Striped upholstery and issues of symmetry

Choosing fabric for chairs is a tad overwhelming. Solids or patterns? And if patterned, what kind? Florals? Zig zag? This pair makes a pretty good case for colorful stripes.

Same photo, different topic: The chairs are the only symmetrical items in this room, which is interesting. The yellow pillow is balanced by the yellow lamp, and if it weren't for that, I think the room would be way off kilter. The more I look at it, the more wacky I feel. I guess I like symmetry.

Located: This lamp

In January, I posted this picture and asked if anyone knew where to find the lamp.

Yesterday, Jennifer at The Newlywed Diaries was my Hero of the Day when she revealed the lamp's source: John Darien. Oh, what a bittersweet moment to find the one you love, only to learn that it is beyond your means.

Also shocking: Decopauged items cost that much?

New chair

Hey, did you know it's a good idea to start a new project when you haven't finished the ten other projects you've already started? It's true. Nothing gets the creative juices flowing like a little procrastination.

Here's a peek at a project I started yesterday:

It's a Craigslist find that less than 24 hours ago, looked like this:

I'm thinking the tufting will have to go. I like the blue and white stripes, but I'll cover the cushions in a more neutral fabric. The stripes will still play a role, though. You'll see.

I also want to find a colorful fabric to use in another spot. Something with poppies, perhaps? I like this fabric from a bedroom designed by Sara Gilbane.

(Sara Gilbane)

And on another note, I'm planning a trip to NYC next weekend/early next week. I'm trying to expand my horizons and go places I've never been before. The ABC Carpet and Home outlet is one of them. Let me know if you have any other suggestions!

Four bathrooms

I don't put a lot of consideration into bathrooms during my Internet and magazine browsing, but sometimes I'm compelled to save an image. Like this rustic yet elegant bathroom

(Marie Claire Maison)

or this sweet pink and red combination (not to be confused with the same color scheme from a different decade).

Other bathrooms are really, really nice and of course I pause to admire them. 

But I'm also honest with myself - bathrooms like the one above are a big dream. And then there are other bathrooms that are just ...

(Marie Claire Masion)

big. Whoa. Try brushing your teeth in the shadow of a child sumo wrestler!

Bed vs. commute

Perfection in the form of white down.

Someday I will look back at these posts and wonder, "why are there so many pictures of beds?"

Then I will look at this picture and remember that soft, fluffly beds are hard to get out of your mind when the reality is a slushy, cold commute.

It is pretty, though. The view is of Central Square in Cambridge, with a straight shot down Massachusetts Avenue toward Boston. You can even see my favorite building off in the distance - the John Hancock Tower (an I.M. Pei creation).

Steven Sclaroff - colorful upholstery, Kate's apartment and vintage finds

I want to find some cheap chairs and learn how to make them look like this:

Why stop at fabric? When you know how to upholster chairs this well, you can use leather too.

These pictures are all from the website of Steven Sclaroff, who helped design Kate and Andy Spade's apartment (which I love because it's what life would look like if we lived inside a lollipop.)

See?

In addition to making me want to upholster things, looking at Steven Sclaroff's website also makes me want to go back to Cambridge Antinque Market and scour for cool vintage items like this chair

and this umbrella stand.

My new month resolution will be to find an umbrella stand like this one for $25 or less. If it's not red, I will paint it. Come on, March, make it happen. Just in time for April showers.

Sorority life

This is a picture of the room I lived in my sophomore year of college. It was too small to fit two twin beds on the floor, so my roommate and I had no choice but to stack 'em.

She liked blue, and I liked red. We both liked the way the two colors look together. What you can't see is the giant flotaki rug that is covering the commercial-grade carpeting in the room. His name was Dimitri, and he stayed with us for three years. A white rug in college! Not bad at all.

Also: I have no idea how many episodes of Trading Spaces were watched in this room, but I am going to guess that we never missed an episode. 

Another also: The lower left drawer was filled with fruit snacks and Capri Sun.