Why Don't You... Gold Leaf All The Things.

I am as crazy as ever over gold leaf! I know it can feel like an intimidating project, but metallic leaf is actually a breeze to use! I've got a good little stockpile of different colors and kinds put aside and I'm itching to tackle a couple of the projects I've seen floating around the web (elaborate list below!).

There area some pretty cool gift ideas in the mix here. Or if you're like me and you get a little bored/stir crazy during the week between Christmas and New Years, there are some fun home project ideas here too. Most of these use leaf (which I think always ends up giving the best result), but there's also a little spray paint, leaf pen and Rub N Buff thrown in the mix here.

1) These gilded gift boxes from You Are My Fave are beautiful! She bought the wooden boxes at Michaels for only a dollar! Cheap and chic.

2) Dying over how expensive and legit this abstract gold stripey faux wallpaper looks from Patchwork and Co.

3) Jordan and her team always share the coolest project ideas, including this iPhone case DIY (from Oh Happy Day).

4) I love this twist on the painted-out vintage globe idea! From Love and Renovations.

5) This one's not a tutorial, but I think it would be easy to DIY something inspired by this Natural Curiosities art piece!

6) What's the surest way to make me love something lucite even more? Add a little gold leaf edging! From A Bubbly Life.

7) I want to make a whole wall of these leafed clipboards to help us stay organized. From My Fabuless Life.

8) Continuing on with the office supply theme, I'm LOVING this mouse pad tutorial from Lovely Indeed! Another great gift idea.

9) This one is FOR SURE happening at my house. I mean, wow!! Again, no tutorial, just pure inspiration here. I can't wait to find a beat up Eames shell chair on Craigslist and go to town!

10) This Hicks knock-off wall is an oldie, but such a goodie. I would love to recreate this in my girls bathroom. From Almost 40 year old Intern.

11) This little plate DIY would make an awesome present add-on. Who wouldn't want a pretty piece of jewelry and a really cool catch-all to hold it? From Homey Oh My.

12) Again, no tutorial, but this image from designer Stephen Knollenberg is a favorite. It seems like the beautiful art could be recreated on a big piece of watercolor paper? I love all the white space.

13) I love these high gloss gold terra-cotta pots! It seems like a little gold spray paint and a lot of spray lacquer could recreate the look?

14) I've seen a couple tutorial for gold leaf laurel crowns where you just spray paint real leaves and it looked really great! This door wreath is a similar idea and I wish I would have seen it before decorating for Christmas this year! Next year, I guess.

15) This gold leaf table lamp is completely amazing. I know IKEA used to sell a floor lamp (maybe a table version too?) in a really similar shape. I'd love to try and recreate this look!

16) How cool are these planters? I'm definitely wanting a version of the one on the right especially. I love the pink color too. From Hunt and Bow.

17) I'm crazy over the unexpected, artistic finish on this console! What a cool statement piece for an entry!

18) This pretty brushstroke balloon DIY was this inspiration for tomorrow's project that I'm excited to share! 

Alright friends, what great gold projects am I leaving out? Have you tackled anything you're extra proud of? I'd love to see it!

Kilim Rug Upholstered Furniture

Ever since this project that I did for Domino, I've been obsessed with upholstering furniture with flat woven rugs.

It's surprisingly easy to work with the thicker material (especially if you have this amazing staple gun) and it just looks so unique. Not to mention it is super hard-wearing and stain-resistant!

I'm in the middle of two different rug upholstery projects that I'm excited to share with you soon. I'm hoping to start a third rug upholstery project right away too, since hunching over is getting more and more tricky these days! I just need to find a good (and cheap) kilim to use. I found this curvy headboard for almost nothing at a junk store here locally and I think it would look so great in a pastel, washed out stripey kilim for one of the girls rooms. I'm thinking white linen for the welting.

When I first stumbled on the headboard, I thought of this super-cool ikat version that Amanda Nesbit used in this House Beautiful room makeover:

It's not quite the same as mine - but I like the concept of a really interesting ethic textile on the upholstery paired with pretty, simple bedding.

I'm sort of thinking of more of a stripe at this point for our curvy headboard, sort of like this one:

Costas Picadas

I've got some ideas up my sleeve, but in the meantime, here are some of my favorite inspiration images for kilim-upholstered furniture pieces.

source

Wisteria  //  Safavieh  //  Anthropologie

Barrington Blue

Fab.com  //  Andrew Martin

West Elm

Barrington Blue

Have you ever used a rug to upholster a bench or a chair? I'm thinking I have my work cut out for me with the curves of that headboard. It might end up being a job for my upholsterer, but I'm willing to try first. He gives me a deal when I've stripped off the old fabric for him anyway. :)

(PS I wish Wisteria still made that black and white settee. It was so pretty!!)

Sliding Pantry Door

We are still chipping away at improvements to our kitchen area. The faux soapstone black concrete counter tops are holding up fine, but the cabinets have never been great. We added some moulding and painted them this year, which made them prettier for sure. But you know, they're still junk, and they don't work well.

The biggest problem though is the layout is really cramped and awkward - especially with the dining area in here. We'd love to move everything around and start fresh when the time is right. It might be six months from now, or five years from now, but I've been making plans and Pinterest boards and visiting showrooms in my free time because I'm a crazy lady and I love this stuff. :)  I have dreams where I fret over inset vs full overlay cabinets (in reality thinking inset for uppers and overlay for base cabs), and long sessions with SketchUp doing elevations of double-height uppers. Good times.

Anyway, like I said, we are still doing little projects here and there in the kitchen and mudroom areas to make the space function better in the meantime. I'm hoping to really only do the permanent fixes from here on out - things that won't change during the bigger reno we have planned for down the road. One of the spots that doesn't function well is the pantry area.

It's dark in this little hallway, especially when the doors are shut. Also, the doors catch on each other all the time so if someone forgets to close the pantry door, and you open the mudroom door, they slam together and lock you in! Then you'll have to stand in the mudroom with your face squished between the doors all Here's Johnny style, hollering for someone to come help. Lame.

I like having an interior door to the mudroom for lots of reasons, so that can't go, but I'm thinking about replacing the solid door with a glass paned door to let in more light to the pantry hall.

And then I'd love to widen the door to the pantry just a bit and add a sliding door. I think I've always liked the look of sliding barn doors in other houses, but I never really planned on using one for myself. I think they are great space savers though and they don't always have to look super rustic. I'd love for mine to feel less "barn door" and more modern. Maybe with a simple paneled door on a pretty minimalist track? I've not been able to find a photo with exactly what I'm hoping for, but here are some of my inspiration images:

BHG

source

source 

source

source

Elle Decoration

House Beautiful

I'd love to hear any tips you might have on sliding doors before I tackle this project. I'm waffling between ordering two narrow doors similar to the closet doors below and just seeing what I can find or make myself.

Jeld-Wen

Chalkboard Markers on Picture Frames

How great is this living room of one of my readers, Linda?

She wrote to me:  "I recently spied my old chalk board markers and randomly decided to draw on the glass of a couple picture frames.  It ended up being super fun and I liked the look (a bit irreverent), so thought I would share with you.  It's so simple and something your girls might enjoy for personalizing existing framed pictures.  And it wipes right off with a damp paper towel."

I love this! It is endlessly exciting for me to see the creative ideas you guys come up with. Sometimes the blog world can feel a little stale and your submissions are like a breath of fresh air in my inbox! :) If you'd like to share one of your ideas, feel free to email me.

And for kicks, here are just a few more photos of Linda's pretty living room. Man, I'm so loving dark wall color, always and forever.