The 1970's Got Its' Paneling Back!

Progress...bye bye 1970s!

Ripping out the paneling took just a couple of days...

Drywall, taping, mudding, and sanding took another week...

It's looking more and more like 2015!

Stay tuned for the renovation REveal!

SOS...I need serious help!

I need serious help.

That was a text I received from a friend/client late in July. 

I was in a panic for just a second before I got this photo...

I laughed out loud.

Serious help?  

Yes.

Emergency?

No.

I told her not to panic (like she had just made me feel for a brief minute), and that we could fix this "serious" problem when school started.

Until then, I told her to close the door...but first pull her child out of the closet.

School started yesterday for her kids, so I was there to help.

Stay tuned for the closet REorganization REveal...it was quick and easy!

Asian Inspired Bathroom REveal!

Ta Da!  

Here a close-up photo of the actual wallpaper in the bathroom!  

Stunning.

Blah.

Ta Da!

Love how the extra large mirror makes this small bathroom seem so much bigger! I also love the consistency in the accessorizing...all dark finishes on the mirror, the trashcan, the small vase, and the door.

Blah.

Ta Da!

Love the new flooring...crisp white penny tile...brightens everything and is more period to this old house!

Ta Da!

And....the most unexpected ZSHUZSH to the bathroom?  A pop of bright yellow on the ceiling surrounded by crisp white crown moulding!  

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

Ta Da!

Finally, she added a simple lantern-style chandelier...to add to the Asian flair. It's all in the little details...and the ZSHUZSHING!

This project was so fun because it really reflected my client's personality. Classic, but with a flair.

Remember...a little ZSHUZSHING goes a lonnnngggg way!

Spindle Chair REupholster REveal

Here they are!

From BLAH...

To TADA!

It just takes a little hustle and time to get what you really like at the price you LOVE.

It's the HUSTLE that I LOVE…The Spindle Chair.

If you really know me, you know that I love a GOOD hustle…a really good "deal"…something you have to hunt down…at an incredible price.

Recently my latest obsession has been The Spindle Chair.  

After all, who doesn't love the look of a classic spindle chair? Authentic details and exceptional quality make this piece a real showstopper in any space.

Here is an example of it in Williams Sonoma HOME magazine…at the hefty price of $1400 including the delivery fee!  Gorgeous, but not working for my wallet or my hustle attitude.

And here it is again named Poppy Chair from One Kings Lane...still like $1000 bucks.

Nope...not happening.

This time it's called the Beaded Armchair from One King's Lane...I really LOVE the metallic finish.  But again, the price is still over $1000...still not working for me.  Damn them.

After all, it's the hustle.

And then, when I wasn't even looking for them, Pier One came to the rescue!

Their version of The Spindle Chair is titled the Bobbin Armchair -- Ikat.

But I hated the fabric...of course.

However, the price tag caught my eye…$499.  Um..ok!

And THEN I saw the red CLEARANCE TAG...YES!  

The clearance tag was $399---AND because I'm a designer I get ANOTHER 20% off!

That means I got another $40 off...making the chair only $360!

Oh the hustle…the hunt is over.

These babies were mine!

What's next?

The REveal of these REupholstered spindle chairs…so stay tuned.

REveal of the Teeny, Tiny Wash Closet!

Before = BORING.

After = EXCITING!

The ceiling still needed a little "zshuzsh"… so they added crown moulding to finish it off.  

I love how the small detail of the crown moulding frames the stenciled ceiling and really finishes it off!  Gorgeous.

My client wrote me this: "It's paint and hard as heck to do on a ceiling, so don't mind the blurred lines. The website you sent to me said this would happen and I think being black on white really didn't help.... But it's so fun and only paint, right?!?"

I TOTALLY agree…it is SO FUN and only paint!  It looks amazing to me!

So a few months have passed since the stencil was completed…and the clients decided to update the little bathroom even more.  

I got this email just a few days ago..."Ted did the stencil months ago, but then I decided to get rid of the red. Since I am obsessed with supporting my "bravolebrities" I purchased Jeff Lewis paint!! I love him. More pics to come."

And here they are...

Really liked the red, but LOVE the gray even more.

It feels more soothing. 

And bigger!

On a side note, this client pushed me to have the courage to "stencil" my own house!  But instead of using paint, I used an incredible wallpaper…made of glitter! 

Yes, I said GLITTER!  

More pics to follow!

Sewing Room REveal!!!

TADA!!!

Here is what Emily and I came up with to turn our tiny and awkward space in the basement into her new sewing room!

Emily chose a white for her walls, so the fabrics could "POP" and her art could be seen...thanks Becky Ortyl!

She chose this funky light fixture from Lowe's...it is perfect for over the newly REpainted craft table!

Just some of Emily's fabrics that are displayed by attaching them with a magnet to an oil drip pan that I bought for only $10!  We have 3 of these REpurposed drip pans hung on the walls in this space and they provide great visual impact and inspiration for her.

You can see that the "nook" is now well utilized as Emily's sewing station and is surrounded by everything she loves...including her CREATE letters she bedazzled and her new chair that we REcovered together in a cheerful chevron fabric.

Emily's VERA WANG doll that she sewed by hand in fourth grade as part of a Biography Report she was assigned.  It was a labor of LOVE, for sure!

Labeled file folders with pattern ideas...

Here is her button collection...Emily's Grandy helped her find all the jars at local antique shops and flea markets.  She also has her American Girl and Teen Vogue magazines displayed in clear magazine containers we found at The Container Store.

Her favorite color thread (for now)...

Emily bought this funny yellow parrot lamp with her own hard-earned money from the cutest little shop in downtown Webster Groves, Seven Gray.  She has accessorized it with scraps of bright colored fabric to give it a little "zshuzsh"--I'm so proud!!!

We purchased this darling turquoise bookshelf at The White Rabbit and Emily filled it with all things gorgeous---including ribbon, felt, buttons, glitter, fabric, leather, etc...!

Here is an overhead picture that shows where Emily cuts and irons her creations.  Here she has a skirt with a zipper AND button that her made in her Spools class, a baby dress that she bought for the pattern, and a pair of baby bloomers that she embellished with ribbon and a silk heart!

Here is a turtle pin cushion that the owner of The Fabric Nosherie, Shannon Robinson, made with love and gave to Emily for her birthday...she loves it!

Here you can see the shelving piece of furniture that I bought at HomeGoods.  The damaged top can not be seen, as it has been covered with an old door that I painted and REpurposed as the table top for the sewing station.  The six baskets provide great storage for her scraps of fabric. 

My girl is in her element!

Emily bought this bright yellow fabric at Mood Fabrics in NYC because it was just too "gorgeous" to pass by.  It was pricey, so she is still waiting for the perfect idea to come to her as to what to do with it...

In this photo you can see Emily "teaching" her friend, Tate, the basics of how to use a sewing machine...

By the smile on his face, you can tell he was pretty pleased with himself!  

A special thanks to my friend, amazing photographer, and Tate's mom, Heidi Drexler, for taking all of the photos and capturing the feeling of Emily's sewing new room!  Here's to many more years of creating...!