PB Roman Shades

I recently ordered the Pottery Barn Cordless Roman Shades for a client and was super impressed. Roman Shades are such a great alternative to drapes but the cords involved make them dangerous for households with kids. The mechanism in these shades means that they truly are cordless and also that they roll themselves up once you give the "tug" to start the process, making for a cool party trick.

For this project I decided to customize them with some grosgrain ribbon. You can actually get the shades with grosgrain in neutral colors from PB (but without the blackout lining) or in brighter colors (and blackout lining) from PB Teen. But we wanted yellow for this project so we DIY'd.

First, I extended the shade fully and laid it out on a work surface. Then I pinned the ribbon 1.5" in from the side down the length of the shade. For the corners I folded on the diagonal to create a mitered corner. 

Then I used my trusty Fabric-Tac glue to adhere the ribbon to the shade. I went back and put an extra drop or two in the mitered corners to make sure it held and no white would show through. 

(Sneak peak of a nursery project I've been working on.)

My client and I are very happy with the way it turned out. 

Local Tip: Lumens Light + Living

I love living here but it is (mostly) true that Sacramento is often in the Bay Area's shadow when it comes to major metro amenities like, say, design sources. However, one of our shining jewels is Lumens Light + Living. Lumens advertises in the major shelter magazines and can definitely hold their own against the competition. I feel very fortunate that they are based here in my hometown. AND they have their Annex here where you can score some pretty incredible deals. 

My husband and I recently got this beauty for our kitchen dining area at a very reduced cost. 

The Annex is open today and tomorrow - and will be the 2nd Friday and Saturday of each month. Go shop!

Fireplace in the Bedroom

I've been seriously considering adding a fireplace to our master bedroom. I'm not sure I can make it work logistically and/or financially as part of this project but I believe it's good to open one's mind to all the possibilities and then scale back from there. What's funny is that we barely ever use the fireplace in our living room so it's not like I'm the sort of person who always makes a fire on a chilly day. And yet I keep find myself drawn to the idea of having one in the bedroom. Something like this:

Source: hautemamasfaves.tumblr.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: alifesdesign.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: 4.bp.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: bostonmagazine.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: layersofmeaning.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Spray Paint Signs

There has been a lot of spray paint around here lately. And I'm not talking about DIY furniture projects. Can you guess what's up?

My long-awaited home addition is actually going to happen. I am so excited! Excuse the lame photos of utility company markings. It's all I've got to show at the moment. That and the middle photo above which is what our contractor sprayed on our lawn to mark where the new construction will be. I actually went out there after he was gone and used my own spray paint to mark out where some of the interior walls will be so I could get a true sense of the space. Here's the plan:

We are taking the bedroom at the back of the house and adding 21 feet to create a master suite. This has been my vision since we bought the house 5 1/2 years ago. I can't wait to see it all come together! I've got my work cut out for me - tile and bath fixtures and lighting and textiles and on and on. I'll be posting about it all here. Hopefully soon I will have more to show than spray paint. 

Nate Berkus In Matchbook Mag

The new Matchbook is out and they have a great feature on Nate Berkus. Love him. In addition to the interview and photos of his NYC home we get a peak at his new fabric line for Calico Corners:

(via)

And even more exciting, a glimpse of his new collection for Target. Mark your calendars for February 24th!

(via)

I also like what Nate had to say about design:

"I've always thought our homes should tell the story of who we are and who we aspire to be. So when you meet somebody and you see their personality shine through, those are all the cues you need to do a good job in design."

I completely agree. Thanks, Nate.

(via)

Nursery Mood Boards

I've been working on a nursery for a very special little girl who will be born this spring. Normally I start the design process by sharing inspiration photos with the client to get a sense of what they do and don't like and what direction to take with the space. In this case my client shared up front that she was drawn to Serena & Lily's Lola Bedding and that her husband had some Alexander Calder prints (similar here) that he was thinking might be good for the nursery. I felt inspired by these two very different jumping off points and created two separate mood boards for them to get a sense of what a room might look like if designed around either of those items.

(Here is the board inspired by the Lola crib Bumper)

(And this is the Calder board)

Not surprisingly they liked elements from each of the boards and wanted to try to bring some of the energy from the Calder board and blend that in with the softness of the Lola board. The mom-to-be also really liked the bird fabric from the Calder inspired room and felt like she wanted to explore some alternatives to the Lola bedding. Here is the next board I made for them:

We are continuing to tweak and refine the design. I hope to share more as the process moves along. And I really can't wait to meet the little girl who all of this is for!

Marble Coffee Table

What a find! My mom and I recently made a quick trip to Berkeley for some mother/daughter bonding. She was so supportive and kind as I dragged her through many an antique store - not all of them worth the trek. We did however score at Jack's Antiques on Adeline Street. (They are old school and don't have a website but you can find them on yelp, etc.) I've been on the lookout for an oval coffee table for the living room. The space definitely needed something smaller than what we've had there for years. Plus, my husband kept banging his shins on the old rectangular one so he was on board with the idea of a change. Lo and behold, we found this:

Once I got it home I cleaned up the legs and trim with a mix of baking soda and lemon juice.

And then I went over the trim with my krylon gold leaf pen to brighten it up a bit more. You can see what a difference it made.

I do love the greek key and other details in the trim.

And now it is happily installed in our living room. So pretty.