Project Ideas for 2013
2012 has been a busy busy year. Looking back we completed so many projects, a lot of which were pretty big. As our house is small we are running out of big projects (I’m sure I can come up with something! Love you babe!) Here are a few things on my To Do List for 2013:
Living Room
New Sofa!
While not a DIY this is a major element in our home like everyone elses. It is important to make the right decision as we literally will be sitting on this for a while. Our current sofa was a “get what you pay for” situation. We bought a cheap couch that we thought would last us about 5 years & it’s been 6. And as much as I am not a fan of microfiber… I am glad it was around for the first two years of the Little’s messy life! & have I mentioned a million times I hate brown!!! I went brown crazy when we moved in & I now want nothing to do with it. Gone!!! Our next sofa will be a smart investment with classic lines.
In my dream world I will find something like this baby… If you know the source or have seen anything similar let me know please! I have been looking for months.
Reupholster Chaise
This may be a DIY… We bought the matching chaise to the sofa (both cheap relatively speaking) but the chaise doesn’t get nearly the use & is structurally in good shape. (Plus it’s our Guest Bed…) I’m thinking either a tailored slipcover or a new re-upholstery job might just be my ticket out of browndom. Maybe even a fun pattern…
via Little Green Notebook |
Or some play with decorative trim might be a nice change…
via Tiger Lily’s |
Bye Bye Chevron Drapes… Maybe
The whole reasoning behind painting them was so they would be inexpensive & easy to switch out when the trend died…. & I might be done. Plus, I don’t want to be locked into the chevron pattern when looking for a potential print for the chaise. We’ll see what inspirations strikes… maybe they’ll get a new color on top… or maybe a line is added at the points to create a herringbone effect… ok, now I’m just thinking out loud.
Bathroom
We live in a one bathroom (very small bathroom!!) house. So it needs to be efficient when it comes to space. I’m thinking the double shower curtain will be ideal for our space. With two narrower panels we won’t have all of the curtain bunched up behind the toilet or taking up our only floor space on the opposite wall.
design via Phoebe Howard |
Exterior
There is a reason there are no exterior shots of our home on the blog. And there is a reason why I am an INTERIOR designer. I am horrible at landscaping. Which is ironic (in a cruel way) because my father can just glance at a plant & it turns in to the secret garden.
I’m not sure what the plans are quite yet… but we are in definite need of some curb appeal! I’m thinking paint will be my friend outside too.
via The Life The Style |
These are just a few of the ideas that I am throwing around for the next year. Of course there will be more & hopefully I’ll hunt down some more roadside relics or thrift items to save. But most importantly, for the new year I am going to be true to myself. I will try my best to do what I love & not fall prey to all the blog peer pressure. If I love it. I’m doing it. That’s typically what you all respond best to as well π
via Fre-Ya |
What do you all want to see next year?!? Any project requests??
xo-
***Update 12/31/12***
I have fallen behind on votes & the contest ends TONIGHT at midnight!!
I need all of your HELP to win this gorgeous trunk!!!
I have entered my blue mantel & need your help. PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE!!
I’ll stop my begging there. I’m not ashamed to beg for this gorgeous piece of furniture.
All you have to do is click right >>>> HERE <<<< Like Emily Henderson & vote.
Link yours up too! There will be a total of five winners all winning hand selected vintage pieces from Emily herself! (That would actually be pretty amazing to be hand selected by EH herself…)
ok. i’m done. thank you.
I voted! Hope you win!
PS.: I still love your Chevron drapes π
Fabrizia
When I pulled up your page I was thinking how fabulous your chevron drapes look, they make such a bold statement. And then you said you're done with them…no!! They're too cute!! π But, I totally understand being over something. Maybe I could buy them from you, they would be great in my son's room. I am not over chevron yet!! Seriously, email me if you want to sell.
Love that couch, Home Decorators has something similar but the arms are the same height as the back so it is more boxy looking. It is very pretty but may not be what you have in mind… worth checking out though. I have the matching chair and it is good quality, love it!
http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Gordon_Tufted_Sofa/760/
Happy New Year!
Hi Kristin, I love your blog by the way. I usually don't comment on blogs but I also LOVE that tufted gray sofa. I found the original source! Here it is:
http://kristenbuckingham.com/shop/item.php?navTrigger=seating&id=20110331015030
Unfortunately they don't give the price so I'm not sure how much of a splurge it would be.
Thanks for the inspiration and hours of entertainment you have given me! π
-Stephanie
AHHH!! Thanks Stephanie! I just sent them an email… so we'll see how much the quote hurts π
I LOVE your Christmas decoration photos, and I think the chevron drapes look wonderful at Christmas time…I'll take them off your hands if you don't want them anymore!!
i have a brown couch too π but we've only had it for about 1.5 years so i can't justify replacing it yet ugh. i'm hoping to at least get some new cuter pillows to make it look less blah. and i desperately need new curtains too. we still have the hideous gauzy old lady curtains our home came with and i cringe daily. so many plans for 2013 – can't wait!!
— jackiejade.blogspot.com
My living is all brown too! lol When we moved in I thought brown was the way to go and now I hate it! My plan this year is to somehow work with it though. I still love chevron and have a chevron accented wall. I find it to be a classic design that was most likely overplayed making people feel like it was a trend. I have no intentions of painting over my chevron wall, but I do know what you mean by how it limits the design in a room. BUT if it makes you feel any better, your chevron drapes do not scream chevron.
I love this couch! and it's lines are similar to your inspiration picture. but I'm not sure if it comes in different colors then brown posted.
http://pinterest.com/pin/37154765647163789/
That sofa is gorgeous! I hope that it works out for you to find & purchase it. You have a special touch for decorating so please go with what makes YOU happy! I'm not one to follow trends or what designers say ~ if I don't love it, I don't have it. π
I want to re-do my bathroom too. I will look forward to your choices. I'm still looking!
Pat
Off to vote right now! Hope you had a great birthday! Can't wait to see the disco ball : )
Can't wait to see all the new projects, Kristin. I'm with you on the brown…went so overboard with it when we bought our house 5 years ago. Now I'm slowly digging out of the brown hell too π First up is stripping our brown couch and reupholstering it in cream velvet!
Kristin, thanks for sharing that you have areas of your house that aren't perfect too! (Although it still looks pretty great to me, just the way it is.) It's nice to hear from an expert that there are personal projects that you are working on, it inspires me to look at place in my home to work on (I have a really nice bunch to choose from!) without making it seem like the whole house is a disaster. Sometimes when I read the blogs it seems like everyone else has such stylish homes that are all perfect, all the time.
I too did the too much brown, cheap microfiber sofa thing. I've had it for almost 5 years too. In fact, that is how I found your blog. You made your brown microfiber sofa look good! I strongly dislike my sofa. That's me being nice about it. I knew that I didn't like it when we got it home. It was the perfect size and that was it. My husband was not amused so it stayed. Your dream sofa looks a lot like what I would choose too! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
Also, I voted for ya!
I just found your blog through another blog and I have to say I LOVE everything I've seen here!!! Love your style, your home, everything!
Good luck with your projects on 2013, I will come back for sure to see the progress and inspiration!
Happy New Year!
Best,
Marcela
http://tucasablogonline.blogspot.com/
I love your blog your to do list. I am working on a double shower curtain in one of our bathrooms. You wouldn't believe what a huge difference it makes! The bathroom will feel much more spacious. I look forward to your designs in 2013!
Just wanted to let you know that you are quickly becoming one of my fave blogs! Love your "true to yourself" style! I need to remember not to fall into the blog peer pressure! Keep up the good work girl π
I don't know how I missed ever seeing your blog and just became a follower! I've seriously been reading for over 2 hours! Can't wait to see what your projects in 2013!
I feel your pain about the sofa. I elicited the help of a well-known local interior designer because we needed a sofa that could withstand cat messes. I love textiles but could only think of leather and microfiber myself. I can't handle microfiber, and the designer suggested leather. Although I was going for a coastal look at the time, he pushed us toward a modern black leather sofa because he said brown is such an expected choice. I have always preferred a light and bright look, so I have been fighting that darn black sofa ever since we got it. My husband agrees we could get a new sofa if I sell our old one for a good price. The problem is that it's a designer brand, it's leather, and it's a sectional. So most people surfing Craigslist in our area are looking for prices in the low hundreds, not in the low thousands. π
I even did a couple blog posts recently about breaking apart the sectional to see what other layout might work for our room. The good news is that it's comfortable and easy to clean with the cats. And I have finally decided that rather than taking the "lipstick on a pig" approach, I will embrace the black and do a black and white design. Which totally makes sense because my kitchen, which is opens up to, is white. I had already brought in a black and white rug, but I was trying to do turquoise/blues as my main design focus. Instead, I'm going to focus on black and white, then accent with some royal-ish blue.
Sorry for the long comment … it just all started coming out! Anyway, I also wanted to say that I agree that we should not cave into blog peer pressure. Do something that YOU love and can live with and feel proud of. Be authentic you!
They are BOLD and Beautiful– chevron drapes!