Thursday, August 29, 2013

Implementation Rendering of Chris' Bedroom

Chris liked Look 1: Aqua and Brown Bedroom. To go the extra mile, here is what the room would look like with the changes incorporated.

Products:
The plants, tray, candle lighting feature, paint color, and furniture shown above are the same as those listed in Look 1 in my earlier post. However, this post features a new striped Logan and Mason Villa Blue Aqua Duvet, a pair of IKEA Alang sconces that are mounted closer to the bed (less far apart) than in the before photo, and a new CB2 Jester Vase.


For reference, this is what the room looks like before any changes.

Simple Changes: Break up the space with a few more sculptural and vertical elements, add color to the walls, and use real plants instead of artificial ones.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Mood Board - Chris' Bedroom Two Different Ways

Aqua and Brown Bedroom - Look 1
Products:
  Bed Linens
  Wall Decor
Above the bed artwork - homeowner's own
Candle Holder - CB2 Beam Wall Candle Holder
  Wall Paint
Sherwin-Williams Fall/Winter 2013 Color Palette - "Rain" color
  Tall Items (to break up the space)
Floor Plant - Yucca Plant
Dresser Plant - Snake Plant
  Dresser-top Decor
  Bedside Table Accessories
  Furniture
Nightstand - IKEA Malm Nightstand
Dresser - IKEA Malm Dresser

Slate, Copper and Brown Bedroom - Look 2
Products: Same as above except as noted below.
  Bed Linens
  Wall Paint
Sherwin-Williams Fall/Winter 2013 Color Palette - "Cobble Brown" color
  Tall Items (to break up the space)
  Bedside Table Accessories
Inspiration: My friend is redecorating. He already has his furniture, so the next step is to accessorize and choose accent colors. Because he already had some artwork he liked (close up shown below), I chose the colors from there.

Which Paint Color?


Chris' bedroom with Sherwin Williams paint in "Rain".


Chris' bedroom with Sherwin Williams paint in "Interesting Aqua" (slightly darker and more gray than "Rain").

Chris' bedroom with Sherwin Williams paint in "Cobble Brown".


Chris' bedroom with Sherwin Williams paint in "Rain" but only on one accent wall.


Chris' bedroom, before photo (shown with standard apartment white). Which color do you like best?

Color swapping was made possible using Adobe Photoshop software. Specifically, the Eyedropper Tool (to match colors to the Sherwin Williams swatches), the Pen Tool (to create a path where I wanted the color to go which I then selected), and the Fill tool.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Twelve Design Trends that We Can Do Without

How is that for a dramatic banner? Before I begin, let me stress that if you like it, then it is not a trend to you, and please continue using it throughout your home! Trends fade but your personal style is forever. Do not feel pressure to do something, or not to do it, just because of what other people say. The trends I am commenting on below are things that appear again, and again, and again on Pinterest. Not everyone who claims to love these things can - if there is no way for ten people to agree on pizza toppings, then there is no way that all ten of them like chevrons ;).


1. Chevrons - It's a zig-zag, let's move on
2. Ombre - I liked it too, once, before it was everywhere
3. White ceramic animals - Especially true if they're in bust form
4. Branches - Both faux and real, e.g. metal hooks and tiebacks shaped like twigs
5. Bad or ambiguous grammar - i.e. the For Like Ever poster and its variants
6. Owls - I still like these and I'll admit it
7. Mason jars - I like these, but there is no way that any item has 1,000 uses, despite Pinterest claims to the contrary
8. Pallet furniture - Pallet wood is extremely low quality, and who likes getting splinters?
9. Ikat pattern - Not bad on its own, only the trendiness makes it so
10.Origami tattoos - These are only slightly better than YOLO tattoos, although if I had to get one I'd want the one shown above
11.DIY Spray-Painted Chandeliers - It's a messy project with hit-or-miss results
12.Chinese Garden Stools - Because you can't fit anything on top of them

Products shown above and photo credits: Chevron Pillow (by Zazzle), Ombre Curtains (by Target), Gazelle Bust (by ZGallerie), Tree Branch Jewelry Wall Hanger (by Urban Outfitters), For Like Ever Print (this version is by Plum Prints), Owl Cookie Jar (by RetroPlanet.com), Mason Jar (Ball Jar as sold by Ace Hardware), Pallet Coffee Table (by Dohler Designs, available on Etsy), Ikat Rug (by Burke Decor), Origami Crane Tattoo (by Mewlitt on Deviant Art), White Chandelier (Apartment Therapy, DC Edition), and Chinese Garden Stool in Sage (by Bronson Design).

What didn't I have the heard to put on the list? Brass finishes, chalkboard paint, not to be confused with the equally ubiquitous chalk paint, distressed paint finishes, emerald or Machalite-colored anything, quatrefoil shapes, and white Saarinen tables... There are a ton of all of those things on the Internet right now too, but I either felt like I wasn't sick of them yet, or that they might stand the test of time.

The above items were presented in no particular order. And let me stress again that if you like it, then you should keep enjoying it. Once it stops being a trend for the masses, it can become even more of a signature element in your personal style.

Mood Board - Chris' Den Two Different Ways


Red, Black and Gray Office - Look 1
Products: Star Wars Poster (homeowner's own), Building Poser on left (homeowner's own), NY Building Poster middle top (Art.com), Penn Station Clock Poster middle bottom (Art.com), Sherwin-Williams Wall Paint in Pediment color, Serendipity Luna Multi Rug (Rugs USA), Red Fleur de Lis Wall Mirrors (Bombay Co.), Black Corner Desk (homeowner's own), Vilgot Desk Chair in Red (homeowner's own from IKEA), Nyfors Desk Lamp (IKEA), City Skyline Pencil Holder (CB2), Vakis White Desk Clock (IKEA), Spare Tire Bowl to use for keys (APT2B), Storage Bench in Charcoal to use as guest seating (Kirkland's), New Orleans Saints' Football (Dick's), New Orleans Saints' Football Poster (homeowner's own), Black and Silver Globe (Amazon), Bladis Storage Boxes in Black (IKEA), Hemnes Bookcase (homeowner's own from IKEA), and use books about New Orleans and/or architecture as items of interest in bookcase such as this Guide to Orleans Architecture (Amazon).


Red, Black and Gray Office - Look 2
Products: Same as above except for Sherwin-Williams Wall Paint in Morning Fog color, Globe Wall Mirrors (APT2B), Desk-sized Bladis Set (IKEA), Infinity Red Clock (Casa.com), and Nils Stool with Red Stripe (IKEA).

Inspiration: My buddy is looking to repaint his den. He already owned the black desk and bookcase as well as the red desk chair, so choosing the color scheme was easy.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Mood Board - Dining Room Using Only IKEA Products

Organic White and Green Dining Room
Products by IKEA:
ps maskros pendant light fixture, overens bowlsikea 365+ platesdiod glasswareljuda placematssmycka flowersensidig vasedocksta / ikea ps 2012 dining setliatorp side tableofelia bad cushions for chairs, stockholm ruglerkil art, and emmie blinds.

DIY  modifications: I colored in a few of the buds in the lerkil artwork with colors found in the rug for an added touch - this could be accomplished using watercolor paints.

Inspiration: I got to thinking about this because the 2014 IKEA catalog just arrived in the mail!

Friday, August 2, 2013

What This Blog Is About

I want this blog to include the hodgepodge of things that are important to me and run through my mind on a day-to-day basis. Examples of topics I plan to include are: design ideas, my artwork and writing, home projects, and the pursuit of simple living. Product, website and book reviews may be included. Mood boards may also be included because I love decorating.

My cat, Froylan, is skeptical of my abilities to be successful with this blog...

Main difficulties I anticipate:
- Photos: Is there a better way to upload photos to the internet than Google+? There must be, because it's gotten so difficult! I'm also not a great photographer. If I can't snap it with my iPhone, I'll probably be too lazy to take the picture and/or to upload it.
- Organization: For some as interested in simple living as I am, it is certainly difficult to be disciplined enough to stay on track, and I think being better organized could help me.
- Shyness: There, I said it. I am a shy person. I'm not sure I'll be able to find a comfortable balance between sharing my ideas and also trying to remain relatively anonymous.