The secret of my bed skirt…

I recently made over my bed and I am so excited about it. 

I am so excited to have a full – puddled – linen looking bed skirt. The secret is that the fabric is not even linen. I think it is 100% cotton but I don’t even know for sure because I got it at a discount fabric store (Home Fabrics) for $3 a yard AND it is the backside of the fabric.

After I washed it in hot water it just got nubbier. Yum. Is that a word? nubbier?

Do you want to see the right side of the fabric? I recovered this chair in it. Be patient with my weird exposures…I am still learning how to use my new camera.

Then I found some more nubby white cotton in my fabric stash and had big 28” pillows made with a 1 1/2” ruffle.

I already had the white quilt and duvet (which needs a cover…one day) as well as the Pottery Barn headboard (see my post about that here). Everything has been pre-washed in hot water which means no dry cleaning for me.

Isn’t that great texture!

I didn’t quite have enough fabric for the back side of the pillows so I found a  different fabric for the back. Can you see the subtle paisley print on the other side (below)?

I probably won’t keep all four grain sack pillows on my bed. I will need to mix in some other pillows…but I wanted to show them to you because I bought a whole bunch at market (they were a steal) and I am going to be offering them to my readers. Aren’t they great?

The best thing about a full-linen-puddled bed skirt is that it looks glamorous even when the bed isn’t made. It’s kind of like a movie star with messy hair!

The Sweetest Little Girl’s Bedroom

In my next life, I would like to come back as an eleven year old girl in my client’s family so that I can have this bedroom! What a fun project! My client and I spent countless hours discussing her two girls and considering all of their needs for this bedroom. This was all done while they were at school, of course. When I finally met the girls they both gave me the biggest hug. They are both so sweet and grateful.

My client originally called me to help her figure out if there was room to add a walk-in closet to this attic space that was being transformed into a bedroom retreat. The room is large but the three dormer windows and staircase left a configuration that would not allow for a walk in closet.

Instead, I suggested we use an antique armoire for a closet and then add upholstered screens for privacy. The armoire was painted and glazed to add depth (see previous post here). Then we found matching dressers (from Bramble) that fit into the tight space on both ends of the armoire.

The screens were designed with a scroll on top that graduates with the ceiling line. Silver nail head trim finishes them off with a bit of glamour. The screens are upholstered with contrasting fabric on the back. I think they turned out GREAT!

My client purchased two day beds from The Pottery Barn. We painted the walls Sherwin Williams Silver Peony. One of the best decisions we made was to use the fabric from Heather Bailey’s Nicey Jane collection (see my pervious post here). Heather designs fabric for quilters/crafters. At about $9 a yard we were able to afford the scads of yardage that it took to pull off the many girly pillows that make this room so special. All of the pillows are reversible so the girls have 92 different combination possibilities (or so). Here is one:

Here is another:

 

In one of the dormers, we made a window seat. Love it!

In another dormer, we added a vanity (also from Bramble)

 

In the third dormer we had these gumdrop pillows made from an Amy Butler pattern.

 

We also had a built-in bookcase built to make this the reading nook.

Don’t you agree that these are two lucky girls?

We still have some accessorizing to do but I really wanted to share the photos. I hope you like it.

Sneak Peak – Sweetest Little Girl’s Bedroom

Well- it has been a couple of months since I posted the inspiration photos for my client’s little girl’s bedroom. I changed the title to read the sweetest little girls bedroom because the girls that will be sharing this darling room are anything but sassy- they are just the sweetest girls and so are their parents.

The pieces for this room are starting to come together so I couldn’t help but post a few pictures of the focal point of the room…this gorgeous French armoire. We found it online at Mr. Beasley’s Antiques in Riverside California. 

Then Todd, at Cottage Charm Furniture, did a remarkable job on the finish which is antique white with a light brown glaze.

I can’t wait to show you the final photos! Wouldn't you have loved such a special room as a child?

How to find furniture that tells a story…

Last week I picked up some great prints at the Walter Larson Antiques show. They will be framed and hung in my four-year-old son’s room which is loosely themed “adventure”. I love their story-book quality and all of the motion in the artwork.

The Walter Larson Antiques Show is about the best that we have here in Salt Lake City, but it is mostly grannies attic type shopping.

It makes me so sad every time I go just because I know what I am missing out on. I used to ride my bike to the Farmington Antiques Weekend (which is by far my favorite show).

Plus, I have shopped Round Top and Brimfield to my hearts content.

But the prints are great, right? This trunk is another piece in my son’s room.

I can’t thank my mom enough for letting me use it. I love the trunk but I also love that my mom negotiated to purchase it out of the Nautica store display window at Fashion Island, for my brother’s room when we were kids. She is hilarious!

We read a lot of stories at our house. I thought this book rack would help me keep them picked up but I also love how much color and life it adds to the room.

So now I am on a hunt for a great map to frame and a new dresser. If you have any suggestions for a great map source please send it my way. Of course I am looking for something big, colorful and vintage!

If you are looking for great furniture and accessories, the kind that tell a story, you have to look beyond the traditional sources. You might want to check out a silly antiques show, your mother’s attic, or a store display window. You never know what you are going to find.

Inspiration for a sassy girls bedroom

I am currently working with a client who wants to create a fun sassy girls retreat in the attic rooms of her Victorian home. How lucky is that? I thought that I would share some of our inspiration for the room….

This is a photo of fabric designer, Heather Bailey’s, booth at the most recent quilt market. It won best booth, not surprised. I loved the way she paired her very feminine, vintage, flirty prints with the white French settee covered in a stone gray fabric. I couldn’t tell if it was linen, cotton, velvet? But it is stunning either way.

Her newest fabric line is called Nicey Jane, so cute! I ordered the samples and now I have to narrow down our options from 40 fabulous prints to five or six. It will be tough. They are all so cute. We are going to use the this fabric for the pillows and canopies on the beds. The sheets and comforters will be a solid color, hopefully gray if we can find it and it works. However, it could also be lime green, pink or lavender. Oh the options!!!

We will be looking for a French wardrobe piece like this one from Village Chic in the UK. We considered building a walk-in-closet, but opted for a the wardrobe and privacy screens instead. The attic has lots of fun angels in the ceiling from the roofline – adding walls would have taken away from the charm of the room.

I love the nail head trim and the curves at the top of this privacy screen. We will probably choose an accent color for ours.

I can’t wait to show you how it all turns out!

A well designed home never goes out of style!

Let’s face it – styles change. What is new and fresh today will become dated and passé tomorrow. Things That Inspire wrote a great post, this week, about Trendy elements that scream 2000s. The post was thought provoking and so were the comments that followed. It made me think, “what is timeless?” and “how can I ensure that my designs stand the test of time?”

All photos - Country Home Sept 2000 – Designed by Ginger Barber

For many people it is scary to embark on the world of interior design – whether they are building, remodeling or simply purchasing a new sofa – the fear of making a mistake can be paralyzing. But what fun is that? A well designed home is not afraid of taking risks. That is rule #1. So take a deep breath – “it is just paint it is just fabric so relax and have fun” quote by Andrea Lambert in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion.

I dug deep into my files to find a home that I think is timeless. It was published nine years ago (that is forever in the design world!!) in Country Home Magazine September 2000. It was the home of designer, Ginger Barber. I also came up with some ideas about what a well designed home should incorporate. See what you think!

#2- A well designed home is authentic – not false or copied; genuine; real.

#3 A well designed home is craftmanship – Quality pieces will add depth and character to a room. Antiques create an authentic feel and have usually stood the test of time in quality and design.

#4- A well designed home is flexible and functional- If you haven’t already read the Cote de Texas post about Ginger Barber’s two more recent homes. Click here. You will see many of the same pieces of furniture travel from home to home. Point made!

#5- A well designed home is simple – Leonardo de Vinci said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication". I agree.

#6- It is all in the details- It is the texture of a basket, the motion in a painting, or just the right shade of yellow. But the details make all the difference, don’t you think?

I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject. What is #7?

Dear Amy C.

My friend just moved her son Sam (7 years old) and daughter Elli (5 years old) into the same bedroom. She asked me how to decorate the space so it would work for both genders. I immediately thought of this quilt from Garnet Hill. I love quilts! Each one is a piece of art and can be used in many different ways for both practical and visual purposes.

I like this one for its versatility - it works for both boys and girls and you can play up any of it's bright colors. I would play up the orange and red for Sam and Elli. I also like the polka dot sheet sets (also from Garnet Hill) and they come in many bright fun colors.

The bad news is that the quilt is no longer available. I searched for something similar and found this one from Sundance Catalogue ALSO UNAVAILABLE. Why are they teasing me like that????

I found this one from frolic design on Etsy by searching under keywords "pinwheel quilt".

It is not the right size but many artists on Etsy are willing to fill custom orders so it might be worth looking into.

I hope that helps Amy C.! At least it is a conceptual start. If anyone else has a suggestion I am sure she would love to hear it.