My chairs are too short for the table!

I've heard from several clients over the years that their Kitchen chairs are a little too short to be comfortable at the table.  They feel like little kids sitting at the grown-up table.  We had the same problem at our house!

Before - you can't tell from the picture, but the fabric is old and dirty and they sit too low at the table.

The answer is to reupholster your chairs using thicker foam on the seat.  We like our Kitchen chairs, above.  They're by Amisco and made of white metal. The cheery floral fabric on the seats wore well for a number of years, but then just looked dirty, so I decided to reupholster the pads myself and finally raise them up with thicker foam to get a better height.  Big mistake.

Lumpy DIY job.

The mistake was thinking that I could do the job myself.  I didn't take a picture of the messy side of my work, you'll just have to believe me when I say they looked like a child had done the job.  If you look closely, you'll see some lumpy stuff going on because I made every mistake in the book.  After wrestling with 3 out of the 4 chairs, I didn't have the heart to go on, so left the 4th in it's original state, dirty fabric and all, and stepped away from the project.  For about 2 years.  What can I say?  Time flies.

They're finally fixed and looking great.  

After - we love them again!

A short time ago I discovered Revolution Performance Fabrics, made right here in the USA.  This fabric is bleach cleanable, well priced and comes in all sorts of nice patterns and colors.  I used their Ombre pattern in the Flannel colorway.  Off the chairs went to my oh-so-awesome upholsterer and they returned looking as you see above.  Fantabulous.  Tailored. Bleach cleanable (that bears repeating).

And with 5" foam on these seats, we sit high and proud at our table.  Very comfy!

Ciao,

Anne

How To Give An Old Chair A New Look

I want to give this old (very old) chair a new look. It's time for a new slipcover, but I'm not quite ready to commit to that. This slipcover has made me happy for years, but now, instead of looking handsome and nubby, it just looks tired and heavy.

I took the slipcover off, revealing the original chair.  It's a Drexel Heritage club chair -  nice quality and about 25 years old.  It needs new fabric, but at least the original doesn't look so heavy.  The skirt, however, has to go.  So I took out some sharp scissors, a glue gun and my sewing machine for some very basic altering.

This old chair is finally showing off it's legs and  looks much lighter.  I can easily live with it  while I scout out fabric for new slipcovers.

This is what happens when I take a day off with no new books to read.  I'll go to the library tomorrow, but in the meantime, this chair has a twin!

Ciao,

Anne

Bedrooms: 4 Ideas Your Kids Will Love!

Bedrooms, 4 ideas your kids will love

Kids love their bedrooms.  They can escape from the world of grown-ups and hunker down with their "stuff."  Give them an awesome space that they'll love spending time in and won't grow out of quickly.  Here are 4 great bedroom ideas that your kids will love!

Great Bedroom Idea For Kids #1

Always my favorite: a chalk board wall - it can be the entire wall, a part of a wall or a flat, hollow core lauan door.   We put the chalk board on a small wall in this playroom and had the carpenter frame it out so it looked finished.

Tip - read the ingredients on the box of chalk.  Don't buy chalk that has wax in it (lots of the bright colors contain wax).  Wax sticks to the chalkboard--like forever.   Look for plain ol' chalk.

Great Bedroom Idea For Kids #2

Pick a great color for the walls--if they're old enough, let them choose.   9 times out of 10 they're going to choose colors that are brighter than you would choose.  Let kids be kids. Their bedrooms do not need to be younger versions of yours.  Paint the ceiling another color, in a pale hue.  Really.  Kids don't need white ceilings.

Tip - if your ceilings are smooth, use a satin or semi-gloss finish instead of the usual flat.  It gives a soft glow and looks great.

Great Bedroom Idea For Kids #3

A second bed.  Kids do not usually need big beds, but they do need to have plenty of sleepovers.  A bunk-bed,  trundle or 2 twin beds will do the trick and will make YOUR life easier when company comes.  If space is tight, push one of the twins against the wall and prop lots of pillows across the back--now you're all set for pillow fights too!  If you can fit a comfy chair in the room as well, please do.  Glider/rockers are my personal choice.  They're loved by everyone from sleepy babies to angry teenagers.

Tip - use fluffy pillows on both beds and replace them when they get flat or lumpy.  They don't need to be expensive.  And put the pillows inside zippered pillow covers and then in cotton pillow cases.  Let's keep those old school--and hygenic--touches alive.

Great Bedroom Idea For Kids #4

Curtains.  My experiences in all kinds of homes has been that kids love to have curtains.  I know, it's a little surprising.  If they can close them, the bonus is "atmosphere" (how better to see those glow sticks, stars on the ceiling or black light posters?) and it makes the room feel special.

Tip -  Hang them high and get them wide enough to shut over the window. You might need 2 panels on each side if you buy ready-made.  Buy decent rods that won't bend over time.

A big Thank You to my friend, designer Sara Veety of Clover Hill Interiors, for letting me use her photo of those super cute twin beds in a room of her design!

Do you want more ideas to decorate your angel's bedroom?  I can map it out for you in a 2 hour interior design consultation if you live in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area here in North Carolina.  Call me today!

Ciao,

Anne

Small Decor Changes Add Up

kitchen rug, rag rug, orange rug, kitchen decorating ideas, decor changes

Every project doesn't need to be a big one.  Small decor changes can really add up, without any real time or budget impact.  It's easy to throw down a colorful accent rug in a spot that gets a lot of traffic.  But eventually the rug will start to get ratty and lose it's pizzazz.  Time for a new one.  You don't have to throw the old one out--clean it and pack it away for now.

This is an indoor/outdoor rug from Ballard Designs.  Comes in several colors, and I chose the black.  Looks great, right?  Small change.  Big impact!  Keep it simple baby.

Do you live in the Great Raleigh, NC area and want to hear about some changes in your current decor that might not take a lot of time and money but could have a big impact?  Call me to schedule your 2 hour interior design consultation.

Ciao,

Anne