How to: Make a cornice-- the at-home and easy way!

To begin, we measured the curve of the window and extended a foot out on all sides, using a large sheet of paper-- tracing the inside edge of the trim on the window with chalk, to create a pattern. 

We then laid the pattern out on a piece of plywood and using a jigsaw, cut out the shape of the cornice.  For 6 inches of depth, we had boards ripped at the store, and screwed them into the plywood front of the cornice.  We used L-brackets for additional support in fastening.

Next, we laid down a synthetic batting over the entire cornice, for padding and softness of shape.  After the batting, we laid down our fabric and trimmed it to the shape, then made sure to line it up and center it before beginning to staple.

To install above the window, we attached larger L-brackets to the wall, mounted the rods and draperies to the cornice, set the cornice ontop of and screwed into the L-brackets.

Ta-da!  Here you have it, a bold cornice -- done by you!

Fresh accents for the Greslick room

Creating a more modern, finished look in this sitting room was a bit of a challenge -- it's rich red walls, and mixture of tones and textures required a bit of creativity in finding a harmonious, balanced feel.

Before:

Solutions:

The first thing to do was switch out the area rug in the room.  The previous had become faded and was more antiquated, so we selected a colorful rug with larger florals, that seemed more to scale with the room and gave the room and younger, fresher feel.
For artwork, my client had two frames, with doilies and broaches mounted in them, that had belonged to her grandmother, so I felt it was important to incorporate these into the design of the room -- because of their significance.  I also decided to feature a fabulous painting of a woman and doves that my client already had hanging in the room. 

We kept the existing furnishings, with the exception of a few pieces (a chaise and side table), added in some lattice-patterned nesting end tables in black (for contrast and sleekness) and gold table lamps.  We fashioned a cornice to mimic those found in another room of the house, and added some new draperies and sheer curtains.  The fabric we used in the cornice is a modern touch, that ties into the shapes and colors of the framed doilies, while the drapery and sheer fabrics give the room rich pops of color.

Almost no room refresh is complete without a change in the furniture layout, so I moved the furnishings around for ease and functionality in the space, placing the sofa on the opposite wall, and moving a side chair and cabinets as well.

After:

A new seat for a crossback desk chair...

Yesterday, I was commissioned with the task of recovering a desk chair for a client as part of a room re-do for her son.

The chair was structurally in great condition, but had a few stains on the upholstery of the seat, so I decided to recover it with a Greek key patterned fabric.  This gave it a fresh look, helped to tie the chair into the other fabrics I selected for the room and provided a little variety and texture to the furnishings in the room.

Before:

Step 1. Remove seat from chair.

Step 2. Remove liner fabric from underside of seat.

Step 3: Lay out seat on top of fabric and cut out around seat.  Leave about 3" to turn over the edge of the seat and cut along the contour/curve of the seat.

Step 4: Stretch fabric over the edge of the seat, staple in place.  I used 3/16" staples for the sides, and 1/4" for the corners where the fabric is thicker from being folded over itself.  Be sure to staple about 2" from the edge of the seat, but not too close to the edge of the fabric.

Step 5:  Re-adhere liner fabric to the underside of seat.  This can be glued down, or in this case, stapled down.  Some people do not replace the liner, but it helps to give a more finished/clean look.

 

Step 6: Reassemble seat bottom to the chair base.

After:

And that is how you recover a simple crossback chair.  As easy as 1,2,3,4,5! :)

A few subtle changes; a few major effects

Hello Blog World!

One of my recent projects has been to refresh a combination living and dining room for a home in Plymouth, MI.  The space is wonderful, with great architectural features-- high ceilings, detailed wall and trim finishes, hard wood floors, and large divided windows-- allowing a lot of natural light. 

My client's concerns were the scale and proportion in the room, and creating an updated look.  She felt that the window treatments were too small for the space, and created a disproportional feel.  The oversize mirror above the sideboard in the alcove, also felt too large for the thin legs on the table and filled too much space of the alcove. 

Before:



Solutions:



To scale down the ceiling and add more cool colors into the room, we chose a blue-grey ceiling paint, leaving the existing detail work on the beams, but bringing some cooler, darker grey into the detail.

To make the window treatments more proportional, I made some floor length draperies, simple, but with a fun (more modern) pattern, to contrast with the existing cornice fabric.

In the alcove area, we brought in a smaller mirror, and my client selected a painted Harlequin Diamond pattern for a special, dramatic feature for the room.  Again, we went with a grey color, to incorporate more cool tones into the room,  but chose a darker hue for more contrast.

In rearranging the layout of the room, I removed select furnishings, and replaced some artwork to streamline and simplify the room. I rotated the sofas so they would open up to the room-- creating a more inviting living area, and ease of movement throughout the space.

We took down the vines strung around the beams, replaced hardware and drawer pulls on the cabinets, sideboard and end table, replaced the area rugs with more modern and darker ones for contrast and scaling, and brought in a few new colorful accessories as accent pieces.

And here are the after pictures you have all been waiting for -- proof that subtle and simple changes can have very grand effects!

After:

Decorative Details: