Living HGTV: Home Improvement

[isadora]

I'll be living in this thread.

So I worked on my office over the weekend. And it was kind of a fail. Turns out I'm a bad interior designer because I have a vision but am too cheap/stupid to execute it.

So I saw a cute thang in a magazine where they had a pink ceiling, white trim and gray walls. I was going to replicate it for my office. I picked "complimentary" gray and pink from Martha Stewart colors, had those replicated at Sherwin-Williams and went to painting! Well, the pink reflects down on the gray creating a weird baby blue. SO I look like I have a very confused nursery going on!

Then I was too cheap to buy the curtains I wanted--I don't even know why except that I had to pay $850 for insurance completely unexpectedly (my husband can not be in charge of anything financial, I realized) and so I went for the cheaper version because I was still digesting the outrageous insurance bill. So I wanted those ruffle curtains from Pottery Barn or anthropologie so I bought the cheap version from Target (which is .4 miles from my house so I'm over-using their shizz as is) for $20/panel. I KNOW. I need to stop being a cheapo (as my husband OFTEN tells me)! But I'm frugal when it comes to things like this and I'm sure, like I did with shoes, I'll learn to just buy the good shit and be done with it.

Anyway, the cheap Target curtains don't look modern. They look Loretta Lynn! So Now I'm super sad about the whole effing endeavor and I want to go back to renting. Hee!

[LaaLaa]

Aw, no! Don't let the new house love fade!

First of all, Martha colors are the shiz. I used 99% Martha colors replicated in Behr, but the grey of hers that I used for the living room turned out v. blue. It was a happy accident, but not what I was originally going for. Painting ceilings is such a bitch too. All of the pink ceiling-ed rooms I've seen have been white walled, so maybe you could just do pink walls with some grey decor and wall art? Note: We're on the same color wavelength. I wanted my office grey, white and pink with touches of gold, no joke. A bit of dark wood furniture thrown in there too, so my future Mr. doesn't break out in hives.

I KNOW which curtains you're talkin'. Love those. I remember a few months ago Urban Outfitters had a shower curtain that looked really similar to their regular ruffled curtains, which looked really similar to the anthro ones. I'd call them to see if they still have those in stock. Do the Target ones look Loretta because of the different material or the size of the ruffle?

[isadora]

I used Cumulous Cloud and Carnation from Martha Stewart colors. I SHOULD have used Dolphin!

I bought this desk from Ikea (against the Mr. holding his nose):


The Loretta look is because of the size of the ruffle. It's long like a 70s frill! So I think I have to return them or put them in the guest bedroom. They are just too bedroom-y.

BUT. I need to accept that it's an improvement all the same. Here is what the bedroom looked like before we moved in:


And here is where we are at today:


Sarah convinced me the real problem is that the curtains are just too soft for what I want. So I might go with a more sophisticated line on the curtains and decorate with a girly chair.

My whack job plans include a chandelier, a bright pink chair, and build-in shelving. Oh, and a real office chair, what with it being an office.

Please feel free to judge/offer advice. I know my style is not for everybody!

[Linda]

Why'd you get rid of that awesome blue carpet?

[ophy]

Oh, yes. We needed this thread.

I'm a big fan of full spectrum paints, personally. The color will change throughout the day with different angles of light.

This is who we use: http://www.ellenkennon.com/

But you know my color philosophy: light washes of color, mostly pale blues, greens, grays, creams, and yellows with ivory trim. No browns. taupes, or beiges, or anything 'earthy'. Nothing saturated. No white ceilings, no white walls. Ceilings should to be painted a cooler, lighter color than the walls, so the ceiling seems to float higher. Most of our ceilings are a pale opal/gray.

Then I use furnishings to provide the visual interest. A lot of our wooden furniture is red, black or pale green. Anything upholstered is oatmeal or light gray, or black/cream stripes or toile or green/cream toile. And then in the kitchen, we have lots of stainless steel, marble and chalkboard paint. I go for 'restful' over 'fun' every time, so I think we have totes opposite decor tastes, is.

I just recently bought a new bed for my room, the Hayworth from Pier One: http://www.pier1.com/Hayworth-Headbo...?cgid=hayworth
My room is all pale blue and cream, with a red/blue/cream Persian on the floor, and mirrored nightstands. And I have a wall of just assorted antique mirrors that I have been collecting for years, so this bed goes perfectly. I'm thinking about making fabric panel inserts for the bed, though. And by 'making', I mean picking out the fabric and having my MIL do it.

I'm jealous that you get to start from scratch on a whole house! I'm totes running out of rooms to do things to.

ETA posted before I saw your update! Wow, total upgrade from what the room was before! I don't hate the curtains, but yeah . . . they are a bit too ethereal. The wall color looks fine in the pic, but you know I'm not a fan of the ceiling color. It *is* a bit nursery-ish to me.

[LaaLaa]

Agree with a stiffer curtain. Or! You could do a darker pink + darker grey. The grey we used - Winter's Day (that turned out kinda blue on our walls because our living room doesn't get a lot of sunlight) would actually go great with a candy pink. I don't know how bold you want to go.

To me, this looks like Cumulus Cloud + a slightly darker pink.

Candy pink, which you know I lurve.

[ophy]

Oh, Laa! I love that room!

Love the color, the shape, the trim and everything. I wish I could pick it up and move it into my house. Always wanted a bay window shaped like that. Do you use it for a living room, or a dining room?

[LaaLaa]

Hah! That is not my house! I WISH! This is our plain ol' rectangle.

That carpet. is. amazing.

[isadora]

Gorgeous room, Laa!

I love the darker pink with the dolphin as well! I am considering painting it a darker shade of gray. But I'm going to put everything back in the room and assess before bothering to repaint.

[isadora]

Oh, an o? We have entirely different tastes but I actually love everything you're saying. SO I'm all over map. Ha! I like things a little playful, whimsical and even wacky.

And my husband loves everything earth tones and bright blues. Strange.

Did I tell you guys I'm replicating the bedroom Serena designed for Blair on GG? Pretty much, yeah.


We're doing a wood wall--it's weird but Mr. Is is sooo excited about it. With a fabric headboard, dramatic art over the bed, bright pink accent with sage green here and there. It's still in the formative stages but I'm super excited. /this idea will fail.

[ophy]

Okay, that could be super interesting, especially the sage with the deep pink. Are you also going to do the formal wainscoting? Because I lurves it.

I wanted that style of ivory wainscoting in my tv room, but mr.o half assed it (huge shock). So all I have is a chair rail, and ivory paint, no additional molding.

I love your rectangle, Laa! The floors look great, and you have an awesome window. So big!

[isadora]

I wish I had a fireplace! I LOVED my mantle in my old apartment.

We are not doing the wainscoting because our house is a 1963 raised ranch and it would look weird, I think. We are doing a homemade paneling, which sounds awful, I know, but Mr. Is is crazy handy so he has a fantasy of having a wood wall that has a soft grain that will replicate the feel of the wallpaper on Serena's wall.

I'm debating what to do for the dramatic art. I *could* create origami butterflies and replicate that piece. I'd like it be something we created ourselves (not just because I'm cheap--ha!--but because I love DIY everything).

[LaaLaa]

The possibilities! Origami butterflies, record butterflies, leaves, diamonds, TP roll flowers, more TP roll flowers, rolled paper flowers...

Sniffle. That was back when GG characters interacted.

[ophy]

LOVE those record butterflies! I vote for them. That gives you an excuse to hit up flea markets and garage sales.

[isadora]

I'm kinda awesome at record art already but I'm not sure I'm down with the LP names being visible! I like how this chick poly coats the origami! I was thinking butterflies or leaves or something in the way.

ETA: While I love paper art? It really gets gross and dusty and it's hard to clean. So if you have a poly coating you can probably dust it a little easier and have the dust not just smear into the paper.