Update Your Artwork

 Two inexpensive framed prints hung over the tv.  As I was sitting watching the Patriots play the Jets my mind wandered and the next thing I knew I was reconfiguring what was inside the frames.

 Our dog collection was such a family hit that I decided to take two pictures out of a big coffee table book we have about dogs and replace the cottage prints to go along with the developing theme in the room. You can do this with any old artwork you are tired of~complete sets of coordinated artwork awaits inside these big coffee table books.

This big book on dogs came from Costco. I looked through the book to select the breeds and the composition that I thought would work best.

 Trim the picture to size after removing it from the book.  I used the old print as a rough template.

 This dog photograph is going to look better than these sweet beach cottage prints.

 Take a razor and cut the brown paper covering over the back of the print.

Peel back the layers. The inside print is held in place by cardboard and staples....very easy to bend back and remove the print, and then replace with your selection.

Here is the first dog~the wonderful golden retriever! One of my favorite breeds of dogs.

I forgot to mention to hold the print in place with painters tape.

Seal the edge with the same tape and then hang the picture back up on the wall.  This project took 15 minutes.

I continued watching the game~but was able to take pics for the blog post at the same time.

There was a bit of glare so it was hard to get a nice shot...but it looks great.  It looks like I bought them that way.  Rethink your tired framed artwork and get a new look quickly and on  a budget.

Sunday football and decorating do go together!

Is your drapery fabric outdated?

I remember falling in love with this classical floral when I saw it in the fabric store.  It was on a soft green background and had classical motifs or urns and scrolls and plenty of pink roses.  It would be the perfect fabric for my bungalow living room curtains.  A green onion ball fringe would trim the valance and I would use the color of the scrolls and urns in a check for the lining.  These window treatments were the inspiration for the room.  The year was 2005.  In only 6 years I have grown tired of this fabric, even though I still consider it pretty.  So why was I tired of it?  The answer is that the trend in home design on windows was less pattern and fuss at the windows.  Pattern was being used in smaller doses, and so the overall larger and bolder floral patterned curtains were wearing out their welcome.  Plainly, people were getting sick of them!  

Take a look at this display of custom treatments at Zimmans.  Zimmans is a local venue outside of Boston,  that sells fabrics, trims and custom draperies as well as decorator style furnishings.  Why do you think all of the treatments are made up in solids on their display?  For one reason, you can better determine the shape and the construction because there is no pattern to distract you.  The other reason is because you will less likely have a negative opinion of the treatment since it is done in a solid fabric.  These treatments will outlast any treatment done in a pattern.  Solids are going to be less tiresome over the long run.  Florals will be the most tiresome over the long haul~and in between are the geometrics.  Geometric patterns include stripes and checks and plaids.  The less bold the colors and contrast, the longer they will hold their appeal.  

This dining room has London shades done in a bold buffalo check of white, grey and black. I installed this over 5 years ago, and it still feels fresh. What makes this room keep current is the fabulous chandelier that is a little steampunk mixed with vintage details.  The dining room chairs should be changed out, but the window treatments are still great!

A reader sent me this image of a Traditional Home book featuring the bold yellow buffalo check draperies.  She has the opportunity to get these draperies and is worried that they might be dated.  So I got to pondering this interesting question from the view point of the consumer~the one who is going to shell out the money for custom made draperies and doesn't want it to be a bad investment.  The answer is that the room has to be current as well as the draperies.  Above, a frenchy chair done in a citrus yellow upholstery fabric elevates the room into "today" instead of "yesterday".  Some simple things to consider when it comes to custom draperies, is that in general terms there are things that are outdated:

1. Large garden florals
2. Draperies with tassels and fringes
3. Elaborate top treatments, particularly swags and jabots
4. Draperies that are puddled. Extra length is fine, but severe puddling is yesterday

Tips for keeping your draperies at the windows for the longest time:

1. Natural fabrics like silk and linen
2. Solids are best, or patterns with only 2 colors
3. Classic style, such as stripes, checks, damask, toile or paisley patterns
4. Lined and interlined is best for longevity
5. Colors in the neutral zone, grey, beige, taupe, creme, ivory, and white
6. Drapery style~floor length panels or roman shades.  
7. Simpler trims like banding or cording. Heavy tassels are appropriate for certain styles.

It is easier to paint a wall and a lot cheaper, than to change out your draperies.  That is why you will see a lot of custom draperies done in neutral colors. Most of the work I do these days are classic panels or roman shades that fit the criteria above.  

This is a recent treatment I did with a classic motif done in two colors.  I did use a trim, but it was an updated style that had a lot  of personality.  I like using trims on roman shades because they are such a flat treatment.

This elaborate treatment broke almost of the guidelines above.  However there are exceptions to every rule. In this case, the client was quite determined to have draperies that were over the top and trimmed in an extravagant way.  We used yards and yards of peach and copper silk, gilded poles and crystal trims and organza beaded banding.  She was head over heels for her new curtains as they fulfilled her vision of  what she wanted for her home.

When I get sick of my overly patterned and colorful draperies I put them in my Etsy shop for someone else to enjoy.  These yellow chinoiserie Londons didn't last very long in my house.  They still sell this fabric at Calico Corners, and it might be right for someone. These were the result of an impulse buy~and now they are for sale.  This is the example of what you don't want to have happen when you do your own draperies. 

Personally I know I am going to make some floral chintz draperies for some room in my house. I also know that there is the chance I could probably retire them in less than 5 years. (I actually think chintz is going to come back, and in a big way!)  Do you have tired outdated draperies, or are you not quite sure?  You can send me a pic and ask for my opinion, and I will give it to you straight up!  So to my reader who asked what makes a curtain outdated, and should she go with the yellow check?  I say YES~ just make sure the other elements in the room feel current, and I think you will love the look!

To see some of my other custom window treatments, click here.

In a kitchen mood...

 All of these kitchens are in my pinterest file called "kitchens to love"~

 and they each have something that caught my eye~

 so for the weekend while I continue to work on my kitchen~

 I wanted to share these kitchens from my love file with you!

 to see more kitchens~

 you can go to my pinterest file and see other inspiring kitchens~click here!

Vintage sink is in the house!

 Bright and early this morning, Mr. Maison Decor and I traveled to the town next doors and found the location of where this fabulous '40s era sink was stashed.  It was in a cellar of an old duplex.  Joe, the seller told us to wait around back by the bulkhead door and he would go inside and unlock the basement door.

 This was the bulkhead door.  Yes, it really is a "door".  Anyway, I had to snap a quick pic when Joe ran inside to open the doors...it was all too funny and weird.  If you are buying things off of Craiglist, I would only recommend you go to the pickup with someone, and when we stood in front of the creepy door, I was so glad I had Mr. MD with me!

 Joe mentioned that this sink came out of this house that was built in the '40s. Since it was a duplex, there were two, and one he had just put in front along the curb and it was snapped up quickly.  I was glad I was standing in front of the creepy cellar bulkhead, waiting to get my prized sink. I didn't take any pics inside the cellar, because I thought Joe would think I was weird.  The sink had two marks and I was disappointed to see them, but he told me the price was negotiable, so we settled on $75.  We quickly carried the sink out to the car and loaded it up.

 The stuff around the holes is old putty. The two marks are near the inner front edge of the sink.  Mr. MD said we could have it resurfaced if I wanted....I am not that much of a perfectionist.  To my way of thinking, I don't have to worry about making the first chip anymore.

 So here it is, up on my sideporch, so the junk man doesn't come along and steal this, like they did my bike.

This is the faucet I ordered online for the sink. My hearts desire is the bridge style faucet.  That is what I will have when I finally have my forever home with my forever real marble counters, and my Shaws farmer sink.  Since, I wanted a vintage feel, but I also wanted a pull down sprayer and a one lever control I picked out this faucet style. Its kind of chunky and has that goose neck shape I associate with vintage styling.  I will be using an escutcheon plate to cover the 3 holes as we will use only one.

Me, sisters Ellen and Susan, cousin Christine

Now we will be getting to the rest of the countertop installation and then the sink will go in, and after that, the faucet.  I'll keep you updated, you can count on that! In the meantime, I was able to enjoy a visit from my sister Susan and her twin daughters, from Kansas City, and one of my favorite cousins who came out to join us for the day.

Vintage Cast Iron Sinks

My kitchen is getting a mini-remodel.  The plan is for me to like my kitchen more~and so that involved painting cabinets white and having a marble counter top and apron front sink. However all of that expense isn't justified when we won't be staying here forever.  I do love a challenge, and the thing I find most rewarding is coming up with a solution on a budget that lights my fire. I know I am not alone in my thinking on this.  It is so exciting when you can think outside the box a little bit and come up with something that is wonderful.  This post is about vintage porcelain enamel over cast iron sinks with attached drain boards.  This style sink is my solution to the apron sink I wanted, but was not going to get.  Have you seen these sinks?  They were common in the post war era of the 40s and 50s and were found attached to metal kitchen cabinets ready, all ready to go.

This beauty, above, in mint green is a humdinger, don't you think? It is 58" wide x 21" deep with a big apron and backsplash of over 8".  The cost is $1295, which is a bit more that I would want to pay, but have you ever run across a sink like this?

This is the kind of sink I have been looking for on Craigslist.  If it comes with the metal cabinet, I will just remove the sink top and take the metal cabinet to the junk yard for cash.  

I spotted this one for sale at $150 so I was totally pumped!  When the seller returned my email he told me it had been sold. This was the perfect layout, with a single bowl on the left and the drain board on the right. This would work in my kitchen. Hoping I could find another one, I started the Craigslist search all over again.

Bam! I have always considered myself lucky, and sure enough, this sink was just listed and in the town next door to mine, and for a "best offer" price.  I waited hopefully for his return email (why don't they put their phone number in the ads??) and sure enough it was still for sale.  I offered him $100 and he said fine!  So tomorrow morning Mr. MD and I are heading over to pick it up.  The dimensions  are 42" wide x 25" deep with a sink bowl that is 22x17 and a 3" backsplash.  The image shows what appears to be a piece of duct tape holding one of the flanges to the sink.  He said it was in great condition!! Please let this be true...I will find out tomorrow.

Have you ever considered using an old sink instead of going to the big box stores and picking one out? I found a website that offers these sinks and much more.  The actual store location is in the Boston area, but they do offer shipping.  However, Craigslist pricing is soooo much better.  For example, the sink above is a 1949 Kohler sink and costs $835!  Mine is $100. Enough said, right?!  Just perusing the This Old Tub and Sink website can give you lots of ideas for a mini vintage face lift for your kitchen.  They even have vintage faucets. 

This is a 1946 cast iron American Standard double sink for $565.  It is 42" wide x 22" deep. It really is fun looking at these old sinks. I can't wait to get my old sink and have Mr. MD install it.  The vintage appeal it will bring to our kitchen is undeniable.  Keeping my fingers crosses and the vision in my head, until we meet again!

Kitchen Counters Arrived

Mr. Maison Decor helps the delivery guy bring in the new countertops we had ordered just 7 days earlier!

I wanted to change the look of my kitchen on a budget and had been doing just that by painting out the maple cabinets with chalk paint to a creamy white color. Inspired by the difference that made I couldn't help but not love the laminated countertops that remained. Since this house is not where we plan to spend our dying days, I decided to try the new 180fx Formica laminate in Calacutta Marble finish.  Well aware that these counters would still be formica, but hoping for a big bang for the buck, I placed the order. No less than 5 days later I got a call scheduling the delivery!  We hadn't taken any steps to prepare yet, thinking we had three weeks.

So this is how Saturday went over at Maison Decor~8:30 am the counters arrive.

9 AM and the "slabs" are stacked in my dining room.  Honestly, my heart sank when I saw that the edge I selected was the tell tale Formica looking edge. When I picked out the edge originally I had selected a preformed edge that was slightly rounded.  If I had real marble, I wanted a flat squared off edge~and the sample had a picture showing the kitchen just like that, and you couldn't detect any seams.  The kitchen "expert" encouraged me to go with the "custom square edge" instead of the preformed edge...a decision I totally regret.  Now, in the grand scheme of things, this is not something to lose sleep over...after all, it is just a counter top.  However if you were to use this product, do not do as I did~go with a preformed edge style so you don't have a dark seams screaming "FORMICA" at you when you look at it.  Mr. MD suggested just starting the counters by removing the smaller section of counter top right away and see how it looks.  I was quite happy to get to the ripping out and thought, perhaps it will look better in place.

 I cleared out the cabinets so we could unscrew the tops from the bases.

 They came off very easily~my number one helper removed the old top.

 Gone~the old speckled counter tops are history now! I still had to paint the base cabinets back to white.

First we were going to plonk the new counter top in position and see how it looked.

9:30 AM:  Not that thrilled, honestly~but what I usually do when I get that not so thrilled feeling, is just keep forging ahead, hoping it will look better when all the components are in place~and in this case, that meant white cabinets, and a bead board back splash.  The other problem that presented itself was that the new counter was higher than the old one, so we needed to raise the stove, which Mr. MD set out to do while I painted the cabinets back to white. 

10:00 AM:  But before I would start the cabinet painting I thought I would use the roll of bead board wallpaper I had on hand for the back splash area. I couldn't stand the thought of waiting to go to the lumberyard and making the cuts and applying the wood backing, when I knew I could have it all bead-boarded up before lunchtime.  The walls needed to be sized and dried so I did that next and then got to painting the cabinets. I knew that if the wallpaper was not that great, I could always do the real bead board later.  I also had to bake cupcakes because I was going to a party at my sisters house that afternoon, and I was bringing the desert! 

Yes, I am a multi-tasker. You can see I got the cabinets painted, and I loved how that looked.

10:30 AM:  Its feeling messy and chaotic in here~not the look I am envisioning...but forge ahead girl I said to myself.  Trust the vision...

12:00 PM:  As soon as the beadboard wallpaper went up, I breathed a sigh of relief.  I could live with this, and quite happily I might add.  The kitchen was being transformed into a light bright space, and the marble formica was looking pretty good!  I set up a transferware plate to see how it would feel, and it made me feel very good!

I mean, after comparing it to the old,  wouldn't you be happy with this improvement? 

So that is where we stand at the moment.  The other counter top involves sink removal and cutting out of the opening for the sink in the new Formica.  We also have to remove and reconfigure the run of cabinets next to the fridge.  If we have a stretch of rainy weather, that means my number one helper will be available to get to work instead of doing his excavation gig.  Praying for rain now! I'll be sharing the progress as it comes~

linking to 

                                                                               and 

http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/2011/10/white-wednesday-120.html
and
http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2011/10/wow-us-wednesdays-34.html