{GHP} How to pare down, weed out and discover more storage space.

15 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Collections & Accessories, DIY (do it yourself), House and Home, Misc

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The new year and the onset of spring are two of the most motivating times of the year for me. I seem to have a burst of new energy and a strong desire to pare down. This urge has gained strength as I’ve matured (a word I prefer over “aged”). Having a smallish house, short on storage, helps force this task on me.

I long to cull out unneeded decor items along with the other odds and ends that build up. Tone on Tone posted some amazing images of his camellias in October last year, but this image, which was part of that post, resonated with how I’d like my desk area to look. I kept it as additional motivation of a goal not yet fully accomplished.

{Tone on Tone}

This year was no different, so I thought I’d throw out (no pun intended) a few of my favorite ways to accomplish this task. Oh, and by the way, I have to capitalize on this action (paring down) when the mood strikes, otherwise I tend to think, as I take out one more unused item, “maybe I’ll need this next year, or one of the kids will need it”. Trust me, as the mother of two married sons, both with lovely wives, THEY WILL NOT WANT MOST OF YOUR STUFF!

{Pinterest}

1. Identify the target. I zero in on a closet or two to tackle. [Divide and conquer is best or it will overwhelm me] This can also be the storage cabinets in the garage, which is where I find most of the stuff that I no longer use gets sent. Once it’s hit the garage shelves I find I rarely go out and get it even if there’s a remote chance I’d use it. Still, I try to make sure I’m not going to need the item anytime within the next year. That seems to be the common time frame for ~~dumping~~ disposing of possessions.

{Pinterest} This looks like a great way to store things in the garage without taking floor or cupboard space.

{Arianna Belle}

2. Once you know of a particular space that is troubling you with it’s over-crowding, set aside a time when you can remove all items from the closet, cupboard or drawer. The last thing you want to do is get started right before you have an appointment or dinner guests arriving.

{Better Homes and Gardens}

{Arianna Belle}

3. Start by making 4 piles…things you can’t possibly live without, things you’d like to donate, things you might like to sell via eBay, Craigslist or a garage sale, and things you need to deposit in the trash. Do not allow yourself to believe you’ll need everything unless you have more storage space than you need, and have the luxury of saving stuff forever, in other words, don’t hoard. Remind yourself that donating is a good thing and that someone may end up with your item and it will make them very happy.

{Pinterest}

4. Once you’ve divided the items, act decisively. Take “trash” items to the trash can and the donation items to the car, right now, do not delay. I say this because if you loose momentum on this task you will end up putting it all back and you’ll have wasted your time and the problem will rear its ugly head again next season.

5. Reassign the remaining, must have items, to a location in the cupboard, drawer or closet where it can be easily accessible. If you have useful things but can’t get to them, you won’t use them and they will gather dust and you’ll wonder why you have the thing in the first place.

Note: The above steps apply to decorative accessories as well as other under-used household items. I do have a bit of a problem paring down decorative accessories but I’ve gotten better about doing it and it feels good to have only what I love, even if its a seasonal decoration. Keeping less clutter frees me to know what I have, where it is, and comfortable in the knowledge that I absolutely love it!

{House Beautiful}

The ultimate goal is to have things where you can find them and achieving some semblance of order in and around the house. The images I’ve selected for this post calm me by their simplicity and lack of clutter.

{Peters and Mbiango Interiors}

{Photo: Vickey Weiss}

{Martha Stewart}

{Pinterest}

The other thing I try to do while going through items is re-purpose things in unexpected ways. Jermaine at French Kissed is a constant source of inspiration for this, as demonstrated in her “Pantry Post” sometime back…

{French Kissed}

…and this from Roses and Rust, a clever use for a silver set no longer used for formal tea…

{Roses and Rust}

For additional tips on clutter-busting, visit Real Simple for some great ideas on making this job easier.

Are you organized, do you stay that way or is it something you have to do twice a year?

Join me at Savvy Southern Style for Wow us Wednesday #101

{GHP} Wrapped and ready…almost

18 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Christmas, DIY (do it yourself), Holidays, Uncategorized

≈ 23 Comments

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gift wrap

{Carl Larsson}

There are so many great options for gift wrap. Every year I promise myself I’ll keep it simple and use butcher paper and twine with fresh greens and homemade tags. I have yet to actually put that thought into action. Some of the ideas provided below have been in my file for a couple of years now.

{Oh, My}

Many of you have undoubtedly already wrapped your presents and have them artfully arranged under the tree, I hate you…not really. I usually would have mine wrapped as well, but that extra week really threw me off. I know, it should have been to my advantage but it was the week of our son’s wedding and I think I abused the extra time.

Here are some inspirational images, if you haven’t wrapped already, and a couple of sites that give you some valuable information for this final push to the magic that is Christmas.

I love the idea (below) of wrapping presents in interesting papers other than standard wrap. Little maps, foreign newsprint, art paper, let your imagination run wild.

(Martha Stewart}

I’ve got to hand it to Martha, she/her talented team come up with some clever ways to wrap any present.

{Martha Stewart}

The packages below are from an older MS tutorial [the link will take you the tutorial] where you can print out some of the graphics shown below, print them on paper and wrap. Very pretty, don’t you think?

{Martha Stewart}

If you prefer the lush, large, beautiful bows on your packages visit my friend Victoria over at Victoria Elizabeth Barnes. She gives you a tutorial on bow making that is not only informational but hilarious. I guarantee you a laugh at her clever descriptions of each step, and who can’t delight in some comedy relief this time of year?!

Heather Bullard has some creative tips for holiday gift tags. I imagine you would need to make the fresh tag later in the season so that it wouldn’t be dried out by the time you delivered it but for a hostess gift this would be a gift to add to the gift.

{Heather Bullard ~ Lifestyle}

I like the idea of an ornament or some kind of tie-on present on top of the package. One year Pottery Barn wrapped their gifts with an old fashioned key attached to the ribbon. Williams Sonoma used a small copper pineapple mold to enhance each package. There are cute things at Michael’s that will enhance a package and maybe hold inside meaning for the recipient.

{From the Right Bank}

Then there are boxes that need no wrap. Not that I’ve ever received a HERMÉS anything, but I have received Jo Malone gifts and they have a similar box. They are beautiful in their own right and need no paper.

Or, if all else fails, go green, give a puppy…no wrap necessary. How cute is this little guy, although I confess, I’d definitely add a red bow around his neck.

Are you wrapped and ready. Do you enjoy this part of the season or do you have your gifts wrapped, where possible, at the store? I have always enjoyed this part of the process and used to be the go-to girl for my family where wrapping is concerned. Do you use double sided tape? I confess, I’ve not been using it but maybe I’ll get some this year.

{Home} How to make pomanders for the holidays

27 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Christmas, DIY (do it yourself), Holidays, House and Home

≈ 26 Comments

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how-to, pomanders

3 days and counting until the wedding of our youngest son. As a result, I’m re-posting a two-year old post on how to make pomanders for Christmas. I think I may prepare some of these for our home this year. I hope you will excuse me for taking an easy way out but I know you’ll understand.

Originally published November 26, 2010 :: I know this must seem like I’m a little over-eager for Christmas and I am! This is a post on how to make pomanders and they are best made a couple of weeks before you are using them. Besides, it’s great to get the jump on the Christmas rush, right?

Holiday decorations around our home took a major detour once we no longer had young children racing around. I was free to hang only the ornaments I wanted to hang on the tree (glass blown and a collection of commemorative (metal) White House ornaments). Years ago a December issue of Southern Accents featured a tree with nothing but glass bulbs and I was SOLD!

This isn’t the exact tree that inspired me but it’s pretty close.

Now that we will be grandparents, any day now, I know that there will come a day when my tree and home will reflect Christmas for children once again, complete with the train that circles the tree, and I look forward to it. But meanwhile, most of our decorations are what I consider to be natural items, paper whites, amaryllis, white and red cyclamen, bowls of pine cones and greens, evergreen wreaths, garlands AND pomanders (clove studded fruit).

image via Country Living

I learned how to make this simple decoration shortly after I was first married and a friend brought me a clove-studded pear that I was able to use for many years. I use citrus (oranges, lemons or tangerines) as the base for my Pomanders due to the naturally fresh scent, and when studded with cloves and rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg they provide one more Christmas fragrance for our home.

image via Country Living

I thought I’d give you the steps to this simple seasonal decoration. You will need the following:

Citrus fruit of your choice, unblemished
1 bamboo skewer (for poking holes in the fruit where you want to plant the clove.
Whole cloves
1 tablespoon each: cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
Sandalwood oil (optional, see note*)
Ribbon and straight pins if you choose to hang the fruit

I use a citrus zester tool to remove small strips of the upper most layer of skin from the fruit, usually in a pattern of sorts. (It may be symmetrical lines down the sides or random swirls).

Once I have a pattern figured out, I poke holes with the bamboo skewer (about 5 at a time) and insert the clove in each hole.

You can cover as much of the fruit as you like—the pear I was given so many years ago was completely covered.

Once the piece of fruit is finished roll it in the spices. I usually store these on a rack in the garage until I decorate for Christmas, the weekend following Thanksgiving.

image via Country Living

Pomanders are as pleasing to the eye as it is to the nose.

*NOTE: Sandalwood oil is a natural preservative that can be mixed with the spices (4 drops per 2 tbsp of spices). I haven’t used it in years and find the fruit holds just fine for the season. I haven’t been saving the fruit from year to year because of where we store our decorations. I’m concerned that the excess summer heat would rot the fruit no matter what.

Have you ever made pomanders?

I’m over at Savvy Southern Style at her Wow Us Wednesdays, stop by for some great holiday inspiration.

{Home} Red to Taupe (gray)?

12 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, DIY (do it yourself), House and Home, Paint Color, Renovating

≈ 19 Comments

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Family room redo

Well, I’ve done it. I made the switch. After nearly 15 years of living with red, really burgundy, walls in our family room and kitchen I called our painter and had the walls painted. I’m not sure what triggered the need for change, is anyone ever really aware of these motivations, but it was time.

I can speculate that we were charging into summer when, once again, the room would feel a little warm, even though we rarely use our air conditioning due to the pleasure of mother nature’s natural air conditioning…a wonderful fog bank that creeps over the hills most evenings and cools us down, thank you Newport Beach, the red color gave off a psychological warmth (if there is such a thing). Great in the cooler months, not so much in summer.

I had written a post about my leaning towards a more neutral color palate for that space and I must say, even though it’s taken a few days to pull the room together, I’m happy with the change. And, maybe more importantly, Hubby likes it. He rarely has input in these matters, and is just as happy to go along with my incessant pondering of new design ideas for our home, but he likes the less cluttered look I’m striving for so all is well.

One of my motivations for the change can probably be attributed to these porcelain jars…Tina over at The Enchanted Home opened a store and sells some wonderful items. I found these (image below) and fell in blue and white porcelain love.

Somewhere down the line I will most probably reupholster the sofa in more of a neutral, non-patterned fabric but that will have to wait for now.

As with all home decor changes a proverbial can of worms is opened. We knew the over mantle needed a fresh coat of paint. So, we painted it. Now the brick surround needs paint but that is adjacent to the French door, which is painted the same color as the brick and the same color as the entertainment center, which was a bigger project than we were ready to tackle this weekend. So, painting those items will be on the list for later. I also have questions about the ceiling, which is tongue in grove wood, stained lightly with white. It looks like a limed pine but we’re now wondering if somewhere down the line we need to paint it white.

Any ideas? Would the white paint we’ve used on the over mantle be too much white?

Meanwhile, I am content with the changes. I can be patient for the final paint work that will need to take place, {hopefully}.

Happy Tuesday, my friends, hope your week is a happy one.

{GHP} Engagement Party pics

01 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, DIY (do it yourself), Drink, Entertaining, Fall Entertaining and Decorations, Family, Food, Outdoor living

≈ 10 Comments

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Engagement Party

My friends in Turtle Rock and blog land will know that we hosted an engagement party for *Kevin and Sarah (formerly Son #2 and his darling fiancé).

*I’ve decided to use first names in my posts. What are your thoughts on this? Am I crazy? (Please don’t answer that last question) I’ve noticed most bloggers that I read use pseudonyms for their family members and friends. I’m not sure I like the pseudonym for Lyn, my husband. I found “Hubby” too cute and decided I’d make the leap and use first names. I could have created other names for loved ones but decided against that in fear that I’d need a key to keep them all straight. So as of now, first names will be used unless I hear from people that they really would prefer to stay completely anonymous.

Anyway, I digress, here are some images I took of the party and while I didn’t get nearly as many pictures of the actual event as I’d hoped, it was a success and I’ve been told a good time was had by all.

By hosting this party in late October, decorations were easy for me. I love fall and everything about it. In Southern California the season is generally mild, weather-wise. I was hoping for sunny day-time temps in the high seventies and for nightfall to bring just a slight chill to the air…we were lucky. That is exactly how the day turned out.

Guests included dear friends and family, Kyle (Son #1) flew in from Austin and Sarah’s family and friends were in attendance along with long time friends of Kevin’s. It was so much fun celebrating the engagement with everyone.

{pumpkins in the birdbath, thank you for the idea, Carla}

Our home is small but we were able to utilize the yard. We moved furniture to create seating areas all around the back yard. One thing I failed to take a picture of (darn it) was a picture of some Ikea lanterns I hung at different levels out in the trees that border the back yard. Ikea had little battery operated strands of LCD lights that I bunched into each lantern. Because the LCD bulbs are so much brighter than regular twinkle lights, the little lanterns illuminated the outer reaches of the yard.

I had 3 of these larger lanterns and hung a couple of them on hooks near the ground with candles.

I made the burlap pillows with burlap from JoAnns Fabrics and some down pillow forms I had saved from old pillows. I used an acrylic paint and Martha Stewart stencil from Michaels. I gave the pillows to Sarah and Kevin for their patio after the party.

Meanwhile, the menu for the evening was as follows:

Teriyaki Flank Steak Skewers

Herb-Marinated Chicken Tender Skewers

Roquefort Tartlets

Tapenade & Crostini

Salami Bites

Skewered Italian Salad

Feta w/ Caramelized Onion

Mushroom Turnovers

Brandied Sausages

Humus & Pita Chips

Mixed Nuts ‡ Potato Chips ‡ Pretzels ‡ Cheese Platter

Chardonnay ‡ Cabernet ‡ Beer ‡ Soft Drinks ‡ Water ‡ Pink Margaritas

Dessert (cookies, See’s candy and blueberries, strawberries and raspberries)

{we offered some wonderful cheeses, thank you, Julie; it takes a village to throw a party!}

Deadly, but delicious Pink Margaritas (from Barefoot Contessa’s latest book, “How easy is that?”.

{The dessert table was a hit with everyone, thank you, Glenys}

Email me if you want any recipes or have any questions. Thanks for joining me at the party.

{Garden} Backyard facelift

27 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by Karen B. in DIY (do it yourself), Gardening, Maintenance, Outdoor living

≈ 10 Comments

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Kooboo chairs, Outdoor living, pea gravel patio

My readers will remember that Hubby and I were able to take on two over-due facelift projects for the house this summer. One of the projects is the guest bathroom (to be blogged about later). The second project is/was the grass in our back yard, along with a pea gravel space for some teak chairs (otherwise known as the killer patio chairs). The killer chairs were relegated to the back yard when I purchased the Kooboo chairs from Cost Plus. The teak chairs were always quite comfortable but would NOT slide on the concrete patio and because they were adjustable chairs, they would collapse on our guests when anyone would try to scoot back from the table. So once again…

Once we placed the chairs under the trees it became clear we needed some kind of surface under them to create a sort of patio area. The grass has never thrived in this spot since there is so much shade. My blog friend over at French Kissed posted a picture of a similar area (she had helped design the area during a styling job) where she had created this oasis of pea gravel, potted fern and comfortable chairs. I knew that would work for our yard and voila...the inspiration for our project...

before:

This is after the grass (weeds) had been sprayed to kill out the invasive devil grass and weeds. Jose, my talented gardener had started the removal process when I remembered the “before” pictures!

You can see the sparse grass and roots of the trees. Our next door neighbor replaced the fence with a more weather friendly redwood fencing and the design is so much prettier.

after…

Now that our back yard has lush, green grass, sans all of the weeds, and a pea gravel pad where we can enjoy the shade of 2 very large trees when we’re looking for a spot to put our feet up and sip something wonderful we’ll be spending more time out there…that is until it’s too cool, which may be some time.

Amazing how much better the yard looks with green grass, not weeds and bare patches.

We’ve had this teak coffee table stored for years, it is so nice to be able to use existing items around the house.

The white cushions are $5 / Ikea. the gravel is birds eye pea gravel. We had our gardener plant a crescent of boxwood (above) which will provide a visual wall behind the chairs. We have a calliandra vine (below) planted on the fence. The vine won’t bloom in this much shade but the plant thrives even without sun.

This sasanqua ‘noel’ will be blooming by November. The stone border was the result in our changing out the stone bath we used to have leading to the teak bench. My gardener put the stones on edge to create a nice border for the gravel space and edge of the flower bed.

The white helebore has seen better days but its getting ready to bloom and hopefully will multiply for next season since it was given some new compost nutrition during our back yard re-do/clean up.

I’ve planted some Irish moss in this little metal bird feeder. I planted Spanish moss in the spaces between the river bed rocks…it’s a very shady area and I’m hoping it takes off.

This calliandra vine has gotten very large (it’s on the patio) and I’m hopeful the 5-gallon vine planted on the fence is as happy as this one.

The side yard was refreshed with additional Krista Mountain gravel; the lantern is lit when we’re outdoors at night.

We added the lattice overhang recently in hopes that it will provide a little break from the constant south facing sun that beats down on our bay window…it’s been a challenge for fabrics and furniture in the library, the room this bay window is in.

I apologize, our garden shoes are by the door…keeping it real.

So, the back yard is ready for relaxation and fun…even if it’s only a short time before it’s too cool to be out there!

Thanks for coming by for an update.

Happy fall. Do you have any fall yard work on your list?

{Home} Paneled walls

24 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, DIY (do it yourself), Renovating

≈ 8 Comments

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wood paneled walls

There is something about wood paneled walls that I find so appealing. I like the formal raised-panel walls just as much as the simple bead board walls.

Some of you may know I recently applied bead board paneling to our master bathroom walls and I have been very happy with the outcome.

But whether it’s a country style home or formal, traditional décor, the wood walls always invite me in.

The above wood paneled walls in white contrast the black sliding barn doors beautifully. Black and white are such a classic. Love the white slip covered chaise in the left corner of the image.

The pale blue/gray paint is so lovely in this more formal bedroom. I’ve never painted wood paneled wall anything but shades of white but I love the calming effect of this whisper blue.

This bedroom is a flip of the bedroom above. The raise paneled walls give the room a historic feel, as if you’re in an older, well-preserved home.

This Country Living room has great windows! I actually like the antique white against the white paneling. Love the linens!

I like the contrasting paint color of the worm-wood paneling and the bamboo shade…Dan Marty Designs

Design Chic posted a piece on banquets. I really like this room for it’s wall of glass front cupboards to the white tongue in grove paneling.

A Bunny Williams room…so wonderfully symmetric and calming in its neutral palate.

Isn’t this family room inviting…sisal or some natural fiber rug, overstuffed sofa and 2 great club chairs. The paneling just adds to the warmth for me.

Now this is a bathroom…maybe in my next life! Love the tub and the raised panel walls {sigh}

This paneling helps make the room more inviting, 2-story ceilings can be cold.

I like the extra wide opening to the living room, such a luxurious detail.

Isn’t this pretty, raised panel screen doors, paneled ceiling and wonderful doors.

Hand painted wood floors break up all of the wood but I really like the planks on the wall running perpendicular to the floor.

By the way, I fully intended to post some images of formal room with carved paneling but it seems I haven’t saved any. I guess I’ve subconsciously embraced a simple, classic style of decor. 🙂

Do you have a paneled room in your home?

Renovation of the library

08 Friday Apr 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, DIY (do it yourself), Renovating

≈ 6 Comments

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library

I’ve talked about renovating our library a few times, but I finally started this project. Does that ever happen to you? You think you want to re-do a room and for a variety of reasons you just don’t get around to that first step (in this case, removing wallpaper).

Before renovation (above), after wallpaper removal (can you believe the room was pink?…more on that later).

The room used to be our dining room (read about the switch HERE) but now serves as a smallish “sitting” room which I affectionately call the “library” since the wonderful southern exposure makes it a great room to read in (and yes, the walls, under the wallpaper, were pink) As with so many benefits (plenty of sunlight) there is a down side…everything fades within a very short time due to non-stop sun exposure. I will have to either upholster with Sunbrella fabrics next time or have the windows tinted, or both.

~BEFORE~

Can you see the faded sofa fabric…if not, that’s a good thing because it will be awhile before I reupholster.

~BEFORE~

The thing is, I figured since upholstery is still a ways off I should go ahead and paint the room. Painting became more of an urgency when I decided to move the large, framed print (in picture above) to another location in the house. To my dismay the wallpaper was so badly faded from the sun it looked dreadful.

Stripping the wallpaper wasn’t too difficult. I have used, with success, the liquid remover that you mix with warm water and spray on the walls, then begin to strip the paper using a light hand with a scraper. The labor-intensive part was using TSP and warm water to dissolve and remove the wallpaper paste. If you do not remove every bit of paste your paint will crackle and ruin your new paint job (I speak from experience).

Ta-da…here is the paint color, finished and ready for furniture. What’s missing? The ladder-back chair that sits to the right of the gate-leg table is being repaired. The sun had really beat up the finish and my furniture re-finisher said her could fix it for so few dollars that we decided to let him work his magic.

Finding a paint color wasn’t easy, as I mention HERE. But after an exhaustive search I ended up with a fairly safe, and very pleasing choice—the same color I have in our dining room, which I really like. Dunn Edwards “Inside Passage”. This color can take on a variety of hues depending on the time of day and the amount of light. It has a grayish look and that is what I was searching for.

I kept most of the accessories and wall art in the same place (I did replace the botanic art (which was badly faded) for an etching Son #1 and his lovely wife brought me from Paris, which makes me smile every time I walk into the room. I did add a basket of childrens books under the end table for upcoming visits from our granddaughter.

Oh, and about the pink walls…many years ago I was a total English Country/Mario Buatta gal and cabbage rose-filled chintz with all the accents were my deal. I had a Ralph Lauren “Alison” comforter on our king sized bed in the master bedroom. Hubby used to smile at his friends and declare, “I’m very comfortable with my masculinity”. Bless his heart. Anyway, the pink wasn’t nearly as “pink” as it appeared to me upon removal of the wallpaper and like many things in those early years after about 10 years of pinkness I was over it. There was a collective sigh of relief from hubby and sons #1 & 2!

In the above image I forgot to take the towel off the love seat…this is where the cat sleeps and the amount of cat hair that little towel keeps off the cushion is amazing! On the right is the sofa sans towel.

This is probably the first DIY project that was this involved I’ve taken on since I’ve been working full time. It was rewarding but I confess it took a village…thank you doesn’t begin to cover the appreciation I must extend to my dear friend Gretchen! She spent an entire day helping me paint and then returned the following day to help me paint the crown molding. Gretchen, XOX to you and my offer to help you garden stands!

There you have it…my “before” and “after” Part I. When I reupholster the window seat, sofa and possibly the ladder back chair I’ll post pictures. Any thoughts, suggestions?

One quick note about the Jerk Chicken—I prepared it and it really was easy and delicious. I made a couple of changes and thought I’d pass them along: I substituted jalapeno chiles (fresh) for the habanero chile the recipe calls for. {only because my market didn’t have fresh habanero chiles}…and I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. They were easy and because they marinate overnight, they were very flavorful. It’s a keeper recipe, in my book.

Paint color…too many choices!

28 Monday Mar 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, DIY (do it yourself), Renovating

≈ 6 Comments

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paint color

I’m in the process of renovating our library (or sitting room, or very small living room, whatever I call it on any given day).

The room was wallpapered with a Ralph Lauren paper made to look like aged plaster (not a really good imitation, but fairly neutral and I liked it for quite a few years).

The print between the plates (above) is the print that now hangs in the dining room…as you might imagine, quite a large patch of original colored wallpaper in a sea of faded paper, not a good look!

About a month ago I decided I wanted to move a framed print from the library into the dining room. I had a little vignette all figured out for the space and was pretty excited for the change. {I do love change!} I moved the print and was amazed at how faded the wallpaper had become.

I confess, I love the new look Restoration Hardware (images above and below) has been promoting and the gray they use became an inspiration for upcoming (and much needed) upholstery fabric for the sofa, window seat cushion, and ladder back chair and ottoman.

Since the library was wallpapered about 8 years ago I thought it was a good time to take down the paper and paint (more on the renovation in a future post).

Image via Elle Decor

I knew I didn’t want the paint to be too sunny since the room has so much natural light, sunglasses indoors isn’t a good look for me!

Image via John Jacob Interiors

…I know this is a bathroom, but the color on the walls reminded me of Restoration Hardware paint and I really liked it. So I bought a smallish can of Restoration Hardware’s Graphite (it was similar in appearance to the above wall color.

Image via Atmosphere blog

Additional inspiration…

Image via Atmosphere blog

I have a gray-ish basket trunk from IKEA that I use for a coffee table so this image was additional ammo for the whole gray paint idea.

Many of you probably figure that finding paint is easy, right? Well, I have seen more paint chips over the past 2 ½ months than I care to mention and ultimately, I have decided to paint the room the same color the dining room is painted, “Inside Passage” by Dunn Edwards.

Image via Country Living

I didn’t think white paint (as in the image above) would be a good fit for the “look” I ultimately wanted to achieve, however, I love this room by Kolene Spicher.

Meanwhile, I looked at Pottery Barn paint chips (Benjamin Moore paint), Restoration Hardware paint chips, Behr from Home Depot, Martha Stewart paint chips, also at Home Depot, and my head was aching by the end.

There are a lot of paint tools online and House Beautiful has one that works well, but there is nothing like painting a good sized patch on the actual wall and standing back to determine its merit. I ultimately called by good friend and designer, Gretchen, to weigh in on the sample. She saw green in the Restoration Hardware gray sample. Knowing her eye is better trained than mine I went back to the Inside Passage by Dunn Edwards.

Image via Jackye Lanham – website

The wall color in the image above is what “Inside Passage” looks like. It has a bit of gray and taupe in it. I like it because it changes looks with various light.

Have you had to select wall color recently? Was it as challenging for you as it was for me?

Ten of my favorite posts for 2010

05 Wednesday Jan 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Designer, DIY (do it yourself), Gardens

≈ 14 Comments

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End of the year top ten

Caution: This post may take longer to read than you have time for!

I am still relatively new to regular, weekly (code for consistent) blogging, so I often search sites that blog about similar topics (gardens/gardening; home décor/improvement; cooking/entertaining) to my own for ideas on how to improve my site. Sometimes I walk away feeling inadequate and overwhelmed, but more often than not I’m inspired to “Stay Calm and Continue Blogging”.

I created a file for favorite posts that either a) inspired me to create changes/improvements to my home, garden or even blog site, or b) were so lovely to view and ponder and dream (like a feature in a magazine) that I visited the post repeatedly.

That said, I’ve noticed many blog sites have featured their TOP ____(fill in the blank with your favorite number). Here are my top 10 for 2010 (these were posts that went into my file, in truth there are probably more posts that I simply couldn’t find or have forgotten about):

1. Things That Inspire, April 25, 2010, “Glass front cabinets – form over function?”

Holly lives in Atlanta, Georgia and is currently building her own home. She always has interesting and in-depth information about interior design, architecture and art. The images she shares with her readers are amazing.

2. The Lettered Cottage, April 26, 2010, “Easy, Affordable Ways to Add Character to a Newly-Built Home”

Layla and Kevin Palmer, a husband and wife team that will astound you with their creativity. They truly have a knack for turning the most ordinary into an extraordinary place to live. They are very talented with DIY, something I can only wish I could do, but you get some helpful tips on sprucing up discarded treasures. This is a fun site to visit.

3. Peggy & Fritz, August 19, 2010, “Finally a little sunshine”

Ann is a SoCal blogger and her site always makes me smile. She shares images of her travels and I get some great ideas for everything from table settings to furniture and fashion design.

4. Cote De Texas, May 5, 2010, “The Stone Turret House”

Due to computer issues I was not able to successfully download an image of the house, but you can click on the link I’ve provided and see it.

Joni is the rock star of blogging and for good reason. Her site always educates and provides solid information on her topic (interior design and prominent designers). Her images are the stuff dreams are made of.

5. Limestone & Boxwoods, May 23, 2010, “Ride-by: A Peachtree Battle Beauty”

I had the same problem with images from Limestone & Boxwoods

This site doesn’t post frequently, but when he does post it is wonderful! I believe he lives in Atlanta—I really must visit Atlanta some day. They seem to have some amazing homes.

6. Velvet & Linen, May 30, 2010, “A garden dining room…

Brooke was recently mentioned by the New York Tiimes which featured her recently remodeled pink bathroom.

Brooke is a talented interior designer located in California. Her shop is always filled with treasures I’d love to incorporate in my own home. Her husband is an architect and between them there is always something beautiful being developed.

7. French Kissed, December 30, 2010, “Cashmere Epiphany”

Jermaine is an amazingly talented photo stylist and her vision is evident in every room of her lovely French inspired home. She finds second hand treasures and manages to create such an old world ambiance that you would swear her home was actually an historic country house outside of Paris.

8. The Inspired Room, June 3, 2010, “Charming Potting Shelves”

Melissa is located in Seattle and I always look forward to reading her post. She keeps me grounded and reminds me what is important when hearth and home are concerned.

9. Trouvais, December 31, 2010, “Happy New Year’s Eve”

Trish takes me on a journey into some of the most beautiful historic and present day castles, homes, estates—she always surprises and delights with her images.

10. Brabourne Farm, December 24, 2010, “Love…flowers @ Brabourne Farm