Tag: decor

Day 15 of Nesting

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I’m a bit off with my updates for our new nest – but wanted to share pictures of the baby steps we made mid-way through the month! The place is coming along bit by bit, and I hope to have even more photos to share of it’s current state later next week.

Suffice it to say that between the vintage accents, our restored furnishings, and the splashes of color found in handmade home accessories and art – the apartment is really evoking a modern living meets thrifting vibe. Here’ s a peek at what we did a couple weeks back.

If you’re looking for the first “before and after” post, click here.

Yolo Paints

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I have an infatuation with color but am also incredibly indecisive. So when planning out the hues for my new apartment walls I am faced with a dilemma: I have to find something that’s easy on the eyes and on my body for the long haul.

That’s why I love Yolo! Born out of a need for “healthier paint and better color,” the team behind these beautiful shades guarantee zero VOC emissions and palettes to swoon over. Our current apartment dons some impressive hues from the collection. From a pumpkin orange and saturated teal, to a soft grey and delicate blue, the paints dry quickly, are easy to clean and have a nice matte finish.

So when having to choose which brand to go with for the new place, the choice was easy. The hard part though, was finalizing our colors. Even with a list in hand, once we arrived at the Yolo vendor’s store David and I still haggled between each other on final decisions. With lots of hemming and hawing, we finally committed to several shades.

Here is our color palette (see the inspirations and corresponding shades above) for the new digs: Nourish  03, Nourish 02, Dream 04, and Thrive 05.

DIY: Stylish Nesting

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It’s officially 2 weeks until the big move and I can’t stop fascinating about our new digs. I am ‘pinning’ away on Pinterest, collecting ideas and inspirations on how to nest in my new abode. The site is chalked full of incredible DIY projects and photos of furniture that can be easily replicated using salvaged materials. Below is a look at all of my recent discoveries, which I plan on incorporating into the design of our new apartment. Continue reading →

DIY: Lampshade Facelift

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Sometimes I get that itch to update things in my place – but I don’t want to be wasteful with my money or resources – so I’m always concocting new ways to make do with what I have.

Most recently I grew tired of the lampshade in our bedroom. It was a sweet embroidered lil’ thing, but the color was fading and the interior was cracking, giving it a not-so-cute shabbiness when turned on. So I rested on the idea of changing it up, allowing my mind to invent some potential ideas. What transpired turned out to be a subtle yet stunning piece that was given new life with a few pages of a vintage dictionary. Here’s how I did it:

1) Using the pages of an old crumbling dictionary (it was the same one I used for the Bibliophile Wreaths for Christmas) I tore out a good handful of pages and cut them into long 1″ slips.

2) Using a glue gun, I affixed each strip to the lampshade, overlapping each slightly. Also, I started on the bottom layer and then worked my way around to the top.

3) The final step is to cut any overly long and crooked strips so they align (not perfectly, but close enough) to all of the others. This will give the effect a more polished look.
And there you go – a quick, inexpensive, easy and eco-friendly way to give a lampshade a new look. You can experiment using other kinds of papers as well, or may even try fray-less fabrics. Once you create one you’ll be tempted to try your hand at more!

Do you have a suggestion on how to update a dull lampshade in your home? Share it in the comments!

DIY: Bibliophile Wreath

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Tis the season for cozying up your place for the holidays – and what better way to do it then with a little elbow grease and upcycled materials?!

One of my recent favorite DIY projects is making ultra modern wreaths using the pages of tattered books. These easy to make decor items add some cheer to your pad but are super easy to make! You can experiment with different colors and textures of book paper as well as shapes and designs for the wreath pattern. To see how I made my set of three take a peek at the Eco Etsy tutorial I created here.

Once you’ve tried your hand at them snap a pic and send me the link! I’d love to see how yours turn out.