Home » Semua post berkategori my apartment
Showing posts with label my apartment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label my apartment. Show all posts
Monday, April 14, 2014

Do you layer?

I think the most interesting rooms are layered with finds, accumulated over time, and not 'designed' all at once. This past weekend I picked up a pair of antique Italian gilded wall brackets to hang between the windows in my living room and display some white porcelain.
The treatment of this large set of windows has been kept simple to maximize the view of the park across the street (just one large bamboo shade to cover all 3 windows). I think the brackets add some interest to a rather window treatment -what do you think? too much?
My hope is that the simple lines of the porcelain detract from the ornateness of the brackets. But it's my own house so of course I can be as fussy as I please ;-)
Unknown antiques, furniture, Interiors, just for fun, my apartment, shopping
Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Nesting in my apartment

I've had a lot of changes in my apartment recently which is strange because aren't we meant to nest in preparation for winter and not spring? Regardless I thought I'd share some of these upgrades as they're really quite exciting for me!
A few months ago I purchased this antique armchair from an estate sale which had last been upholstered in the early 1960s.  While the fabric was nice in its own way (an embroidered silk) it was not quite to my taste and rather dirty.
Upon the recommendation of my friend Michele from the blog My Notting Hill I checked out Haute Fabrics in Ballston, Virginia (a DC suburb). There I found this lovely hand printed linen with a subtle paisley fabric that I just loved. I also found Urban Castle Interior Solutions who proved to be an excellent upholsterer after my last one had sadly retired. I worried it would perhaps be a little bland but I have such a random assortment of things that I love in this room that I thought the neutral tones would tie everything together.
At the same time I purchased this lovely Safavieh rug which really anchors the space. This is my living room in a 1 bedroom apartment so I really LIVE in here!
Now I have a comfy chair in which to read and relax which anchors this corner of the room- just what I always wanted! Now I just have to start looking for the perfect sofa to replace my underscaled loveseat (so no comments about that!).
I received no compensation for this post -just sharing some excellent resources! Picture quality is lacking because these were taken with my phone.
Unknown DC, design, designers at work, estate sales, fabric, furniture, Interiors, my apartment, my work, Washington
Monday, December 16, 2013

Holiday Weekends


This past weekend was busy as most weekends tend to be during the holiday season. I've been unable to decorate for the holiday unfortunately but I was able to do a little something to bring some of the Christmas spirit into my own apartment.
At an estate sale I visited this past weekend one of the many scores was a large box full of vintage glass ornaments from the 1930s and earlier (for $2 no less)! I placed these in clear glass vases throughout my apartment for some color and Christmas cheer!
 Another find was this vintage brass lamp with an interesting paper shade. An antique print of an Italian square was mounted to the shade after the windows in the scene had been cut out and infilled with Mylar paper. When the lamp is lit the windows 'glow'! I love the neoclassical brass shaft which I polished along with the marble base as well as the red stone finial. You see it here in my dining room.
I also visited my favorite shop, Artisan. They have tons of new merchandise you have to check out (online as well as in person) and as the owner was telling me, they make perfect gifts. I love the modern take on a classical empire chandelier seen above. The elegant antique French crystal chandeliers in the background are a perennial favorite as well!
Perfect for the arts and crafts house or bungalow is this unique iron and painted glass fixture. Why buy cheap new fixtures when you can pick details that will shine and make your house a unique home!  What are you doing to your house for the holidays?
Unknown artisan, Christmas, decorating, designer, estate sales, Interiors, lighting, my apartment
Thursday, December 12, 2013

Christmas Greetings

Do you send out Christmas cards? I admit my list dwindles each year as I slowly move into the digital age (ironic as I'm an early blogger!). Patricia, that wonderful artist who writes PVEdesign and in fact did my blog banner, was kind enough to send me an image for use on my card this year!  You may remember a few weeks back I posted about adding 'That touch of black' to your fireplace and showed the change to my own fireplace at home.  Patricia magically imagined my mantelpiece at Christmas and I have to say the results are charming.   So please consider this my Christmas Greeting to you and your family with hopes for a very happy new year!
Many thanks to Patricia for this image which I treasure. You might consider contacting her to create your own image!
Unknown artists, blogging, my apartment, PVE
Saturday, November 9, 2013

That touch of black

I'm a firm believer in the design principal that every room needs to have a touch of black; it grounds the space. Recently I helped a friend add a touch of black to his own living room in one of my favorite spots - the fireplace surround.
Before the fireplace lacked presence in the room. It also unfortunately had been rebuilt at some point and featured a very new, ugly brick surround in contrast to the original antique brick hearth (floor). Ignore the unpainted trim to the right, I also helped redesign the trim throughout the room and it hasn't been painted yet!
While my cell phone snaps don't do it justice, the new painted brick surround is a great focal point, won't show soot stains if the fire smokes, and now pairs nicely with the untouched antique brick hearth. Small changes can make such a large difference. 
I did the same in my own home. The fireplaces in my old COOP building are no longer functioning for insurance reasons but the fireplace remains a focal point in my living room. Above you can see how I painted the interior and the surround black.
Before (on a walk through with my Realtor before purchasing the apartment) you can see the surround painted white with no contrast to the mantel (and the hideously old wall to wall carpeting). What do you think of adding a touch of black to a space?
Unknown Architect, DC, design, georgetown, Interiors, my apartment, my work, touch of black, Washington
Monday, October 7, 2013

Estate sale mystery find

This past weekend I attended a few interesting estate sales and picked up a lot of 'treasure'! One pair of items though remains somewhat of a mystery to me and thought maybe someone would have some background. This unusual pair of macabre tree trunk vases appear to be quite old , perhaps Victorian period? Google searches turned up nothing other than a few Belleek vases but they did not have the unusual root 'legs'.  Has anyone seen a vase like this before?
 This extremely faint mark was hard to read and photograph - appears to be a serial number?
I also picked up this rather worn mahogany sidechair with tired damask upholstery. The wood has beautiful detailing but needs some conditioning.
Stay tuned for the reupholstered after in the coming weeks!
Unknown Architect, China of the week, DC, designers, estate sales, Interiors, my apartment, shopping, Washington
Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Additions to my apartment or estate sale treasures

Summertime is always slow for blogging; lower readership, less to read, and so much going on that there just isn't time in the day. However it's a great time for fun little posts sharing whats going on in one's life!
 I was thrilled last weekend to find an interesting antique cabinet at a Georgetown estate sale for only $60.  Yes, you read that correctly.  The previous owners had taken an antique sideboard (mid 19th century) and gutted it to hold their stereo and record player. It was looking a little worn but the lines were great as was the price.
The cabinet measures in at a hefty 6' long, 2' deep and 36" high. Originally I thought it would make a great vanity for a project I'm working on.  As it had already been altered I didn't mind further mutilating it but it proved to be 6" too long for that task.  However it fits nicely in this corner of my living room and holds all sorts of entertainment glassware, board games, etc, with room to spare!
As you can see it was a little rough when I got it home (the top still hinges up but no more record player inside!). Some wood glue to re-affix the broken veneer (seen in the center), a light cleaning and then a heavy polishing was all it took to shine! You never know what you'll find at an estate sale. Have you found any treasures lately?
Unknown Architect, DC, deals, designer, furniture, Interiors, my apartment, shopping, Washington
Monday, July 1, 2013

The power of blogging

Or maybe this post should be entitled "the power of oxi clean".  A few weeks ago my friend Meg of the blog PigtownDesign had written a post about some antique china she had won at auction which was heavily yellowed and using oxiclean to get out the stains.
Two weeks later, in fact this past weekend, I was at an estate sale and found a charming little antique plate which was heavily discolored for only $2 (see picture at top of the post). I remembered Meg's recommendation and decided to give it a try. It took about 10 hours soaking in the oxi-clean but look at the results; nearly perfect!
I'll be trying oxi-clean now on a number of other items; Thanks Meg! By chance, does anyone recognize the maker's mark on the back?
I received no compensation from oxi-clean (in fact I had to pay a premium in order to buy at my local drugstore!)
Unknown bloggers, blogging, China of the week, DIY, estate sales, my apartment
Monday, June 17, 2013

Chisel & Mouse: at it again!

You may remember me talking about Chisel & Mouse before and now the guys at Chisel & Mouse are at it again; this time transforming many of their beautiful plaster architectural models to hanging. Above you can see their version of the entrance to Buckingham Palace on one of my bookshelves but also hanging on my wall below.
They're constantly adding new models to their inventory and improving existing models. Also, the new models are signed and dated. Loving these guys and can't wait to see what they come up with next!
Unknown Architect, architectural models, covet, design, Interiors, my apartment, shopping
Tuesday, March 19, 2013

My dining room

May I apologize for my recent lack of posts but show you what I've been up to? As you may know I moved a few months ago into an older 'fixer upper' Coop apartment. I left downtown for the Cleveland Park neighborhood for numerous reasons, one of which was the need for more space and specifically a dining room.
Before I moved in the dining room had an ugly chandelier and wood shutters.  Heavy wool wall to wall carpeting was throughout. That was a few months of some hard work ripping it all out!
You may recognize a lot of these pieces if you've been reading my blog for awhile; they're just finally coming together in their proper space. The chair in the top picture is one of my 'haunted chairs' which I decided to upholster in the Ralph Lauren plaid.
The large pastel drawing above the bookcase has been with me for a few moves now and I never feel at home without it. This room contains many of my favorite objects but probably the most beautiful is my Capri decanter from Baccarat beneath the drawing, I just love the classic lines..
I love having books here in the dining room which I use not only for every meal but also to spread out and study the latest magazines. Probably the largest project I tackled myself (other than the reconfiguration of the walls for which I hired a contractor) was painting the window sashes black to match my doors. I love how they turned out!
The view through the archway into my foyer shows a sneak peak of some more of the apartment. I know many of you like seeing table settings and here is one below from a little housewarming dinner party I put together after finally pulling the room together.
I already have a pair of bamboo shades I was contemplating hanging in the windows for a layered look behind the curtains.  What do you think, do I need them? Practically speaking, as the window receives a lot of light I thought it might help with glare particularly in the summer. I suppose I could always take them down if they look too cluttered.  Thanks for visiting and let me know what you think about the blinds!
Unknown China of the week, DC, dining room, dishes, my apartment, my work, party, Washington
Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Winter cheer

The unseasonably warm weather has left us and winter has returned with a vengeance.  I picked up some cheerful colored roses to warm up my apartment this weekend and take the chill off.
I normally don't leave  roses long stemmed but something seemed right about this. Have you been doing anything to take away the winter blues?
Unknown dc., flowers, my apartment, tablescape, Washington
Monday, January 14, 2013

My black doors

 This weekend I crossed something off my bucket list; I painted my interior doors black!
While I was at it I removed all of the brass and glass hardware and took off  90 years worth of grime, stray paint, and tarnish. While I like the brass to have patina it wasn't in the best shape. Besides, brass ages quickly so I anticipate it to be shiny for only about a month.
Previously the doors were painted the same white as the trim.  I love the new contrast between the black doors and crisp door casing (attained by using blue painters tape as you can see above -what did we do before this stuff?).  What do you think; approve?
Unknown Architect, blogging, houses, ideas., Interiors, my apartment
Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Spoils of war

Perhaps not literal war but estate sales can at times feel terribly hostile. I've witnessed fist fights over who saw what first! I wanted to follow up on a previous post on estate sales and share with you some of my new treasures. There have been a lot of great sales lately and my nest is quickly becoming 'feathered'!
 My biggest find this past weekend was a cookie jar which I instantly recognized as the Renwick Gallery here in DC. I was particularly interested as it's my favorite museum in the city. You may remember I have a cookie jar of the Villa Rotunda which has been one of my favorite objects for years!  The Renwick had been relegated to the basement in a rear corner of the sale and I scored it for only $10! I always poke around in back corners at these sales where things get missed. I also found a beautiful wool 19th century persian runner in an upstairs back closet which I'm going to use in my kitchen that I got for a steal (currently at the cleaners or else I'd share it as well).
 A set of fine crystal cordial glasses with this beautiful monogram also came home with me from the same sale. After reading THIS article in the NYT, my New Year's Resolution will be to hold monthly dinner parties and I have to be prepared.
This cute little framed photo of "Aunt Joan golfing in the 20s" caught my eye and makes me laugh every time I see it - seen propped up here on my living room mantel.
 I rarely leave a sale without a bag full of books. I really don't know what I'll do with them all!
You may remember my haunted chairs. I still haven't treated the wood (thanks so much for the advice on that!) but I didn't follow the majority vote on fabric and used the wood plaid I had from Ralph Lauren. I like the colors in my apartment and even if the pattern isn't perfect for the chairs, they add the right dose of color to my still neutral space and I just love plaid!
Everyone kindly keeps asking to see my apartment and in dribbles it will start to appear; it has a long way to go still.  Here are 2 of the haunted chairs flanking my bar in the corner of the living room.  As you can see I need more art (or sconces?) to flank the mirror but I have my Grandma's Christmas tree set to go for the holiday season!
Unknown antiques, blogging, Interiors, my apartment, shopping
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)