What Do You Want to Change? | The Mudroom

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Built by IKEA, Updated by Bemz

Posted in Furniture, Reinvent It, Shop It on June 24, 2009| 1 Comment »

Bemz Couch I’m a big fan of slipcovers. In theory.

When my husband and I bought our first “real” living room furniture (read: not a hand-me-down futon on an unfinished frame with splinters that I slept on beginning my sophomore year of college) every piece was slipcovered. Dirty? Throw it in the washer! Bored with the look? Order another one! The washability was great, but when we did, in fact, get bored with the look, I dicovered it was going to cost $750 to get a new slipcover for an $800 club chair. If only I had bought that chair at IKEA and then, if only I had known about Bemz, things would have been different.

Bemz, a Stockholm-based company whose products can be found only online, specializes in custom slipcovers for the most popular sofa and chair models from IKEA including the Ektorp, Klippan, Lillberg and more. The fabric offering is vast (but not too vast — a plus in my book), and prices are reasonable (a slipcover for a 4-seater Klippan sofa is about $200), but the real clincher for me is that Bemz offers slipcovers in Marimekko prints.

If only I had known. Our big ol’ club chair would’ve been from the IKEA PS collection and covered in Marimekko’s Unikko poppies…or maybe navy linen…or orange cotton…

Image credits: Bemz

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Mudroom Shoe Rack

Posted in Inside the Mudroom, Organization, Shop It on June 22, 2009| 1 Comment »

I had been planning on waiting until next Fall to re-think the “mudspace” at my back entry, but with all this ridiculous rain flooding us in New England, I think I might need to figure out a better system for our family of wellies before October. This simple, utilitarian, yet handsome boot rack from Winsome Wood should do the trick. With three shelves for shoes, a slot for umbrellas and removable metal tray for wet footwear, this looks likes a perfect fit for small spaces.

Winsome Wood Shoe Rack, $82.99

Image credit: organize.com

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Toss One On

Posted in Décor, Furniture, Reinvent It, Shop It on June 18, 2009| 1 Comment »

One day recently, I was at a friend’s house consulting on a living room reinvention (maximum change for minimal cash) and I spent some time extolling the virtues of throw pillows and their ability to pull together a room through pattern, update a couch or chair, or just generally add visual interest to a space that’s spare on accessories. So on that note, let me share some of my faves from this season:

Look to CB2 for some great cheap and chic options, including the Kala Pillow, featuring a collage of bright fabrics in graphic bars.

For a summery addition to your living room, look to L.L. Bean’s new Maine Isle Throw Pillow collection including the starfish motif in navy cotton.

As the Fourth of July approaches and I reflect in my renewed sense of pride in our country, I’m loving the American Pillow Cover Collection from Restoration Hardware, particularly that little boudoir Flag pillow cover.

Because there are so many unique, affordable options for pillows from major retailers, as well as local artisans through sites like Etsy, I wouldn’t normally advocate for a spending a ton of hard-earned cash. But after catching a glimpse of John Robshaw’s new collection which includes a series of stunning handpainted pillows, I’m advocating. If you can spare it, I support it…and feel free to pick up the Painted Stork for me while you’re at it.

Image credits (from top to bottom): CB2; L.L.Bean; Restoration Hardware; John Robshaw

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A Lamp of One’s Own

Posted in Décor, Shop It on June 16, 2009| 2 Comments »

Lamp The very first time I saw the “U-Fill-It Lamp” from Circa Lighting, I fell in love. Dining room? Fill it with elegant glass marbles. Craft room? Colorful skeins of yarn. Office? Gumballs, definitely. I had an idea for every room in my house, but at this point in my life I can’t justify a $315 lamp that I don’t really need, no matter how gorgeous. Luckily, as I was perusing one of my favorite blogs, This Young House, I came across this perfectly terrific look-a-like, available at Amazon.com for $99. Until the whopping daycare payments are out of our monthly budget permanently, these will do the trick!

Image credit: Circa Lighting

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Naptime? Makeover!

Posted in Décor, Outside, Reinvent It on June 15, 2009| 4 Comments »

Ever since I started this blog (a whole month ago) I have found myself even more inspired and determined to do things to my house than I was prior to my first post. So it only seems natural that one recent day when I was home with my kids, I became possessed with the idea of redoing our plain vanilla back door breezeway into something a little more welcoming. And here’s the thing: I decided I had to do it that day (my husband can tell you I have issues with instant gratification and sometimes it manifests itself in really odd ways).

So it was set. I packed the kids in the car, made two quick stops (my local paint store and Lowe’s, where I had to run an errand anyway), and the minute the boys were ready for their nap, I was masking off the door lights. Two hours and $40 gave me the makeover hit I needed…here’s how I did it:

1) Added color: I painted the doors (one to the house, one to the garage) Benjamin Moore’s Concord Ivory, a sunny yellow that I have used in my house already, so I didn’t need to mess around with testing colors.

2) Introduced artwork: I hung a fun, inexpensive piece of art that I had recently moved out my living room. It’s a piece from Target that’s printed on vinyl, so no worries about the weather!

3) Gave us an ID: Until the redo, we hadn’t had house numbers on our back entrance. It was time to admit most people enter through our back door.

4) Put up a mailbox: We finally gave the USPS a proper place to leave all my magazines — no more mail all over the floor. This is the one thing that I had to do after the boys woke up, since the second coat of paint hadn’t dried by the time they awoke.

At some point I would love to add a new light fixture and a small bench (which is why the artwork is hung high), but until then, this redo is exactly what I needed.

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With an oink oink here, and an oink oink there…

Posted in Décor, Shop It on June 11, 2009| 1 Comment »

Last night, after a couple of weeks of successful — ahem — coaching, my husband and I felt secure enough to move the changing table out of our youngest son’s room. Now presented with a completely blank wall of opportunity, I’m thinking shelves filled with his ever-growing book collection, broken up with pig heads and bums…how cute are these?

Animal Index by Hiroshi Sasagawa, $23, pig, reindeer and giraffe heads and hindquarters

Image credit: greenergrassdesign

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Vase 101

Posted in Décor, Reinvent It, Shop It, Tabletop on June 9, 2009| 1 Comment »

Here in New England, the peonies have bloomed, the hydrangeas are leafing up and snapdragons are just around the corner — perfect timing for a little tutorial from House Beautiful on the eight vases to have at the ready for gorgeous, simple summer arrangements:

Mugs
Trumpet-shaped
Collection of bud vases
Cylinder
Ginger jar
Pitcher
Footed bowl
Regular bowl

My go-to vase right now isn’t even meant for flowers…it’s an IKEA glass placed carefully into a small drawstring bag I picked up late last month at Les Toiles du Soleil in New York (I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with that little bag when I bought it, but I knew I had to have it!).

{Find House Beautiful’s eight favorite vases and sample floral arrangements here.}

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Hooray! Les Toiles du Soleil Fabric Online!

Posted in Décor, Make It, Shop It, Tabletop on June 9, 2009| 2 Comments »

Pursuant to last week’s post on Les Toiles du Soleil, I am happy to report that Paper Source is carrying a small collection of the delicious striped canvas online! So for those of you who won’t be making it to New York anytime soon, and aren’t too jazzed about ordering over the phone, you can order by the meter here!

Image credit: Paper Source

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Chroma Lab Love

Posted in Furniture, Reinvent It, Shop It on June 8, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Once upon a time, after an auspicious run-in with a $20 drop leaf table, some rockin’ Paper Source paper and a good deal of Mod Podge, I had fantasies of making a living reinventing Craig’s List furniture into masterpieces. That was until it took me five days to scrape, sand and do a masterfully bad job of decoupaging my bargain. I was so tired after the experience that I still (almost a year later) haven’t found the where-with-all to refinish the table legs.

Turns out someone else had my great idea, but was far better equipped to deliver on it. While browsing the SoWa Market yesterday in Boston’s South End, my pal Greer and I had the good fortune of coming upon Jamaica Plain-based Chroma Lab. Owners Alicia Cornwell and Tony Bevilacqua transform vintage pieces in need of some love and attention (and maybe some nails and glue too) and turn them into things of beauty. I was drawn to Alicia and Tony’s tent because of this joyful Marimekko-covered chair, but once inside discovered even more swoon-worthy items including a pair of sinuous yellow lamps and the practical-joking Pretend Table, faux bois-finished with the wood grain likeness so real that it wasn’t until I got home and was checking out their site that I realized the piece was painted.

Best of all (I think) is that they do custom jobs — so if you have a piece-of-junk dresser that you are ready to trash, get in touch with them and be prepared to fall in love.

Image credit: Chroma Lab

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Grosgrain Napkin Rings

Posted in Shop It, Tabletop on June 3, 2009| 3 Comments »

Between the family events of last weekend and my little brother’s college graduation tomorrow, entertaining and celebrating have been on my mind. I love creating beautiful table settings (or “tablescapes” in design-ese), so whenever I see interesting linens, dinnerware or other tabletop accessories, I’m instantly drawn. My latest table candy? These colorful (and functional) grosgrain ribbon “belt” napkin rings from Social Couture. At $12 for 8, I’m not sure you could even make them for less…