The Estate of Things

A TEOT reader Courtnay writes,

Hi! I’m looking to buy a vintage (or at least “faux vintage”) chalkboard that I can attach to my refrigerator. Any suggestions on where I could find one?

Hi Courtnay,

It takes a village to raise a little home decor blog…

I arrived at my real job this morning, first checking real job email then TEOT mail.  I found that my TEOT mailbox had been slightly blown up with loads of suggestions from three different readers.

One reader suggested Etsy seller, Bohtieque, as a great source for an affordable gift.  if you have a big family or a lot of friends to buy for, you might consider Bohtieque’s huge selection of custom mailing labels. Wouldn’t this be a great gift for your child’s teacher?

Bregan from The Lead Chandelier emailed us and directed our attention to the beautiful and popular Julia dress by Calypso that has seriously been discounted. She suggested wearing it for a holiday party which I think is a good idea but I also think its a great winter getaway dress or perfect for the summer. You can find this dress on Ebay too!

And finally a gift wish from Alia of Sweetshorn Vintage, she offers the qualifier that this is considered an indulgent gift wish but it is… drumroll……straight from the set of the Golden Girls, wallpaper inspired by Blance Devereaux’s bedroom.  It’s called Martinique and its available at Designer Wall Coverings. I have to say Alia, this is slightly obscure. Does this request set the tone for the rest of your list?  Martinique has been spotted in numerous spots in the magazine world.

Thank you for being a friend

The following email came in and we of course would love to help our friend in Austin.  She writes,

So, I’ve bought my first house and have a little case of nesting to deal with. Namely, I want to replace my ultra cool and super uncomfortable living room furniture with new, stylish (let’s say I lean towards some sort of Romantic Modern sense of design) and hopefully affordable furnishings. I want a couch you can lounge on, an oversized chair you can curl up into and probably a third piece to square things off. My dilemma, besides a budget, is that I love the clean structure of modern furniture, but I also want comfort. Here are some of my initial crushes. I live in Austin, TX and plan to consider consignment as well as new pieces. So, I was hoping TEOT could come to my rescue.

These were some of our Texan friend’s likes,

Image includes: Button Sofa from Eurway , Tufted Ottoman from UO, Velvet Pouf from UO, Antoinette Fainting Sofa from UO in Lime and Carribean, Floor Cushion Platform from UO, Petrie Sofa from Crate & Barrel, The Nines Sofa from Crate & Barrel,  Vintage Leather from Craigslist

I have to tell you that black leather vintage sofa on Craigslist scared me and for some reason I thought of Lizzie Borden almost immediately, what does that say about me? But I loved the velvet and the slim-lined sofas that our Texan chose.

After seeing all the velvet the Texan liked at Urban Outfitters I immediately thought of this image from Domino.

I sent it to her and she agreed that the image from Domino exemplifies the style she wants to move toward. Let’s do it, part II to come.

John wrote in with a search that he’d like to ask TEOT readers to help him with. John is looking for some sheets he saw on an old episode of Six Feet Under. By the way John, Six Feet Under is one of my all time favorite shows.

The sheets are from a scene with Brenda and Nate and if you watched the series you may remember that Nate spent a significant amount of time at Brenda’s house. I’m guessing the sheets were on Brenda’s bed.

John describes the sheets as having a white background with a large colorful (autumn) leaf print. Garnet Hill came to mind first but because it’s not fall I didn’t think I would find them there.  And they weren’t there but I’ll bet something like that will show up in the fall. Crate & Barrel surfaced next and this is what I found there (all Lehtimaja by Marimekko),

Plow & Hearth Sears

I got excited about this but quickly realized Glenna Jean only makes this Latte line for cribs

I also had a hunch that it might be Amenity. They use a lot of modern, natural prints. But no luck there.

This is a nice set from Alenska but still not John’s sheets.

Has anyone got any ideas for John? He would appreciate any and all suggestions, or maybe you know exactly what sheets John saw on Six Feet.

Thanks for your question John! If anyone else out there has any other questions send us an email and title it Dear TEOT, we’re happy to drop it into the public forum.

Suzy recently purchased the Mexican bedspread from Laviva Home.  She purchased it with the intention of using it as just that–a bedspread.  This was the first element she bought in an effort to recreate her bedroom.

Paper Scissors Oranges via Design Sponge

use of a similar textile as tablecloth in Lili Diallo’s apartment, Domino & Living Etc

This piece is beautiful in the picture but let me just say it is even more striking in person.  It certainly has the power to command the room.

There are many elements that Suzy needs to retain in the room because she doesn’t want to part with some or can’t take on the expense of replacement.

• Dark, carved furniture
• Green ceramic gourd lamps
• neutral, microfiber chaise
• TV
• carpet

She plans on painting the room Benjamin Moore’s “Soft Chamois” which is a creamy white. This will make what is already a big room feel even more open.  The creamy white will give her a neutral back drop so that she can express color through the bedspread and other accessories.  I don’t think she has settled on a trim color yet and she will most likely continue the same color on the ceiling.

Suzy’s question is– how can I incorporate the elements that I have now and combine them with some new accessories?

My first thought after hearing Suzy’s question, was of Sheila Bridges’ vibrant, apple green bedroom.

TEOT recommends the first thing Suzy do when starting her bedroom redo, is to edit out what she doesn’t want any more.  Remove everything that doesn’t really contribute or you’ve just been holding on to. Keep only the things that will contribute to the new vibe in your room.  If you don’t want to get rid of something maybe it could have a new home somewhere else in the house.

Pictures of Suzy’s bedroom to come.

Sara Story design via Desire to Inspire

One of our readers, Diana, asked us to source some storage boxes so she can neatly store all of her favorite design mags. I decided to do a whole post because I too need a lot of storage boxes because the office in our house now has a lot of open shelving and we need to organize the mess. Click on the images to link to item.

So the search will obviously begin at IKEA where you’ll find a range of storage boxes, some flimsier than others.

1. Emu, great for storing CDs or DVDs

2. Snack box

3. Strikt Magazine box (cotton)

4. Mackis (customize to make it any color you like)

5. Knuff magazine file (at $4.99 and wooden, this one is my pick!)

6. Dokument (mesh)

West Elm typically offers some colorful and coordinated paper storage.

Canvas magazine butler, $22

Lacquer Box Set, Crate & Barrel

Bigso Office Collection, Crate & Barrel

Lacquer Set, Lille

Stockholm magazine file (on sale!), The Container Store

White XL magazine file, The Container Store

Bisley 5-drawer cabinet, The Container Store

Magazine boxes (great color choices!), See Jane Work

Wire magazine holder, See Jane Work

Mix in some prints, Large Document Box, See Jane Work

Other places worth searching:

Amazon

Target

TJ Maxx

Home Goods

Tuesday Morning

Poster from the home of Audrey Mascina and Jerome Sans, The Selby

My friend Kristin keeps asking me to come over and help her figure out what to do with several areas in her new apartment. Kristin has a problem that many people face as renters. How can I give my apartment with hospital white walls and mini-blinds some pizazz.

Kristin used to work in radio and during that time she amassed quite a collection of concert posters. She doesn’t want to get rid of of them and some of them she cherishes.

In the absence of a large wall in the apartment, where can she display her collection?

My recommendation was to hang them salon style above her bed. This is the biggest wall in the apartment. This also solves another problem, what direction should she go in for a color scheme. Hanging the collection over her bed solves both of these problems, she brings in all the colors from all of the different posters in to the room AND a location for the collection has been selected. Since she already has white walls I suggested that the bedding and all other accessories either be white or neutral and rely solely on the posters to carry all the color.

Images from Aaron Rose’s apartment, The Selby

Image from Living Etc

Her second question:

How can I make my desk a little more bedroom friendly?

The only space option for the computer and desk is in her bedroom. Her desk leans a little more toward OfficeMax than she might like.

My suggestion is to find a new desk that functions as both a vanity and a workstation. Kristin will be buying a laptop to replace her desktop soon, so the computer will take up less desk space. I think that West Elm’s Parsons desk could be the remedy. It’s sleek and classic and you could feel just as comfortable sitting at the Parsons surfing the net as you would putting on your makeup in the mirror.

I suggested maybe putting some small bowls (ceramic, woven, wooden etc) out to hold jewelry and a mirror to give it more of a vanity-type feel.  Small mismatch bowls of all descriptions can be picked up a flea markets and thrift stores.

Image from Daisy Cottage

Little Birch Jewelry Stand from Urban Outfitters

After seeing Kristin’s place for myself, I realized that she has quite a mish-mash of personal memorabilia spread throughout the living area and bedroom.  There is an absence of continuity in style, design and color.  To take the first strike at this problem, I suggested that she go through everything including what is stuffed in her closet and begin editing. She should keep the things that are part of her personal history but store them if they don’t contribute to the aesthetic appeal of her space.  Eliminate things that she has been harboring just because. Maybe someone else will enjoy that fairy figurine your friend gave you for your birthday or the iron cross you bought during your short-lived goth phase.

We’ll check in with Kristin later to see how she is progressing with personalizing her space.