The Henken's Family Room -- featuring Ashley Furniture's Curved Sofa

It's been several months in the making, but yesterday we finally finished the Henken's family room and kitchen.
We started with one of my favorite sectionals: Ashley's curved sofa.
We teamed the curved sofa with Ashley's Jenna chairs which inspired the color scheme of red, green, yellow and tan. The walls are painted in Restoration Hardware's Bay Laurel. The area rug, about 11' by 14', was found at Rug Decor to complement the chairs. Notice the old window to the left side, it's an actual window from Joe's family home. The lamp and small table were made by Joe using reclaimed woods.
The window treatments and pillows are by Material Girl, Jeanette Longfellow. We banded the red treatments with a 12 inch block of tan fabric to mimic a valance. I love the graphic statement this makes.
Dining table (pictured above) was found at Three French Hens. The top is made of reclaimed wood -- the base was a pillar rescued from a Missou frat house. The chairs for the dining table are from Bassett. The ladder back chairs are upholstered in leather, practical dining for the children. The parents sit in the fabric chairs.
Tile back splash is subway tile laid in a brick pattern, the centerpiece surrounding the pot-filler is glass tile mosaic.
Accessories were found at Ashley Furniture and Pier One, but some of my favorite accessories were made by Joe, the reclaimed porch post lamp and small side table, seen with the Jenna chairs.
A fun find: whimsical side table that is a monkey holding a tray, found at Arhaus. Too cute! It's one of Joe's favorites.
Everyone feels at home, including the Henken's dog!

Thank you Henkens!...it's been fun. Let's do the living room now!

Armoire Transformed -- Found it at the Big Box

I have a special love for Target and for furnishings remade with paint...so here is an idea that really spoke to me.

This is where Rachel and Phoebe truly work together.

Jen from Sanctuary Arts at Home, inspires us to pull out the paint to give not only yard sale finds a lift, but also to give Target mass-market furnishings that one-of-a-kind look.

Jen says:

"...don't be afraid to pull out the paint and give something new life instead of putting it into the land fill and spending unnecessary money. Reusing something and putting some paint on it is a green and budget friendly choice. I know some people feel nervous about coating good wood in latex ( Mom, good wood isn't good wood if it's ugly.), but really, it is only paint."

See the Target armoire transformed, below:

Armoire before Jen does her magic.


Wow, what a transformation!

Being Green

Nesting bowls from LUREARTS.

It's St. Patrick's Day...are you wearing green?

Let's explore "green" -- my very favorite color. I love all the shades.

Kermit the frog said, "It isn't easy being green."

For a frog, that may be true. But for those who care about the environment, being green is made easier by such St. Louis groups as Freecycle, Restore and E-cycle. You can find a Freecycle and ReStore in almost any part of the country.

Or do like my friend Julie did, she started her own recylce group with women at her church. They email each other with items they want to give away.

On Etsy today, take the "green tour" via the treasury list courtesy of leavesofglass.

Consider being green and adding green to your decor today!

Remake by Rhoda

I am so glad I listed my blog with Delightful Blogs because I have been introduced to a whole new community of friends. Last week I met Rhoda and found her blog: Southern Hospitality.

With all the inspiration on the web, who has time to watch HGTV? I can sift through content rapidly and find inspiration without any commercials!

Rhoda focuses, like I do, on remaking or repurposing furnishings and stretching a budget. I was so impressed by her remake of a lampshade. The lamp is a vintage piece with a beautiful crystal and marble base. It was in good shape except for the tired shade. See more details and step-by-step photos to learn her tips for remaking a lampshade.

Dining on the Door

What do we do with old doors? Why make them into a dining table, of course. Don't knock it (pun intended), this is a great idea brought to us by Julia Crawford via Design*Sponge. What a fantastic custom-look that would make Phoebe proud.

In St. Louis, Missouri, you can find old doors at the Habitat for Humanity Restore, where old and new building supplies can be found for next-to-nothing.

Julia offers her DIY recipe - how-to tips -- click here.

She used legs found at IKEA. I have also seen new and old porch posts or stair posts used for legs.


Please share any DIY repurposed projects with me.

Not Grandma's Wallpaper, part 3

Well, I am still stuck on wallpaper.

Here is something from MIO, a company based in Philadephia that is dedicated to creating sustainable and innovative design.




What MIO provides for wallpaper is green, easy on the wallet, and easy to install. But best of all, it’s unique in its dimensional form.

This paper doesn’t come in a roll, instead it comes in 12 by 12 inch squares, called “paper forms”, that you can adhere with tape.

Simply peel and stick.

Paper forms can be painted, so you can customize your look.

Besides the obvious use as wall coverings in a contemporary space, I can see these being used as an inexpensive and unique substitute for a headboard.

I also see them on a ceiling; wouldn’t that be interesting – now, that’s not your Grandma’s ceiling tiles!

You can see the MIO paper forms in St. Louis at UMA.

Or if you live elsewhere, you can order online.

Stylish Stool - found it at the Big Box

Here is a fun find: a stylish rubberwood stool found at Wal-Mart (pictured below).

This stool would complement just about any style room. And you might consider painting it to match a colorful child’s room or recreation room.

Stools are highly versatile: they don’t take up much space and they can act as a place to put your seat or your drink!

And for under $40, the Wal-Mart stool is a steal compared to the Eames walnut stool that has a similar look, but definitely not a similar price at $779 as offered by Design Within Reach (pictured below)Not only is the Wal-Mart stool smartly priced, but it is good for the environment too. Rubberwood is considered the most ecologically friendly wood used in the furniture industry.

Have a seat!