bedroom - Seeing Design

Published September 15, 2011 by Anne Collins Howard

DIY Window Valance

After a year of thinking about my guest bedroom valance project, it finally came to fruition. Why did it take so long? Because it took me forever to convince Mike that this über-DIY project was feasible. The plan was to build a window valance out of wood, wallpaper it to match our accent wall, and secure it to the inside of the window. Easy? We were about to find out.

Measurements
What helped kick-start this project into action was that we happened to find two pieces of discarded 50” wide x 14” tall wood–dimensions that were basically valance size. The height was perfect and the width just needed to be trimmed down a bit.

To make the window seem larger, we measured so the panel width would extend 3” beyond the window frame on each side, making the total 40” wide. Now it just needed a way to connect to the wall. The answer was create a short table-like structure to sit over the top of the window frame. Five-inch side boards would hopefully act as a base for a sturdy rectangular valance.

Building the Wooden Structure
We broke out the circular saw and cut our three pieces of wood (the front panel, and the two identical five-inch side pieces). We checked to see if they lined up properly then sanded them until they were smooth.

Now we were ready for assembly. We ran a bead of wood glue where the side panels met the front but for the ultimate stability, we screwed four L-brackets on the inside of the valance.

Prepping the wood for wallpaper
We sanded the wooden structure one more time and gave it a coat of wallpaper primer to make sure the paper would adhere nicely to this unconventional surface.

Wallpapering
At first it seemed like we had more than enough wallpaper to cover this tiny valance, but when we matched up the pattern we barely had paper to make it around the wood. With zero wiggle-room, we booked the wallpaper (the process of activating the paste to maximize stickiness), pasted it to the primed wood, and cut the excess with a Xact-o knife–very carefully. After four hours of drying time, it was ready to hang.

Hanging the Valance
This part was a bit of a two-person juggling act, hence the lack of photos. The plan was to connect our valance to the wall with more of the trusty L-brackets, connecting from the inside of the valance to the outside of the window frame. To do this, we first held up the valance, making sure there it was centered and an inch from the ceiling, then we marked the spots where the four L-brackets would be the sturdiest and drilled into the wall.

Voila!
We have a window treatment that carries the bold pattern of our wallpaper around the room and gives our window a polished look! Now, I’ll admit that this project was definitely time consuming but I’m proud to say, it’s not that difficult to do and way cheaper than having a valance made.

Projects

bedroom DIY our house wallpaper window treatments

Published September 1, 2011 by Anne Collins Howard

The Sconce Project

Hanging by the front door of his former bachelor pad, Mike had sconces made of old terracotta roof tiles. They were definitely a bit rugged for my taste but I loved their simplicity–just a candleholder drilled into a found object. Then I started thinking, with that formula, a sconce could really be anything. For the best light and shadow, the material should be something reflective with an interesting outline and for drilling reasons, it’s got to be durable. I had a scalloped silver plate that was perfect, now I just needed to figure out the logistics of attaching the candleholder. After doing a good amount of brainstorming and research on Grand Brass Lamp Parts, I decided a candelabra arm was the closest to a ready-to-go candleholder (since welding wasn’t exactly an option).

sconce

So I took a trip to my favorite resource for outlandish decorating projects, Jamali Gardens, and found this inexpensive nickel-plated candelabra and an aluminum tray to practice on.

Like many candelabras, the one I bought was made from two intersecting arms and fastened with the center candle. Once I separated the two arms, I took a hacksaw and cut it where the candleholder’s curve met the decorative center portion.

The next move was connecting the arm to the plate (this is where Mike’s skills come in). We drilled a hole into the plate and the arm nub and then with a screw, two washers, and a cap nut, we fastened them together.

This was our practice sconce but we were actually so pleased with it, that we’ve gone on to make a number of sconces out of these Jamali plates as wedding gifts.

Today, the first few we made are hanging in our bedroom as a mix/match collection.

Projects

bedroom decorating DIY

Published April 3, 2010 by Anne Collins Howard

Apt. Makeover: My Guest Bedroom

This bedroom design was born out of a mix-up—and I’m thrilled with the mistake. With a coat of Benjamin Moore’s metallic Veil Cream, these walls have a subtle sparkle in the sun and warm glow by lamplight. It’s the prettiest paint and was intended for all four walls—but in efforts to save an unused roll of wallpaper (see the bathroom blog for full explanation), the fourth wall is now covered in a red magnolia print that brings the room to life.

Bedroom Before
White walls and twin bed made this the loneliest room. The single sleeper did offer a bit of extra space, but mainly as grounds for clutter. The room was more like a walk-in closet and deserved to be made for guests.

Bedroom After
As I mentioned, this wallpaper by Graham and Brown was originally intended for the bathroom. But when I realized it was not made to take humid conditions, I became determined to find this hand-sketched floral design a new home. On the off-chance they would go together, I held this paper up to my freshly-painted guest bedroom walls and, amazingly, it couldn’t have been a better fit. The leaf design was the same color beige and it was accented with shimmering micas to give it the exact luster of the Veil Cream. The wallpaper was going up!

With a new red, cream and black palette on the walls, I was ready to pick the bedding. The paper is undeniably bold so all I needed for linens was a simple white with a touch of crimson—and John Robshaw’s line had just the thing. The hand-stitching around the border of this duvet is a subtle tie-in to the floral paper while the Gents Stripe bed skirt adds a nice contrast. Then topped with one of Robshaw’s vintage ikat pillows and I made my perfect guest bed.

Check back Wednesday, April 7 for the final makeover in the series…the living room.

Projects

bedding bedroom our house wallpaper

Published March 25, 2010 by Anne Collins Howard

Apt. Makeover: My Master Bedroom

When we first saw our late-19th-century condo in Hoboken, NJ, Mike and I fell in love with its original architectural elements: wide plank floors, high ceilings, crown molding, plaster medallion, and fireplaces–but the 21st-century touches weren’t exactly a selling point. From peach paint to shiny gold hardware to wrought-iron fixtures, it all had to go. First, because it was less than our style, but, secondly, we just had to make it our own. Having worked in interior-design magazines for over five years, I couldn’t just unpack my things and move in. I had a decorative itch to scratch, and, fortunately, my fiancé Mike had the patience and power tools to help me do it.

Over the next week I’ll be unveiling a room makeover a day, so be sure to check back (or subscribe to my newsletter on the top right of any page)! Each space has a story, but there is no better place to start than the master bedroom.

Bedroom Before
As the previous owner had it, you could tell it was lovely room . . . she just had massive pieces of furniture covering the best parts. The fat sleigh bed spilled over the windows and blocked the fireplace from full view; a dark velvet bedspread absorbed the life out of the space; and the excess of dressers created a traffic jam at every turn. Leaving little inspiration for layout or decor, we decided to pick a new palette and go from there.

The Palette
I’ll admit I did not have a crystal-clear vision of how I’d decorate our home, but I knew one thing for certain: I wanted a wallpapered accent wall behind our bed (see the installation). In a large-scale pattern, a paper can in essence become the headboard and a dramatic substitute for conventional wall art. I’ve always loved Ferm Living’s Leaf pattern (it’s even my blog header), and with its olive and dusty blue colors, it makes a gorgeous palette for a room. Taking a cue from the leaf design, we painted the other three walls with Benjamin Moore #HC-143, so when you walk in the room you are greeted with a soothing sea shade; when you turn, the pop of pattern is a nice surprise.

The Fireplace
Next project on the list: excavating the fireplace. We figured it had been boarded up for a good reason, but the prospect of a hearth in our bedroom was too good not to investigate—and the black piece of faux marble covering it was too heinous to keep. So we ripped off the covering and out spills the chimney. Long, dramatic, dirty story short (click here for the full debacle), nine hours and a thousand pounds of rubble later, we had a fireplace. As for the shiny cherry mantel, we cut out the overly ornate arch, distressed it with a screwdriver, and painted it with a thick coat of oil-based white. We have yet to attach it to the wall because the brick base is a bit tricky, but this project will undoubtedly be in a future blog.

The Homespun Built-ins
Each floor in this three-story building is slightly different, and when it comes to our bedrooms, our ground-floor neighbors have the most enviable built-ins. Yes, we could have hired a carpenter to replicate them, but for $100 in parts from IKEA, we thought we’d try and build them ourselves (full post here). The shelves nestle perfectly into the alcove, making the blue of the wall feel more like a painted cabinet. And my favorite part of the setup? The bookshelves continue all the way down to my vintage Stickley desk; its open sides allow for extra storage and a peek of color.

Window Treatments
It wasn’t until two months ago that we put up window treatments—partly out of laziness and partly out of a secret apathy toward curtains. I thought they would feel fussy, would cover my pretty window molding, and be superfluous when combined with actual blinds. Boy was I wrong. These white-on-white geometric curtains have changed the entire dynamic of the room. Sheer, flowy, and textural, they add just enough privacy but allow for the nicest sunlight. They truly finish the room.