Adding drapes to warm up the space

 When most rooms have 3 or four windows it becomes quite a project adding drapes to a given room. Four curtain rods and four sets of drapes can really add up in no time.
Oh well what can I say my house has a lot of windows.
I picked up off white Ritva drapes from Ikea for $29 a pair , I know what a bargain right!
This is how I like drapes to be installed , no ties or hold backs, no strange location of the drapes , drapes should frame the window NOT BLOCK the window , you want the light to come in , shades or blinds can give you privacy and light control. Drapes just sit still and are pretty. They add softness and warmth to a room.

 I also found an equally good deal on drapery rods , $27 a rod set from Home depot , they are the Martha Stewart black beehive rods and finials.

 I install my rods at least 4" ( this works well with the Ritva drapes length) above the casing and each rod extends out 8". This isn't always possible depending on where your walls are located but it is a good rule of thumb that I find typically gives a great result which is adding height and framing the window.

Looky here! I went to see what a new thrift store had to offer , well turns out nothing much until I spied these two beautiful lamps for $10 each , no lamps shades but still a great deal. They are in perfect condition and have a crackle finish. I was so happy to find such nice lamps and the right scale for the dining room.

Have a happy weekend, it sure is cold outside , feels like a weekend to hunker down and laze around....

OH yeah I have some exciting news to share. Style at Home is coming soon to photograph my kitchen , this is a real thrill ! I have always dreamt of having my design in Style at Home....

Trip to Ikea

 I took a recent trip to Ikea to pick up some goodies like drapes a new slipcover and some frames for the family room.
I did go ahead and buy the Abyn Blue striped cover as it fit my style and was a great deal especially since now I am not thinking of buying a new sofa , our ektorp sleeper sofa is in great shape it just needed a new dress pretty, amazing for an Ikea sofa that is 10 years old.

 I was worried my husband wasn't going to like it , since he is not one for stripes , but I find striped slipcovers very forgiving and it added interest. I even had my doubts when I went to pick it up. But we love it , both of us, it is just what the room needed.

 I also picked up the Ribba frames , the biggest ones they had, 39"x 27" , I just need to get my image printed. The frames really fill this wall well, smaller would be under scaled.

Fresh , new, coastal , love...

50% paint color

Ok up until this week I have only heard of people using paint colors at 50%, now what does that mean ? Well when a color is made using universal tints by a computer at a paint counter it is done is measured out predetermined amounts. When you ask for 50% strength of a color they punch that into the computer.
 Let's say your color requires 40 yellow 30 blue and 20 black for the purposes of example only , 50% of that color would be 20 yellow 15 blue and 10 black added to a can of untinted paint. That's it .
For me I loved the color and tone of BM revere pewter but it seemed too dark for the look I wanted so I thought maybe at 50% strength it would be perfect , it seemed a better option than trying to find a totally different color.
So if you like a color but think its too dark or deep or bright , try it out at 50% , I swear they will know what your asking for at the paint desk.

Without further ado... Revere Pewter at 50%

these photos were not edited or altered to show the truest color possible, the photos were taken around 10 am

This room is now 40% complete so it is still a work in progress , but the painting is finished, I used BM revere pewter at 50% strength

I wanted to keep an over all light look , I was looking for an non color color, and that is just what I got, it is a soft warmer grey a great neutral.

We still need to tackle removing the carpet and installing wood flooring and finding a large area rug. That will be fun .

So what do you think? Sometimes when I am at the Home Depot paint counter I am in complete shock at the colors people choose to paint their walls, intense and I mean intense colors seem to be a big seller, which is why I get questioned by the paint associates when they see my paler shades.
I always say the wall color should not be the first thing you see , it should be the background. Although I am loving my deep blue slate dining room I would not be able to live with that kind of intensity every where, I crave light and airy most of all.

One more time this paint color is Benjamin moore's Revere Pewter in flat , mixed in CIL dulux paint at Home Depot.

faux fur and paint

two days after Christmas this faux fur blanket was delivered to my front door, isn't it lovely?

this is was my prize for winning the HGTV.ca holiday decorating contest

I feel so lucky , this faux fur blanket is stunning

it is a Gluckstein home blanket

 Moe loves it too , I think he's found his momma

 its about time to figure out the paint colors , so there is a lot of this going on, these were all wrong, too "colory"

 this is better , the middle is Revere pewter BM, and the others are Revere Pewter 50%, which is what I went with , its perfection, full strength it was too deep for the look I want

just one more wall to paint in the family room , then I can move onto wall art and a new slipcover old green stripe has got to go...

my plans are to print out this graphic and to create a tryptic , I love it . I will get large white frames and mattes , the hard part will be choosing which color...but it's just a plan so you never know what will happen....the other option is black and white photography of course

I have my eye on the striped slipcover at ikea but my husband doesn't love it , but I really think it will work...mostly everything is simple and neutral so maybe this will add a little happiness, I don't want to over do it with solids...

hope you're having a great start to the new year, I'm trying to get back on track with health and weight, its always my battle....sometimes I give up , but no more , I'm not gonna give up , that's my plan...

cozy drama for the dining room

 I have been considering a deep shade for the dining room, and New Year's Eve day I decided was the perfect day to try the shade of paint called School House Slate a Martha Stewart. I think a dining room is a good room to create an intimate cozy feeling, dining rooms are for drama.

 I plan on adding box beams to the ceiling eventually but that is a big project for mild temperatures , painting is an easy one day transformation.

 I am so thrilled with the color , it is a smoky blueish grey tone. I could use this color again.

before

I have to start figuring out what colors I will be painting the other rooms, next maybe our bedroom, but I have lots of trim work to do in there first. There is always so much to do in a new house...the living room needs some love. I can't wait to get all the wood flooring finished on the main floor , I hate carpet in the dining room. But these things take time.


I hope you had a Happy New Year and have a great 2013.