Shannon is my little sister. She is living at my parents house and is lucky enough to have a spare bedroom right next to her own. My parents and sister had plans to make this extra room into a study space for my sister (she really is quite the studious one) but haven't gotten around to it yet, so I'm stepping in to give them a little nudge forward in the process : ). Below is a picture of her bedroom. She doesn't want the two rooms to be too matchy-matchy, but they need to flow well together. To make that happen I'll keep the colors and style in her room in mind when picking out a few items for her study. Below is how I would layout the room. Usually if there is enough space, I prefer the desk to face the door. But, if I did that in this room, Shannon's back would be to the natural light. So to get the best of both worlds, I have the desk turned to the side so she can still see the door and have the natural light hit her workspace. I would also put low bookcases along the left wall for storage, and to make it an additional focal point in the room (because sitting at a desk looking at a blank white wall is definitely not inspiring!). I'd recommend finding a great art piece (or collage) on one wall, and a fun, big mirror for the opposite side wall (behind the desk and behind the bookcase). Here are the items I picked out for Shannon's study room, with links and explanations below - Rug - To anchor the room and add the same energy to this room as Shannon's bedroom. Usually I wouldn't recommend doing stamped rugs, because in a high traffic area they can lose their color pretty quickly. But since this is in a secluded room I'm not worried about that being a problem, and I think the money saved is worth it (especially when the print is so cute). Chair - I like the idea of the juxtaposition between the desk and this chair. Bookcase - I'd line three against the wall on the right. I'd also recommend putting some great art above it! Lamp - This room needs a little something in the blue color spectrum, and some shine on the base never hurts either. Drapes - Since her bedroom has drapes, I decided to add them to this room as well to make it feel balanced. White board - Call me a nerd, but I still secretly love white boards. If I ever have an office type room, I'd definitely have a white board in it. I'm already day dreaming about my lists I could make... Vase - Accessories like this can (should!) be added to give more interest and personality to the space. I'd also like these to help bring in the warmer tones from the bedroom into this office space, and would keep the desk as clear as possible and put accessories on the bookshelves. Picture frame - Another accessory. Hour Glass - Accessory. Wall Clock - Accessory.
*Every Friday we do a post called '2nd Opinion'. These posts are based on reader submissions on home dilemmas they would like a 2nd opinion on. Here at 2nd and Strand we will give our opinions, and invite readers to do the same in the comments or by a poll. To see past 2nd Opinion posts, look on the right hand sidebar at '2nd Opinion' under categories. If you would like to make a submission, follow the link on the left hand side of our homepage! We'd love to hear from you!
Yesterday I went with my friend Elizabeth to a fabric store to pick out fabric for her pelmet boxes! Fabric stores can be oh so tricky. I can certainly understand why people dread setting foot inside some showrooms. Sometimes you just want to browse in peace, sometimes you really want a 2nd Opinion, and sometimes you ask one simple question and a sales associate assumes you know everything/nothing and responds accordingly. Luckily we got to go to a local shop, Freddie Farkel. Yep, illiteration at it's finest. We were looking for a local source for a fabric I found online. Well, we tried hard, and the selection was good, and the staff was great; but we struck out regardless. So we've turned to the internet. I thought I would do a round up today of my favorite online fabric resources and see if any of you had a favorite you'd like to add to the list. In no particular order:
I think that shopping for fabric is a very tactile exercise, so please request a swatch before you make a purchase. There are issues with sheen, durability, color variation on a monitor, etc. that you encounter when shopping online for fabric. I do try to buy locally when I can, but sometimes that's just not an option. Fabric is a great source of inspiration for me, I hope you love it too!
-Andrea
This morning we were greeted with rain. Although it wasn't raining too hard when we left, when we were done with church and heading back to our car I was definitely wishing I had an umbrella. Living in southern California you don't need one too often, but carrying a heavy bag through the rain with 2 young kids made me want to make a hunt for some cute umbrellas with fun accompanying umbrella stands.
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Option 4
Just for fun, feel free to take the poll below and cast your vote for which umbrella + stand option you like the most!
My friend Elizabeth is requesting some design help. She is not loving her two windows below. To be fair, they're wonderful windows; but they need to be dressed up a bit don't they? First let's take the window on the left. Things to love: great shape, great scale, nice wood work. Things that aren't working; no contrast between the roller blind and the molding, being dwarfed by a brick wall, appear haphazard. What I'd like to do is add some presence to this big lovely window by toping it with a pelmet box. What's a pelmet box you say? In the image above the pelmet box is only the piece up above the window, it is not the drapes. I like this idea as it will really highlight the window and draw your eye up and away from the brick. This room runs unimpeded into the kitchen which is a very warm and inviting room. To connect the two rooms I would use something like the fabric below and wrap it around a pelmet box. (There are a few DIYs for making your own inexpensive pelmet boxes). I'm not convinced that there is room for an entire pelmet box, but you could certainly make the front piece and mount it to look like a pelmet. Clearly this would be a very tailored look, so I think it would be best to replace the flowy panels currently being used with roller blinds.
Next up, Elizabeth's 2nd window! Elizabeth told me that she likes the shears that are currently hanging, and they do a great job of diffusing light and adding privacy. I think this one will be a relatively easy fix, it could be inexpensive too! Like this inspiration image below? ! This DIY can be found here. Thick curtain rods, especially one that could span Elizabeth's huge window, can cost a lot. I would recommend that the rod should be hung so that demi panels could hang on either end of the rod, not blocking any light coming into the room. You would only need a pair of panels as they wouldn't be used to actually cover the window, just flank it on either side. I really enjoyed working on Elizabeth's space, thanks for sharing your home with us!
Have you heard the news? There is a new company called Pretty Pegs that offer different furniture leg options for Ikea pieces. Super cool, right? They have many different leg styles with various colors to further customize your piece. I think my favorite is the peg leg with the brass toe, or the color blocking option. So fun! I love the idea of trying to personalize a piece to your liking, especially when it comes from a company like Ikea whose furniture is really recognizable. DIYing Ikea furniture has been a popular idea for a long time for its consumers... there are whole websites dedicated to Ikea hacks, and hey, we even did a post here on different ways to DIY the Ikea Rast dresser into a nightstand! But it seems in the past couple years different companies are being started for this sole purpose: to customize Ikea furniture. In this post we talked about a company called O'verlays, who create fun wood stencil cutouts for various Ikea dressers. I recently learned about Bemz (via Design Sponge), a company that offers slipcover options for Ikea furniture. Have you bought a piece of furniture from Ikea wishing there was a way to customize it easier? What do you all think of these leg options? Which is your favorite?
Our neighborhood has the great tradition of putting unwanted furniture out at the curb the night before trash pickup. Most nights you will see someone pulling their car over and stuffing some used item into their trunk or a couple out on a walk carrying a bookshelf between them. It makes me smile everytime.
A few months ago I scored these child-sized adirondack chairs the exact same way. You might not be able to tell from this picture but they needed some work. The arms were loose, some of the paint was chipping, etc. I realized this morning that today was the PERFECT day to get to work on these beauties. After a good dusting, a light all over sanding, and some hammering I was ready to paint. As a child of the 80s I have no problem saying that I love pastels, so I'm replacing the baby girl pink with a lovely lilac.
When I use spray paint on a piece of furniture I put the item on top of a can so that the coverage at the legs is a lot more consistent, that slight elevation makes all the difference. These lilac chairs are my first step towards a much more colorful and much more tailored backyard. Stay tuned for more updates!
A couple weeks ago we featured Erin's wall alcoves for our 2nd Opinion segment. We gave three different options for what could be done in the alcoves, but the option that received the most votes was to apply a wall stencil and add shelves to make a built-in bookshelf feel (to see the other options, and if you'd like to vote (its not too late!) click here). Erin would like a 2nd opinion on the rest of room as well. She is renting this amazing home in Los Angeles with some friends and loves the huge window, exposed ceiling beams, and the fire place in her living room. This room already has some great items, but I think a few more things need to be added to make it feel finished. We'll keep the color scheme as is: whites, creams, browns and will add some shine and texture to the space. What you don't see in this picture is on the right wall there are additional windows with a door that opens to the outside. I think the couch should be moved towards that wall more, leaving enough space for the door to open without hitting the couch, and still maintaining a walkway behind the couch. This is a large room thats primary purpose is to relax while watching TV, reading, or talking. I would like to add additional lighting and seating to really emphasize the middle section of the room with the couch and to help fill in some space. Here are some additional things I would add - Rug - This light colored rug will help break up the couch/floor/coffee table browns and it's style reflects the style of home as well. This will anchor and add interest the middle of the room. Chair - The deep seat cushion and high back offer comfort, and the absence of arm rests doesn't make it seem like it visually takes up as much space in the room. This chair will sit between the left side of the fire place and the couch facing the coffee table. This will make the space in a large room seem more intimate, will add an additional space to sit, and wont block the view of the TV or fireplace. Side table - I'm totally in love with this piece. The hard, more masculine iron base goes beautifully with the feminine natural bone top. The base also helps to tie in the bookcase (will show below). I'd place this next to the angled side chair. Table lamp - To go on the bone side table shown above. I wanted to provide the chair with some lighting, but didn't want it to block the room at all, so I went with a shorter, clear style. Coffee table - With added storage opportunity below (you could use baskets for blankets, magazines, books, movies, etc) this coffee table adds function, mimics the wood ceiling beams with its color and simple lines, yet still has some visual interest. A large tray on the top for remotes and other display items would look great. Brass side table - In a space this big and when the people that live here are as social as they are, each seating spot should have a place to set down a drink, etc. I love this piece because it adds some shine to the room. This will go on the far end of the couch. Table lamp - This beauty will rest on the side table shown above (at the far end of the couch).
Here is the other side of the room (with the room's entrance to the left).
Bookcase - I think this would look great underneath the two large pieces of art against the wall. You could stack some books, add some fun display items, or add cute bins for movies in this space. This would add character to this side of the room, but this bookcase doesn't take up too much visual space so it wouldn't seem too impeding. Table lamp - I love this lamp because depending on the light it's a great mix of gold and silver. This would look great on the left side of the low bookcase.
So there you have it! There are some items that I believe would help make this great room feel more complete.
*Every Friday we do a post called '2nd Opinion'. These posts are based on reader submissions on home dilemmas they would like a 2nd opinion on. Here at 2nd and Strand we will give our opinions, and invite readers to do the same in the comments or by a poll. To see past 2nd Opinion posts, look on the right hand sidebar at '2nd Opinion' under categories. If you would like to make a submission, follow the link on the left hand side of our homepage! We'd love to hear from you!
I've been struck by some beautiful images of kitchens lately. Like can't sleep at night, laying in bed, dreaming of ways to impliment these mind blowing ideas!
First we have this masterpiece. There are a lot of things I love about this space. First and foremost, I love the combination of what would usually be a kitchen island with what would normally be a dining room table. Why not combine the two? I also love the incredibly high ceiling and the moldings and the equally tall and well framed windows! I think the brass accents are truly beautiful with that statement piece of a chandelier by Lindsay Adelman. Another thing I really love about this room is that it feels oh so feminine and at the same time substantial and timeless. I think you can see why I would dream about the kitchen above, now on to an entirely different beauty. Another elevated eat in kitchen. I've never seen a partition like this in a kitchen, but I love it. Can't you just imagine walking over from that slick oven, setting some roasted goodness on the table, and feeling like you're having an intimate moment with your family in the middle of your lofty kitchen. The contrast is just so great. And then to have amazing windows with tons of light so that you can pull off BLACK cabinetry and wood work. Genius.
And last but certainly not least: A totally different look from Sarah Richardson's cottage kitchen. I love the tininess of it. I really do. I've lived in small spaces for so long that this feels very comfortable to me. I also love the sideboard in the image directly above. I like that it is tall so that you can see the person working in the kitchen, but not necessarily the mess that they're making. I think the recycled wood planks on the end caps of the cabinets are just enough to keep the kitchen from feeling too precious, it is a cottage after all.
There you have it; three totally different kitchens that are inspiring and lovely, enjoy!
I've been staying with my parents for about a week now. My husband has been traveling a lot with his new job, so I figured why don't I take a little trip myself and spend time with family. One of the benefits of staying with my parents is that I LOVE their home. Although I can list many "favorites" to this house... I'm pretty sure the play room takes the cake. Not a bad place to play, right? Man, I seriously would have loved this room when I was younger (hey, I like hanging out in there even now!). There's nothing like having an outlet for some creative play... not that you necessarily need painted walls and ceilings to transport you outdoors, with a castle with a dragon and slide to do that... but it sure helps!
Did you have a play room you loved growing up?
We are so excited to have our first 2nd opinion reveal here at 2nd and Strand! Do you remember Emily's amazing piano we showed? If you didn't get a chance to see or need a reminder, here is the tiffany blue beauty- Emily wanted to paint the bench to match the piano, and wanted a 2nd opinion on a new fabric to cover the seat. 25 of you amazing readers gave your opinion and there was a tie for first place (to see the fabric options, click here... you can also see the results of the poll by clicking the link at the bottom of poll). It's always great to get a 2nd opinion, but ultimately it was up to Emily to decide on which fabric most appealed to her and would look the best in her space. She decided on one of the first place fabrics and here is the after picture she kindly sent us - How great does the updated bench look? The black and white stripe looks great. Great job Emily! So here is our question to you: do you need a 2nd Opinion? In case you aren't sure what exactly I'm talking about, let me give you a little explanation. Every Friday we do a segment called '2nd Opinion'. This is based on readers sending in submissions about questions they have about a certain aspect of their home. Once we receive your submission we'll email you to get more information about what you need a 2nd opinion on, and put together something great for you that we will show on our website. Most other websites charge money for doing things like this, but since we are just so excited to be involved in doing something we are passionate about, we do it for free! Our 2nd Opinions have covered a lot of territory. Like the one above, we helped Emily out with fabric options. Here are some other examples- 1. We helped Colleen with picking a paint color for her kitchen. 2. We helped Danielle with her living room. 3. We helped Natalie with her bathroom. 4. We helped David with some fireplace inspiration. 5. We helped Sarah add some finishing touches to her room with a great inspiration picture. And the list could go on and on (like drapery options, lamp options, toy storage solutions, wall hanging options, bedding, and help with tough living areas to work with, office space, bedrooms... like I said, we've covered a lot of territory!). To see all our past 2nd opinions, click the link on the right sidebar under categories! When we do full rooms we invite everyone to give their feedback in the comments. When we do smaller scale things (like drapery options, wall hanging options, alcove options, etc...) we give multiple choices and make a poll so you can cast your vote! Its fun all around. So do you have a problem in your home that you'd like help with? Here is what you do if you'd like to submit something for a 2nd Opinion...it's super simple - 1. Do you see the side bar on the left? The second one down says 'Get a 2nd Opinion'. Click that. 2. Follow the directions by filling in your name, email address, and briefly write what you'd like help with (we can get more details once we contact you!). 3. Wait for us to email you back... and thats it! Super easy. Thanks to all our awesome readers who have sent in submissions (and if you have any after shots send them in!), and to all you who give your own opinion!
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