palm pendant light: d.i.y'd and done!

At long last, the palm print pendant light is all gussied up and ready for the spotlight! Here's hoping you love the results as much as I do:

Cute, no?! I definitely think it's the best incarnation of this nine-lives lady yet. 

She started out all ivory and bland, then got an Amanda Nisbet Positano inspired makeover (which I liked, but which really didn't work with the living area attached), followed quickly by a bleaching and Indian stamp treatment. Unfortunately, all this left her kinda blotchy and, quite frankly, lacking a certain je-ne-sais-quoi. We both knew she could do better. 

So I immediately started planning her newest look: the palmification!

The first step? Removing the old fabric, and hopefully tracing it to make a template. Unfortunately, like I mentioned before, what I thought would be the easiest part of this project turned into an absolute nightmare! The old fabric clung to that light like it's life depended on it, and only came off in tiny little chunks. Here's a little reminder of what I had to deal with:

In the end I had to wet it, wait, and scrape with a serrated blade. For four hours. Whatever they used to adhere this stuff, sign me up, because I have some things I'd like to forever-stick. And this right here? This is the stuff to make it happen.

Yet while it drove me crazy, it also helped me, because I knew I wanted an extremely smooth surface and that painting on the adhesive would be the best way to get it. I didn't want to use spray, because I'd had issues with it in the past. Trying to figure out what they had used, I figured out what I would use: wallpaper paste.

Magic. I seriously will never go back to using spray adhesive to recover lamp shades. No bleed through, easier application, a seriously smooth finish and no residue all over your floor. A win in every way.

After the paste was good and dry, the original trim - the only element that came off the old light well - went back on with a glue gun, cleaning up all the edges and ensuring the fabric was stuck for good.

Here is the final look again!

And what she looks like all lit up:

I couldn't be happier.

Now all I need is the perfect new black and white seat fabric to finish off the space. The ultimate goal is something like Les Touches, but until I find a yard of that at a bargain basement price, I think some white linen may be getting a d.i.y splatter effect. Or maybe a modified zebra paint job? Whatever it is, I don't want it to be too flashy, because I think my girl palm should be the star of the show!

She deserves it, wouldn't you agree? ;)

style 3 way: cubic illusion

Cubic optical illusions are everywhere in design right now, and I for one am completely on board. I love all the ways in which this amazing pattern has been popping up in the chicest of spaces:

{images via: 1 / 2 / 3}

The glorious fabric is Kubus by Pierre Frey (natch),  the cubic Moroccan tile is available from companies like Mosaic house and Villa Lagoon, and the wallpaper is Squares Gold by Ferm Living.

While the fabric and tiles will set you back a pretty penny, the wallpaper is actually pretty affordable. So make that happen would ya'? I need me some vicarious living ;)

fabric find 2 for 1: more robshaw and a little david hicks

Remember when I found John Robshaw's Danda for only 23$ a yard? Well I guess time was all that was needed for more of his Duralee collection to find it's way to the masses, because today I stumbled upon not one, not two, but 21 of his gorgeous offerings on housefabric.com. Better yet, every single option is under 25$. Booya.

I would very much like one of these puppies to make its way home to me:

Or maybe all three. Cuz I'm fancy like that.

Honestly though, I'm wondering if these might be good options for my living room dilemma? Thinking one of the first two could be in the running for covering my dining nook pendant light too (instead of the palm print), but worried that they could come off as too childish. Thoughts?

And just because I'm feelin' extra sweet today, I thought I'd throw another Fabric Find into the mix for you luvlies! Not sure I should do this, cuz it might mean less pretty for me, but here goes: ever heard of the Decorator's Backroom on Etsy? It's a great place to check for deals on top designer fabrics.

Like, um, this hotness:

Yep. That's David Hicks' La Fiorentina. And she's hawking three colourways folks.

The prices don't seem that great at first glance, but if you look closer they're actually for 2 yards instead of 1! Plus she often has extra yardage available. That beauty above is 80$ for two yards, and she's got 25 yards of it in stock. That's enough to cover a whole damn sofa if you're so inclined.

And let's be honest, who in their right mind would not be so inclined? All the cool kids are doing it . . .

{fiorentina pics: 1/2/3/4/5}

pillow indecision - in serious need of opinions!

First I want to send my thoughts and prayers to everyone dealing with the hurricane today. I've only lived through one hurricane (it left my street looking like this) but from what I hear that was kittens compared to this, so stay safe!

Secondly, I'm gonna go ahead and apologize for the mess in the next couple of photos. These were only meant for my own reference purposes while at fabric stores, but I'm sharing them because I'm honestly at a loss and need your help!

A few months ago I decided that my living room bored me and I wanted more colour, so I started switching stuff up. I moved some art. I bought a Kantha quilt. I found a plant I might not kill (maybe). All was going well until I hit the roadblock that is my cushions.

Here's what it looks like now (again, please pretend that I'm not a dirty slob. Also, the art and mirror are getting moved down several inches and slightly to the right. Whole reason I painted the chair rail.):

That poor tray table should start charging for labour. 

Here's the thing: I love my Lee Jofa Hisari pillows. They are super pretty, and were an absolute steal from BeStillShop on Etsy. The quality (of both the fabric and workmanship) is outstanding, and I don't want to put them in a closet. I also didn't want to replace the lamp because I have two in the room and the other one really works with the art on that side of the room. 

These are the reasons I chose those colours for the Kantha. And they're good reasons, but it's created a bit of a problem when it comes to finding a replacement for the pink lined pillow and a fourth friend to round it all out. 

Why? Well, because 1) I'm actually not a huge fan of blue, so I don't want to bring even MORE in there in the form of pillows, and 2) The difference in intensity of the colours in the pillows and in the quilt is enough that it makes for a bit of a balancing act. Get pillows that are too dark and the whole space becomes jarring and you lose the softer toned pieces. Get ones that are too soft and the Kantha takes over the whole show. 

See my issue?

I've played around with lots of pinks (since it's my fave and I know I will use it in other spaces down the road no matter where I move) but I'm having issues finding the perfect ones. Here's an example of a couple I played with last month: 

The fuchsia Ikat is good but maybe too vibrant? Also the background is much whiter than the white on the Hisari pillow. 

At this point I've spent HOURS and HOURS scouring Etsy (after nixing the stock at my local fabric haunts), and while I have a full favourites folder I just can't choose! I need your help peeps, and I need it bad.

Here are a few options I'm considering. I'm pretty sure I want a different one for each side rather than another matching pair:

A couple of things to keep in mind: I'm worried about the tones being off, particularly because we all know that monitors and lighting conditions while taking pics can change everything. A few of these pics were very clearly more exposed than others. Also, I'm fairly certain that the pendant light in my attached eating nook is getting covered in the green palm fabric of option #5, so it may make sense to bring it in even if it's just as a smaller lumbar. I think it'll look great with the rug in there:

So what say you?? Any opinions would be super appreciated! Also, what do you think of the changes in general? Got ideas on how to zhush up that lamp shade? Let's hear it people!

ribbon romance roundup: a million uses means a whole lotta' pretty

One of my absolute favourite elements of the inspiration shoot that we just got published on Green Wedding Shoes (did I mention how giddy I am about that? Yes? Ok then.) was the dip dyed chandelier. Made out of ripped pieces of fabric for the look of ribbon at a fraction of the cost, it was just so feminine and whimsical, and I couldn't stop staring at it throughout the day of shooting. Standing there watching it blow in the breeze, I decided that every wedding could use a touch of ribbon romance. 

In that spirit, I've put together not one, not two, but three ribbon roundups, each one showcasing how this humble little material can be used to make your day drop dead gorgeous - no matter what look you're going for! From classic and classy, to neutral and organic, to bright and playful, there really are no limits to the ways in which you can use ribbon to pump up the pretty. Plus there's nothing saying that this inspiration can only be applied to weddings! Do I hear the call of a backyard dinner party? Oh yes, I do believe I do . . .

So what do you think? Would you use any of these lovely ideas to add some romance to your next event? If so, be sure to check out the links below. I've done my best to track as many of these pics as possible back to their originals, where you'll find more detailed photos (and maybe even a d.i.y. instruction or two)! 

Until next time luvlies!

Refined: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Rustic: 8/9/10/11/12/13/14

Vibrant: 15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22

obsessed: pink sofa spectacular

Ever since posting about Mary Nelson Sinclair's apartment - featured in this month's Lonny - I haven't been able to stop thinking about her perfect little pink settee. Truth be told though, it's not a new obsession. Over the past year I've spent way more time than I'd like to admit perusing craigslist for the perfect piece to re-upholster in blush velvet or coral stripe linen. I don't even care where it goes, I just want it in my life. Like red velvet cheesecake.

To tide me over until the day I find my great white (and turn it rose), I've put together a little round-up of pink sofa rooms that make my heart go pitter patter. Know of a great one you don't see here? Please share! I never get sick of this candy floss goodness . . .

{All images found via Pinterest using search terms pink sofa and pink couch}

fabric find: john robshaw goodness

Every so often when browsing fabric sites you come across a designer find at a crazy good price. Usually it's listed under some other name in order for them to do this, which makes it tough to just search for, but sometimes not. Once, I found Manuel Canovas' Misia for only 24.75$ a yard. It usually goes for almost 400$. By the time I clicked the buy button it was all gone, and I swear to god I felt like crying myself to sleep. The link is still up, displaying an available yardage of 0. Taunting me. Flaunting it's beauty. Screw you Misia.

Anyway, most of the time when I come across these steals there's nowhere I can actually use the fabric, but passing up a deal seriously pains me! So I'm going to start sharing them here and hope 1) that one of you lovelies can make use and 2) that that will prevent me from buying it out of principle. No really.

Today's find? "Danda" from John Robshaw's new collection for Duralee (which I can't say enough about)! OnlineFabricStore is offering both the lemongrass and indigo colourways for only 23$ a yard!
I'm partial to the lemongrass myself. It's such a fresh pop of pattern without being at all overwhelming. Love.

The cheapest I've seen it elsewhere is 50$, so hope one of you can take advantage!