Let There Be Light!!

Thanks to a helpful friend (and a landlord that loves it when his tenants handle projects on their own) I have new snazzy light fixtures. Next up is paint. Here are some before/afters:

 Narsty chandelier with one working light...

 Ta-da! Fresh new chandelier with THREE working lights!

Super narsty, super boring, gross, boring bathroom fixture....

 Looks WAY better! (Going to need to repair the wall where it has crumbled behind it though).

Both fixtures were purchased at Lowe's for under $150 altogether. Stay tuned as the updates continue.

Objects of the Sea.

Do you have a place where you go to think about life? A special place that means a lot to you? I was thinking about prayer closets the other day. I knew someone with one a while back. From a decorating standpoint the thought of a prayer closet has always intrigued me..really the thought of turning teeny tiny spaces like closets into reading, play, or work spaces is just plain fun to consider. Uniquely purposed, intimate spaces are cute.

Anyway, I say all that because while I was sitting at my "spot" last week, it hit me that this little, non-descript spot in Jacksonville is my "prayer closet". *I have to note that it has also been humorously referred to as "the crying tree" by my friend and I because I started going to the spot initially to "cry out" my troubles. The fact that it is out in public rather than inside an actual closet or small room doesn't bug me (but it does mean I have some pretty boring closets). I don't just go there to pray (or to cry, either); I go there with friends to have heart-to-hearts and for picnics. Sometimes I yell at God there (in my heart...not out loud!) if the day so calls for it, or just watch the clouds or birds as they pass over. Sometimes I rest there in the middle of a long run. The other day I sat there for ten minutes and made a to-do list in my head and thought of how to execute everything in the best way. I think clearly there. You get my point, it is simply a place where I can really be.

I don't want to speak for my mom but I think the beach is her prayer closet. While I painted the following "objects of the sea", I thought of her and how she brought my sister and I to her spot in St. Augustine over and over again when we were young. Sometimes it is nice to be an adult so you can see things from a more well rounded perspective. When I was going there with her I just thought about how much I loved being in the water!

The blue crab is my favorite ;) More to come!

I hope you have a special place to go where you are completely free to be yourself, and if you don't, maybe you can create one in your home!

xo

A Perfectly Project: 1661 Riverside (Vol. 5)

Working with my client at 1661 Riverside has been such a pleasure. I've loved our texting sessions regarding everything from whether or not to purchase a certain rug to overwhelming excitement (for both of us) because she found a garden stool for a steal:) My client is fun, classic, girly, fashionable, and a city girl who enjoys her casual side as well. I think her space reflects her well, and I hope you'll agree. There are of course some more little things to be done, but as I have said before on here- good decorating is a process and you should only purchase things you love. Sometimes it is best to be patient and the right solutions to certain blank areas in your home will figure themselves out.

For this project, I helped with:

- paint selections
- light fixture selection and positioning
- shopping for furniture
- positioning of furniture
- coordination of reupholstering
- recovering of chairs
- window treatments (sewing involved)
- accessory placement

Here's a quick house tour!

Living Room:

Dining/ Kitchen:

Guest Bath:

Master Bedroom:

Master Bath:

Guest / Office:

Did I mention she's a Gator?? ;)

That's the tour!! Check out this prior post for before shots of some of the furniture:

http://perfectlytaylord.blogspot.com/2011/04/perfectly-project1661-riverside-vol-iii.html

Weekend Warrior.

In two weekends I have successfully moved, sold excess furniture, organized what I wanted to keep, acquired two PERFECT tables to replace things that were too bulky, made tablecloths for them, and recovered two seats for my dining room chairs. Wanna see?

I used fabric by the fabulous Amy Butler. It coordinated well and I love the patterns. This is the table in my dining room that a lovely lady at work gave to me. I need to have a piece of glass cut for the top and it will be ready for quick little breakfasts before work and a number of other small, quick meals.

The green walls in this place aren't horrible but I can't wait to get a neutral of some sort up so that my bright furniture and fabrics don't clash as much.

A quick stop at an estate sale down the road got me yet another decorator's table, also covered in Amy Butler. This one came with the glass topper.

Because i had a little bit left over, I decided I should make something fun - and I ended up with a new apron!

I even made it with pleats....

I hope you are having fun doing your own weekend warrior type projects and enjoying the summer!

Stay tuned for more shots of my apartment when my new settee arrives and once things are painted more!

Oooo-wwweee!

Please, please scoot your boot on over to Design*Sponge to check out what my friend Becky has to say about her recent bathroom reno. I love how she thinks out of the box. You can also see details about the vanity (and get a more specific link to the Design Sponge post because for some reason my link function won't let me paste in a link??) over at her blog here.

Those mix & match mirrors are something to sing about...oooo-weee! Happy Weekend!

Hideaway.

If you read this post you might be wondering if I ever made a decision regarding new fabric for my settee. I actually had myself set on choice No. 4, "Vintage Blossoms" by Robert Allen for Dwell. The day that I went to Calico Corners, however, I was a) in a hurry and b) wanted to deliver the settee to my re-upholsterer that day.  I knew that they carried the Dwell fabric line so I figured I would be in and out in no time. 8 yards please, thankyouverymuch. To my dismay, and as the cause of a near panic, the bolt they had was DAMAGED! You see friends, I had this all planned out. Dwell fabric for the settee and maybe the zig-zag pattern (option No. 1) for my slipper chairs.

After wandering around the store for a hot minute I felt overwhelmed and decided it would be OK if I didn't make a decision and send the settee to the re-upholsterer that day. I would live. I could order the fabric online. Just when I had lost all hope I saw a fabric that I had fallen in love with for a different project I was helping someone else with a month before. I stood there and could immediately see the possibilities...I was...hooked. And just like that my problem was solved. Here is the winner folks: (please keep in mind this was taken on a camera phone & the color looks much more pink...in reality it is very salmon/coral)

I actually don't know who the manufacturer is. It isn't on the Calico Corners website and this is the closest I found online, but it looks like a print, where as my fabric is upholstery weight with the pattern woven in. I am much happier with this choice because I feel like it will last longer than the Dwell fabric and that's important when you have a dog that loves to jump on furniture!

It should be finished any day now - I'll give you an update when it is ready, along with a couple other before/afters I have done recently. Want to hear something else that's exciting? I am switching apartments with my neighbor!! Yet another thing to add to my list of  projects to-do, however, the difference in rent was well worth it. And what aspiring designer can't pass up the chance to re-do her living space again? I know I can't.

p.s. I called this post"Hideaway" because it is title of The Weepies song I am listening to right now...random.

Au Revoir! xo