Christmas Coke

 As long as we’re breaking out the Christmas decorations this week, I thought I’d share our almost-DIY holiday project.

 

It’s no secret that my boyfriend has a major Coca-Cola crush. So major that it actually inspired this summer’s Southern sojourn, which included a stop at Coke headquarters in Atlanta in addition to the mentioned Nashville and Asheville. Some kids have bedrooms painted with puffy clouds or zoo animals; the walls of Paul’s childhood room were covered in red and white Coca-Cola wallpaper (yes, there is such a thing).

 So when we came across a dusty collection of his family’s old National Geographic magazines, we had to check the back pages for cool retro Coke ads. And these three Santas from 1956, ’60 and ’62 just begged to be framed.

 

We carefully removed the ads from the magazines, but that’s where the DIY ended. Since we had a 60 percent off coupon for Michael’s – and since the framer at our store is pretty talented – we opted to have them professionally done. But we probably could have achieved a very similar look ourselves with some basic black frames and matting.

 I think the end result is more subtle and cozy than your generic store-bought snow globes, reindeer, or even Coca-Cola merch, but still manages to feel extremely Christmas-y.

 

Unfortunately, I had a heck of a time getting a photo with decent lighting. This time of year, we only get sun in the living room from 5 to 7 a.m – and the new light fixture that was supposed to arrive Nov. 1 has been backordered twice, finally convincing us to cancel our order this afternoon. It’s back to the drawing board on that one, I guess.

Color Collection

I think I have a problem.

I seem to be addicted to paint swatches. Which would be fine if I were a painter or interior decorator – but I’m most definitely not.

On the way to the grocery store or post office, I find myself swinging by Home Depot or the hardware store more and more often. Before I know it, I’m carrying out a fresh stack of color. I almost wish they charged a few cents per swatch – the fact that they’re free makes it too easy. I would totally splurge on the full-collection professional paint decks, except I’m afraid that viewing so many options at once would make my head explode. I mean, we only have 51/2 rooms and a hallway.

And you know what the worst part is? After collecting swatches of every color in the rainbow for, like, years, we’re finally going to paint the living room…beige.

Getting a Handle on Hardware

It’s all coming back to me now.

After spending weeks poring over magazines and swatches and brochures for my parents’ kitchen remodel, I’m starting to recall just how many little details it takes to make a blueprint a reality. Sure, there are the paint colors and cabinet styles – that’s the easy part. But do you want your cabinet doors to have a regular overlay, full overlay or a flush inset? Do you want your countertops to have a mitered or non-mitered edge? Will cabinet hinges be hidden or visible? So many choices.

It’s enough to make even the most prepared planner’s head spin.

The latest do-or-die decision involves hardware. Home Depot and Lowe’s have a decent selection of contemporary handles and knobs, but they don’t fare so well with the traditional end of the spectrum.

Fortunately, I’ve been able to introduce Mom and Dad to specialty companies like Rejuvenation, White Chapel and Van Dyke’s Restorers. (Fun fact: I just learned that Van Dyke’s is owned by Cabela’s, the hardcore hunting/fishing/outdoors superstore – weird.)

Anywho, I knew what I wanted before I knew where to find it: shiny nickel-plated Shaker bin pulls for drawers and latches for cabinets. Van Dyke’s selection fit the bill perfectly.

I’d be happy to see my parents go with the same, but I’m also excited to see the outcome of something different.

Like glass hardware that mimics the classic crystal door knob, for instance.

Or traditional arts and crafts choices like square knobs and dangling drawer pulls.

Then there are the medieval-looking strap hinges that conjur up images of a cute Tudor Revival cottage. I can’t believe I couldn’t find a photo of a kitchen with these guys.

I like to imagine those cast iron hinges on white cabinets – I love the contrast of black hardware in a light kitchen.

Hardware is sort of the icing on the cake – it’s not going to make or break the room, but it really adds a finishing touch. But enough about what I like – what’s your favorite old house hardware style?

Images from Kitchens.com, Van Dyke’s Restorers, Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry, Rejuvenation and CrownPoint Cabinetry. Click on photos for more info.

Where’s the Wastebasket?

A letter to the editor in a recent American Bungalow posed an interesting question. In all those beautiful photos of featured arts and crafts-style homes, the reader pointed out, the magazine never once included a wastebasket. Where the heck do these people put their trash?

 It got me thinking – not just about trash, but what about remote controls? What about computer cords? What about the litterbox?! Do these immaculately decorated homes have handcrafted accessories to match? Or do the homeowners just grab the most convenient doodads from Target and then hide them from the camera?

 Since then, I’ve had my eye out for ways to prettify the typically un-pretty – like this wastebasket, for instance. Problem is, when you have to request a price quote for a trash can, you probably can’t afford it.

 

Meanwhile, we’ve managed to wrangle the remotes into a bowl, keep pens, sunglasses and other small items in another dish, and toss my boyfriend’s guitar tuners, cords, and mini-amps into a bread basket.

 

And then we got this guy.

 

No, it’s not some futuristic ottoman – it’s a  litterbox. A ModKat litterbox. (FYI, our walls aren’t really fluorescent yellow, that’s just my camera playing some weird tricks).

 

I never thought I could love a litter pan, but I guess I really am a crazy cat lady, because I’m over the moon for this one. It keeps the litter (and most aromas) contained, is a breeze to vacuum around, and resembles a piece of furniture more than a bathroom receptacle – a large, candy-colored plastic piece of furniture, mind you, but you get the point.

This one, on the other hand, might be going a bit too far.

 

 All jokes aside, you never see pet accessories in photos, either – probably because there aren’t many decent-looking options. Thank goodness for Bungalow Bob’s Pet Designs. Past kitty Christmas gifts (stop snickering!) have included the pet hammock – which as you can see, has since become a home for toys – and the cat maze.

 

I’m sure if we had a dog, we’d be all over the quarter-sawn oak den.

 I totally understand that the homes in publication pages are, much like human models, part illusion — they’re primped, touched up and ultimately transformed into something quite different than the way they looked when they woke up in the morning. But since I get most of my design inspiration from magazines, it would be nice to catch a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes things that are usually left out. Like, is there a built-in pet box or cubby hiding around the corner? Or maybe a cool trash can or remote control holder? How do the design-savvy mix form and function when it comes to typically un-fun home products?

Renovation Motivation

So I was feeling a tad sorry for myself last week, which may have led to even more infrequent posts than usual.

I was thinking that I’ve got all these big plans in my head, yet all I’ve accomplished recently is purchasing some kitchen canisters  and sink organizers.

Not that the updates weren’t absolutely necessary, of course. I mean, we’d been using the same soap jars since we moved in together. 

I’d like to think the end results are somewhat more sophisticated than the straw-hugging panda and his Softsoap tiger brother, who resided in the kitchen.

I might add a glass soap jar in the kitchen, too, but for now a cute Mrs. Meyers bottle in a white dish will do the trick.

 But a few days into my wallowing, I got some news that changed my outlook. After more than 10 years in their current house, my parents are finally remodeling their kitchen.

To appreciate the significance of this situation, you’ve got to understand something about my family. They have not completed a single renovation project in my 27 years of life. When we moved out of our first house, it was half green and half white because we’d started painting once and never finished. It’s been all downhill since.

Yet, they’ve hired the contractor, they’ve ordered the cabinets – they’ve even (perhaps a bit prematurely) torn out their inherited mustard and deep brown 1970s kitchen. It’s really happening. But the part that impressed me the most? The way my parents held their ground when their contractor suggested they rethink their dream of white Shaker cabinets and subway tiles and instead consider knotty pine and stainless steel, which he thought would have better resale value.

We went through almost the exact same thing when my boyfriend’s family, who was very kindly (and thankfully) helping us with the work, couldn’t understand why we didn’t want Corian counters and Tuscan-style cabinets from Home Depot. Then again, they also didn’t understand why we didn’t want a house built after 1990.

I get that we all have different tastes. I even appreciate it – it keeps things interesting. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have light birch cabinets and a recycled glass backsplash, or colored cabinets (like the cover photo on September’s This Old House) and a checkered floor.

But we wanted white cabinets, white subway tiles (apparently I really am my parents’ daughter) and a warm wood floor. We wanted to go from this…

To this! How-we-did-it post to follow sometime in the future. Please ignore the odd tiki display-turned-clutter above the sink.

Yes, in hindsight there are some things that I wish I had done differently…and there are many, many things that still need to be done. But my point is, we had a vision once, we stuck to it, and we made it a reality – and we can do it again. Any time I doubt that, all I have to do is look at our before and after photos. Two years later, I still smile every time I do.

Over the Counter

Nobody would ever mistake me for a neat freak. But just because organization isn’t in my blood doesn’t mean I can’t change, right?

 That’s why I thought I’d use the inevitable burst of motivation that comes with the onset of autumn to tackle a few organization projects. Rather than overwhelm myself and end up doing nothing (a common occurrence around here), this time around I aim to focus on very small areas of the house, starting with the oft-cluttered kitchen counters.

 With space tight in our pull-out pantry, we were amassing a pile of plastic bags full of sunflower seeds, pasta, oatmeal and the like, all secured with twisty-ties and aging chip clips. Not a very pretty – or convenient — arrangement. So I picked up some simple glass canisters from Target and, lo and behold, the room was (very subtly) transformed.

I can’t believe I’ve been so slow to embrace such a timless kitchen organization system. By the way, we aren’t crazy over sunflower seeds – they’re for the chickens.

 The gleaming glass containers so easily spruced up our countertops that I’m thinking of going back for more – or picking up some of the half-gallon Ball jars I hear they carry at Michael’s. I was so excited, in fact, that I whipped up my first roundup/inspiration board/mood board. It may not the most aesthetically-pleasing one out there, but I’m no interior designer and this was my first try. So without further ado, here’s a collection of cute and classic counter space savers.

 

1. anchor hocking heritage hill jars, target, $10.79 2. vintage jadite flour canister, etsy, $58 3. deruta-style canister set, sur la table, 69.95 4. old dutch decor copper canisters, amazon, $64.99 5. ball 125th anniversary jar, JC Penney, $19.99 6. Pfaltzgraff small country canister, pfaltzgraff, $9.99 or $49.99 for set of 3 sizes 7. le creuset 4 qt. cherry canister, amazon, $49.99 8. enamel bread box, the vermont country store, $59.95

Next mission in operation anti-kitchen clutter: finding some kind of caddy or plate for storing our soap, dish detergent and sponges so we don’t have to constantly wipe the wet, sudsy spots that collect beneath them on the counter. A pretty ceramic dish, perhaps?

Fine Print

My plan this week was to chronicle Arts & Crafts San Francisco, the city’s annual sale of all things bungalow style. But after staying up past 3 a.m. the night before (my boyfriend’s band had a late gig) we just couldn’t convince ourselves to tackle an early 2-1/2 hour trek on a crowded freeway.

I’m sorry to have missed the chance to photograph all the handcrafted furniture, the pottery, the Native American art – but I’m most bummed about missing Yoshiko Yamamoto.

Colvos Passage Sunrise

Yamamoto hand carves her Japanese-influenced arts and crafts designs into wood and linoleum blocks, then prints the images on letterpress. The results are the most simple but stunning scenes of animals, botanicals and landscapes.

Here’s Autumn Leaves, a small print I picked up at the show last year (I promise it looks much better in real life).

And the pair of circle prints I got a few Christmases ago.

From cute little mice to moody ravens, I can’t wait to add another of her nature prints to my collection.

Mice - Yamamoto

Early Spring - Yamamoto

 Or 0ne the landscapes that seem to capture California’s rolling hills, oak groves and late afternoon light effortlessly.

Evening Oak - Yamamoto

Speaking of arts and crafts-inspired prints that features my favorite places, is anyone else smitten with Ranger Doug’s line of reproduction WPA National Park posters?

 

I’m really digging the vintage colors schemes. I’ve got a 2010 WPA poster art planner/calendar, and I’m thinking of tearing out the best 8 by 6 cards (I think there are about 37 in all) and framing them for some cheap wall art. Now I’ve just got to figure out where to put them.

Traditional Ikea

Wikipedia

The first time I took my parents to Ikea, they thought I was crazy. Sure, they liked the prices – and my dad loved the meatballs – but they just couldn’t see the light-toned, self-assemble Scandinavian furniture and bold prints fitting into a traditional home like their own. 

 While I’ll admit that not everything at the blue and gold giant fits my style, I enjoy hunting for the things that do. I never fail to leave Ikea exhausted, but inspired. Who knew you could set up a cute (theoretically) workable living space in 300 square feet? 

Lately, it seems that I’m finding even more pieces that I could easily incorporate into our home – or any old house, for that matter. In honor of the new Ikea catalog scheduled to hit stores early this month, I thought I’d take a look at the more traditional side of the Swedish spectrum. 

Ikea has recently been advertising this bed for $199. 

  Sure, it’s not mahogany or anything – and I’ve found that IKEA’s dark-stained pieces have a tendency to scratch easily, exposing the light wood underneath. But where else can you buy a nice, simple Shaker-style bed for under 200 bucks?

 Or how about this cute little country linen cabinet? Never mind that at $250, it’s more than the bed. 

 Since we’ve never actually had a dining room, we’ve happily made do with IKEA’s tiniest two-seater table for almost six years. But if I were to want an affordable upgrade, I think this little round table and simple chairs would suit the arts and crafts feel of our house. 

Call me boring and basic, but I like a white kitchen.  And you can’t get one much more classic and inexpensive than this. These wainscot-inspired cabinets  would be at home in a beach house, a cottage or a bungalow.

Ikea

And these side tables could work with a mid-century, traditional or country theme – or just about anything. 

 

 Of course, browsing Ikea’s website is nowhere near as fun as touring the store, where you can get a feel for how to style all the furniture in those flat boxes. Is it just me, or are there any other closet Ikea addicts out there? Have you ever found anything not-too-Ikea at Ikea?

A Place to Start

Sentimental value is a strong motivator – which explains why an ardent fan of arts and crafts style would be sleeping in a bed more fit for Laura Ingalls Wilder than Gustav Stickley.

Once upon a time, I dreamed of snoozing in an oversized chocolate brown sleigh bed, or maybe a nice shaker farmhouse model. Basic, classic.

Restoration Hardware

Pottery Barn

Long story short, my boyfriend’s dad made the aforementioned pine log bed for him and, though it’s not exactly our style, we feel obligated to keep it around. It’s beautiful, well-made and has a lot of that sentimental value I just mentioned.

 So here’s my dilemma. We’re trying to gear ourselves up to get back on the home renovation train, starting with the bedroom. We figure it’s a small, not-too-overwhelming place to start, and after all, we spend a third of our lives there. But I need some ideas for toning down the rustic quality of our bed.

 So far, I’m thinking of keeping the walls a subdued shade of mocha, taupe or wheat – a lot more neutral than I would normally go for – and refraining from going too crazy with patterned quilts and duvet covers, as I’ve been known to do. Maybe putting up some vintage wall art, and replacing or customizing some of the hand-me-down lamps and side tables.

Rather than meticulously scrape off every last crumb of the dreaded mid-century popcorn ceiling – as we did in the other rooms of our house (and burned ourselves out in the process) – we’re thinking of covering it with beadboard and tacking on some crown molding.

This Old House

Other than that, I’m at a loss. But here’s where I’m looking for inspiration.

Better Homes and Gardens

Cottages & Bungalows

Better Homes and Gardens

Better Homes and Gardens

Blogwise, I’m inspired by these romantic bedroom redos at A Brooklyn Limestone in Progress, Yellow Brick Home and Wild Ink (as featured on Brooklyn Limestone).

One benefit to spiffing up the boudoir is that we can find a new place for the musical instruments that have been bunking with us. Just for fun, let’s count the number of guitars the love of my life has stored between our bedroom furnishings.

One, two, three.

Four, five, six.

Lucky number seven.

And eight…who seems to have been hiding from me.

You should see the rest of the house. But no worries, we’re going to get things under control here real soon.

Mid-Century Modern Revival

Maybe it’s all that time spent watching Mad Men, or maybe it was just inevitable. Either way, I’ve finally started warming up to mid-century modernism. 

Sutter Buttes/John DiDomenico Photography

I was raised by parents obsessed with old, lived-in, one-of-a-kind houses. To them, ranch houses of the 50s and 60s represented everything they wanted to get away from – suburban sprawl, cookie-cutter sameness and disregard for the past. 

For years, I followed in their footsteps, drawing the line at art deco and shunning everything that came after as “new.” That is, until I realized two things. One – this stuff was popular more than 50 years ago and therefore is actually “old.” And two – that my house is not a period movie set and there’s nothing wrong with a little mixing and matching of eras. 

Ranch home near my neighborhood

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to rush out and outfit my home in full-on atomic age fashion. My heart still belongs to Craftsmans and Queen Annes. But I’m a lot more open to the era since realizing a lot of the features I love about bungalow style – like clean lines, stained wood and bold patterns – can also be found in mid-century modern pieces. 

Here’s a quick rundown of some transitional pieces that appeal to my newfound respect for all things Jetson-esque. 

Leave it up to Urban Outfitters to offer funky yet simple retro decor at affordable prices. 

Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters

Wouldn’t this chair look as at-home in a 1900 Craftsman as in someone’s Palm Springs patio? 

Crate & Barrel

In my mind, vinyl and mod go together like peanut butter and banana. You don’t even need a record player for this guy. The photo doesn’t really do it justice, but I have one of these bowls by chicalookate and, trust me, they look cool in real life – and they’re awesome for storing your sunglasses, keys, remotes, etc. 

Etsy

Groovy patterns and tiki style get a modern makeover at Bradbury & Bradbury. 

Bradbury & Bradbury - Wonderwall paper

Bradbury & Bradbury - Island wallpaper

Not sure if this qualifies as modern, but I’ve been coveting this Jonathan Adler whale pitcher since I first saw it advertised on Young House Love, my go-to site for decorating inspiration. 

Jonathan Adler

 And of course, no mid-century modern would be complete without a swingin’ Shag print. 

Shag - Relentless

For more mid-century ideas, I like the blogs Retro Renovation and Mid-Century Living, but there are literally hundreds of sites out there devoted to postwar living – just check out Retro Renovation’s blogroll. Apparently I’m a little late to the block party.