Laman

Last Chance to Enter!


The 3 Fine Grains - Grainsack Tree Giveaway is winding down - don't forget to enter - you can enter HERE.
Also remember our blog friend Kristin at Covetable Designs? She has launched an on line design business. Kristin is an incredibly talented designer, check out her latest before and afters HERE. As a Holiday gift to here readers she is giving away a free design session. Wow- isn't that fantastic?!


To enter click
HERE. Thanks Kristin and best of luck to all of you!! Have a great Saturday!!
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My Design: The Eleria House

 

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The Dutch Door House with its Eleria curtains.

When I first toured “The Dutch Door House”  HERE (interiors by Lyndon West) I fell madly in love with the linen fabric in the master bedroom.   I begged the homeowner to find out whose fabric it was and she obliged, emailing later to say it was a Robert Allen fabric, Eleria HERE.  It turns out the Eleria is actually a very popular fabric, available in two colorways, Biscotti (above) and Green Tea.   I ordered the different colored samples and waited for the perfect client to use it.   I didn’t have to wait long.

A few months ago, a client of mine moved from her large, contemporary house in Bellaire to an inside the loop, traditional townhouse.   Years ago, she had hired another interior designer when she first moved into the Bellaire house.   But, some time later,  I stepped in to help with small redecorating jobs - a study, a powder bath, and a  master bedroom - each time trying to tone down the contemporary décor into something more traditional.    After moving to the townhouse this summer, my client wanted to continue the shift from contemporary to traditional.   When deciding what to take from the Bellaire house and what to sell – the decisions were easy:  her old chenille covered sofa and love seat had seen better days and her glass coffee table was too contemporary.   Her area rug was a beautiful wool patterned rug that, also, had seen better days and needed to be replaced.  The modern looking end tables would meet the same fate.   

 

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BEFORE:  At the Bellaire house, the chenille sofa and love seat were showing their age, as was the rug. 

The glass coffee table was too contemporary, as were both end tables.   Everything in this picture was sold, except for the lamps and candlestick.

 

In deciding on a decorating scheme for the new townhouse, my client asked for warm and cozy, specifically, she wanted dark walls.  And, she wanted to plan everything around two bergeres she owned that were upholstered in a brown and cream print.   We decided on a dark taupe for the walls – Pratt and Lambert’s Toasted Wheat , a color I have used many times before.  For the Hien Lam  custom made slipcovered sofa, we used Pindler’s #1766 Vernon in Maple, a copper brown linen adding raspberry velvet pillows to pop color.   After much begging and pleading, my client agreed to curtains and textured shades.   We were on a tight budget and she didn’t want the extra expense of something that was not really essential.  But, I firmly believe that window treatments are important to a design scheme and most interiors look better with them.  The Eleria was the perfect choice for the curtains since we needed major yardage to cover all the windows and, for a linen, the price couldn’t be beat.  Because the breakfast room is open to the living room, we also covered its pretty bay window with the Eleria. We then chose a brown textured shade to hang behind the curtains.  

To end the last bit of contention – my client agreed to cover up her beautiful hardwoods with a custom cut seagrass rug that left just a few inches of the gleaming wood showing.  I know, I know.   But, if you want warm and cozy, nothing gives you that atmosphere more than seagrass.      In the dining room, I chose another Pindler and Pindler linen, a stripe, #1767 Casablanca in Truffle, to slipcover the rush seat chairs.  The dining room has no windows, so it needed some fabric to soften up all the hard edges of the wood table and chairs.   I purposely chose overly detailed slips to add just a bit of femininity.  Since we were on a strict budget, using all Pindler and Robert Allen fabrics helped tremendously to keep costs down.   There are a few things still to be decided on – a mirror or art work over the sofa, and a buffet in the dining room.  But for now, here’s the work in progress.

 

 

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BEFORE:   This is how the townhouse looked when my client bought it.   The walls were a dark dusty rose and the curtains were a chintz.  Fortunately for her, the former homeowners took all the curtains with them – but left the costly rods and rings.  Now, all I had to do was convince my client that she needed to invest in window treatments, something many people think of as an unnecessary luxury.  Here you can see how pretty the room is – arches lead to the long entry hall and stairs.  The dining room is through the arch on the left of the fireplace.  The kitchen is through the other arch at the right of the fireplace.  Upstairs are two bedrooms and a study.   The third story is a large bedroom.

 

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AFTER:   The custom slipcovered sofa has mutton legs and a triple arched back.  The fabric is a Pindler and Pindler brown linen.   The two bergeres were the homeowners and she wanted to work the entire scheme around their brown and cream upholstery.    Yet to be decided on is art work or a mirror to go behind the sofa.  

 

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At the windows, we used 2 widths of fabric to create the full, lush look of the curtains.  One width just doesn’t give you that beautiful fullness. 

Curtains and shades by Custom Creations by Monica HERE

 

 

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I bought the coffee table at an import store in the Rice Village.  The antique gateleg table was moved from the study, while the antique French desk on the right came from a Cote de Texas sponsor – Bonnie Neiman HERE.  To update her iron lamps, there are new burlap lampshades from Boxwood. 

 

 

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You can see into the breakfast room on the right side of the fireplace.  

 

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I brought out some oversized accessories to update the décor:  a lantern from Olivine and alabaster grapes.    The homeowner has some beautiful antique boxes inherited from the mother and grandmother which we also used.  To keep the room from looking cluttered, we stored away many smaller accessories. 

 

 

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The dining room has no windows, so I covered the rush seat chairs in slips to make the room softer.  The Pindler linen stripe has the same colors as found in the living room to tie both rooms together.

 

 

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The homeowner’s mother made the dining room table out of used bowling alley wood!   Still to be ordered is a buffet for the back wall. 

 

 

 

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BEFORE:  the kitchen has a small bay window in the breakfast area. 

 

 

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AFTER:  Since the breakfast room opens to the living area – we used the same Eleria fabric here.  The curtains dress up the area and make it seem more like a room, rather than a kitchen. 

The antique table came from Eloquence HERE.  The chairs are from Zentique.  Both, to the trade.

 

 

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Lastly,  the round table opens up to a larger oval shape.  The glass cloche and cake stand came from Indulge.

 

 

FINALLY:

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I want to take the time to personally thank all of you who so kindly donated to Woodbourne’s Christmas Wish List. 

For those who still wish to make a donation, there is time left do so.  Please go HERE to read the details.

 

 

 

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Maravillosa cesta -costurero

El bordado tiene algo que engancha ¿ verdad ? Parece que no quieres dejar de añadir , bordar y disfrutar probando esto o lo otro.
Es lo que me ha pasado con esta nueva " joya de la corona ". Estoy realmente emocionada de haberla acabado.
La chispa que encendió realmente las ganas de hacer esta bolsa fue encontrar a buen precio unos hilos de perlé del nº 5 y del nª8.
A veces parece que las cosas " te buscan ".
Ya había hecho algo un tanto parecido, cuando le regalé un alfiletero crazy a Rosa por su cumple , hace ya dos años .


Pero esta vez quería bordar la tapa de un costurero , bolsa , cesta o como quieras llamarla y guardar también estos ovillos como hice con esta otra.
Hace ya algunas semanas que daba una pista aquí.


Me gustaba la idea de hacer algo al estilo de FacileCecile. Esta mujer tiene manos de oro.
Tomando ideas en su blog, descubrí que en otro enseña cómo bordar estas maravillas usando vídeos ¡ Qué estupendo ! Fue toda una sorpresa. Es posible que ya alguna de vosotras lo sepa ,pero para mí fue un hallazgo , y aunque en francés, las imágenes son muy didácticas.

Busqué mis cintas de seda, abalorios a juego, los hilos de perlé nuevos, y la tela........ la que usé en el quilt Los bellos encajes para ser expuesto en el Museo de las Puntas de Arenys de Mar.
Me hice un patrón y corté las telas de Lecien.
Ah, sí ,se me olvidaba, también cosí en la tapa unos pequeños yoyós ,hechos con un molde de esos que te venden para hacerlos de forma sencilla y rápida .



En la tapa hice un acolchado lineal . Toda la bolsa está guateada para darle más realce y también lleva entretela para que quede más " tiesecita " .


Hice varias pruebas para el cierre. Quería algo original que distinguiera esta cesta, asi que al final ganó esta puntilla en ganchillo antigua que compré en el rastro de Madrid hace tiempo.
Como remate añadí más tela y otra vez bordado.




En el contorno de toda la tapa he alternado dos tamaños de abalorios. Las bolas blancas son de cristal .Me las trajo mi hermano cuando viajó a Praga.




























Una de las cosas más costosas ha sido hacer todo el acolchado a mano a base de pequeñitas puntadas con dos hebras de hilo de DMC. Gasté dos madejas completas en todo el acolchado y el dedo corazón me ha quedado bastantes días con la huella de haber estado bordando, es lo que tiene cuando una se incomoda con el dedal.........Y es que apenas me he dado un respiro . Estaba deseando verla acabada.


Por dentro está forrada con otro modelo de esta misma colección de Lecien.


Fue una suerte encontrar estos ovillos de Finca en unos bonitos tonos por un euro y diez céntimos.


Ahora sólo me queda decidir el próximo trabajo y tener esta preciosidad a mano.


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Happy Holidays from Habitually Chic!

I always buy cards from R. Nichols since they perfectly reflect my life in New York especially at the holidays.  This Christmas Taxi card is the one I sent out this year and for those of you whose address I do not know, please accept this virtual holiday greeting.  I hope you and your yours have a wonderful Christmas!  Thank you again for your continued support and encouragement!  XOXO, Habitually Chic
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DORMITORIO MATRIMONIAL CON ESCRITORIO INTEGRADO

En este dormitorio matrimonial con escritorio integrado, resalta las paredes cubiertos con adhesivos. Asimismo se aprovechó una parte del dormitorio para diseñar el escritorio o mini estudio.
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Dormitorio matrimonial con escritorio en: http://www3.informazione.com.br/cms/opencms/santos/projetos/casa_cor/
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20 ideas para decorar el árbol de Navidad

¿Ya estás pensando en cómo decorar tu árbol de Navidad? El puente de la constitución es aprovechado por muchos de nosotros para poner la casa a punto de cara a la Navidad: montar el belén y adornar el árbol.
ARBOL DE NAVIDAD

Si año tras año repites decoración, ¿por qué no apostar por un nuevo estilo? Vale, que ya tienes tus adornos es una buena razón, pero es posible comprar unos pocos más a buen precio, y completar la colección con miras a una decoración más innovadora.
Así, puedes probar los árboles con ornamentación monocroma o que solo sean de dos o tres tonos (rojo-blanco-dorado). Otra opción es hacerte con un árbol artificial original.
Aquí te dejo mis 20 propuestas:
DECORACION ARBOL DE NAVIDAD

IDEAS ARBOL DE NAVIDAD

Quieres ver más ideas para Navidad, entra aquí
VIA: Solo artículos de Navidad
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5 escaleras de espiral

La escalera en espiral es uno de los diseños más habituales a la hora de escoger una escalera para el interior de una casa. Se trata de escaleras que se organizan en base a un eje vertical (ya sea un poste real o imaginario). ¿Y qué nos permite esto? Por un lado, es muy práctico para ahorrar espacio, y por el otro, las formas curvas resultan muy atractivas en la decoración de interiores.

Aquí te dejo cinco escaleras de espiral modernas y cautivadoras.
ESCALERA DE ESPIRAL

ESCALERA DE ESPIRAL

ESCALERA DE ESPIRAL

ESCALERA DE ESPIRAL

ESCALERA DE ESPIRAL
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Decoración de Navidad para el salón

El salón es muchas veces el centro neurálgico de casa, a donde conducimos siempre a los invitados, y es lógico que sea donde nos explayemos más con la decoración navideña.
El árbol de Navidad, coronas, guirnaldas, velas…y hasta imagenes de Papa Noel, el límite sólo está en el espacio de la habitación . Puedes inclinarte por decoraciones más clásicas o innovar. Desees una u otra cosa, aquí en Decorando Mejor te dejo algunas imagenes de salones muy navideños, que te resultarán -espero- tope inspiradores.
DECORACION DE NAVIDAD

DECORACION DE NAVIDAD

DECORACION DE NAVIDAD

Si quieres ver más sobre Navidad entra aquí
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Pretty in Paris Update

Remember this pretty apartment in Paris that I wrote about in the post Blue Monday last month?  Well, you can see more of it and who owns it in the January 2011 issue of Harper's Bazaar.  Interior designer Chahan Minassian worked with Sally and Michel Perrin of Perrin Paris on this dream apartment on the Quai Voltaire as well as their home in Los Angeles.  Now that I know who owns it, I wonder if I can persuade them to let me stay there when they are away.  A girl can dream!
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Lauren's Luggage

The one apartment in New York I am dying to see belongs to Lauren and Andrés Santo Domingo. The January 2011 issue of Vogue published the photo above which has me even more intrigued.  I heard that Jacques Grange helped decorate it and another article mentions her Hippo bar from Lalannes.  Maybe more photos of her home will appear as she promotes her new online trunk show Moda Operandi.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
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The End of an Era

I was a little shocked to hear this morning that Carine Roitfeld, the editor in chief of French Vogue, will leave the magazine at the end of January.  She's started her career as a model and later stylist for Tom Ford among others.  She's been with French Vogue for ten years and says she has nothing else planned yet.  She will definitely be missed at the fashion shows since she has such amazing personal style.  I especially love that her skirt hems hover around the knee instead of the thigh like many fashionistas.  I've also never seen anyone look chicer in a jacket.  For a fun look inside her world, check out the Carine Roitfeld Revealed video on CNN.  Bonne Chance Carine!

















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