Project in Progress - Guest Bedroom

I did an installation this week for a guest bedroom in a beautiful home in Vestavia Hills.  I posted about a redesign I did back in October here for the same client.  After we finished moving furnishings around in her home, my client wanted to freshen up one of her guest bedrooms.  So, we used furnishings and accessories she already had and unified the space with new bedding. 

The zebra print chair was our jumping off point.  

In order to make the different styles of furniture work, I added a hint of Asian (which always does the trick) with these fantastic Chiang Mai pillows by Schumacher.  

By pairing these with the larger, less expensive trellis pattern pillows, you get the impact of the Chiang Mai without spending a fortune. 

If you've ever seen this fabric in person, you know the pictures do NOT do it justice.   The color is so incredibly saturated and the fabric is the most perfectly textured linen EVER.

Ah- maze-ing.   Makes my mouth water when I think about it.  

So, with the help of a couple of new fresh fabrics, you have a new guest bedroom.  Happy mid-week. M.

Project in Progress - Master Bedroom

I've posted about this particular project before.  At one point, I talked to you about stairwell lighting in this fabulous Mountain Brook house.  We are now working on fabrics for various rooms.  These selections we are considering for the master bedroom.

The room has a lot of green in it already and these fabrics will really compliment what she already has going on in there.  Fabrics are really one of my favorite steps in the process.  I think they can do wonders to freshen up a space without totally breaking the bank. 

The bed has a creamy linen headboard the client purchased years ago, and it still looks great.  We also moved a pair of sage green leather arm chairs into the space and placed them in front of the fireplace.  They were originally in her family room, and the scale was just not working.  So, now they look fantastic as a place to watch TV and enjoy a cozy fire.  For the leather chairs, we are repurposing a pair of chocolate and green pillows she already had in the bedroom.  They are in a simple foliage pattern.

For the bed, we are considering this bird fabric trimmed in a green silk flat flange.  This is such a beautiful, versatile fabric.  I have used it in a different bedroom and gotten a completely different look by accenting the peaching tones in the birds (this picture makes the peachy color look orange and it's really more subtle). 

The chocolate and blue fretwork fabric (below) will also be included on the bed, along with a deep chocolate velvet pillow the homeowner already had in the space. The center fabric, which looks like a combination of paisleys and damask pattern, will be a lumbar pillow in a third danish modern chair we are using to ground a corner and designate reading nook. 

Remember, you don't have to start completely over when redesigning a space.  By using just a few additional pillows in fresh fabrics with what you already have, the entire space will feel new.

Once we are completely finished with the makeover, I will show you the results!! M.

Trend Spotting - African Pillows

Last week, I was chatting with Donna of Fabricadabra via email about some of the new things in her shop.  She mentioned some new African pillows.  Well, kuba fabric automatically popped into my brain.  For years now, it's been all the rage.   

But she was actually referring to these very cool wax print pillows.  They are created with a technique using wax to design a pattern on the fabric that is then dyed different contrasting colors.  These pillows are so intricately designed, and the vibrant colors offer real impact in a space.   Oddly enough, the Dutch have dominated the market in producing these (even regions of Africa covet the Dutch produced versions).  So, I hopped on line to take a look.  

Each one is like a little piece of artwork!  The handmade nature of the pattern gives each pillow a one of a kind feel.  These chic, hip, ultra bohemian pillows are also popping up in Elle Decor as well as a few on line magazines which makes them my trend spotting item of the week!  

Here are my favorites from Fabricadabra.

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Now, for a little room inspiration . . . 

This is the home of fashion model Eugenia.  It was photographed by the talented Ricardo Labougle.  I love the modern artwork, neutral sofa and those gorgeous pillows.

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The wax pillows really seem to work well with Scandinavian design.

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This is an image from the latest TradHome online magazine.  Love the pillows coupled with the sofa.  That one long cushion on the sofa in a fretwork pattern is singing to me!  

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This is from Lonny online magazine.  Do you see those pillows in the acrylic swing?!

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Again, the most recent issue of Lonny.  Do you see the trend?!

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This is a second shot of Eugenia's living room.  Love the purple fabric in those grayish wooden arm chairs.  

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I think these pillows look fantastic with Scandinavian design, mixed into a very neutral traditional space or anything modern, mid-century modern, etc.  For more wax pillows designs, go see Donna at Fabricadabra.  She has something for everyone.  Happy Weekend! M.

Client Project - Pillow Options

Happy Friday!  The last couple of weeks have been a major adjustment for the Smith T household.  My oldest child moved to our junior high this year.  While it is fun and exciting, it's taking a bit of time to adjust (even for me).  I say all this to emphasize just how excited I am to have a long weekend.  We're going to make the most of it - lots of lounging and relaxing. 

In the meantime, I wanted to share some pillow options I sourced for a client this week.  When you have a neutral palette to work with, it's so easy to freshen up a space by simply adding new pillows.  For this cute client, I created two different options for her family room.  

Here is a second option.  Just to show you how easy it is to transform a neutral palette with different pillows.   

All sources for these pillows are available through Mandi Smith T Interiors.  If you are interested in creating a fresh new feel in your home, give me a call.  Also, I know my client would love your thoughts on which option is your favorite.  M.  

Fabulous Fabrics - Fabricadabra

I am absolutely thrilled to introduce you to my very first blog sponsor - Fabricadabra.   As you know from following my blog, I am very picky about what I endorse and share with you.  I only post about things I like and think would be interesting to my readers.  Well, Fabricadabra is all that!

This unique company, owned by Donna Halloran, is providing some of the most wonderful textiles on the market today.  Donna has contracted with artisans from around the world who still utilize ancient techniques for dyeing and weaving fabrics.  Most are woven on handlooms and all embroidery is hand done.  Also, Donna works very hard to provide fair wages to all artisans while keeping the cost to us reasonable!

Here are a few of my favorites and what I would do with them in my home.

Samarkand Hand Embroidered Vintage Suzani Throw

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Hmong Hilltribe Patchwork Throw

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These beautiful throws are small works of art.  They add texture, color, and a world traveled feel to a space.  One way to get your biggest bang from these would be to frame them as artwork.

Look at how dramatic they become.  Talk about a focal point.

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When you think about the cost of a painting the same size, you realize what a bargain this is for custom artwork.

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If you didn't want to splurge on a throw, you could get a similar affect by using a large sample of handmade fabric.  Sort of like this.  (as an aside, this is Anne Becker's apartment and was featured in Elle Decor, lovely).

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Here is a very similar pattern in yellow, and would be such an easy DIY project.

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You could also select several different fabrics and frame them as a series or grouping on a focal wall. Here are few to consider.

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Here are some examples of a grouping or series.

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Look at these beautiful images I found with accents using tribal fabrics.  As you can see, it instantly updates a space and makes it feel current while adding a sense of history.


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Or even something upholstered in an Ikat fabric.  I love those pretty stools in pink and chocolate.

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By just investing in a pair of accent pillows you can inject this vibe into your space.

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I hope you will take the time to click over and check out all the offerings on  Donna's fabulous website and welcome her to the Muse!  Enjoy your weekend!  M.

Yellow Accent Pillows

Just got back in town and wanted to share the pillows I made last week for our family room.  

If you recall, I was inspired by the color yellow which I posted about here, and decided to freshen up my sofa with some new pillows.  

Here's the result.

Yes, that cute thing in the left corner did proceed to pile her happy self up on top of those freshly made pillows the minute I finished snapping these pictures.  Lottie likes to perch there to monitor the backyard for squirrel activity and naps, of course.

The great thing about a neutral palette is when I grow tired of the yellow accents (which I am predicting, will be in late fall with the first cool weather we have here in Birmingham), I can change the look with new accent pillows.

Both fabrics are by Duralee in the Thomas Paul collection (Bird and Dandelion)  and really add a fun whimsical feel to the room.  These pillows cost me around $120 total, so for $30 each, I was able to change the look of our family room for the summer.  Here are my tricks for keeping the price down while still getting the custom high end look.    

Trick One

If you can sew, you can save money.  We are talking about four straight seams here, people!  This will save you a lot of money.  Most seamtress (in our area) charge around $55 per pillow (for non-trim pillows).  So that's a saving of $220 on this project.   

 

Trick Two

Buy less fabric - You do not need huge pillows on your sofa.  In fact, my experience has been that most people go too large with the pillow size.  Ultimately, it makes the sofa uncomfortable and you end up putting the pillow on the floor when you sit on the sofa.  

Consider the smallest size pillows you need to get the look.  This will allow you to buy less fabric and save money.  For my sofa, I used a pair of 22" and 20" squares.  So, I only had to buy one yard each of these high end fabrics for the project.  

For the smaller pillows, I had enough yardage to cover the front and back in my feature fabric.  But, for the larger pillows, I only had enough yardage for the fronts, so I used a leftover neutral fabric (from this project) for the backs.  This is a great trick to save money.    

Trick Three

Be smart about your pillow inserts.  I only use the down filled inserts in my projects (unless my client's family has an allergy issue), and these can get pricey if you are purchasing several for a project.  

 I saved some money on my inserts by recycling one pair from pillows I had in a closet (I was tired of the fabric on them - very dated).   The other pair (the 20" squares), I found at Home Goods on the clearance table.  They had the ugliest covers on them, but the inserts were down so I snagged them for $16.99 each.  You should have seen how fast I ripped those covers off!  So, don't always assume you have to order your pillows from a direct source, consider discount home stores and reuse the inserts.   

Trick Four

So, are you feeling discouraged and thinking, I can't sew, or figure out the amount of fabric I need?  Well, I have one last option for you on getting the custom look for less.  GO TO ETSY!  These days there are a number of shops selling handmade custom pillows in high end designer fabric.  You just have to take the time to search and find them.  Then, all you have to do is pick one you like! 

Have a wonderful weekend! M.