Bay House Design

Yesterday was successful.  I helped my mom select wallpaper for her house.  The fabrics are TBD and we have many carpentry and electrical projects to tackle, but we are making progress. The before and after pictures will knock your socks off, if I do say so myself.  Here is a peek at some of the materials/furnishings/art we are using.  

Wallpapers: Schumacher and Clarence House

Art: Sally King Benedict and Je Hlobik

Lighting: Shades of Light and Visual Comfort

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it." 

~Mary Engelbreit

Before & After: CDJ Dining Room

I must apologize for my extended absence.  I am told my PC can come home tomorrow, but don't hold your breath.

Many CDJ readers have requested pictures of my home.  Let's start with the dining room (because that's the cleanest room in the house.)  Please keep in mind photography is not a talent of mine.

Dinning room before we moved in:

Dining room after:

Notice the mark on the table?  That is from the birthday candle incident.   Next on the to-do list: paint the table and chairs, in addition to making new seat cushions.  I am considering liming the table or chairs and painting the other some shade of white.  Thoughts?

I wanted to open up the wall between the living room and dining room without investing much time or money (since this is a rental).  Where did I turn?  To HomeGoods of course!

$16.99 each! (Painted to mirrors with extra paint I used for the trim)

It adds some architectual detail, while creating the illusion of more space and light.

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"Think about the photo before and after, never during. The secret is to take your time. You mustn't go too fast. The subject must forget about you. Then, however, you must be very quick.

~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

In The Meantime

I promise blogging will resume next week! My PC is STILL in the shop and it's killing me! In the meantime you can follow me on Twitter. I've Tweeted snippets of some projects I am working on. @CovetDuJour

Cheers!
Elizabeth

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."
- Henry David Thoreau

To-Do List

After 18 days away we are home.  Saying goodbye to summer is always bittersweet, but I welcome Fall with open arms.

Autumn is a busy season in the CDJ house.  At the top of my to-do list: completing my husband's office and the boys' bedroom,  shopping/packing for our trip to Italy and planning a 5th birthday party.  I am going to be up to my eyeballs with paint, fabric, travel books and superheros.

Here are some items on my shopping list:

Fabric  for the boys' bedroom. 

Duvet and sham for the boys' bedroom. 

Dress for a black tie event in Capri.

Stalk Craig's List for a daybed to makeover.

Except the fact that I do not have the time to plan a party this fabulous.  

Off to feign a facade of "Super Mom"...

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."  ~Les Brown

DIY Pelmet Box

Kids, especially boys, are not concerned with the decor of a play room (Or any room for that matter.) The content of the room is paramount.  If you are anything like me, you want every space to be aesthetically pleasing.

This weekend I followed directions from Jenny over at Little Green Notebook, on DIY pelmet boxes, to pull together the playroom.   

Here are the windows before.

The walls are painted Benjamin Moore Polo Blue.

To start, we drew half of the pelmet shape, on paper, to use as a template.  This is to ensure both sides are the same.

I bought 1 sheet of the cheapest, thinnest plywood Lowe's had.  Be sure to have them cut it in half - it's much easier to carry and work with.  

Once the design was complete we used a jigsaw to cut the pelmet box and two smaller pieces for the sides, which are about 2 1/2 inches wide.

I used liquid nails and a staple gun the attach the sides to the front panel.  

Then I used the first pelmet as a template for the second window.  I had to adjust the width by an inch and the height by 4 inches to fit in between the built-ins.  

Next, I stapled a double layer of batting to each pelmet box.  Be sure to pull it tight and smooth.  

Staple the fabric the same way.  It takes some finagling.  To attach the pelmet box to the window we stapled 2 sawtooth hangers on the back.  Then put 2 nails in the wall to hang the box on.  

(Please excuse the mess, but there was a little nugget lining up his animals while I was taking pictures)

The pelmet box between the built-ins does not have sides.  We simply nailed it into the molding.  

Check out the books on the top shelf.  It's a collection of vintage children's books from the 1920's through the 1950's.  I scored them at a thrift shop this weekend.

Here is a close up of the fabric (Uzbek Jewel).  I purchased over 2 yards on a super sale. 

Both pelmet boxes cost less than $30 to make, with fabric and a 1/2 sheet of plywood to spear.  This was a fun, quick project - the best kind!  Thanks to my mom and my husband for their help!

Cheers!

Elizabeth

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”  

~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross 

Another Sneak Peak

Here are some of the works in progress taking up all my time. Blogging will resume next week!

This CL find got a face lift - a few coats of Benjamin Moore's "Winter Gray" and some polished nickle ring pulls.  

Upholstered the top of a desk with this fabric.  A glass top and nailheads are the next steps.    

Reupholstered a headboard and made 3 new throw pillows.

A HUGE thank you to my mom for all her hard work!  This weekend's projects include silk drapes, a pelmet box, nailheads, glass for tabletops, a campaign chest, and completing a table skirt.  

Happy Friday!

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope." ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby)

Sneak Peak

I am super busy this week, but I wanted to share some more fabrics I am wrapped up in.

"LATTICE BAMBOO" by Robert Allen@Home

Braemore Liang Toile Marine 

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"The cardinal virtue of all beauty is restraint."  ~ Elsie de Wolfe

Not The Master Of My Mantel

Accessorizing a mantel is one of the most difficult parts of a living room - at least for me. My living room is rather traditional.  Therefore, I like to mix in some eclectic and contemporary pieces to keep it fresh.  The living room below is the perfect blueprint for incorporating past and present decor.

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn, Design: Jenny Keenan, via southernliving.com

Until yesterday, I had a similar gold leafed mirror over my fireplace, of course I forgot to take a before picture.  I love the mirror; however it competed with a large oil painting (on another wall), also in a large gilded frame.

Clearly I have not found the time to buy my new camera.  

The gilded mirror now hangs in my family room over a white couch with very clean lines.  They balance each other out and look great.  

A mirror above to fireplace is a must because the room is lacking when it comes to natural light.  This subtle six foot silver leafed mirror makes a difference.  The room appears brighter and wider.  Plus, it allows the painting to shine.  

Please excuse the bookshelves, etc.  Everything is in transition - just thrown on the shelves until I have the time to style and organize.

Now to the tricky part - what to put on the mantel?  I will defiantly take ques from the Charleston Charmer above and be sure to share after pictures.

Cheers!

Elizabeth

"You can tear a poem apart to see what makes it tick... You're back with the mystery of having been moved by words.  The best craftsmanship always leave holes and gaps... so that something that is not in the poem can creep, crawl, flash or thunder in." ~Dylan Thomas 

Friday's Fabric Flame

My mom, a wonderful seamstress,  is visiting next week.  Therefore, I am stocking up on fabric so I can take advantage of her skills.  My project list is longer than a 6 year old's Christmas list and I have two kids, so who knows how much we will accomplish.  The top project on my list involves this amazing fabric (let's just hope the finished product looks as good as it does in my head.)  Yes, that's metallic leather appliques you see!

Cheers!
Elizabeth

"Since everything is in our heads, we had better not lose them."  ~Coco Chanel

The Arts: Original Works

From the first time my oldest and I read Olivia he's requested to make "splash art."   Due to last week's insufferable heat we searched for indoor activities to fill après-camp time.  All options were quickly exhausted, so we headed to the paint store for supplies.  CJ selected the paint colors and we settled on the canvas size pictured below.  (Originally he requested a canvas twice that size.)  This was the prefect after dinner/before bath project.

Little brother even participated in the creative process...

...But it was short-lived.

 The masterpiece now displayed in the playroom.

Here is a close up.  I'm a proud mama!

Cheers!

Elizabeth

“It doesn't make much difference how the paint is put on as long as something has been said. Technique is just a means of arriving at a statement.”  ~Jackson Pollock