brainstorming already

the bathroom.

here's what's already there:

white hexagon mosaic floor tile (keeper)

4x4 white ceramic tile, offset brick pattern (gone)

also: a very horrible maroonish color on the walls, a fiberglass tub/shower combo where someone thought it was a good idea to edge with 6x12 ceramic tile (yuck), and light blue ceiling (not sure how i feel about that yet)...all gone


here's what i'd like to put in there: old fashioned vanity with lots of storage, white marble top

beveled OR (see below) plain white subway tile, either to the chair rail or the 66" height with a ceramic trim piece topper




with a 3" ribbon accent of silver glass mini bricks about 12" from the top of the tile pattern


spring meadow green paint...may go a little greener on this. we'll see.

that's what i've got so far. am i obsessed? not really...although, once again, don't have the house YET. but i am praying! i have simply had a lot of time on my hands this morning, due to the pressure washer blocking the entrance to my front door, making it difficult to run a business. but time is not wasted!

this is a great moment for me

whenever i first started my job (i don't know how it happened, seriously--i don't even get chances like this 2 years later), i got the opportunity to design a floor graphic for a children's facility. it was my baby.

the installers did a FANTASTIC job. from what i hear, they had to deal with someone turning the a/c on and off for 5 days. in case you don't know, that can be tragic to an installation of natural materials because they shrink and swell with the temperature. whoever pulled it off is my hero.

here are some pictures from the install. for copyright reasons i can't give any more info other than it's linoleum, and its for kiddos. i am SO proud. (i even did the custom tackboards on the walls).

this shot is making it into product literature for forbo marmoleum. it will also have its very own month in their 2011 calendar.

there is something great about seeing the fruits of your labor come to life. up until this point, i haven't.

REcovered

For those of you who, like me, are still too poor to have a house/apartment full of your own furniture and have a grand collection of hand-me-downs and yard sale finds--there lies hope!

i had at my apartment in auburn, a sofa and chair that belonged to my grandmother since the 50s. they both survived children, grandchildren, smokers, art projects, and pets. the beautiful cream upholstery had turned yellow, there were stains, and a fine hybrid fragrance of old people and dog. even still i was absolutely in love with both of them. when it came time to move down to florida, i had to make the tough call to donate the sofa and keep the chair. after a very hurting REJECTION from the salvation army (i mean really, they do that??) my mom and i dumped it at the garden district apartments (not nearly as lovely as they sound) in hopes that it would at least gather beer spills and dna (as my mom says) at some party house. i can only hope...

so i still have the chair. upon learning of the fantastic designer discounts offered from upholstery manufacturers, i decided to take the financial leap of reupholstery. the chair is a family heirloom, it would cost more to replace--it just made the most sense. architex offers a 50% discount to designers on top of their already good prices (find a designer if you're not one and tell them to buy you some fabric--upholstery shops will snactch up your pocketbook fast!) thanks to the amazing work of pettus upholstery here in pensacola, my chair is as good as new. see for yourself:

before

after! [disclaimer: this is a camera phone shot. my digital is jacked up. and yes that's a dog toy on the ground.]

little bit of a detail shot for you. the brass nailheads were a last minute idea. and i love them!!

FYI: the upholstery is architex, corinthian: westchester. the buttons (which i'm contemplating adding another row) are anzea, exotiqua: snapdragon and my only disapppointment. i thought they'd make more of a statement. it almost makes me wish i'd done the whole chair in alligator, but i'm still happy.

to give you an idea on price: 7yds of fabric cost me $100. the upholstery job including reupholstery, all new foam, and nailheads was $400. a new chair like that would have cost double that if not more. it left me poor, but that chair will be in the family for generations to come.

a little warning about faux leathers though, especially if you have aminals. my dogs sat on it after i put on their flea treatment and the oil got on the fabric and left a mark. its not very noticeable and i'm sure a pillow can cover it, but it was still disappointing. they don't run tests for flea treatment resistance!