Paint Swatch Wall!

This weekend I decided to get a little creative...so on a chilly Saturday early afternoon I walked into Home Depot on 23rd street and picked up a few Ralph Lauren paint swatches...

I've wanted to do something with the wall behind my bed for a long time. And back then I did start it off by painting the wall that pretty purple/pink color (see the inspiration post about it here!) but since then that's about all that happened to it. I did have one of my paintings hanging there, but really having it over my head while I slept didn't always feel so great...fear of it dropping on me perhaps?!!

So, with an idea I've played with before on canvases, and from some remembered inspiration from Design*Sponge on the below pics, I decided to try out some graphic artwork myself!

I did the top half first, setting all of the colors out on my coffee table, and over a few cups of tea I finally had them in a position I liked. Ill admit, I'm pretty particular about how things look and that they have to feel right to my eyes! And then with a bit of measuring on my wall, and after backing each swatch with mounting tape, I preceded to line up the first row!
I totally enjoyed doing this by the way!! Maybe it was because I was finally getting it up on the wall, or because I loved being so creative (after feeling as though I hadn't been for so long!) or maybe it was because I was blasting out music, singing along, and just thoroughly enjoying the whole time!
Now, the second half, neat little trick I pulled out of my hat! I mirrored the top half!! I was missing one or two identical swatches, and just replaced them with ones as similar as I could get it. The odd mismatch added a twist! I really love how it turned out! If I could change anything I'd make it bigger!! But maybe I can add a line here or there sometime too!



Images from this post on Design*Sponge! The reviews on that post are intense though I warn you!

Daylight Desk Pics!

As promised, photos of my new desk in daylight!! Ohh, I'm so in love with it! Believe it or not, I've been longing all day to sit at it!! And here I am! Time to get some painting done! The desk has actually inspired me!!!

DREAM FIND!!!!

I am amazed at what people throw out in New York City!!!

This afternoon, walking down the street, and on turning the corner I stopped gasped out loud! I saw this beautiful desk just sitting there on the curb with the trash!!! It's just beautiful, and just the desk I had been dreaming of!!! There wasn't even a split second where I even considered leaving it!!

And so, the wonderful man with me (thank you!! ;) ) picked it up for me, and we dragged it to his apartment, where later on he popped it into a cab and I took it off to my apartment! I'm so happy with it!!!

In the above left photo it's pre clean, and as soon as I walked it in the door!! The desk has some varnish or something which was spilt over it the top of it (see the above right photo), and down the front too, which did make the top drawer stick (but that was fixed with a bit of clever man power!!). The spilt varnish has chipped off in places, and with encouragement, patience and a lil' elbow grease, I hope it should all come off without too much trouble! The only problem area I think will be the black top... I'll delicately do my best with it, but I think this will eventually just have to add a little character to the desk!!!

I will be taking daylight photos soon too so you can see it better, but well, I couldn't wait to share the best find ever!! Below are the photo's of it a bit more settled into my room! 

I really am amazed what people throw out in the trash though!! What's that phrase? 'One man's trash is another man's treasure' ? Oh so true!!!! I LOVE my new desk!!!!!

Last Weekend!

Well I have been a busy bee lately! Last weekend I went crazy on cleaning and revamping my apartment, trying to bring in Spring quicker with some dusting maybe?!!

Anyways, over the past few months, the number of books I own has greatly increased! I had no idea I had gained so many until I started picking them up from all around the apt and piling them up!!

So first thing first! It was high time my bookshelf got a through dusting, and the additions to my collection were correctly placed - and yes in color order!! What other way IS there??!! ;)

From there, I went from a complete clean, from washing the floors, to organizing my tubes of paint!! me? a little o.t.t.? no!

Above are two pictures of my shelves completed (I have a huge shelves in the living room for bigger books and all of my art books) And below is the 'before' picture! Right after my huge apartment redecoration in Spring 08! (see that post here, here, here and here!!)

I just Love how they're looking now, and with my inspiration pin board too! (which will need a spring revamp soon enough as well!) I'm still looking for the perfect desk (which I posted about here) as well as some nice curtains... I'll get on that soon!

Another thing in my bedroom I just love is my dresser! I remember it from when I was a child in my Dad's house, my Sister had it for soo many years! It's got different pulls on two out of the five drawers, has a huge chip out of the second one down and the paint is crackling in places! It's hitting Shabby Chic, and I adore it!

Check out the photo below on the left! - On the right is a photo I just stumbled across, though I can't remember where from! (If anyone knows, please tell me!!) It completely reminded me of my own dresser!! A little different, a little similar... And I do soo love my antique mirror!! So gorgeous and so perfect on my dresser!!

Desk Update...

So, a little update on the Desk situation... I think I may have found one sooo much better than the ones I posted earlier! Older, better, prettier and basically much more up my street! 

I didn't want to spend too much, as I've got my steel desk on hold! But this one is in a style of it's own, and the purchase would be more of an investment, than something temporary..

Anyways, I'll keep you updated on it - and unveil it if it all comes to fruition!

In the mean time, it reminds me a little of this! Which I LOVE! And something I think every woman should remember and hold dear....

my lil room...

West Elm's Parsons Desk in Silver and in 'Wheatgrass' Green.

This year, I want to do a little re-vamp on my bedroom, give it a little more love lets say..

First off, I think it will be some decent curtains! I'm a little undecided though... I want to keep it simple, clean. So.. sheer-ish cream or white? Or how about something prettier, and a lightly patterned semi sheer white? Hm.. I think I like that idea better! I LOVE the light - in fact I swear I need it at all times... so I'm not into total black-out curtains.

Above, would have to be the next step - a decent desk! The little round one I have right now, is becoming more of a problem than I'd like! There's never enough room! From a little investigation, my favorite would have to be West Elm's Parsons Desk, nice and simple... the silver has a touch of glamour (and on sale!) or perhaps in the new 'Wheatgrass' green?! Oh, decisions!

Ivory Sheer Curtains, and Ikea's Ofelia Curtains

Apartment Redecoration Part Four!

Now although I haven't been able to make a start on painting my 'headboard' this weekend, I thought I'd show a bit more of my room! Above, are my book shelves, which I finally got up on the wall! Sat on studs, these babies aren't budging! (I've had scary book shelf falling moments before!!) Now, of course, I have my books in color order - is there any other way to have them?!! Ha!! I love that this picture shows off what a lovely pink my walls are...thank you to those bright sunshine filled mornings!

Below is my armchair, I love this chair..sitting in it relaxing and reading, its super comfy. (complete with sheepskin and more Lulu DK fabric - 'Isis' in Tourmaline) It's right at the end of my bed, and next to my huge windows...it's my little getaway. Although I swear Oscar thinks it's his...ahem..ha!

my boy...on "his" armchair!

Apartment Redecoration Part Three!!

Well, above is my bed - after my room's redecoration! I love my bed..and I have a little obsession with filling it with pillows and cushions! The sun pours in my window every morning which I love...which you can see on my orange blanket...this lil blanket has a few years on it, my Mum used to put it on the bottom of her bed too...when I was a little girl, I had a green one just like it...although I'm not sure where it wandered off to!

Below is my bedside table, at night! I love my string of lights, especially as the bulbs are so big and round...so I had the idea to wrap them up and put them in a large glass vase from Crate and Barrel for $20...I even put a dimmer on them!! so they can also give of a gorgeous dim glow, which I adore!!
Above the lights are family photo's of when I was just a little girl with my family...also postcards from 1909 and 1910 which I purchased from the 25th street flea market, from a really sweet woman who had folders and folders of them to browse through...I had a well spent Sunday afternoon there!



Sooooo....here's my next project!! As you may notice I don't have a headboard to my bed, and the wall above is pretty bare and lacking character.. I could always hang something up there, but I thought I'd be a bit more creative and paint the area instead!

I love the William Morris wallpaper below, and wouldn't say no to hanging a large piece of this from floor to ceiling at the head of my bed! But, I don't have any laying around and I'm not sure my budget could cover it right now anyways!!



So - onto painting inspiration!! Below are some of my favorite finds! But if you have any further ideas or if you have the perfect photo or any inspiration you'd like to share please let me know! I'd LOVE to hear from you!!
In the mean time, I'm going to keep up my search... as I hope to get started this weekend!

Apartment Redecoration Part Two!!

So, this is my living room, The lamp and the rug are my Roomie's - sorry this pic isn't too great, I took it in the evening, and well, one of the sacrifices of living in NYC is the occasional lack of windows - The huge window in my room makes up for it though - which you'll see later!

And ahhh, my Sofa, oh how I love you!! Down filled, and an antique dream, it's absolute heaven to sink into....shame the photo doesn't show it off enough!! Also, you may notice the Lulu DK cushions! Perks of working for the company!! Bloomsbury in Tourmaline, and Chant in Sky...check out the fabrics here!

Well, when I moved in here the wall behind the bookcase shelves were an awful white, dirty and not so pleasant... So I chose a warm pale creamy brown, which goes a dream with the wood and the sofa..without being "beigey"!
Okay, so I like my lounge...it's pretty cosy, and super comfy, and still feels big even with the three seater sofa (again - imagine NYC apartments, and how rare this can be!!) And I promise to get better pictures asap!

There is just one thing I would love in here....and that's in the picture below! I have a soft spot for cow hide rugs...and this cool creamy beige and white would just add that bit of pop, lightness, and a much needed curvy shape into my living room...oh yes..love it!! (and the lamp too!!)

My Apartment's Redecoration, Part One!

So I've been promising to show you my big apartment redecoration for wayyy too long!! So finally I've pulled together some of the first few pictures of my bedroom, pre redecoration!

Sadly, I totally forgot to take ones before I removed out most of the furniture and my clutter, so these will have to do....and anyways - the place was way too cramped, messy and bland..you didn't miss too much! In the above and below pictures, just add a big nasty wood dresser (twice the size of the white one above, although slightly shorter), two bedside tables, piles of books, papers, tubes of paint, a laptop with no home, an armchair...and well, place it in annoying places where there are way too many 'void' unusable spaces (which just seemed to collect empty bags, shoe boxes, as well as Oscar's fur and toys!)......does that help for a visual?! Hopefully you'll enjoy seeing what I've been doing to improve it - and hopefully as much as I've enjoyed doing it!