY Ideas

Create horizontal stripes of one or more colors of ribbon to a solid color panel to get a look similar to this:

Image from curtainfabricsonline.com

Even a patterned panel would benefit from a shot of color. Imagine adding a band of bright yellow or teal to a black and white panel.

In the future I may switch out the panels, but the $15 I invested in updating the existing panels is a good solution for the time being.

Stay tuned for my thoughts on how to deal with my 1970's buffet.

Your Votes are Needed

Paula from Paula Grace Designs, Inc. is having a E-design Halloween contest. One lucky winner will receive a free virtual design of the room of their choice from Paula. Contestants, myself included, provided Paula with a photograph of a Halloween decorating project that they created.
I submitted my nailhead pumpkin. If you liked my nailhead pumpkin project found here, I'd really appreciate your vote.

The winner will be announced on Friday, October 30. To vote, follow the link below:

paulagracedesigns.blogspot.com/2009/10/time-to-vote.html

Thanks in advance!

Karen

Alternatives to Microfiber

Image from In Register

When my children were babies and toddlers I was always concerned about them spilling on the furniture. I had a sofa covered in a blue and white ticking stripe that I loved. Since ticking stripe is such a classic, I planned to save lots of money by not having to replace or recover the piece. I was very consistent about keeping my kids in the kitchen for snacks and meals. Not even Goldfish crackers were allowed on that sofa. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of serving brownies at a party at my home and after everyone left, I noticed a distinct tiny chocolate hand print running down the cushions of the aforementioned sofa. After that, I didn't try so hard anymore.

Why am I telling you this story? Because, had I known about microfiber at the time, I may have been tempted to replace the existing sofa with one covered in microfiber to avoid a repeat of "Browniegate". Microfiber is touted as a miracle fabric. If little Sally or Johnny spills red Kool-aid on the cushions of your chair, a simple wipe of the sponge will eliminate the mess. What if little Johnny takes that microfiber covered chair with him to college someday? He'll be able to hide the evidence of beer and pizza spills just like he did at home with the his Kool-aid.

Image from tycromedia.com

There is just one problem with the use of microfiber as an option for upholstery. It's just not that attractive. I've seen sofas with nice lines covered in microfiber and somehow, it takes away from the piece. It has a strange quality to it. If you run your hand over it, it leaves an impression. A woman once told me that her children use their fingers to doodle pictures and write their names on her microfiber covered sofa.

Image from tycromedia.com

All the parents reading this are probably wondering, "What's your solution Miss Smarty Pants?"
I have a few. First up, consider the use of an indoor/outdoor fabric when reupholstering chair seats. It may not be the best choice for a sofa, but on the seat of a chair where a child will be sitting, it is a great solution. I recovered the bar stools in my kitchen with an indoor/outdoor fabric and it has been wonderful. The fabric is treated to withstand the elements so it is a good solution for small children with a tendency to spill. (It's not bad for adults with a tendency to spill either!)

The bar stools in my kitchen are upholstered in indoor/outdoor fabric.

A closer look at the fabric available here. At just $9.99/yard, it was an inexpensive DIY project.

You might be surprised by the number of retailers and online fabric suppliers offering an array of gorgeous styles and colors of indoor/outdoor fabrics. These indoor/outdoor fabrics from fabric.com are just a fraction of what they offer. All of these patterns run $6.98-$12.98/yard:

To illustrate how well my indoor/outdoor fabric resists staining, I did my own unscientific experiment. I took a small sample of the fabric that I used on my bar stools and simulated what would happen if spaghetti sauce were left on the fabric for five minutes before the spot was wiped off. The results speak for themselves:

Before

During




After

If you are covering a larger piece of furniture, you might want to consider a laminated fabric. PK from Room Remix just did this post about laminated fabric. While laminated fabrics can be expensive, in the long run, you may save money by not having to reupholster or replace furniture due to stains and spills.

A final option would be a slipcover or throw for your piece. When the inevitable stains occur, just toss the cover in the wash. If you are not a sewer, contact a local fabric store for the name of a seamstress who can construct a custom slipcover for your sofa or chair. There are also a multitude of retailers offering loose-fit slipcovers and throws for as little as $99. This loose-fit cover from Pottery Barn comes in four colors and is available for arm chairs as well as large and small sofas. Prices range from $99-$149.

As a mother of two, I definitely see the logic in choosing microfiber for an upholstered piece of furniture. However, if you are worried about stains and don't like the look, there are options.

One Room/Many Projects

If you've been following this blog for a while, you know that I am in the process of trying to update a number of rooms in my home without spending a lot of money along the way. Mainly, I've been trying to take what I already own and add some paint, fabric or trim to dress it up. While it would be nice to start from scratch and purchase all new furniture and accessories, that isn't always possible. Besides, the challenge of finding ways to save money while still getting the look you desire can be a lot of fun.

You may remember this post about my desire to redecorate my poor, neglected dining room. I have been spending a little time each weekend on this project. The first order of business was recovering the chairs that were originally upholstered in a not-so-attractive (translation: hideous) microfiber. Here is the before:

After months of searching at fabric stores and online, I finally settled on this fabric from Ballard Designs. Originally $20/yard, with a product code I found online, I was able to purchase 3 yards for $17/yard.

Here is the after.

Next on the "To Do" list was paint for the room. For a long time I threw around the idea of painting the room an asparagus green. Our dining room does not get much natural light through the one window in the space. For this reason, I decided against adding a dark color to the room and instead chose to paint horizontal stripes above the chair rail. This is where I started:

A few hours of prep work and painting later and this is how the room looks today.

The next item on my agenda is to embellish some taupe panels that I already own with ribbon. Here is a sneak peek at what I've been working on today. This is the ribbon right after I measured and cut my pieces.

I have one panel completed and hope to finish the second panel soon. I am very pleased with the results and can't wait to show you. Unfortunately, I didn't purchase enough ribbon so I will be heading back to Michaels for one more spool. At $2.50 a spool, it will cost about $15.00 to complete both panels.

The last project that I want to finish before I accessorize the room is to add wallpaper to the panels below the chair rail. The white-on-white combination doesn't showcase the panels at all.

I'm still searching for the perfect paper to add some color and pattern to the space. Once that is complete, the fun of choosing accessories and wall art can begin. If you have a favorite source for reasonably priced wallpaper, I would love some suggestions.

Stay tuned for the final reveal.