A THING FOR WICKER...

I have always had a fondness for the warm texture and that rustic touch 

that wicker can bring into a room.  

Lately, I've been thinking that wicker is exactly what I need to warm up my dining room.  

Here's why...

look how just a touch of wicker brings texture and warmth

in this slightly minimal room, wicker warms and invites...

it blends with nearly any style of decorating..

the rest of the room needn't be rustic or country

it even has a certain elegance to it, and is equally friendly with fine furniture 

or rustic antiques

 I'm especially fond of these gray kubu wicker chairs with the skirted legs

 these look a little new, but could easily be taken down a notch with a little gray paint wash

I love the rustic kitchen dining look, but they also look pretty fantastic

in a more formal setting...

 Now picture a hard wooden chair in place of these...

these are better, right?

this is so cute for the bathroom...

and I like wicker storage pieces, too.

but my most favorite still has to be dining room or kitchen chairs...

they just look so right.

Do you like wicker furniture?

QUESTION FROM A READER:

Hi, Please help with a paint color.  I've attached pictures of my Kitchen which opens up into my living and dining area.  The cabinets are creamy white with glaze and very yellow undertone. Uba tuba granite and tumbled marble backsplash (which unfortunatly have a pink undertone! Mistake)  

Right know the rooms are painted BM Wilmington Tan. Im looking to lighten space up with one color for all rooms that are open to each other.  I've tried BM Manchester tan (looks gray next to my cabinets and makes them look dingy). Also tried Monroe Bisque but its too yellow in my sunny room.  Tried Bleeker Bege, Revere Pewter, Edgecomb gray but the all seem to look gray and make cabinets and dining table look dingy.   I'm going craaaazzzy. Please help recommend a neutral color.  I have the BM Fan deck and can't seem to pick the right one.  I've also tried the above mentioned paints on the wall using samples.  The current color Wilmington Tan seems to work with my cabinets, granite and living room furniture but I need a change. Something Lighter.  One last note; The living room and dining room are very sunny.  Thank you in advance.

Audrey

HI Audrey.    I know how hard it is to blend existing colors with a new color.  You have been going in the tan, beige to beige gray family and it isn't working - have you considered a gray green?  Your cream cabinets should love green, the travertine backsplash and the granite should also blend well, and wood tones love it too.

Benjamin Moore GRAY WISP

 Try Benjamin Moore Gray Wisp.  It's a lovely gray green - more on the gray than the green side.  Its not too dark and it is really soothing.

It works nicely with cream tones and wood tones and dark tones like your granite

Here is an example of a kitchen that has much the same color palette as your with the gray green on the walls.

The Endearing Home

Another gray green, with a little more gold in it is Guilford Gray - far left on this photo.

 Another possible is Hancock Green (Benjamin Moore)

or Nantucket Gray - (Benjamin Moore) 

My final suggestion is Benjamin Moore QUIET MOMENTS.  I love the name almost as much as the color.  It is soothing, and has less green -  more gray, and just a touch of blue in certain light. 

All of these colors should appear lighter than the color you now have, if only because they are cooler colors and will recede more than your current color and feel lighter.   As always, never choose a color without trying it out as a sample first.
Good luck!

BEAUTIFUL BEDROOM DIY (PART 2)

This post was getting a little long ... so I am continuing here...

Part Two  of creating a room like our inspiration photo.  

[See Part 1 here.]

So I received a note from a reader who fell in love with this bedroom vignette, but feared she'd never have the budget to create it in her home.  I decided to list the steps to creating this room, in a budget-wise fashion, and included links to find the elements needed to create a similar room.  We continue with a key element - the chandelier...

9. CHANDELIER

Do I even need to say it....?  The chandelier is a key part of this room.  The reflection in the mirror, the sparkle it adds, the romance and the luxury it reflects... It is a very important element, and one that can demand a sizable price tag.  The size should be large enough to make a statement, and small enough not to take over the room.  It should be installed over the bed so that it reflects in the mirror, so try to arrange your room to allow for that.  You can hire an electrician to hardwire it into the ceiling, or purchase a plug-in model.  I often shop flea markets, ebay, and Craigslist for chandeliers because bargains can be found there...but patience is needed, right?  So lets find a bargain if we can thats available right now.  

rakuten (149.00)

Gallery (125.00)

here (195.00)

Destination Lighting (130.00)

Overstock (241.00)

You can spend more.  You can spend a lot more.  You don't have to, but you can.  Most importantly, buy the one you love... you want to fall in love with it every time you walk into your room...

10. BEDSIDE TABLES

INSPIRATION PHOTO

The bedside tables in this room are a little vintage looking.  The paint is distressed, and if you want to copy this exactly, there are plenty of white cottage looking bedside tables out there - and lots of vintage ones that can be painted that you can probably pick up for a song.  I like bedside tables to be a little generous in size so that they can accommodate a lamp and the other things that accumulate on a nightstand.  A lot of styles and types of bedside tables would work here - dark wood, painted gray, glass and metal... the important part is that they are symmetrical - need to be matching for this look.  Try Target, Ikea, Craigslist, Joss and Main, Overstock.... You may find a bargain... never know until you try....

Here are a couple that I found:

Home Decorators 119.00

AFA Stores  282.00

AFA Stores  370.00

Home Furniture Mart  336.00

Beyond Stores  311.00

11. ROUND TABLE WITH TRAY (OR HOW ABOUT A BENCH?) 

INSPIRATION PHOTO

At the foot of the bed there is a round table with some decorative items.  I like a bench at the end of my bed - so I would use a bench with a tray.  The table has the advantage of height.   You decide what works for you.  Here are a few sweet tables...

Rakuten  (195.00)

Pier 1 (170.00)

Wayfair (218.00)

and if you are like me, some benches:

Ballard Designs  (329.00)

World Market (199.00)

Ballard Designs  (259.00)

12. TRAY WITH SILVER FOOTED BOWL AND WHITE TUREEN

inspiration photo

On the table is a white ceramic tureen and a footed silver bowl.  The tray looks to be mirrored.  The bowl is filled with coral.  You can pick up silver-plate bowls, footed bowls, cachepots etc. at flea markets, swap meets, Etsy and Ebay.  Try HomeGoods or TaiPan Trading (TPT Home) for mirrored trays, and here are a few white tureens, since they appear to be a little harder to çome by... 


pier1 (45.00)
Etsy (55.00)
Etsy (24.00)
CORAL is a different matter.  I find mine at antique shows and swap meets and I've never paid more than $30.00.  There are probably some online shops that sell nothing but shells and coral.  Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware featured faux coral for their summer merchandise.  The faux looks pretty real, too.



Etsy (65.00)
Etsy (85.00)
Faux Coral:
POTTERY BARN  (32.00 sale)
Another resource for faux coral is a pet store or somewhere that sells aquarium supplies.  They sometimes come in colorful hues, but I've seen blogs where they were successfully spray painted.   

PET DEPOT (14.00)

here (15.00)
Pet Mountain (23.00)

inspiration photo

13. BEDSIDE LAMPS

The coral embellished lamps add to the beach theme.  I personally love that look, and would definitely look for the same type of lamp.  However, you could substitute another style lamp here and still have the basic feel of this room.
NY Fifth (177.00)

Bellacor (157.00)

14. OCEAN THEMED ARTWORK

Its difficult to see much of the artwork from this photo, but the two poster sized prints over each night table feel beachy in their colors even though they appear abstract.  The colors blend with the rest of the vignette.  Look for large poster sized art, or plan on two prints on each side - the overall effect needs to be that the art is tall over the nightstands.  Shades of blue, white, gray... - with thin silver or gold frames.  For the art, try Art.com and try IKEA for the frames, once you know the size you will need.   For the rest you are on your own because art is very personal - and you need to love it.

APPROXIMATE TOTAL:  $2,600.00

The cost was done by averaging, so your total may be less or more, depending on your choices.  There are other costs for this room - for example a white bedskirt, sheets, and the other furniture in the room - depending on your room size -perhaps a rug under the bed.  

I hope this helps you - no matter what your budget you can create this room 

with an overall room plan to help you and the steps laid out as we have done 

here.  Little by little, over a little time, you can make it happen.

Best,

Claudine