Easy Ottoman!

Want your own unique ottoman? 

How about an ottoman with some storage?


Finished product.

 

 If you do, I can point you in the right direction...checkout out this website and it will walk you through all of the steps.  http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,20616419,00.html 

It has pictures and measurements, along with a supply list.  There are a couple of comments to read thru with some clarifications- so don't skip that!

I can attest to building this ottoman AND upholstering it in a couple of days.  The longest wait was for the feet to dry after staining, as it was very humid weather.  We purchased the feet at a Lowe's, but I know Home Depot or other wood supply stores will have them as well.  I applied 2 coats of stain and 2 coats of a clear finish on top.  We chose feet that matched some other furniture in the room- a transitional style for sure.

 



A couple of helpful hints or considerations are:  Be sure to shorten the height of the ottoman to fit the sofa it will be paired with.  Ours was shortened by 1 1/2 inches for the sofa.  If you forget this step, the ottoman will be too high to comfortably put your feet up on...  another consideration is the fabric choice.  We chose a sculpted microfiber in a aqua/mint shade to lighten up the room and dark brown sofa.  The color alone makes the piece visually "less heavy" to our eyes.  The fabric is easy to clean, as there are 2 dogs and a baby on the way...so it will see a lot of use!  Lastly, we chose to tuft the top cushion, you will want to have buttons covered by a professional, and get some heavy thread/string to thread them with.  (Tufting is NOT for beginners-so if you have never tufted before just stick to the plain upholstered top.  If you still want to tuft it, I would search the internet for instructions and take this into account before you buy fabric!)



Lid is propped open with the tufted button strings "hanging"

 

 

Not a hard project to tackle..This Old House website makes it easy!  Give it a try and send pictures and I will post them!

P.S. Is there such thing as an "otto-woman"?



"Ottoman" they replaced...good choice!

A 3rd Color of the Year

A 3rd color of the year, this time from Benjamin Moore Paint Company...can you guess what it is?  If you guessed Lemon Sorbet #2019-60  you were right!

Lemon Sorbet 

This color is definitely a departure from the deep saturated colors that we are seeing in some of the predictions (like Pantone's Color of the Year which is Emerald, a deep, dark green)...According to Sonu Mathew, the Senior Interior Designer at Benjamin Moore, lemon sorbet represents the "emerging pastels".  She says to mix this color with a mint, coral, pink, vanilla or blue families....hmmm....sounds calm to me...

kbbcollective.kbbonline.com

According to the Benjamin Moore website this color is "Uplifting without being overpowering, lemon sorbet (2019-60) complements almost any color palette and provides a unifying element for diverse spaces."

sheripellowsinteriors.com

At my own home, one of the guest bedrooms, has been painted this color for several years... I have always liked the "sunny-ness"  and warmth of it!  I also have liked that it DOES "go with"/blend with several other colors as mentioned above. 

What do you think?  Where could you use Lemon Sorbet?

Wisteria.com

ANOTHER Color of the Year for 2013: SW #6464 Aloe

According to Craig Nakano of the L.A. Times,in the color-of-the-year derby, the paint company Sherwin-Williams named a midcentury-tinged blue called Aloe -- "a hint of mint and lots of moxie" -- as its top hue for 2013.

“This is no ordinary pastel – Aloe is funky and glamorous, demure and free-spirited. While Aloe’s vibe can verge on retro, when paired with caviar blacks, crisp whites or soft grays, suddenly Aloe has a new soul and attitude. And Aloe is highly adaptable, making it a perfect pick for everyday spaces such as a breezy sunroom or a well-dressed living room,” says Jackie Jordan, Sherwin–Williams director of color marketing.

Jordan recommends “coupling Aloe with natural textiles, aged metals or warm wood tones in light to medium finishes. For a more energetic look, Jordan suggests combining Aloe with vintage chartreuse, floral lilacs and vivid corals.”  Below, it is shown with what appears to be a terra cotta color. 



Wall Paint

Why is it important to know the colors of the year?  As a designer, I like to know what colors may be on the horizon...what might home accessories be made in...etc.  I do like this color, partly because it is a green and partly because it does bring back some old memories of mint or toothpaste colored rooms that my grandparents had...I DO find it a very soothing color that makes me think of vacation/tropical destinations...by no means am I saying I will paint a whole room in it though. 

Wall Paint used with a gray

Tell me what you think about this color? And where might you use it?

     

EMERALD...Pantone Color of the Year 2013

Emerald conjers up visions of the gem for me..not only is it my birthstone but one of my all-time favorite colors!   (Green in general, that is!)  

"Pantone, the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, announced PANTONE® 17-5641 Emerald, a lively, radiant, lush green, as the Color of the Year for 2013." 



I personally also think of the environment...according to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color  Institute®,  “Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “

 "Most often associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, the perception of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious. Since antiquity, this luminous, magnificent hue has been the color of beauty and new life in many cultures and religions. It’s also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity – no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity."

Besides the gem and environment, I think about the green marble used in upscale interiors of the past (and still used in some of the casinos/hotels out and about)...

You are probably asking yourself, "how am I going to use it?"  I have included some inspiration...

 

Emerald will be popular in the fashion industry as well as clothing  and interior accessories.  Below are the chosen colors of the Spring 2013 Fashion Colors.





 
I hope to have inspired you to rethink your use of emerald green by showing some examples of its use.  You could find other inspirations just by googling "emerald green interiors"...
What do you think of with this color?  Where would you use emerald green in your own home?  How about wearing it?



*****Exerpts for this blog post are from http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=21056&ca=10.

Amaryllis Center Piece

Beautiful centerpiece for a holiday table.

I promised a post about the beautiful amaryllis flower...and after reading how easy it is to grow  them you will want to do your own table scape such as the one shown...let's get started...

First off, the amaryllis or Hippeastrum, can be grown outdoors if the temperature doesn't go below 10 degrees or it can be forced to bloom indoors at the holidays.  Some people prefer to buy new bulbs each year and you can even buy them at Target. (****They are on sale this week there...) Although, the bulbs from our local flower shop have always produced larger and more flowers!

First time out, if your amaryllis comes pre-potted it just needs to be thoroughly watered with lukewarm water after you have bought it.  I water them thoroughly every week with a small amount of fertilizer added each month.  try not to soak the bulb.  Place in a sunny window and wait for the awesome blooms to come!

The second year actually begins after the flower is done blooming.  Continue watering, trimming the bloom stalks about 2" above the bulb after it wilts and trim leaves as they yellow.  When the leaves do not stand up anymore or you are wanting it to bloom for the holidays again, you will need to place the pot and leaves in a cool dark place for about 2 months.  (Mine go into my basement for these 2 months.)  About 8 weeks before the holidays or the end of October I bring them out of the basement.

Re-pot the bulb in clean well-drained potting soil.  Leave top 1/2 to 1/3 of bulb out of the soil-water thoroughly and add fertilizer about once a month again.  They prefer the south facing windows and 79-80 degrees.  Mine have always taken the 2 months to bloom.  This year I had new growth in a day after re-potting!

For more information, search "care of amaryllis".  There are a lot of varieties and beautiful colors.  I have included a photo with several colors   Give it a try and ENJOY!!!

Christmas Decor for your front Steps

It is that time of year..time to decide what you want to change, add, or delete from your holiday decor...well I have been lusting after greenery arrangements from Grandin Road for a couple of years and decided to do one myself.  (And in the process save several hundred dollars- because I would need two of the arrangements, one for each side of the front door.)  So here goes...supplies needed: 

Various options for greenery and lighting.

• .a vase or pot that you use for fresh, live flowers in the spring and summer.  (The great thing about this is that you don't have to take the pots back and forth to storage.  The one shown is from Target in the Smith and Hawken line.)

• greenery, fresh or faux I have used both and prefer the live stuff, but we have alot of wind so the needles begin to drop before the season is over!

• faux picks of pincones, bulbs, or what ever else you would like  (I have included some plastic lime green ornament balls in the container, but not the picture of the pieces used.)

• lighted branches(mine are from Target) Lots of choices to pick from!

• extension cord, unless you have a receptacle close by

• timer rated for exterior use(again this from Target)  Love this because the timer fairy turns them on and off the same time each day!

There is 1 on each side of the door.

Montana Tile and Stone Summit 2012



Quarry Collection Petit Granit
Tile Backsplash

This past week, the Montana Tile and Stone Summit was held in conjunction with ASID(Interior Designers) and NKBA(National Kitchen and Bath) members.  It was held at the beautiful MTS store in Bozeman and allowed us to be surrounded by fixtures, tiles and stone.  It is THE most beautiful showroom of its kind!  (The awesome fixture showroom even has a working heated seat, bidet featured toilet from Toto.  Oh boy! The heated seat in the dead of winter here would be wonderful!)...definitely worth a try...  The tile department carries Italian tile, glass tiles, marbles, metals with even tiles with a 3-d type shapes such as a jumping fish...pretty cool!  They also have a production department where they can "build" your marble or granite counters with laser cutters, etc.




Statuario Marble Countertop and Tiled Wall

 



Why is the marble in the above photo called statuario marble?  Well, I believe it is because the old statues(like that of David by Michelangelo that was carved between 1500 & 1504.) 

You may have heard that marble is not appropriate in the kitchen-NOT TRUE!  If the David statue and other buildings were built out of marble have been around that long-why do we think it is not useful in the kitchen? You have probably heard that marble is too soft or stainable...well yes, it can stain, but if you are normally clean, neat person there shouldn't be any issues.  (For example, if a lemon or something acidic is spilled, yes, it can leave a mark, if not wiped up...if you spill tomato paste same thing,...but most of us wipe things up!)
If you look around in bakeries or restaurants, alot of them have marble as their countertops...and they have way more spills than we would at home...something to think about!

Boyce & Bean glass tile
 

Quarry Collection Caracas Blue Limestone Countertop
 and Golden Beach Limestone Floor Tile
 

A few samples of stone and tile shown there are featured in these photos! All photos are courtesy of The Quarry Collection website at quarryc.com They have other inspirational photos as well if you are interested.

So my question is: where could you use marble?

Calacata Marble backsplash from The Quarry Collection