The Finishing Touches Pt. 2: Bedroom Reveal!

Today is the day. Today, I'm finally sharing my bedroom reveal (it's the second bedroom design I've had in a couple of months, but let's just pretend that's totally normal). 

Now, you may recall my post from a couple of weeks ago, here. I was this close to being done, but needed some inspiration to complete the space. Cue Furniture.com and their awesome local deals that I used to buy... drumroll please... 

...the most perfect brushed brass curtain rod from Crate & Barrel and those window panels from World Market. These two pieces have finally made everything feel complete. 

Here's the rest of the new space - remember, it's a small, basement rental in the Shaw neighborhood of DC, but I did what I could! 

I completely changed my bedding after getting rid of some dark gray hand-me-downs from my mom in an effort to brighten up the space. The cactus photo above the bed, which I took on a trip to Palm Springs, and the mirrors are new. I already had the gold-framed cow print (which someday will live in an office I do not yet have, if I get my way), the black table lamps, and the side tables - so those had to stay. 

I also already owned this amazing antique phone table and the stainless steel bedframe from my childhood home. 

I am so pleased with how this space turned out - and I hope you all enjoyed coming along for the ride! 

And now, my wallet and I rest. 

Sara's Handcrafted Home

Today we're going to get to know someone who has become near & dear to the StyleMutt Home family. You've probably seen us praise Sara, the macrame genius behind The Forest Fern, and her work before; but today, we're getting to know her.

Sara and her husband purchased their traditional / mid-century combination ranch over a year ago and spent much of that time making the space inhabitable. From Sara: 

“This house was such a mess when we moved in! We had no flooring in our main living spaces for the first six months, and my husband and I slept with our son in his room for three months until ours was livable. From broken windows to a leaky roof, we had it all. ”

But Sara used what seemed like a major inconvenience, if not a nightmare, to figure out what was most important to her. And tap in to her gift that we're all so lucky to witness. 

“But really, this was a blessing in disguise. I was forced to get creative and started frequenting our local flea market and scouring Ebay for unique and affordable finds. I wanted to fill our home with plants and started making macrame plant hangers and soon moved to large scale wall hangings. Our fixer-upper opened up my creativity and helped me to create a home that really feels like ‘us.’”

Now, I hope you're not thinking that Sara is a one-trick creative pony. If you are, I'm going to change that immediately. Sara's creativity can be seen all over her home - and even seems to be in her blood.

“My favorite piece in our living room is probably the desk that I refinished. I found it on Craigslist for $10, stripped the original finish and then waxed it to seal it. I wanted to give the very traditional desk a bohemian edge, and I think that the raw wood paired with the clean brass knobs accomplishes that. The portrait above the desk was actually done by my mother when she was in high school and I just love it. ”

And I bet the same creative streak will continue in Sara's daughter, who gets to grow up in a bedroom that I would fight over even at my age. It's whimsical, bohemian, but still full of the color and stimuli that children so dearly need. And that adorable little desk? Another thrifty find. 

And last but not least, Sara splurges in a way that not only serves her and their family but also fellow makers. 

“I think that quality really matters when it comes to textile choices. I’m not saying that you can’t find lovely vintage textiles for a steal, but in general, I’ve found that you get what you pay for. I love really love my handmade pillows from The Modern Farmhouse Co. and vintage Kantha quilts. They might be a bit more expensive but the finishing work is perfect. ”

And Sara, we think your finishing work is perfect, too. Thank you so much for letting us learn a bit more about you today! And style mutts, if you're not already following along with Sara, you now have no excuse not to! Mark her Instagram as a favorite as fast as you can.

See you all next week,

Industrial Bench

Remember these puppies er... ponies?

When I bought them, I thought I would make a massive desk supported by both sawhorses.  But their size length would make for a desk with a HUGE footprint (and quite possibly too large to appeal to potential buyers).  So I split up the set and used only one to make a narrower desk complete with a hutch and detachable lamp.

As for the other sawhorse, I was stumped.  Fortunately when I get myself into these kind of conundrums, I have a secret weapon: I call Chelsea in for a consult.

Now the LORD knew what He was doing pairing me up with such a creative and supporting business partner.  She took one look at them and said, "What if you make an industrial bench?"

Genius.

Chelsea lent me her hacksaw so I could cut down the legs of one of the sawhorses to the right height.  I combined both pieces of storied wood from each sawhorse into one bench surface and remounted it on the galvanized metal base.  

I just LOVE the saw and paint streaks - it makes me wonder what projects these sawhorsed saw(ed) in their day. 

See (saw) what I did there? 

Ijustcanthelpmyself.

So what magical rugged loft did I drag my new bench to for the perfect industrial backdrop?  Where else do I stage my pieces these days...

Now, if you're clever and observant (which I'm sure you are) you may be thinking to yourself, "Cate, when did your garage get a brick wall?  All of your other staged pieces have always had regular old drywall as the backdrop..."

Clever, clever you.

Take a closer look at the photo - did I fool you?  Or are you onto my little ruse?

It's not brick, it's wallpaper.

I'll admit, I was skeptical about using a 2D wallpaper to make a 3D effect.  I don't often go for faux unless it's really convincing - but I live in a new(ish) apartment complex that doesn't have old charm in spades.  Cue Milton & King Wallpaper.  (Remember this wall hanging giveaway using their Gluttony print?)  Well they were generous enough to also send me a roll their very popular Soft White Bricks.

And I was surprised to see just how believable the pattern was even in person!  The only way you would know it wasn't brick would be to run your hands along it expecting to feel a gnarled texture and instead finding it's baby smooth.  

Disclaimer - I do live in a rental so I couldn't bring myself to install wallpaper only to take it down in a few months when our lease is up.  I just tacked up the panels and used wood trim to hide the seams that would otherwise be invisible if the paper had been glued.  (Plus it adds a little architectural interest.)

And just because it's Fall (and I'm obSESSED with cooler, crisper weather), I used my favorite fall accessories for this shoot. 

Thank you Milton & King for opening my eyes up to the wonders of high-quality wallpaper prints!  One of these days I'm going to have to get my hands on your Marble and your Dandelions prints.  (Insert 17 heart-eye emojis)

It's only fitting that this industrial bench ended up in a cool DC apartment.  That's right!  If you've been following along with us you may recognize this bench from yesterday's eDesign reveal:  

May he forever grace our client's moody dark green hallway!