Ebay Score and More

Sorry for the radio silence yesterday, but I have been alternating between hustling and hibernating for the past 48 hours. Anyhow, part of the hustle was this fancy Sciolari fixture I won on ebay for a song:

Yes, that's a 1st Dibs picture, because it's the SAME FREAKING FIXTURE. Somebody had no idea what they were listing, which always makes me kind of sad -- like I'm taking advantage. On the other hand, I really needed a pick me up right about now. So I'll take it.

I'm going to put it in the dinette, and it's not exactly what I had planned (maybe a little too predictable?), but I think it will work ok:

After much conferencing with Sanders about paint colors, this is the current situation. It's not knocking my socks off, but it's a small space so it can't handle too much insanity. Plus, this is what I can reasonably do with my budget in a non-glacier time frame. I'm not loving the chairs, but I need something simple and cheap. I added a leather bench against the window because the sills sit too low to build a banquette.

Also I'm not super hot on the window fabric, but I don't see anything else that I love for a reasonable price. Any hints out there?

Also also, I tried about 50000000 different paint colors, and it's a really tough space. Peach is no bueno, but perhaps I should go more muted...?

Obviously the chandelier is going to have to carry the space.

Maybe the chandelier can pick out some paint colors and chairs and window treatments while he's at it.

You can do it, chandelier. I believe in you.

Have a super swell weekend, peeps!

Team Wipeable

I'm taking a break from my own decor drama to give a shout out to my bud Naomi of Design Manifest, who has a splendiferous article about Mona Ross Berman in the latest issue of Trad Home. The best thing about the article (besides Naomi's mad writing skills) was reading about how the designer dealt with a kid and pet friendly household, which is something near and dear to my heart (and furniture). Now if someone were to gift me with a yard of Scalamandre's infamously expensive Le Tigre or Leopardo velvet, I would of course grab it... and hide it. Far, far away from Ike and the baby and my heinous vomity cat.

This is a spectacularly gorgeous, totally hostile environment for children. I might as well move to Jupiter.

I know that a lot of people have expensive textiles and white couches, and somehow manage to impose something called "rules" on their kids and pets that magically keep expensive stuff clean. But I'm dealing with a stable of wild animals and it's really important to me that our house be livable. Wipeable.

Cue Naomi and her article on Ms. Berman.

No carpet underfoot and leather chairs make this dining room as approachable for children as adults. May I also point out the lilac walls and Sarfatti chandy? Kids can't ruin that unless they bust out a ladder and get really maniacal (I guess it could happen).

The banquette is covered in LAMINATED Duralee fabric. Brillz.

Ha! Just try to destroy this, children.

There goes one of the little buggers now -- looking for trouble, no doubt.

Mom and dad have subverted midnight rotovirus attacks by using washable velvet fabrics throughout the master bedroom.

Keeping breakables in cabinets away from tiny hands is always a good idea.

As long as no one mistakes the walls for a coloring book, everything should be fine here.

So what do you think? Would you rather have your lovely delicates on full display and train your brood of pets and children accordingly, or are you on Team Wipeable?

Should we just call this debate Fabric vs Leather?

[Trad Home]

Bad Stuff / Good Stuff

Yesterday was pretty demoralizing. I think I'm at the point in decorating and renovating where the easy stuff is done and shit is about to get hard. Matt came over to knock out the ugly built in desk and found that it was tiled in perfectly. Seamlessly. Invisibly. So now to remove the desk we have to remove and replace some tiles, which will be mad messy and is also annoying because all I really want to do is pulverize the entire floor and put in wood. Sadly that's just not happening until we redo the whole kitchen in a year or two.

Plus I am just feeling conflicted about everything -- paint, curtains, couches, tables, chairs, EVERYTHING. I know I'm taking on too many projects at once, but that's tough titty because I'm not bringing my fancy baby boy into an ugly house.

I just want my corner of the chaotic world to be neat and orderly (and ok, fabulously decorated) by the time the kid is born.

Is that too much to ask?

The good news is that Minty is here to help get me through this hormonal roller coaster. Behold:

Run by a trio of fabulous ladies -- Susie, Nelya, and Jenny -- Minty is a curated online shopping experience.

A HIGHLY INEXPENSIVE shopping experience. For example, that gorgeous pair of Ikat pillows is only $50.

But I probably shouldn't have told you that, since I may buy them myself.

Like I said, yesterday kinda sucked.

Today is time for retail therapy.

Go to there.