Nesting Phase 2

Oh no! I found a post that I started a few weeks ago and never finished. Over the course of the last two weeks, my parents came to visit and one of the largest work events of the year happened so I will use those two things as my excuse. More on that later...!

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The first few weekends of 2013 were a whirlwind of cleaning, re-arranging, decorating and overall nesting. My sister moved to her own apartment on January 1 and she has almost finished decorating in record time! I couldn't believe that she had hung curtains, purchased a new couch and tv, unpacked her records and books, painted walls, and assembled an entire media center/ "man cave" in days. It took us months! We've had the essentials figured out for a while but we recently purchased a few more things that make it feel more complete.

Cage pendants provide a nice warm light...the Etsy owner created a new version of the item for us so that we could hang them on a bracket (from Ikea!) and plug the lights directly into an outlet instead of from the ceiling. I opted for the red cord (obviously!) and they come with fancy edison lightbulbs. Woo!

The CB2 craigslist hunt lead me to finding this Alpine bed frame on sale from a fancy concrete home in Venice. It was a great deal that became even better when I noticed some unexpected paint marks and weaseled an even larger discount! Since it's metal, the marks came off with magic eraser and it's as good as new! Win.

Last find? This graphic Les Mis print is made out of words from the novel. If you know me well, you'll know my love for this musical goes back to the 90's. I realize this doesn't sound too long ago, but how many 8 year olds know every lyric and dress their brother up as Gavrosh?! Don't make me post a photo as proof! We still need to frame and hang this gem...don't worry, this horribly staged photo isn't our apartment!

- Cage Pendant Lights, Etsy shop EDLShop // Pendant using an Ikea Bracket idea from Remodelista

- Alpine Bed Frame from CB2

- Les Mis print by Litograph

Rainy Sunday

I love being home, especially when my neighborhood is covered by a cozy grey cloud. Laundry is done, floors are swept, furniture has been de-catified, counters wiped, and all the dishes are clean - WIN - I can take slow sips my coffee, finally hang some more art up on the walls, scour the world wide web for Christmas presents, and watch as many episodes of Breaking Bad as I want! Great weekend.

Sneak Peek: Reupholstered Dining Set

Totally slacking on posting photos of the new space. I have this unrealistic hope that it'll all come together at once (and quickly). So far it isn't happening that way!

Here's a little sneak peek of a close-to-finished nook. I love Jackie's growing collection of botanical illustrations mounted on newsprint. Also, take note of the crown molding! We're growing up!



The dining set was a labor of love. We polished the wood, saved the original labels, and recovered the retro orange seats. I'm not sure if the original seats got itchier with time or if these things were always itchy, but lets just say that they weren't the most comfortable. Not to mention the vintage smell and mysterious stains. It was a huge pain to remove all of the staples (apparently the Swedes love their staples!) and we had to work with a weird latex foam seat that was glued to the wood base. Once we got that out of the way, we covered the seats in a new fabric that was found in the Fashion District in downtown LA. I've been hoarding this amazing cut of Indonesian textile for almost a year and a half and I'm so pleased to see it go somewhere in plain view all the time! I love the vibrant colors and the tribal pattern. Best of all, it's super soft and durable.



On to the next project!

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MORE DETAILS:

Table: Craigslisted off of a really sweet couple in Westchester. The husband found this beauty in a Goodwill and he restored it with Howard's Feed & Wax. We lucked out when it ended up being too large for their new apartment!

Chairs: Found at the legendary Pasadena Rosebowl Flea Market after scouring through dozens of over-priced mid-century dining sets! We got a deal when I noticed that some of the caning was damaged...doesn't bother us, but got us a nice fat discount. We can always restore the caning when we are feeling rich. Or not!

Apartment Crush: Dabito's Los Angeles Home

Apartment Crush alert! Dabito posted photos of a dreamy Santa Monica apartment rental a few months ago, but he also has a beautiful home of his own! In his interview on Apartment Therapy, he explains the details of his creative process. The space looks comfy, colorful and modern and best of all, he created all this on a strict budget! Dabito is a self-proclaimed "vintage vulture" and found most of these items at thrift stores, Craigslist, and flea markets. Talk about an inspiration. He advises, "be patient" when it comes to putting together your home, a tip that I have taken to heart!

We finally got Jackie's beautiful collection of botanical drawings up on the wall this weekend but we still have a box full of art and decor sitting on the floor, waiting to find a home. After filling up millions of holes in the walls of my last apartment, I'm hesitant to start putting holes in my pretty new, blank walls. I've been scouring Pinterest, watching lots of HGTV, and reading my favorite blogs for inspiration, but haven't taken the leap quite yet! Will keep you posted.

Last but not least: For all you Craigslisters out there - ever want a tool that would let you browse CL by image instead of by title? Guess what? That exists!! Check out picclick.com and it'll save you tons of time. Yes, no more clicking through coffee table posts and being disappointed with this.

Spring is here and I'm in project mode! So thankful that I have enough space in my room to conceal a growing mini-tool shed. Funny how my hutch looks pretty & dainty from the outside but contains some tough manly man tools. Some things just aren't as they seem, eh?

Oh! Notable mention #2: see those tapestries in the first picture? I finally put something up on my bare walls! Next big sewing project will probably be re-doing my duvet cover to make it more compatible with the new patterns I brought back from Bali. I have my work cut out for me...

Our apartment has a small mail issue. It tends to pile up on our dining room table...an eye sore considering it's on of the first things your see when you walk in the door. Nothing says "welcome home" than a nice pile of paper. I was inspired to do something about it when I saw this on Pintrest:

I couldn't find a shutter anywhere and wasn't about to pay for someone's old one...so when I saw a pile of wood in our ally (someone's old bedframe?), I decided to put my new dremmel saw to work and build a little something of my own. Now we have somewhere for all those Bed Bath and Beyond coupons and everything else we don't want to toss. Cost? $4 for the spray paint.

Chevron Everywhere!

Oh my, looks like the writer at SeeSaw and I are channeling the same love for chevron these days.

chevron art

sweater dress

...mmm...hmm...

Someone Likes Chevron Patterns

Oi. I've been meaning to post pictures of the new duvet cover that I did for J's rather large platform bed for weeks now. Due to the lack of camera, I'm forced to post yet another icky iPhone picture...Santa, will you please bring me a new digital SLR this year?? Oh please??

If you can bear to overlook the bad photo quality, didn't it turn out awesome? We were going for something unique, soft, and most importantly, something that would hide kitteh hair. It took an afternoon of scouring downtown's fashion district to find the right shades of grey (and you can't even see the cool indigo/purple border) plus a lot of brain power to figure out how to get those angles absolutely correct. A few long nights in the sweatshop and a new snuggle spot for Neko (the black dot in the picture above) was born.

I think he likes it!

I've been working on something

I'll give you a hint:

Hours in the "sweatshop" and I can't wait to share! Fingers crossed that it'll be finished tonight.

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photos credits:
#1: Lena Corwin
#2: Down and Out Chic

Goodbye Wicker!

Ever since Emily, Jackie and I got our table/chair set from a nice Korean lady (Craigslist find!) I've been wanting to replace the seats. Not only were our cats using the wicker as their personal scratching posts, but our chairs would sink down further and shed wicker bits over the years. No bueno.

I had something like this in mind:

[design sponge]

...and was a little discouraged when I couldn't find the right "ikat" (learned this weekend that it's pronounced "eee-kat". Who knew?) Needless to say, my eyes lit up when I stumbled upon this fleur-de-lys-esque pattern in the Joanne's clearance pile. $6 for the fabric, that never happens! I picked up 1"thick upholstery foam from Lincoln Fabrics and had a friend help me cut out wooden seats. Half hour with the staple gun and voila!

*pardon the dark iPhone picture....doing my best with what I have!*

We were so eager to get rid of the wicker seats on these chairs that we didn't even take a "before" picture...I'm sure I can dig one up for the dramatic "before and after" effect.

Now, what to do with the wicker seats? We're considering turning them into a mini cat-scratch tent or box. Anyone else have any other ideas? (I think I become more of a cat lady with each post...)

Getting Artsy Fartsy

Over le weekend, I decided to take a hands on approach to my bare walls.

Inspired by the Bottna Marimekko desktop that has been on my desktop for a few weeks now.

*Big thanks to Jackie (and Neko), my slave labor throughout the whole process!*

With the added space from the move, I'm starting to struggle with fitting in everything I want to do in the small amount of free time I have during the week. I now live much closer to friends, I want to sew a new duvet cover, I'm working on a cardigan/sweater pattern because I inherited 2 rolls of amaaaazing bamboo jersey cotton, I just started a great new book that I can't seem to put down, the beach is only 20ish blocks away, and of course my kitties, True Blood, Dexter on the horizon and Project Runway! What is a girl to do? I don't understand boredom in this city.

for my family

A sad attempt at a panoramic/stitched view of the new room. Spacious and bright...do you see the beginning of my sewing area? The essentials *dress form, sewing machine, guitars and cat tree* made it to the room first.

Now when you imagine me typing and sewing, you have a good visual.

For you unannounced blog readers, you too, have an accurate visual of my thinking space. I kinda feel a little exposed.

New Headboard

Hallelujah, we're finally moving into a larger apartment!

New apartment means bigger bed for Naomi, which also means...new project.

I've been scrounging around for cool bedframe/headboard ideas. Bored with the IKEA options and depressed by the Crate and Barrel/Restoration Hardware prices, I'm resorting to making my own headboard. DesignSponge recently showcased an awesome $20 recycled door-turned-headboard and it got my wheels spinning. Some sandpaper, elbow grease, and paint...and voila! Easy enough.

This beautiful Thos Moser Vita Bed Frame also gets my heart beating faster and faster. Hmm...handy carpenter/furniture making friends, do you think I (rather, WE) can pull this off?

Everything Thos Moser is amazing. For those of you who also suffer from a furniture porn addiction, beware...and click here if you know what's good for you!

TGIF

I'm moving into my new office tomorrow! Construction at work is nearing an end...slowly.

It feels like I've been in my temporary spot for years. I've been sharing a conference room table with a "roomie", three computers, lots of wires, paper and a laserjet printer. Not to mention guitars, guitars and more guitars. The arrangement held its charm for a while, but now it's feeling just a wee bit crowded.

I'm lucky enough to have scored an office with a window and a large desk. Knack just posted this Owl Paper Holder on their Etsy page and I'm very tempted to make it mine. Hoo wouldn't want this cute little thing? Ok ok...

I already have tricks up my sleeve to make my own space a little more organized and, more importantly, personalized - I spend 40+ hours a week at the office after all, right? It's all about the little touches that doesn't make it seem like a dorm room, but distinguishes it as ME.

Par exemple, imagine these on a cork-board held with a vintage frame and canvas backing?

 

Twig Push pins on Design is Mine

A Valentine "Before and After"

Before:

After: 

I wish you could feel this fabric. The damask pattern is actually a super soft red velvet - for only $15 a yard, this project was a steal!  Jackie saved this chair from the curb outside her work and it had been sitting in our living room for a while (sound familiar?) but we finally got around to reupholstering it and giving it away. This post is a little late, but we couldn't give away the surprise!

Next up? Our dining table. We plan on sand papering, re-painting, taking the wicker out of the chairs and replacing it with soft cushions.

The After

 

 Introducing: The AFTER.

We're REALLY happy with how this turned out. So chic, surprisingly rockstar and flashy...but in a good way (not to mention it's super comfy! None of us wanted to actually sit in it before).  There's definitely a funny eclectic vibe in our apartment with this new addition. We're young, we can get away with it!

This second wingback chair was so easy compared to our experience with the first one. Maybe it's just a learning curve or maybe it's because this chair was upholstered professionally in the first place (in fact, we learned lots of new techniques just by taking the darn thing apart!) Either way, this has just confirmed and reinstated our enthusiasm for bringing nasty furniture back to life. We have TWO more pieces in our "pipeline"/queue. 

If you missed the awful "BEFORE" picture, here it is for your viewing pleasure:

...success!

PS: If you're wondering, yes, that is tape on the top edges - we have to deter the kitties from tearing this one apart!

Mega Doily

Hardwood floors are great when you have a small apartment and two kittehs. But, it's a little hard on the knees and bare feet! We've been on the lookout for a great shag rug, preferably a round one...but they're so darn expensive. Story of our lives.

When we saw this MEGADOILY rug, we knew that this would be a good compromise for us. Plus, now that we've discovered the wonders of the fashion district, I bet we could find lots of cheap, big soft rope.

found via Commas and Clauses

Design Crush

designer Reiko Kaneko

My goodness this is smart, why didn't I think of it first? The contrast of the wooden lampshade and the glitz of the disco-ball effect makes this lamp a quintessential item in that some-day dream house of mine.

designer dana cannam

Lately, I've been fascinated with smart, clean, functional design. This clamp lamp, designed by Dana Cannam, is made "compression fit" - meaning no glue, screws or nails. It has a free-moving LED strip and sets the bar high for industrial design in its most purest form.

Sometimes I wish we did the education system in America like they do in Europe or Australia. After graduating high-school, why not give us a year or two to explore what really makes our heart beat. If I had known that industrial design or interior design was something I could get a degree in, who knows where I might be? Parents, don't freak out - Pepperdine was 100% an amazing choice and I love my job. More on that later. Just thinking about what could have been...

Both photos found at Design Sponge

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

A couple posts ago, I mentioned that we wanted to create an-anthroesque holiday window display for our apartment's front window.  We've been working long and hard on our snowflake-cutting skills - it's more difficult than you think! - and we dedicated our post-Thanksgiving Saturday afternoon to assembling a recycled tree.

Ta-da!

Can you spot Moby?  He loves to hide under the tree!

Well, what do you think?!

We were thrilled to put together something out of materials that we already had lying around the apartment - all it took was paper bags, tissue paper, and an old tomato plant basket (a win-win situation because we were able to put a nice dent in our paper bag collection hiding behind the fridge!)  We'll be adding more snowflakes throughout December and maybe some presents. Ahh I love the holidays.  Time for some hot chocolate!

A Completed Bedroom

I've always loved paper lanterns. They're whimsical, light, airy, oriental, and they give off an amazing glow. We found a place online (Asian Import Store) that sells tri-socket cords, which means less wires for more lights! Perfect.

Anxiously waiting for our online order to arrive, I "sketched" out how it might look in Jackie and my bedroom:

Here's how it turned out:

And in the living room:

Real Simple, ready to hire me yet?