Industrial Shelving

Industrial... rustic... found... restored... upcycled... these are all SUPER common words thrown around in design magazines, shows, and blogs... and a spreading trend supported by hugely popular retailers like West Elm and Restoration Hardware. I'm not a fan of everything "industrial", but used with restraint, these pieces add a lot of character, and help balance out a room, keeping it from looking to perfect and shiny.

As I think about our pending move, and as we get rid of our "early twenties single furniture" and fill our house with things that reflect BOTH of our tastes and personalities, I'd love to find a few ways to incorporate some pieces with a bit more of an industrial feeling to them.  These photos provide ample inspiration for the look I'm going for... clean and classic, with a bit of industrial chic...

Eclectic Living Room by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators Niche Interiors

Contemporary Kitchen by Columbus Photographers Julie Ranee Photography

Modern Kitchen by Other Metro Architects & Designers Egue y seta

Eclectic Kitchen

Contemporary Home Office by Chicago Interior Designers & Decorators Occupi Design

Contemporary Living Room by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Marie Burgos Design

Contemporary Living Room by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators Niche Interiors

As trends come and go, I think I'd most want to test this trend through a piece that isn't a staple to our house.  Some sort of shelving unit seems like a safe bet, because it will be large enough to make a statement, but we won't feel TOO tied to it the same way we would with an "investment piece" like a bed or dining room table.

I did a little digging to see what I could find online, and it turns out that there are a TON of cool shelving units that are very reasonable.  My best sources??  Home Depot, Lowes, and Ikea.  These aren't even all the shelving units I found either - just my favorites...

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These shelving units, range in price from $15 (yes... $15!!!!) to $130.

The most expensive was the wooden Ivar Unit (#4) from Ikea at $128 (luckily for me, this is my least favorite of the bunch), and the least expensive shelf was $6 from Ikea... and it cost just $15.

I literally cannot get over it!  I am dying to see what it looks like in person - is it rickity?  Does it look cheap or totally awesome?? It's only 10" deep, so it wouldn't stick out too far into a room, and I think it would look kind of cool to line up four of them along a wall for open storage.  I also like that there is A LOT of space between each shelf - nearly 20" if I'm doing my math correct, so things wouldn't feel cramped.

I mocked it up really quick... kind of awesome, right??

... and it would only be $60 for 4 of these shelving units!  I also like #3 a lot, and those are just $30 each from Home Depot!

Another mock up... more cramped, but also a lot more storage??  Also... it looks a more sturdy with the X's on the back for support... no?

#2 would look cool in a kitchen, holding colorful mixing bowls, pretty new pots, and cook books... along with large glass jars of flower, sugar, oatmeal, and other bulk foods.

#1 is also at the top of my favorites... and while the frame looks really sturdy, I think the black might be too dark considering I'm trying to stay away from too much more black in our house...

On the "less industrial end" I am IN LOVE with #5 - the Vittsjo shelving unit, and with a quick coat of gold spray paint, it could soon be just like one of these...

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Not at all industrial, but still a shelving look that I'm obsessed with... ALTHOUGH I'm not hating the black at all... it might also look amazing with a rubbed bronze finish??

After tracking down some great industrial shelving options, and seeing how inexpensive they all are, the little wheels in my head have started turning...

Perhaps you'll be seeing more on this topic soon...

White Vanity - Inspiration to Reality

Perhaps it's the warm weather we've been having, or the fact that it stays light out until almost 9pm now (longest day of the year is this Friday!) but I have been finding myself drawn to light, bright, spaces that don't use much color.

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Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of color - wearing it... decorating with it... but this vanity space is so pretty, I couldn't resist trying to find pieces to re-create it.

Mirror, Parsons Desk, Ghost Chair, Vase, Jute Rug

Places like Target, Overstock, and Ikea are great for simple pieces like these - I love that Ikea has come up with their own take on the Lucite chair (I also wrote about it here)... zGallerie is fabulous for large funky accessories, and RugsUSA is always a favorite source of mine.  This Jute rug is 65% off right now, and is just $79 for the 5'x8' size.  Can you seriously beat that price??

Actually this entire setup could be re-created for less than $500 - all together, this look costs $450, and the mirror alone is $200.  If you shopped HomeGoods, you could probably find a mirror of this size for ~$50, taking this look down to$350 or so...

Happy shopping!

Federal Style and a History Lesson

It started with this picture from Blue Label Bungalow...

This room is a bit more traditional and masculine then I would choose for my own home, but there is one piece in particular that caught my eye in this space... can you guess what it is??  (No not the lamps, although I DO love those too...)

Maybe these other pictures will give you a hint...

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Still don't know??  Here's a few more hints...

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Yeah, I know it's totally obvious... I was just totally indulging my obsession with the ornate, old time-y Federal Mirrors that I seem to keep noticing EVERYWHERE. In college I double majored in Sociology and History... BUT... I am a complete novice when it comes to spotting and identifying period pieces.  All I know is that these mirrors are cool, and I want to know more about them...

I dug up a little info on their origin - The Dumbarton House talks about where these mirrors originated:

Our nation’s early years, when the Federalist Party led the American government between 1790 and 1828, generally defines the Federal period. During this time, a strong sense of nationalism was born and many government leaders, like Thomas Jefferson, looked to the classical past of Greece and Italy for inspiration in forging the identity of the new American democratic Republic.

Thanks Thomas Jefferson... and I guess Greece... because these mirrors are FAB!!  What makes these mirrors "Federal" style are the concave mirror (which is cool on it's own), the eagle embellishment (so "Americana") and a brass frame (with an awesome antique patina).

What I do NOT love about these mirrors are the price tag on them... for a legitimate Federal mirror, you'll be paying in the thousands... easily.  Dang it!

However Google saves the day again, and after a few random searches, I learned that these were all the rage in the 1950's, and a company called Syroco became famous for their molding technique where they were able to churn out exact replicas of these "eagle mirrors".  I've also learned that they can be called "Bullseye Mirrors" as well... which helps when searching eBay and Etsy for replicas.

Seems like all the mirrors in the larger size I want will run between $60 and $150 which compared with thousands, is a steal!

I'm imagining this over our bed (like the first photo here) or even in an entry way - although a convex  mirror is not ideal for the last minute hair fixing before running out the door...

What do you think about these beauties?? Are you as into them as I am?

Leopard Print Flats

You guys!  I'm SO sad!  My beloved leopard print flats that I pretty much wear every. single. day. are on their last legs.  You can't really tell from this picture, but after two years of constant wear, they are literally ripping at the seams!  So sad!

These are the Sam Edelman "Beatrix" flat in "Nude Leopard".  I love the black cap toe with the jagged burrs... they make them now with a gold toe, but I am NOT a fan of how the gold looks... bring back the black!!!

I've searched high and low - Nordstroms, Bloomingdales, Amazon, eBay,  Zappos... even random sites (there was one called "Shoe Bunnies"... no I'm not kidding)... and I literally cannot find the same ones!  It's very upsetting!

I've finally resigned myself to the fact that I will not be able to find the exact same shoes as a replacement for my current leopard beauties, so I'll have to look at some alternatives.  I rounded up a list of potentials here, and plan to do a little more hunting before fully committing.  In my opinion, leopard ballet flats are THE MOST versatile shoe. I wear them like a neutral, so they get worn with everything!  EVERYTHING.

What do you think about these options??

Leopard Print Flats by beckyc1923 featuring ballet flats

STELLA McCARTNEY leopard flat / Pretty Ballerinas leopard flat / Giambattista Valli canvas espadrille / Pointed toe flat / Minnetonka flat shoes / H&M ballet flat, $23

Of course I like the most expensive version (Stella McCartney) best... why oh why?!

Card Catalog - Ikea Hack

Just last week I was talking about incorporating vintage card catalogs into your home, and just this morning I stumbled across this awesome Ikea Hack to make your own card file drawers!

This Post at The Painted Hive gives you the details on making the very inexpensive (and cheap looking) Moppe Drawers from Ikea into this lovely, antique-y looking card catalog for your desk.

Use a little stain, get some cute brass label holders, flip the drawers backwards, and voila!  I may have missed a step in there, but it's all very easy - pretty much a 20 minute project.

I also think these would be awesome outside of an office environment. Wouldn't these be great to hold recipes in a kitchen, or hold makeup, or q-tips, or other bathroom supplies?

Seemed like the other trick to making them appear authentic was to sand the corners down a bit so they looked worn, and using Danish oil for a slight sheen... who knew?!

After a quick search online, I'm seeing these drawers available only on the UK Ikea site, however they may have a different name here.

I'll report back on what I find!