Happy Matting

Our apartment in SF had a front entry which connected to a long hallway leading to the back living room. When we moved in we both agreed we needed to cover the floor. I thought of the matting I once saw once in the very back of Pier1 store. It was a straw-like matting which you could buy by the square foot very inexpensively. I went to the closest Pier1 and roughly estimated how much I would need to make a "custom carpet look" for our rental. I then lugged the stack of mats back to our place. It was a fun project- the mat was made up of 1x1ft squares which were attached with a durable white string. I used the long part (8 ft long) to fill the front space pictured below:

Then I cut the mat to a more narrow size for the long hallway.
Next, I took clear fishing line and sewed the two large pieces together so it looked like a backwards "L". Sorry I couldn't locate a good picture of this.

I loved our carpet- it was durable and I could vacuum over it or pick it up easily to get the sand out from underneath. Also, it was cheap so I didn't care if it got stained. I even replaced a square once when one started to tear at the corner.

When we moved to Encintas, I kept the long runner portion and re-purposed it below:

I have no idea if Pier1 still carries this matting in-store. I recall Cost-Plus World Market had something similar if you have one nearby, give it a shot.

If you like this look - it is casual and outdoorsy feeling - I stumbled upon this at Pottery Barn. It is obviously a little nicer than my Pier1 matting - but it is the same look. I also noticed that they offer it in a 6x6 and 8x8 size as well as a larger 9x12 so if you have a square room/large entry way or a larger porch or room, you could use this carpet.

Have a great weekend!!

Bathroom Brainstorming

I love powder rooms. In my opinion, they are the most fun room in the house to decorate.
Their size makes them such a fun place for pattern and surprise since you don't spend that much time inside them. Why not have a little fun?
We will eventually redo our downstairs bathroom this is my latest brainstorm on the topic.

Here it is (in a pic from when the previous owners lived here):

The space is pretty cramped - not too much clearance for a light- the door opens onto the toilet and you have to shimmy in towards the sink to shut the door. I think I would switch the door so it would swing toward the window. As you can see the radiator is sort of charming, in an old-house kind of way. I could box it in to make the bathroom a little more formal, but I sort of like it. Maybe I could paint it a fun color like navy and do all the woodwork in the same color. Also, our house is a cape so although I am tempted to go dramatic and big (my other bathroom brainstorm which I will save for a later date), something clean and nautical might be fun, and more appropriate.

Here is one scheme I am throwing around in my head:

This wallpaper by Ralph Lauren:

This flushmount light (Alexa Hampton for Visual Comfort):

Some kind of traditional looking pedestal sink:

Splurge on some fixtures (these are Waterworks):

Redo the floor in a pattern like large hexagons, herringbone or maybe just standard squares set at an angle:

In some kind of natural material like travertine:

Typically, in a small bathroom like ours I like to use a large rectangular mirror to enlarge the space. I am having a hard time finding some for this post so maybe a really large scaled round or fun shaped mirror would do.

This red color is fun with the paper (pottery barn):

This one is great- by Patina, I could custom color this any color - maybe navy would be cool... it is also large in scale.

For window treatments, I think I would do simple linen cafe curtains with a metal rod and small rings. I would choose a cream color to match the wallpaper background and then do a fun trim at the bottom.

Do you have a fun bathroom you fantasize about redoing?

Tuesday Tablescape

This is one of my FAVORITE pictures. I love the mix of yellows. I love the punch of the red trim. I love the modern desk lamp. Okay, I will stop now.

christohermayainc.com

From my Favorites Bar...

...to yours.
Thought I would share a company I discovered while decorating my parent's Florida place.

Somerset Bay

You can order through the trade, but I know of some retailers which rep them too - also available online through other websites, too.

You might already know that I am temporarily forbidden to buy any more:

1.bamboo

2. rattan3. faux bamboo/rattan

So I thought, hey, I will share the love and maybe you can get two of these as bedside tables?

or maybe put this in a baby's nursery or little girl's room?

if you have high ceilings...

or have a lonely little corner in your bathroom...

There are 17 different finishes available.

Here is one last bamboo baby which I love.

Wedding to Remember

I have watched this youtube video at least 12 times since my friend sent it to me yesterday. Sorry if this is already getting old, but I love it.
Speaking of weddings, tomorrow is my 6 year wedding anniversary!

phoebe howard

i am going bananas over these pictures from phoebe howard's updated website. she is really amazing - her bedrooms are some of my favorites, ever. damn, this woman can decorate.

omg - look at the light fixture!!!

so many more cool projects on her website and fun stuff on her blog:

mrshowardpersonalshopper.com

House Bling

Can you believe this? Despite a very thorough home inspection,we never realized the front door to our house was broken until after we moved in. The lock on the door was stuck in place and it took our locksmith, Lonnie, an hour to open it on our moving day so we could bring furniture up the staircase. As annoying as this was to find out after the close, it gave me the chance to order something new and I am so happy with the newly installed entrance set.

Here is the Baldwin Barclay Mortis and Tenon Entrance set:
Now let's talk about additional ways to make our front entrance nicer.

I really love the look of these mailboxes. I was thinking one would look nice by the driveway once our new picket fence is installed. I love the clean look and the full address.

If we don't go with a mailbox, then I think we will hang a solid number plaque somewhere on the picket fence - or perhaps at the front gate?

I *LOVE* these classic carved number signs from a Cape Cod company called

Carved Home Signs

We have a scallop knocker so we don't need to go crazy with the design.

This classic oval would be oh so perfect in place of the current Home Depot numbers.

Maybe your house is itching for a little flair piece of its own?

There are many choices for shapes of signs - and motifs are so fun.

I love the star...

And the turtle...

The scallop shell looks sharp with the number written beneath it:

PS. I am going to start giving these as housewarming/wedding/Christmas gifts for loved ones...

View from the Back

Tuesday Tablescape

It is a rainy Tuesday and I am nostalgic for the wedding circuit, which seems to be over for us
(for now). I went through some old pics of good friends' weddings and I have come up with a Wedding Tablescape post here. I tried to take a picture of the table at each wedding we attended, but I missed many along the way. These pictures are a sampling of the fun tables friends have put together for their wedding parties. Many venues and states are represented here. We had some great weddings over the last 6 or so years...

My all time favorite wedding table- Alix and Gardner, Jupiter Island, FL - look at the hanging candle votives!

Alisa and Joe -Fairfield, CT

Brooke and Justin -Manchester, VT (I loved the swiss dots over blue tablecloth)
Tim and Courtney - NYC public library - notice the mirrored table...
Nina and Mike - Newport, RI
Erica and Jeff - Locust Valley, NY

Sophie and Doug - Nantucket, MA Nancy and Blue - Fishers Island, NY

Stephanie and Ned - Kezar Lake, ME
Rachel and O'D - New York CityKat and Jack - New York City Camilla and Whit - Greenwich, CT