So Pretty is as Pretty Does.

Jun 2

Reupholstery – a little fabric goes a long way

My dining room chairs are in great condition and as far as hand-me-downs go, pretty attractive. I knew I wanted to integrate them into my new dining room design (posts about that in the very near future) instead of buying something new, but the fabric really didn’t mesh with my design plans. So, I went to my local discount fabric store and got the three yards of fabric I needed for $1.50. Armed with a pair of scissors and a heavy-duty staple gun, I was able to reupholster four chairs in under two hours.

– before –

– after –

The bright turquoise seat really makes this chair look more youthful and now the metal finish actually looks less bronze and more silver. It’s amazing what $1.50 can do.

Jun 1

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Latest lighting endeavor

When we moved into our house a year and a half ago, we realized that most of the charm of a bungalow two years from its centurion mark was missing. The decorative trim was gone, the floors were covered in carpeting, and most everything that can be replaced was replaced with builder-grade items. So, we’ve been on a mission to bring back some of the charm to this house. We’re trying to stay true to the period for more permanent things like trim and moulding, but with other less permanent things, like chandeliers, we’re having some fun. My newest project is this bubble chandelier:

You can find the instructions for the entire project here, Ready Made’s Glass Act. I think it’s going to work well in my smallish dining room, where I didn’t want something big and visually heavy, but I still wanted a chandelier. Plus, it reminds me of champagne, and that can’t be a bad thing!

May 31

I’ve heard this since I was a child.

“Pretty is as pretty does.” My Great Granny, my Nana and my Mother have told me this my entire life; that the person you are is what defines your beauty and if you fill your life with kind acts, you’ll be beautiful – your function defines your form. I relate this so strongly to design. If something in a room, whether it’s a rug, a table or a dish to put your car keys in… if it serves that room and its occupants perfectly, its beauty is inherent. Its form follows function. Or, as the women in my family would say, “pretty is as pretty does.”

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