It's Great To Be Home

Our Bold Gallery Wall – Finished!!

February 16, 2011 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 36 Comments

One project down, a zillion to go!

I’m so glad I got over my fear of tackling a gallery wall, because I’m completely in love with how it turned out. Take a look!

Clearly I’m a fan of color and pattern, and it’s taken a long time to figure out how to inject all of the that goodness into this room in particular. I’d been talking up the idea of a gallery wall to Jason for quite some time now, and I think I finally just wore him down. :) Anyhoo, once he jumped on the bandwagon I knew it was now or never.

So first I laid out the art pieces I was considering (you might remember that step from this post):

Then I got to work cutting out pieces of Christmas wrapping paper and magazines in the same size and shape as the frames.

My plan was to stick them to the wall and rearrange them until I liked how everything looked.

Then I just started hanging those suckers up!! Here’s how it looked about halfway through the process.

I had a little helper, which is always nice. :)

And here’s how it turned out!!

It’s a far cry from where this room started. Want to take a little walk down memory lane? If you’ve been around since the beginning of this blog, then you remember how our den used to look:

( Check out more pictures of how our house used to look here. )

Thank goodness we were able to ditch that look – yikes! After we got the bones of the room whipped into shape the room looked empty and a little boring (and kind of like a sofa show room) for a long time:

The next step was to add some fun accents with handmade pillows and a new rug, and then just a few weeks ago we switched things up with our passed-down-through-the-family secretary:

And now, finally, our den feels like us! There are still things I want to change and projects I want to undertake, but I’m really happy with it. (And yes, that’s the Real Housewives of New Jersey on the tv – it’s only like the 3rd time I’ve seen it but I kind of see now why some people are obsessed with that show, it’s addictive!)

Ooh, and of course I have to fill you in on the details for all the artwork!

(1), (6), (9), (10), and (12) are all little paintings or drawings that I’ve done over time. (1) is a series three watercolors that I painted in 6th grade – my family always went to Estes Park in Colorado during the summer and I would spend at least half the trip in the craft center. It was heaven at the time. :) I painted (6) yesterday when I had an empty spot in the gallery wall, and I really like how it turned out! (9) is a pastel and ink that I did of tulips in 9th grade in art class – for some reason it’s stuck around over the years. As for (10), I’ve been wanting an “H” somewhere in our house to represent our last name, and I thought the gallery wall was the perfect place for it. I painted it using a version of this tutorial for a metal look and it turned out pretty well! And last but not least, (12) is a doodle of an elephant (her name is Ellie Phunt) that I drew on the paper tablecloth while I was bored during a review class for the bar exam after law school. I just like it. :)

(2) is a Kandinsky print that I bought from Z Gallerie when I started law school – it was $75 and I felt very grown up at the time for purchasing a piece of art.

(3) is a wood block print that my grandmother did (she was a ridiculously great artist) over half a century ago. My mom made new copies for all of us kiddos a few years back. :)

(4) is (I think) a Blue Morpho butterfly. Also from my grandmother.

(5), (7) and (8) are pieces I picked up in Paris about 5 years ago with my aunt and sister. The two oil paintings (5 and 7) are copies of master paintings (both Monet, I believe) that I bought from a street vendor along the Seine near Notre Dame (I feel oh so snobby writing that!) and had custom framed at Joann’s. (8) in the large black frame is a pastel of the Moulin Rouge that I bought at . . . the Moulin Rouge. It has that old school 20s vibe and amazing color and lots of fun images like can can dancers and the iconic windmill from the Moulin Rouge. I couldn’t get a picture without blur because of the glass, but here’s a close up:

(11) is one of my favorite pictures from our wedding – a big smooch as we’re leaving the church and about to hop into the limo.

(13) used to be painted a pale pink and hung in my bedroom when I was little. It’s a really ornate piece of plaster molding, and I painted the trim the same color as this artwork on the other side of the room.

And of course I can’t resist a few more gratuitous shots, so here you go. :)

All in all, this was a super gratifying project. I can’t wait to hear what you guys think!

Click here to find out how I hung my artwork on the wood paneling without using any nails.

Blog Party: Inspiration Tuesday!

September 14, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 4 Comments

Welcome to Inspiration Tuesday, a weekly blog party hosted by IGTBH to provide you guys with a little extra dose of inspiration! This week I’m feeling inspired by quick, easy and affordable switcheroos that can take a room from bland to bodacious (I know, no one says bodacious, but I needed another “b” word).

Take the room below, for example. While the understated palette may appeal to some, for me it could use a little (or a lot) more personality.

And here’s where designing a room starts to get fun! You’ll notice that all of the big, expensive pieces in the room have remained the same, from the seating to the cottage-inspired armoire – but by picking two accent colors in pumpkin and red, the entire room is suddenly filled with life and personality. For the price of 4 PB pillows, a throw, a sassy rug (which must be this one), an even sassier orange side table and some DIY painted canvases, this room is no longer boring and sad – and it’s not even that cottage-y anymore thanks to the clean lines of the side table and the modern accent colors.

But here’s where things get kicked up another notch, right into design heaven. It would have been fine if the room existed forever as that second picture above, but this third option just rocks. I love the cutouts on the white Euro pillows, and switching out the whitewashed end tables for some muted red ones was definitely the way to go. The orange floor lamp adds some needed height to that side of the room, and the colorful accent vases are a really inexpensive way to inject a little more color into the room.

All in all, this room leaves me feeling totally inspired. Maybe it’ll even give me the kick in the pants I need to whip my den into shape!!

Okay, now it’s your turn! Got a post that you think will inspire us? We’d love to see it, so if you’d like to join in on the fun just add your link below. Here are a few pointers:

(1) Make sure that you add the permalink to your specific blog post (like www.itsgreattobehome.net/inspiration-tuesday-bold-accessories), instead of your general blog address.

(2) Give everybody an idea of what you’re inspired by in parentheses after your blog name – like Liz @ IGTBH (Bold Accessories).

(3) Make sure that your link works – otherwise, it might get deleted (no fun!!).

(4) Include a link back to this party somewhere in your post so that your readers can get in on the fun.

(5) Click on the other participants’ links and let them know if they’ve inspired you!

And remember, if we have enough participants this week I’ll feature my faves from the blog party on Wednesday – and it could be your post! Now grab your post and this button and let’s get down to business!!

Images courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens.

Sneak Peek: The Smurf House

August 12, 2009 By Liz - It's Great To Be Home 14 Comments

Today I wanted to give you guys a glimpse inside a house that I toured and fell in love with over the weekend. Take a gander at this charming little house dubbed the “Smurf House” (I’m sure you can guess where it got its name).

In addition to being cute, this house is also famous – it won the 2007 Renovation of the Year Award for its conservation district.

I love this porch directly off the master bedroom – it feels so Southern, don’t you think? And the pale blue siding accented with periwinkle is just awesome – I wish fun colors like that would look as perfect on every house! Although the exterior is picture-perfect, to be honest I wasn’t really expecting to be wowed by the inside of the home.

But I was wrong!

Just inside the front door you are greeted with this unexpected open floorplan – as well as some decor that had me totally swooning.

What I love most about this open living space are the bold choices and unexpected combinations made by the homeowner – the pops of orange in an otherwise muted color palette, a mirrored side table, luxurious silk curtains and statement lighting all work together flawlessly.

I like that the homeowner chose to add modern chandeliers to both the living room and breakfast area – they are in a straight line across the ceiling so instead of competing with one another they simply serve to define the two spaces in an otherwise open floorplan.

I like the kitchen a great deal, but I’m not bowled over in comparison to the rest of the home. I think it’s the cabinetry that isn’t doing it for me – maybe something in a richer wood tone would have felt a bit more historic and flowed a little better with the furnishings throughout the home. Or maybe it’s just me!

This little dining room is just past the kitchen, and is in its own little world. I actually really like that – I feel as though the focus would be solely on you and your guests, without the distractions of television or anything going on in the rest of the house. And it overlooks a great backyard, as an added bonus. I love the combination of the sleek West Elm circle chairs with the more luxurious upholstered chairs – and they all work well together with their lovely curves.

Just off the main living space is a small half bath (under the stairs), and then the master suite. And not to hype it up too much, but this is probably the best master suite I’ve ever seen in person – it’s awesome!

You walk directly into the master bedroom, which is serene yet bold at the same time with deep chocolate browns and pale blue paired with faux fur and two statement lamps. The rich curtains act as a focal point behind the bed in place of a headboard, and the door to the right of the bed leads out onto that gorgeous patio you saw above.

On the left-hand side of the master suite is this spa-like bath. The luxurious and spacious feeling is enhanced by the sliding panels (from Ikea!) which allows the two spaces to either become one or remain totally separate.

This bathroom has all the basics you would hope for in a master bath – double sinks, soaker tub, walk-in shower, and storage. But beyond that, it has all the little details that you can only dream of – a crystal chandelier, floating vanity, the shower has frameless glass panels, and the soaker tub overlooks a beautiful side yard.

My only complaint has to do with the vanity – have you noticed it yet? The mirror is about 10 feet away on the opposite side of the soaker tub! I’m guessing that the homeowner typically uses a small mirror on a stand that remains on the ledge behind the vanity.

On the opposite side of the master bedroom is this totally drool-worthy closet. I don’t know any woman (or man, for that matter) that wouldn’t give her right arm for a closet like this. Tons of built-in storage, windows, a chandelier, and an island? I’m sold!

If you head back to the front door and head upstairs, you are greeted by this lovely capiz chandelier:

At the top of the stairs and on the left is this sunny and funky guest room – I would never have been so bold as to paint the walls orange, but now I’m feeling completely inspired.

I love the combination of orange, white and chocolate – the shock value of the orange is tempered beautifully by the chocolate and white, and keeps what could be a very loud color from screaming at you. Instead, it just feels rich and eclectic.

This bedroom adjoins a hidden study through the sogi screen:

My favorite part about this study is the antique desk that has been painted a stark white – while some would shudder at painting such a piece (sometimes I feel that way, too), you can’t deny that it both looks fabulous and acts as a neutral yet interesting piece in this space.

The homeowner has clearly learned the lesson of pairing bold colors with only one or two other shades – in this case, the mustard yellow is calmed by white and black for a totally chic look.

At the top of the stairs, between the two bedrooms, is this bath remodeled with a walk-in shower and oodles of glass tile – we all know I’m a sucker for glass tile!!

The last room in this surprising home is the third bedroom, which is glamorous and refined with a bit of an edge. The element of painted woodwork is repeated with the antique bed, and the mirrored side table and chandelier add a touch of sparkle to the space. As the homeowner demonstrated in the master bedroom, the combination of chocolate brown and blue (in this case a steel blue) is instantly luxurious.

The sophisticated flair of this room is accentuated with a pair of vintage Barbie illustrations.

And although I didn’t get any pictures of it, this property also had a full guest quarters in the backyard – how cool is that? Curious about the stats of this house? Check out the detail sheet below:

So what do you guys think of this house? Are you as bowled over as I am, or do you think it’s a little over the top? While I love it, I’m wondering how I would feel living in a home like this 24/7 – I mean, how would it go with my sweatpants and tank top?

Some images courtesy of GoliadAve.