Tailored flat panel valance
I have decided to change the design of our family room at our river house. I loved the look back in 2004, but I am ready for a change, and 8 years is pretty long for me not change something. My plan is to take out the county fabrics and update them to a more modern casual design.
Before and after of diamond tufted settee
I showed you here how I cheated my tufts on the headboard. When I got this settee at an estate sale for $50, I knew my cheating method was out of the question.
This settee needed the real deal, diamond tufting. That is something I didn’t want to tackle. I knew I was going to have to send her out to be professionally upholstered. But first the finish needed to be changed, which was right up my alley. Once I ordered my fabrics from Calico Corners,
Robert Allen Showtime Velvet in Steel
I made the decision to gold leaf the frame. Have you ever gold leafed anything before? It is messy to say the least. I pulled off the old grungy cording so that I could get the leaf around the whole frame. Then I gathered my supplies
The raw umber acrylic paint in a tube is my NEW go to for glazing. You just put a dab of it on a paper plate, add a bit of water and you have a glaze. The acrylic in a tube is thicker than the regular acrylic paint, so you can make it as thick or thin as you want.
This site has wonderful video tutorials on gold leafing that are easy to understand and follow Gilded Planet.com They explain how to gold leaf way better than I could, and not to mention it is a video so you can pause and rewind if you don’t understand a step.
Velvet tufted headboard finally done
It has only been a year and a half, but I finally got my inspiration headboard done for Shannon and Nate’s guest bedroom.
This picture was my inspiration picture I found back in October 2010
I was so excited when I found the same shaped headboard on Craig’s list for $60
I knew this headboard would work perfectly for my inspiration picture. But I needed to find the perfect fabric. When I saw this Thom Flicia turquoise velvet fabric at Calico Corners I was in love.
The color was a perfect match for the room, so I quickly ordered the fabric and anticipated it’s arrival to start this project.
So what took me so long to actually make the headboard? Getting the fabric. First it was back ordered, then out of stock and then lost in transit for 9 months. I didn’t think I was ever going to finish this project! {nor did Shannon and Nate, their guest room sat with a blank wall behind the bed the whole time I was waiting for this fabric} I was so set on using this fabric so I just waited, and waited and waited…but it was so worth the wait!
It turned out just as I had imagined, and just finishes off the room {the damask drapes are from Anthropologie}
Oh, so worth the wait right? My grandson Carter even can’t stop staring at it
Not So Easy Bar Stool Covers
My daughter and I found these bar stools at Homegoods for her kitchen. Nice lines but pretty boring. {sorry about the random leopard rug underneath it. This is the only picture I have of the before}
They were the perfect size and shape but I wasn’t really digging the “pleather” fabric. So like I always do, I told my daughter I would put some fun fabric on them for her to brighten them up. Looked pretty easy to do. I decided it would be easier and smart to leave the “pleather” fabric on, and just make a slip cover and then staple it under the bar stool. That way they could easily go back to the “pleather” later if they wanted.
I bought some outdoor fabric from Calico Corners. Thought it would resist staining and it was pretty inexpensive. Cut out my pattern, lined it with some backing, I was good to go.
But dummy me, halfway through I realize things aren’t going to be so smooth. I guess it wasn’t the best choice in pattern. I didn’t even think about having to match the pattern, I just thought about the price and the color. I tried SO hard to match that pattern up, but then the other side would be slightly off. In the end {and endless hours of frustration} I just let go of my perfectionism and did the best I could with what I had.
