Ladies & A Gentleman's Chest

February 16, 2016 Cate | StyleMutt Home

It's not very often you score a "white whale" on Craigslist - or in my case, a teak whale:

I think I got lucky because the listing (written by an interesting Russian man as I found out at pick-up) was titled "Drawers." Any furniture flipper's usual search for dresser would have ruled it out - so luck was on my side!

Upon closer inspection I found out the full good news and bad news. The bad news: there was some serious damage on the base - mysterious splatter stains and what appeared to be some water damage. But here was the good news: it was certifiably a true Danish Mid-Century Modern piece.

Very exciting! Once he was home, the repair-sleuthing began. I had to figure out how to treat the mystery splatter and how to repair any wood rot. I tried stripping the finish to see if that would get the splotchy stains off - no such luck. I tried carving out the bubbled and soft wood on the base so I could correct it with wood filler. Futile. And as I chipped away at the damage, I began to realize from the stench it was not water damage I was dealing with at all. It was dog urine! YUCK!!! Now what?! Who would want to buy a dresser that's already been claimed by some pooch's bottomless bladder?!

Not gonna lie - I panicked a little. I lay it down on it's back to put some desperate elbow grease in it. After trying a few more things (to no avail) and pacing around the garage for a while, I noticed the affected area seemed to be contained to the base and not the drawers. Upon even closer inspection, the rotten "shoe" proved to be removable! I was saved!

I couldn't unscrew that stinky piece of wood fast enough. And go figure, my natural instinct was to replace it with sleek tapered legs. You know me...

I sanded the whole beast down to a buttery-soft naked smooth. Then I oiled him up with some Watco (wow that sounds sexual).

Every suspected drop of urine was buffed right out. (Twice for good measure).

Now, instead of being greeting by a fowl smell, you can take in the rich and pleasant wood grain.

You can actually appreciate the dovetailed drawers are and beautifully crafted wooden tracts.

The storage goes on for days...

and days...

Yessir, he's a gentleman just as bit as dapper as the lucky fella (or lady) who will one day take him home ;)

Mid-Century Danish Gentleman's Chest
45"L x 18"D x 45"H
$800 SOLD

Hey Washington, DC friends! If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, please email me at cate@stylemutthome.com.

Reader Design: Lisa's Fashion-Forward Farmhouse

February 12, 2016 Cate | StyleMutt Home

As I promised in my last post, today's reader design is a fun blend of fashion and bold vignettes. With the life of a jet-setting fashion designer, Lisa's new-found happy place is her countryside home on outskirts of Seattle... I mean, just look at that view!

From Lisa:

I have been designing clothes for over 30 years in the Seattle region... I have always followed interior design because it is so closely related to fashion and I love creating and advising others to create a unique home! My style is hard to define, but my approach and goal is to make my home a visual "experience" so I think I would call my style "experiential". I love to incorporate my fashion background and travels to evoke a sense of history, function and whimsy!!! (Framed garments are sprinkled around my home!) I want people to enjoy every corner in my home and get a design "fix" when they look around each room....I love it when my friends feel empowered to go home and change things up a bit in their own homes!

Her career has taken her to NYC, LA, Munich, India, Paris, London, Korea, HK, Montreal, Toronto and (Hong Kong 36 times!) - working with sophisticated brands such as Nordstrom's, Cutter & Buck, Annika Sorenstam's Collection by CB, Unionbay Jeans, Eddie Bauer and coat/ outerwear collections for Trina Turk and Pendleton. Quite the resume I'd say!

We transformed a 1937 farmhouse into our current home. We stripped the house down to the studs [while]... my husband, son and I lived in a duck hunting lodge on our property for 5 months while we renovated this home! I re-oriented the back door to become the front, with the expert help of an architect. During the warmer months we have hot air balloons floating by my kitchen window regularly! It's a treat to see!

In the Home Office, this mannequin is just "wearing" fabric that I draped and pinned on it ...I love having a pin board to see my lastest inspo ideas and tear sheets...I made the chalkboard from a old ugly print that I painted over, I loved the gold frame. My computer screen is huge so I can design multiple garments and get a big picture view of what the heck I am doing. I tend to get a little lost in my work at times and forget to eat, etc...I have an artist's personality and easily lose track of time!

This would be the office of my dreams Lisa! A big visual board, comfy/cute chair, and adorably organized desk space... yum.

In the master bedroom, the [featured] artwork is a framed Chanel wool coat from the Paris boutique. I was lucky to buy this at one of our private Nordstrom "design sample" sale...it cost less than a couple lattes...heehee. This wall was blank for 6 years until one day, I thought, hey, I don't wear that coat very often but I think it would be fun to hang on the wall...the rest is history! I framed it with a black velvet trim and sprayed a hanger to match (recede to the wall) and voile' art!

Ooohh the perks for being a fashionists! Tres jealous, Lisa. But what a great idea to incorporate beloved sentimental pieces into your decor!

In the living room, I made the coffee table from a wooden crate and thrifted mirror that cost me $5! I love the natural elements, again on my mantel and the hide rug (a birthday gift from my hubby). Our floors are original to the home (1937) fir, they get "scars" easily as my husband would say...but we both like that well-worn effect, so shoes are welcome on them.

I wish my hubby would get me a cowhide rug for my birthday *hint hint Caleb*

I hang branches everywhere in my home, I love the graphic quality and the expense!!! And they are always available on our property, I spray them or paint them with white to freshen them up a bit...after I "de-bug" them of course!!!

For my kitchen island I chose to have in a dark wood finish to make it feel like a focal piece of furniture. I love the book shelves on one end and wine storage on the other. I also have this "thing" for butherblock tops...I LOVE WOOD. I love to polish this island with natural wood oil. My grandfather had an amazing woodworking studio in his basement and I loved to sweep up the saw dust when I was a little girl visiting my grandparents home. Even the smell of wood gets me! I think that's why all my candles are pine or wood scented! Haha

I made the entry leaning mirror from our last home's bathroom re-model. I salvaged the mirror because it had a beautiful beveled edge and was HUGE....bought a hand saw and miter box, a sheet of plywood for the backing and cut and painted frame by myself. I own all the power tools in our home!!! Haha...

Welcome to the club Lisa ;)

That pheasant feather wall art was based off an actual feather Lisa's husband found at a friend's Montana ranch. She cleverly printed a photo on architectural vellum and then paints over in acrylic and mounted it on wood to create our favorite faux pull-down chart art.

Thank you so much for inviting us into your home Lisa! If you are as inspired by Lisa's fashion-forward touches to her home, be sure to follow her on instagram @ellegeestudio for more!

And remember my decor-loving friends, you don't have to be a well-traveled savant or even plumb trend-inclined to have your space featured here and on our Spaces page - just a home you love and your unique point of view. Tag your pics with #stylemuttspaces on instagram or facebook and we'll contact you for more info.

¡Olé! for Serape

February 9, 2016 Cate | StyleMutt Home

So besides settling into our new apartment, I've also been settling into my new job. My schedule has been rather unruly as of late but the new gig does have perks... like it's own private thrift store! Yup, you heard me right - the company I work for has a monthly thrift store where the proceeds go toward a charitable fund. And the beside the remarkable prices, the best part is that employees get first dibs! Twas there that I scored this er... beauty...

What I liked most about it was its lines: tapered mid-century legs with brass feet and the beautifully bowed wood back. What I did NOT like however, was the icky gray-brown stain [the picture really doesn't do it justice] and well that... interesting floral print.

Now let me shed some insight on the inner-workings of my head when I'm hunting for a piece to flip. First, I scan the thrift store for a piece with "potential." Once I identify my target, I then assess my options. Sometimes I know exactly what I would do to cute-ify it, sometimes all I have to go on is a je ne sais quoi. Next step is to check the price - is it a steal? If it is, I pull the trigger and buy - plan or no. I'm sure inspiration will strike sooner or later...

And sometimes inspiration strikes sooner rather than later. In this case, it struck while I'm walking back to my office with my haul. Have you also noticed this recent design trend of reupholstering mid-century furniture in unexpected textiles...?

I think I love this budding trend because of [you guessed it] all of the colorsssssssssss.

Now I begin to take stock of potential supplies and remember that I brought home a stray Mexican serape blanket a few months ago. It's PERFECT and now I officially have a plan of action. The end result?

¡Olé!

The bright pinks, greens, blues, and reds of the serape are a happy pop of color to what was once a ho-hum floral.

I spent 6-ish hours stripping stain to reveal the original warm wood underneath but it's so worth it because now the wood is a buttery soft texture instead of a shellac.

The backrest cushion was a happy accident. I didn't really care for the original metal bars as a decorative element. I realized I had some spare batting from my cowhide bench so I wrapped it in extra serape fabric and hand stitched the cushion into place.

I also got that epic rattan plant stand at work for $5!

It's such a simple idea with a BOLD impact. ¿No? If you like statement pieces then be sure to check back in with us on Friday for our next #stylemuttspaces reader design! Hasta la vista mis amigos ;)