Chevron

Chevron or Zig Zag as it is sometimes called is the "it" pattern of the moment.  And we are seeing it everywhere.  From furnishings, fabrics, wood floors to fashion.

I personally love Chevron and I like the unique ways it is showing up in design.  It's bold, modern and can be used as a punch in a variety of decors.

Here are a few examples.

I LOVE my Chevron pillows that I got through One Kings Lane.  They are in my master bedroom on the bed.  Perfect addition to our room.

Here's a Chevron pattern in some artwork.

(Source:Pinterest)

This is an Ikea dresser with the addition of embellishments on the front to form a chevron pattern.

(Source: House and Home)

Chevron painted dresser

(Source: House and Home)

Zig Zag Rug from West Elm

Premier Prints Zig Zag fabric swatch in Chartreuse

Here's a DIY Chevron table from Sunset

DIY Chevron patterned wall

(Source: Sabbe Interior Design)

DIY painted tray - take an ordinary cooking sheet and transform it!

(Source: Pinterest)

Matching Chevron wingback chairs.

(Source: Pinterest)

White..nuff said!

White!

White couch, white chairs, white walls - black and orange pops of color.

White!!

White stairs, white couch, white walls contrasted with dark wood floor.

White!!!

White bedspread, lamp, art and mirror contrasted with touches of grey and natural tones.

I love the look of an all or mostly white room.  Crisp, clean, classic, comfortable, pristine, ethereal, elegant....all these words come to mind.  Pause.  Ok....I have kids, dog, hubbie...all of which would not do well in an all white room.  So if you're like me and love the look, but practicality takes over...why not infuse a pop of white to get some of the feel that these all white rooms possess? 

Here are a few of my favorite looks for bringing a little white into a room.

White slip covered furniture is always an option, easy to take off and wash when the spots and spills arise.  This chaise from Ikea is a great look (I am thinking about this one for my office)!

White walls, white couch with pops of color like orange and red and dark furniture pieces.

White wall of frames!

White lamps!

White towels, shower curtain, mirror and vanity top with dark grey on walls and dark vanity base.

Gorgeous white dresser refinished and used as a sofa table.

(All photos sourced from Pinterest)

These are some great ways to infuse the crispness of white in any room - maybe just a little less than some of us had hoped for!!!

Spindles, Spools....love

I first saw it at the Wisteria Warehouse Sale and a woman was trying to strap the chair to her trunk.  It's a big chair and it was not fitting IN the trunk but she was determined and yes, she got a steal.  (On a side note, if you live in the Dallas area you MUST attend the Wisteria Warehouse Sale - once a year but well worth the wait http://www.wisteria.com/).  So I headed inside, hoping for the same treasure but sure enough they were sold out.  What???  We were only about 45 minutes past the opening time.  But indeed they were all gone.  I saw a few strays in an aisle behind the rope (intended to keep us out) and asked the sales person about them. She said they had accidentally double-sold the chairs and were required to take them off the floor - apparently others had taken a liking to my new beloved chair as well.

Well, I forgot about the chair and went on with my shopping.  Until today... I was reading the current issue of Southern Living and saw the chair again!  It was used on an outside porch with a fireplace and porch swing.  They are brown with a cream patterned cushion. There was no sourcing information and I couldn't find the picture online so you'll have to take my word for it ..they look great.

So I thought about doing a little research to find some photos of inspiration and sources to buy the chair.  Here's what I found.

This is the original chair that I fell in love with at Wisteria.  At the warehouse sale, it came without a cushion and ran about $200 - a steal.  But in the catalog it has a cushion and is called the European Spindle Chair.  I tried to source online but it may be out of stock at this time.  It is by far the best price that I have found for this chair at a measly $699.  Isn't it gorgeous??

This is actually a black painted birch wood reproduction.  There are vintage ones out there and I am sure they are even more gorgeous!  <insert historical furniture lesson here :)> The basic spool chair is a furniture design that involves a frame made entirely of turned pieces. Sometimes referred to as a Carver chair, the spool chair dates back to the 17th century, and is often considered to have its origins in the New England area of the United States. Some are also European influenced.  Simplistic in design, the typical spool chair usually has minimal decoration, making the chair both classic and easy to include in most designs.  It's timeless.

Here's are some examples of the chair featured in design.  It can be used in multiple spaces.

Bedroom

(Source: House Beautiful)

Family Room

(Source: Belmont Design Group)

Living Room

(Source: Jacqueline Derrey Segura)

Family Room

(Source: House Beautiful)

One of the most popular producers in the US of the Spool Chair is Hickory Chair.  Their chair runs around $1700.  This chair looks good coming and going (note the back detail).

Looking at the chairs online and doing the research makes me want one even more.  I don't even know where I would put it ...but one day I WILL have one.

Gallery Wall Inspiration

I love the idea of a gallery wall and have started the planning process to create one.  Through a little research on the web and some inspiration from Pinterest, I found a few things that I thought might be helpful to share so you can create a fantastic gallery wall for your home.

First up, some inspiration photos taken from Pinterest!

This collection is pulled together with matching frames arranged in a linear square configuration.  Gorgeous!

Black frames positioned in a random arrangement with pops of color.

Photo wall using ledges, accessories, candles and lighting from Pottery Barn.

Black and white photos in black frames with the addition of a typeface letter.  This arrangement takes up a good amount of space and would be great for an entry or family room where you are trying to cover vertical space.



This collection covers a lot of wall space both vertically and horizontally, has a random arrangement and uses various brightly colored frames.

Gallery walls can fit into every room in your home.  The traditional spaces are hallways, stairways and libraries.  But really they can go anywhere - in an entry hall, bathroom, over a bed (can act as a visual headboard), in a media room, dining room, where ever you are looking to fill up wall space with interesting objects. 

And the contents for gallery walls are endless!!  What about empty brightly painted vintage frames?  You can use a collection of mirrors arranged to create a beautiful reflective wall.  What about a wall gallery of your child's art, using coordinating frames in similar sizes to group the collection. What about framing vintage fabric or linens?  Have some gorgeous plates or platters that you don't see except on those special occasions - what a great way to get them out of the cabinet and on display than through a gallery wall.  You can use ledges or shelves to create additional dimension for resting your frames on.  Large typeface letters, memory boxes, framed postcards ...all have a place in a personal collection.  You can group together similar objects that contain an inspiration color, ie. creating a group that has pops of turquoise within them.  You can group your collection by matching frames like all black, white, silver or gold.  Or maybe, they don't match at all!!!  What a great way to create a conversation piece in a room.  The options are endless.

A few things to remember, when creating a gallery for a stairway, try to follow the upward slant of the stairs for creating your vision line.  When creating collections on room walls, general rule of thumb is to create a center point at eye level or 5 ft from the ground as your starting point and add your pictures from there.  A great option to help you with your layout is to trace an outline of each of the individual frames you plan to hang on brown craft paper (you can buy on rolls at your local craft store).  Cut out the outlines.  Use blue painters tape and tape the paper outlines to your wall to work through the best configuration for your wall.  You can easily move around until you find the arrangement that looks best for your room.  This approach helps to save you from putting a lot of unnecessary holes in your wall.  When you determine your arrangement, hammer in your hanging nails through the craft paper.  After the nail is secured, tear off the paper, then hang your pictures where your nails remain. 

For sourcing your frames, I suggest starting with places like Marshall's, TJ Maxx and Home Goods.  I have found reasonably priced single frames and multiple opening frames at these stores.   Hobby Lobby frequently puts their frames on sale for 50% off or you can use the 40% off coupon for when they are full price.

Here's some help for determining your gallery configuration.  As you can see, there are numerous options for how to create your gallery.

(source: Ann Beck Photography)

(source: Melissa Davis Photography)

Happy hanging! Have a great gallery wall idea you would like to share?

Cool Grey - Inspiration Rooms

Doing some research for a master bedroom re-do.  I love all the grey, cream and white combinations that make for a restful and elegant bedroom.  I hope to infuse some pops of pale yellow and animal patterns for some interest.  I want to focus on creating layers, using multiple textures, sparkly finishes and a bed that you can melt into!!  Aren't these dreamy??

(Source: Candace Olsen)

(Source: Pinterest)

(Source: Macy's)

(Source: Pinterest)