Progress in the Kitchen

My kitchen projects are still in the works. A few weeks ago Calvin hung my light and ,of course, it wasn't easy. The electrical in our home has been updated, but the electrical box of the previous light fixture was an "older model," I guess you could say, than what current light fixtures use. So, my genius husband had to come up with a way to install the new fixture without having to replace the whole box.   

I love the light! It could be a little bit bigger in proportion to the window, but anything larger that I could find was too big and would have hit the window.  I think it will look better when I get some curtains up. I decided not to do a roman shade, like I originally planned, but to window length panels on either side. That way it won't shorten the large window. When it came to fabric for the curtains I looked everywhere in town and couldn't find anything similar to what I was picturing in my mind. Then I was on 6th Street Design School and saw this pic:

 I instantly knew that the drapery fabric in this picture was what I had been looking for. I figured out what it was, Wilmington Covington Multi,

and I found it at a great price, here, for $11.98 a yard plus free shipping! Everywhere else I saw it was at least $17 a yard. I was also able to order a quarter yard size! I hope I am as happy about it when it gets here as I am now. I have definitely made quite a few fabric mistakes. :)  I liked how the fabric had light blue in it. I'm hoping it will go well with my countertops.

My other kitchen project that is almost completed is my chalkboard. This is the state it is currently in:

The board is primed and painted and ready to be attached to the frame. I can't wait to put it together and hang it!

Feature

The master bedroom from the home I designed for the Parade of Homes was featured today on Favorite Paint Colors.

Great Barstool Options

I was on Overstock.com the other day looking for some barstools for a client and I was pleasantly surprised with some of the options they have on there. Here are some of my favorite finds:
Tabouret Metal Barstool

A set if 2 for only $98.99!! And they also come in white, black, and this fabulous red.

How fun are those?!!

Also in metal, I liked these:

And with a great price of $88.99 for two, you can't beat that!

In upholstered barstools I found these beauties:

Estonia Parson Stool in Sky Blue - $234.99 for set of two. What a fun way to add some color to a kitchen. (These also come in a Chartreuse)

I really liked the simplicity of the Uptown Cream Linen Barstool-$135.99

Overstock also has some modern options too.
This Walnut Bent Wood Modern Barstool ($123.99) would look awesome in a modern kitchen. I love how it reflects the look of the classic Eames Lounge Chair.

These Throroughbred Barstools ($100.98) are amazing!

They have a great mid-century modern look to them, and are a different take on a saddle seat barstool.

Renderings

I was able to do a few renderings this month. Here are a couple that I did.

Merry Christmas!!

Holiday Decor

Christmas is almost here so I thought I would share my holiday decor with you. I didn't purchase anything new this year. I just used what I already had and tried to make it look nice.  I did make a new wreath this year though. The plain wreath was given to me last year. So to decorate it this year, I purchased some small red balls at Walmart for $3. I used some silver ornaments I already had and the little beads are from a garland I already had but wasn't using for anything. The "H" was also something I had on hand. I painted it white and hung it on the wreath with some ribbon. All I spent on this wreath was $3.

I have a hard time with Christmas decorations because I like too many "Christmas styles." I love the traditional red and green style, but I also love the more elegant silver and gold combination. This year I kind of split my room and did two different styles. The perfectionist in me was fighting it and I kept going back and forth, but then I just said to myself, "You know what?! Who is really going to care?!!" This is how I decorated my entry table using stuff I had:

During our Thanksgiving vacation in WA we made darling little gingerbread houses, all red and green,  and my talented sister in-law made me that fabulous tulle wreath

And in my apothecary jars I used some small ornaments mixed with pine cones.

Now, the other side of my room I used my decor that I purchased a couple years ago. It's in grays, silvers, and golds.  I hung small wreaths from my curtain rods using ribbon. Very simple and inexpensive.

I bought my Christmas decorations a couple years ago and am proud to say I only spent $50. I gave myself a budget and stuck to it, and I have to admit I think it looks pretty great for $50.

It's a combination of stuff from Michaels, Target, and Walmart.

Schoolhouse Pendant

Wow! I have been major slacking on posting lately. This last week went by super fast for me!
Anyway, my kitchen projects are finally getting started. Thanks to a very helpful reader, a couple days ago I purchased this little beauty for over my sink:

The best part is that it was only $39.95 from Destination Lighting. They have free shipping if you spend $50, so to get the free shipping I bought a couple CFL's (something that will always come in handy to have around the house). I thought it was a great deal, AND I just checked the tracking number and it should be here today! I hope I am still this happy about my purchase when I see it.