Posts made in March, 2009

Iron Mountain

Posted by Lindsay on Mar 28, 2009 in Color Therapy Thursdays, inspiration, Likely Favorites | 0 comments

decor8 » Blog Archive » How Much For This Room?.

This always happens!  I just put in a HUGE paint swatch order and then I run across something like this and I need to start a new list!  This San Francisco bedroom is from the decor8 feature called “How Much For This Room?” and it’s owned by a woman named Christiana.  As a designer (and homeowner or love of decor in general!), it’s always so helpful to see something put out there like this.  Plus you get a great list of resources and ideas.

I LOVE this color palette.  Totally me – dark grey and white with some red, yellow and black accents!!  I’m trying to phase out the green in my living room because I keep finding myself drawn to a more monochromatic palette with one (maybe two) accent colors.  I’m moving all of the green stuff to my kitchen/dining room.

This color is called “Iron Mountain” by Benjamin Moore.  I definitely have a color crush here…mmm…

I think when something thinks of a dark grey bedroom, this is not the type of look you’d have in mind – totally unexpected!

How amazing is that wallpaper?  A perfect example of how wallpaper can lighten up a dark room, or act as an accent wall without the huge commitment of wallpapering an entire room.  Very contemporary.  I love wallpaper.

I also love how she used her necklaces as art.  That is what I need to do – if it’s not out where I can see it, I won’t wear it!  Out of sight, out of mind…

Gotta love the “high hiding white” trim and doors!  Nice and glossy!

Functional art – plus it’s using things you already own!  Such a great idea – now I need to find out what those are on the walls…any links or DIY’s that you know of?

As someone with two large dogs (both with black fur) and a growing baby, I’m a little scared of white, but I love the aesthetic!  When in doubt, I choose dark or black colors, but I’m trying to not be so scared of stains!  My husband can clean up anything or get out any stain, so maybe I will go for that light-colored slipcover I’ve been eyeing for the loveseat in the dining room…

What do you think of the color palette?  Are you drawn to dark colors?  A lighter and airier palette?  A mix of both?  Do you have a “when in doubt, choose (dark/light/white/black/wood)” mantra?

(images via decor8, linked to their sources)

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{Paint Color Consult} Ann & Gene's Northern California Den

Posted by Lindsay on Mar 25, 2009 in Color Consultations | 0 comments

I recently had the pleasure of doing a “Paint Color Consultation” for a couple I’ve known almost my whole life, and I am thrilled that they LOVE the new colors in their den!

Ann and Gene decided to remodel one wall (it had a brick retaining wall inside the house) so they re-sheetrocked that wall and re-textured the entire room, updated the flooring and built a new hearth around their woodstove!  Here is what I had to work with for the “before” shot, but they were nice enough to loan me a sample of their new laminate flooring (a nice honey color!) and the arm-cover from their medium brown suede furniture for choosing some paint.

 

The room is used as a den, playroom (Ann runs daycare in her home), and an office.  They wanted a color that wasn’t too bright, very calm and neutral, and blended with the rest of the house.  They recently purchased some green-fabric blinds for the room, so they wanted those to stay, and the color also had to coordinate with the yellow color in the adjacent kitchen.  Here are the options that I gave them:

Option 1: Branchport Brown and Sulfur Yellow (all paint colors by Benjamin Moore)
Option 2: Branchport Brown and Danville Tan
Option 3: Branchport Brown and Great Plains Gold

In my Paint Color Consultation packages, I give the client 3 options, and in this case I tried to give them a neutral option, a warm option, and a cool option.  I really loved the idea of a dark brown wall behind their new light ceramic tile hearth, with the other 3 walls in the main wall color – and that is why I kept the Branchport Brown in all of the options (which fortunately they loved!).  The Sulfur Yellow (warm option) is a really neutral yellow, and it looked great with their flooring and furniture.  The Danville Tan (cool option) is a great color – it looks tan on it’s own, but if you put it against another tan, it looks green, and Ann and Gene really loved that!  It also looked great with the adjacent kitchen, and the window treatments.  The Great Plains Gold (neutral option) is a perfectly neutral medium brown, and I thought it would coordinate really well with their furniture, and would look great with some bright accents.

What did they choose?

They chose the cool option which was Danville Tan by Benjamin Moore along with the dark wall.  They finished it off with an Ivory colored ceiling with bright white trim and crown moulding for a little more contrast.  How great are those colors??  What do you think??

If you would like your own Paint Color Consultation, follow that link or e-mail me at lindsay@lindsaychristensendesign.com!

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Kindred {Freebies}

Posted by Lindsay on Mar 20, 2009 in Blogging, Creativity, Freebies, inspiration | 0 comments

Kindred – home .

Above is a link to the super inspiring website “Kindred” – a collaboration between Ez at Creature Comforts and Holly at decor8 (two of my blogging heroes!).  They’re bringing together some super amazing talent and offering gorgeous computer wallpapers and printable note cards- all for my favorite price – FREE!  It’s also a place to communicate in some very friendly forums – what else could you ask for??

I love the inspiration, ladies…thanks!  And for the rest of you – check out The Kindred Site!  Love it!

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{DIY} How (Not) To Cut Down a Tree in Your Backyard

Posted by Lindsay on Mar 20, 2009 in DIY, Landscaping | 0 comments

Happy Spring, everyone!!  To kick off the new season, here’s a little DIY action that we did a few weekends back on a GORGEOUS March day!

WARNING!  Do NOT try this at home, people!  Okay, so this isn’t really a “how-to” but I wanted to write up a little post about our backyard.  Or lack thereof.  But that is what this summer is about – pretty up the outside of the house!  Now that the inside is livable, the landscaping, paint, etc. is our priority!

We had this half-dead, skinny pine tree in our backyard – right next to the house and we decided that it just had to go to make room for some bigger plans!  So here are some photos of Glenn and the day he decided to cut it down!

Getting his PPE ready (personal protective equipment, ha!).  Notice the rope attached to his belt loops, and to the chainsaw.  Right now I should mention that Glenn is a professional wildland firefighter (an engine operator) and has a lot of experience with chainsaws and cutting down trees.  This is not the best way to cut down a tree (hiring a professional is probably most people’s bet), but Glenn knew he could do it on his own.  The tricky part is that electrical wire that goes from our roof to the power pole – that is why he had to climb up and cut it down in sections.

Here he is climbing the tree…

Scoping it out to figure out how the heck to get it down safely!

Using a hand saw to cut off branches.

Now using the axe to chop off some branches to get a good foot-hold.

Getting ready to start cutting the top 1/3rd of the tree off!  He cut it down in 3 pieces.  

Now you’ll notice how I have no more pictures until the end.  I was either helping Glenn by pulling on the rope, which was attached to the tree, so it fell in the right direction (avoiding the power line), or I was inside consoling a hysterical 7 month old who decided she doesn’t like the sound of the chain saw!  It was quite a team effort, but it seems to open the backyard up a lot more – don’t you think?

Aaahhh…much better!

Now if we only had some more grass.  Soon, though!!

The dogs seem to like it!  :)  Now to get rid of that ugly “porch.”  And build a new fence.  And paint…I’m so glad spring is here!

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{Likely Favorites} Je t'aime Faux Bois!

Posted by Lindsay on Mar 17, 2009 in Likely Favorites | 0 comments

Yes, I took 3 quarters of French in college! Can’t you tell?  Anyhoo – I have noticed a trend out there which I am really drawn to – faux bois (aka fake wood) and I had to catalog my finds! Lighting, pillows, clothing, fabrics – anything having to do with trees, twigs or wood grain – it’s so rustic meets modern and graphic. All of the things and looks that I love! Anything with trees printed on it is okay in my book! So here are a few woodsy treats for the indoors! Enjoy!!

 

Look close at the grainy-detail – so dainty and cute!! 

 

 

If you know me, you know how much I love wall decals!  They are a great way to add some interest to your walls for a great price!  These ones aren’t as woodsy as other finds on this page, but I think they are a great idea for a modern nursery!  How cute!

 

 

 

These are so cute…I would love to use them on a magnet board in my office or give them as gifts! 

 

These cushion covers are shipped over from the UK, but are worth the wait!  I get tons of compliments on mine, plus they are a great deal! 

 

Giclee Print by Jenn Ski

 

 

I just got this alarm clock (as a belated Christmas gift…long story!) and it looks so great in person!  Plus the sound is amazing and it has a lot of handy features!   Much better than a big, chunky, shiny plastic clock radio.

 

This console table needs to be seen “in a room” to be appreciated!  I would love to use this in an entryway or outdoors!  Click the link to head on over to Crate and Barrel:

 

 This bed is amazing – like something out of a fairytale!  If you’ve got an extra $15K to spend on a bed…

 

These are pretty fun.  Functional and quirky for tech geeks like me!

 

 

Okay, I better stop…but I think with this category I could just keep going and going and going!  Faux bois is everywhere and so fun!  I hope you enjoyed all of the grainy goodness I’ve brought you today!!  Check back soon for more “Likely Favorites!”

(all images linked to sources).

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