Fabric of the Week: Vesoul

Cherry blossoms have always been popular with their lighthearted Asian vibe and pastel hues.

       

Robert Allen's Vesoul in Sterling is a fabric that uses this familiar motif, but  updates it with a fresh palette of grey and yellow. (Below is a close-up of an actual sample)

 

I can totally picture this fabric being used in a bedroom, perhaps as an upholstered headboard or as large decorative shams. Paired with soft greys and creams with the occasional pop of yellow in accessories, it would be a calming scheme with a refreshing hit of personality.

A New Years Update

I know I’m a little late on the 2010 update but here goes…       

Long time followers of this blog would be hard-pressed to let the sharp decrease in posting these past few months pass by without notice. A big part of that reason is not only my 9-5 job at a design firm, but my dedication to pursuing my interior decorating certificate in the evenings. My usual blogging hours have taken a hit to accommodate the endless assignments, such as my sample boards below:

I hate to say it, but this will probably continue as I work to complete my certificate, so please bear with me for the next while. I do promise though that you will get to watch the progress of my apartment decorating unfold over the next few months, so I hope you’ll stick with me and see how it turns out!

Happy New Year!

Cutie Customizable Coasters

Neiman Marcus’ monogrammed paperboard coasters could be one of the cutest hostess gifts I have seen in ages!

For only $39, plus $10 for an acrylic holder, you get 100 disposable customizable coasters to use at will when entertaining.

Fierce Fornasetti Find

My jaw nearly dropped when I caught sight of this gold key and malachite faux-finished circular piece at Decorum Decorative Finds. The unmarked piece had 3 brass bolts on the underside, so unsure of what it was or what it cost, I took it to the front desk to get some answers

Little did I know it was a vintage  Fornasetti table top!  (The bolts underside are for table legs). Unfortunately, the Fornasetti name also comes with a Fornasetti price ($1,000), so even though it was a dream find that incorporated some of my obsessions, such as malachite and gold, it is obviously a no go.

It was displayed next to another green and gold Fornasetti table top (this one with the antique coin theme), so if you’re looking for a pair of unique vintage pieces you can buy them both for $2,000 on Decorum’s 1st Dibs site.

Lamp Makeover

One of our class assignments for fundamentals of interior design was to build a lamp. Rather than making something junky for the sake of a homework assignment out of an IKEA base and craft materials, I decided to transform an ugly yellow lamp base I found for $14 at value village into a signature piece to be used in my apartment living room.

I went to work sourcing a gorgeous shade and all of the materials needed to make it go from granny to glam. I decided on a black and gold palette (shocker), and chose a stunning oversized black drum shade with real gold leaf banding to bring the traditional silhouette of the base into modern times. I combined two of my favourite motifs: traditional crests and cameos, for a fun surface embellishment to stencil on the black base, which would complement the chinoiserie-esque footing.

A few coats of krylon ultra-flat black spray paint and a gold leaf pen later, I had my very own custom creation: