AT LEAST I’m woman enough to admit it – I have been the end of  myrtle topiaries, ferns, a king ficus or two, and enough dead orchids to earn me the name “Orchid Killer” around here.

But despite my terrible past, I have to confess {don’t tell the hubs!}, I can’t stop thinking about trying out a new plant. You see, for the past year, my eye has been drawn to a certain indoor tree that I can’t get out of my head.

I keep coming across interiors with these gorgeous trees, and I can’t get enough of them! I love the height, colour, and texture they add to a space. And {I hate to say it!}…. I want one.

For awhile I had no clue what they were. But one lucky {or unlucky for my husband, as it led me one step closer to being able to purchase one of these babies} day I discovered their name. Emma over at  The Marion House Book  has a gorgeous one in her living room {see 4th image}, and kindly replied to my comment asking about it. Thanks Emma!!!

Their name? Fiddle-leaf Fig {or for you botanists/latin buffs/non-plant killers out there, “Ficus Lyrata”}.

Now, all you married ladies out there know that when you really really want something that you just know your husband won’t be thrilled about, you have to build a case, right? So, I did my research, and found out why this gorgeous tree might, just might, have a chance of surviving me.

The Scoop on Fiddle-leaf Figs from Martha Herself:

• easy to care for {ding ding ding! we have a winner!}
• loves a bright, sunny location {just like our living room…}
• water thoroughly only when surface is dry to the touch, likes periods of drought {I excel at periods of drought}
• groom by removing yellowed foliage
• mist occasionally
• every 2 years or so repot  to avoid becoming rootbound
• occasionally dust leaves with  a soft cloth

Dummy-proof, right? Now, although I haven’t yet won him over, nor have I found a place that sells these trees locally, here is an example of faith and confidence my friends: I have already purchased the perfect container for my plant-to-be, and it’s sitting positioned in the living room waiting patiently! Hmm confident ….or delusional?

So y’all, what do you think? Any words to add to convince the hubs that I should delve into the houseplant ring again? Any tips for keeping one of these beauties alive???

*images sources on mouseover

I loved how it had that John Robshaw, Indian block print feel that everyone is crazy for at the moment {for a very very nice pricepoint…$32}. For some reason though, I didn’t get around to ordering any, and temporarily forgot about it {that happens to me sometimes…}

But then my lovely pillow jumped off the pages of the latest Lonny Magazine the other day {hello, lover}

and the infatuation has been renewed….scurries off to find her Mastercard for a late night potterybarn.com rendevouz…

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After a couple of days settling in after being away on a wonderful vacation {more on that later after I weed through my gazillions of photos}, this Mommy decided she needed to get off her duff and find a little time to take some pics and give you all an update on a few projects around Maison Amadatsu. This poor little blog has been sorely neglected {you know you all were thinking it too } so I wanted to give you an update on some bits and pieces that have fallen into place for Miss Carys’ bedroom design { go HERE to see the original design scheme}.

Mini Project #1 – Tea Party Set

Seriously, I didn’t know Ikea furniture could last this long! Jeff gave his niece Katherine (now 13) a little Ikea table and chair set probably about 10 years ago. She enjoyed it for many years, as did her younger sister Megan, and they passed it along to Carys a couple months ago when they were doing a garage clean out. Miss Carys was thrilled! The little lady loved it right away, and {while it was in the kitchen, before it made its way to her room} insisted on eating her cheerios at it every morning.

BUT, the set needed a little TLC before it fit with her room plan, so it was paint to the rescue! At first I envisioned a mid-pink {indulge me folks, I come from a family of WAY too many boys, I am enjoying EVERY LAST MINUTE of this pink experience!} for the entire set, and bought a quart of Benjamin Moore’s “Spring Blossom” half strength. It truly is a gorgeous pink, and Ben and I got to work painting the one extra odd chair {this was one I picked up at a thrift store for $6}.

Once it was dry, I knew I loved the colour {and Ben reassured me that it was a “good pink”}, but decided that all the pieces in this shade would be too much. So, a little mixing took place…. half strength BM Spring Blossom + leftover BM Decorators White {please don’t ask me the ratios!} resulted in….

A colour good enough to eat! The other two chairs from Ikea got a coat of the custom shade, and the table was done in Benjamin Moore “Simply White” {love that colour}. Wonder what the full set looks like? read on….

Mini Project #2 – Pillows

Now, as important as it is to have a gameplan for a room, you have to allow for deviations….sometimes that’s where the magic happens. Often you stumble across things you hadn’t thought of for a room, and it’s a better design because of it. In this case, I stumbled across a great fabric at a discount fabric store. A pink and white seersucker in the perfect shade to go with the wallpaper. Not what I’d initially planned on for the bedskirt, but I snapped up the remaining 3 meters knowing it would be fantastic for that use {paired with a white duvet} as well as for covers for floor pillows {Carys is a lounger, and I wanted a couple of cushy pillows for below her wall mounted bookshelf for reading}. Then, I came across a pink and white trellis print pillow {$12.99 at HomeSense, feather insert included!} which worked great with the scheme. Finally, I pulled some gray and white striped silk remnants left from a previous project from my fabric stash. Sweet!

{Ben demonstrating the lounging capabilities of the pillows}

Mini Project #3 – Bedside Table Lamp

I love alabaster lamps. LOVE THEM. I had planned to use one in Carys’ bedroom on her bedside table/dresser. However, my hunt for one at a reasonable pricepoint {er, at least at what I was HOPING to spend} proved fruitless. Let’s just say there were a few sad evenings when the price on my ebay auctions climbed too high. Somewhere in Chicago there is a lucky winner enjoying Carys’ alabaster lamp…. Alas, along came Plan B. Enter Value Village and their lighting aisle. I brought home this ugly lamp {$4.99!} with a little spray painting session in mind….

a can of this stuff….

and this was the result:

Fresh and pretty, right? As much as I have a weakness for expensive things, I love mixing high AND low, and there is nothing like the thrill of creating something pretty for a bargain.

Now, I bet you all are wondering what the kiddies where doing while I was snapping pictures? Well, that pretty pink and white tea party table was just sitting there, BEGGING to be used, so an impromtu party started. A couple of Carys’ favourite pals joined the fun…

and we grabbed a quick posy from the garden to dress up the table.

But you can only IMAGINE the temptation that jug of blooms was for a 16 month old…

EWWW! Mama, put down that camera and control your impish child! Good thing big brother is here…He’ll show you how tea parties are done!

Ahhh. Order restored. Where would the world be without first borns?? Can you guess which camp I’m in?

Thanks for braving it through this long, picture-intensive, PINK post! Hope you enjoyed a peek into the progress on my little girls bedroom,

PS I’m linking with Between Naps on the Porch where bloggers gather to share fabulous before & afters!

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My adventures in wallpapering

Two weeks ago  two lovely rolls of this paper arrived for my daughters room – I was so excited!

I got to work, painting three of Carys’ bedroom walls (the paper was only going on one wall) a nice crisp white which I felt would look great against the pink, especially with the fresh white of the magnolia blossoms. My pick? Simply White by Benjamin Moore, a new favorite.

This was the result once I was done painting {yes, it looks terrible in there, but remember it’s the BEFORE pictures so be kind!}

Then my mom came over and we got cracking installing that pretty paper ! Carys was game to get involved too….and took to playing with the tub of paste while we planned things out.

We developed a system of stretching each length of paper out on the kids bathroom floor and into the hallway to prep before applying to the wall.  {Question – do real wallpaper installers use packages of baby wipes and kids blocks to weigh down the roll prior to trimming? We’ll put that in the “resourceful” category, shall we?}

After an hour and half, here was our progress:

Two measly lengths were up! At this rate we’d be at it all day! Do you think this slow progress had anything to do with our two “helpers”?

Hmmm, maybe it was time to call in reinforcements. A quick phone call and we were saved! Uncle Conor (my youngest brother) and his girlfriend arrived to babysit the monkey’s while Mom and I finished the job.

And, funny enough, it only took 45 {child-free} minutes to finish the remaining 4 lengths. Yet another example of the greatest truth of Motherhood. CHILDREN = INEFFICIENCY.

Here’s a peek at the completed wall:

I just adore how the paper turned out, and I am even more excited now to finish the rest of the room! What’s up next? Making a simple upholstered headboard {using House and Home’s online tutorial} in white which will really pop against the paper. Finishing painting Carys’ tea party table, hunting down bedlinens, switching out the venetian blinds for roman blinds, and adding some art. Given how busy I am with projects for my real clients {not that you don’t count Carys dear!} these won’t be getting done super fast, but I’ll be steadily chipping away at them as time allows – and will show you the progress!

PS I think once this room is done I’m gonna want to move in! Retro is in, maybe Jeff and I will be totally 1950′s and have his and her bedrooms?

Black-brown paint (leftover from my mother-in-laws recent patio furniture painting project), a little distressing here and there, et voila, the perfect bedside  table for my little man’s room!

PS I’m taking part in “Metamorphisis Monday” at Between Naps on the Porch Blog. Head on over there starting tomorrow to see some other great Before and Afters!

I ordered the pink version from Persimmon and Pink’s Etsy shop:

I plan to pop it in an antique gold frame I already have. I think it will look great with her room scheme.

Have you had any great Etsy finds lately??

]]> http://www.kerrisdaledesign.com/decorating/art-print-from-persimmon-and-pink-etsy-shop/feed/ 3 http://www.kerrisdaledesign.com/decorating/eames-management-chair/ http://www.kerrisdaledesign.com/decorating/eames-management-chair/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:19:05 +0000 Kerrisdale Design http://blog.kerrisdaledesign.com/?p=767 As I have mentioned before, I’m trying to get our office looking a little prettier over the next month or so, and another component to the plan arrived yesterday!

I have long coveted the Eames Management chair. I adore the edgy contrast of  how a white one looks paired with a rougher wood table or desk, and that has been my plan for our office/den space. Now, confession, I did not fork out the money for the real deal. Yes, that is a huge debate in blogland (replicas vs. authorized repros) which I will leave for another time. The one I ended up getting was a replica, and a steal at that. I scooped up a floor model from Eternity Modern for a mere $220! Score! The chair is incredibly comfy, and I have to say, I do enjoy being able to pivot back and forth slightly as I type away on the computer!

Originally designed in 1958, this chair has reached iconic status, and has become a true modern classic. Want to see some gorgeous interiors which have made use of this style? It appears to be the choice of many for office chairs, but don’t count it out at the dining table too (in the armless version). I think my kids would be too distracted spinning if we had them at our dining table, but I love the look that designer Colleen McGill has created with their use in her project (last image).

EDIT: Totally forgot this lovely image (editors office from the movie “Sex and the City”) when I first published the post!

So what kind of chair do you have at your desk? Anyone with an Eames Management Chair, replica or real deal?

Here it is (click for larger view):

And here is my girl (at 3 months, though she is now a big girl of 14 months!) who I’m decorating it for (can’t resist posting pictures of her whenever I can find the excuse!):

Thoughts? I’m off to bed so leave me your comments and ideas to enjoy with my morning coffee!

For ages I was sure on colours etc and the general direction for her room. It was going to be a simple scheme of gray and white with accents of a nice vintage-y yellow or a melon pink. I didn’t want anything TOO froo-froo or babyish for her, just something elegant and pretty.

That was until I stumbled across this wallpaper ~

Cole & Son’s “Magnolia”

And my plans went out the window! I’m now picturing this pretty pattern all over just one wall (the one the bed will be against) and the others a fresh white. A white linen upholstered headboard with antique brass nailhead detail would look gorgeous against this pretty pink wallpaper!

I found online a picture of a bathroom where someone used this pattern to give an idea of how it looks on the wall:

Decisions, decisions. I think I’ll be back with design boards for each scheme and get some feedback from you stylish readers!

A Craigslist find, this console helps to keep our lives a little more organized. The bottom section has two levels of shelving where we keep the kids shoes, mittens, hats, etc. as well as my purse (or Miss Carys will steal it, open it up and I’ll find credit cards, licenses, and other important items strewn throughout the house!). The top drawer was one big space, to which I added little bamboo boxes to divide it into sections- pens, spare change, receipts, keys, wallets, blackberry’s, mail.

Here is the BEFORE:

And here is the AFTER: 

{DETAILS}

Thanks for taking a peek!

PS I’m taking part in “Metamorphisis Monday” at Between Naps on the Porch Blog. Head on over there starting tomorrow to see some other great Before and Afters!

So, in lieu of my “After” post, here’s a little peek into what is happening in our office. Out of all the rooms in the house (besides Carys’ bedroom perhaps), the office has been the LEAST complete since we moved in. Ok, to be totally honest, it has been a very embarrassing hodge-podge of items – boxes of books, random computer cables (nope, no charger there either, already looked!), neglected filing, and miscellaneous “temporary” furniture until we got around to getting it in order…I can’t even bring myself to post a “Before” picture…it’s that bad.

Since this room has gotten to the point of driving us CRAZY with how ugly and disorganized it is, we have prioritized furnishing it in March and April. Seriously, we are so excited. It’s a treat to have a pretty, organized space in which to work (not to mention sit at the computer drinking coffee and reading my favourite blogs!).

So, wanna see what we have planned? The office isn’t HUGE (10′ 9″ x 11′ 6″) but we still wanted to have a decent amount of shelving for all our books (and my ever growing stash of design mags), plus a good sized desk and an apartment sized sofa (with a sofa bed for guests)….Here is the floorplan I came up with:

Anyhow, you’ll be hearing more soon about the Office plans…but in the meantime, say a little prayer for that charger so i can take my “After” pictures!

 ______________

UPDATE: charger has been found – yay! Credit goes to Jeff who discovered it in a spot I looked literally a zillion times already. I hate it when you look and look and its right in front of your eyes! Thank you honey, now my blog friends will have pictures this weekend! Yay!

It’s been a busy week so far, so this is just a quick note to say I’ll have a full post for you later in the week. What’s been keeping me so busy you ask? Well, I wish I could report something exciting, but I’m afraid it’s a totally unglamorous reason…..Tax Season. I have been busy getting stuff together for two personal and two corporate tax returns for our accountants. Fun times indeed. But there is light at the end of this paperwork-filled tunnel, and I’ll be back very soon with a Before and After (who doesn’t love those?!).

It’s of a little DIY refinishing job I did on a console in our entryway. It is what keeps us (or attempts to keep us) organized….the central spot for kids hats, mittens and shoes, spare change, pens, wallets, receipts, blackberry’s, and more! To whet your appetite, here is the before shot:

A piece I scooped up from my favorite source, Craigslist! It is a very solid old walnut sideboard (used to have a hutch on top) with lot’s of space for all of our crap things . However, me and that orangey-brown didn’t get along so well, and I wasn’t too keen on the hardware either. But nothing a little paint couldn’t fix! In the interest of honesty, however, this piece sat (and was used) in our entry for months before I finally got around to painting it (a sad but common story in our house). BUT, it’s finally done and ready to show its new look….

Check back soon for the reveal!

Bedframe

Nickel finished metal frame from Restoration Hardware. I believe it’s now discontinued, but the Martha Stewart bed (shown below) is almost identical. We bought ours for a STEAL about 4 or 5 years ago at the RH Outlet (at the Seattle Premium Outlets). Neither our budget (nor my insatiable quest for a great deal) allowed for this bed normally, so you can bet how excited I was to find it heavily marked down at the outlet. Yesssss! I love a good shopping victory!

I love how it’s a more modern, updated version of an old brass bed!

Linens 

Now, I’m not normally a matchy-matchy sort of girl when it comes to bed linens. However, from the moment I started carrying the DwellStudio line at my store, I fell in love with their designs, particularly the Sketch pattern. I was not alone in my Sketch adoration either, with Angela (who worked with me) quickly becoming a fan too. Anyhow, we both ended up ordering the pattern last year for our bedrooms, and we both are so glad we did (even though we felt a bit dorky ordering the same set…we soon got over it!).  Here are a few images from the Dwell site to give you an idea of the colors and pattern. Note that it’s not a pure, crisp white or black. They call it “pearl” and “ink” and it truly is more creamy colored, accented with a brown-black.

Bedside Tables

Our bedside tables we’ve had for about 3 or so years. I bought them at one of my favorite shops for vintage furniture, The Sellution on Main Street in Vancouver. I love that they have tons of storage, they are the perfect proportions for our bed (not too low, not too high, just the right width). They had this horrible 50′s light wood finish before I got my hands on them, and the hardware was even worse. I painted them a muddy gray colour and changed the hardware to a more delicate nickel pull, and they look amazing! I still remember to this day being VERY pregnant with Ben and being out in our cold garage painting away…crazy nesting I guess .  I don’t have a picture of the tables (of course you’ll see them in the final room pics) but here is an idea of the colour and the hardware. I couldn’t remember the exact colour I used, but “Secret” from Benjamin Moore’s Affinity line is pretty close (knowing me, I probably did a little mixing with my colour anyhow to get it just right).

As for the other elements, you’ll have to wait and see! I’ve already got a wide striped rug to add a bit of edge, a pair of black and white architecture photos for over each bedside table, a black antique biedermeier armchair (one of 10 that I had at the store), as well as a pair of vintage white modern ceramic lamps which contrast nicely with the other traditional/more feminine aspects of the room. There isn’t a TON of things to do to pull the room together, here’s my TO DO list:

• Drapes (I’m thinking ivory silk, or perhaps a lighter tone of the muddy gray colour I used on the bedside tables?)
• Bedskirt (rather embarrassing how unfinished our bed looks without one, those ugly metal supports with the plastic wheels can be seen poking out from below, and the box spring is totally exposed!)
• Something for over the bed (I’m debating this one….some rooms I feel don’t call for anything over the headboard, while others do. I am partial to the look of a dark round mirror centered over a headboard, but prefer this with a solid (ie upholstered or solid wood) headboard rather than one like ours where there are spaces between bars…we’ll see about this one).
• Bedside table accessories (must have’s: a beautiful alarm clock, vase with flowers, a personal photo or two, books, decorative objects, scented candle, a tray to anchor everything)
• Art (I have already a charcoal sketch and an old etching, and I’m debating whether to bring up a painting from my dining room to use in the bedroom, the colours work so well. We’ll see what happens, as I still have a few spaces that are needing artwork)
• Paint bed wall (the colour for the room is creamy and beautiful and is a lighter tone of the bedding. I would like to keep this simple, restful feel, but think that the wall behind the bed needs something…I’m thinking of a simple paint treatment of a clear gloss varathane done in stripes over the existing paint to create a subtle stripe effect. Stay tuned for what happens on that front!)

I am already getting excited about finishing off this room! Now that I have my TO DO  list ready, I’m game to start checking things off. Can’t wait to show you the final results and I can’t wait to have one room of the house 100% complete and ready to be enjoyed…looking forward to having a restful, elegant bedroom to spend time in at the end of the day.

Have a great night everyone… the kiddies are fast asleep, so I’m off to exercise (New Years Resolution #3)! Enjoy the weekend,