The-Lefthander

Hello Friends! It’s before and after basics time and wallpaper is the subject of choice today! Wallpaper is a huge part of what I do and I am very passionate about its application and transformation powers. The most important thing to remember as we start this process is to make sure you have your patience hat on and be ready to work out some air bubbles! Now that you’re hat is on- let’s get started! -barb

CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump!

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today’s final before & after comes from barb mcmahon of happy simple and stratford daily photo. when barb and her husband moved into their current apartment they found some seriously nasty built-in cupboards in what would become their dining room. the cupboards were blocking too much light in the room, so barb and her husband had them removed. while most of the scrap wood from the cupboards was far from reusable, the doors were in decent shape. so barb decided to put two of the doors together and use it as a wooden canvas for a painting! with her artwork complete, barb hung her upcycled artwork above the sofa and now her once-grungy cabinets are cool modern artwork. great work, barb! this definitely makes me think twice about the scrap wood i see on curbs every weekend….

[have a before & after you'd like to share? just shoot me an email with your images right here! (low res, under 500k per image, please)]

some cynics may argue that, like mounted antlers or felt pebbles, chalkboard paint is overexposed in home decor right now. however, i would argue that its beauty completely negates the issue. have i seen a bad example of chalkboard paint? no, i have not. it always looks dramatic and lovely. i appreciate sarah’s clever use of the paint on the unlikely surface of a mini fridge; actually, it’s quite a useful place for it! the sharp contrast of black and white and the crisp stripes of the rug make the room feel so fresh and clean, perfect for sarah’s modern beach cottage. i also appreciate that the menu and shopping list in the “after” shot (albeit unrealistic) send a fun carefree message about enjoying life. i should try to keep them in mind, as i tend to be a bit cynical myself :) great work, sarah!

telephone benches are an awesome byproduct of the corded phone days. my parents had a fifties era telephone bench that was upholstered in hunter’s green vinyl. it had a large, curved armrest and bronze upholstery tacks running in tight succession along the edges. since we have no pictures of it, i can only use what i remember, which is that it was an ugly sea monster that i could ride on to reach imaginary exotic locales. in actuality i’m pretty sure it was mega stylish– i imagine it fitting perfectly in don draper’s home office. anyway, if i saw a telephone bench of any style at a yard sale today i would grab it; they are like school desks for grownups, and while they serve no real purpose in the age of the cell phone, they always have interesting shapes. i absolutely love the way caitlin has updated this version: the wood against the white base is very modern, but the fun retro fabric gives a stylish nod to the furniture’s heyday. she had the piece powder coated by professionals and added an oiled piece of walnut for the top. it’s now a staple in her home, as it would surely be in mine as well. beautiful work, caitlin! -kate

as someone who frequently enjoys browsing through the offerings of home decor and design retailers, i am happy to report that the rug market has never looked better. ten years ago i wanted an attractive and inexpensive rug for my college room, but there were none to be had.  “contemporary” rug selections fell under two themes: bad miró rip-off or art deco nightmare. while those rug options still exist, it’s great to see modern rug designs out there that actually feel modern; what’s even better is that you can find modern rugs cheap enough to customize in any way you see fit. belén’s plain white rug is a perfect example; her patience and steady hand provided amazing results. the bold graphic numbers are perfect for a fun and playful room, and she achieved them for almost no cost! you can see more about the rug and her other fixer-upper projects on her site, la factoría plástica. great work, belén! -kate

home renovations are amazing to me; i just can’t get over what people can accomplish for themselves when they’re determined to make a space their own. i’m not totally inexperienced: i’ve tackled some large paint jobs, rewired a few lamps, and re-caulked a tub. i don’t feel worthy of congratulations for such small tasks, however, when i read about great feats like this fireplace transformation from jen and her husband. working together, they framed and built out the wall, installed a massive solid fir “floating” mantel with special welded mounts, created their own wainscoting effect with plywood and moulding from a hardware store, and invisibly wired the television and speaker system. phew! i love the dramatic results; the salvaged wood mantel seems totally worth the effort and the white fireplace provides a much improved contrast to the chic grey wall color. apparently they’ve doubled the amount of time they spend in the space, which is the true test of a great room renovation. you can read more about how they found materials and tackled the installation on her site. amazing job, jen!

[have a before & after you'd like to share? just shoot me an email with your images right here! (low res, under 500k per image, please)]

for some reason i only think of calendars in the fall and winter. something about the summer demands a sort of loosey-goosey-ness that makes calendars feel far too rigid for me. but when fall kicks in and jackets go on, i feel the need to get my schedule (and life) into order. though we’re four months away from 2011, it’s never too early to start planning which pretty calendar you’ll be using for next year- and these new letterpress poster calendars from 1canoe2 are my first suggestion. carrie and beth drew four new designs for 2011 and letterpress printed them in a large poster size (11×14) for easy framing. each of the four designs (“the farm”, “flower garden”, “boats” and “things that are long”- that last one is more innocent that it sounds to my immature ears) are available right here for $22. here’s to calendar season! xo, grace

as much as i hate it, my phone is pretty much attached to my hip these days. thankfully not in literal sense with one of those dorky hip holsters, but i never leave home without it. when i do leave home i end up playing on my phone during my commute, which usually involves texting or catching up on emails. so i’m thrilled that someone in the design community has finally made an app that lets me send cute, well-design texts and messages to friends, family, and work contacts. i’ve always been an old-school paper card person (until a few months ago i mailed all our editors’ payments in hand-written cards each month) but i’ve been trying to green things up a bit around here so i’m embracing the idea of digital cards a bit more. cartolina’s new app lets you send brief messages using one of their customizable designs. just pick a design, type your message and either text or email it to the recipient. this would be great for a little “i love you” text, a quick birthday greeting, or the modern mom who texts her kids “good luck!” rather than the old note-on-the-lunchbag trick. the app supports multiple languages, lets you send to multiple recipients and has an integrated calendar so you can send yourself event reminders. the whole app will only set you back $2.99 (it’s cheaper than most cute cards on the market these days) so if you’re in the market for a cuter way to send notes, click here to check out the app (and all the designs) on cartolina’s site. xo, grace

*the app will go on sale sept 17th so if you’d prefer to buy it from the app store on your phone you can pick it up there next friday.

It is a real pleasure to introduce the fabulous Annette Joseph! Annette is an Atlanta-based Photo Stylist and Producer, whose client list boasts some serious heavy hitters such as Better Homes and Gardens, the beloved and mourned Domino Magazine, Country Home magazine, and many, many more. Her most recent design coup is the home renovation for actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s Nashville apartment. In just 10 days Annette and her team transformed a bare, raw industrial space into a bright family home punctuated by artwork and industrial rustic elements. For more details chronicling Annette’s design work for Gwyneth, check out her feature in GOOP! To see how this savvy stylist manages to keep all her ducks in a row, read on guys and dolls!

1. Design*Sponge: What is in your toolbox? What are the tools you can’t live without?

Annette Joseph: My favorite tool is a tiny hammer; it is a hammer, a flat screwdriver, and Phillips head screwdriver all-in-one. It is available at most large hardware store by various manufacturers. Then of course I cannot live with out both large and small Martha Stewart scissors. Also I must include my linen apron! I bought it on a photo shoot in Napa 5 years ago and never take it off during a shoot. Of course, my iphone is the newest and most valuable tool. We use it for everything from photographing objects we want to use as a prop, to a gps in towns all over the country (and the world).

2. Design*Sponge: Fill in the blank, “When I am in my studio, I feel… light. happy. inspired by all the collected beauty.”

CLICK HERE for the rest of Annette’s interview (and her studio music mix tape) after the jump!

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long time readers may remember ashley’s amazing wooden palette day bed from last year. i love the way her projects manage to blend a worn-in vintage look into a stylish modern setting. these adorable photo holders are no exception; the vintage spool turns the image into a little sculpture! you can swap the images out easily, prop them wherever you please, and best of all, you don’t have to  buy any expensive frames. it’s a great way to have more photos  around the house without having all of them displayed in uniform fashion, and these take about thirty seconds to make. CLICK HERE to read more about this project and see more of ashley’s beautiful photography work. thanks for sharing, ashley! -kate

CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump!

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we blessing sisters have loved notepads, notebooks and all things paper since our first wide-rule pads we bought in gradeschool. we have trouble letting go of even a single sheet of paper, lest we find a use to reuse or recycle it in the craft room! this time, we repurposed our old faxes and paper scraps into notebooks and made them useful again. we pulled out old wrapping paper, books we didn’t mind ripping pages out of, and other odds and ends to make the covers pretty. this is quick and easy to do with what you already have at home, and you end up with a stack of handy, useful pads that might even give you a tinge of back-to-school nostalgia. –bbbcraft sisters

CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump!

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illustration by julia rothman

today’s newest city guide comes from copywriter and food blogger mishti bhattacharjee.  mishti grew up in muscat, india, attended college in india, received her graduate degree in england and recently moved to dubai after many years in mumbai (formerly known as bombay).  she now shares her expert travel experience with us on this guided tour through mumbai’s eclectic markets and delicious dining.  thanks mishti for this wonderful guide!–stephanie

*a quick note- many mumbai locals still refer to the city as bombay. but for our purposes, we’re using mumbai because it’s the standard use in most american publications

CLICK HERE for the full guide after the jump!

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this weekend while i was staring at the frat house that our apartment has become (i think every room has an empty water or beer bottle in it) i felt the need to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. because i’m something of an extremist, my immediate reaction was to look at aaron and say “we need to move.” that’s surely the easiest way to escape clutter, right? while we both agreed to finally get back on the market and start hunting for a new apartment i decided it was also time to pack away my summer clothes (goodbye, cut offs. i’ll miss you) and start thinking about a few new fall wardrobe choices. but because my brain always drifts right back to home design, i thought i’d compose a little shopping wish list of all of the fall-focused home and fashion pieces i’ve craving. i’ve tend to live my life vicariously through these roundups rather than actually buying any of these pieces, but this time i’m hoping i make it home with those boots and one of the gorgeous trays below. if we’re going to have bottles around the house, they might as well pile up on cute trays, right? hope you enjoy the roundup and cooler weather outside. here’s to fall! xo, grace

[image above: 1. safety pin wall plaques $35 2. pendleton throw $98 3. chesnut leaf earrings $38 4. eames hang it all in walnut $249 5. ticking flannel bedding $24-$88 6. acorn key ring $76 7. squirrel ring box $120 8. wharf table lamp $398 9. plaid lunet chair $698 10. welcome to nantucket doormat $42 11. aberdeen two-tone boot $198 (i am so making these my new fall boots)]

[image above: 1. plaid jacket $198 (a perfect early-fall jacket with no bulk) 2. plaid motor robe + carrier $98 3. bronze age flatware $36 (for a bronzy fall table) 4. acorn necklaces $85 each 5. night owls wall stickers by amy ruppel $65]

[image above: 1. sundry cafe tray $78 2. mexican agate ring $428 3. amber hearth candle $20 4. hexagon cloche $78 (perfect for flowers or displaying special jewelry)]

good morning! i’ve been trying to get my desk in order all weekend so i thought i’d kick things off today with a budget-friendly roundup. i’m coming to the end of my guest blogging stint at mylifescoop and today i’m focusing on desktop organization and tech accessories under $50. if you’re like me and could use a little help getting things together on your desktop, i hope this roundup will help!

CLICK HERE for the full roundup on mylifescoop.

Today’s living in is all about facing your childhood fears head on bravely and declaring for the whole world to hear, “The Dark Crystal, it’s taken 20 years but I am no longer scared of you.” Repeat a few times till you trick yourself into believing it.  Sort of.  I grew up in a family that supported a healthy respect for Jim Henson, Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street. But while my big sister couldn’t get enough of The Dark Crystal, I think I spent repeated viewings completely under the covers. Heck, I was even scared of the Gelflings.

Natural geode $57, wooden flute $10, antique oil flagon $425, deerskin bracelet $80, diy pressed ferns, vintage  demijohn and basket $148, leather sandals $149,  petrified wood slices $40, citrine cluster $9, threshing basket $349.

Honestly I’m still kinda creeped out, even by the good guys.  But evil skeksis or no, I have a firm appreciation for 1980s style elfin fantasy style.  A little thatched hut in the woods with lots of baskets and bottles and viney tree roots doesn’t sound too bad these days, but let’s skip the whole sucking of life essence bit. That, my friends, I could do without.

Iron globe chandelier $1873, leather fringe bag $84, set of 4 wicker votive holders $10, mushroom specimens $20, agate geode $29, antique wooden cart $698, iron table $548, wooden trivet $18.

ulrica wihlborg and her husband craig forrest live with their two sons, axel, 3, and gustav, 1, in los angeles but for five weeks every summer, they escape to ulrica’s homecountry of sweden to this beautiful property in the southern town of esseboda. this peek makes me vow to eat outside as much as i can before the cold weather makes it impossible!  (see the full flickr set here!) {thanks ulrica, craig, axel, gustav, solgerd and lars!} -amy a.

[This house, which is a property with several houses and buildings on it, is named Villa Solgärdet. It’s named after my amazing mom – Solgerd Wihlborg –who created this beautiful place out of her imagination. My mom and my dad, Lars Höglund, own the property together.  When they bought it, the house and its surrounding buildings were in complete ruins. The main house was built in 1886 by a well-to-do farmer and his family, but hadn’t been taken care of since the early 1900s.  The houses and the surrounding barns were beyond teardowns, and the grounds contained about 7,000 pounds of rusted steel and metal farm equipment. Still, the house was located in such a special place – it was sitting on a sunny hill (sol is the world for sun in Swedish) overlooking forests and meadows – that my mom decided to restore it from the ground up and make it into a small “pension” where people could come and experience beauty and nature.  My mom describes it as a place where you “can hear the silence.”]

[image above: My mom also made all the bedding herself, from the sheets to the bedskirts to the pillowcases, as well as the curtains in all the rooms in the house.  It’s heaven sleeping there, because all the sheets are pressed and the pillow cases are ironed by hand – everything is done with so much love!  The white bedspreads you see in a couple of the photos of the rooms are vintage and made by hand.]

[image above: The décor also reflects the era during which the house was built. The majority of the furniture pieces and décor details are from the early 1900s and were picked up at local antique stores and flea markets.]

CLICK HERE for the rest of Ulrica’s sneak peek after the jump!

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today’s biz ladies post comes from social media writer, editor and blogger rebecca levie osberg. rebecca offers her social media savvy and blog writing skills to her clients on a daily basis, and today, she shares with us some helpful tips for using a blog attached to your website to cultivate your business. thank you rebecca for sharing your social media expertise with us!–stephanie

CLICK HERE for the full post after the jump!

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breaking up our sneak peeks for the best of bedrooms roundup has been the hardest task so far in this series. with so many beautiful bedrooms, how can i possibly narrow it down to 25? so i’m not. i’m going to have my cake and eat it to, and by that i mean: three “best of” bedrooms posts (here is last month’s “part one”). bedrooms have always been my favorite part of any home because they’re everyone’s quiet sanctuary- a place to rest, restore, and feel comfortable. and today i’m rounding up 25 more of my favorite bedrooms from our nearly 600 home sneak peek archive. if you’re looking for bedroom design inspiration, or just a little eye-candy, i hope you’ll enjoy part two today! xo, grace

[image above: carol neily's soft peach-colored bedroom is my dream bedroom. simple, feminine, and sophisticated (and in france!)]

[image above: david stark's brooklyn bedroom is the perfect shade of pale pink]

[image above: nicolette owen's blue brooklyn bedroom]

[image above: diane stafford's bedroom makes teal and red look chic]

[image above: shauna and stephen's bedroom is full of surprises (like a swinging bench! see full peek for images)]

CLICK HERE for 20 more beautiful bedrooms after the jump!

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good morning guys! i have officially made up for all of the sleep i’ve missed over the past few months of book work and i am finally feeling rested, ready to work and back to feeling like myself! the d*s site re-design is just around the corner (i’m so excited!), i just hired a fantastic copy editor to help us improve our writing and i’m working on some few new columns to start this month. so we’re hitting the ground running in september and i couldn’t be happier. before we dive into today’s regular posts (we’re merging monday’s posts into today- so stay tuned for sneak peeks!) i wanted to start with these beautiful new stoneware planters from canadian designer paige russell. paige created them as part of fossil’s new “long live art” program, which asks artists to create a vintage-inspired piece that illustrates what the phrase “long live vintage” means to them. paige’s planters are available right here for $50. click here to check out fossil’s “long live art” program and the other artists participating.

When I stumbled upon the sneak peek of this colorful home, I gasped in delight! Ombline de Kersabiac (French stylist, textile designer and illustrator) likes to try new things and take risks, which is visible in both the design and color choices of her house. Ombline’s unexpected palettes highlight the progressive industrial design in each room. Click here to view the entire sneak peek (pops of neon included!). —Lauren

Palette 1:
A) Night Shade (Behr), PMS 5463 B) Whitestone (Benjamin Moore), PMS Cool Gray 3 C) Margarita (Benjamin Moore), PMS 382 D) Night Tide (Pratt & Lambert), PMS 3155 E) Amber Waves (Benjamin Moore), PMS 148

Palette 2:
A) Green Suede (Valspar), PMS 341 B) Fruit Shake (Benjamin Moore), PMS 196 C) Amalfi (Sherwin-Williams), PMS 314 D) Manchester (Pratt & Lambert), PMS 420 E) Hint of Cherry (Valspar), PMS 1915

i’m so happy to end the week with an update from my park slope neighbor, wayne pate. wayne re-designed his website and is now selling a beautiful selection of home goods along with his sweet prints. if you’re looking for something special for someone, or just want to perk up your own space, click here to check it out!

we’ll be taking monday off for the holiday, so i’ll see you all on tuesday with new homes, movie-style, biz ladies advice, a new city guide and much more. have a wonderful holiday! xo, grace

*ps: speaking of park slope, ac and i are looking to finally move out out current apt into a new space. if anyone has a real estate agent in park slope or wiliamsburg that they love, i’d be so appreciative for any tips! thanks!

• must-read posts of the week: sneak peek best of: dining rooms (round tables), best of play rooms, outstanding in the field
• new city guide: wellington, new zealand guide, new haven guide
• biz ladies: promoting your business (tastefully) online
• living in: butch cassidy and the sundance kid
• sneak peeks: joel holland, jen + omar of these are things
• diy projects: jaime’s freshly picked floral accessories, brenna’s secret storage books, framed display box
• before & afters: iris’s credenza + michael’s dresser, courtney’s chairs + hampton’s dresser, lisa’s chair + calli’s dresser
• under $100: nightstands
• before and after basics:  stencil tricks
• simply color: suzie mckig
• summer florals: wearing white one last time (white arrangement how-to)
• in the kitchen with: ming thompson’s fig layer cake recipe (mmm…)
• behind the bar: with barbara merrit’s champagne cocktail recipe!
• small measures with ashley: 7 tips for greening your bedroom
• misc.: dalton ghetti, the exquisite book, morning birds, dedo faux-fur message board, secondome, beautiful paper-cut cards from coral & tusk

I am so excited to unveil this month’s Behind the Bar column!  Ever since my sister, Jillian, first introduced it to me, I have long admired the Portland, Maine store “chelliswilson.“  When I was finally able to visit the shop last November I was absolutely blown away, not only by the stop-in-your-tracks gorgeous shop but also by the oh-so-sweet owner, Barbara Merritt.  She brims with knowledge and has stocked her store with the most unique, beautiful and thoughtful creations.  It is a small, intimate store that packs a large punch!  I could have poked around, admiring each and every item for hours.  Every corner has a delightful surprise and just when you thought you had seen it all, you will find something else to lust after.  If HORNE were ever to have a physical incarnation, “chelliswilson.” would definitely be one of the places I would reference for inspiration.

When I approached Barbara for the Behind the Bar column I just knew she would add her own very special twist.  Today were are featuring a simply elegant drink accompanied by a wonderful story behind its creation.  Have a great weekend and we hope you enjoy Barbara’s Champagne cocktail, “The Marriage of True Minds.” [Alissa + Ryan]

P.S. Make sure to check out Barbara’s Blog – it is full of droolworthy inspiration!

CLICK HERE for the full drink recipe (and more photos) after the jump!

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