Room Tour: Lauren Leonard Interiors

Lauren emailed to share photos of her daughter Ellie's room. I hope it's not too ridiculous for me to be jealous of a six year-old's bedroom, because I totally am. I would swipe that gold + KWID chair from her so fast! :)

Lauren said the John Robshaw fabric on the bed was her starting point but was also her budget-buster (SO worth it I say!), so she had to get creative with the other elements in the room, like framing prints from a $6 calendar and painting the pattern on a simple IKEA rug (here's a similar project).

For all the details on this lovely bedroom, check out Lauren's post.

Thanks for sharing, Lauren! If you'd like to share a space or project with LGN readers, feel free to submit here.

Pretty in Park Slope

Today I am SO excited to share a brand new project from my friends Suzanne and Lauren McGrath from Good Bones, Great Pieces. (Did you check out their amazing book yet? I wrote about it here.) I love how fresh this Brooklyn space feels! 

Here's Lauren:

"This apartment is of a lovely young couple that found us through our blog. They live in an old brownstone apartment building turned co-op in Park Slope facing Prospect Park. Their apartment is small but Natalie (the wife) who is a real estate agent and often works from home, really wanted a space that felt cozy and chic. Natalie and her husband, a lawyer, are both from the Midwest, and they're still discovering the wonders of living in New York City. They love living here. It is so refreshing to see their enthusiasm! 

"They chose to live near the park so that they could be able to walk their beloved and ginormous dog :) The dog was in the apartment when we were installing all the furniture and artwork, and it was hysterical trying to navigate around him! Fortunately for us, Natalie and her husband truly wanted to hand over the design of this new place, so with a fresh start, they actually brought almost nothing to their new place. Most of the hodgepodge of merged furniture pieces was sold off on Craig's List. We were happy because we got to work with a clean slate- every decorators dream. It also helped that Natalie is such a delightful young woman.

"We wanted Natalie's apartment to feel young and fresh and fun, like her! The first thing we purchased was the sofa at the Lilian August warehouse in Norwalk, CT. Once we had the main seating piece down, we were off and running! In terms of the color palette, we used the framed bird prints above the sofa as inspiration.These were taken from an old copy of "Audubon Birds of America" we found on a dusty shelf at a flea market. 

"We kept the largest upholstered piece neutral, as well as the rug, and injected pops of blue, red, green and pink with art, lighting, pillows, and other accessories. The show stopper was probably the amazing bird's egg blue lacquered Chippendale style chair Lauren found at Circa Who in Palm Beach, Florida. We chose to reupholster the seat cushion in one of our favorite Sister Parish inspired red and white prints. The combination jumps off the wall and makes us smile. Of course, we had to add cherry red tape to embellish the white roman shade on the window. It's so happy! 

"The lamp on the West Elm Parson's desk is quite oversized, and we like it that way. It's important to have some pieces in the room that are of different scale, particularly in small spaces. The LOVE artwork was a small stroke of genius. We fell in love with this textile from Lu Lu DK's latest collection at Schumacher. We decided to buy a yard and had it strung to a canvas. Apparently this technique was all the rage in college dorm rooms in the 1980's. We're bringing it back, with whimsy.

     

"The bedroom is actually a very small room, but we made it look grand by walllpapering the wall behind the bed- they insisted on a King! We found an amazing headboard at an antique emporium, tucked behind many others. Upholstering it in a cotton velvet just made it look so luxe. Inexpensive swing arm lamps save room when there isn't any for bedside tables. In the end, it looks quite fancy, but it's not. Their dog sleeps at the foot of the bed, we think! Whatever, we know they're happy with their first nest, and so are we.

"This kitchen is very long and narrow but it was important to Natalie to have a place to sit and eat (since there is no dining room). We came up with a design for a built-in breakfast nook space which would utilize every square foot of space, and look like it was always there.

"We chose an adorable print fabric to make a custom seat cushion with, and it immediately looked welcoming and comfortable. The client found this table top at a thrift shop, then had a custom pedestal made to allow for leg room."

SOURCE LIST

Kitchen:

Custom banquette cushion fabric: Pindler and Pindler

Pillow: Pier 1 

Table (client's own)

Art: Stolen ;) from a Rothko book and framed in Ikea shadow box frames 

Roman shade: custom designed by us, Bright Apple Green Tape for Accent, Samuel and Sons

Living Room:

Sofa: Lilian August found at the warehouse store in Norwalk, CT

Pillows: custom pillows designed by us in a Brunschwig & Fils paisley 

Coffee table: Found at the Salvation Army in Mount Vernon, NY for $15 

Scallop-edge side tables: found at Braswell in Westport, CT , We lacquered them in a Ralph Lauren dark navy blue 

Rug: Overstock.com

Lamps: Apple green, from Dovecoat, Westport Ct.

Bird prints above sofa: Taken out of the pages of "Audubon Birds of America"and framed in inexpensive frames found at A.I Friedman 

Pink upholstered chair: found at Brimfield, from an estate in Maine

Art above chair: we created this large scale piece of art from one of our favorite Lu Lu DK fabrics for Schumacher. When the budget is tight we like to make our own art by framing a large canvas with a dramatic fabric. 

Desk: West Elm Parsons desk 

Stools: Found at Circa Who in Palm Beach, FL and upholstered in a Duralee ikat fabric 

Lamp: Wisteria 

Art: From the 1970's, Found at Consign It in Greenwich, CT 

Turquoise boxes: Wisteria 

Occasional chair: Found at Circa Who in Palm Beach, FL and upholstered in a Brunschwig & Fils fabric 

Duck prints above chair: Found at Brimfield, reframed

Bedroom: 

Headboard: This is an antique French king size headboard that came out of an estate with lots of very old French pieces. We found this piece at one of our favorite auction houses called Braswell (unfortunately it no longer exists) and we had it reupholstered in a soft velvet. The headboard cost us $450. 

Wallpaper: The wallpaper is from Duralee

Side tables: Wisteria

Sconces: House of Troy

Bed pillow: custom made by us from a Schumacher ikat fabric 

A huge thanks the Lauren and Suzanne for sharing this lovely project!

All photos by Matt McGrath.

Room Tour: Anne's Living and Dining Room

I am so excited about today's room tour! Reader Anne enlisted the help of my lovely and super-talented friend Lauren (who is due with her third baby any second now!) for some eDecorating advice. I LOVE how these two collaborated to make Anne's home bright and cheery and polished. It's a nice mix of modern and traditional and I think they did a beautiful job of putting money where it counted. Here's Anne... 

Being a graphic designer is a blessing when it comes to creating a look on paper, but translating our style into home decor proved to be, well, challenging.

So when I stumbled across Lauren Liess from Pure Style Home, I knew I wanted her to help me. With a brief over-the-phone consultation, she was able to give me direction on the larger paralyzing decisions...like "Buy something modern for the second buffet," or "Fill this wall to the ceiling with art." She's a genius! 

I then spent the next ten months collecting furniture and art (Lauren also helped us with our master bedroom) and putting the pieces together to create a look that truly reflected our style. My husband is traditional and I like a bit of quirk. Voila!

When we started this transformation, many of the larger items were in place, but the rooms felt unfinished and off balance. Lauren's advice to create symmetry (around the picture window and couch) and filling the space with 'pretties' proved to be the key to making it feel cozy and inviting. 

My husband was afraid that filling the walls with art would make the space feel smaller, but in fact your eye is now drawn up and around the rooms, creating the illusion of more space. 

And adopting the mindset that 'it might get broken, but it's worth having out and not hidden for the next ten years' helped with creating table tops suitable for a toddler (we have since moved the cactus-ha!). As long as we have a few things out that our two year old son can touch, he is happy to leave the breakables alone.

Another key piece to pulling things together was a color 'theme'. I wanted the rooms to connect, but I didn't want to be matchy-matchy. The pillow on the sofa (which I just LOVE) was a gift from missionary friends in Bosnia and it became my 'go to' when I was tempted to purchase something. If it didn't jive with the pillow ... I had to pass. 

The conversation starter in the room is definitely the large black and white image in the dining room. It's an image of my dad as a boy and we just love it! I sat for months on the couch wondering what do with that space and now having it filled with a little piece of family history is a treat. 

In fact, if you look around, animals play a theme in most of the vignettes. A happy accident I guess, but we love the subtle 'lodge' feel. 

Well, there you have it. Our living and dining rooms. Thanks for looking! 

I will list sources below. 

All images by amymajorsphotography.com

P.S. I added a photo of our nursery here too. It was finished when I spoke with Lauren and I told her 'THIS is our style'. Amazing how nesting will kick you into gear to get a nursery ready while the rest of the house sits undone. :)

Resources: 

Sofa -  Ethan Allen

Rug - West Elm

Drapery - JCPenny

Club Chairs - Thrifted

Round End Table - Overstock

Campaign Side Table - Urban Outfitters

Three Drawer End Table - Antique

Coffee Table - Overstock

Lamps - Target/JCPenny

Living Room Art - Collected over the years

Sofa Pillow - Bosnian rug turned pillow (gift)

Pink Throws - West Elm

Coffee Table Baskets - Target

Coffee Table Tray - Target

Elephant - Thrifted

Floor Lamp - Antique

Chandelier - Antique

Dining Table - Thrifted

Dining Chairs - Ikea

Wood Buffet - Antique

White Buffet - Ikea

Buffet Lamps - JCPenny base with Target shades

Books - Thrifted

Art - Collected over the years

Large Print - Photo printed at Canvas On Demand

Vases - Thrifted

Dog - Thrifted

Buffet Tray - Target

Bar Glasses - Williams-Sonoma

Silver Cheese Server - Thrifted

Cigar Boxes - Local Cigar Shop

Room Tour: Fletcher's Nursery

I'm was so thrilled when Chassity from Look Linger Love emailed me to offer up first dibs on these photos of her new son's nursery. She has done such a lovely job here! Here's Chassity with a little tour, and as always, the sources are listed at the very bottom.

After learning that we were pregnant with a boy I definitely had a moment of panic over decorating the nursery. I had been in "girly mode" with Fletcher's older sister Lilly, so to switch gears was a little intimidating. All needless worry of course as boys' rooms are definitely just as much fun. 

I started by inviting some of my favorite interior designer friends to contribute to a Nursery Design Series to get some ideas rolling. The nursery boards these women (like Caitlin Wilson, Angie Hranowsky, and Amber Lewis) came up with were incredible to say the least, and were a great starting point for me to get my ideas running. (You can see all the moodboards and their sources here)

My main goal for the room was to give Fletcher an eclectic, comfortable, and safe space to call his own. I wanted to look beyond the "matchy" set of furniture and bedding that can be typical of nurseries. While it wasn't my intention, I like the voyager feel that the space has. I also chose items that would grow with Fletcher. For example, instead of a changing table I chose the voyager steamer dresser to work double duty. Likewise, I envision Fletcher and Lilly reading books together on the JA mini sofa for years to come.

The nursery renovation took probably 3 months from beginning to end. This includes all the time I spent gathering inspiration, shopping around, placing orders, and eventually completing the room. Fletcher was born 5 weeks early so we had to be quick to complete all the final touches once he arrived. 

What do I think makes the space? The Madeline Weinrib rug definitely adds visual interest to the room. But beyond that it's the sentimental items that are in the room. Cuddling up in the middle of the night is much more cozy with the navy & white throw blanket that my Granny knitted. And while Fletcher isn't sitting in the chair just yet, I'm glad that I was able to find the cowhide element that my Dad was adamant about seeing in his grandson's room. And I smile every time that I look at the painting that my friend Sally King Benedict painted for us as a baby gift.

(Thanks again, Chassity!! If you have a room tour you'd like to submit, please email us)


Room Sources:

Wall Color - Valspar's Gray Plank

Mini Sofa - Jonathan Adler 

Elephant Pouf - Serena and Lily 

Rocker - Joya 

Lamp - Restoration Hardware 

Rug - Madeline Weinrib 

Cowhide Chair - Celadon 

Crib - Oeuf Sparrow Crib 

Crib Bedding - Little Auggie 

Dresser/Changing Table - Restoration Hardware 

Vintage Peddle Plane - Restoration Hardware 

Velvet Drapes - Pottery Barn 

Colorblock painting - Sally King Benedict 

Watercolor Map Print - Jessica Durrant 

Boy On Bike Art - Kiki and Polly 

Do Good Art - Twamies  

Driftwood Shelf - Moss Woodshop 

You Are Simply Wonderful Print - Sarah and Bendrix 

Room Tours: Kristin's Living Room (and white sputnik!)

Kristin has a lovely home in Florida with gorgeous beamed ceilings. She emailed me recently asking for advice on a chandelier and whether or not I thought my sputnik DIY would work in her space, with her wood beams. I suggested going with a white versions and I'm so thrilled with Kristin's results. Don't the white florets look like milk glass? Love! 


Here are some photos of her living room (and one of her breakfast nook - so cute!). Sources listed at the bottom.

sofa table - antique
woven tray on table - a gift from a shop in our town called Decorative Arts
green lamps - one of my favorite vintage finds
green end table - purchased for $8.00 from the Salvation Army and painted!  I love the greek key detailing
small chinoisserie planter - found at an antique store
chinoisserie bird coasters - purchased years ago at Anthropologie
brown leather tufted couch - the company is four hands but I purchased from Decorative Arts (this couch and I were love at first sight! :))
throw pillows on both couches - feather pillow same from T.J. Maxx and were recovered with fabric from Calico Corners
throw blanket - Missoni for Target (I was one of those crazy people that were lined up early in the morning at my local Target) :)
Ottoman - purchased at Home Goods, and reupholstered by my amazing friend Cori who first introduced me to LGN! (fabric from Calico Corners)
white mirrored tray on ottoman - Target and then we repainted it white
tweed couch - company unknown.  Purchased at a boutique home store in Tampa, Fl called Magnolia
Bookshelves - Billy Book cases of course!  Inspired by Jenny, we bought the white bookcases and then painted the backs in a dark brown color.  We then styled them with sentimental objects such as vintage books passed down from family, photos, a painting my husband made for me, silhouette of my son Hudson, etc...
T.V. stand in the middle of the bookshelves - we scored this piece at a garage sale...  It was formerly a buffet.  We repainted it off white to match the bookshelves, took one drawer out to accomodate the electronics and replaced the hardware.
little glass bottle with scent diffuser - Anthropologie
Large green glass jars on top of bookshelves - Decorative Arts
Area Rug - Diamond Jute from Pottery Barn
Children's chairs - Pottery Barn Kids in Sherpa ( I think I sent you a picture of Harper enjoying it! )
Small table in between children's chairs - a vintage find
Entry mahogony table - found this years ago at an antique store with knob and all!
lamp on table - vintage ginger jar lamp; shade from decorative arts
small dragonfly tray on entry table - John Derian tray
potted plant - Anthropologie
floor lamp next to children's chairs - Pottery Barn
bird pictures on wall near children's chairs - these are antique audobon prints.  I repainted the frames gold.
large wooden basket under entry table - antique basket found years ago at the Rennigars Antique show in Mt. Dora, Fl
the window woven roman shades throughout the room - custom made from Levelor.  
Mirror on fireplace - Honeycomb Mirror from Pier 1 (inspired by Jenny and February's Southern Living).  I think that this mirror is even more gorgeous in person.  It's beautiful!
Wooden duck on hearth - carved by my grandfather when I was a child
Chandelier - Ikea Maskros DIY (courtesy of Jenny and Little Green Notebook!) She recommended to keep the chandelier white and use the white fleur cups.  I love, love, love this light fixture!

Room Tours: Jenna's Rental Bedroom Redo

Jenna from JWK Style submitted today's room tour. I LOVE her idea of over-dyeing toile prints with a bright color! Such an expensive look for not a lot of money! Thanks for joining us today, Jenna!
******

When we moved into our rent house, the master bedroom was incredibly dark and depressing. After we painted I wanted to keep it as bright and fresh as possible. I was hoping for a completely different look than our previous bedroom, but I couldn't justify buying all new curtain fabric and bedding.

I love the bold toiles by Manuel Canovas so I attempted a similar look with teal RIT dye using our traditional blue and white toile. I played around with scraps to find the right shade and used about 1 bottle of dye per curtain panel in the washing machine. Luckily there was enough fabric leftover to sew a bedskirt, so I was able to pull off a whole new color scheme for our bedroom for next to nothing!

This was our bedroom before we moved in. We replaced the mini-blinds with inexpensive roman shades from the hardware store and hung our own curtain rods. I couldn't find curtain hardware I liked so I bought the 'antique brass' finish and spray painted the rods, clips, and rings with metallic gold Valspar. To prevent scratching, I used 2 coats of Polyurethane Gloss. So far so good!

Above the bed I hung an oil painting I found at Salvation Army a few years ago. Since there was so much color on the walls I decided on all-white bedding. I made the throw pillow out of silk ikat and the white duvet cover is an inexpensive one from Bed Bath & Beyond. I replaced the basic pillow cases with monogrammed shams from Pottery Barn and the ones behind them are from Target.

Most of our bedroom furniture was (very graciously) handed down to us but it was a mismatched mess. I wanted everything to coordinate so I painted everything myself to save money. The wicker chest (that doubles as my accessory closet) was a traditional white one that I spray painted. I replaced the wicker knobs with beaded ones from Anthropologie but eventually all the embellished parts popped off.

The gold backs stayed on the dresser and I reused the beaded pieces as lamp finials for our bedside lamps. (They remind me of the ones by Hillary Thomas Designs.)

The antique ginger jar lamps are from one of my favorite stores in San Antonio, Pagoda. The other bedside table used to be dark mahogany and I just painted around the existing handles.

Since our bathroom doesn't have any counter space or wall outlets, I made a 'vanity' for myself between the windows. A mirror, desk, and chair is really all you need!

(Before)

The desk came from a hotel salvage store and I repainted it to match the bedside tables. Soon after, I came across a similar desk so I added detailing with gold leaf paint. The antique chair was a hand-me-down that I also painted and recovered.

For jewelry storage I used my pineapple sconces for bangles and brooches and a few vintage bowls on my desk to hold necklaces. The pink and gold sugar dish is from a vintage serving set and it's the perfect size for earrings.

My makeup is scattered on a tray where I can easily find it since I'm usually running out the door! I keep a notepad on my desk to jot down sewing ideas and notes.

I love this tiny milk glass lamp that was my grandparents. I keep my favorite L'Objet candle and perfume beside it.

I made the lips print on a whim while I was trying to find the perfect shade of red lipstick. It reminded me of Andy Warhol's Lips Print so I blotted, outlined, and framed it!

Our dresser across from the bed was my first piece of furniture to paint. It was a typical French Provincial piece that was light brown with dark brass handles. Whenever they start looking dingy I take them off and glob on some Brasso to keep them shiny.

Since I'm especially prone to making piles, I like to have bowls around to conceal them. Dry cleaning tags and safety pins live in this one.

Trays are also ideal for easy cleaning and containing clutter. The one on my bedside table forces me to keep it tidy. Otherwise I'd have months of magazines piled up!!

Sources:
Paint color: Benjamin Moore Mayonnaise
Toile fabric: (hand-me-down) Waverly "Country Life"
Roman Shades: Lowe's
Headboard: Pottery Barn
Throw pillow fabric: Bermingham & Co. thru Brunschwig & Fils
Sheets and duvet: Bed Bath & Beyond
Ginger jar lamps: Pagoda
Vintage tin: The Guild Shop
Mirrored tray: Target
Embroidered coasters: market in San Miguel
Clock: Pottery Barn
Pineapple sconces: Two's Company
Mini ginger jar: Etsy
Pink dish: Anthropologie
Vintage dishes: The Guild Shop
Rug: Round Top
Coral candle: L'Objet
White porcelain tray: Target
Mirror: hand me down from my mother-in-law
Market tote: flea market in Deauville
Chair fabric: Celerie Kemble for Schumacher
NYC Print: framed Cavallini wrapping paper
Gold framed art: Christmas present
Antique tray: Etsy
Calendar: Jack & Lulu