Trend Watch: Copper

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In my apartment, I have a beautiful built-in bookcase.  I love it, but I don't have too many books to put on my shelves (unless you count textbooks).  I do, however, have my Domino magazines.  If you are not familiar with Domino, it is an interior design magazine and one of the best things ever.  Yes, I went there.  I became obsessed in middle school when my aunt opened my eyes to the magic within the pages of Domino.  Okay, maybe that is slightly exaggerating, but in all seriousness, those magazines inspired and helped develop my interest in interior design.  One of my favorite articles is always the "Editors' Cravings."  These articles are written by an editor who collects objects related to a recent trend.  I was inspired to do something similar.  Metallics have made a resurgence in popularity recently (I have a personal affinity for anything gold).  There are plenty of options with gold and silver accents, but even more recently there have been more copper options.  I have collected some of my favorite copper pieces; I hope they inspire you too!
Metal Candlestick - H&M | Copper Moon Print - Little Lark | Small Spica - Iacoli & McAllister
Ladder Storage Basket - Urban Outfitters | Letter Holder - CB2 | Concrete Pot - Superette

Copper Prism Trivet - LEIF | Cushion Cover with Sequins - H&M

Let me know what you think!  Stop by again soon!



Steal the Style: The Pretty One

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A month or so ago, I spent a chill Sunday afternoon watching The Pretty One starring Zoe Kazan (I'll let Rotten Tomatoes summarize)...
Written and directed by Jenée LaMarque, THE PRETTY ONE is a coming of age comedy about identity and loss and a wallflower who finally learns how to break out of her shell. In a balancing act of a performance, Zoe Kazan portrays twins Laurel and Audrey, most poignantly as a relationship blooms with her new neighbor (Jake Johnson). As Laurel begins to slip into the life she has always wanted but never thought was possible, she must decide between continuing her life as Audrey and revealing herself as the perfect fraud. 
It was a very good movie, but even better was the set!  Some girls would say "I want her shoes!", I say "I want her home decor!" Audrey's apartment was vintage and eclectic.  I think I could easily live there.  So, I did a little searching and found items to steal the style.


The West Elm Faux Bois mirror was the first item in the film to catch my eye.  Against the dark walls of the apartment, the white mirror pops.  The faux bois is woodsy, modern and gives a quirky edge to the room.  Of course, something this awesome is no longer for sale; however, there is a similar mirror available on Houzz here.  I love the Simon X Table Base.  If you like the style, but aren't in need of a dining table, Pier 1also has a similar end table and coffee table.  Personally, I don't know if I would pair the Casper Dining Armchair, a lucite chair, with a glass top table, but for this apartment it helps give the illusion of more space.

I have always been a fan of vintage prints so I love the old movie poster.  It looks like she has a 'Lisa' theme going on... David & Lisa and "Mona Lisa," get it?

While there is only a glimpse "For Like Ever" poster in the film, I recognized it immediately.  The print had been featured on the front page of Domino forever ago.  I had always liked the print, so when I saw it in the film I realized that this apartment is my spirit apartment.  It was a sign that I need to overanalyze the style ... and write a super long blog post about it.


Here is another view of Audrey's living room.  The ceiling light is the IKEA PS Maskros pendant lamp.  I was not able to find an exact match to the armchair that is displayed in the movie.  It is in the mid-century modern style with a vintage floral print.  If I had to guess, I think this chair may be an original vintage (and it does looks a lot like this chair).  However, if you like the looks of this, Urban Outfitters' Dagmar Chair is in the same style, but with no yellow floral motif.

Let me know what you think of the decor in The Pretty One and the items I have found to re-create the style!  Stop by again soon!





Plate Bloomer

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A while ago on Pinterest, it seemed like everyone was taking their shot at Sharpie dishes DIY.




Not that I'm judging.  Who wouldn't try this DIY?  All you need to do is to pop over to the Dollar Store, pick up some mugs, plates, bowls, etc., grab a Sharpie (that you already own) and doodle away.  So how could I resist?

I scoured Pinterest for ideas.  I saw plenty of polka dots and flowers, but found inspiration in this plate by Crate and Barrel.


I started with 4 clean, white plates and two Sharpie paint pens in black and gold.  If you decide to try this yourself, I would suggest using a paint pen.  A regular sharpie will wash off after multiple uses.  A paint pen will last longer; you can extend this even more by hand-washing your dishes rather than putting them through the dishwasher.  After you have drawn your masterpiece on the plate, heat your oven to 350 degrees with your dishes inside.  Let them "bake" for 20-30min.  Then shut off the oven and leave the dishes inside as it cools.  Presto!  Now you have beautiful dishes like this!







Let me know what you think!  Stop by again soon!



Mirror Mirror on the Wall

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You know how the story goes.  Mine is similar, it involves a mirror or two, but without a runaway princess, evil queen, and house of dwarves.  The mirrors also don't talk, that I'm aware of....  Okay, so not a lot in common with the magical mirror of Snow White.


I thought the top of my library card catalog needed a mirror.  I had a green one that had lasted through college, but the green didn't look quite right above the catalog.


The green mirror needed some classing up.  The hardware on the catalog is a copper-y gold, so I decided that painting the mirror a similar color would make a nice compliment.  Maybe one day I'll purchase a real antique gold mirror, but for the moment, a $1 bottle of antique gold paint sounds good.



So, I set-up my mirror, lined the inside with painter's tape, and got to work painting.  Acrylic paint is multi-use, but at $1 it is not the highest quality.  It took about 7 layers to cover all the green of the mirror.  I didn't mind too much, I just painted and zoned out watching episodes of "Chuck" (one of my favorite shows, cancelled before its time).



Voila!  The finished product!


But wait, there's more!  Roaming the internet, I found that my eye was drawn to fun colored mirrors. A little ironic I just painted over one, right?  Listen well - there is a time and a place for a bright colored mirror.  I think I could make space for beauties like these though.

Chinois Mirror | Horchow                                               Yellow-Framed Mirror | Horchow

Mosaic Mirror | Serena & Lily

You don't just need art on a wall to bring a pop of color to space.  My mother was thinking about donating this mirror that had long graced the hallway or our old house to Goodwill.  Here was a perfect chance to refresh this mirror.  I think chartreuse becomes it, but let me know what you think!



Stop by again soon!






Rockin' It

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Being the fun-loving person I am, this past Christmas, I asked for a chair.  Not just any chair, a chair my parents had been storing in the basement for thirty years.  Exciting, right?


Granted the tapestry fabric was fraying and the finish was worn, but the chair was awesome.  It was comfortable and the curves in the wood at the bottom were absolutely lovely.  I thought it had potential; my parents thought I was crazy.

So, I picked out the fabric and the paint.  Thanks to my Dad's mastery of refinishing and reupholstery, the chair now looks like this:





The rocking chair now has new life and is sitting pretty in my apartment.

Let me know what you think of my re-do!  Stop by again soon!




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