Seaside DIY lamps

 My summer house is casual, softer edged and more DIY than my town home. Its decor  reflects its location and   our budget  restrictions for a second home.   About 75 % of the furniture  is built or adapted by my seriously skilled hubby or purchased second hand.   It goes without saying that when  I decide I need something to fill a spot, second hand stores are my go to solution.

 I added new art work in the master bedroom last year and I knew I couldn't keep the current lamp arrangement because the art was too commanding and the lamps too mismatched and small.  But I sure did like  my jar of pussy willows.

 I was appalled to realize I had this  small lamp for 13 years and I never did repaint the night tables.
 This is a perfect example  things in a home you are going to address and never do.  

Moving right along,  I moved the pussy willows,  got the night table painted, and mounted the artwork.  You can see the problem with the lamp; it is totally minute and  doesn't connect in any way with the art work.   I wanted something with more substance and felt it needed to overlap the artwork slightly.

I found two of these  frames  at Value Village.  I liked the fact that the base looked a little like a fish and the top was boat shaped. It had strong lines and wasn't fussy.  Of course the price was right.

 But black wasn't going to work in my seriously beachy feeling home.

A little painter's tape and then my trusty  Krylon stainless steel spray paint came to the rescue.    

I made the  lamp shade out of paintable textured wallpaper and adhered it to the metal frame with two sided carpet tape. The paper had lots of heft  and added a bit of texture to the room; it was also cheap because I had some in my art studio. 

And after all that I decided I would put new bedding on the 2016 purchase list, something much lighter, and the dresser will be repainted a lighter  BM Edgecomb gray.  The walls are BM Revere Pewter, and have been the same colour for 13 years.  Long before gray was a trend and it will be gray long after it ceases to be a trend.

Oh yes, the wood assemblages are  temporary because they are going in an exhibition this summer so the lamps might be very lonely, hopefully forever. 

You want what? Not in Newfoundland

Rant warning!

Have you ever noticed how your location impacts design because of availability of products?

I live in a terrific city, St. John's,  on a beautiful island, Newfoundland, in the North Atlantic known for its culture and brightly coloured homes.

source 

 But there is a downside to living on an island; it doesn't always provide ready access to a lot of products especially in interior design.   Judging by the homes for sale on Realtors.ca in my local area,  this is a common problem for more than me or my clients. That being said, every now and then you find the perfect solution to your design quandary at local businesses.  It just shouldn't be a sporadic event.

Yes, I know in this world of technology anything is possible, but if you are super fussy about undertones and/or comfort, it would not be smart to order a big ticket item without setting your eyes on said object.  That leaves custom ordering from fabric samples and hopefully a floor model to test for comfort and waiting 8 to 10 weeks or more. Is my impatience showing?

 What about when you need something in a few weeks or you don't have a grand budget?  Back to roaming the limited selections and hoping something has magically appeared since your last visit.  Sometimes it has!  

I admit trying to find  the simplest things often cause me the most angst.   Now don't get me wrong, I am not looking for odd or far out things. I love more soothing, monochromatic schemes and often describe my own personal style as blah with lots of art and fine craft. Sometimes blah is difficult to achieve! 

 I went to Homesense weekly for six months to find the type of lamp I wanted for my living room.  I was just not willing to spend $200.00 on a lamp.

My lamp and another Homesense gift from a friend

The last month has passed me by as I tried to source a specific wallpaper for my upcoming kitchen reno.  

source 

 I  finally located  sources for  the mosaic wallpaper in the US and England.  Perfect you might think.  So did I, until I found out the $7.00  US  6 x 6 in. sample would cost me $56.00 by the time it was delivered to my door. That didn't include GST or whatever else Canada Post decides to ding you with at the door.  Not going to happen!  Move on to the next idea.


More than colour and next to texture, I love subtle patterns and in tile the Italians know how to do pattern well.  Again I knew what I wanted,  I could even paint a picture of it if requested. That's  more depressing when you can do that,  and I have seriously considered painting my own  tile if all else fails!

Marazzi 

 Online I found the exact thing I wanted  on a tile site in England.  With hope I tried two local tile suppliers who assured me nobody is looking for patterned tile like that.  I am!  I am all about monochromatic patterns.  It's just not in style in this area I was told.  More reason to choose it in my book.   I have visions of me getting the 15 sq. feet  I need in England this fall and making all 7 of my travel companions each carry some home for me. Don't laugh this might happen, if I can't find a Canadian supplier or a comparable tile .  One last place to check out.  Fingers crossed.

And IKEA's  floating shelves are only available onsite.  That's my latest disappointment.

I am worn out before the kitchen reno even begins.

 Do you have similar frustrations where you live?  How do you get around them?

Does burlap work in contemporary decor?

Ideas for using burlap in crafty, country decor have taken over my Pinterest feed lately.  My own decor is a mix of contemporary and mid-century modern with a generous application of contemporary art.  Burlap just doesn't seem to fit with that mix.  But wait...  just tell me something doesn't work, and I am on a journey to prove otherwise.

 Currently in my art practice I am questioning public expectations for certain materials.   Perhaps that's why I am thinking about burlap.   All those country/homey pins for burlap  got me thinking about raising the ante, by taking burlap  out of its country comfort level.

So let's explore the question.

I like burlap because it ...

• has texture;
• is a natural fibre from the jute plant;
• is a renewable product because of its source;
• is  available in several  neutral colours and can be dyed; 
• is relatively inexpensive;
• can be used without sewing;
• accepts paint well;
• comes in a variety of widths and qualities;
• has an open weave for introducing  different materials into design. 

On the other side are several drawbacks...

• it is smelly; 
• cheaper varieties are very coarse; 
• it is usually stiff and doesn't gather well; 
• the weave is uneven

Here's a collection of commercially produced products using burlap.  Obviously, this isn't the burlap you wrap your trees with in fall!

There are also lots of options for DIYers or to purchase from sites like ETSY. 

Pillows 

source 

source 

Window Treatments 

source 

source 

source 

source 

 source 

Runner 

Bedskirt 

source 

Art 

source  

Now it's your turn....

Do these decor trends need a rest in 2016?

When does a trend become overused and tired?

Sometimes certain trends are grabbed by many homeowners,  and before you know it they are everywhere and you may begin to feel like you have reached your viewing saturation point.  I get this feeling a lot on Pinterest. It might be a pattern, a wall treatment or specific fabrics.  I find myself thinking... please no more.

Does it really matter to the average homeowner?

Only you can answer that question. I'm not censoring  what a homeowner chooses to use to decorate a home. Rather I am  just commenting that certain  design decisions seem to be very overused, and as a result  if you want to have a home that is a little unique or individual, these design decisions are probably not the way to go.

Chevrons

I have always been a lover of geometric prints.  There was a time when I loved chevron designs, but that affair has ended!  Too bad I have to say good-bye;  perhaps in ten years we will have a reunion.

Animal prints

source 

I have to work hard to warm up to animal prints, but  I agree that their  organic spots and stripes are very interesting when you want to include  patterns in a room.  Maybe one or two  animal prints might be good, but more than that becomes overdone.  I like to  introduce them using small items like a  box or a pillow because they are easier to replace when you get tired of them.

Blackboard walls

source 

Having been a teacher, I left blackboard walls behind years ago.   I think they work well in  a child's playroom or bedroom because they serve  a functional purpose, but they are dusty. Think about allergies too.  There is something messy and not quite right about them in main rooms of a  home.

Gallery/salon  walls

source

I love  smaller gallery walls that are very organized.  Too many items and you end up looking at the organization (or lack thereof)  and not the individual  pieces of art.

Baskets everywhere

I have  baskets in my home here and there because they are functional, but I am always careful  not to overdo it.  I don't want someone to walk in and think ... the house of baskets.

 Text as art

  Yes, I like quotes, I even collect them and I love text.  Their use as art  just seems to be way overdone in the last few years.

Faux taxidermy

source

 Here's another design  motif  that when  used in the right setting  added an individual note to a space in the past, but not anymore because faux taxidermy is  everywhere and I am still trying to figure out why.  Are you a lover?

Starbursts

source

Another beautiful motif that has reached the boredom point from overuse.  As a lover of circles and rays I would have to think  long and hard before using a starburst in a design right now.  Too predictable!  Another element on my revisit after 5 years list.

Large horizontal stripes

source 

When this image first popped up on Pinterest I was attracted to the strong graphic nature of the stripes.   Very quickly bold, equally sized and spaced stripes were popping up everywhere especially black and white ones.  Nothing was sacred as they appeared  on walls, rugs, pillows, tables etc.


And how about you?  Do you have design elements or objects that you think need a rest?  Perhaps you love some of my "tired" choices and want to argue for their continued use.