DIY Bar Cart! From Mid-Century Modern table to Mad Men-tastic bar cart

I love the look of those two tier mid-century side tables, however they are too low to function with modern furniture. So, I choose to remake one into a bar cart because I love the idea of the two levels, one for storage of bar items and one for glasses and mixing. And since you know how much I was in love with the Russian Figure ladies skater's costume as evident of my post on inspiring images in that color palette, I choose to use dark grey and bronze.


The key to the table is getting the right height and scale. The mixing surface was moved up to 26 inch high and the storage is about 34 inches high. This cart is styled for mixing alcoholic drinks, but would be super cute as a coffee bar, tea cart, or even as a small desk! I plan to use it for coffee.


This is a simple project of cutting off the legs, adding a little lumber, and a nice paint job. The nice paint job includes using a pattern. I have included the pattern at the bottom. You can enlarge it to the size you need! The instructions can be printed with the title of the project at the top.










SUPPLIES:
For this project you will need the following supplies to complete a table similar this one.

BASICS:
A table to alter- if using a table like this pick your cutting zone carefully and with consideration to the size of your lumber! I chose a spot that was not tapered to make adding the legs back easier.
lumber- I used 2"x 2" which is nominal measurement of 1.5" x 1.5". This scale worked for my project.
8 dowel screws
wood putty
paint
liquid sanding/ deglosser- I clean the table with this type product for better paint adhesion
Hack saw
drill and drill bits
locking pliers- plain pliers might work, but locking pliers make the work easier
pencil
ruler
straight-edge

EXTRAS:
tracing paper
gold paint
circular saw
painters tape

Leaf pattern for the top of the table.

Glamour in new textiles

Shopping for fabrics today, I kept running across new fabrics that are total GLAMOUR! Sequins in boucles, aurora borealis rhinestones on silk, silvery filaments in velvet. Gorgeous glam! Interested in adding some glam to your space? Glam-ing up the greys? Try these!

How can damask be better... in shiny silver velvet!

Glorious as drapes with the sheen of silk and the glimmer of crystal.

Isaac, you are killing me with this glorious sequined boucle!
Glamorous ottoman, or new item of clothing, I cannot choose.

Drapes or ball gown?

New chaise upholstery?

30% off sale in the shop at Interiors and Antiques

I have marked down selected items that, though I love them, it is time for them to find their forever home! You can find them at Interiors and Antiques in Vestavia Hills on Highway 31. My booth is number 6- Laurl Designs.

Fantastic tables, lamps, and vintage pieces are not 30% off, sometimes more, than the original price. It is time for me to move these pieces so that I can add new items for the holidays.





Here are some of the items just marked down!

Love this pair of tables!

Lovely tall black lamp with striking high end shade.                                        Great black shutter with ribbons for messages.

Great vintage bedside table or an end table! I love the pale moss green, of course it could easily be painted!

The next furniture flips! the tables

First, I was TOTALLY into chairs, now it's tables. By the end of this weekend, I plan to refinish and paint two side tables purchased from Scott's in Atlanta and finish my make-under project. As well as dwell on a table for a client.

Here's the line up!

 

This pair is going from medium wood tone with a gold finish to...

 

 

Or maybe a blue like this...

Then there is this treat of a bedside table... maybe a stain, maybe a paint job, maybe both! How cool would this be with the interior of the shelves painting a contracting color!

Silver fabrics to shine at home

Inspiration can come from many sources- the silver screen, great jewelry, your new mirrored Ray-Bans. Today I am offered up a collection of fantastic fabrics with a dash of shiny silver for your inspiration.  They are great options for a neutral space. By playing well with greys, yet contrasting, they will add a glint and a wink to a space.

I particularly like the linens with a screen printed silver damask patterns! The collection includes linens to silks, vinyl to velvets, printed to embroidered from maker Vervain to Duralee. If you are interested in more information or yardage any of these fabrics, let me know!

The furniture flipper- beautiful grey dining room chairs

I found these great chairs on a local facebook "trading" page. I love looking on there to see what's interesting and what people are interested in. So, set of four chairs circa 1910's, good bones, solid chairs, honey oak finish.

So the flipping commenced!

First off, I removed the seat cushions for re-upholstering. Then inspected the chair for damages. I was told that there was so veneer "lifting" and there was, but just on one chair. 


After gluing the veneer back and filling voids with wood putty and clean the chairs, I add the first coat of paint. I decided to go with a classic mid-tone grey. These chairs are on the formal side, so I didn't want to go too far with the paint colors. And as these chairs are not for a client, I need to look mainstream for my color selection to appeal to a broader market.

My paint of choice is Benjamin Moore Aura paint. It is low-VOC, paint and primer in one, and thick! My color of choice was- Baltic Grey. I did do two coats, because I needed really durable coverage.

Step three was the glaze finish and admittedly where this whole paint color idea began. I found this champagne metallic paint ( Modern Masters Metallic Paint) when looking for paint swatches... and the wheels started to turn. "How delicious would this look over grey on those chairs," I thought. But I wanted a striated effect, not a flash of opaque champagne. So, I cut the metallic paint with glaze in a 1 to 5 ratio, respectively.


Lastly the fabric. And I went with my second choice. I love this taupe and aqua animal print, but the taupe looked too yellow with the gray. Second choice is a Greek key type lattice pattern in sage grey, ivory and taupe. The finished pieces are a pretty grey with a light pearly look from a distance and a stria of champagne up close. It's an updated chair with a nod to the past. Fantastic!

Have you created some great painted projects? Wanna share?

Back to School: The Dorm - Senioritus and the bridge to adult digs

I always love the back to school issue of Seventeen magazine... long after I was 17! It was the issue that instructed how to take your high school look and elevate it to a college look. Taking that inspiration, I would like to share ideas from Senior year dorm life that transitions nicely to the first apartment and the real life.
Like learning how to wear your fave jeans to the office by adding the jacket from your interview suit, dorm decor can transition to the apartment with the addition of a "grown up" items. Hot pink, neon's and bold florals can be tempered with neutrals. Maybe neutrals seem boring, but everyone cannot be the star of the show. Make your favorite items from college be the leading lady and build a supporting cast of neutrals with fabulous textures.

Here's some mood boards to help create the blend!

A collection of decor from the Senior year dorm

Taking the parts of the hot pink college dorm room and creating a first gathering space!

 

Neutral no more- adding color to your home interiors, part one

I recently had the pleasure of teaching a community school class on adding color to your home. I would love to share some of the information from my research here in a multi-part series.

With the help of my new best friend Olioboard.com, I was able to create this mood board to add color to a neutral room. Neutral spaces seem to be all the rage on home design TV shows, but they lack some zip in real life. In fact, studies show that your brain has a hard time distinguishing edges in a space where the colors are close together. By adding color to a space, you can break up the larger areas of the same color with visual interesting pieces.

Cool greys and creams can create a soothing space, but too much of a good thing it not always good! I have chosen a taupe, cream and teal color palette for this living room and created additional visual interest by adding elements in a lighter version of the teal. I choose to layer natural elements over room with the addition on tree form based table, faux bois drum table, sconces with a limb look, and bamboo look to the shelving as well as a floral pillow and pillow with nests printed on them. The formal sofa with the french lines is made fresh with the fabric and painted wood in a similar color. And though the space reads a modern due to the light teal pieces and the lines of the West Elm wing back chair, the space has classic elements with the sofa, patterned wall paper and classic lines of the storage piece. Because I love some sparkle on a space, I have add the Bourgie lamp from Design Within Reach. Want in item from this board or want to know more about it, just drop me a line at laurlself@gmail.com and we can chat!

Hot colors with big impact- Saffron Concrete

In my Etsy supply store, one of my hottest color combinations of fibers I called Saffron Concrete. Saffron was the hot yellow name and concrete is a very descriptive grey. So, yellow and grey. It can be a sophisticated color palette or a dramatic color palette. It's great in clothing, as well as home design. Here are some great small items that can make a big impact-  I am calling today, Saffron Concrete!

You can click on any of the lighter grey text to take you to the item pictured.

Jenn P on Etsy is the creator of these sweet bobby pins. The dark grey and the soft buttery yellow are a great way to express this color combination!

I have always loved these collections of frame that are refreshed with a new coat of paint.I would like to see them mounted on the wall of the stacked methods they are presented! This set comes to us from BeautiSHE.

Cool grey and yellow glass soap dish from bprdesigns. Sometimes it is the little things to enhance a space. This is a definite modern enhancement!

Another small thing that can enhance your space in a big way! What a cute customizable switch plate from ModernSwitch!

These fun knobs are some of my designs! Since I sold a set to a repeat customer, I thought I would add them to the group!

Tribal chic lumbar pillows- ikats, suzanis and more

Etsy is a great source for pillows of all kinds- decorator fabrics, leather, pleather, hand printed, screen printed- and all hand made!  I am in love with the new tribal prints. It is a trend I predicted in 2008 and it is finally making it way into the mainstream. Here is a selection of great tribal prints pillows that will bring a one of a kind look to your home. Best part of a lumbar pillow is that it is easy to use and does not hide you other awesome pillows. These are more functional that square pillows!

Suzani print pillow from Trina Turk fabrics from PillowChix on etsy.

Fantastic tribal chic pillow created with various patterned fabrics from SisterBatik on Etsy.

I love a rich salmon and red ikat! This one is from PlayPurdys on etsy.

Grey has a way of freshening any tired space. This is a great option from ChicDecorPillows on etsy.

Great orange and cream ikat from WillaSkyeHome on etsy.

Tribal, check, recycled, check. Eco-chic, absolutely!
Funky vintage tribal needlepoint reclaimed by PlanetDaisyWorld on etsy.

Delicious embroidered suzani pillow from BertieWoodhouse on etsy.