La Catrina Tile Art (a framing DIY)

After stowing away a few handpainted tiles on our Sayulita adventures, and a few other treasures, it was about time to frame the falkloric ceramics. Being tiles, both small and thicker than the normal frameable art, I had to come up with a way to make framing work. Ikea has these great frames (the RIBBA) that allow you to add depth to your picture. Pretty perfect, right?

Guest Bedroom Tour

The guest bedroom has seen the most change out of any room in the house over the past year of living here. From futons, to shelves, to desk space, to storage, I've rearranged this room more times than you'd like to know. But finally, arrange no more--our guest bedroom feels complete, and it's going to stay this way for awhile.

Being limited on painting options and floor options while in a rental (ie. not changeable), I had to bring in color in ways other than painting the walls. And, being a room filled with mix matched pieces of furniture, I decided to run with that theme and have everything from textiles, prints, and colors mixed. Besides, that's kind of my thing.

Burnt Mustard Ikea Pillows

I made a quick trip to Ikea yesterday to pick up a curtain rod. But you know I'd be kidding myself if I honestly went to Ikea thinking I'd leave with just one item. I could not pass up these $7 pillow covers. I have been wanting to change out the pillow in the front room, now that the couch is more of a focal point in the space and right front and center with our black and white curtains. After my last linen choices at Ikea being mostly floral and feminine in style for our second bedroom, I wanted a pillow that was a bit more masculine.

Yellow Floral Bedding

This morning started with boxes and Ikea assembly parts. Now, at the end of the day, I am sitting on the new bed in our guest bedroom. No longer just a crafting room, this space can actually be used by friends and family! I love the mix of colors, patterns, and tones. Since the decor was very mix and match in this room to start, with no one piece of furniture even close to the same, I decided to extend the feel with the bedding-- floral yellow, grey stripes, black and white knit. I moved the furniture around so now I have more of a work space in one corner of the room, with the rest of the area a little bit more simple and light feeling. I hope to post more photos  soon, even amidst this blogging sabbatical--but here are some Instagram shots for now! OH and we hung our curtains today in the front room. Quite productive.

Seeing quilted, Ikat, and black & white.

While on a run about Park Hill a few weeks ago, I came across a garage sale and of course had to stop and see what fun things they had.  I was immediately drawn to this chase style futon (it is somewhat like outdoor lounger meets full bed). It seemed handmade, with wooden frame and a hand sewn cover. The tag read $35. I sprinted home and sent Matt back to the sale, telling him if he liked it, to haggle and bring it back in the truck. He got them down to $20 and brought it home! (He outshines me in the haggling department, by far). I was very pleased because I had been wanting a futon for the second bedroom, and this one is perfect because it was affordable yet functions as a bed but also a great place to curl up and read a book (Shelby has been testing it out. A lot.). The hand sewn cover that came with the futon is a shade of velvety plum. It is not that bad to the eye, but is to ho-hum with our thrifted decor. Both my grandmothers quilted, and I have always loved this one patchwork style duvet that my mom's mom made. It sings 1970s. I love it and see no reason for it to be in a box any longer, so it is functioning as the futon's patchwork cover. 

However much I do love the quilt that is on the futon right now, it is too short, leaving the bottom uncovered. This room is still in the works (that is why you are only seeing an unclose photo of the futon, the rest of the floor is boxes and artwork!), but soon it will house visitors, serve as a space to work on projects, display a gallery wall, and be the perfect reading nook. I want the space to be filled with bits and pieces from all over, with photos from our travels and things from the past. The ikat print is a fabric choice that I am drawn to, not only because of the pattern but because of its "of another world" flare. I think that if I were to find an ikat print with the right color palette, I would be one happy girl and this futon would look so great. That, and it would give me even more reason to bust out my sewing machine (something very new for me!)

Plan A: iKaT IkAt iKaT

photo source

photo source

photo source

photo credit

Urban Outfitters

photo source

And, as in anything, always have a plan B. My plan B are these black and white fabrics from Ikea, that is, if I am extremely out of luck in finding an ikat fabric that meets my criteria of affordable and pretty. What are your thoughts on these pattern/fabric choices? Any tips on purchasing fabric?

Plan B: Ikea's black and white prints

TRÅDKLÖVER, ikea fabric

wide stripe, ikea fabric

Little grand living room tour.

Our new living room functions as more of a big catch all of rooms. From the moment you walk in the front door you can see the kitchen and the entire living space and even into the second bedroom if the door is ajar. I love grand rooms. Ours is not the grandest of grand, but it has that fluid feel to it, especially with the kitchen peering into the living room like it does. Mmmmm, grand rooms. Open and bright and functioning as place to relax and lounge on a cozy couch, play a riveting game of Settlers or Rook, BBQ and have a night of baseball watching, sort mail and write letters as if an office, dine on fine china with pinkies up, enjoy a gallery of art and finds from travels, and spend time with the people that matter most. 

Just like our kitchen, this space is very mix and match. I love that about it. I get a lot of my design ideas from subconsciously taking note when I look at other blogs and design images, but honestly, I just "set up house" in a way I think looks good and what makes me happy. If I look at something and have one inkling of doubt after I style it that way, I most likely rearrange it ten more times until I'm happy (something you don't get to see in these photos). Maybe its from my childhood days of dressing sets and setting out props when I'd go with my dad to work. I used to put a lot of thought into "will others like the way this looks?" Now, I've realized, that is silly because I am the one who lives here. Life is short, so make your home unique to you, reflecting your experiences, personality, and style. And for me, well, you've probably picked up some clues as what makes me me from this blog AND you can see for yourself in our home tour continued. (But, really, I do hope yo like our little grand living room!)

Hang your coat here.

Cozy up.

Framed flower photo captured from our camping trip to the Rincon, CA (celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary).

Wine hutch turned everything hutch. 

These vintage prints are more fitting in our Colorado home.

Love this jute rug from Ikea.

Three is the magic number. 

Fernandolito has been with me since college

He is from a little artsy shop in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Table lamp: Ikea, Books: Goodwill

 

This is our functioning office. It hides a wealth of mess inside. You would never know! 

All that is left for our home tour is the second bedroom and garage. It may be a bit for those, so hang tight, the garage needs to be finished first and then the cave can be turned into a lovely room.

What is your favorite living room detail? What is something that makes your home uniquely you?

Cork Board Tetris.

My best friend Miranda requested the kitchen be up next for our photo house tour. That meant I needed to get to work putting up the kitchen wall decor I had been avoiding as it sat dormant in the second bedroom (more like cave, less like bedroom) .

When waiting to make a return at Ikea one day, back in the land of Burbank, I was sitting thumbing through the catalogue, when BAM!, cork boards in the kitchen. I loved how the 6 Ikea boards all put together created a solution to massive wall space. And, very very affordable with the potential for the boards to be painted. At our home in Denver, the wall we share with our neighbors spans from front door to back door (we live in a duplex). The wall is pretty large. Breaking it up was a thoughtful process, and again, because I didn't want to purchase anything new, or more than $10, I made due with what I already had...the cork! 

At our last place, the boards served as a place for papers to be pinned. It was a makeshift gallery, with the potential for anything to be switched around. 

I kept the gallery going in the kitchen, but will be keeping my thinker open for new things to pin. (Hey, its like a real live Pinterest, although I don't see myself pinning delicious foods and outfits in my kitchen...but maybe.) Pinned are tiny postcards of art from our travels, a page from an old book of Degas' ballerinas, polaroids, playing rules to Monopoly circa 1930s found at my grandparents, and a small quilt my grandmother made. I like that the neutral tones combined with the red and green from the quilt and the sky blue in the polaroids tie into my kitchen colors. The papers that are pinned also have a worn in feel, which I think balances the bland new cork boards that canvas them. What are your large wall solutions? What would you pin on a cork board? 

My bedroom tour.

Before the boxes arrived our bedroom looked like this.

Still a work in progress (the walls still need significant help), our room is beginning to look like this.

Still needing some curtains. I'm waiting for a bargain.

Sale pillows: PB polkadot, West elm king shams in cacoon print

Ikea Euro sham.

Matt's nightstand: Table from UO, Ikea glass sea foam lamp

Bedframe: Living spaces

Makeshift dresser until I thrift find a tall one for this space.

Ikea Hamper.

  

My grandma's vintage dresser. 

This was a red tag lamp at HomeGoods. One of my favorite finds.

Comb plate, West elm, $2. My bridesmaids on our wedding day.

Framed: The boutonnière Matt wore on our wedding day.

The books on my dresser are shades of red and mint to aqua. I felt the color combo complimented the other accessories.

Baby me, with my dad, soaking up that California sunshine.

DIY jewelry cabinet.

UO rug find:$10. Origianlly $$$$$. 

Instead of a side table I have a side dog bed. I plan to take an old quilt I have and make a duvet cover type thing to go over her bed. That way it is functional yet eye catching and pretty.


What makes your bedroom comfortable, functional, and uniquely you?