Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Décor’ Category

Vases

Over on Boston Mamas, my Use-What-You-Own Hanukkah Table Setting is featured. Fun! Central to the design are these pretty dipped vases. They’re super easy to make, customizable for any holiday or event, and usable long after the celebration is over.

Ready to go? Here’s what you need:

  • Protective table covering
  • Plain glass vases (the kind that end up in closets from florist arrangements or in the 50-cent-bin at your local thrift shop)
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Baking sheet or tray
  • Tinfoil
  • Gallon of white latex paint (Please note that you will have nearly all the white paint left, so choose a shade that will work in your house or for some other project later! I used a gallon left over from a bookshelf we painted.)
  • Gallon freezer bag
  • Pint or more of additional colored latex paint (Check the OOPS! rack at your local hardware store for discounted colors that were returned by customers.)

DIYDippedVasesAnimation

  1. Clean your vases thoroughly with soap and water. Dry, then wipe down with rubbing alcohol.
  2. Place a protective covering on your work surface.
  3. Cover a baking sheet or tray with tinfoil.
  4. Dip the vases, bottom-first, into the white paint. Hold each vase in the paint for about 10 seconds, then pull out and let the paint drip off. Set down on tinfoil-covered baking sheet or tray; bottom-down for a clean top edge (as I have done in this example) or top-down for a dripped edge.
  5. Let dry for one hour.
  6. Create a “bucket” with your gallon freezer bag by folding the bottom corners of the bag onto themselves. Secure with tape.
  7. Fill your “bucket” with your second paint.
  8. Dip the vases into the second paint. Swoosh the paint around so you get edges that have some movement, then pull out and let the paint drip off. Set down on a newly-tinfoil-covered baking sheet or tray; again, bottom-down for a clean top edge or top-down for a dripped edge.
  9. Let dry for one hour. Wipe down bottoms if there is a thick layer of wet paint.
  10. Fill with flowers and enjoy!

Please note that the paint WILL COME OFF if these vases are put in a dishwasher or washed by hand with too much vigor. Rinse and dry carefully to make them last!

Read Full Post »

A few weeks ago I made the long trek down to IKEA to pick up a bookshelf for my younger son’s room. He has about 2,763 books and I wanted to poke my eyes out every time I went into his room because it was such a sty. When I was visiting my mom in North Carolina, we went to a pretty little museum shop in Chapel Hill and I fell in love with their display shelves. Turned out that they were from IKEA’s BESTA media storage line, so I hightailed it down to my local shop as soon as I returned.

I don’t know about you, but every time I go to IKEA I’m sort of blown away by how awesome it is. I’ve been buying IKEA wares for nearly 20 years — from furnishing my first post-collegiate New York City apartment to replacing my most-loved stock pot just a few months ago. Mid-century-inspired furniture, Swedish holiday accessories, live plants (including fiddle leaf fig plants — I scored three the last time I was there!), the design-y P.S. line…I love it all. Here are my five favorites right now:

Five-Favorites-IKEA

1. BESTA Shelf Unit –  Used as a museum store display, intended to hold living room electronics, purchased for my son’s excessive library. I no longer want to poke my eyes out every time I go into his room. 2. SOCKER Vase (set of 2) – got them in the coral and aqua (couldn’t resist). 3. RENS Sheepskin – graces the back of my office chair. 4. UPPTACKA Shopping Bag with Wheels – perfect for flea- or farmers-marketing. 5. EIVOR Throw – super cozy, light, and graphic.

What’s your favorite IKEA item? Tell me below or on the Mudroom Boston Facebook page. You’re a fan, right?

Read Full Post »

Looking for pretty, inexpensive, brass drawer pulls?

Screen Shot 2013-04-01 at 8.06.41 AM

Aren’t they fabulous?

IMG_3075

Find them here.

Furniture image by Paige Lewin. Furniture design by Paige Lewin in collaboration with Bill Jones of Fresh Air Millworks.

Read Full Post »

On the way to a friend’s house this morning, I received an urgent text from her.

“I have a mantel that needs editing. HELP!”

She was right.

SudMantelBefore

I understand why my friend had a challenging time styling the mantel since it’s very shallow and quite long.

The fishing pole, particularly special to her angler husband, wasn’t going anywhere.

It’s hard to see, but the round vase is a total showstopper. It has these beautiful abstract horses all over it, perfect for my friend who spends a few evenings each week riding, so I knew that needed to stay. Front and center.

HorsesClose

I cleared everything off and we went hunting around her house using the vase as a launching point. When we came back and assessed the options, I found that there was nice collection of pottery and wooden objects.

AnimalsClose

Using the vase as the focal point, I created groupings that followed the line of the pole. I weighted the center, and left the right side of the asymmetrical mantel empty, letting it sort of recede visually.

SudMantelAfter

Not bad for 10 minutes and zero dollars.

SudMantelBeforeandAfter

Do you have a 10-minute, use-what-you’ve-got styling that you want to share? Send images to mudroomboston@gmail.com and you might be featured in an upcoming 10-Minute Styling post!

Read Full Post »

As a mother of two who has dedicated nearly my entire professional life to aligning large organizations with causes, I am excited to be a part of Macy’s Shop for a Cause fundraiser supporting the March of Dimes!

Did you know that the March of Dimes was established in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, inspired by his own battle with polio? In fact, March of Dimes funded research for vaccines developed by Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin — the vaccines that ended childhood polio. In 1958, having addressed its primary mission to end the polio epidemic, the March of Dimes shifted its focus toward birth defect prevention. Today, the organization is focused on preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality, as well as advancing maternal and health research. For those of you who have had babies in the last decade or so, you’re probably well aware of both their folic acid and prematurity awareness campaigns, both of which have worked toward healthy, full-term pregnancies for all women.

Now’s your chance to support March of Dimes and get up to 25% off your purchases at Macy’s — all for $5. 

Simply buy a $5 Macy’s saving pass that will provide 25% off on regular, sale & clearance items,  including home items (please note that you will receive 10% off electronics, watches, furniture, mattresses, rugs/floor coverings), and Macy’s will donate 100% of the $5 cost of the savings pass to the March of Dimes to help give more babies a healthy start in life.

So you want to know the details?

From now until August 25: buy passes in-store (good for in-store purchases only)

August 25 only: buy a $5 savings pass online at macys.com (good for online purchases only)

SHOP, SHOP, SHOP on August 25! Use your passes online or in stores (depending on where you bought them). Two stores in Massachusetts will hold Shop for a Cause on Friday, August 24 AND Saturday, August 25 — Boston (450 Washington Street, Boston) and Berkshire (170 Old State Road, Lanesboro). So if you want to get shopping early, you can go on August 24 to either of these two stores, buy a pass, and shop.

Want to see my Shop for a Cause wish list?

Gold is having a moment throughout the house, and I’m LOVING this Marchesa by Lenox hostess set!

The shape, shade, and color of this table lamp from Pacific Coast are perfect.

My husband and I were given a single glass cake stand for our wedding 12 years ago, but I could find many uses for this one from The Cellar collection. Great for displaying baked goods or using as a tiered centerpiece filled with fruit and flowers.

Add texture to your living room with these faux bois vinyl coasters from Chilewich. (psst – they’re a bargain closeout!)

These Sandpiper tidbit plates from Kate Spade would be a great hostess gift, or framed out in shadow boxes and hung on the wall.

On a trip to Atlanta last year, I fell in love with a natural fiber cocktail table, but decided against it because the shape didn’t work with our sectional. This cocktail table is perfect!

With two boys and a mountain biking-husband, I use indoor/outdoor rugs throughout our home. This runner from Couristan is a beauty! (Please note that rugs are excluded from Shop for a Cause online purchasing, but are eligible for the discount in-store!)

Inspired? Purchase your pass, help babies, and get shopping! 

Image credit: all images from macys.com

Complete details about Macy’s Shop for a Cause fundraiser can be found here.

This post (+ my sharing on social media) was inspired by my participation in a compensated program initiated by Women Online/The Mission List to raise awareness about the March of Dimes/Macy’s charitable fundraiser. All commentary, opinions, and fabulous finds are, of course, my own.

Read Full Post »

Have you heard? Amy Butler’s husband, David, is launching a new fabric line! With three boys in the house (yes, I’m counting the hubs), I’m excited to see his new line of “guy friendly” prints. No website yet, but you can follow the winter introduction of Parson Gray on Facebook.

Read Full Post »

I’m off to Vermont this weekend for a family wedding (congratulations Lauren and Justin!)…how about you?  The wedding is in the north country, so I’ll have lots of time to catch up on reading on the way up and back.  It’s been a really long time since I’ve spent hours getting lost in my favorite blogs, so I’m really looking forward to it.

See you soon!

Want to get lost in The Mudroom? Start with my most popular DIY posts:

An easy inspiration board

Making bookshelves pretty

Paint can lighting

Naptime? Makeover!

Image credit: Mary Sarah Holland

Read Full Post »

Does it annoy anyone else that “Bed Bath & Beyond” isn’t “Bed, Bath and Beyond”?

Just me?

Okey dokey.

Anyhoo…in case you haven’t heard, Kate Spade has made her way to BB&B.  Maybe this is old news, but since I had a temporary absence from the design blogosphere, I missed the announcement until about three weeks ago.  She’s got some VERY cute stuff including dinnerware, crystal, and linens. But my very favorite piece in the entire collection is this little number…

One hundred percent cotton bedskirt perfection.

Love.

{And yes, I promise my next post won’t be about stripes. Perhaps I should add “stripe-obsessed” to my profile?}

Photo credit: Kate Spade Heirloom Roses Bed Skirt, Bed Bath &Beyond

Read Full Post »

About this time of year, the stripes start to send signals…

…that spring is coming!

I love a touch of nautical in my wardrobe, but I’ve always been a bit of sucker for it in my home too.  Remember this post?

Last fall, I went to the Brimfield Antique Show with my friend Cheri, and I fell in love with this guy…

Cheri didn’t get my crush on him, and frankly, I couldn’t explain it.  I just knew I had to have him.  It’s not like I come from a family of sea captains, or grew up in Gloucester, or particularly like Salty Dogs, but I loved the idea of looking at his grumpy eyes every day.  So now he lives in my downstairs bathroom, freaking the crap out of people when they walk down the hall.

A touch of nautical?  It makes my captain feel right at home.

Image credits: J.Crew; EmersonMade.; Tea Accessories; Oh Captain, My Captain and his close up taken by Paige Lewin’s iPhone; Dash & Albert; Uncommon Goods; L.L. Bean; Wisteria; Anthropologie

Read Full Post »

I know it’s a sin, but I’m just not that religious.  Here’s what I’m coveting for my home this month…how about you?

 

Casually elegant stemware that can serve up milk or mimosas equally well,

 

fishy rugs,

 

simply beautiful turned wood lamps,

 

the Hans Wegner classic,

 

Michael A. Palmer’s view of the world,

 

and perfect flatware for parties, picnics or pasta.

 

Image credits: Hartland Stemware, Simon Pearce; Fish Design Rug, Landry & Arcari, White Turned Table Lamp, Hudson; ch24 Wishbone Chair, Hive Modern; Boat House by Michael A. Palmer, Van Ward Gallery; Seaborne Flatware, Anthropologie

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »