Monthly Archives: July 2012

DIY Striped Runner

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Posted by on in Design, Projects, wedding

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Several weeks ago I found this great inspiration photo on Pinterest and immediately pinned it to my Wedding Ideas board to contemplate a DIY project. As we’re planning the wedding I’ve been working on establishing a budget for the different pieces of a wedding (as best I can at this point). To cut down on costs, I’m looking to DIY several projects and buy decor at wholesale cost when it’s available (for our design ideas, see my post on Wedding Decor).

One website I’ve found to help me in my crusade to buy decor on the cheap is Save on Crafts. They have everything from shepherd hooks to vases to bulk candles to burlap.  I recently spotted a listing for 10 yards of burlap runner and bought it so I could try to DIY the look above. We had blue paint on hand so all I had to do was tape it off with washi tape and start painting!

Step 1: Tape off 30 feet of burlap. This is a bit tedious but worth it in the end. Tip: I suggest using Washi tape because it is the perfect size to achieve the look above. The center stripe is 1 1/4’’ long and the two smaller ones are 1/2’’.  Step 2: paint and watch it dry. I usually would use craft paint, but we had a fair amount of Mythic organic paint leftover so I decided to use that.IMG_3458

Step 3:  Admire your work! It really didn’t take very long to tape, paint and dry. I think the end result is great and definitely makes an $11 runner look like something from Pottery Barn. Adding a little detail to basic pieces can make a big statement, especially when our table pieces will be quite simple.

IMG_3472After the paint dried, I couldn’t resist setting up some mock table center pieces to see how it looked. Nothing’s final yet, but here are some of the looks we’re considering:

Option #1IMG_3465

Option #2IMG_3467

Option #3IMG_3470 What do you think? Do you have a favorite look? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Apartment Tour

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Posted by on in Design, moving

After three weeks of unpacking we can officially say we’re settled in! Our apartment no longer looks like a disaster zone and I am much less stressed because things are organized and put away. I’ve included some shots of the apartment below.  I’ve had a few people ask where I purchased some of our decor pieces, so I’ve included a few notes about that as well. Here’s the official tour:

Floor plan for our apartment

2D Floor Plan image 1 for the Chestnut 1 Bed Floor Plan of Property 100 West Chestnut Apartments

Living Room/Dining Room

blog collage 1

blog collage 2 The Bar

Open Book Shelf

Kitchenblog collage 3

Bedroom

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Even though I’ve moved four times in as many years, I always forget how long it takes to feel like you’re settled in a place. The plan is to call this place home for the next three years while James is in law school. It’s nice to have a more permanent living arrangement, but I still yearn to escape apartment living and reside in a house. Until then, we’ll love our home on the 28th floor and see how we manage to store the Christmas decor in our closets as it expands over the next three years! :)

Ikea 2013

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Posted by on in Design, shopping

Ikea’s 2013 catalogue has arrived! I’ve already spotted about 10 things I’ve love to buy. Here’s a spotlight on a few of the products from the catalogue.

BEKKESTUA headboard

I love headboards. They do wonders to make the room look a little more put together. A very simple and easy way to make your bedroom look “grown up.”

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Harnosand oversized armchair

For three years I’ve wants an oversized reading chair. There’s something about an oversized chair that calls me to.  It usually says, “grab a blanket, a book and cup of chai tea and you’ll be in heaven.”  It works every time. We don’t have the room for one so I’ll likely be yearning for my chair for another three years until we’re able to look at buying a house. 

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Floating shelves are a great way to change out the decor in your home while keeping the big pieces in places. Though most of these accessories aren’t Ikea, the frames definitely are. 

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The new line of lampshades and fabric are vibrant and bold—a great way to make your living room pop.

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There’s lots more to check out. Head on over to Ikea and flip through their online catalogue. Ikea 2013