June 4, 2013

Bedtime Story… Or how I hacked my Ikea Bed

A girl, a Dream and a few yards of DIY Hand-Blocked Fabric

Ok, the time has come for me to tell my bed story. Note: I’m not calling this a DIY. Frankly it was very difficult and involved collaborations with a professional carpenter (dad) and fashion designer/ expert sewer (sister) and I don’t recommend doing the whole thing yourself. I didn’t read a single how-to post before starting this project, I didn’t prepare at all, I just dove in and realized half way through I was way over my head. I’m dumb, silly, lucky and a little bit wiser now.

Nevertheless, a lot of you have asked about it. So let’s get down to it.

It started with a hand-carved paisley wood stamp. The first thing I did when I put an offer on the cottage was buy this stamp. I didn’t know where I would use it or what application (curtains, bedding, upholstery, on the walls?), but I knew I needed it in my life. I bought the paisley block print from HERE on Etsy. I loved that the scale was large (8″ high) because most of the wood blocks I found were only half the size.

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May 22, 2013

Question

How many times can you change up your bedroom before you are deemed certifiably crazy?

At least a dozen, right? After all, you have to crack a few eggs to…

{I originally bought these ikat pillows for a client but then couldn’t give them away}

{Gold pillow was moved from living room}

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The NEXT post I do will be on this Darn DIY bed, promise.

That means it may be awhile… hehe.

May 7, 2013

Lighting Week: My Bedroom Chandelier

In honor of my Rejuvenation Giveaway, I decided to make this week all about the lighting in my cottage. When it comes to decorating my own home, I am aggressively thrifty, but one area where I have dropped a few dimes is lighting. I think lighting is just delightful: it creates instant atmosphere and easily elevates a whole room. I don’t care if your space (ahem, my space) is a mish-mash of Ikea and vintage furnishings, the right light can make it cosmopolitan.

Today I’m sharing my bedroom chandelier. It’s a white glass chip piece that kind of reminds me of a murano chandelier and also has a beachy wibe. It adds a nice softness to the room, while actually being quite bright. The small frame allows me to use it comfortably in a room that only has 8′ ceilings.

The chandelier is this steal from Lamps Plus.

Only $199.

I was worried that for that price the glass chips would be crappy, but it’s really cute.

No Murano, OBVIOUSLY, but a very cute light.

And NO, Lamps Plus is sadly not sponsoring this post.

design manifest bedroom with chandelier rattan stools

And while my post is about my chandy, I just have to share my basket I picked up at HomeGoods. I never score at that store and last weekend I got a little lucky. I’ll be sharing more finds later.

Do you guys Likey?

***

and don’t forget…

Enter the $100 Rejuvenation Giveaway HERE

April 15, 2013

A few Tweaks in the Bedroom

I have to admit that around the finale of the One Room Challenge, I was so crazed with work and social obligations that I kinda threw the finished room together without much time to edit. Since then I have made a few tweaks that make the room feel more right for me.

The first change was to swap out my red bamboo stools for a wicker set I snagged from my Nana. (Yes, I know another score from Nana. How would I decorate without her?) I LOVE my bamboo stools, but they were feeling too busy in this room, so they’ve traveled downstairs where they can be more of a statement piece. I really like the shape of these “new” stools- I swear they make my room seem larger! I also like that they are more natural and neutral. They are a little dated right now, so I will probably give them a makeover at some point.

I’m curious, what would you do with these stools?

Now that springtime weather is here in Philly, I’ve also swapped out my down comforter for a quilt. I have to admit, I’m so much happier with this look. I’m one of those weirdos who makes their bed every day. When my bed is neat and put together, I feel better in life. Comforters are so frumpy, so I had a hard time ever feeling like my bed felt polished with one on there. It will be back in the winter, when I’ll enjoy the cozy down, but for now I’m neatly tucked in with my quilt and feeling very pleased.

PS- this is the quilt I bought. It’s very white and and has a nice texture.

March 20, 2013

One Room Challenge Finale- Master Bedroom Reveal

Holy hell, the 6 week makeover challenge has finally come to the end and thank goodness because this girl is EXhausted. With a limited budget and unlimited ideas and desires, it truly was a challenge to come up with a distinctive, vibrant yet relaxing bedroom for myself. I craved deep saturated walls but I also wanted to room to feel crisp and bright. Pops of white and greek key added that preppy look I was after, while warm woods and vibrant textiles mixed in my bohemian flair. In order to get the custom look without the designer budget, I opted to do a lot Do-It-Yourself projects. My hope is the overall effect is sophisticated and chic instead of crafty and cheap.

Thanks so much to Linda for organizing the One Room Challenge and the 19 other blogger participants for motivating me to not totally suck or flake out on the project. They have all put together beautiful rooms and I hope you will check their links at the bottom of this post.

Without further ado, here is my “Preppy Bohemian” bedroom…

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