I Never Promised You a Rose Garden ...

Or that I wouldn't stop posting for, oh, six weeks or so. Sorry I've vanished -- there's been a lot going on! Would it help if I actually made you a rose garden? I did!

That, friends, is just one of the gardening projects I've been working on over our time apart. See all those rocks? I carried them from all over the yard. It took hours, but don't they look pretty? Time will tell how the roses do. There are 10 -- five yellow (back row -- they're called Monkey Business) and five purple (front -- they're Sweet Intoxication). Their little spot gets decent sun, but it's filtered. And summer is apparently not the best time to go planting bare-root roses. And the first two I tried to plant right in front of the house seem dead. So I'm a little worried.

Stay tuned ... I'll be back in a day or two to share some new decorating projects, including my new piano-scape and my walls o' yellow stuff. Plus I have some more coming up -- refinishing a mid-century buffet I scored for cheap on craigslist as well as two antique dining chairs my boyfriend gave me.

Musings on Wythe Blue

I've been dying to show you a picture of my newly painted living room and dining room. It's a gorgeous color, Benjamin Moore's Wythe Blue. Only I'm not sure exactly what color it is -- aqua? blue? green? gray? grayish-greenish-blue? And no photo I've taken has managed to quite capture it.

This is it:


And this:

And so is this:

It's truly a chameleon shade, changing with the time of day and the forecast. I think I like it best at night, when the lighting gives it a brighter turquoise glow, but it's always soothing and calm.

Quick Fix: April

Look, we're all busy. Unless you are lucky enough to be a full-time decor blogger (kudos to Young House Love! I heart you guys!), your decorating time is likely limited. And if you're like me, your budget is, too. Now that I've blown my tax refund on a new couch and new paint (I heart you, too, Painter Bob) for my bedroom and kitchen, there won't be many big-splash changes for me over the next year.

So what's a design-loving girl to do while she saves up for her next big project? Indulge in a few fast, relatively cheap updates, that's what!

This is the first in a series of posts on simple things you can do to spruce up your house without blowing your budget ...

Make a Switch
Change out your light-switch plates and outlet covers. It makes a HUGE difference, especially if, like me, you are currently sporting cracked, dingy, yellowish-cream-colored plastic numbers. It can be daunting (and pricey) to replace every.single.outlet in your home at once, so just go room by room whenever you get the time. And the rooms don't all have to match either.

I chose this glam beaded style for my bedroom, where you only see a few outlets (feel free to save some cash and skip the outlets no one can see; I changed out all of mine, but I am OCD like that):

A simpler silver look for the living/dining room (there are a LOT of visible outlets and too much glam might be, well, too much):

And in my bathroom, I went with a mod no-visible-screws white laquer switchplate. So no matter your style, there's a option that'll work.

Have fun! I'll be back in May with another Quick Fix!

Kitchen Before & After

Finally, it's done! Well, you know, mostly done. Nothing is ever really done at Chez AD.

First, let's take a peek at the kitchen before:

Not bad, exactly, but not me at all. Lacking the funds or the energy for a full renovation, I decided to give the power of paint a shot. I liked the existing Santa Cecilia granite countertops, so I worked the color palette around them.

I chose a soft green, Benjamin Moore Guilford Green, for the walls and a warm off-white, Benjamin Moore Mascarpone (from the Aura line), for the cabinets. I replaced the antique gold knobs with cool rectangular oil-rubbed bronze pulls to tie in with the copper flecks in the granite. I have new copper pendants to replace the old builder fixtures, but I haven't gotten those switched out yet.

That's about it! Over time, I'd like to replace the appliances and the floors (the tile is fine, but never looks clean -- drives me insane!), but I think this little makeover will tide me over for several years until I have the funds for an overhaul.

Now, for the after photos ...

The Couch Has Arrived!

Granted, the 6:45 am delivery time was a bit early, but I was still thrilled to welcome home my new couch yesterday. Here it is, in all its tufted glory:



Club Sofa by Arhaus in Bella Pewter

No, it is not blue, that's just my impatient photography at work. It's a true charcoal gray in a velvety microfiber fabric. Miraculously, exactly what I envisioned despite having a tiny swatch to work with. Also? It's huge, which is what I wanted, but still.
The yellow curtains are staying; the pale aqua walls will soon be a richer aqua (Wythe Blue from Benjamin Moore, to be exact); and I *think* I want to keep my two little white tables as a coffee table. They are sort of dwarfed by the couch, but I like their quirkiness (they are made of thick white felt with flower cutouts sandwiched between two thick sheets of acrylic) and their versatility. You can sit on them, jump on them (not that I encourage that), put a coffee mug and a magazine on them, get crayon on them ... they are truly indestructible. If only I had one more ...

My Favorite Mistakes

I loved this post today from Young House Love sharing their decortating mistakes. It inspired me to reflect back on a few of my favorite mistakes over the years and share them with you. Comment below to share yours!

Painting my bedroom screaming hot pink Italiano Rose. Long ago, back when my now ex-husband was young and besotted and wasn't yet totally burned out on painting, I convinced him to paint our bedroom three times in less than two years. Here's how. When we first moved in to the little two-bedroom townhouse, I was quite enamored with the Greek islands and wanted a bedroom to match. So the first color he painted was a royal blue, which I accessorized with breezy white curtains and framed cutouts from the Greek Islands 1999 calendar. It was my first real attempt at decorating, and it was nice, if unremarkable.

But I soon fell in love with a vibrant rose-colored duvet cover from Garnet Hill. Vibrant rose and royal blue? Yeah, not great, so I used my newly purchased Benjamin Moore paint deck to find the perfect wall color to match my new love. Italiano Rose it was. Did I test out the color first? Of course not. And while the color was a perfect match to the duvet, it was very, very bright. I wish I had a photo to share. It was pretty awful. My now-ex declared that I'd have to live it with it for awhile. As you can imagine, it wasn't long before he relented and agreed to repaint in the oh-so-lovely and soothing Silver Sage from Restoration Hardware.

{Note: In the next house, I painted the bedroom Benjamin Moore Olive Branch, which was a gorgeous backdrop to that bright pink duvet! Lesson: Use neutrals to set off brights.}

Not living in a space before decorating. I'm impatient and I hate disorder, so my first instinct when moving into a new house is to get everything done immediately. But that has led to all sorts of mis-steps, from buying furniture that I ended up either not using or not liking to painting rooms without taking lighting into account, to buying rugs that didn't work in the space (more on that below). One ill-fated rug aside, I did much better in the current house. By the time I redid my bedroom, I had lived in it for seven months and had a good sense of how I was using the space and the environment I wanted to create. For example, when I moved in, I placed my desk on the opposite side of the room from the tv and I put a couch in front of the tv. Well, I almost never sat on the couch and got annoyed when working at my desk that I couldn't see the tv! Now I've moved my desk over by the tv and created a cozy reading area next to it with my old chaise and I use both all the time.

Buying rugs. Pretty much any rug. Turns out, I don't like them very much, so anytime I buy one, I end up hating it in short order and off to craigslist it goes. I've wasted a lot of money on rugs over the years. Sigh.

Not buying second-hand/discount. When I bought my first house and starting buying "real" furniture, I was rather tunnel-visioned and shopped almost exclusively at Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, and Crate & Barrel. I liked that style and those stores seemed grown-up and legit ... not like the Ikea of my college and post-college years. I ended up with some nice pieces, for sure, but I also ended up with a heaping helping of guilt and regret when I got tired of them. To be fair, this was before Target started selling designer collections and Craigslist was all the rage. But still. I've learned, thankfully, and am thrilled with my daughter's room full of Shabby Chic by Target furniture, my new Ikea nightstands, and my Craigslist endtables. I'll still pay up when I find something worthwhile (my new Arhaus sofa arrives tomorrow!), but it's easier to justify those splurges when I buy $30 curtains at PBTeen.

Don't Quote Me, But ...

I've always kind of (secretly, in my head only) made fun of people who put inspirational quotes up around their homes. It seemed overly personal or cheesy or something. I was just Not a Quote Person, if you know what I mean.

Only, now I find myself with quotes everywhere. There's this one in a small frame by the bed (on my new Ikea Edland nightstand!)

 It reads: "Finish this day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." - Emerson [Quotable Card from Amazon]












And I have this lovely Marilyn Monroe quote in my bathroom: "Imperfection is beauty. Madness is genius. It's better to be absolutely ridiculous than to be absolutely boring." [Wall decal from Etsy]

Finally, this one is hanging in my kitchen (ignore the weird flesh colored wall -- it will soon be green).  [Poster from Etsy, frame from Michael's]

So it seems as if I am a Quote Person after all. I just hadn't found the right quotes yet. I chose these because each reminds me to be myself, to let things go, and to realize that everything IS going to be alright eventually.

Are you a Quote Person? What's your favorite?

Light of My Life

No, not these lights of my life ...

... though they are pretty cute ...

THESE lights!



CB2 Firefly Pendant Lamp $199

 
Actually, let's back up a little. Because this is really a story about a table. A nice, solid, functional dining room table I bought in October 1999, before the very first Thanksgiving I ever hosted. I needed a table that would fit in the small dining area of my new townhouse but still somehow transform into something large enough to seat 8. I didn't want to mess with storing leaves, so I was thrilled when I found the perfect table at Crate & Barrel. Most days, it was nice and compact, seating 4 comfortable. But by turning the table top halfway and flipping over the top, it doubled in size! Magic! There's even a secret storage section underneath! The cost of that table and six chairs was a bit outrageous to me at the time, but in the many homes I've had over the years, only one had a dedicated dining room, so this magical table has served me very, very well.

Except. My style has evolved a lot over the last decade, from Pottery Barn/Restoration Hardware before it got all goth and weird (seriously, have you been in there lately? spooky!)/some vague notion of French Country to a more modern/vintage (actual or faux)/random stuff I like sort of vibe. And the magical table suddenly didn't look quite as magical to me anymore in the new house with the new stuff. It looked kind of frumpy and out of place. I noticed its scratches more. I contemplated painting it (and then I remembered I am really not good at that sort of thing). Eventually, I resigned myself to just not really love it for a few more years, until I could justify replacing it with something sleeker and round, maybe with Ghost chairs.

Until! I spied this cool pendant fixture in the CB2 catalog. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was exactly what my little table needed to help it fit in. And it worked! I love my table again. The cool modern style ties it in with the rest of the house, while the black ceiling mount and cords echo the black legs of the table and the black chairs. If I weren't such a half-ass blogger, I would have taken a before picture so you could see the miraculous transformation. You'll just have to take my word for it. And -- bonus! -- I installed it BY MYSELF. Even though the directions said two people were required. Believe me, if I can wire a light fixture, anyone can (white to white, black to black, ground to ground -- that's not so hard now, is it?).

So that is the story of how a light fixture made me feel like Wonder Woman (for like an hour), saved my table from Craigslist, and (a little) changed my life. Makes $200 sound like the bargain of the century, doesn't it?

It's Not Easy Seeing Green



From top going clockwise: BM Dill Pickle, Pale Avocado, Palladian Blue

 Who knew choosing a kitchen paint color would take me approximately 3 months? At first, I was set on a warm gold or yellow, something like Straw or Hawthorne Yellow, maybe Restoration Hardware's lovely Butter. Straw and Butter (which are both more brownish yellows) looked nice with the gold tones in the granite, but didn't quite pop the way I hoped. Hawthorne Yellow, a nice true yellow, looked garish next to the muted granite flecks.

So on with the show. Next, I settled on a latte shade, Papaya, which played well with the granite. If the painters had come two weeks ago, I'd have a nice coffee-and-cream colored kitchen. Which would be gorgeous, but I fear a little boring. Then I decided that Palladian Blue it was! It's a color I've been dying to use, and I love browns and aquas. Except. When I painted a swatch on the wall it didn't look like pale aqua at all ... it looked like baby blue. And that would not do.



From left, BM Grasshopper, Guilford Green



Georgian Green

On to the greens. I painted 5 different swatches and hated them all. Dill Pickle (actually the perfect apple green) was TOO green. Pale Avocado too yellow (though I have to admit that it grew on me). Guilford Green looked minty. Georgian Green was my early favorite, along with Grasshopper, which on second glance turned out to be almost identical to Georgian Green (maybe a touch browner).

What to do, what to do? I have stared at the swatches in morning natural light, morning artificial light, afternoon natural light, early evening natural light with artificial light ... you name it. And I decided I hated them all. Until this morning, when I walked in to the kitchen and settled on Guilford Green, the dark horse of the group. It's not nearly as aqua as it looks in the photo here. It's more of a milky green. I think it strikes the right compromise between giving the kitchen its own "look" while still complementing the living/dining room color (which will soon be Wythe Blue). Georgian Green is probably the best "match" to the granite, but it doesn't work as well with the other colors in the house.

Now the painters better hurry up and get started -- I can't stare at all these swatches any longer!

P.S. Decided to change things around a bit on the blog too ... don't be surprised to see me playing with the colors and template fairly often. I get bored easily...

You Got That Where?

One of the most-commented-on piece of art that I have is this mural of New York City. It's huge -- 4x6 -- and definitely makes a statement. It's also unusual -- not a poster, not a canvas, but instead it's essentially a photograph printed on fabric and hung by two thin aluminum rods. But what surprises people the most is where I got it: PB Teen.

PBTeen has long been one of my favorite sites for relatively inexpensive decor (I'll share a few others in future editions of "You Got That Where?"). It's full of bright colors, modern styles, and unique accessories.

My living room curtains are another PBTeen score. I wanted a burst of yellow, but couldn't find exactly what I needed anywhere. Rather than shell out a fortune for custom drapes, PBTeen came to my rescue with inexpensive crinkled cotton sheers. Are they 100% perfect? No, but they're pretty close, and best of all, I won't feel (too) bad replacing them if I ever do find my dream curtains. In the meantime, these cheerful sunny panels make me smile everyday and look gorgeous when the sun shines through them.
 

What else can you find at PBTeen? Here are my current top 5 picks. Enjoy! And let me know what you think -- are there any "unexpected" places you like to shop?

Derby Stripe Drape in Coffee $49-$79

Rock & Read Bookends $39

Loop Side Table $99

Tulips Toss Pillow $24.99

Pennbrook Stripe Rug $99-$499

Paint Colors I Have Loved

Here are some of my tried-and-true favorite paint colors -- some of which I have used in multiple houses and would absolutely recommend.

Benjamin Moore St. Martin Sand ... warm taupe that looks gorgeous with black and white accents. This was also in the kitchen of my first house, with white cabinets, absolute black granite counters, stainless appliances, and warm terracotta tile floors.

Benjamin Moore Hasbrouck Brown (behind the shelves) ... perfect chocolate brown shade, not too warm, not too dark.

Benjamin Moore Bird's Egg ... so pretty and calming without being washed out. I'm using the color above it on the paint strip (Crystal Blue) for the ceilings in my new house.

Benjamin Moore August Morning ... a beautiful apricot color, but only use it in a sunny room! (I put it in a darker room in the next house, and it was pretty, but didn't glow like it does in a sunny spot.) This is probably my favorite room ever. It was the living room in my 90-year-old house in Birmingham. Love the color, the old floors, the woodwork, the stone fireplace.

Restoration Hardware Sea Green ... not green at all, but a lovely aqua. This was my bedroom in my last house. Chocolate brown and black really pop against this shade.

Benjamin Moore Pale Sea Mist (above and at left) ... used in three houses now, and I've never gotten tired of it. A lovely light green. May very well end up on my new kitchen's walls too!

Restoration Hardware Shore ... nice blue, not too "baby boy". It's not really my favorite, but exH picked it when this room was his office. It is lovely with the slate blue couch he has in there now.

Restoration Hardware Rose ... beautiful medium pink color; a perfect match to the Shabby Chic line at Target. This used to be Lulu's room before she decided to move in with Boo. I still love how it came out. You can't tell, but the slanted ceilings are painted RH Peony, a much paler version of Rose.

Benjamin Moore Jamaican Aqua ... love this color! It might be a little much for a large room, but I just adore it for a smaller bedroom or bathroom. So beachy and pretty.

Benjamin Moore White Sand... not my favorite choice, but we repainted with selling the house in mind, and it works very well for that. It's a warm off-white. (This is the room that I mistakenly tried to do in August Morning.)

Benjamin Moore Strawberry Sorbet on walls with BM Stem Green in the closet. Yummy, delicious perfect pink. This was my daughter's first pink room (she's had three more since, the RH Rose above, BM Cat's Meow, below, and another BM pink I didn't like nearly as much as this one).

Benjamin Moore Yellow Lotus. It's bright -- way brighter than even this photos shows -- but I used it in a basement playroom that had no natural light and it was fun and cheerful.

As I mentioned above, this is my daughter's fourth (FOURTH) pink room! This one, BM Cat's Meow, is a nice, slightly coral shade that gives it a twist. I think I still love Strawberry Sorbet the best, but this is a little more grown-up.

Master Bedroom and Bath Before & After

Of course, nothing is ever 100% *finished* here at Amateur Decorator. But I thought I'd share the pretty-close-to-done pics from my recent master bedroom and bath makeover. As with everything at Chez AD, it was a fairly low-budget project, except for hiring the painters, which was a pretty big splurge. But I'm not much of a DIY-er (who has the time?) and besides, no way was I going to attempt to paint a room with 13-foot vaulted ceilings! The problem is, though, that like hiring movers, once you go pro, it's hard to go back. It's such a luxury to come home to perfectly prepped and painted walls!

When you aren't shelling out big bucks (and even when you are), I recommend going for mega impact with a few "statement" pieces. My Ikea light fixture was only $90, but talk about impact! (There's a slightly smaller version for $50, see it here in these gorgeous pics from Young House Love.) Painting the built-ins a glossy white was another big transformation, as was replacing the old, faded honeycomb shades with bright white sheers (from Ikea, bunched together to create some opacity for privacy) and pretty gray curtain panels from Target that added some shine and texture. (They look a little wimpy in the pic below, but I hunted down a few more panels and now they look lush and luxe, for $30 a panel!) The Dwell for Target (best line ever!) Mandala quilt makes a cheerful statement as well. It'll be my warm weather bedding, paired with crisp white sheets (you can see the berry-velvet "winter" quilt -- Crate & Barrel Outlet -- in the before pics; it's stunning with my beloved gray flannel sheets).

Without further ado, the pics!

What do you think? I'm still waiting on new end tables (they're actually Flint metal bar stools from CB2!) and I'm not sure where various art pieces will end up (I think the Escapes print will probably get relocated to the living room), but it's close! Oh, and I did touch up a few things between the time I took the photos and today ... new light switch and outlet plate covers, more panels on the windows, a new sconce above the bathroom mirror.

Now on to the kitchen ...

Where It All Came From ...
Bedroom:

Paint - Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray in Aura Matte on walls, Sherwin Williams Extra White in gloss on trim and built-ins

Bedding - Dwell for Target (~$80 for the coverlet, $24/each for shams)

Light fixture - Ikea ($90)

"Escape" painting - CB2 ($149 on sale)

Desk - West Elm (bought this awhile ago)
White shelving - Ikea ($129)

Headboard - West Elm (bought previous, but still available)
Gray curtains - Target ($30/panel)

White sheers - Ikea (bought awhile ago, I think they were $10 for two panels?)

Bathroom:

Paint - Benjamin Moore Sanctuary in Aura Matte
White rayon/bamboo towels - CB2 ($8-$25)
Textured silver towel bars and knobs - West Elm ($6-$39)