A Wink of Leather || First Flip of 2019

Welcome back StyleMutts! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season with family, friends, and food-but-not-too-much-so-you-feel-bloated food.

I myself tackled several projects around the house between Christmas and New Years (as I often like to do) and realized something...  It’s not so much the time off I enjoy most this time of year, but the moments leading up to a new year where all the challenges from the past year become eclipsed by the possibilities of the next.  What projects will I tackle? What ways will I surprise myself? What trouble will I get myself in to and then have to figure my way out of?

I like this mixture of hope and possibility.  And I’m not-so-much hoping I’ll become someone new or a better version of myself in 2019, I just want to keep being me. Doing what I love. With the people I love. And I recognize that I’m blessed already for having been doing just that all through 2018.

And I love what I do with you - sharing finished pieces or new ideas and pushing myself to try something I’ve never done before.  Friends, I managed to squeeze in one last project in 2018 to be the first project to share in the new year!

Meet Blondie:

She’s not much too look at - just a neon shade of yellow wood finish but she had great lines so I brought her home to the workshop.  One of the things that stood out to me most was that she had such tall legs - and I got to thinking... I could really have some fun with that.

First order of business: paint.  The original buttered wood wasn’t doing her any favors so I went with a good neutral: Silver Drop by Behr.

The color is a soft blend of white and a delicate light gray.  It’s not too harsh but still very warm and fresh.

To play up the height of the legs, I decided to add some interest with a “wink of leather” as Chelsea would say.

I added crossing leather straps in an X shape that are secured to each leg.  They are completely removable if you need the under dresser storage but add such a fun surprise detail to an otherwise “Plain Jane.”

Let’s take a closer look shall we? 

Originally I tried riveting the leather together  but couldn’t get the straps to bind so I ended up using brass screws with a nut on the back to hold them taut and in place. 

I also replaced the original ring pulls with bright brass whistle knobs.

I love using these knobs in projects to give a easy modern upgrade (like here and here).

If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind piece, this White + Leather moment is available for sale!  Email my contact info below for purchasing or third-party shipping options.

White + Leather Dresser
Now Available for Sale
63”L x 18”D x 34”H
$695

 If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, email me at cate@stylemutthome.com

Quick Christmas Tour || And a Giveaway!

Happy Holidays StyleMutts! Did you catch Chelsea’s Pinch of Merriment Home Tour last week? Seeing her home all decked out got me excited to do a quick Christmas tour of our own - plus you’ll get to see some more of our townhouse that I've admittedly neglected to share (even though we moved in the spring). So here’s a peek of our holiday-clad living room. Making room for the tree meant moving the $10 arm chair (oh yes - you read right ;) over by the fireplace.

Both Caleb and I grew up with candles in the windows this time of year, but apartment living never really seemed conducive to getting them. But our townhouse has finally given us a reason to get some of our own.

Our tree is always a simple one - some hand made garlands and sentimental family ornaments. And of course our vintage-rug-turned-Christmas-tree-skirt that Chelsea made for me a few years back. (Psssst: if you are looking for cute tree skirts, Chelsea recently compiled this dynamite round up)

Behind our living room sofa, you can spy some cedar garlands trickling up the bannister.

And some more around the threshold leading to the kitchen. I like to take apart my garlands smack-dab in the middle and reattach the other end to make a symmetrical frame over whichever entryway I’m decking with boughs.

If you look closely into the kitchen, you can see our Nativity sitting on the window sill.

For holiday cheer upstairs, we added a simple banner above the bed where we have been enjoying some new favorite finds from Bedsure:

This luxurious Sherpa blanket in Santa Claus red (how fitting) with it’s ever-so-soft (and reversible!) fluffy sherpa and velvety microfiber flannel.

And their 3-in-1 pillow - with 3 layers of goose down, memory foam (which you can remove if you want a softer landing), and down alternative. Plus these pillows are treated with anti-bacteria, odor, and dust mite protection!

In the spirit of the holiday, Bedsure is giving away a blanket and a pillow to two lucky winners!

Simply visit my Instagram page and look for the giveaway post to find out how to enter. Giveaway runs today only and our TWO winners will be announced tomorrow!

This concludes my quick Christmas tour - I hope you StyleMutts are remembering to not just get presents, but to be present this bustling season.

Merry Christmas to all you StyleMutts and to all a good night!

Gray Tallboy Dresser

A while back I flagged a dresser I liked on facebook, buuuuuut was too slow to seal the deal and pick it up.  But sometimes the furniture fairies give me second chances (like here for example) and just a few weeks later, I come to find out that not only was it Chelsea who nabbed it, but she had decided to clear out her private inventory and was looking to unload it!  And this time friends, I was first in line to buy it off her.

Once I got it in the workshop, I realized one of the knobs was bent out of shape (can you spot it?) and there was some small damage to the side.

So I went about conducting repairs and decided to paint and change the hardware completely.

I’ve worked with a lot of mid century modern pieces over the years.  In fact, I now exclusively prefer to restore and refinish them.  I enjoy updating their inherently clean lines with interesting paint techniques and modern hardware.

Although it had tapered legs indicative of a mid century piece, there were a few elements that made it feel more “traditional” than my usual project - the trim on the top drawer fronts, the squared-off base.  So I decided to lean into it’s existing personality and go with a more traditional look - a neutral gray for the body.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love how gold knobs play off a warm gray.  It’s a classic look that can suit clients of all ages and style sensibilities.

I replaced the pulls on the top drawers with some brass whistle knobs and swapped out the double breasted pulls on the bottom with sleek anglular center pulls.

To ground the piece a little, I kept the legs a dark walnut which only needed a little oil to help them shine again.

If you’ve been following along with us for a while, you may have noticed I tend to style my pieces with a little quirk.  Sometimes it’s a strange piece of art or sculptural element.  Sometimes it’s how I hang the art or where I place it.  But with this piece, I just wasn’t feeling my usual oddball accessories.  Eventually, I decided on a classy monochromatic color pallet - the glimpses of gold and touches of nature quietly compliment its traditional flare.

This handsome 5 drawer devil got picked up this weekend so he’s not available in the shop but if you’re interested in a custom order like it, hit me up!

Gray Tallboy Dresser
SOLD
36”W x 18”D x 44.5”H
$495


If you are interested in a custom order like this piece, email me at cate@stylemutthome.com