Fabric-wrapped Finds

Little Green Notebook (one of my favorite blogs) recently posted about this fabric-wrapped shelving unit.

The photos were submitted by Emily and I went to her blog, Recently, to learn more. Take a look at the before shot below. She used modge podge to adhere and coat the fabric, totally transforming an otherwise cheap-looking and boring item into something very stylish.

That transformation was fresh in my mind over the weekend when I went to a neighbor's yard sale. I found this tray there for $2 and thought it would be perfect for a similar project. (I also picked up a copy of The Comfort Table for $1. Do you remember Mindy's post about that?)

Now the only thing to decide is what to wrap the tray with -- fabric or paper? The fabric may be a bit trickier with the angled sides, but I think it's doable. Here are some paper and fabric swatches that I'm considering.

I think I'm leaning towards the Brush Stroke Gold on Sea Green but that Marble is intriguing. I think that would probably elevate the look of my $2 tray the most. Decisions, decisions.

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fabric and paper swatches, left to right, top to bottom

Natural and Brown Marble

PKaufmann Linked Circa Eclipse

Brush Stroke Gold on Sea Green

Gold on Orange Mums

Annie Selke Links Slate

Waves on Night

Orla Kiely at Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Don't you just love a good designer collaboration? 

Orla Kiely's bold, graphic prints can now be found at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. What a great match! Her iconic patterns are available in two bedding lines at the home superstore.   

I love the bedding sets, and would seriously consider using one of these comforters as a wall hanging. Wouldn't that be a great piece of statement art? 

But I really think these throw pillows steal the show. 

This collaboration is such a delightful treat for those of us who love designer style at affordable prices.

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images via Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Sprinkle On Some Santorini

Salt and pepper shakers don't usually have me jumping up and down but these are delightful.

It's the gold details that got me — they remind me of sprinklings of salt (or pepper). Intentional, I'm sure. What a pretty way to dress up and add a bit of glitz to the dining table.

And that packaging is lovely, too....

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Jonathan Adler's Santorini Salt and Pepper Shakers

My Lavender Accent Walls

About a year ago, I decided to paint two lavender accent walls in my apartment. I shared some of my inspiration images in this post a couple of months ago and now I finally have some photos of our apartment to share them with you. 

First, here is a "before" photo. Our apartment is basically three rooms: one larger living/dining space, a smaller bedroom, and a bathroom. All of the walls, ceiling, and cabinetry were painted a really nice shade of white in an eggshell finish. The white walls were really great because they just made the space so open and airy (especially because the windows and ceilings were nice and high). This allowed me to be as colorful as I wanted with my accessories, which was wonderful, since I love shades of orange and aqua. 

But then I developed a crush on lavender, and not wanting to miss out on a color trend, I thought it would be fun to give it a try on a couple of walls. Here is an "after" shot of our main living space.

As you can see, I just painted the wall behind the dining table. While painting, I thought I was making a drastic change, but it wasn't at all! It turned out to be just a nice, little accent. And depending on the light, the color can either be really subtle or a bit more prominent. 

I kept my orange candelabra but replaced the art on the wall above the table. Formerly, I had a series of four tin tiles with black and white chandelier illustrations. I liked them a lot, but once the wall was painted they looked a little lost.

So, I replaced the tins with this rocking horse, which I took from my parent's house. My mom used to have him hanging on a wall in our living room when we were growing up. A funky, hand-made piece like this completely changed the flavor of the room.

I like how the lavender looks in contrast to our orange candelabra, too.  

The other accent wall that I painted was behind our bed. Here is a "before" shot...again, I was more focused on photographing the cat and the curtains, than the wall. But, you can get a sense that the room was just a lot of white and gray.

In this "after" shot, you can see how this pinky-lavender shade really warmed up our very neutral scheme. 

The color in the photo below is so off and I apologize for that! But I wanted you to see how well the lavender worked with the charcoal gray in my curtains. My mom and I made these curtains using this Dwell Studio print that we sourced for an amazing price here.

And one more thing...do you like my ruffle bedding? I'm obsessed with it. I first posted about it here and now I am so happy to finally be able to show this ruffle goodness to you, in our room!

Well, I hope you enjoyed a few sneak peeks into my lavender affair! Now I'm thinking about what I'll do next...

Have a great weekend!

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images by The Pink Chalkboard

Lighting a Garden

While in NYC last week for a wedding (Congratulations, Rachel!), I stopped by a restaurant on the Lower East Side for a late-night snack and came across this rooftop garden.

I have always found rooftop gardens delightful and this one was especially so with little white lights woven through it. 

If you look closely, it's quite simple what they did -- basic wooden shelves are placed in front of a few mirrors and hold various plants in nondescript galvanized pails. A string of white lights tie it all together turning an easy, no fuss garden into something really special. 

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photos by The Pink Chalkboard

It's all in the Details

This past winter, I inherited a dresser that belonged to my great uncle. I had my eye on this piece for quite a while and was excited to finally call it my own. Here is a "before" picture. Sorry that you can only see the back, but at the time I was more concerned with capturing a picture of the kitty on top. I think this gives you a good idea of the original wood color, though. 

Of course I had to personalize it a bit with a few coats of black paint and some new hardware. Here is my "after" shot.

And this is where my favorite part of this transformation comes in...the charming little knobs on the top two drawers.

I think it is safe to say that Jillian and I both have a bit of a crush on the knob and drawer pull selection at Anthropologie. Over the holidays, I totally lucked out and found these adorable knobs (on sale) at Anthro and knew they had to be mine. I was even more excited when I received the dresser a few weeks later as they turned out to be a perfect fit. Yes, I am the kind of person who would buy knobs because they are too cute to pass up even though I might not have a use for them yet...

These knobs are my kind of perfection. They are ceramic so they have a nice weight to them, and in handwriting each one says, "Got to be around here somewhere." Isn't that so perfect for a dresser drawer?

I just love details like this, and for me the best part of decorating is all in the details.

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images by The Pink Chalkboard

Anthro's Decoupaged Chandelier

Last week I posted about pretty jewelry on display at Anthropologie. The same day I was at that store, I saw this decoupaged chandelier.

Pretty, right? And pretty easy, too, I think. When we bought our house, it came with a simple chandelier in the dining room. I replaced it with this Ikea fixture but ended up keeping the old chandelier because it is a basic enough piece that could be interesting if something was done to it. I don't have a place for it now, but was considering spray painting it a fun color in the future. But this decoupage project would make it much more unique and fun.

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photos by The Pink Chalkboard