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framing odd size art

Posted by dasfseegdse Rabu, 11 September 2013 0 komentar

i love the simple, great looking frames that are available at stores like west elm, pottery barn, ikea, target and michaels. most of these frames come with mats that are cut to fit standard size prints. but what if you have a piece of art/print/object that doesn't fit the norm?
here are a few ideas to help you solve that dilemma:

custom framing

custom framing can cost a small fortune but is worth the occasional splurge.

custom mats

even though i am a big believer in custom framing, there are MANY times when the money in my budget or clients budget needs to be spent elsewhere.
one of my favorite tricks is to use an inexpensive, store bought frame (ikea ribba frames are a favorite of mine!), and have a mat custom cut to fit my art.

source

no mat

one very simple solution is to place the art work directly on a piece of canson paper (available in the art section of any craft paper) or mat board. this works best when there is minimal contrast between the art and the background.

source

trim to fit your frame

have a inexpensive poster or print that doesn't fit any frame? consider cutting it! the trimmed piece will seem transformed with its new shape that you will most likely just find more appealing that the original! (can you tell i have bison on the brain? the print in the background here is the same one is used in grady's bathroom.)

source

floating glass

floating your art between two pieces of glass helps the eye to focus on the art, and any uneven space between the art and the edge of the frame becomes less obvious. this is a budget friendly option, as it requires no mat or paper to mount the art on.

do you have another way to inexpensively frame art? leave a comment--i would love to hear!

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a peek at grady's finished bath

Posted by dasfseegdse Selasa, 10 September 2013 0 komentar

well, after ~~weeks~~ months of delay, and a massive paint spill, grady's bathroom is finally finished!
i am working on getting a professional photographer to take some pictures in the next week or two, but until then, here is a quick look with some lame phone pictures:

i will be posting more about both the sign above the toilet and the framed "divided" bison print soon!
oh, and i had a small miracle happen to me a few weeks ago---after an exhaustive online search for the perfect mirror for above the vanity, i walked into my local homegoods store, and spotted THIS beauty:

and the best part??

yeah. that was a pretty. good. day.

some sources:
(a complete list will accompany the final photos)
wall color: cumulus cloud-benjamin moore
flooring: montauk black slate, 12 x 24
vanity: logan vanity-restoration hardware (discontinued)
shower curtain: 84" drapery panels-marshalls (similar)

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Choosing the Right Bedroom Furniture for Your Home (guest post)

Posted by dasfseegdse Minggu, 08 September 2013 0 komentar

You'd be amazed at how many people, having recognised the need for new bedroom furniture, simply go out and buy the first thing that catches their eye. This is obviously a schoolboy error. For not only does your bedroom furniture need to provide a practical use, but it clearly also needs to fit in with the rest of your room, both physically and from a design perspective. So before you go out and purchase on impulse, consider some of these important guidelines.

Is It Going to Fit?

This may seem like a very elementary question, but it's incredibly important. Not only do you need to know if your new bedroom furniture is going to physically fit in the desired room, but you also need to consider how much space will be left afterwards. After all, there is no point in having a luxurious double bed that is almost wall-to-wall, leaving no remaining space for other things. The most practical way around this issue is of course to measure your room properly before committing to any new furniture. Double check your measurements, write them down and then keep them on hand when you shop in store or at an online retailer.

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Does It Match the Interior Design of Your Home?

This is very much down to your own personal sense of style. Where previous approaches to interior design dictated that furniture all be uniform and matching, this is not so much the case in contemporary practice. From the current perspective, an eclectic mix of styles can be even more pleasing on the eye, providing you have the ability to distinguish fusion from confusion. If you're unsure, then choosing quality wood furniture – such as the beds from Fortune Woods – is always a safe bet. Unless you have a particularly futuristic or sterile home décor, well made oak beds tend to go with just about any interior design scheme.

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Does it Serve Its Purpose?

Beyond style and size, bedroom furniture clearly needs to perform a task as well. A lovely oak cabinet may be a perfect fit both practically and stylistically, but does it actually provide enough storage? Similarly, treating the kids to their own futon might be a sweet idea in theory, but will there then be enough room for their other possessions? Try not to be impulsive during your purchase based simply on your aesthetic attachment to a piece of furniture. If it isn't going to work from a practical perspective, you'll need to look for alternatives.

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Style, Size and Practicality

Selecting the right bedroom furniture for a room is not as simple as going on instinct. Size, style and practicality should all play an equally important role in your choice.

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affordable find: crown sunburst mirror

Posted by dasfseegdse Kamis, 05 September 2013 0 komentar

oooo....this is a good one!

crown sunburst mirror
$299

delphina mirror
$59

happy shopping!

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CREATIVELY ACTIVE MINDS JOINS FACEBOOK!!!

Posted by dasfseegdse Selasa, 03 September 2013 0 komentar

The ever Fabulous Creative Designer "CAM" from Creatively Active Minds is now on Facebook...I know....exciting times! Pop on over it's a heart stopping experience...and while you're there don't forget to say HI ! Have a Beautiful Day xx [just click on the facebook link above]

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bathroom stalker - park city restaurant

Posted by dasfseegdse 0 komentar

i appreciate good design no matter where i find it. but it seems that i find it a lot in bathrooms. (maybe i have bathrooms on the brain lately?)

my latest bathroom beauty is from talisker on main in park city, utah.

(a very amazing pace to eat, by the way!)

interior design by denton house design studio

let's talk about that wallpaper!

it gives a great graphic punch, but the blue and white scheme makes it feel like and fresh and light.

the bold floral art adds a touch of femininity to the space that is colorful and unexpected.

the classic marble vanity, gold + crystal sconce and classic black/white tile floor add to the fun mix!

the silver gilded/metal wrapped mirror is a bit of a surprise, and works well with everything else in the bath...such a feminine and cheery look!

this would be really easy to replicate on a budget:

sources:

mirror

vanity

floor tile

sconce

stencil

hope y'all had a great weekend!

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when DIY goes bad...

Posted by dasfseegdse Jumat, 30 Agustus 2013 0 komentar

...i also could have titled this post :

"how to get paint out of your hair",

OR

"how to get paint off slate floors"

cuz, yeah.
i had a little paint MISHAP yesterday evening:

as you know, i have been putting off painting gradys bathroom for weeeeeeeeks now. i finally got the motivation last night at about 8pm to start. i know. bad idea #1.

things were actually going very well. i finished all the prep work in under an hour, started cutting in along the ceiling and around the toilet,vanity and door, and was rolling the walls by 10, happily and loudly listening to pandora on my iphone. (a little abba with some disney movie songs thrown in. don't ask. i was in a weird mood.)

i had finished my second coat, and had some paint in a container that i was using to do touch-ups along the ceiling. i totally forgot that i left the container of paint on the ladder...until i went to move the ladder and felt the paint fall on my head!!
and drip down my neck!
and basically get alllll over me and the floor.

of course, i had a drop cloth down, but about half of the paint that hit the floor happened to land on the one spot where the drop cloth had pulled away! yeah. good times.
what a mess!

not to mention the fact that i was trapped---there was paint all over my feet, so i had my husband and kids race around the house to get me some rags and paint thinner.

oh, and a coke zero.

you know, just the necessities.

so, i first washed the slate with some warm soapy water, which might have been a bad idea, but i was in full panic mode, and would have rubbed just about anything on the floor if it was in the bathroom. it actually did a pretty good job of removing a lot of the paint.

when i finally got a hold of some paint thinner, i put that on a rag and rubbed and scrubbed. i was a little disappointed. i had to rub REALLY hard (at first with the rag, and then a kitchen scrub brush) and even then, there were little particles of paint that were stuck in the "grain" of the slate.

i ultimately tried using steel wool with the paint thinner, which seemed to work really well, but what really helped to removed the last bit of paint that was stuck in the grain of the tile was a magic eraser!

who knew.

the base board is still a mess...

you can see the haze that is on the tile BEFORE the magic eraser:

and here it is after the magic eraser:

i was happy with how the paint came off the floors.

(it was definitely more difficult to get the paint off of a natural stone floor that off of ceramic tile. because i have spilled paint on ceramic/porcelain tile before--although not to this degree!-- and it was much easier to get off!)

oh, and one painting tip:

wrap your toilet with a trash bag while painting to keep from getting paint on the back while painting!

(if only i had also wrapped my head!)

which brings me to another tip:

how to get paint out of your hair!!

(i never thought i would be writing a tip on removing paint from hair. or maybe i HOPED i would never be writing a tip on removing paint from hair.)

here is what worked for me:

round 1:

conditioner + 3-row comb (also called a pocket brush)

i just put some conditioner on my hair, and combed through it for a few minutes with the 3 row comb. it was like MAGIC. i kid you not. doing this removed about 90% of the paint in my hair.

(there have been times when i have had paint in my hair for days after painting a room. not anymore! i am going to do this from now on.)

round 2:

shampoo + rinse + conditioner + comb.

i just shampooed and rinsed my hair like normal, applied conditioner and combed it again.

voila.

ALL of the paint was gone.

potential mental breakdown averted.

for now.

anyway....here is the room this morning:

it was a late night, and i have a busy day. i still need to finish cleaning up the non-paint-spill mess from the bathroom, and do about 35 other things around the house....