Floral Chandelier & Decal Project Updates

Well, the floral chandelier about which I posted here has taken me a little longer to complete than I thought it would. Perhaps because it is a home project and not one for a "real" client. You may recall this picture from  my last chandelier post.

I decided I did not want to overwhelm the entire piece by covering the brass base of the sconces with leaves, too. One of the options I was considering was using pipe cleaners in a coordinating color or acrylic paint or floral pieces. I decided on acrylic paint when I came across aptly named Foliage Green by Americana.

I poured a little paint at a time onto a disposable plate and used a small foam brush.

I decided to use food bag clips to hold the leaves away from the metal as I painted as well as ScotchBlue painter's tape along the base of the leaves above the metal to prevent paint from getting on them. So therefore, a little more involved in the final stages. This is after just one coat of paint.

Did you catch the butterfly? Something I picked up at Michaels' in July. More to follow. Almost done with this one.

The other update is with the living room, posted about here, and the decals from Modern Wall Graphics behind the sofa.

After playing around with layout ideas I finally decided to go with a circular one to mimic the curve of the Hepburn sofa. (Sofa not in place here as I had to move it in order to access the wall).

I measured a portion of the main part of the wall determining how wide and how high I wanted to pattern to be. Then I found the center point of that box. I made a makeshift compass by tying a pencil to some string and holding the free end at the center point I lightly penciled a circle on the wall to give myself a boundary within which to work. (This picture taken by one of the kids so pardon the quality). If you decide to try a compass like this for any project I would recommend using a small pencil and holding it perpendicular to the wall so as not to mess with the shape of the circle - it gives a more accurate boundary. Also my circle was fairly large; it would be easier with two people.

Now to add some of these.

I have to take better pictures of this wall. We have not seen much sun in recent days and that has been part of the problem.

More to follow of this project, too. It is a little time-consuming when adding decals with an intricate pattern such as these to a wall. One has to ensure all the swirls come off neatly without ripping and everything adheres properly to the wall. But I am liking how it looks.

What do you think? Have you undertaken any interesting projects recently? I'd love to hear about them or send me a link. If you have any questions about any of the items above do not hesitate to email me.

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

Artistic Spiral Staircases

Fall has come early. With back-to-school and other activities, my work and projects and some studying (all me) and now the kids sick with different ailments, I have fallen a little behind with my posts.

Here are some spiral staircases which are works of art. All quite amazing but I would question the functionality of a couple. Perhaps they are meant to be just art.

A focal point, centered in this space.

Space-saving design. I love the pop of color, too.

Beautifully done in metal.

An interesting creation. To me it almost mimics the spine of a prehistoric animal because of some aspect of the curve and to some degree the shape of the treads - does anyone else get that? I could almost envision this on display in the Museum of Natural History. The treads look like they could be slippery with almost invisible handrails.

I love the effect of the light within this sweeping staircase.

This work of art can be enjoyed on  two levels.

Modern and decorative.

Minimalistic. A barely-there staircase.

Interesting combination of materials - feels rustic yet contemporary.

This one seems suspended in the air. I think this one is really meant to be a form of art. The treads do  not seem functional to me. What do you think?

 All images via

I think my favorites would be the first one and the sweeping one with the amazing light. Which one would you pick?

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

Luxurious Bathrooms with A View

These were designed to maximize amazing, serene, magnificent views.

With a Japanese garden.

Panoramic views on top of a hill.

Warm tones and bathed in natural light.

Stunning ocean views.

Overlooking a grove of aspens.

Unique plaster which reflects light and a planned view of the church steeple.

Floor-to-ceiling windows.

Indoor-outdoor environment with picture window and skylight.

Old meets new - a contemporary space with a view of an Austrian castle.

Images via Architectural Digest

Aren't these so beautiful? I think each one succeeds in creating a relaxing space by drawing in the outdoors. I really could not pick one favorite but if I had to I would have to pick three - the one with the ocean view (love any water views), the one with the aspen grove has an amazing shower and the indoor-outdoor bath exudes warmth. Do you like the idea of making the most of the outdoors when designing a bathroom? Which one is your favorite?

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa

Living Room In Progress

My living room has been a work in progress for some months now. I started to think about the revision during last winter when we were stuck indoors a lot. I love moving furniture around, looking at new and interesting layouts and searching through my closets to swap decorative items around. I certainly cannot display all that I have at the same time.

The updating process primarily began because I wanted to change the color of the walls and we had also purchased a couple of beautiful pieces of furniture on a trip last year. Our grand piano had to be moved from what had been the perfect spot by a window (but with a radiator below which was not good for the piano). Thus began a ripple effect.

Today I will share some of the progress with you. (Some of these pictures were taken, at the time, just for my benefit).

This was the living room some years ago, newly painted.

On the wall, Benjamin Moore's

and a shade darker in Dill Pickle as the fireplace accent color.

A few years ago. 

This past winter break I had a couple of days to myself with nothing scheduled and decided to seize the opportunity and after sample-testing three other similar options (sorry no pics) changed the wall color to Benjamin Moore's Meditation. I wanted a more modern, calming color to balance the gold-toned items in the room.

   Meditation

When decorating a space, I don't like competition but harmony and balance and at the same time I strive toward interest, not boredom.

I have a small collection of pillow covers so I changed those around while working through a couple of different color palettes on the Hepburn sofa from Ethan Allen. On the wall behind the couch is a serigraph by the artist Itzchak Tarkay. I love it's vibrant colors for which the artist is known. This was purchased at a school fundraiser art auction. I plan to move it to a wall by the piano. I think now it would look better there. More on that in another post.

Working with a more neutral and muted palette briefly ...I have had these raw silk cushion covers for a while, bought in India. I like the reverse color cut work pattern on them and the beautiful steely shade of grey.

The enamel flower centerpiece I found at a local household/gift boutique where I buy affordable hostess gifts as well as small teacher appreciation gifts. I purchased it with a gift card I had received. It was displayed on a plate rack but I thought I would try it like this for a little while. You can catch a glimpse of a sparkly crystal votive.

Up close.

A few weeks ago I shared this collage with you of some decorative pieces which I am using to incorporate blue, green, teal, turquoise as pops of color to the room.

For example, this handmade mid-century stoneware vase via Etsy. A stunning piece in shades of turquoise with a pretty pattern.

Hand-blown Maltese glass vase also via Etsy. I love the swirls and splatter pattern.

Pillow covers - teal, part of a pair gifted to me, and the green embroidered one I purchased on a trip to India). Another reason I chose the wall color is because I liked the effect of the warm gold sofa (here to stay and not being reupholstered) against the grey wall.

This figurine was purchased in Bali by my husband on a work trip a few years ago.

I would like to include this silver tea set which belonged to a family member and was passed on to me and I like the idea of combining silver and gold. The silver-plated tray I have had for many years.

This is how a part of it looks now while I work on the various elements. The coffee table vignette is obviously not done. Here I am playing around with items and color combinations, also looking to combine silver and gold. I need to add more height (some books, maybe candlesticks).

In place of the artwork I have plans to put up these decals from Modern Wall Graphics which I ordered in beige.

images via 

Here I am just working out the layout of the decals without measuring, just to give myself an idea. You get a glimpse of sheers from Pottery Barn and ivory hand loom silk curtains from west elm (bought on sale earlier this year; love the texture which lends the subtle pattern).

At first, I wanted to add a large mirror to this wall but decided on these decals instead and I might put up a few smaller mirrors on the same wall. I found some great pieces recently, like this one below.

That's all I have for you today. I will share more progress with you in time as it all falls into place. The room has come a long way. So much more to do. Big transformation, don't you think? 

Linking this up to Roomspiration at View Along the Way and Room by Room at Cottage & Vine

 

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Lisa