Before and After

Last spring (or maybe it was early summer) I was on the hunt for a winged back chair with claw feet. I had a high interest in claw feet, and naturally I didn't find said claw feet on a winged back chair, but ended up buying a love seat instead.  And this actually isn't a love seat, it's more like a chair and a half sort of a deal, so I feel like my search wasn't a total discard. (HA)

The original upholstery wasn't terrible. Let's be real....it could have been WAY worse.

It was something I could live with and felt like I could style up in my house with the other things I had around it.  

Well, I lived with it....Handsome lived with it...and then it was time for a new set of clothes for the lovely little love seat and it's fancy claw feet. I have to live with a piece for a while sometimes before I decide just exactly what kind of new clothes it should get...know what I mean?

//Before, shortly after purchase//

//After, January 2013//

//Would you look at those legs!?!//

//It's always fun to change around the pillows.

Sort of like changing the jewelry up on a really good outfit.//

This is not the actual "after" I was just so excited I had to share. 

The actual after will come when I paint the pretty legs of this beauty. 

The fabric I chose for this piece is a faux ostrich.  I've used this on 3 or 4 projects this fall in either white or black and I love using it for many reasons.  The first and most important is that I like it! The second is that it is basically indestructible. Between my black cat, the children that come in and out of my house each week, and the occasional party goer casualty, I needed something that could be wiped clean without any heartache. So on all accounts, mission accomplished! One thing that is difficult about using a faux anything is making sure that it doesn't look cheap.  I tested out several different options before committing to this particular one and again, I've been happy with it on all accounts.

Check back in later for the actual after with the pretty painted legs.
Aren't you curious what color they'll be?

Vignette Rehearsal

On Saturday I worked on freshening things up. 

I moved some furniture around...a norm for me. 

I moved some books around, etc....

and moved my newly recovered Chinese stools. 

They did have a dark green silk top.  

They are now adorned with a white ostrich.

Fortunately, Handsome was on hand for consultation.

He reminded me that I had to many stacks of books. 

So...I moved the stack that are sitting on the stools. 

 

...and reworked the stack on top. 

That was enough work for Handsome....

he retired to the sun room for a rest.

...and so that was Saturday. 

I can't believe that was 4 days ago...more soon.

Craigslist...November 2011 Edition

I'm back at it...you guessed it...CRAIGSLIST!
I can't help myself, it's a sickness. 

The good news is I can diagnose myself.
I'm a mess. The end. 

I "shop" on Craigslist approximately 1-2 times per week.  

The yummy goodness to my wild eye this week includes the following:

 This pretty girl is totally in need of some love. 

Yes I know I already have 2 Queen Anne sofas,

but wouldn't the 3rd be the "charm"? 

P.S. she's only $80.00

 $75 and this tall drink of water is all yours!

Wouldn't this little lady be beautiful recovered? 

Her lines are wonderful. 

To tell you the truth she isn't bad as she sits now!

Now for the Craigslist gold ribbon this week....

Be still my heart, these are beautiful.  I know, I know...you're thinking..."What in the world Hilary, those are RIDICULOUS!" I can just hear a certain number of you, or better yet see your eye rolls! 

Quite seriously, wouldn't these be beautiful if they were painted and recovered? What a great shape. I'm totally jive on these 2 pretty ladies. 

What do you think? 

Do you see the potential in these pieces, or are they just junk?

photos: via craigslist

Daniel Pafford Awesomness

Have you heard of Daniel Pafford? 

Until about 20 minutes ago, I had not.  Shame on me. 

Below are a couple of photos from projects he has designed. 

What I like about this room:

1. Wall Color

2. How soft these long, lux curtains look against the wall color

3. The giant fiddle leaf fig tree in this room.  I bought one about a month ago, 

I hope it can grow to be this big someday. 

4. Zebra rug. Totally great way to bring some zing/zap in the room full of traditional pieces

5. How about that fire place? Pretty great remix for this old lovely, native to the room piece. 

6. The scale of the mirror and mantel in relationship to the size 

of the windows and the sofa on the opposite wall. 

7. The pieces of furniture in this room: just the right number of seating options. 

Not only are they traditional pieces, which I love, 

but they are covered beautifully in new and modern fabrics. 

Things I like about this room:

1. LOVE the rug. It's gigantic.  It must have cost a fortune. 

After being on the hunt for a really fine 9x12 rug I 

shutter to think what this beauty set them back. 

2. Color palate of the room. The mixture of fabrics, paint, window dressing is fabuslous.

Velvet can really suck up the space in the room, 

the scale of these pieces in relationship to the size of the room really

promotes not only a lovely flow, but also a "suck free" zone. 

(that probably doesn't sound right). 

3. LOVE THE MIRROR.

Check out more about this designer here. 

new chairy love

via: From Me to You

See this chair? Yes the pink one above. See it? 

Memorize it, because when you find one, you call me. 

It doesn't have to be in good shape, it doesn't have to have pretty fabric.  It just has to be this style. 

These chairs are so fabulous.  

They have been for decades. 

I'm just wild for them. 

Again...when you find them, you call me!

The credit for this beautiful pink chairy above goes to From Me to You.  Literally everything in that apartment is beautiful, right down to the Kelly green tiles in the kitchen. I would move to that very space in .0005 seconds. Seriously. 

Enough with my crazy desire to move to NYC...
back to the original subject at hand, the chair.

In the midst of my search I did actually find one that I really do like. I just don't like the nearly $1200.00 price tag. But if push comes to shove it may be a viable option. It surely does look good...doesn't it?!?!?  

I give you, Ballard Designs Bergere Chair.

Twill slipcovers, and a nice foxy leg. 

I know I'm not the only one who has looked to Ballard Design as an option.

Thusly I'm sure I'm not the only one in this boat of being totally 

smitten with a piece and finding it not an actual option.  Bummer. 

via: Little Green Notebook

For the past week, Jenny at Little Green Notebook has been sharing her 5 part series on her revamp of this very chair. I learned through this series that these chairs are mid-century bergeres.  Hmm, good to know. I also learned that I don't think I could ever recover a chair like this or any chair for that matter myself. I truly admire those who can.  Unfortunately, I was not born with this in my available skill set. And I will just have to live with it and move on.  Way to go Jenny, this is really an awesome project. 

Now as I was saying earlier...

Once again, you find some for sale, you call me!

Happy Sunday. 

 It's time for a nap with the kitty and the hubs. 

some more chairs.

My ability to name this blog post today is void. 

Chairs, you understand the topic, right? 

Okay.

I've had this photo in my "LOVE IT" folder for a while.  I wouldn't say forever, but I would say a while.

This space is a lovely hotel designed by a woman who needs no introduction.  

So I'll just type her name instead.  K-e-l-l-y W-e-a-r-s-t-l-e-r (period). 

There are a log of things I like about this space. And as far as her spaces go, this is really tame. 

The colors are great, and the shape of the chairs is what really drives home this design for me. 

The chairs, that's why it went in my file. 

So...

3 weeks ago, guess what I found on craigslist here in Memphis.

Very similar shape, check, and yes. 

So I set up a time to go visit the chairs. 

When I got there I realized they were not green as I had it in my mind but instead they were...

TAN.

The phone conversation went like this:

Me: Hello sir, I'd like to set up a time to come visit your green chairs that you have for sale on craigslist.

Sir: Well....ummm....yes okay...but I must go ahead and tell you that they are not green they are brown.

Me: Long pause. BROWN?!?!?! Really? Okay I'll be there in 3 minutes. 

Sir: Thatsfinebye.  (he was quick to get off the phone)

This is another example of a craigslist purchase I envisioned recovering. So the fact that they weren't green wasn't really a problem to me. After all, how often is it that you buy something on craigslist that isn't a "project". 

When I got there, they were better than I ever could have dreamed.  Perfect condition. 

I shook the man's hand and said, "I'll be back!"

Initially, these were perspective pieces to go to the store. 

Once I saw them, my dreams of having a Kelly Wearstler moment in my house became more realistic.

And while they did make a very brief pit stop in the store, appropriate arrangements were made for their immediate (that day) departure to my home. 

In addition to my dreams of having some chairs this shape, I have also had this wild and crazy dream that when I did actually get some chairs this shape that I might perhaps like to have them at the ends of our dining table. Yes, yes, I know I'm a complete wild woman. When the chairs came in the door, they went right to the table. 

And they've sat there amongst a complete amazon pile of "stuff" for approximately 3 weeks.

Since it has been that long I decided that I needed to tidy up the table enough that I could actually take some photos of the chairs in the mix to decide if that's where they will stay. 

One thing I do like about these chairs at the table is that they for sure have that, "sit down and stay a while" look to them.  I can't imagine a guest complaining about their seat at this dinner table.
These chairs are all COMFORTABLE (first and foremost)! 

While I am very satisfied with this upholstery, I do have visions of giving their legs a little color.
Well, so to speak, because I'd be painting them white to match the other chair legs.
I also think it would just give them a fresh look. 

Also...surviving the potential layover in the dining room, the yellow rug. 

Combining these two elements with the fact that I want to paint this room Benjamin Moore "baby fern", what do you think? "Should they stay or should they go?"

X-Stool Continued x 2

My X-Stool venture has carried on for several months.  

I believe the case is now closed. 

I started with this simple bench from Target. 

Then I bought some canvas and attempted to cover the top.  It was "okay"....

After about 4 months with that...

I now have this....

Kind of amazing what you can do with a basic piece.  

The revamp is curtsy of the talented artisan at Worlds Away (where I work). 

I now have a foot stool/bench that not only matches the vast majority 

of my furniture but also a piece that I'm really in love with.  A win/win situation!

Throw Pillows: Fashion or Function?

I can remember a time when I was void of throw pillows.  

Can you imagine? 

And now...I have a plethora. 

Enter my Craigslist couch that was purchased around Christmas 2010. 

I loved this couch when I saw it on the "list" and have grown to even more love it as time has gone on. 

I considered (well was planning on) recovering this piece upon purchase.  After having it for a few months, I just love it to much to do it.  AND if I did have it recovered, guess what...it would probably be blue. So no gain-no loss. 

For the past couple of months, I've had this guy lounging on the couch.
Handsome is scared of our animal hides....I don't think he wants to think of what they may have been (!)

These pillows are just great.  They are a popular item that many bloggers use in projects and I have seen them wildly posted in the past year.  Yes, I also have a pair.  And guess what...I love them. 

They are so versatile, this is the front and back of the pillow. 

 It's not just cute on one side, it's cute on both!

Here are my Tarj pillows with some newly acquired Robert Allen pillow

 made by my gal pal Lauren (she is a sewing wizard)! 

This pillow is one of my very favorites...

The hitch in this giddy up is that it is so darn big that it is only really good to "look at".  

It doesn't so much do any good if you have to actually sit ON the couch. Boo. 

Do you think the same philosophy applies to cute pillows that we rationalize with to wear cute shoes? 

Here are the smaller versions.  I purchased the big green guy and the yellow and pink smaller guys about a year ago at Anthropologie.  The little guys are much easier to work with. 

What's up with you and your throw pillows? Does your significant other try to use them to lay on?
(I have that problem.) Do they get to stay on the couch/chair when you sit down?  

I guess the real question is...

Throw Pillows: Fashion or Function?

blue suede...sofa

Okay so not so much suede, but more velvet. 

Blue Suede Shoes, Velvet Elvis, whatever. 

Back in December, in fact right before Christmas Eve, this little dandy was delivered to our living room via a nice fellow from Craigslist.   I have considered recovering it for months, had always planned on purchasing a queen anne for "cheap" to re cover.  Then I found this one and thought, "hmmm I don't have to recover that right away because the color is tolerable." And so it is...I am tolerating it. 

Here is my happy Queen Anne, sunning it up in the sun room.  

Fed with yummy pillow and a fur. 

Last week while we were in NYC, I went to both Kate Spade stores (Soho and 5th Ave).  I was after staging and color inspiration folks...you understand, right? While in the 5th Ave store (just south of the flatiron building) my memorized self stopped came screeching to a freeze. Behold!  Feast your eyes on this:

She's not a Queen Anne, but she is a well loved (or at least made to looks as such), light blue velvet sofa. Can you believe it?  My content self, just became ever more content!

In other news....

Tuesday night we had a little yard work done.  Our front beds now display 6 boxwoods, 3 per side.
They'll need some trimming once they root, I hope they make it!

As my friend Kathryn said this week...."it's the little things"!  I couldn't agree more!

You've got to have options.

Folks say (I mostly hear it from my husband) that it is always good to have options. 

Applying that thought to this chair, here is an option....

Add this fabric.....

For something like this...

via:Effortless Style

Different shape yes. But is it the general idea, still yes. 

So, what do we think? 

TJ Maxx on Summer!

Saturday I went on a little "hunter gatherer" trip to look for some good for V-day gifts.  One of my stops was Bo-Jo's in Memphis, and I figured that while I was on Summer Avenue, I should go ahead and visit the TJ Maxx.  My goodness, there were all kinds of fun things.  I've been in a few times before and I usually don't see anything worth sniffing at...this time...JACK POT.  Check out these goods...

croc nesting tables

cute pair of lamps on a fabulous console table

love this pair of side chairs

another super cute pair of lamps

hello dolly, do I ever wish I had something to do with these

and the grand finale...the best of show...this couch is fabulous.
And my goodness does it ever look like something from anthropologie!