Jaxon's Nursery~DIY Star Drapes

You may remember my recent post about the new DIY Star Drapes I made for the boys new room.  Today, I'd like to show how this project has made it's way into another real life space.  

This room belongs to this little guy...

Isn't that the sweetest face you've ever seen? 

 I think I would think that even if he wasn't my nephew. 

Anyway, here are a few pic's from around his cute little nursery.  

Nothing is more exciting than seeing of one of my DIY projects in someone else's home.  When I posted the navy blue star drapes tutorial from my boys room, my sister called me and informed me that Jax was getting a pair stat. 

She chose chocolate brown panels to compliment the colors in his bedding and the custom painted Ikea table I painted for him, if you missed that post, here are a few pics...

The table and chairs were a thrift store find that I made over for her shower gift. 

{Click here to see the tutorial on this project}

One day when my camera is not acting up, I'll give you the full tour of his adorable nursery. 

Her decision to make these drapes in brown was fabulous.  

The cotton twill drapes came from Walmart ($17/pair).  Following my step by step tutorial,  the project took 2 hours to complete. 

My sister did a great job designing and personalizing the space.  

His nursery is full of whimsical accessories and these semi-custom drapes were a great final touch.  

If you have tried a DIY project using a tutorial from this blog, I would love to hear about it.  My facebook page is a great place to share your photos.  

Some of you have already posted your projects, thank you.  I look forward to sharing them on the blog soon.   Please click here to like The Yellow Cape Cod on Facebook if you haven't already.  

For information on my affordable online design services, please click here. 

Guest Posting~Home Stories A To Z

I'm so excited and incredibly honored to be guest posting today at my favorite blog for project tips and tutorials, Home Stories A to Z.

Click on the photo below to pop over there to read the latest post in my new design advice series. 

 You must take a look around while you are there,  Beth's blog is chock full of project inspiration and home design eye candy.  Her weekly link parties are always loaded with amazing DIY project tutorials.  Not to mention her own drool worthy home tour.  

Hopefully these 10 tips will help you place your next online purchase with confidence. 

For more design advice and tips for common design challenges, please check out my new series:

Thank you for having me, Beth!

Thanks for stopping by.

Extreme Fireplace Makeover

While I'm away from the blog {returning April 9th} I've scheduled a few post re-runs.  This is one of my all time favorite transformations.  It was recently featured at The Inspired Room as one of the Top Four Most Popular Room Tours {thanks Melissa}.   

Upgrading the fireplace in this open concept floorplan completely changed the feeling of the entire home.  The addition of bookcases, a chunky flatscreen tv frame, a custom  mantle and new stacked stone fireplace surround, this home was transformed from builder grade to custom with character.

Here it is...

Recently, I was given the opportunity to work with a beautiful family in their gorgeous home on a complete re-design of their two story great room.  The space was beautiful to start with.  However, it  wasn't conducive to the young family that lives there. 

 (Before)

(After)

   They wanted a room that's warm, inviting and casual.  A space that beckons friends, family and pets to cozy up on the couch for movies and intimate conversions.
A room that is both beautiful and livable.

My clients words were; "I want a room that the whole family wants to be in, together, at the same time".

To accomplish this, we started with comfortable new furnishings and a fresh wall color.   The next items on the agenda were a custom built-in bookcase,  new fireplace surround and ginormous (70 inch) flatscreen TV.

 (Before)

We are about halfway finished, still waiting on furniture delivery.
Stay tuned to see more of this makeover as it's completed.
Thank you, Mark and Heidi,  for allowing me to invade inviting me into your home.

For information on my affordable design services, please click here.  

Carpentry by S.A.G Builders.   Painting by Piero Ventimiglia.
Paint color "Fawn Brindle" by Sherwin Williams.

**Out of courtesy to my client, I am unable to share specific product sources.  Thank you for understanding.

Styling A Dining Room Hutch For Entertaining~Client Project

While I'm away from the blog {returning April 9th, 2012} I have scheduled a few post re-runs.  I thought in honor of the upcoming Easter holiday this would be a great post to replay.  Re-visiting this project today has me in the mood for a party...

One of my favorite things to do is style shelves/bookcases/hutches.  Whether it involves shopping for new items or using what the client has, I live for it.   Does anyone else have a fascination with this?

I recently had the privilege of styling this beautiful Drexel Heritage hutch.  This piece resides in a jaw-dropping dining room that belongs to a busy, young, professional couple that likes to entertain. 

{Before}

In keeping with my "function first" philosophy, I took the client shopping for pieces that look beautiful and also function for entertaining.

My goal was to make the shelves look nice for everyday visual purposes but more importantly, function. As a butlers pantry, of sorts, for parties.  

The baskets are not only gorgeous, but super convenient for entertaining.  You can see one of them is filled with party beverages, the other is for special linens.  When they are removed for use, the empty buffet surface is a perfect spot for food. 

The baskets also took the formality of the space down a notch.  

This family is Italian.  We chose large pieces to accommodate large amounts of pasta.  

The all white theme was based off of pieces that they client already had.  She has a beautiful collection of patterned pasta serving bowls.  The new solid white pieces compliment the patterned pieces and blends with them seamlessly.  The little pop of white brightened up the entire room.. 

The Drexel Heritage piece in itself is stunning.  By keeping the display simple,  we complimented the ornate design of the top of the hutch as opposed to hiding it.

I wish, I wish, (one fish, two fish) I could share the sources of the products shown here but out of courtesy to my clients, I am unable to spill.   One thing I can say, we found our inspiration for each piece at Potterybarn then hit discount home stores for similar products :)

Thanks for understanding. 

For information on my affordable design services, please click here. 

Linked up to:
Miss Mustard Seed

Spousal Design Conflict Tips~Family Room Design Plan

At the end of this post, I'd love to hear how you decorate around spousal design conflict.

I was recently asked to design a living room that posed a bit of a challenge.  I love a good challenge but this one really made me think.  How do I design a space for spouses with completely opposite design preferences?  A space that both will equally love.

After the wife described her style preferences to me, I pictured her dream living room to look a lot like this beautiful space from Centsational Girl... 

{Centsational Girl~Click Here Before Pinning}

She loves light, airy, fresh, traditional designs. 

He is a Historian with a passion for dark, heavy, ornate, design.  If he could have it his way, he would live in a real castle.

My challenge was to incorporate both tastes, equally strong in opposite directions, into one cohesive design that reflects both husband and wife.  

I looked at it this way, if these two got together:

{Kate~Centsational Girl}

{Robinhood}

What would their space look like??

After working on this project, I came up with a few helpful tips for spousal design conflicts:

1.  Find a common thread between the two tastes and use it to the max.

(In this case, they both liked metal finishes.  I used mercury glass lamps for her and vintage pewter display for him).

2.  Find at least one piece that both agree upon and build the entire room around it.

(In this case it was a painting).

3.  Use art and accessories to bring both personalities into the space.

(In this case, the overall room palette was neutral but, the art and collectibles played up the castle theme and the fabrics and crystal chandelier said traditional chic design)

4.  Remember there is no right or wrong way to decorate.  Design is subjective.  It's ok to mix different styles within a space, eclectic interiors are hot.  Let the room reflect both of you, no matter how different your tastes are...you will have created your very own unique style. 

5.  Have fun.  In the end, this will be a great bonding experience as long as you both play nice during the process. One great way to make it fun is to have him pick something for the space that he thinks she would like and vice versa.

Has anyone else out there struggled with a spousal design conflict?  How do you decorate around it?  I would love to hear what has/hasn't worked for you.

White Washed Brick Fireplace~Tutorial

Before sharing today's DIY project, I wanted to announce that my E-Book "DIY Interior Design For Real People" is currently available in a gigantic bundle of 76+ DIY related E-books ($34.95 for the complete bundle) for the next five days only. Please click here for details.

A few weeks ago, I shared a living room before and after.  Since the post, I have received requests for a tutorial on the fireplace transformation.  Ask and ye shall receive.  

Meet Sarah and EJ (the homeowners)...

I've already introduced you to Zeke {the real owner of this space} but, in case you missed it,

 here he is again...

I've worked with them in a few areas of their stunning traditional style home.

These guys are not afraid to tackle a DIY project.  Not only are they not intimidated to try any kind of DIY project but,  they knock it out of the park every time.  

Case in point, after a brief consultation in their living room, they took it from this...

{Before}

To this...

{After}

in no time flat.  

Immediately after I met with Sarah and discussed the option of painting their fireplace, they got to work researching brick painting techniques.   They decided to go for a white-wash finish as opposed to an opaque paint finish {which was a great choice}.  They tucked their 4 small children into bed and went to town on the fireplace.  This project took about 3 hours to complete.  

Here's what they used:

1.  latex paint (Sherwin Williams Cashmere Paint~Medium Lustre~Luminous White)

2.  water

3.  a paint brush

4.  a rag

Here's how they did it...

First, they removed the wood mantle.  Then, using a mixture of equal parts of latex paint and water, one of them applied it to the bricks with a paintbrush while the other followed behind with a rag removing the access.

After one application, they were happy with the results.  You can use multiple coats (by repeating the process) depending on the coverage you prefer.  The white wash technique allows the variation in the color of the bricks to show through.  Brick is extremely porous and absorbs paint unevenly, which is a good thing in this example.  It created a beautiful, aged finish full of character.  All brick is different, if possible, my advice is to spot test this technique on your brick material in an inconspicuous area prior to tackling this project.  This will insure that you will be happy with the results. Sarah and EJ spot tested under their mantle. 

If your mantle cannot be removed and your intention is not to paint it, you may want to cover it with plastic and tape to prevent drips.

I apologize if you were waiting for a long, drawn out, step by step tutorial.  This project is too simple and easy for me to complicate.  If you are a fan of intimidating, stressful, complicated, multi-step, time-consuming, DIY projects that require a ton of special supplies and mad skills, this isn't the project for you. 

EJ and Sarah, thanks for letting me share your project.

Once again, you guys have done a phenomenal DIY job. 

For information on my affordable design services, please click here. 

No-Sew DIY Star Drapes~Tutorial

Today, I'd like to share how I created semi-custom star drapes for my boys room.  These no-sew drapes were a quick, simple project that only set me back $35.  The process I used is similar to my DIY Striped Drapes.

 Here is what I used...

One pair navy blue cotton twill drapes, one large cotton twill white tablecloth, and two tubes of liquid stitch.  If you decide to use white fabric by the yard in place of the tablecloth, heavy cotton canvas or twill would work best.  If the fabric is too thin you may be able to see the fabric glue through the white fabric {these drapes aren't looking to win any t-shirt contests}.  

Here is how I did it:

1.  First, I found a star shaped object to trace.  If you don't have a dusty tin star, you could print a star from your computer and trace it onto cardboard to create a template. 

 2.  Using a sharpie, I traced 14 large stars on the tablecloth.  If you would like to prevent black marks all over your white table, place newspaper under your fabric.  

{Luckily, I had that glass of wine before I noticed it}.

3.  After the stars were cut out, I pressed each one using heavy spray starch.  

4.  After a few coats of heavy starch they were nice and stiff.  I folded each one in half and gave it a gentle press down the center.

5.   I ironed both panels and starched them as well.  Then, repeatedly folded them in half, ironing a gentle press with each fold.  This created a grid for lining up the stars.  

6.  By lining up the press marks on the stars with the press marks on the panel, they were straight and {almost} perfectly spaced. This saved me a ton of time measuring. 

7.  The next step was gluing the stars to the panel.  I put a bead of fabric glue around the perimeter of each star.  You could also use Stitch Witchery fabric tape if you wanted to avoid glue.  If your fabric is thin,  fabric tape is a better option.

8.  To keep the glue from drying too fast,  I went tip by tip.  I applied the glue one tip at a time and ironed as I went along.  It's important to follow the instructions on the fabric glue for heat setting and use of a press cloth.  

9.  After the stars were attached, I ironed out the press marks and trimmed the excess fabric from the stars along the sides. 

 The boys love how the star pattern on both panels line up when they are pulled shut at night.  They create a really cool starry night effect. 

Please let me know if you are making these,  I'd love to see photos of your finished project.  

My facebook page is a great place to share photos and tell us about your decor projects.

For information on my affordable online design service, please click here. 

Linked up to:
DIY Showoff
Home Stories A to Z