One Room Challenge- Week 4!

Now that we've progressed to Week 4, it's bed time!  

The headboards arrived from the upholsterer, and I couldn't be happier with them!  The red linen has a pretty texture, and I love the contrast piping in a natural linen.

You can also see a picture of the oriental rug layered over the seagrass.

While there were twin beds initially in the room, I decided this was a good time to upgrade and update the twin beds, so I ordered a new pair of box springs and mattresses.   A nice man delivered them and set them up (and probably thought I was crazy photographing him while he worked, although the photographing was nothing compared to B's hysteria when he thought we were getting rid of his crib.  Poor little guy hates change.)

First the box spring:

Then the mattress.  It's so soft and comfy!  I'm hoping these will last B until he goes off to college.  

I mentioned before that I opted to have the upholsterer make just the headboards, not the rails and footboard, in an effort to save money and space.  My seamstress made beautiful red bedskirts in the same linen as the headboard, and I think they really have a similar effect to an upholstered bed.  They are very tailored with simple pleats at the corners and in the middle.

Now, to make the bed.  I found aqua diamond sheets at Serena and Lily.  Their sheets really are great quality for the price.  And they were on sale- even better!

For the coverlet, I chose basic white from Ikea.  You might think I am crazy to use white bedding in a 3-year  old's room, but it is so easy to wash and bleach.  I honestly find white bedding easier to keep clean than any other, since it can be bleached.  I found a matelasse pattern that isn't too feminine and has square edges instead of scalloped.  The price was right (I think around $40 per coverlet?), so I grabbed them!

A close-up of the wavy pattern.

And now the fun part- making the bed pretty!  

I had a pair of throw pillows made in the Quadrille fabric that is going on the window.

I also found these shams at Serena and Lily that have the same aqua border.  I was initially going to have them monogrammed, but that is going to wait for now since the Quadrille pillows cover up the center of the shams.

The colors are just right!

And on the bed!

After trying things a couple of different ways, I opted against the zebra ottomans and decided to use my FAVORITE Missoni (for Target) throws on each bed.  They are so soft and warm- definitely the best purchase I've ever made from Target.  You can still find them on eBay, but they are pretty pricey now.  

So, the beds are made!  I can't wait to share more with you next week!

Be sure to check out the exciting progress of the other ORC girls!

Chattafabulous 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Classic Casual Home 

the Cottage Mix 

Cottage & Vine 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

Everything LEB 

Hodge Podge 

Kim Macumber Interiors 

Little Black Door 

My Crafty Home Life 

Nicole Scott Designs 

Pacific Family Homes 

Pawleys Island Posh 

the Peak of Tres Chic 

the Pink Pagoda 

Powell Brower Home 

Simple Details 

Nursery Sneak Peak!

Sorry for the inconsistent posting- I've been under the weather.  Again.  

If you have ever decorated a nursery, you may have noticed that it's hard to find cute mobiles.  They are a nursery essential, as they provide great entertainment for the baby in the crib.  The best resource I've found is Rosenberry Rooms.  They have so many fabulous options, including the hot air balloon mobile I am using here.  It is colorful and whimsical, and although it is not battery operated, if you touch it it keeps moving for a long time.

You can find the hot air balloon mobile here (I love giving it as a baby gift, too!).  I think it can grow with the room, and you can use it much longer than the fuzzy sheep from Pottery Barn.  

Have you found a good resource for nursery mobiles?

Weekend Finds!

I'm so excited about this week's finds!  

First up, we have a fabulous pair of elephant garden stools!  The colors are beautiful, and they are in great shape! One stool has a small crack underneath on the inside- it is not visible at all unless you flip the stool over upside down and does not affect the piece's integrity whatsoever.  

They each measure 20" L x 9" W x 18" H.

If you love the Scalamandre zebra pattern as much as I do, this vintage lamp is for you!  It is made of black ceramic with fab zebra detailing.  Fitted with new brass hardware.

Measures 6" diameter x 18.5" H

How amazing are these brass chinoiserie andirons?!  The nickel version of these is on 1st Dibs for $2,400 (and I prefer the brass!).  

They measure 17.25"H by 5"W.

Pair of Chinoiserie Andirons:  $300, plus $25 shipping or local pick-up in Charlotte

If you are interested in any of these before they go up on One Kings Lane, email me at mattersofstyle@gmail.com!

One Room Challenge- Week 3!

It's been a busy week!  We had a beautiful (and short-lived, just the way I like it) snow over the weekend, so that served as a good excuse to get a project done!  Our house is a 1960's ranch, and as such, closet space is limited.  B's room has the standard double-door reach-in closet, with one bar across the top and two shelves above it.  

Here is how it has looked for the past 1.5 years (once again, I am embarrassed to show y'all this!):

As you can see, there is nothing efficient about this set-up at all.  Lots of wasted space, and everything still feels crammed in there.  I literally would just close my eyes and throw something on to the top shelf and hope it didn't fall back down on me.  I knew it was time to make a change, so I got to work.  First I removed the bar and shelves so I had a blank space with which to work.

Whoever painted the inside of the closet before we bought the house didn't bother to remove the shelves to paint, so sanded down the walls down to make them smooth.

Then I measured from the baseboards up to the ceiling.  Why is this so important?  You'll see!

Have you heard of Tempaper?  It's wallpaper with an adhesive back, so you can hang it (and remove it) easily yourself.  It is affordable and perfect for this project, because I just couldn't justify paying an installer to put up wallpaper in a 3 year old's closet.

The pattern I chose incorporates the colors of B's room design- red and aqua!

And the repeat is small enough that there wouldn't be too much waste (it is important to think about this when you are wallpapering a small space).

After measuring and cutting (measure twice- cut once, always), I used my trusty step ladder to start to hang it.  

My pajama-clad helper smoothed it out on the wall.

The first row was easy to hang.  The second started out easy, but I ended up having to fight with it to get the pattern to line up perfectly.  I have a newfound respect for professional wallpaper hangers.  This tested my patience, for sure.  But finally, I got it.

I repeated until the back of the closet was done.

Then it was time to get everything back in the closet.

I had been looking around at different closet systems, and the Elfa system at The Container Store seemed to be a good option.  It has a mid-range price point (more than Home Depot but less than California Closets), and THEY WILL INSTALL IT FOR YOU!!!  And both the system and installation were 30% off until last week.  

Basically, Elfa is a grid system that is installed on the wall, and then you have the liberty to move the shelves and racks around as your needs change.  This is especially important for me now, since B is only 3 and his clothes are going to get bigger as he grows up.  It allows me to maximize hanging space now when his clothes are small, and then I can make adjustments within the grid as his needs change later on.

I went to The Container Store, closet measurements in hand, and I worked with a closet designer (actually a licensed architect who was picking up extra work at The Container Store due to the recession) to come up with a plan that was really efficient and suitable for my needs.  I highly highly highly recommend this (no, they aren't paying me to say that).  They create a space plan on the computer that you can look at, print out, and take home if you wish, before you decide.  It is very customizable.  

We went with the less expensive wire shelves with plastic covers (so your clothes don't get wire marks), but they also have solid shelf options if you want to spend a little more.  

The installers came, installed, and were gone within 1 hour.  They charged $180 to install, which I think is totally worth it, compared to putting my marriage on the line by having my husband and I install it ourselves. 

Now, the closet is so much more efficient.  It feels downright roomy.  (Yes, I left some clothes out for the photos, so you can see the wallpaper better.  But truly, words cannot describe the difference).

I added a couple of seagrass baskets to hold blankets and sheets.

I love having everything off the floor.  It feels so much cleaner.

The hanging space has doubled and the number of shelves has tripled.  

Quite the change from this:

To this:

And the best part?  B loves his new closet!

Be sure to click below to check out what the other ORC girls have been up to this week!

Chattafabulous 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Classic Casual Home 

the Cottage Mix 

Cottage & Vine 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

Everything LEB 

Hodge Podge 

Kim Macumber Interiors 

Little Black Door 

My Crafty Home Life 

Nicole Scott Designs 

Pacific Family Homes 

Pawleys Island Posh 

the Peak of Tres Chic 

the Pink Pagoda 

Powell Brower Home 

Simple Details 

Another Nursery Sneak Peek!

I'm excited to share bits and pieces of the new nursery!  As I mentioned before, in stark contrast to my other children's nurseries, I'm doing this one in soothing neutrals.  I painted the walls in Ben Moore's Revere Pewter (my current go-to paint color) before we had any idea about baby #3, and I love it too much to change it.  Even though I am using mostly whites and neutrals in the nursery's decor, I wanted to add some art to serve as a focal point on the main wall.

I found Pamela Munger's art on etsy and fell in love!  Her works are so beautiful.  Let's be honest- we all *think* we can do our own abstract pieces, but the final result never comes remotely close to the work of a professional artist like Pamela.  She knows how to pick color combinations that work well together, and her pieces are quite affordable.  

The box arrived on Saturday! (Yes, you are seeing a twin bed in the nursery.  Since the nursery is going to be downstairs, I think a bed in the nursery is a necessity at least during those first few weeks).

I excitedly opened it up!

I loved seeing the design peeking through the bubble wrap!

Isn't it beautiful?  The colors and brushstrokes are just perfect.  Abstract but not obnoxious.

I love how it stands out on the Revere Pewter wall.  The sides are painted white, so I am not going to frame it right now.  Maybe one day, but the sides don't bother me right now, so I'll save my pennies.

I'll share more of the nursery as it comes together.  Hanging art makes such a difference!

Check out Pamela Munger's etsy store here!  

Weekend Finds!

We spent a beautiful snowy weekend here in Charlotte!  I had time to do a little hunting before the snow really started to fall.  Here is what I found!

This faux bamboo armchair just needs a quick coat of paint and some fresh fabric.  It is very sturdy (no loose joints) and makes a great office/ desk chair!

$150- local pick-up in Charlotte (shipping is probably cost prohibitive for a single chair)
Sold

I am so excited about this set of 6 faux bamboo chairs.  Sets of 6 are really hard to find!  I have the matching table, too, but I don't have pictures of it yet since I am having it lacquered white to match the chairs.  The table is round, with 2 additional leaves, and has a laminate top and wooden faux bamboo legs. The chairs have some wear to the original white lacquer, but they would be easy to paint (although I would use them as/is).  

Chairs measure 38.5"h by 18"l by 17"w

Table (excluding 2 leaves) measures 42" diameter by 29"h.  I believe each leaf is around 10-inches wide.

Set of 6 chairs:  $500

Sold

Dining table with 2 leaves:  $300

Local pick-up in Charlotte, or I can work on shipping bids.

This chinoiserie chest is the perfect storage piece!  It has an opening lid top, 4 drawers, and 2 cabinets, and it is lined in red velvet.  It has dividers so you can use it for silver, or you can remove the dividers and use for general storage.  It has a couple dents and dings, but overall it is in good condition with heavy brass hardware.

It measures 32"h by 24"l by 14"w

$499- Local pick-up in Charlotte or I can arrange shipping via uship

If you are interested in any of these pieces before they go to One Kings Lane, email me at mattersofstyle@gmail.com.  With regards to shipping, it takes a considerable amount of time for me to get bids, coordinate with schedules, etc, so out of respect for my time as well as that of the shippers who are bidding on the jobs, please only request a shipping quote if you are serious about purchasing.  Thanks!