Sunny Mood Board Monday

It's Mood Board Monday time again and Sarah at pewter+sage is hosting. Sarah chose for us two bright, bold rugs as inspiration. My pick is this St. John Stripe indoor/outdoor from Dash & Albert. So crisp and clean and perfect for a springtime sunroom.

The centerpiece of my sunroom design is a pair of glossy black bamboo armchairs. They come with off-white seat cushions that I would replace with a crisp white to match the upholstery on the settee. The settee is an attractive choice for both its affordability that offsets the pricier armchairs as well as the clean, graphic lines and airy silhouette that I wanted in all of my seating pieces.

I wanted to give you a better view of the table because I like it so much. It's from Crate & Barrel and it was the top that really sold me. C&B's website describes it like this: "Each tabletop is crafted of molten aluminum, hand-casted in individual sand molds, then cooled and hand-finished with a colored patina. Three layers of hand-applied wax seal and protect." But here's the best part: the table top lifts off and flips from the solid side you see here to a tray-top. Wouldn't it look great filled with white pebbles and piled with potted bulbs or orchids?


To soften all the straight lines of the furniture and rug, I added softness and extended the color palette with a trio of bright pillows, one of them a sunny yellow. More yellow is found in the semi-sheer curtains I would hang all around this three-sided room. Especially during the day but even at night they will bring a warm glow to the otherwise cool color story. They are the "sun" in my sunroom.

The light in my sunroom, at night anyway, will come from a pair of modern lanterns. Matte opal glass is encircled by clear and both fit into a blackened iron framework. Other finishing touches include curvy zinc candlesticks that, at 22" and 25" tall, can sit either on the floor or on a tabletop. A yellow glass bowl on the table brings a bit of sunshine to the center of the room. I would continue to accessorize this room with bits of yellow and white ceramic, and green and aqua glass, perhaps in vases or vintage glass fishing floats.

Of course, no sunroom is complete without loads of potted plants and flowers. Piled on shelves, massed together on the floor and in a grouping on that great tray table, they're the perfect finishing touch for my sunny sunroom.

Hop on over to pewter+sage now to see the other rooms. Click on the image below. Thanks, Sarah, for hosting again! It was fun to dream about spring on yet another rainy weekend.

Click on my board to see sources and pricing. Flower photo is by Gridley & Graves via countryliving.com

Circus Act

Inspired by my recent trip to The Huntington, specifically the lithography exhibit, I decided to re-work one of my mood boards. This early 20th-century reproduction circus poster is going to kick off the new look.

First, let's see what I have to start with . . . this dining room I designed for the Mood Board Monday party I hosted in November 2009. My "clients" were a young couple wishing to entertain friends and business associates in their city apartment.

[click the pic to see the original post]

A pair of striped Bertram arm chairs from Anthropologie inspired the moody purples and greys of the dining room. I think they'll look just as great in a colorful new space inspired by the circus.

Fast forward three years, and my imaginary clients have since moved from the city to a house in the suburbs, one toddler in tow and a baby on the way. No longer desirous of a fancy "adults only" dining room, they've decided to simplify that space in their new home while shifting the pair of chairs into their new family room.

If you look closely at the two rooms, you'll see that I've pulled the grey rug and bar cabinet into the family room too. The cabinet will do a fine job in this room corralling games and project materials for the kids. It's clean, graphic lines look good in the room and its low profile makes it easy for the kids to get into. Plus, I believe most households with children would forgo the bar cabinet for something a little less accessible with regard to liquor storage.

So, I repurposed the chairs, rug and cabinet. Now, what's new? Affordable additions that take into consideration that my clients just put so much money into the purchase of their home. My goal is to find quality, stylish items that won't deplete their bank account and that reflect their new, more casual lifestyle. A hard-wearing, easy to clean navy denim slipcovered sofa is the main seating piece upon which I've piled a trio of pillows. One is textured and grey, another is constructed from a vintage mail sack, and the third is printed with a graphic from a vintage matchbox. The idea of an elephant pillow in a room inspired by a circus poster seems fun and yet this image is not too childlike.


The sofa is flanked by iron and glass end tables (from JCPenney, they're nearly identical to the Tanner tables from Pottery Barn but cost about $100 less per table). On top of those tables is a pair of ceramic table lamps that I love for their patinaed color and chunky base. Even the finial is yellow.

In front of the sofa is a white distressed coffee table. "Distressed" is always a good finish for a busy, kid-friendly room. The white color is good here because it brightens up the center of the room. Of course, if the homeowners choose to, the table can be painted another color when the room is updated or if the table is moved to another space. Other bright spots on top of the dark rug are the blue and orange leather poufs. Leather is super durable and the kids will love hanging out on these. For my mood board, I've chosen poufs from John Derian. They're pricey but come in great colors and the stitching is beautiful. More research might yield a less-expensive alternative but it probably won't have so much style.


Other art and accessory pieces support the bright graphic nature of the circus poster. I definitely want to use at least two—and possibly three or four—of these classically patterned prints, but I'd wait to choose which and how many until I saw the finished room. The metal star adds interest without being yet another framed piece of artwork and the colorfully patterned bowls would look great stacked up on a shelf or tabletop until they're called into action as snack containers. This pretty needlepoint pillow would be placed on only one of the striped chairs to keep them from looking exactly the same.


Here's another look at the new room. What do you think? Could your family have fun in a room that's inspired by the circus? (click on the board below to see sources and pricing)

Have you participated in a Mood Board Monday party yet? Sarah at pewter+sage is hosting the next one this coming Monday, March 8th. Click on the graphic below to see her inspiration items, get your decorator's thinking cap on and join us. Or, at least, stop by on Monday to see all the fun rooms.

If Santa Takes a Break, So Can Mom and Dad... a Mood Board Monday Christmas Story

It's nearing two o'clock on Christmas afternoon. The gifts have been opened, a late breakfast eaten, paper and ribbon and tissue picked up from every corner... and tossed out into the garage to be addressed later. The kids have wandered off to their own corners with new toys and gadgets in hand. The house is quiet and there is just enough time for Mom and Dad to sit for a few minutes with a warm, fortifying cup of coffee. They'll chat about their morning, recalling the joy on their children's faces and the excited commotion that comes with this day. They'll take notice of the wintry landscape outside the window, glad to be in this toasty little nook off the kitchen. They'll congratulate each other for having acquired, after more than ten years' practice, the skills necessary to juggle all the chaos the holidays can bring and still have the ability to sit back and enjoy it.


They'll speak of how thankful they are that their family is happy and healthy and not struggling as much as some in this tough economy. Thankful to have this warm, lovely home they've worked hard to make their own. They're thankful too that dinner this year is close to home, at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Where the usual crowd of aunts and uncles and cousins and friends will gather from near and far to visit and eat and hug and laugh (and eat a little more) and cause even more commotion. But before they round up the kids for baths and party clothes and pack the car with presents, they'll savor these last precious moments of peace and contentment, grateful to be having another happy Christmas.

Today is Mood Board Monday, hosted by Sarah at Pewter+Sage. Of her inspiration pieces, I chose the snowman pillow from Pottery Barn. Hand-painted on linen, I find this pillow charming and whimsical and those are the qualities I wanted to see in the space I designed around it. The room is a sitting area, originally meant to be the breakfast nook, of a farmhouse-style kitchen. Here's how I imagine the kitchen itself might look.


THE DETAILS:

Snowman Linen Pillow Cover, Pottery Barn. $35
Black and White Setee, one of a kind from The Green Plum. $1200
Ivory Curved-back Dining Chair, a pair from Pier 1 Imports. $119x2= $238
Hemnes Table, Ikea. $129
Mini Chandelier, LampsPlus. $129
Lille Clock, Newgate at brandalley.uk.com. $58 (US)
Courtly Check Hand-painted Mugs and Sugar Bowl, MacKenzie-Childs. $90x2+$165= $345
Beadboard Wainscot, Home Depot, installed and painted bright white by Dad. Cost?—who knows—did he keep the receipts?
Burlap-wrapped Faux Pine Trees, three lined up on the windowsill, from Mom's bottomless box of Christmas decor. Priceless.

Click on my mood board to open a larger view and get links to sources. Use the button below to go to Pewter+Sage and view the other mood boards. If this MBM is anything like the previous challenges, you'll see some very creative designs.

The black and white settee on my board, appropriately uplostered in hard-wearing, family-friendly Sunbrella fabric, is from The Green Plum in Salida, Colorado. Owned by Love Where You Live blogger Susan, the store is holding a mood board contest—with some really great prizes—asking entrants to design a space using one of four items from their inventory as inspiration. Because I love how the settee works with the pillow I had already chosen for Sarah's challenge, I used both items on the same mood board and it became my contest entry as well.

There's still time to enter! Susan has extended the contest deadline to Friday, December 11. Go to this post for rules and inspiration items. I know everyone's busy with holiday obligations these days, but maybe this is just the kind of "time out" diversion you need. . . like a coffee break on Christmas day.

Santa calendar page source unknown. Kitchen photo via houseandhome.com.

Mood Boards for Fun and Profit: Sarah's Challenge and Susan's Contest

I interrupt my own series on decorating with collections to bring you news of two fun blogger diversions...

Having taken over the helm of Mood Board Monday with PK's blessing and encouragement, Sarah at Pewter+Sage recently announced the next challenge. All set to host on her beautiful blog, Sarah's inspiration pieces are Christmas pillows, one of which you see above. Take a look at this post, choose a pillow to build a room around and put a board together. Sarah's just-for-fun MckLinky party is scheduled for Monday, December 7th.

Another mood board challenge is being hosted by Susan at Love Where You Live. Not only does Susan write a pretty great blog, she also owns a home furnishings boutique in Colorado called The Green Plum. Susan's challenge is actually a contest! With some really nice prizes from her store. Go to this post to see the inspiration items—including the charming chair, above—she'd like to see incorporated into a mood board room and to read the contest rules. Entries must be received by Saturday, December 5th.

I'll be participating in both mood board challenges. Will you?

To see what Mood Board Monday is all about, go here and here. If you're anywhere near Salida, CO, stop by and say hi to Susan. You'll find info about her shop here.

Mood Board Monday MckLinky Party #2 - Choose Your Chair

Welcome to the 2nd Mood Board Monday! And thanks to PK at Room Remix for asking me to host this time...


... she also asked me to choose the inspiration items. My picks: Anthropologie's Antwerp and Bertram chairs. Here's my own mood board, then we'll take a look at the others...

My first inclination was to choose the curvy, flowery Antwerp chair. So I chose Bertram instead. Just to step out of my comfort zone a bit. Then, as I do before I start working on a mock mood board, I imagined my clients and their story.

MY CLIENTS: A young, professional couple who live in a city apartment they bought right after they married three years ago. They each put in a long work week, spending most evenings eating a late meal out or scrounging something quick in the kitchen. They do like to dine with other couples on weekends and would like to do more of that, plus some business entertaining, at their own home more often. With no children yet, their apartment reflects their young, upwardly mobile, traditional-with-a-contemporary-twist aesthetic.

THE SPACE: The dining room. Largely ignored because of their busy lifestyle and work schedules, it's finally getting some attention. My clients would like to serve cocktails, seat 6-8 people for dinner and will primarily use the room at night. Budget-minded purchases will be at the core of the design, but driving it will be the pair of Bertram chairs they've decided to splurge on.

THE MOOD BOARD:

young professionals' dinner party by Comfort&Luxury on Polyvore.com

THE DETAILS:
Bertram Chairs from Anthropologie.
Covington Side Chairs from Bassett. Seats will be reupholstered in Shalimar Sateen Hyacinth fabric in purple (the swatch nearest the side chair) from Calico Corners.
Laurent Table from Crate & Barrel.
Steamer Bar Cabinet from Crate & Barrel.
Sullivan Charcoal Rug, 10'x14', from Crate & Barrel.
Polished Chrome Chandelier by Quoizel from Lamps Plus.
Polished Nickel Sconces by Sheffield from Lamps Plus will be placed in pairs; one pair on either side of the mirror over the bar cabinet and the other pair on the opposite wall on either side of the art that will hang there. (see it below)
Le Soleil Wall Mirror from Home Decorators Collection hangs over the bar cabinet.
Titan Pewter Silk in Gray/Silver from Calico Corners (the swatch you see next to the mirror)is used for custom curtain panels.
Purple Damask Wallpaper from Graham & Brown is used on all four walls.
Ruby Crystal Wine Glasses, a wedding gift, are paired with simple Glass Water Goblets from Crate & Barrel.

Rounding out the table setting is the couple's Royal Doulton wedding china, which not only brings a bit of sparkle with its platinum banding but another bit of subtle color: salad plates have pale blue rims.


Here's a better look at the bar cabinet, opened to show off its sleek, practical design and copious capacity.

And because the tiny pic on the mood board doesn't so it justice, here's a close-up of the chandelier.

Hanging on the wall opposite the bar cabinet will be a large, framed poster the couple already owned. A souvenir from their honeymoon in New York, this image of acrobats defying death at the edge of a rooftop overlooking the city presents a quirkier view than the usual cityscape of a place that holds fond memories.

As dining room chairs, the Bertram armchairs might not be the most practical choice, but they make a great style statement in a space that doesn't get daily use. They're also quite pricey, so I would suggest my clients extend their lives in this way: when they start a family and move to a house in the 'burbs, the chairs can move into the family room. The gray area rug can follow the chairs... it's a hard-wearing, neutral color. Other more colorful, family-friendly pieces can be added to create a lively, happy mix. New host chairs, perhaps a slipcovered parsons style, can take their place in the new dining room. Even the bar cabinet might take on a new life as storage and display space in the family room or entry. And I can see it painted a bright, fun color like shiny lacquer red.

Okay, that's mine... now let's see who else is linking up!

Here's what you do to join the party:
1) Create a mood board using either of the inspiration chairs. (both from Anthropologie) 2) Write a a post about it, including sources. 3) Add your name and project to MckLinky here on my post (Example: Tracy's Dining Room Mood Board)... 4) ...then add the link to your SPECIFIC POST, NOT your general blog address. 5) Last, grab the Mood Board Monday button (above) and use it to link your post back to this post so that everyone gets to join in the party!

Get Your Mood Boards Ready!

Did you choose Antwerp or Bertram?
Have you been working on your board?

Monday's the day. Go back to this post to get all the info you need for the MckLinky party on Monday, November 9th. You can also go to Room Remix, where PK started Mood Board Mondays, to see all the creative results of the last challenge. Please come play with us! No competition—just fun.

Mood Board Monday... Come Play!

PK at Room Remix has asked me to choose the inspiration pieces for her next Mood Board Monday McLinky party. Obsessed with chairs as I am, I couldn't help but choose these two beauties from Anthropologie. Click on the pics to go to their source.

Bertram

Antwerp

Both chairs have leggy profiles and are upholstered in fabrics with dark backgrounds. One, however, has clean, contemporary lines and is dressed in mixed-up menswear stripes while the other boasts brightly-colored paisley and suzani embroidery on a classic, curvy French bergere frame. Even the backs of the chairs have their own unique designs.

I love tham both and have no idea which one I'll end up using. I hope you like them too and I can't wait to see all the creative ways they're put to use. By the way, if you use Polyvore to create your mood boards, Bertram and Antwerp are already there, listed by name.

This Mood Board Monday is scheduled for November 9th. Mark your calendar and get ready to show your work. Thanks to PK for asking me to host the party here too.

As a reminder, here are the "rules"... otherwise known as "guidelines":

1) This is NOT a mood board competition for designers (although designers are certainly welcome to participate). This IS a fun way to share all of the creativity out there, and showcase how we can all start from one inspiration point and end up with a variety of ideas.
2) To be a participant, you need to create a complete mood board for a room of your choice using at least one of the two inspiration items shown here.
3) On MBM party day, you will need to include sources in your post and give a brief description of the room and how you used the inspiation item(s).

Now, go get "designery" and we'll see you back here on the 9th!

Jane's Apron... I mean Plate... Inspires a Room

Peeking into the fun world of Jane's Apron the other day, I found her post titled "fall of a different color". There we're shown a vintage square Johnson Brothers plate. Jane (whose real name is Julie but, for the sake of simplicity, let's just call her Jane) says it is her "new muse". She likes the colors of the flowers—deep purple, pale blue and bright yellow—and the green and dark brown of the leaves and vines. She thinks they might make a nice alternative to the traditional fall colors we see all around us these days. She calls them "the kind of colors that you could design a whole room around".

Seeing Jane's plate and reading her words, I was reminded of this chair I used in a recent post about fall, asters and the color purple. Meet Dahlia.

Deep purple velvet on the front and patterned velvet on the back. The colors of Jane's leaves and flowers well represented. Ivory-finished wood with a dark brown undercoat revealed by wear and distress. Curvy arms and back like the scalloped edge of Jane's plate.

As Jane wondered, so did I. Can a warm, fall-appropriate room be designed around these non-traditional colors? Let's see. . . from a plate, to a chair, to a room. . .

jane's plate by Comfort&Luxury on Polyvore.com

In this make-believe room full of unconventional fall color, a pair of Dahlias are joined by a mouse brown sofa with clean lines and a straight back. Flanking the sofa are tables with distressed ivory bases and dark stained tops. An antique bench brings more curves and a deeper version of yellow in its golden caramel, tufted leather upholstery. Underfoot is a green-gold area rug and across the room, to balance the weight of the large, dark sofa, is a large, dark sideboard. Two more tables, one dark and curvy, the other bright and sleek, round out my furniture choices. Accessories are a mix of contemporary—abstract art, light blue glass and golden ceramic table lamps, simple silk pillows—and traditional—French reproduction clock, blue Tiffany glass bowl, embroidered gold on blue lumbar pillow. I've imagined, and I'll ask you too as well, dark wood floors under everything and walls painted a pale straw gold. Arrangements of fall flowers and branches, like the one I show, will help carry the fall theme throughout.

But what about that big, blank surface in the middle of the room? What can I add to the brass and glass coffee table to suit the season? I like these dark turned candlesticks, below, and I'll use them as-is with ivory pillars. Of couse, they'll be joined by the requisite stack of art and design books and probably a very small arrangement of flowers or greenery.

To complete the vignette, and keeping our fall theme in mind, which of the four items below would you use? Clockwise from upper left: a trio of white glazed terracotta gourds, a rustic trug full of faux artichokes, antique hand-painted opaline glass vase, or the wooden duomo sculpture (but not the staircase as it's too tall and narrow like the candlesticks).

This room was designed without a client or budget in mind. It's a true mood board. . . a collection of ideals and suggestions put together to form a look, a direction, a "mood". Tell me where you think I've hit or missed. I appreciate your feedback.

And please remember to visit Jane's Apron. (written by Julie Thompson, not "Jane"). Lots of pretty, creative craftiness to see there.

Click on the mood board and go to my Polyvore page for items and sources used there. Dahlia chair from Horchow. Candlesticks are from Pottery Barn. Tabletop accessories are from, clockwise: Horchow, Pottery Barn, Horchow and Horchow.

***

OH NO!! I almost forgot to go to the party!! FLEA MARKET STYLE is hosting a McLinky party today—"I'm a Flea Marketeer"—and party-goers have been asked to show off their favorite flea market finds. I may be late, but my link is there—#102. Go to their post to see what my favorite find is and, while you're there, have a look at the others.

Lots of fun stuff to see!

Mood Board Monday... the pressure's on!

Two weeks ago, PK at Room Remix put forth a friendly challenge: design a room using one or both of the items you see above. On the left is a curtain panel from the very affordable collection at Pier 1. On the right, a medium weight trellis pattern fabric from fabric.com.

These are PK's "guidelines" (not "rules") of participation, paraphrased :
1) This is not a competition, but a fun way to see how many different results come from the same inspiration.
2) Use at least one of the inspiration items she has chosen.
3) Include sources and a brief description of the room.

So you see, the "pressure" I allude to in this post's title is not from PK, but entirely self-imposed. Not pressure to be the best or most creative, mind you, but pressure to simply show up. Making mood boards or presentation boards in a digital, virtual world is a skill I had not yet acquired when I accepted PK's challenge. I've made bunches of actual mood boards—for classes, for clients, for my own projects and just for fun—and knew that eventually, especially after I started my blog, I would need to know how to make this kind of board too. So I jumped feet first into Polyvore and after some fits and starts and a couple of shout outs for help from fellow bloggers, I present to you my first ever digital mood board (click on the board to get a bigger view) :

College Girl Goes to Grad School is what I'm calling this project. My client is a young woman who has graduated college and moved into her first "grown up" apartment as she continues on to grad school and takes on her first post-degree, real world job. Yes, she's a hard-working adult now, but she's still very young and loves bright colors, fun patterns and a little bit of trendy mixed in with classics and investments. I chose to use both the curtain panels and the trellis fabric in College Girl's small living room. Around these inspiration items, the room has been furnished with affordable pieces that might be acquired all at once or a piece at a time over a period of many months.

THE DETAILS
Delilah Window Panel in Spring from Pier 1, $34.95 x 4 panels, $139.80

Linden Street Window Hardware in Black from JCPenney, $62.99

Trellis Fabric in Lime from fabric.com will be used to slipcover the pair of slipper chairs, $8.98/yd x 8 yds, $71.84 (+ sewing labor)

Deco Slipper Chair from modernfurniture.com. The included lumbar pillows will look great across the back of the sofa, $200.00 x 2, $400.00

Kramforss 2-Seater Sofa in White Leather from Ikea will serve our girl well for years to come, $879.00

Pharmacy Floor Lamp from Lamps Plus in black is a classic, $260.00

Gum Drop Table Lamp in Hot Pink from Walmart, $30.00

Damask Black Pedestal Coffee Table from Target stands in for the eventual purchase of an affordable Saarinen reproduction, $60.00

Trollsta Side Table from Ikea, $80.00

Island Sisal Rug from Crate and Barrel is basic and hard-wearing, a more colorful, even patterned, area rug can be layered on top if College Girl decides to go really crazy!, $399.00

Bird on a Wire Pillow in Spring Green from supermarkethq.com brightens the sofa, $24.00

Mongolian Sheepskin Pillow in Gray from pillowdecor.com is a splurge and will look great on one of the slipper chairs as a way to "unmatch" them, $100.00

Floor Mirror with ornate Antique Gold Frame will stand behind the slipper chairs, inherited from Grandma. Yay for "free"!

Bouquet on coffee table from The Boyfriend. Yay for generous boyfriends!

Art to hang over the fireplace mantel is a 30x40 photo enlargement on heavy-weight paper from wizardprints.com. The original art is a black and white print from a book of old engravings. Finished print will be mounted onto a blank canvas. Approximate price $100.00

Adrien Leather Ottoman in Fuchsia from Pierre Deux is the big splurge at $895.00. But it's so great looking and comes from a company that I love and, extra bonus, Pierre Deux (and their little sister company fclstyle.com which calls this piece Klismos on their website) will make a donation from each purchase in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Here's what they say: "Make a style statement in support of a cause—$50 of each purchase of the Adrien (or Klismos) Ottoman in fuchsia will be donated to the American Cancer Society. A piece with extraordinary personality, it's the epitome of casual comfort to pull up for occasional seating, as a footrest or an extra surface. Artfully distressed semi-aniline leather upholsters a wood finish frame traced with natural brass nailheads and fitted with 8-way hand-tied springs." Who knows how many of these pricey little numbers they'll actually sell, but it's a nice gesture and a decent per-item donation. And it's a pretty fancy purchase for a girl who just graduated, I know. However, its classic styling and punchy color combined with multi-functional practicality makes it a nice investment piece for a young person just beginning to acquire fine furnishings.

The Grand Total: $3,500.00 and change plus some installation and sewing labor. Spread out over a bit of time and partially funded with graduation gift checks (!), it's an affordable, pretty room in which College Girl can continue to plan her bright future.

Questions? Comments? Critiques? Bring 'em on!

And be sure to go to Room Remix to see who else is playing "Mood Board Monday" today! Just click on the button below.

k's living room by Comfort&Luxury on Polyvore.com

Credit should be given to Lauren of Pure Style Home for the photo enlargement source. See hers in her home tour here.

And BIG THANKS to PK for helping me get past my bout of blog funk with this fun challenge!