Form Follows Function (I'm Not Lazy, Swear!)

Most of us have heard the quote "form follows function." Maybe you're better informed, but I was unaware that the original quote (which is technically "form ever follows function" and is attributed to American architect Louis Henry Sullivan)  had more to do with efficiency and construction profit margins than poorly chosen billboard fonts and prohibitively ornamental bathroom faucets.

Regardless of the original spirit, the saying is apropos to any form of design. So that's what we're going to talk about. And specifically, we're going to discuss my bedroom. The blinds. And how I don't want to cover them in fabric anymore.

(Side note: I'm going to make a scientific hypothesis here and say that fabric left at rest stays at rest.)

 

Okay, yes. I realize that it sounds like I'm just being lazy. But hear me out: my laziness was actually a blessing in disguise, because it allowed me to live with the blinds for a bit. (I hung them before Christmas so that when I covered them I could just pop them right back into their mounting hardware, easy peasy.)

During this past month, I realized that my bedroom window coverings need to both provide privacy and let in natural light; the window is street-facing and it's a darker room. If I cover the blinds with fabric, I will achieve privacy but I will lose the delicious filtered morning light that I find so precious in my east-facing room.

No matter how pretty the fabric is, or how great it would look, I can't sacrifice the function simply for the sake of a beautiful window. That would be foolish. So now I'm not sure what to do. No window coverings at all? A small tailored valance? What are your thoughts?

Gift Guides 2014

This time of year is dangerous for the shopper in me + I love lists. So without further ado, let's look at some gifties.

(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

P.S. Don't forget to check out my books-as-gifts recommendations, too!

Bedroom Blues

 First, you need to know that I'm always cold. Even inside with my furnace running.

Second, I'm really bad at blogging. Sorry about that.

Third, I'm also sort of lazy.

I can't excuse my blogging laziness, so instead I'm going to blame the slow progress in my bedroom on my perpetual shivers. Y'all don't understand how hard it is to go outside when it's 10°F (especially to do something as dumb as cutting pieces of trim). This whole winter thing is for the birds, and if someone in San Diego wants to trade houses with me, I will throw in my kids chickens to sweeten the deal.

(pretend this is a roman shade. I know I am.)

To sum up, I'm practically incapable of doing anything productive when it's cold. It is one thing to venture into the freezing temperatures for a pair of boots at 50% off on Black Friday. It is another thing entirely to do anything else during the months of December, January, or February (and November, March, and April if you live in Idaho).

Last week it warmed up to a semi-reasonable temperature and I finally got the casing done. Baseboard, not so much.  Paint, not so much. Baby steps.

You can still see all the progress I've made. I really need to turn those blinds into DIY roman shades, and I've realized over the past week that staring at the box and willing it to happen isn't getting the job done.

I'll keep you posted (about if anything new happens while I stare at the box).

Books to Gift

I am a hopeless book nerd, and one of my deepest desires is that both of my boys will love reading with that same passion. Maybe not 'spend your entire summer vacation under the tree reading the entire "The Baby-Sitters Club" series' passionate... but passionate nonetheless. Normal passionate. I digress.

Books are one of my very favorite gifts to receive (and give) at Christmastime. Some of my other favorite gifts to receive are: everything else. See what I did there? In fact, I'm working on a post with some fun ideas for the ladies in your life (or yourself, in case you're stuffing your own stocking this year like I am!).

Today though, let's talk books. Here are some books that I can't wait to read, or love and want to share. I've also thrown in a few books that I'm getting for my kiddos or as gifts.

"If I Stay"

"The Paying Guests"

"The Skinnytaste Cookbook"

"Barefoot Contessa Foolproof"

"All the Light We Cannot See"

"The Fault in Our Stars"

"The Year of Billy Miller"

"Diary of a Worm"

"The Book With No Pictures"

"The Essential Calvin and Hobbes"

"Hatchet"

"Treasure Hunters"

Some honesty (and a bedroom makeover for good measure)

Sometimes, life sucks a little. I'm just being honest. If we can't stop bumps in the road from coming, we just have to hope that they make us better, not bitter; right? I'm going with that. Suffice it to say, the past couple years have been a challenge for me personally... the last couple months, even more so. Maybe I'll share one day, maybe not. I've felt like I lacked any control over my life, and if you know me, you're aware that I'm a fan of the control... there's that darn honesty again.

When faced with the grim, humbling, horrible, awful, no good very bad reality that I didn't have control over a lot of the things in my life, I started to fall back into some old, unhealthy patterns of "pretend-control" that I used to practice. Things involving food. Not good, friends. Not good.

So I decided to stop. This time around I've benefited from being older (oy), wiser, and therefore possessed with the ability to recognize "pretend-control" behaviors a little easier, so hopefully it will be easier to redirect them... into home projects! Of course. 

Believe it or not, I've missed you, and I've missed toiling away in my little house. If I have to control something, it should be the color of my walls and the alarmingly slow speed at which I execute any sort of carpentry project. Measure forty-seven times, cut once (or three times and then go back to the store) - that's what they say!

Right now I've decided to tackle my bedroom. I never really finished it and have been living without baseboard and with lots of plans for several years now. It's time to put an end to all of that silliness. So what did I do? I slapped some paint samples on the wall, duh. That's pretty much my solution to most existential crises.

I've been in love with navy for a long while, and decided to take the plunge. On 1/4 of my bedroom walls (I have commitment issues and/or my bedroom lacks in the natural light department).

I'll spare you the suspense, because I totally already chose one, since I'm used to not blogging anymore and I'm learning how to be zen in making design decisions alone. I chose Benjamin Moore's Hale Navy for its delightful greyed out, deliciously pensive self. And then I painted the other three walls white.

And then I forgot how to clean up for blog photos and left my sock monkey pajamas and half of my earthly possessions at the foot of my bed.

This is where I'm going:

And the next stop, besides replacing all the baseboard and casing that I ripped off this morning, is picking some fabric for some roman shades. I'm thinking something geometric, gray or mushroom maybe? This is what I'm looking at:

(Source: 1, 2, 3)

As always, hit me up if you have any amazing ideas.

It's good to be back! I can't promise quantity... but I'm just happy there are still people out there who read. xoxo

Kitchen Reveal (Oh, hi there.)

I've been absent for a while, and the longer it's been since I last posted, the harder it's been to make myself sit down and write even when I felt the desire. I've been working on projects, even taking photos... but it's been very difficult to find the time or the motivation to start again (an object at rest tends to stay at rest, right?).

I'm going to try, though! One of my favorite things about writing this blog is that I can fit it around my life; I can post when I have time and projects to share, and remain quiet when I don't or when my "real" life demands more attention. I'm going to work on posting a bit more regularly, especially since (a.) that won't be hard when you look at my recent posting history and (b.) it makes me happy! 

So without further ado, some news about my kitchen. We got it done just in time for Christmas, thanks to our contractor friend Joe who was immensely helpful and The Tile Shop which sent me all the gorgeous tile.

Part of me still can't believe it's done because the kitchen has been an ongoing, never ending project for several years. Let's look back:

Now back to today...

Such a change, don't you think?  I'll be back to share some details in a day or two, promise!

Jute Living Room Rug

If you've been reading my blog for a while you may have heard me lament my front room's awkward layout before. It tends to feel like a big square hallway dominated by multiple doorways and a piano, which makes it hard to use large furniture pieces without interrupting the multiple flows of traffic.

My challenge was to make the front room feel more like a room, especially one that people would like to spend time in. The first idea I had was to get a big rug to help anchor the space, so I started speaking with the people over at Rugs USA and they were kind enough to send me a rug of my choice!

I picked this 9' x 12' jute rug with a beige border. I love the classic, casual look of natural fiber area rugs, and I knew I wanted a neutral border that would blend in.

I feel like the rug plays a huge role in making my front room feel like one cohesive space instead of a collection of small furniture groupings in opposite corners of the room. There's still plenty of space for the heavy traffic patterns the front room sees, without it feeling thrown together or disjointed.

As for this specific rug, here's the lowdown now that I've been living with it for a couple months:

The Good:

• I love the color and the texture that the natural fibers bring to the space!
• Did I mention that it's a great size? Big rugs can make a room.
• The jute doesn't shed -- I love this. Our last jute rug was a nightmare.
• No lasting smell! This is another complaint I've seen for natural rugs. When I opened it, I could smell a rubbery-smell that most likely came from the backing, but it was gone in a day or two.
• It's surprisingly soft -- not plush, but pleasant enough for bare feet or lying down to play a game with kids.

The Bad:

• The fibers catch all manners of pet hair -- easily vacuumed, but it definitely doesn't hide anything.
• The rug stains with water -- a characteristic of a lot of jute rugs, from my understanding. There are products out there to clean spills, but I won't lie: I had water spots on it within a week of having it in my house... such is the life with kids and pets.

The verdict:

• I was worried at the beginning with the water spots, but the longer the rug has lived in my house (and the more regular dirt/wear and tear it's accumulated), the less noticeable the spots are.  It's developed a sort of rug patina. Ha!
• I really, really like it. A rug like this is probably not for you if you have lots of kids and pets and a high traffic house (all of which apply to me) and you lose your mind when your house looks like people actually live in it (not me). It works great for us!

Do you have natural fiber rugs in your house? Do you love them? Hate them? Have tips for getting stains up? Lay it on me!

P.S. Rugs USA always has great sales on their rugs -- I've seen discount codes for up to 70% off before. It's a great website to bookmark!

P.P.S. If you're thinking more about a natural area rug, Lauren Liess at Pure Style Home wrote a great post about the differences between materials, their upkeep, etc. It's a great place to start!

P.P.S. Go check out the front room reveal if you want more pictures!

P.P.P.S. I'm done now.

P.P.P.P.S. Promise.

Front Room {Reveal}

I'm so excited to share this room! It all happened so quickly with other people doing the board and batten and painting... I have to admit, I could get used to that.

But for now, some pictures. We'll talk later. 

 

 

Squee! After four years, I have a front room!

It's in the Details: Rope & Pipe Handrails

I realize I may stand alone in my love of funky handrails, and that's okay. It's been a very divisive topic at my house, especially the rope versions, so it won't hurt my feelings if you think I'm not quite right in the head.

But really, people. Rope and pipe handrails. I feel like they can work. Don't get me wrong, I feel like sometimes they don't. But they can. And when they do, they're fabulous. Let's look at some that work. (In my opinion, not my husband's!)
 

via House Beautiful

via Houzz

C designs via desire to inspire

via Remodelista

via Honeysuckle Life

via one forty three

I love quirky, unexpected touches like this. And these are obviously not for everyone, but I love the look of both of them in the right space.

How do we feel about this? I can handle it, so be honest!

Board & Batten Surprise

Last week I made the impulse decision to go ahead and make some progress in my front room while waiting on some things for my kitchen (AKA "the project that must not be named" or "the 5 year project that just wouldn't stop").
I gathered up my motivation and my DIY know-how, and I used them both to call our contractor friend. I could have done it myself, but when I'm talking through a project with him and it starts "maybe I could help you with that," and eventually morphs into "maybe you should help me with that," I know I'm beat.

Anyway, we emptied the room and he spent a few hours throwing this together. He's way faster than I am. And you know, probably a tiny bit more precise and better, since finish carpentry is his specialty and all.

And bonus, he rebuilt the window seat so it's bumped out a little from the wall and has cubbies. I love it!

The painters start today. Color me giddy. And color the walls Palladian Blue.

I can't wait to share what it looks like later this week! This is proof that when I make a decision, stuff can happen fast. See last year's impulse kitchen wall demolition for reference. So it's not that I can't make progress... I'm just lazy. :)
 

Fall Booties

You. Guys. I need some booties. 

I need high heeled ones to wear with skirts and tights. I need low ones to wear with skinny jeans and casual skirts.

To be fair, when I say "need," I actually mean "want intensely and single-mindedly."

Except... I sort of need them.

How can something with so ridiculous a name be so essential to my life? And how could I have held out this long, only to crumble in a fit of  Fall 2013 bootie-loving euphoria? It's like my unfulfilled baby hunger has finally manifested itself into something else: a shoe with a baby-sounding name. It may be misguided, but I like it.

 

1. Michael Kors / 2. Nine West / 3. DV by Dolce Vita / 4. Jessica Simpson / 5. Vince Camuto / 

6. Frye / 7. Rocket Dog / 8. Sam Edelman

Metal Topped Console Table

I tried to finish my table before I had surgery last month, but it didn't quite work out the way I had planned. So it's been sitting partially complete for weeks now in my front room, along with all the other half-finished projects that I'm tackling this month.

The table, I swear, has been really simple -- it only takes weeks and weeks to complete if you're me. I shared the construction in a post earlier this summer, and I briefly mentioned my plan to have a metal top bent for it.

I spent a couple hours sanding it down to smooth the rough finish on the inexpensive 2x2's and also lend a more worn, rustic look to the table. I didn't want it heavily distressed with chains or anything.. I just wanted it to look broken in. No crisp corners allowed. I was purposefully uneven and loosey-goosey (a technical term) with my random orbital sander, though; this way even though the corners are all rounded similarly, they're not all straight lines:

The whole goal is to make it look more naturally worn than not, just like distressing paint. Less is usually more in my book.

After sanding, I used pre-stain conditioner since pine is soft and tends to accept stain unevenly which can result in blotchy finished products.

 
Then I stained the table with a 3:1 mix of Minwax's Ipswich Pine and Provincial stains, since I wanted a lighter finish on the wood to contrast the darker, rusted metal tabletop.

Speaking of the tabletop...

And there it is, my new console table. Very easy, pretty inexpensive (helpful tip: ask your steel yard or metal supplier how much it will cost before you order the tabletop! Just because it's rusted and laying in their garbage can waiting to be recycled doesn't mean they won't charge you full price once they see that you want it. Learn from my mistake. Doh.)

My favorite part about this table is that it's a bit different than most of the handmade or upcycled furniture I see or make. I love a good painted-and-distressed piece, but in my (completely uneducated) decorating opinion, those pieces look more unique and have a greater chance of passing for authentic when they aren't one of 10 similarly finished pieces in a home. So I jumped at the chance to make an easy piece of furniture with an entirely different aesthetic!


What do you think?