bedroom progress...

next up: nightstands and art!

new headboard!

This is a pretty bad pic, but here's the new navy blue, velvet headboard we built over the weekend! Will share more soon.

DIY octavia headboard

I'm moving into a new apartment this weekend so I have been busy with some painting and DIY projects. The sideboard I bought at Brimfield a while back is now BRIGHT turquoise, which I'm hoping will be fun against an exposed brick wall. Also, I ordered my first queen sized mattress and couldn't be more excited to have my own, super comfy bed. I love the Octavia headboard from Serena & Lily but could never afford the $1,500+ price tag so my brother's girlfriend and I took a trip to Home Depot and Joanne's to try and create a similar version of our own. Sketching out the pattern and adding all the nailhead trim was a labor of love, and it's far from perfect, but we're pretty proud of how it turned out. In memory of my sweet baby niece that passed away in July I am doing my bedroom in lavender (purple was one of her favorite colors,) gray and white. Very pretty and serene I hope.

on my wishlist

the book that was inspired by erica domesek's ps.- i made this... website

i have no idea if i'm coming on to this website/movement late but it. is. awesome! domesek takes a diy approach to iconic fashion looks, runway trends, and other popular accessories and items to show that anyone can make great fashion pieces. her website is full of really great examples like the ones below.

interior details {stairs}

Stairs can be a beautiful design feature . I'm dying to do something fun (and super easy/affordable) to the stairs in our apartment, like wallpaper, stencil or paint the risers, but I don't think our landlord would appreciate it very much. When I own a home someday (or hopefully start designing other people's homes!) I'll definitely be getting creative with the staircases and other forgotten elements (ceilings, closets, etc). I love the details too much not to.

;

1. via HHFD 2. LivingEtc. 3. via Nest Egg 4. Domino 5. via Absolutely Beautiful Things 6. via Rocky Bella 7. via AT

office board

I finished spray painting our office chairs white over the weekend (upper left - I'm obsessed with the bamboo detailing) and I hope to make the pillows for them this week. I've gone back and forth about whether our office should have some sort of sleeping space for guests and I think the West Elm daybed shown here could work (a sleeper won't fit through the door and the room is too small for a full). This board is about half pieces we have and half pieces we don't have (yet). I've known all along that I wanted grassy green and I'm loving pops of pink (and yellow?) in the artwork and accessories. The question is, where does my boyfriend's prized, signed hockey stick that he insists should be hung up somewhere fit into all this???? :)

click to view larger

dressing up plain white drapes

I blogged yesterday about how I reeeeally want to dress up the plain white linen drapes in my dining room ($15/pair at Ikea... ridiculous). So what to do? Add trim?

Or attempt stenciling a pattern?

I'm tempted to try the latter... even though I'll probably drive myself crazy trying to perfectly paint two sets of drapes. I found a little tutorial here. Either way I'm making my DR a priority for the weekend - wish me luck! Happy Friday :)

diy lampshades

Cool looking lampshades can be expensive so I love the idea of dressing up plain ones with ribbon, fabric, etc. I love this X pattern for the white lampshades in my office (minus the cute envelopes)...

via Pink Wallpaper

3 things to love

A beautiful headboard idea, a super long picture ledge and a yellow sun dress.

images from style at home via made by girl

fab diy project {nesting tables}

I'm so impressed by the DIY project posted by Camilla at High-Heeled Foot in the Door today. The navy blue + grasscloth + nailhead trim is awesome. And she re-used the clients old tables so it's a sustainable project too. So clever! Check it out here.

project update {chairs}

Remember these? After a lot of prep work and some very careful spray painting, they've gotten a big makeover.

The silhouette is pretty traditional/country so I chose glossy black paint and a chevron print for the seat cushions to achieve a dressier, more modern look. Total cost for the chairs (from craiglist), materials and fabric = about $20/each.

diy dining chairs

I bought 6 not-so-pretty dining chairs on craigslist for only $40 for my new apartment. I'm hoping I can paint them and reupholster the seats so that they will be as beautiful as the chairs in this image. I'm thinking glossy black with a bold, graphic print. We've never had room for a dining room table so I'm excited to tackle this project. Stay tuned!

image via House and Home

stencil 101 {decor}

Stencils are a great resource for renters - they are an easy way to create pattern and interest without the commitment of wallpaper. I've realized though that it's not easy finding stencil patterns that are chic and contemporary (think outdated borders a la Grandma's house). I happened upon Stencil 101 by Ed Roth over the weekend and am definitely going to find a way to incorporate some of his designs into my new apartment. Love this subtle 'honeycomb' pattern shown here (and the space in general)... originally via Design Sponge.

pick it up here

diy fabric inspiration board

Wanted to share a little project I worked on yesterday...

I made this huge fabric inspiration board for my office using 2 yards of a really bright, colorful fabric, a 36" x 48" artists canvas, natural jute twine and metal brads. Directions here. It was really, really easy (staple guns are amazing). Now I need to work on pulling some images to fill it up.

I'm putting a few final touches on the space and will share before and after pictures soon!

cool project

via little green notebook