New White and Blue Living Room Project

This was such a fun e-design project.  My client/new friend, Gail, lives about an hour away  (but it can be much farther in Los Angeles traffic). 

   So, we updated her living room via the web.  We aren't completely finished but I stopped by her home on my way back from Mammoth and want you to see the progress!

Here are some "before" photographs.

The paint color needed refreshing and with the ottoman coffee table and chair ottoman ...just too many ottomans.

The sofas needed replacing.  Since the room is rectangular, I recommended a long sofa on the long wall and a love seat on the shorter wall.

They watch television in here and the leather ottoman is a good place to put their feet up.

The cool bamboo chair needed some weight added for balance.

This is one gorgeous cat...and I'm sure the

bergere chair was gorgeous at one time, too.

Here's the initial paint recommendations and suggestions using my clients fabric (Gail SEWS and already had a big stash of material).  I selected my favorites and combinations.

I recommended recovering the bergere chair but losing the ottoman.  Also, to paint the standard red fireplace brick black.  Painting the bamboo chair also black with some rubbed gold and cushions gives it a weightier look.  My client made the pillows!  I'd like a small drink table in between these two chairs.

GAIL DID THE EMBROIDERED MONOGRAM, TOO!

Here we have one of the new slipcovered sofas and pillows.  Her husband is an expert carpenter and made the book cases!!  What a team.  I suggested staining the tops of the cabinets a mahogany (a hassle after it was already made) but he DID it!

Gail bought the Chinese jars at Home Goods.  Loving the pillows!

Her husband made this new piece and she stained/finished it.  This is to the right of the fireplace and we balanced it with a tree on the left. Notice the updated lamp shade...that's an easy fix for any lamp.

I am cutting the top of the mirror off in the photo as it is a bit too tall (out of scale).  Gail is an artist and we'd like some art here and then a mirror on the mantel...a follow-up post.  The totally in style aged brass lamps were also updated with new drum shades.

Let me show you more of her house...for which I, unfortunately, cannot take any credit  :)

Watercolors done by my client...awesome.

Happy laundry/butler's pantry.

Here is her backyard.  Notice the slope.  She lives in the Glendale foot hills, towards the mountains...a pretty place.

Another look at her lovely living room...

My photos aren't so hot...I needed more sunlight.  I used my better camera but it was mid-afternoon and already getting dark!  I'm not crazy about the shorter days.  How about you?

Here's a sneaky shot of Gail...all that talent and she is beautiful, too!

Best wishes!  

Rustic Table Setting and Roasted Lemon Cauliflower

 This is a fun way to use all the giant pinecones that I have been collecting in Mammoth Lakes, California. Using a chalk marker, I wrote names on chalk board tags from Save On Crafts.  (The names can be washed off with water).

I can use them again for gift tags.

The rattan placemats, from Pier One, I use all year long.  

The table cloth is striped cotton linen fabric (that I won from Design Indulgence--thanks, Sherry).

The black napkins are from Target.

 Try this super simple, tasty dish...
Roasted Lemon Garlic Cauliflower

• preheat the oven at 400 degrees
• chop one head of cauliflower and mince three garlic cloves
• drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, sea salt and pepper, mix
• bake for 20 minutes (should be getting a little brown)
• sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and put back in the oven for 5 minutes
• take out of oven, sprinkle with the juice of one lemon and two tablespoons chopped parsley

 Classic•casual•home was listed among T & G Interiors Blogging Friends post.  Julie Taylor and Danni Greenwalt are talented southern California designers.   Here's an example of their work.  Hopefully, we'll get to meet in person one day!

Lucky Gretchen Giannatti (comment number 24) won the $100 giveaway credit for the designer pillows from Woodyliana.  Congratulations, Gretchen!

 Here's another rustic look with the same grocery store roses and cloth and
whitewashed wooden placemats from West Elm.

On Saturday, during the six hour car ride from Mammoth to Newport Beach, I was a 

Pinterest Pinning Fool using my I-phone app (don't worry, I wasn't driving, our son Tommy was).   Now, I can see how people get hooked. 

Thanks for being here!

participating in 

Home for the Holidays Party,  Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence 

Holiday Tablescapes at Bliss.

Tuesday Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Important Pillow Tip and Thank You

Following my previous post on Liana's beautiful pillows,

here are some more of her ethnic and wintery pillows.

That's Liana's charcoal cashmere throw blanket from 

Restoration Hardware...I want it.

Can you see how great these pillows go with the dining room fabric? 

I WANT all of these.  Major self control to let Liana walk out the door with them.

How to Sanitize and 

Refresh Your Pillow Inserts

1. Safety pin each side of the zipper and then remove the down and feather insert.

2.  Spray the insert with Lysol on both sides and let sit for 30 minutes

3.  Put the insert in a kitchen trash bag, gather top and attach a vacuum cleaner hose.  Suck out all the air.  Pillow will compress.  This removes dust and mites.

4.  Place insert in dryer with two tennis balls and run with no heat (air fluff) for 2 minutes.  This will create a fresh plump cushion!

Also, when ironing your pillow covers, do it inside out or with a paper towel covering the fabric.

Look what Liana brought to my house for our "Pillow Play Date." 

I like the look of the box...and what's inside it!

We sampled a few with coffee...and I could have played all day...but we were losing sunlight.

Liana also gave me this pretty orchid from Roger's Gardens.  

She knew these colors would work in my home.  So thoughtful!

Love the succulents at the base.

Liana has good prices for high quality, designer fabric pillows 

at her Etsy Shop.

If you haven't already, don't forget to enter the give-away HERE.  

Ends this Saturday.

Pillow Fabric Sources: Pinstripe in black - Belgian Velvet black pinstripe with flax linen backing, Paisley print - "Indian Paisley" hand printed cotton batik, Light orange/apricot pillow - Lee Jofa/Suzanne Rheinstein "Indian Zag", Flour Sack - Restoration Hardware "Flour Sack" pillow cover

I just made this easy banner to hang in Mammoth.  The free printable is here.

I am thankful for you!

Participating in Home Sweet Home,  Wow Us Wednesday
and Open House Party.

Pillow Master's Tips and $100 Giveaway

While searching Etsy for "Designer Fabric Pillows" 

I found Liana and her gorgeous pillow covers at WoodyLiana.   

AND it turns out...she lives near me!

Liana is darling and unassuming and in my book...."The Pillow Master." 

She runs a top quality, single person shop AND has a husband and two small boys.

These pillows were made for me recently...look at that hidden zipper.

The pillows covers came beautifully packaged.  

In fact, Liana delivered them to me.  

Which prompted my daughter to say 

"Wow, Mom, you got it bad...

your dealer is delivering to your door now."

Liana often gets decorating questions emailed to her, but prefers that her customers get professional advice.  She says "A single hour of consultation with a trained professional can cost as much as a single pillow, and will be much more valuable than all the time, stress and wasted money you'd spend on experimenting."    But you could submit questions here for a follow-up post.

How to Stuff A Pillow Cover:

1.  Put safety pins at either side of the zipper to reinforce it.  Liana says that no matter the quality, zippers can be damaged during this process.

2. Fold the Pillow in half (makes total sense--but I didn't know this)

(Use down and feather for all indoor pillows--more plush--of course).

Notice Liana's cute bracelets?

3. Stuff the pillow with the front on the bottom

4.  Cinch on both waists to push the feathers towards the corners.  

Et Voila!  

Let's play with her pillows at my house!

Change Your Look By 

Switching A Pillow or Two

1. Pretty Aqua Combination

2.  Ice Blue Combination:  by adding the Chevron Lumbar and a Solid Blue Velvet

3.  Introducing Splashes of Citron

And now for the $100 Give-away!

Win a $100 value towards any of Liana's pillows 

in stock at her Etsy shop.  International entries are welcome, too.

Just pin your favorite photo from her shop.  And/or become a follower here or on Facebook and leave a COMMENT BELOW (make sure I have your email address).

Note:  If you are receiving this by email, go here to comment at the end of the post.

Fabric sources:

Embroidered Ikat - Schumacher / Martin Bullard  "Raja Embroidery"

Turquoise Animal print - Lee Jofa/ Kelly Wearstler  "Feline"

Greek key border pillow - Libeco Linen "Milano" with Greek Key jacquard border 

Blue Silk lumbar  - Brunschwig Fills "Chevron Bar silk"

Ice blue velvet - Knoll textiles "Callais Velvet"

Citrine Chevron/Greek Key embroidery - Schumacher / Martin Bullard "Nebaha Embroidery"

Citrine Textured - Schumacher "Betwixt"

Note: $100 store credit expires in 60 days from date of drawing.

Good luck!  

You will love her pillows.

Look for my next post for more wintery pillows and Liana's tips.

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps On The Porch

Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple