TheDesignFile

In search of an industrial caster coffee table

I have a good friend moving into a new apartment and have been trying to help him think about how to spruce up his look a little bit using mostly what he has and spending very little additional cash.

One thing he says won’t change is his sofa. My friend – and his girlfriend – say it’s way too comfortable to get rid of. Plus, replacing the couch would bust the budget.

You can see a photo of it at right and see why it’s presenting a challenge. It’s an arts and crafts style piece, although he doesn’t particularly want to stay with that style for the entire room.

So I’ve been thinking that taking some of the other furnishings and accessories in a more industrial direction might be an option. Am I nuts?

On my wish list is an industrial style coffee table that combines metal and wood and has casters. I think the wood might tie it into the sofa but still give the room a more modern feel.

I’m in love with these kinds of coffee tables. Check out this amazing one (shown above) I found at Cokas Diko Home & Garden. I like everything about it but the price: $825.

Try some pattern without adding wallpaper

I’ve been so absent from my blog for several weeks now – embarrassingly so.

But I’ve really motivated to get back to work on it.

And when I saw this beautiful wall treatment, I decided to just jump right in.

I saw this room at Better Homes and Gardens.

Overall, the space is not exactly my style, but there’s something about the white pattern on the turquoise wall that I’m pretty crazy about.

“This elegant wainscoting looks like the result of hours of elaborate work, but it just calls for a visit to a home center,” BHG says.

“The ready-made PVC latticework panels are mounted on the wall above the baseboard and topped with a chair rail made from 1x4 and 1x2 boards. Screen molding is nailed in place to hide the joints where the panels meet.”

So I went on the hunt for some other interesting wall treatments.

The look above is also from BHG. At first, I thought it was a faux bois treatment (which refers to a fake wood finish). But it’s actually plywood that has been applied to the walls.

I’m not sure I’d put plywood on my walls like that but I think it’s kind of cool.

Finally, I like the way this stencil comes only part way up the wall. It adds a lot of dimension and pattern without becoming too overwhelming.

What do you think? Do you like pattern on the wall – especially pattern that’s not from wallpaper?

Meanwhile, I promise to try to be back soon.

A friend inspires a look for faux fur chairs

A friend recently contacted me with an idea about covering a chair in faux fur. Of course, I was all for it.

I immediately hearkened back to a project I featured earlier this year from The Nesting Place. You have to check out how The Nester created this striking fur chair.

And I see now that fur chairs are becoming something of a trend.

Check out this one from Pottery Barn Teen. The Furlicious Desk Chair is $299.

And then I saw this antique slipper chair covered in white faux fur from wildchairy on Etsy.

“It has been upholstered using old world techniques combining coil springs that are 8 way hand-tied, horse hair and organic cotton,” the Etsy description reads.

“I don't use foam or toxic materials in my chairs, only materials that will last for years. It is covered in a beautiful white faux fur and is a real conversation piece.”

The latter is an understatement. The price – at $895 – is not!

You can bet if my friend recovers a chair in fur, you’ll see it here.

But in the meantime, is this a project for you?

Murphy beds make a modern comeback

I’ve always had a real fascination with Murphy beds – you know the mattresses that fold down out of a wall, closet or cabinet that were popular decades ago.

They are so smart and functional. And increasingly, they’re attractive too.

Look at the beautiful example at right that I found at Better Homes and Gardens.

According to Tailored Living, which makes Murphy beds, their popularity is on the rise again.

“Homeowners are realizing they can do the same things in a smaller home that they did in a larger one with smart space design and home organization,” said Dave Angers, director of product development for Tailored Living.

“For example, instead of having two separate rooms for a home office and a guest room, homeowners are creating multi-function rooms and spaces in their homes,” Angers said.

“A guest room may get used a few times a year, but the rest of the time it just sits there,” he said. “By incorporating a Murphy wall bed into the space, the room can function as a private guest room when you need it and a home office, craft room, den, or study when it’s not accommodating guests.”

Just check out the Tailored Living example below, which shows the company’s “summer flame” option open and closed.

I think it’s pretty handsome and a far cry from the original Murphy beds that literally looked just mattresses falling from the walls. The beds were introduced in 1900 and are regaining popularity they haven’t seen since the Great Depression, according to Angers.

Tailored Living franchisees (see one of their beds at right) have incorporated Murphy wall beds into children’s room designs, the company says.

By day, the beds are tucked away to maximize floor space and allow the room to be used as a playroom or study hall. In the evening, the beds can be lowered for sleeping.

In a teenager’s room or dorm setting, a Murphy bed can be incorporated into a study nook or storage space, so there is plenty of room to hang out with friends by day and a restful place to sleep at night.

Even hotels are incorporating Murphy wall beds into their rooms. Rather than rolling in an extra bed, hotels will simply lower the Murphy wall bed to accommodate additional guests or children.

Natural wood headboards are a beautiful choice

Regular readers already know that I love log tables and now I’m on to another natural wood look – slab headboards!

Just look at the bleached sycamore headboard at right, which is from Meyer Wells.

With the fir bedframe and attached side tables, the ensemble costs a whopping $12,900. Still, it’s a beauty.

I first saw this bed on Apartment Therapy, which had a great post last year about slab headboards.

“A slab headboard may look like an easy DIY project,” the post says. “But rest assured, this is not for the casual woodworker.”

The post goes on: “Sourcing a large slab is the first hurdle, being able to plane and saw and sand this large and extremely heavy piece of wood is the second.”

I saw the example below at Better Homes and Gardens. In this case, I think hanging the slab horizontally is also just beautiful. (And how about that cool driftwood table!)

I found a similar example at MyHomeIdeas.com. This bedroom had been featured in Southern Living magazine.

What do you think? is this look just a little too natural for you? Or do you like it?

New pieces introduced at High Point market

I swore that this fall I would really do it: I’d go to the High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina and see the latest trends and furniture designs in person.

I wanted to spend the whole week there, visiting showrooms, interviewing designers, and taking loads of photos to show you.

That was the plan.

Then I got a new job. With new responsibilities. A new schedule. And new vacation time.

So here I am again, sitting in Indianapolis, more than 500 miles away from High Point, trying to track the action online. It’s just not the same.

Still, my frustration doesn’t need to be yours!

That’s why I’m showing off some newest furniture introductions from the show, including this cool little dresser from Pulaski Furniture.

(I know what some of you are thinking… that looks like a great DIY challenge!)

Here’s what else I like:

The new Palisades Sofa from Bernhardt Interiors is graceful and long – 108 inches! “Drama comes home to rest in this lean, clean, gentle sofa,” says Roger Turnbow, vice president of Bernhardt upholstery merchandising.

The sofa features curved tuxedo arms, bright nickel caps on tapered feet, and tightly tailored seat cushions.

A yellow door makes a festive entry

My mom has been perusing the first issue of the HGTV Magazine and has fallen in love with the yellow door featured inside.

(You can get those cool number decals at Leen the Graphics Queen and she’s even giving some away on her blog!)

Mom said that’s just the color yellow she’s been looking for and I think it would look fabulous with her bright white porch and red brick.

Plus, she’s thinking about painting her shutters gray. I love the yellow and gray color combination.

That got me wondering about other yellow front doors and I came up with a few great examples.

The pretty door above is from HGTV as well. I love the way it looks with this bright blue house. It’s very festive.

I’m not usually a big fan of glossy paint, but it just seems to work on the door above.

I found the photo above at Apartment Therapy, although it comes from Robert A. Dickinson, who shared it via a Creative Commons license on Flickr.

The door at right is also from HGTV.

It was shared by Erin Loechner on the HGTV blog Curb Appeal.

I think it’s from Erin’s home.

It looks great with those gray shingles and the chrome or nickel hardware and house numbers.

 

What do you think?

Could you go so bold?

A log table project even my husband admires

Regular readers know that I am obsessed with log tables.

I drive my husband crazy talking about them and hinting about how I’d like to have my own. (He’s a woodworker, which means he could make me one, you know, for Christmas or something.)

And I made my friend Deanna absolutely nuts showing her photos of them. Dee thinks log tables are just stupid. She believes they are a trick – something some designers thought up just to see if they could fool some unsuspecting client into spending money.

But despite resistance from my husband and Dee and my mom (she just thinks they’d be too hard to clean), I am not alone.

Log table are absolutely everywhere.

“It's one of the hottest looks on the furniture runway,” BHG says.

Here are some of my past posts on them:

What's new? Reclaimed wood stools

Log side tables: A great look? Or just silly?

The Couch Show: The spaces, the art revealed

But today, I’m showing you a totally new log table (see above and below), which is an amazing DIY project. I found it at Better Homes and Gardens.

What I love about this project is that it looks like a table made entirely of logs. But actually, the full-sized logs only ring the outside.

Inside is just an empty wooden box with a top, on which are glued slices of a birch log.

The top is then grouted so you can’t see the piece of wood below. Brilliant!

Not only are you using significantly less wood this way, but the table would be so much lighter and easier to maneuver.

Even my husband seemed pretty fascinated! So maybe I might be getting a log table after all!

Make sure you check out the complete instructions for this log table project at BHG.

Phlox: A trend report from Joss & Main

Have you tried any of the emerging flash sale sites that have become so popular in the design world – as well as in fashion and other industries?

I love several of them but I especially enjoy Joss & Main, which offers occasional design reports.

Today, Joss & Main highlighted what it’s calling “phlox.”

“Succulent plum, vivid violet, lovely lilac and deep aubergine swirl across the rich autumn color of phlox, offering a stunning purple-toned palette of utter decadence,” Joss & Main writes.

“Evoking the warmth of home on  a cool autumn’s night, and the crisp beauty of the changing seasons, this wonderfully inspired color turns any room of your home into an eye-catching display of true beauty.”

Regular readers won’t be surprised that I love this report. I’ve been really digging purples of late, even though I don’t actually have any in my home.

So what can you get at Joss & Main (which requires you to register to shop) in phlox?

How about this beautiful Tree Bomb WallSmart Wallpaper?

“Add bold color and modern style to your walls with the decadent call of the Tree Bomb WallSmart Wallpaper,” Joss & Main says of the paper. “This non-woven fleece wallpaper is a new generation of home style, designed for easier and more flexible hanging by applying the paste directly to the wall.”

And check out these other great options from Joss & Main. Aren’t they great?

Top row from left: Horizon Accent Chair, $399; Night Light Table Lamp, $108; Set of 2 Victor Pillows, $34.

Bottom row: Flora pillow, $99; Imperial Palace Coverlet, $317; Iris Footed Tea Glasses, $29.

Chandeliers can be vibrant with color

When I was in New Orleans this week I fell in love with the gorgeous red glass chandeliers in the registration area at the Marriott hotel where I was staying.

Like all lighting at hotels, they were striking, oversized pieces that are elegant yet modern.

Most of us, though, could never put something like that in our homes. It would just seem gaudy – and of course these are just way too huge.

But we can recreate the feel with brightly colored chandeliers. Check out this beautiful yellow light I found in a Coastal Living bedroom at MyHomeIdeas.com.

You may remember that I have written about brightly colored chandeliers before – several times in fact. Check out the posts:

Whats new? Colorful chandeliers and pendants

Color modernizes traditional chandeliers

Black chandeliers add some panache

I love this modern yellow pendant, which is part of a promotion photo for Ink Shuffle, which creates unusual and custom wallpapers.

The room below, which I’ve featured previously for its closet office, is from Better Homes and Gardens. I like the throw-back style blue pendant over the table.

Have you seen some cool colored chandeliers? If so, post the link in the comments below.