Big Art from Small Items

An idea from Blueprint that I did love was to photograph something that's small, blow it up really big and frame it.

I love the antique letter here. The handwriting, the stamp, the ink smudge...

Other items they suggested photographing: a pretty flower from your sister's wedding, your grandmothers china, a vintage button package (reminds me of this post), an old ruler, a cool ticket stub that brings you happy memories...

Here are a couple of sources for large-format printing:

U Printing (I've heard these guys are especially good)

Large Format Posters

Mega Print

Modern Minimalist Bedroom Design Ideas

minimalist traditional bedroom design

Minimalist bedroom furniture designs

Minimalist Bedroom Designs

Give Away from Plum Cushion!

It's a special day! LGN sponsor, Plum Cushion, is offering one of you lucky readers a $150 credit to the shop, with free shipping in the lower 48 states or a $20 shipping credit outside of the lower 48.

Plum Cushion's owner, Melanie, has the most incredible eye for fabrics and detail. She is a perfectionist in the best sense!

Every cushion is made from the most beautiful to-the-trade fabrics and includes a down insert! Here are choices from the shop I think you guys will be excited about:

KWID's for Lee Jofa Bengal Bazaar - the graphite is my favorite color way in the line.

You can get this pair of Liberty lawn pillows for $125. Do you spy the gorgeous green velvet on the back and the welting? Love it.

And check out the amazing color in these Designer's Guild pillows.

Imperial Trellis, in almost all the color ways -

From Celerie's great line for Schumacher...

Chenonceau is such a great pattern.

From one of my very favorite fabric lines, Of the Young and the Restless...

I still get probably an email a day about the fabric photographed for my header - and here is it! Schumacher's Chiang Mai Dragon

Zanzibar is another one of those great colorful prints that can be so fun to decorate with!

To enter for your chance to win the $150 credit, please visit the Plum Cushion etsy shop and then comment on this post with your favorites.

The contest ends Sunday July 25 at midnight. Good luck!

Pretty Office

I've been perusing old Blueprint issues before bed for the past few days. Sometimes I feel like Blueprint was awesome and then other aspects of the magazine confused me. (probably why there was only 8 issues?)

Like this office was really cute. But why would I spend $500 on just the legs of the desk (from tablelegs.com), and then pay a carpenter to make a custom top? And then have to paint the whole thing?

I do love the kelly green wall color though. and the white desk on the colorful rug (from the rug company).

{For your own budget version of this space, try using Ben Moore's Jade Green on the walls, this desk from IKEA, and this rug from Overstock.}

Sometimes Cheap is Good

I don't always recommend buying cheap stuff. But, you know, sometimes cute and cheap just hits the spot.

CRAZY cheap ikat bedding for folding up at the foot of the bed

Strangely cute bedding from Wal-mart? Perfect for kids rooms.

I went to IKEA a couple of days ago to pick up some curtains for a client. I spotted the Trollsta side table in yellow and liked it.

I like this new gray dresser too. Cool legs.

I'm considering these floral shades for the girls' next room, to layer under drapes.

Don't Billy's look so much better flanked by these sliver shelves and with the lighting? (anything looks better next to Evelyn though, imho)

What have you seen around lately that's cheap and good?

Upholstery Charts

Oh happy day! I've scheduled a pick up with my upholsterers to come and get my sofa and maybe a chair...or two...and maybe some x benches.

{If anyone local is wondering, I use Jensen's Work Room in Elkton, MD. They are inexpensive, really good and very fast. Tell them I sent you.}

Bye bye, green linen. Hello, ivory velvet!

I do have plans for reupholstering a couple of chairs myself for the new apartment, but the pieces mentioned above would take me more than 20 hours of labor - more than I can give right now.

It's been exciting to go fabric shopping for these upholstery projects (speaking of which, I have a fun new collaboration to announce soon!). Here are the pretty standard, but really handy, yardage charts that I like to reference when I'm planning to reupholster a piece of furniture.

Don't forget that if you're using a patterned fabric, the yardage will go up a lot, depending on the size of the pattern's repeat. And of course these charts are just rough estimates. If your furniture is newer and you know the manufacturer, you should call them for guidance on yardage. Or talk with your upholsterer.

The Absolute Perfect Apartment

I am endlessly inspired by Kate and Andy Spade's NYC apartment.

As we are looking for our own place in the city to move to next month, I can't help but want to put 'french doors' and 'herringbone floors' and 'knee-high base boards' at the top of my secret list and just hope those features coincide with 'great school', 'easy commute' and 'fantastic neighborhood' (not to mention 'affordable'!!).

These images are old news for most of us, but I feel like there's something fresh to enjoy each time I go through my "Spade Apt" folder.

There's not a thing I would change about this home. Seriously.

It's modern, traditional, spunky and fresh, all at once.

Most images via Mrs. Blandings, Habitually Chic, and Style Court