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.

My Favorite Design Surprise – Window Treatments

I love to watch my client’s reaction when they see draperies or roman shades in their home for the first time. They are usually amazed and delighted because they have underestimated the impact draperies or roman shades will have on a room in the first place.  I just had draperies installed in my living room and now I am amazed and delighted  every time I walk into the room.  

Here is the BEFORE photo:

And here is AFTER:

The room feels more polished and complete with the new draperies. It also feels more cozy!  I had the panels constructed so that the stacks don’t cover the windows, thus allowing the maximum amount of light during the day. You can also see my new light fixture over the dining room table on the right.

The fabric is a simple ticking stripe in a light blue-gray.  I love it because the color is just right for the room but it is also simple enough that I can change things up if I want to. Who me? Want to change things? naaaaa

I had them made with a 5” puddle on the floor so that they blouse rather then hang straight. 

Now I am on to the next layer – accessories! I would also like to refinish that coffee table in a grayer tone – however, I like it in this photo. What do you think?

My Client’s Family Room; Before and After; Getting Proportion Right!

I am a little bit sad to post these photos because it marks the end of a really fun project. It all began with a one hour consultation about bathroom tile and the next thing you know we are redecorating the entire house. In the process we became great friends (my favorite part of the job) and I will really miss our weekly meetings.

This is how the family room looked BEFORE:

My clients were frustrated with the space because it was so cramped, especially when they had large family gatherings and everyone wanted to be in this one room. The space is long and narrow which called for a longer sofa and smaller scaled chairs (the opposite of what was there). So this is what we did!

By replacing the furniture with properly proportioned pieces, it made the room feel much bigger. We created additional seating on the sofa and ottoman, (which can be used in a pinch). We originally planned on two ottomans but my clients loved the rug so much they didn't want to cover it up. Adding three extra seating options was A LOT for this size space.

You can see the drapery fabric behind the sofa. It was the only element in the room that had to stay, which was fine with me because I love the classic Ralph Lauren print (it provided us with the perfect springboard for the project). The room is right off of the kitchen and breakfast area so it gets a lot of use. All of the fabrics that we selected are very grandchild friendly with high durability and camouflage factors. The herringbone fabric on the sofa is a Ralph Lauren fabric as well as the beautiful wool paisley pillow on the right. A Pindler fabric was selected for the club chairs and tangerine pillow.

Here is another view of the seating arrangement, which faces a fireplace with a flat screen above.

We were all so happy with how the room turned out and my clients have reported that their family gatherings are much more comfortable, thanks to the new furniture! If you would like help creating a properly proportioned, child friendly room, contact me; bethany.christensen@gmail.com

For the love of quilting…

Each time someone in our family is expecting a baby we make a quilt. Even though the quilters in our family live in Utah, Texas and London we still manage to work together to create something special for each baby and expectant mother.  We just started a new quilt for my sister-in-law, Lindsey, and her new baby boy due at the beginning of September. 

Our process goes something like this: the pattern and fabrics are selected. My mom and I cut, package and deliver (via mail) the pieces to my sisters (and we keep some for ourselves) to be hand sewn into blocks.  Then they are mailed back to my mom who sews the blocks together and prepares the pieced top for quilting.

Because these quilts are meant to be used by children we have them machine quilted by a professional. I know my Grandma June would be so disappointed. But that is how we do it and it is so much fun.

I am not a great quilter on my own but with the help of my mom and sisters I can contribute to something special and feel a great sense of accomplishment as a part of the team. 

I really love to decorate with quilts as well. Everyone of the beds in my house is made with a quilt, I have quilts that hang over chairs and quilts that I only bring out at Christmas time. I use quilts as table cloths and one day I would love to recover a chair in a quilt. 

I love that they can be feminine or masculine, old fashioned or modern. I love that they add color, pattern, and a story to every application.

Some of my favorite quilts have been purchased at yard sales others have been handmade by my sisters, mother or grandmother. Each one is unique and could never be replaced.

Quilting is a great summertime activity because it can easily be done in the car on a road trip, while sitting on a beach, or by the side of a pool (I am laughing as I write this because my sister Emily and I spent 5 hours in the pool today with our boys who are 2 and 4 years old – there is no way we could have quilted. LOL)

Anyway- it is great! I love it. Thanks to my mom and sisters for keeping this tradition going! We have three quilts to make this year. It is going to be great!

What is Slipcovered, Washable, and Fabulous?

Everything at Quatrine Home. (My four-year-old has recently been explaining things to me in riddles. It is so cute).

Photo: Beautiful Homes April 2006 -

On a recent trip, I finally got to go into a Quatrine Home store. My sister, who lives in Dallas, has been telling me about it forever and now I know why. All of their furniture is slipcovered and machine washable and really beautiful.  I know it seems that slipcovered furniture is always washable but it is not so. Many pieces are dry clean only.

Some of my favorite pieces at Quatrine Home were the pillows;all covered in thick chunky linen with the most adorable ruffles in contrasting colors.

I also loved the many cotton and linen fabrics that they pre-wash to make amazing slipcovers. The lavender cotton velvet was to die for.

 

Photo: Country Living

Their web-site doesn't do them justice. But check out their press section.  I found many familiar images from my inspiration files!  I can’t wait to get my hands on some of those fabrics!!!

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!

To splurge or save? A Dining Room Before and After.

I posted the question a while back…Is it better to wait, save your money, and splurge on one fabulous item at a time; or decorate on a dime and find creative ways to furnish your home without spending a lot of money? I came to the conclusion that a well designed home must carefully balance the two.

This is where my client and I began almost exactly a year ago. See how we transformed her dining room by splurging on some things and saving on others.

Before:

My client loves to decorate and has a charming cape cod home. She called me to help her pick paint colors. Of course we didn’t stop there, a couple of months later she was ready for the next layer. In an email she said that she hated the window treatments (2”blinds) and that she needed some color, personality and pattern on her walls. I couldn’t wait to get to our appointment to recommend ROMAN SHADES – which would solve all of her problems and be the perfect window treatment in her kitchen, family room, dining room and study.

So this is where we splurged…Custom Roman Shades were made for her dining room and study. The windows were cased with beautiful white trim.

We searched and searched for the perfect fabric. At one point a sample of Kelly Wearstler’s Imperial Trellis fabric came home with us. It was so perfect except for one thing, the price tag!!!! So we went back to the showroom and found this trellis fabric from Pindler at a fraction of the price. We loved it just as much.

This is where we saved: Less expensive designer fabric for the custom roman shades.

In the meantime, my client found the dining table at Down East Home, here in Salt Lake City (our Pottery Barn outlet) and the two additional captains chairs at the Sundance Catalogue outlet. The rug and four parsons chairs are from the previous furniture arrangement.

Another place we saved: dining table and two captains chairs found at local outlet.

Another problem area in my client’s home was this “drop zone”. These French doors serve as the back door to the home and all of the coats, hats, shoes, and backpacks were becoming an organizational nightmare.

So she splurged on built-in cabinetry which was ordered to fill the specific needs of this space and my client says that it was the best design decision she ever made. Shoes, hats, mittens, and toys go in the bottom drawers, while coats and backpacks fill the lockers. Good design is usually as functional as it is beautiful and this built-in is a perfect example!

Another place we saved: You can see the new white roman shades that were purchased from the pottery barn for her kitchen/family room area. This was a great decision because we were going to use a white in-expensive fabric for the custom shades in here anyway. The quality and fit were a bit of a compromise but don’t they look great??

It is tough to know were to spend money and when to wait or find something temporary. I would love to help you put a plan together! Contact me for rates and availability. Bethany.christensen@gmail.com.