the haystack needle

styling makeover: part 1

Here's more from the styling makeover I did on my friend Erin's living room. I hope you'll let me off the hook with using the word makeover (which I know implies before and after.) I didn't realize that we'd end up spray painting in her garage and Mod Podging in her living room when the weekend started. It was one of those things. We came back from thrifting and Erin started telling me about what she didn't like about her living room and what she wanted it to be. I started moving around furniture and then the next thing we know it's 1am and we have a shopping list to get at Michaels the following morning. But I'll describe what we did and some tips on what helps me give a room a facelift.

 

Erin has a gorgeous fireplace in her living room — it's the star of the room. She used to have a series of prints lining the mantel that were an Asian motif (that cut against the style she was shooting for), and they are quiet prints that blended with the blue of the walls and gave no pop to the room. Those were the first to go. On our thrifting hunt, Erin scored a roll of vintage toile wallpaper (for just $20!). It's a rather cheeky toile that's a more oversized pattern and black-and-white, which made it super cool in my book. I suggested we use the wallpaper to create art for her mantel. Working with frames Erin already owned, I immediately grabbed a vintage gilded frame (which I used on a horizontal to show one scene in the toile), and the only other large frame was this one above. This frame was the perfect size to highlight a vertical pattern in the toile, but it desperately needed a makeover with its sad, yellowed finish. 

 

Spray paint to the rescue. I cheated and skipped on spray primer and used a different brand of spray paint — we were in a rush and Michaels was out of primer and Krylon's white gloss spray paint. I'm a big Krylon fan, and I have to say after using this other spray paint found at Michaels — I'm still a Krylon fan. It took more than the usual number of coats to get a solid finish, and I didn't get the same gloss that I've seen with Krylon. But it was still a dramatic makeover. 

 

So much better in white! Here's how we mounted the wallpaper in the frames:

+ move empty frame around wallpaper until you find the part of the pattern you want to highlight in the frame

+ run pencil around the outsize of frame (for where to cut) and mark an x in each corner of the inside of the frame (where you want the pattern to line up)

+ using an exacto knife, cut wallpaper along your penciled lines 

+ flip over wallpaper and Mod Podge the entire backside of your wallpaper

+ take wallpaper piece and line up two of your marked corners with corners of your foamcore board (foam board should already be cut to fit inside your frame)

+ carefully smooth down your wallpaper on foam board using a wallpaper brush

+ pile a few books on top and let your board sit for 20 minutes or so

+ once the wallpaper has dried, flip it over and snip off the wallpaper overage with an exacto knife

+ add to frame — instant art!

 

If we'd had one supersized frame, I probably would have hung the frame centered over the mantel. Classic look. I actually prefer what we ended up with: two frames that together make a statement. I like the frames leaning against the wall, because it feels less fussy. And fresh flowers always give a lift to a room. 

out & about: inspired by vintage floral wallpaper

There's a shop in Williamsburg that's stolen my heart. The boutique is decorated with a mix of woods, creamy whites, and a few walls of vintage floral wallpaper. It pulls you in from the sidewalk, this wallpaper is so gorgeous. And I heard word yesterday that Jumelle will be carrying Shabd's spring line (and I'm completely in love with her entire collection of pastel tie-dye pieces!). Once I get more skilled with my camera (had some issues with light yesterday trying to shoot the wall by the window), you'll likely be seeing more peeks from this gorgeous shop, Jumelle. The vintage wallpaper is perfection.

images (from top center): wallpaper escort tags from Grace's wedding, via design*sponge; Liberty of London for Target wallet; my photograph inside Jumelle; vintage floral pillows; Walnut birdtree wallpaper; Linda & Harriett recycled flower pins; Rifle Design botanical cards; Cath Kidston towels; Saipua soap.

what's Out & About? find out here.

wallpaper a light

I discovered another random, fun purpose for my Japanese masking tape the other day. I decided to cover a frosted glass lighting shade with a piece of wallpaper. This built-in lighting fixture on our wall is the only light in our bedroom right now, and Dan and I both hated the glaringly-bright light it produced. We're talking shock bright (and the light uses one of those fancy lightbulbs you can only find at lighting stores, so I couldn't swap in a lower wattage lightbulb.)

Immediately, I thought wallpaper would be a great solution. I wanted to cover the glass shade with wallpaper — some pretty pattern that would dim the light. And frosted glass isn't really my style anyway, so I was happy to hide it under a square of wallpaper. I had a sample of Nama Rococo wallpaper (super expensive, so I've never bought a roll but you can buy samples or a sheet.) One wallpaper sample I had was just about the right size — snipped one end and it was perfect. I slid the wallpaper easily over the glass shade so it rested in front, on the metal hooks keeping the shade in place on the wall. But the wallpaper definitely needed to be stuck down to the shade or it looked unfinished and weird. The problem: we're renters so I couldn't attach the wallpaper to the shade with anything permanent — no glues or pastes. Japanese masking tape to the rescue.

I created a trim of Japanese tape around the entire shade. It not only attached the wallpaper to the frosted glass (in a non-permanent way) but it made the wallpaper look finished. When I covered a paper lampshade with wallpaper in our last apartment, I used the same concept. A grosgrain ribbon on the top and the bottom of the shade covered the wallpaper edges and created a trim — one of those details that makes the shade look stylish, rather than a quick cover-up fix.

And now? We love our bedroom light. It's the perfect subtle glow for evenings. And that gorgeous Nama Roccoco wallpaper adds a little pattern art to the walls, which makes me happy every time I look up at it.

p.s. Happy Tape is another amazing source of Japanese tape — so many options in patterns and colors!

tree wallpaper

This fir tree wallpaper by Ferm Living has long been a favorite of mine, and I'm tagging it as the starting inspiration for our new bedroom. I won't be wallpapering walls (we're in a rental) but I will be checking out this book for ideas on other ways to decorate with wallpaper. Maybe framed above the bed? Poor Dan has had to live with my bird infactuation for a couple years now. I may have maxed out how many ways one can decorate with a bird motif, so I thought I'd give my guy a break in the space that's our bedroom and work on finding a less girly solution. (Admittedly, I'll be brainstorming a way to work my roll of bird wallpaper in my craft space somehow, too.) It's all about a little compromise.