Happy Halloween!
I hope you enjoy your day, your candy, and these lovely orange and black spaces!
I can't even begin to pick a favorite, can you?
Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.
Archive | October, 2010
Color Friday is: African Violet!
29 OctYesterday was a historic day for my color consultation business, as it marked the day that I have recommended Benjamin Moore’s “African Violet” (2116-50) to THREE clients over the past six months!
From L to R: Bedroom via DecorPad; Living Room via CocoCozy; Bedroom Vignette via Traditional Home.
I know that designers typically have their favorites, and I suppose that this is one of mine. It’s such a rich and subtle shade of purple-gray that’s not too dark and not too light: cool and calm, but still earthy and inviting. It’s really gotten such that when I go to do a color consult, I will often stop at African Violet while flipping through the fan deck and hold it up to the client just to say, “Look at this. It’s not for you, but isn’t it such a great color?” So far no one has told me I’m wrong…or crazy.
Cool, vibrant violets and bright yellow inspire a beautiful room! (image via DecorPad)
One of the best things about this color is its versatility. Purple is almost always a distinctly feminine hue, but this particular version is subdued and actually kind of masculine. With African Violet walls you can go in so many directions. Maybe you decide to match the tone with your accessories and fabrics to create an elegant decor, or perhaps you want to incorporate plums, mauve, violets, and lavenders for a cheery and energetic vibe: anything goes…even a bright yellow accent.
…and on that note, here’s your Color Friday collage! This week’s collage focuses on items that are in the African Violet color family, and purples that will mesh well with the shade. Enjoy!
Clockwise from top swatch: Benjamin Moore "African Violet;" Rug by Fandango; Candle by Claus Porto; Chair by Windsor Smith Home; China by William Yeoward; Pillow by Thomas Paul; Swarovski Crystal Chandelier, special edition.
Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.
Find of the Week: Vintage Painted Table!
28 OctI was browsing at Reincarnations earlier in the week, and I came across this amazing painted table.
Totally Charming!
If you’ve never been to the store before, I highly recommend it. Their pieces are really unique (once they’re gone they’re gone), priced pretty reasonably (especially the accessories – vases for less than $25!), and there truly is something for everyone. Plus, the guys are incredibly nice and helpful.
I had to show a detail to capture the neat distressing and intricate pattern.
You can visit the table for yourself AND see all their other amazing one-of-a-kinds at: Reincarnations Furniture, 1404 14th Street NW, Washington DC
Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.
Word Posters Are (Probably) Here To Stay.
26 OctPosters of words — just words, sometimes just letters — have been a huge trend in decorating the past few years. You can call it a recessionary trend, but like it or not it’s a real trend.
"Fat Gives Things Flavor" print, Kantan Designs via Etsy, $16
When I say “poster” I’m not referring at all to the Luke Skywalkers that graced your childhood bedroom, so I suppose we should call them “prints.” Just take a tour of Etsy and you’ll see thousands (seriously) of pretty cheap prints that are frequently very sharp looking, professional quality, and stunningly unique. You’ll also find a lot that are rife with mistakes and inconsistencies, delivered to you in PDF format rather than on paper, and so on…but that gripe is for another day.
The great thing about small prints like this is their flexibility. They’re usually very inexpensive so you can easily try one out without much worry, interchange them when you tire of one, and you can likely afford to do a whole wall in them for the cost of a regular sized single piece of art. They typically come shipped flat or rolled, with no frame, so your choices are endless when it comes to display: clothes pins, binder clips, table frame or wall frame…it’s entirely up to you.
An Alphabetic Ode to Helvetica, ModernPop via Etsy, $30
In terms of where to put them, your choices are boundless. Try something fun like displaying a print in the kitchen (like the “Fat Gives Things Flavor” one — love this!), hanging them at ascending heights along your staircase, or framed sweetly in a boring bathroom. With many priced at $10-$20 each, you can even put a fun saying or mantra on the back of a coat closet door to give your storage space an extra punch and make your day a little brighter.
Lastly, and take my advice with caution, if you’re into quotes and typography as much as I am you can often DIY a print like this. Just get on the computer, play with words/fonts/colors, and print out your “art” on a regular old piece of 8.5 x 11. You can cut to fit a small frame, and you’ve made your own Etsy poster for free!
Here are a few more that caught my eye during a quick Etsy hunt. These are by no means representative of everything that’s out there…
ABC Kids Custom Name Print (jenniferramos via Etsy), $49.50
Live What You Love poster, Hijirik Studio via Etsy, $12.50
Today Is The Day, thebigharumph via Etsy, $20
I love this Happy Days reference! Hello Blue, theloveshop via Etsy, $16
Alternatives to Being Sad Print, thinkaboutrainbows via Etsy, $20
You didn't seriously think I could post on this topic without including this print, right?
Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.
Great Bathrooms Make It Easier To Get Up In The Morning.
25 OctMonday. Ugh.
Wouldn’t it be easier to get up in the morning (especially in chilly temperatures) with a bathroom like one of these? I think so!
(all images via House Beautiful)
Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.
The First “Color Friday” is…Kelly Green!
22 OctKelly Green! It’s such a great mix of warm and cool: you see the richness of the yellow-ey green, but also a hint of cool blue. It reminds me of my favorite Crayola crayon when I was a kid (which was called something like “Jungle Green”).
From L to R: Kitchen from Domino Mag (rest in peace...); Bathroom by Kelly Wearstler (ever notice how much she likes Kelly Green...hmmm, wonder why?); Hallway Vignette from Domino Magazine.
Every Friday, I’ll be posting an homage to a new color. I’ll happily take reader requests, and am really looking forward to this new feature! Until the next post, have a look at this energizing Kelly Green collage! Like all the collages that will come after it, it includes paint colors and accessories. I just love the name “Once Upon A Time” for the Benjamin Moore swatch; isn’t that color exactly the same shade as those cartoon-ish hilltops you see pictured on the first page of a story book? Love it!
Clockwise from top swatch: Benjamin Moore "Once Upon A Time;" Kate Spade "Camelia Avenue" Vase; Marimekko "Matkalla Maalle" Fabric; Farrow and Ball "Folly Green;" Murano Chandelier, vendor unknown; Benjamin Moore "Jade Green;" Pantone Mug (@ $10 each, these are the coolest); Electrolux Washer/Dryer.
Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.
A Great Way to Experiment with Carpet Tile!
19 OctAs most of my clients know, I really like Flor. Flor is a company that makes carpet so much fun with easy to use, economical, and often whimsical carpet tile designs.
Three very different rooms -- made from CARPET TILES! (images via Flor)
It’s not for every space or taste, but it’s definitely a versatile and stylish option that I am always finding a reason to recommend: indoor/outdoor spaces, casual family room, mudroom, kitchen, playroom, doormat, or office area, I bet you have a space that would benefit from some of these 19” x 19” squares. Still, at $9 to $30 per tile, adorning an entire room in these tiles can cost just as much as a rug (and a fairly nice rug at that…) so pulling the trigger on a product that’s been labeled as institutional and drab for decades is hard to do. Until now…
I was just perusing the website and Flor is offering 2-tile rug kits – perfect for a door mat or kitchen mat! They are priced from $15 to $54, and are as vibrant and durable as the rest of their offerings. Pictured below are just six of the fifteen recommended rug kits. I’m sure you can find one that will work for you…and if not, you can always make your own rug kit from any of their hundreds of tiles, which are sold individually!
Colorful, conservative, or playful! (images via Flor)
Trendy, sophisticated, or crazy! (images via Flor)
Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.
Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce Floor Plan (Re-blog)
19 OctIf you don’t watch Mad Men, then this post will be lost on you.
If you’re a fan of the show, then I think you’ll love it.
This is just the basic space plan; the link is illustrated with axons, perspectives, and some renderings. (image via Kratkocasnik)
Reblogged from Kratkocasnik (which for the record I am not familiar with), this is a fairly detailed and seemingly accurate floor plan of the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce office. FOR ONCE I have a Mad Men-related topic to blog about that isn’t linked to mid-century modern furniture! Hooray!
I find only one glaring inaccuracy, which is the fact that there is no space for Bert Cooper’s office (or former office). Ok ok, and that there are no exterior windows. My husband thinks that there are several more offices missing and therefore hundreds of square feet omitted. In any case, it’s a good effort and I enjoyed the images…hope you do, too!
Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.
Anthropologie Cabinet Knob Hardware Round-Up!
15 OctIt’s no secret that Anthropologie is a great go-to for cabinet hardware, both in-store and online. There are always interesting picks, lots of colors, and knobs and pulls made from unconventional materials. I was in the store this morning and the rainbow knob below caught my eye.
Love this! ...and at $12 each, they're as affordable as they are cute! (image via Anthropologie)
Here are a few more knobs that will give your kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanity, or a tired old dresser an instant makeover that’s a whole lot cheaper than buying new. Enjoy!
Clockwise from top L: Lucky Number Knob in Yellow - $8, Spanish Moss Knob - $8, Color Swatch Knob in Rainbow - $12, Mother of Pearl Knob - $14, Cartographer's Cultured Knob in Red - $10, Silhouetted Zinnia Knob - $8 (images via Anthropologie)
Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.
DIY Toy MacBook Pro Tutorial
13 OctLast weekend I made my son his very own MacBook Pro! Though it’s far from being a stunning home decor item, it is a pretty cute kid toy and I’m proud to call it one of my most worthwhile crafts. See below how it was accomplished, step by step.
The little man getting to work!
Time: 1-4 hours, depending on your craftiness and level of detail
Supplies Needed:
Shoe Box (mens or running shoes)
Duct Tape
Aluminum Foil
Sticky Label ( the hello-my-name-is size)
Ribbon (I used textured silver cord ribbon)
Roll of Velcro, fairly thin in width with self adhesive backing(!) *
Roughly Textured Felt, one piece
Keyboard Decals (or DIY, but the adhesive backing makes this so much easier and more consistent)
Rhinestone or Button
2 Plastic Gerber Baby Food Lids
Small Pictures (printed or cut out or stickers, in about 1-2 inch square-ish shapes)
Scissors, Fabric Glue, Super Glue, Clear Packing Tape, X-Acto Knife, Pen, Needle and Thread
*Velcro has two parts – “soft” and “spikey” — know what I mean? For 99% of this you’ll use spikey, so unless I otherwise say “soft” use the “spikey side.” A little velcro goes to waste, but hey, it happens.
See -- it's a real Apple product.
Instructions:
1.) Fit the lid of the shoe box over the bottom of the box. Trace the edge around where the lid touches the big box. Cut along the lines to form two lid shapes; a blade works well for scoring and the first few cuts, then you can trim the corners with scissors. One will nest inside the other. The larger one is your “screen,” and the smaller one is your “keyboard.”
2.) Cover every surface of both boxes in silver duct tape. Thankfully, duct tape can be lifted and re-applied a few times, and it can be pretty cleanly patched with small pieces if you miss a spot.
Decorating the “keyboard”…
3.) Apply the keyboard decals to the outside surface of the smaller box (this part was the bottom of the shoe box). You may recognize the ones I use as the decals I admired in an earlier post here. Don’t be fooled, they came rife with misspellings (“Commond”) but have been a great added touch to this project.
4.) To make the touchpad, cut a small piece of aluminum foil slightly larger than a sticky label. Fold it around the front of the label, just barely adhering the foil to the underside (sticky part) by a few millimeters. Then, press the sticky label right onto the box under the “keys.” Self adhesion, sticks great, and you can just stack more and more touchpads on top of each other when your kid mangles the existing one. **Note — we didn’t have room for speakers, but if you do I’d suggest using this method to create them on either side of the keyboard. Just crinkle the aluminum before applying to make it look perforated.**
5.) In the upper right hand corner of the keyboard, super glue a small rhinestone or button. This is the power button. It was important for me to make this part flashy, because it’s the part of my MacBook that my son is most attracted to and I want him to press HIS and not mine. Also, I know super glue seems like a little much but the power button is a huge choking hazard, so it needs to be secured safely.
The Power Button.
Moving onto the “power cord”…
6.) Cut a piece of ribbon about 18 inches long and securely duct tape the end to the inside of one baby food lid. Set the other lid on top to form a tiny box enclosure, and seal it up so that the entire thing is covered in duct tape.
7.) On the other end of the ribbon (the part not enclosed in the baby food lids), take a little piece of the spikey sticky velcro and roll it around the ribbon. The sticky backing will help it attach, but a needle and thread through the cord ribbon and velcro a few times will seal the deal. As with the power button, securing this little piece of velcro is important because small pieces are choking hazards.
8.) Attach a small piece of the soft sticky velcro to the outermost part of one of the short outside edges of your “screen” box. Stick the “cord” to the “screen” and you’ve completed your breakaway power charger!
Now the screen…
9.) Using a strong glue or fabric glue (I used Sobo), cut a piece of felt the exact size of the interior of the larger box and glue it down. Use a lot of glue, press it down lightly, and don’t touch it for about 24 hours. Make sure that you expose the side of the felt that works best with velcro, because sometimes felt can be slightly different on both sides.
While you wait….
10.) Cut out your velcro “stickers.” We used Elmo, Cookie Monster, a cat, a strawberry, a tiny engagement picture of ours, a suitcase, a cupcake, and a little arrow symbol. Cover the front and back in clear packing tape a few times (laminating at home!) and cut them out cleanly. Attach a tiny piece of spikey velcro to the back, and you’ve got a sticker ready to go on the screen. Repeat as many times as you want icons, and get ready to make these over and over as your kid attaches them to the dog, loses them in his cereal, and crinkles them into tiny bits.
11.) Nest the keyboard into the screen at a 90 degree angle (as shown) and there you have it – a tiny MacBook Pro!
Opening up the iCat application...
I’d definitely recommend that once your felted screen is dry and ready for play you militantly supervise the first few uses to watch for slight imperfections and loose tape. Other than that, this has been pretty durable for us so far. I hope your kid enjoys it, and that you enjoy making it as much as I did!
Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.
