Sneak Peek

If you're following me on Instagram, you've already seen this. But - for those of you who aren't on instagram - and for those of you who follow so many people things get lost in the shuffle, I present to you a sneak peek at the new decor of my living room.

I know you've been wondering what the heck was going on over here and so I figure it was probably best to polish things up a bit and get a sneak peek photo for y'all to take in until I get it all pulled together.

One thing I learned living in a space that is about 830 square feet (BTW: That's smaller than some of these other blogger's bedrooms) is that every room needs to have function. I fought against that for a long time, deciding I needed to have pretty photos for the blog and instagram, and leaving more than 1/2 of the VERY SMALL apartment unused most of the time, although inspiring.

So with a new goal in mind - having functional and beautiful spaces - I switched it up. I'm still not finished, but in this view you can take in what has probably become my favorite piece of furniture, a Scandinavian pine cupboard turned television cabinet. It's the PERFECT size to hold nearly all of the design books I kept after paring down, and random TV equipment. Wires from the television are hidden as best as possible with beautiful coffee table books and a bowl I bought in Lima, Peru filled with moss.

Another of my trinkets in the background, a 200 POUND concrete urn, with the most beautiful patina holds a dracena tree that I've yet to kill over that last 3-years, potted with fresh moss I collected from around trees in our neighborhood.

The space will feature slipcovered furniture mostly due to the ease of washing as we live with two rambunctious pups. The chairs seen here are done in the most glorious shade of gray linen. The same gray, luckily and unplanned, as the cotton roller shades you see on the windows. Curtains are no longer, that space now filled with art and sun-washed turtle shells.

I'm still looking for a large deacons bench for in front of the window, which will have a striped linen cushion, and some gorgeous antique textile pillows.

Wanna shop the look? 

Changes and Updates

If you follow me on instagram you probably saw this picture from the weekend. A sneak peek at the the changes that have happened in the living room. This has been a long time coming, and I know that for those of you who enjoy reading all about my interior challenges, fails, and triumphs, this little photo is probably not enough to whet the appetite. But the photos of this new space require a story. They require explanation. And I've not gotten that pulled together. Nor have I bothered taking my camera out of the closet to take good pictures of the space.

This end of the room is finished. Certainly, if money were no object and I wasn't saving for a house, it'd all look different. Entirely different. But this is an exercise in budgetary restraint, and acceptance of both form and function, and not simply form. Pretty rooms are easy. Putting together a room with money is easy. But putting together a room that has to be functional, pretty, and inexpensive - that's not easy.

This end of the room is pretty well pulled together. It's pretty enough for pictures and feels "good enough."

The armoire was a SMOKIN' FIND! Secondhand. You'll never even guess what I paid for the thing. The real struggle was getting it home. I had to rent a van, enlist a friend to help Tyler and me get it in through the window! It won't make the curve of the staircase in the hallway, so both top and bottom sash of the window have to come out and it got hoisted in (no small endeavor) that way. But isn't it a beauty? Totally worth it!

The seagrass is 10x13. I've had this since I moved into the apartment. I don't really count it as part of the budget for the redo.

The dhurrie is from Safavieh, and sadly, I really can't recommend this to you. I mean, it's pretty, but it's not a great weave. It's going to have the be replaced soon, and the reality is that it's just too expensive to get just a few months out of. I've done everything I can to try and keep the weave from coming loose, and have even gone to sweeping the rug instead of vacuuming, but let's get real. That's not my life. I am not going to whisk a rug. I have bigger fish to fry. If I find a deal on a really great one that I feel like you should invest in, I'll definitely let you know.

The green velvet chairs are inexpensive, pretty, and while you have to put them together, I've found that they are very sturdy. I didn't intend for them to go here, but they made their way over and I didn't hate them, so they stayed.

The art is part of a set of 4 original paintings done for me by the very talented Dianne D. Ballard. I blogged about them here, right after I had them framed. Modern and abstract art is a HUGE deal these days, and I'm so grateful to have these pieces as part of my collection. If you're interested in modern or abstract paintings you should definitely talk to Dianne! You can commission a painting from her or contact her about available work by emailing her at diannedballard@gmail.com.

The English brass wall sconces were found on eBay. I got a great deal on them because they didn't come with the glass hurricane shades. Those I found on a separate listing, and I swear to you when I put them together angels sang. Ok, maybe not that. But I love them.

The coffee table is HEAVY HEAVY HEAVY! Bronze and glass. I've been researching this piece since I bought it this summer, and I've not come across anything like it. Hollywood Regency for sure, it isn't Maison Bagues, but it has that sort of feeling about it. Either way, another SMOKIN' FIND! Secondhand.

The blue and white chinoiserie lotus bowl is from Richard Stone's instagram store: Topiary Home. He finds the best things.

The brass pharmacy lamp is by Jensen. Pretty good deal on them here:

I apologize for the photo quality, these were taken with my iPhone. The REAL money in this space went into fabrics. I figured that all of those could be reused in a future space, so I spent the bulk of my budget there.

The wicker chairs were a secondhand deal. A pair of them with no cushions set me back a little over $100. Of course, once I bought foam, and fabric - well, they weren't exactly a smokin' deal anymore. The floral is by Kim Hoegger Home, and you can purchase from her website directly.

This configuration was one that I fought for a while. Mostly because of the ugly radiator under the window. But I have a solution for that which is forthcoming - don't worry, but also because the sofa is huge! But the more that I realized that this living room was essentially just a hallway into the bedroom where the television was, and the more depressed that I became that I was spending all of my time in the bedroom, the more I realized that I needed to do something about the function of the living room. When you live in a 4,000 square foot house, you can afford to have beautiful formal rooms that are essentially used once or twice a year, and stay camera ready at a moments notice. But when you live in 800 square feet, you HAVE to maximize and use every square inch. So, this is where we are. Comfortable sofa facing a beautiful armoire which hides a massive tv that we watch often, particularly with winter here and fewer and fewer options sounding worth the hassle of going outside and dealing with the snow.

The sofa is a story in and of itself. That'll get a post eventually. It's manufactured by a company in North Carolina called Klaussner. They sell directly to furniture stores and designers. It can be purchased at retail through Birch Lane, with a variety of slipcovers. I actually got mine from a local warehouse that receives pieces ordered from the Wayfair company that were either not accepted or returned. When I bought it, it had a blue slipcover. It had never been used, and was in excellent shape. But the blue wouldn't work for me. So, I had my workroom make a slipcover in white, which I think looks better than the one that they offer, but I am biased.

The matchstick shades are from Lowes. The curtains are custom, euro pleated double width linen, and the rod is from Target. Yep! Target.

Here's the other wicker chair, with the Kim Hoegger Home Modena Floral in Summer cushions. Another pharmacy lamp and garden stool. The little bamboo leg footstool is in need of a makeover, and it will get one soon. It's one of those "deep winter projects" we all love to hate. And yes, those are extension cords! I've got a work order in for them the fix that outlet today.

The bookcase was the perfect solution for this entry wall. I love books. LOVE THEM! And I have so many, even after getting rid of what I thought was nearly all of them. I found this bookcase for a steal, solid wood, ugly but what are you gonna do? It's a bookcase! I painted it (still need to do touch ups) and loaded it up with books. I'm not finished because I still needed to paint the bottom portion of the bookcase - so right now those books are on the floor in the dining room. One thing at a time.

The large blue and white chinoiserie lamps are so pretty, aren't they? Those and the temple jars on the floor are pieces I was able to score for a pretty great deal. The basket tucked under the table is from Pottery Barn. I got it ages ago, and they no longer carry it.

The table was another SMOKIN' FIND! Got that on Facebook Marketplace for $40! Couldn't believe it. Of course if you add up the lamps, the table, the jars, the basket ... it's all about the high and the low, right?

The green Alpaca blanket on the chair if from my summer trip to Peru.

And from behind the sofa looking toward that armoire. That beautiful brass bowl that the tangelos are in is from my dear friend Joan, who you can find via her blog or her instagram, for the love of a house. I'm still waiting for a shade and finial for the other lamp, they forgot to pack them. I've draped one lamp with the jungle beads and woven belts that I found in Cusco.

There's still stuff to do. I would like to build a sort of crown for the bookcase, something to raise the height and make it look a little more built in. I need to hang more art, and tackle the dining room. But it's a piece by piece thing around here. I promised Tyler that I would finish this before I do the bedroom, sort of a difficult promise to keep - but I'm trying.

Hope you enjoyed the updates! Keep your eye on instagram for more - and I'll be back later in the week with a few more book reviews!

Chintz, and Wicker, and Chinoiserie oh MY! A peek ...

There are so many pieces left to finish in this puzzle, but the living room is starting to come together. Once I get it all finished, I'll have to make time for photos one weekend during the day - and give you all a big before and after. Til' then, you can follow along on instagram for sneak peeks here.

Fingers crossed I finish it before Christmas! 

Rug Vista Rugs

Part of the struggle of good design in any room is figuring out what should go on the floor. Not only do you want a beautiful rug, you want one that has the longevity and quality of your investment. That is why when I looked to find a rug for the new dining room design at the apartment, I chose RugVista who has a giant selection of beautiful rugs in gorgeous colors and patterns perfect for any room.

Whether you are looking for oriental rugs, modern rugs, kilim rugs, or antique and semi-antique rugs, Rug Vista has over 31,000 rugs for you to choose from, fast and free shipping, and a 30-day money back guarantee.

I wanted the dining room to be a warm and colorful space. As you already know, the room extends from the living room, creating the T-shape, and it was important to me that all of the colors in the new design extended into this space too. Rug Vista has a super user friendly website that makes shopping by color very easy, and fun.

After hours of looking at rug after rug, I had narrowed my list down to three. And then I started scheming. I landed on their Handloomed Fringes Collection of rugs and chose the light blue.

Isn't it beautiful? The website warns that the color may be a bit different from what you see on the monitor, but when it arrived, (extremely quickly I might add) it was exactly as the website had described it.

The overall color plan for the new design features three colors total: a brilliant sort of emerald jewel green (mostly in the way of a stunning velvet), a wheat color that just barely meets the mustard line, and a richly saturated light blue that perfectly blends with the blue and white porcelain pieces. When I found that perfect color of blue in the Rug Vista rug, I knew I found "the one". 

The Handloom Fringes rugs are woven by hand in a loom. The warp is cotton, but the pile is 100% wool. There are so many steps in this process, including shaving down the pile, then washing and giving the rug more luster by allowing it to sun dry. The finished product is an absolute piece of art. 

Fair warning here, because this is a wool rug, (like all wool rugs) you're going to have some shedding. Each time I vacuum the rug, I get a little bit more of the loose wool out of it. Initially, I had some worries - but I've found that this has done no harm to the rug, and that the amount of loose pile in the rug has nearly disappeared.

The room is still in finish mode. I have curtains, and art, and lampshades, and clean up to do. But before I gave you the finished details of the space, I had to give you a glimpse at this gorgeous rug from Rug Vista and let you know that they are currently having a wonderful Autumn sale, with prices that are up to 60% off! 

Make sure to take a look at the vintage colored carpets like my Handloom Fringes in light blue. It also comes in nearly every other color imaginable, in sizes that are perfect for any room, large or small. 

Be back soon with more room details! 

Breath of fresh air ...

Yeah. No staged photos here. Just unadulterated truth telling. The process of changing things from blue to white was not easy. Actually, I should say, IS not easy. As I'm still in the big middle of it. If you follow me on instagram, you've already seen the videos of me working on the apartment this weekend. 

I found some really interesting things when I started working on the room. 

1. The room had been wallpapered. In grasscloth of all things! So all this time I thought that the drywall seams were coming apart every 24", no - no, that was wallpaper seams that had just been painted over. 

2. I really hate to paint. But what's worse than painting? Fixing really, REALLY messed up walls from wallpaper coming down, pulling paint with it, in HUGE sections of the wall. 

So, after I spent nearly all day Saturday patching these giant issues with the wall, doing my best to get them completely filled in, my boyfriend Tyler came over to help with the sanding. It took hours to do these walls, and if I'm being honest, there's a part of me that feels like I should have done more than I did. The places I fixed look so good! SO GOOD! Thanks to Tyler, mostly. But there are still seams in the wall from the paper that I haven't fixed - and likely wont. 

Then the primer went up. Now, I have to say this. I told myself I wouldn't but I'm going to. I used Sherwin Williams primer, and you might as well go get a few gallons of milk and paint your walls with that. IT IS TERRIBLE! I spent hours putting multiple coats of primer on the walls, and in the process paint went EVERYWHERE! When paint or primer is that thin, the nap of the roller just won't hold onto it. It was like a Jackson Pollock painting on the drop cloths. Terrible. I will NEVER ever buy it again. 

I promise that I actually worked. Once the primer was up (12-hours after we started) it was time to put up the paint. Also Sherwin Williams, ProMar 200. Also crap.

From the moment that the entire room was back to having light colored walls, I instantly felt more at home. Like I had been pent up inside and was able to finally grab a giant breath of fresh air. 

Proof that I was working. Before I had a nervous break down, I had to do something about the crappy paint from Sherwin Williams. I mean, it's terrible. And it's supposed to be their higher level paint. Can you imagine what ProMar 400 is? I mean, is it like water? How many coats does that take? We aren't talking about paint that's $10/gallon here people. THIS STUFF IS EXPENSIVE! It's supposed to be good, quality paint. It isn't. 

I ended up buying this roller: 

I got mine at Lowes, it was $13 for the pack of 3, plus tax. But they actually did a much better job than the other roller at holding onto paint. Even as I type this, I'm noticing splatters of paint on my arms I didn't see last night! So, moral of the story, if you get stuck with REALLY CRAPPY PAINT from SHERWIN WILLIAMS (can you tell I'm sorta pissed about the amount of money I spent on paint with them and that it was TOTAL GARBAGE) the roller from Purdy might save you from having a nervous break down! 

And we left it like this. Needing yet another coat of paint, but we are on the way there folks! And I couldn't be happier. Stay tuned for all the next installments! And follow along on instagram for videos and more photos! 

Chinoiserie Follows Me ...

Main Street Apt Version 1

So a lot of you were curious as to whether or not I sold the Chinoiserie wedding cabinet from the first decoration of the living room. The answer, is yes. And I'm not at all sad about it. Firstly, it went to a great home. Secondly, it was too big for my apartment, and each and every house that I looked at that was in my budget. 

I'm still looking for houses, I've just slowed my search. Instead of looking multiple times a day, I look once a week. I've become less obsessed with the process, and I figure like everything else - the perfect house will find me, I won't find it. 

Still, I found myself missing the beauty of Chinoiserie in the house. There is something just really lovely about handpainted furniture in that style, and the sophistication of the shine of light off that lacquer. You'll remember I gave a sneak peek of fabrics a few days back: 

A ton of different blue fabrics, and a peek at a tabriz rug in all blues. A blue and white garden stool, and that tiny little glimpse of Chinoiserie, which was actually my bedside table:

Once I brought it into the living room to take that photo, I knew that it had to stay there, and it sparked a fire to find more beautiful pieces. It also helped me finalized some layout plans, which I really needed. I may have mentioned I am doing this on a budget, right? I mean, I really want to design this entire space for less than what I spent on that Hermes blanket! I don't know if I can - but I'm trying.

I hopped on Craigslist, hoping and praying that something would pop up. And boy did it! 

I found the most perfect little dining room set, complete with a four foot wide lighted china cabinet. All hand-painted, this time with some colorful figures, the piece is in excellent condition as are the chairs (two arm, two without) and the table. I'm still waiting on curtains (they'll be done Friday) and slips and covers, but for the most part the room is finally taking shape. 

A happy accident for sure, the back of the cabinet is painted in a beautiful burgundy with an orange hue. I had no idea before I picked it up. A few days ago though, I had fallen in love with a piece of photography, and I ordered it, knowing that I'd make it work somewhere:

Isn't that wild!? This is printed 24x36 but will be framed much larger, and will hang behind the rattan sofa that has settled in the nook, all of which has yet to be photographed. But it's coming! I promise. 

I'm not sure what it was about this photo, of a monk in Myanmar holding his hands in prayer. Maybe it was the aged hands, or the repose, the tattoos that spark a quandary of past lives lived, the colors - maybe all of it, but it's something I was immediately taken by and that's how I justify all of my art purchases. 

What's left? Oh boy, what's not left? Touch up painting, curtains, and repair of some flooring (yeah - that happened). Moving the tabriz rug down toward the fireplace about an inch, which requires moving EVERYTHING. Upholstering, or slipcovering the new Chinoiserie chairs, creating the bench seat cushion for the rattan sofa, and coordinating pillows, buying some fun accessories (I have my eye on some Ostrich eggs) and buying/hanging the art. 

Now that I've got things pulled together in a way that makes sense to me, I'll be showing off more of the space and the progress I'm making here and on instagram. So if you're on IG - follow me there! 

Hope you have an excellent day. It's my Birthday-Eve, so I'm off to do some shopping for my birthday present! 

Too Much Blue?

Collection of Pieces ... Living Room 2.0

I asked myself the same thing when I put the striped fabric up in the bedroom. Is this too much? Later I decided that it wasn't and that it was surely one of the most beautiful spaces I'd ever put together, still, in the process of putting it all together, I had lots of doubts. 

I'm feeling largely the same about the living room, now. Is it too much blue? There's a blue sofa, a blue tabriz rug (which is HUGE and covers nearly the entire room), blue walls, blue curtains, blue pillows, blue blankets, blue accessories ... it's a bit like walking into a smurf. The pieces individually are beautiful, well made, high quality - but the collection of them all together is a bit different, to say the least. 

When I put together the last room it was largely made up of neutrals. The Chinoiserie cabinet was really the "loudest" piece in the room. Now, everything has a certain vibrancy, and while they all work well together, it's so ... different! Different can be a wonderful thing, really. We all need a jolt of "new" sometimes, and this room is certainly loads more playful than the last. Here, checks are paired with stripes and ikat and les indiennes and African indigo mudcloth. I've got blue and white chinoiserie porcelain and brass accents pairing up with vividly colored photography of people, places, and things. Slipcovers next to upholstered pieces with perfectly placed nailheads, rattan lit by antique brass pharmacy lamps, and more pillows than I can count. 

There's an ease to it, you walk in and think, I'm comfortable while still thinking it's beautiful ... if you like blue. There's no doubt about it - for those of you who aren't fans of blue - you're gonna hate this room. But for those of you who are, there's still the question of is it too much? I myself haven't even answered that question. It very well could be. 

The room is 48% complete. An arbitrary number, I know. But there really is more than 1/2 of the to-do list left to finish. I need to make the curtains, the slipcovers for the chairs, and the cushion cover for the new rattan sofa that lives inside of the nook. (Oh, yeah! There's a nook!), I need to buy a table, actually a few tables, and I need to upholster a little bamboo ottoman that is just darling and gilt, with the scraps of Scalamandre Leopardo I have left over, which will be shamelessly sectioned together like a quilt. 

I need to do a few paint touch ups on the navy, and then repaint the upper walls in their dover white. The front door needs paint, and the art needs to be framed. I've had my eye on two folding screens, black with beautiful gold details ... not really Chinoiserie, but similar. Perhaps a bit more French, just in traditional Chinoiserie black lacquer and gold. 

Of course there's the styling and primping, perfecting the collections of things atop tables, and making sure that everything else is just so. I've got flooring to repair, and walls to patch. There's talk of building a fabric fireplace screen (like I need one more project) and If I don't find some lamps for the wall you may never see pictures of it finished because it's a bit like walking into a cave at night. 

There's got to be more to do ... but I think I've blocked everything else out of my mind. So for those of you who were wondering what progress has been made ... very little. But the plan is in place, and they're on the way! Keep checking back - and follow me on instagram for more! 

Coveritis Cured

Sneak Peek at the Living Room Redo

In 2011, my friend Joni blogged about a word: Coveritis. The definition varies, but the idea is that coveritis is a condition one suffers when they strive to always be ready for a photo that will land them on the cover of a magazine. Coveritis is a serious condition, that can lead to bankruptcy, divorce, and blog decimation. I'm sorta not kidding. 

I will FULLY admit that I suffered from an extreme case of coveritis. It was bad. Like medical textbook - youTube video bad! When I decorated my apartment the first time, my main goal was to be affirmed by the glossy pages of a magazine. That, dear friends, never happened. So, when I sold all of that to embark on the house-purchase journey which now seems as though it's just not destined to be, I decided that the next iteration of design in my home will be for me. If people like it, great! If they don't, so what - I'm the only one who lives here - and the dogs like what I tell them to like. 

So, with a meager budget (I'm still saving for the house that may fall out of the sky) I've started to redesign the space, making room for a Cross Bottle studio that is desperately needed since I gave up my lease at the art space I had been making them in. After a lot of work, and a lot of searching, it's finally starting to come together - and boy is it different! 

Bold. Blue. Beautiful. 

I'll hopefully have a few photos for you in the coming days - but you can always check out my Instagram for pics! This weekend's chores include: building a wall (yep, a real wall!) and making slipcovers for the chairs on either side of the fireplace! Wish me luck! 

My Media Room

Sometimes you have to live with a pet before you give it a name. Don't you think? You have to give them the time to show their personality, see how they are going to behave, and really get it right. And then there are those times, you just know right off the bat what you're going to name them and for the rest of their life you think "I couldn't have picked a more perfect name." I think that rooms are the same way.

Sometimes, I can walk into a space and know exactly how I would design it down to the very last detail. That's what happened with my living room and dining room. I knew from the moment that I saw the apartment where the carpets would go, how the furniture would be arranged, even the color palette. And then there are rooms that puzzle me. Rooms that I need to live with for a while, addressing the flow and the character of the space, questioning how I live in the rest of the space and how that room could best be used full time. 

That's precisely what my second bedroom was: a real puzzle! For most people it's not hard, a second bedroom means a guest room. Throw a bed and some lovely bedding in there and you're done. But that's not what I needed. I don't entertain company that needs a place to stay. Any of my friends visiting from out of town are more likely to get a hotel simply out of the need for privacy and comfort, so then what does this 100-square-foot room become?

Here it is standard issue. Blah carpet, plastic mini-blinds, a basic box. What do you do? An office? Well, I tried that. A desk, some bookshelves, and even a few tables and the dog crate all sort of squished up against the walls, not at all inviting, and the door was constantly closed to the room. It was ugly, not inspiring for me to work in, and more than that, it wasn't a space I wanted anyone to see. I essentially had a sign on the door that read: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." 

When I stopped using it as an office space, it became a catch all for anything and everything; chairs I had bought with the intention of reupholstering but never did, boxes I thought I could use again, 5 rolls of 24" wide bubble wrap I got on sale and had no place to store at the Cross Bottle studio, you name it - it was in there. The only reason I was in the room for longer than 5-minutes was to get the dogs from their crate, where they sleep.

I would walk in with laser-like focus, refusing to look around the room. Door knob, crate handle, and door knob again. I finally had enough, and I began to treat myself as I would a client. I sat down and created a list of things I'd like the room to be: beautiful, welcoming, useful, clean, comfortable, an extension of the living and dining room. Then I wrote down what I needed the room to have: a television, the dog crate, a place for an infrequent guest to sleep, chair(s), more light, art. 

Before I knew it, I had a quick rough drawing of what I thought would work:

Rough, and scattered with notes, but I could see this working. Of course, it's easy to draw anything you want on paper, at some point you have to establish a realistic budget, and possibly start to narrow the expectations. What could I spend on this? The answer: not a lot. I wanted everything to have a beautiful, pulled together feeling, but I couldn't afford to spend what I spent on my living room to get it. So, I rolled up my sleeves and I pulled everything out of the room, and started a massive sell off of things: chairs, desks, books, blue and white Chinoiserie ginger jars ... everything had to go. I pulled up the carpet that came standard issue with the apartment, and put down the same wood-look plank vinyl that went in the living and dining room. Then I ordered an 8x8 seagrass rug, and built the custom daybed/sofa that would extend from wall to wall, just about 10 feet. Having the 10" memory foam mattress made wasn't easy (or cheap) - but soon I had enough of the room finished to drop this little teaser on instagram:

Here you can see the daybed/sofa with pillows and the wall sconces behind. This was prior to any of the finished cushion covers or the back cushions being measured, made, and installed. I chose to use a larger foam for the mattress because I wanted this to be a comfortable and convenient bed for my very infrequent overnight guests. Since it's been finished, I've actually napped here more than once, and this weekend - the room gets it's first visitor! 

Once the back cushions were installed, and art was hung, I put out this picture:

Now you got to see more of the pieces of the room. The coloring was VERY similar to the living room, as were most of the materials. I had chosen velvet, linen, and cashmere on throw pillows, but made the decision to go with inexpensive pre-washed bull denim on the daybed/sofa. While it still wasn't an altogether inexpensive piece to build/construct, doing it with this fabric made it less of a drain on the budget.

Even with this picture though, the room was not finished. It needed window treatments, and I still had to fashion some sort of beautiful cover for the dog crate. For a room that's only 10x10, it presented a lot of hurdles. But, now I'm done! (For now, anyway.) And I think I've got some pretty nice photos of the space to show you. So, without further ado, let's take a look around my very small, but very cozy media/guest/reading room.

Another look at the before ... 

After

As you can see from the before photos of the room, it has two windows. This one, which the daybed backs into, is finished in a beautiful off-white linen roman shade, and bamboo roman shade behind for texture. This is actually the same linen used in my living room and dining room for the curtains.

Seat cushions for the William Sonoma wicker chairs ($125 for the pair on Facebook Marketplace) are going to be upgraded to an HD foam so that they'll be more comfortable for television watching and then covered in a print, which I also plan to use for pleated shades for the wall sconces. Eventually.

A second shot of the room without the messy pillow styling and book on the daybed (although, to be honest, it often looks less like this, and more like the first pic. Books everywhere, pillows on the floor and a blanket all willy-nilly.

The ottoman is Thomasville ($95 on Craigslist) and I added turned feet with brass casters that I found on eBay for a more tailored, sophisticated look.

The massive brass candlesticks were found at an antique store in Sanborn, NY.  I kept the art here in the same black and white or sepia tone that you'll find in the living and dining room, and the wall color is the same SW Dover White throughout. Some of the art was purchased in Jacksonville, Florida. Other pieces were purchased from the private collection of the art broker I used for the fine art in the dining room. African violets planted in terracotta pots sit in blue and white bowls.

I used inexpensive bull denim (about $12/yard) for the daybed cover and pillows, and had everything professionally sewn by my incredible work room. If you're in the Western New York area and you need anything completed, please reach out to me and I'll share her information with you.

A lot of people have asked me on Instagram how I am keeping the white fabric clean with the dogs. (I love this photo of Louna, she looks like she wants to know, too!) Because I live in an apartment, I have to leash up the dogs every single time we go for a walk. It gives me the opportunity to wipe off their little paws a little easier when we get in. (I know a lot of you are lucky enough to open up the back door and let them free!) I also swear by Oxiclean White Revive. It's an ABSOLUTE MUST if you have white slips, sheets, or cotton/linen upholstery.

The table beneath the tv has a custom cover in rich chocolate linen, banded with a double row of braided jute tape, but it also does double duty. The dog crate is under there! When Arlo and Louna aren't curled up in their crate asleep, this custom cover keeps the room looking neat, tidy and beautiful.

One of my favorite things about this room is all of the texture. Though there isn't much pattern going on, there is a TON of textural variety.

The little plaster table was an antique store find ($35), and I'm so happy that I picked it up when I did. I think that it looks lovely here.

Before

After

A better view of that crate cover. The television is hung on the wall, but of course in an apartment, I'm not going to go through the expense of having those cords ran down through a chase in the wall. So, the accessories do an ok job of hiding necessary cords for now, until I find an alternative. This window is done with curtains in the linen, along with a roman shade and the bamboo blinds. A grasscloth tray sits on the ottoman, glass coasters stacked for drinks.

Pillows on the daybed are a mix of the white denim that the rest of the daybed is covered in, chocolate mohair, and camel colored velvet. The throws are herringbone, tan and white cotton. I bought 8 matching blankets for movie nights when everyone needs a little cozy curl up. 

Moving out of the space and into the living room, you can see how this room relates to the rest of the living and entertaining spaces. Just off of the living room through a small hallway, this media room has a nice flow, in and out of the adjacent rooms. (In case you're wondering, the door here is now ALWAYS open.)

Thanks for coming along on the tour, I hope you like what I've done with the place. We'll sneak out quietly. Louna is in the middle of her favorite show on Hulu, "Fixer Upper". I think she want's to go live on the Gaines' farm in Waco, Texas. That, or she thinks I should get some shiplap.