Tera's Playroom Makeover

We all know the feeling. You spruce up one area and revel in the ecstasy of another completed project. But as you cast an appreciative glance at your updated space, some other previously insignificant area is now screaming out for attention. It’s the never-ending pursuit of domestic decor nirvana. We get it. We live it everyday. So it came as no surprise to us when, after helping Tera reinvent her connecting living and dining rooms, she contacted us to help her pull together her toddler’s playroom that opens to the dining room.  Here’s her letter…

Hi Lisa,  It’s me again! Jim and I are in the process of painting our living and dining rooms. We’ve purchased the window treatments and rugs you recommended and look forward to pulling the whole project together. Now we’d like you to take a crack at our almost two year old toddler’s playroom.  It’s open to the dining room and was a former office so there is one original vintage built-in cabinet that I love. The previous owners added some 80′s looking shelving with a desk surface that we’re not so crazy about style-wise, yet appreciate the storage they provide. Not knowing what lies beneath, we don’t want to bother with removing the boring, blue carpet, but would not mind a way to cover it. We want this room to work well with the dining room, but also be a fun and creative space for our son.  BTW, the little door to the right under the stairs is a tiny powder room.  Thanks again, Tera

Hi Tera!! We love nothing more than a repeat client. Thanks for another project. Here’s the moodboard to make your home decor hat trick complete!

1.  Since this room opens right to the dining room, we are going to extend the color palette we established in the living and dining rooms by using some dark red tones and incorporating our global eclectic theme. But this time, we’re taking it down to toddler size. The biggest color challenge in this room is how to integrate the custom built-ins with the rest of the space so they stop screaming 80′s add-on. It’s really an easy and affordable fix. Paint them!  With a light sanding and a coat of primer, these wood toned behemoths will be ready for two coats of the Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17);  the same color Tera and Jim have used to brighten the trim in their other rooms. By painting the wood elements throughout the rooms the same color, a lovely flow is established. Let us not forget that this is a playroom and we need a big dose of fun, so we’re recommending Tera add some pops of color on the backs of the bookshelves with B.M.’s Pleasant Grove (552). These snazzy swaths of green will provide an element of whimsy and a splash of color behind toys, books and baskets stored on the shelves.

2.  This simply striped chenille window valance will bring the dark red tones in from the dining room and provide a more sophisticated pattern at the adult eye level. Tera’s son won’t even notice.  He’ll be too busy down in the three feet and under zone!

3.  We know Tera is a big Etsy fan, and we LOVE the artwork created by Seattle based artist Kate Endle. Her “Flying High” collage has the perfect balance of wisdom and whimsy that we love to see in a child’s space.

4.  Let’s face it, two big problems parents face with the little people are what to do with the constant barrage of artwork the mini-Picassos churn out, and what to do when they want to create some art of their own right on your walls? (We know from experience that they usually don’t check for permission before applying pen/paint/crayon to plaster.)  Well, Tera, we’ve gotcha covered in that department with this multi-taskingmagnetic chalkboard paint.  We think you should paint it from top to bottom on the wall facing the dining room (with the window). Your son can do his chalkboard creations on the lower levels and you can post his creations above. Also, we can’t resist mentioning how the charcoal black wall is going to coordinate fabulously with your dining room rug!

5. And what better way to make use of that magnetic chalkboard wall, but with these adorable and colorful wooden magnetic letters.

6.  One thing we noticed in Tera’s before pics was an abundance of stuff. These baskets are a durable and colorful way to stuff the “stuff” away that’s so easy, even a two year old could do it!

7.  This stylish ladderback chair works well with our color palette and will slide under the desk between the bookshelves and double as extra seating in the dining room.

8.  With so much space to display is burgeoning creativity, now Tera’s son has the perfect place to render those masterpieces with this adorable art table and chair set.

9.  We love how this rug not only works color wise in the room, but how it also enhances our global eclectic theme in a playful kid-like manner. It will camouflage Tera’s boring blue carpet without creating a big removal project for them. Who needs that kind of work? This is a playroom, remember?!

10.  We found these incredibly affordable cabinet knobs to replace Tera’s existing brass knobs on the newly painted shelving unit. At less than $3 each, we can’t resist the frugalista pricing.

So there you have it, Tera. Two rooms for you and Jim to play in, and one special playroom for your little guy. We can’t wait to see how it all comes together.  

Pantone color of 2010

Apparently we’re not the only ones happy that 2009 is behind us. Now Pantone, the global authority on color (according to them!), has also determined that we need a soothing color to heal us from the ills we suffered last year. Their pick for 2010? Turquoise.

Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing. – Pantone

Pantone predicts this color will be significantly evident in the fashion and home decor trends we see unfold in 2010.

Image courtesy of housebeautiful.com

Since Glad That Year Is Over does not appear in the Pantone fan deck, we can look to Turquoise to cure us from our 2009 hangover. And for that year long headache, you could blame Pantone. Their choice for color of 2009? Mimosa!

use leftover fabric to make cheap art

My mother-in-law is a genius!

Now, honestly, how often do you hear those words uttered? Come on, give it some thought. Those poor mothers-in-law are one of the most abused stereotypes ever, even though so many of them help with our kids, do our laundry without even asking, and put six meatloaves in the freezer while we’re out getting our nails done. (Okay, this is what my mother-in-law does, and I wish you the just same!)

But, I kid you not, on my in-laws’ recent visit, I uttered that phrase directly to my sweet mother-in-law (so it went something like this, “You’re a genius!”). In what context, you must be wondering, would I shout out such accolades?  Well, we were discussing window treatments in my master bath. I showed her the dust ruffle I’d been saving from my Anthropologie bedding and mentioned that I wanted to turn it into some kind of panel in the bathroom to bring in the green.  (To see the bedding, click here.)

“No,” my mother-in-law said, “I think the bamboo shade looks just fine as is.” (I will suggest that she’s a woman who’s not afraid to share her opinion.) “But what you need, Lisa, is something over here (pointing to the bare wall). We could cut out this pattern on the dust ruffle, glue it on some burlap, frame it, and you’d have some nice, inexpensive art in here that would bring the green in from the bedroom.”

And that’s when it happened. The words just sprang forth. “Kathy, you’re a genius!” Wouldn’t you have said the same thing?  Think about it, this project involved no curtain rods to buy and talk my husband into hanging, no sewing machines to set up and thread, which often yields incredible grumpiness on my part.  No, this project would involve merely scissors and glue, and, hot damn, I already HAVE those things, and I even know how to use them!

So here you go:  a step by step process on making art on the cheap (and easy).

Step 1:  Gather your materials. You’ll need fabric scissors, fabric glue, spray tack adhesive, your piece of art (we used a pattern in the fabric), your fabric background (we used burlap), and a picture frame (we used one w/ a glass front because of the moisture in the bathroom). You can purchase all of these materials at a craft store like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.

Step 2:  Cut out your art.

Step 3:  Cut out your background fabric. We used the cardboard insert inside the frame as a pattern.

Step 4:  Spray a light coat of spray tack adhesive onto the cardboard insert that comes with the frame to give your background fabric some heft. It’s easier to handle this way.  However, if you’re reusing a frame and don’t have cardboard, you can skip this step.

Step 5:  Spray a light coat of spray tack adhesive on your piece of art and mount it on your background fabric. The great thing about spray tack is that you can reposition your art easily.

Step 6: Glue down a ribbon border on the edges. This is another optional step, but it finishes the piece and prevents frayed edges of the burlap from creeping.

Step 7:  Place your new cheap art in a frame, hang it, and enjoy!

For the record, this project cost $10 for the frame (50% off at Michael’s) and $5 for a yard of burlap. (I saved the leftover burlap for another project, stay tuned.)  I already had the spray tack and fabric glue, but those purchases would probably be about $5 each, so for around $20-25, you’ve got yourself some original art that is customized for your space.