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Inspired Idea: Melissa's Mondrian Message Board

Sep 05, 2009

Piet Mondrian in a 1942 portrait. Composition with Yellow, Blue, and Red, 1937-42, oil on canvas, 72.5 x 69 cm, Tate Gallery. London. Images via creative commons license, Wikimedia.

Piet Mondrian was a Dutch artist, part of the DeStijl movement in the 1920s and 30s in Europe. His most famous work relies on blocks of primary colors and complex shades of white, usually divided by black lines. With this work he challenged the definition of art and rendered “a true vision of reality” and an abstract interpretation of universal harmony.

While harmony in the universe may be a lofty goal for most of us, we can at least strive for harmony in our own homes. Finding easy, fun ways to get organized is a start. Room for Inspiration reader Melissa Shafer from San Jose, California, sent me this photo of her inventive, Mondrian-inspired message board. This is the perfect example of an Inspired Idea: it's functional, beautiful, and inexpensive.

1. Melissa started with a white pre-stretched artist's canvas. Sketch the design with a light pencil first. Then paint blocks of color a la Mondrian. (No need for perfectly straight lines… you're going to cover them up!) Mondrian used intense primary shades of red, blue, and yellow. Acrylics straight from the tube would do the trick.
2. After the paint dries, staple the ends of 1" black elastic to the edge of the canvas, stretching gently across the borders in your design. Make sure the elastic is tight enough to hold papers in place. Repeat, creating borders wherever required by your design. For lines that stop mid-canvas, staple through the canvas and cover with a perpendicular strip of elastic that extends across the entire canvas.
3. Use a hot glue gun to attach 1.5" elastic around the edges of the frame to cover the staples and ends of the elastic. Or you can frame the canvas.
4. Hang it someplace where you need to organize papers and reminders: near the front door, in the kitchen, above a desk.

Thank you, Melissa, for sharing your creativity! You'll be entered in the September drawing for an Inspired Room Design $50 gift certificate. Want your chance to win? Send me an Inspired Idea or Inspired Question with a photo. Email me! —Diane

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Find: Deep-Discount Home Decor Fabrics

Sep 04, 2009

Well, here goes. This is one of those finds I hesitate to share. You know, when you find something great in limited quanitites and don't want it to get too popular? Well, I'm setting aside my selfish instincts to tell you about the best online source for discount upholstery and decor fabric.

New Toto Stores (in Toto, Indiana) sells upholstery, drapery, and home decor fabric at ridiculous prices. I mean low. You'll find the lowest prices on remnants, which they define as pieces shorter than 11 yards. You might not cover a sofa with that amount, but it's still a good chunk of fabric. I recently bought a 3-yard remnant of this cute leaf pattern to make round cushions for the chairs on my screened porch (yeah, been putting that off all summer). 3+ yards for $22.50.

This is Crypton fabric, an ultra-durable weave that comes in cool modern patterns, and they have a lot of it. Many of their fabrics are leftovers from commercial textile mills, which means they're durable if a bit "industrial."

It's pretty important when you're sewing something to understand how the fabric is going to drape and behave. New Toto mails you free samples. For free, as in no shipping charge. Fast. Last time I ordered I think I had the samples 3 days later! Now, we're not talking fancy 24" finished-edge designer fabric samples— these are small pieces, but plenty to give you a sense of pattern scale and drape.

Here are a few of my favorites among their current offerings. They may be gone by the time you read this— I was out of luck with my top choice for the chair cushions because I waited too long. So shop often, act quickly, and buy copious amounts of fabric. Because you never know when you might use it. (Note to self: Write blog post about fabric storage solutions!) —Diane

Due to some techy stuff beyond my understanding, I can't provide direct links to each fabric. Search the fabric names at newtoto.com. Or just browse. You might find something you like even better!

Momentum Crypton Ardour in colorway Tide, 1-3/8 yards for $10.66

Beautiful on a curvy chair.

Arc-Com Yarn-dyed Jacquard Riviera in colorway Redwood, 2-3/4 yards for $18.00

Placemats?

Knoll Textiles Quark in colorway Carbon, 1-3/8 yard for $10.66 

Knoll. Are you kidding me?! This chunk retails for $148.

Arc-Com Yarn-dyed Fanfare in colorway Charcoal, 2 yards for $12.00.

This one is more beautiful in person. It has a lot of dimension and texture.

Pune Antique embroidered hand-painted silk for $25 a yard!

Luxurious drapes, for sure.

Valdese Weavers Goya Rattan, $8 a yard.

Despite its scratchy look, it's really soft— I ordered a sample for a client.

Crestmont Regatta sheer drapery fabric in colorway Blush, $5 a yard.

Yeah, 5 bucks a yard. You can make some seriously full drapes for that price. (This, incidentally, would make an awesome faux-crinoline peeking out from a full skirt.)

Need help choosing fabric for that vintage chair? And now you want a new wall color to play it up? And suddenly, the whole room needs an upgrade? I can help, no matter how small the design dilemma. Just email me!
TAGS: new toto stores newtoto fabric discount upholstery home decor

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Inspired Solution: All-purpose Green Cleanser

Sep 03, 2009

Problem: Too many cleansers! Too much money spent, too much space wasted, too many chemicals emitted.

Inspired Solution: Make this multifunction, enviro-friendly cleanser with inexpensive ingredients.

This homemade mixture replaces scouring powder, foaming cleansers, countertop cleaner, shower cleaner, and even oven cleaner. Mix equal parts baking soda and Borax. That's it. Add a little hot water and scrub away. For ovens, make a paste and let it sit for half an hour, then wipe with a sponge.

I saved a few metal tins from my favorite Swedish tea, drilled holes in the tight-fitting top, and filled them up. I keep one at the kitchen sink and one in each bathroom. Nothing works as well on the soap scum on my dark shower tile. And the stuff seems to soften my hands somehow.

Buy the extra-large boxes of baking soda and Borax. You'll spend under 5 bucks for both. I've been using this mixture since last winter, and I've used about 2/3 of each box. Compared to typical cleansers, It's definitely a money-saver.

IS It really harmless?

Well, baking soda is edible, so yes, it's perfectly safe for you and the environment. Borax occurs naturally in the earth, but it can still be dangerous if ingested or inhaled by humans and pets, so keep it well out of reach as you would other cleaning products. —Diane

Have an Inspired Solution? A great decor idea? Share it with me and be entered in the monthly drawing to win a $50 Inspired Room Design gift certificate! Email me.

TAGS: green cleanser how to make green cleaner enviro eco friendly sustainable natural chemical free sink oven

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Color Love: Orange

Sep 02, 2009

Every room needs a little surprise, and color's any easy way to do it. Red seems to be favored as an accent color, but I like to put a little mustard on it and make my accents orange. With fall around the corner (or actually here in Michigan) what better time to juice up your decor?

Try these delicious finds.

1 | Twilight Sleep Sofa from Design Within Reach

A versatile seating/sleeping option, great for smaller spaces.

2 | Cotton Fabrics from Repro Depot and Sew Mama Sew

Two of my favorite fabric sources never disappoint when you're after intense color and fun patterns. Here are four orangey designs perfect for cafe curtains, pillow shams, an apron, a skirt…  If you don't sew, buy a half yard and frame it!

Mod Meadow

Wonderview Stripe

Pine Rust in Ginseng by Joel Dewberry

3 | IndiB Branches Rug from 2modern.com

Wool and silk make a luxurious rug with an organic design in a softened orange.

4 | Kosta Boda Atoll Votive

Kosta Boda Atoll bowls are design classics. So many colors to collect! Start with orange.

5 | Mia Habanero Mini Pendant Light

Align three or four of these adjustable-height pendants over a kitchen island, or hang one over a desk for a striking functional accent.

6 | LaCrosse Down Comforter from The Company Store

Changing out bedding is a nice way to welcome a new season. Try this down-filled cotton comforter.

A room with orange accents looks great with walls painted in Sherwin-Williams Ramie. It's a golden neutral, the perfect backdrop for warm, intense colors. —Diane

Need help with color inside or outside your home? I do color consultations in person and via email. Just email me or order the "Focus on Color" eDecor Plan here.

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Look for Less: Refined Rustic

Sep 01, 2009

Isn't this a great room? Looks sophisticated but very relaxed. And it looks expensive. But Refined Rustic is a look you can pull off with a reasonable budget. Here's how I would pull this together. I've already sleuthed out some deals for you.

What gives this room refined rustic style?

1. Comfort. A daybed in the living room, especially next to a pair of windows, is very inviting.
2. Color. Keep the surroundings pale and neutral but add some dark accents in furniture and accessories. Don't forget a touch of black.
3. Contrast. The mouldings and cove ceiling in this room are decidedly traditional, but the unexpected mix of raw wood, stone, and natural materials keeps it interesting.
4. Proportion. Go large with accessories and art. A few bold pieces have much more impact than a collection of small things, and this look is all about being bold but simple.
5. Texture. Smooth painted wood and a little glass mix with hemp, stone, rough-hewn wood, rumply-soft cotton, and wispy grasses.

Get the look for less:

1. PAINT: Try Pittsburgh Paints Heavy Cream on walls and ceiling with Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (the world's loveliest white!) for trim.
   
   
2. FLOORS: If you're lucky enough to have hardwood floors you're halfway there. But whether you have wood or carpeting, a natural woven rug layered on top will do the trick. TRY: Egeby rug from Ikea, 7x10 for $149.
    
3. WINDOWS: Paint trim white and leave them naked. Especially in winter, the extra light is nice. If you need a privacy option, go for simple roller shades in textured white fabric.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. DAYBED: The bed in the photo is built in, but you can achieve a similar look with an inexpensive model. Don't overlook the children's section at the furniture store. It's often cheaper. Keep it light and look for classic styling. TRY: Augusta daybed from BedBathStore.com, $380. Dress it in textured cottons, velvets, and corduroys.
   
   
5. TABLE: The key here is a piece that looks primitive and untouched. This stuff is hot now and you can spend a lot of money on it if you want to. But roadside craftsmen in the country have been selling this type of furniture forever. Keep your eyes peeled for signs and roadside displays of "outsider" furniture art. Rather just buy it fast? TRY: Myrtlewood and Maple Table from TRW Woodworks, $265.
   
   
   





6. ART: Framed prints are more affordable than originals (of course!) and canvas prints. Look for a print that comes in a standard size so you can frame it off the rack instead of having a custom frame made. TRY: Blue Nude, Pablo Picasso, 24x36, $10 unframed.
   
    



7. ACCESSORIES: Okay, rocks. Those are free. I love how they're used here to make a humdrum beige tile hearth more interesting. Grasses, also free if you know where to look. Here on Lake Michigan the marram grass dries and turns a beautiful gold color over the winter. Textured baskets seem to reproduce rampantly at thrift stores, so never buy them new. The  mirror is made from reclaimed barnwood. You'll get a similar effect with any mirror that has a very chunky wooden frame. Proportion is really the key: look for an oversized frame. TRY: Rustic Frame Mirror from MyBarnwoodFrames.com, 22x26, a steal at $86.

Want Refined Rustic style in your own house? Coastal Chic? Modern Glam? I've got tricks for achieving the look you love for less than you think. Check out my eDecor Plans. I can design a room anywhere! —Diane

Photo: Lisa Romerein for Coastal Living.
TAGS: refined, rustic, living room, budget decor, cheap chic, neutral color scheme, natural materials

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