This past summer, my sister and I took some time to sort through boxes of things from our mother and two grandmothers. These have accumulated at our family house, and the experience of opening them was nostalgic, sentimental, and at … Continue reading
I’ve been decorating our new bedroom addition for this spring’s One Room Challenge. It’s a small room, so I used a lot of creative tips to make the most of the space! Here’s a round-up of the strategies to help … Continue reading
The Spring One Room Challenge has been just the motivation I need to decorate our bedroom addition! And the most important project is, of course, the bed! I love customizing furniture – remember my DIY built-in shelves or the DIY … Continue reading
I seriously love the One Room Challenge. It’s just the motivation I need to finish off projects. I’ve been puttering away preparing the gallery wall in our new bedroom, and with this week’s progress update launching, I got the energy to finish hanging everything after work today!
As a reminder, this room is bedroom addition we built last year. It’s going to be a room for our oldest, when he’s home, and also serve as a guest room or lounge! It’s a petite space, but I had big plans for this wall, and I really feel like it opens up the room!
If you are looking for tips for your own gallery wall, here are some ideas to consider:
Here’s a before-and-after look at the space:
This collection includes a DIY fabric-covered picture mat and a photo I took of Finn and printed at the local drugstore.
As I said, these walls can talk! Clockwise from left, a photograph taken from Fort Point, under the Golden Gate Bridge, that Steve and I bought at an art fair ~25+ years ago; an LED sign with my son’s name that my sister sent from Hong Kong; a small canvas print of a photo I took, featuring spring blossoms and Victorian houses; photo of Finn I took and printed; nasturtium print by Henry Evans calendar under a DIY fabric mat. My friend Penny gifts me a Henry Evans calendar every Christmas!
More treasures: paper silhouette cut-out from the Canadian National Exhibition when I was a child; strawberry ceramic bowl I bought at an art fair with a friend ~25 years ago; Vassar College pennant for my oldest; 1924 newspaper found in the walls of our last house; replica Group of Seven Canadian landscape painting my parents got on an Air Canada flight ~30 years ago; fern print from another Henry Evans calendar.
Last of the treasures: a beautiful branch painting by my mom ❤
I’m working away on some other projects that I hope to share with you soon! In the meantime, you can see all the other fun room transformations on the One Room Challenge website!
Julie AKA “Jewels”
I love the relaxed feeling of enjoying a meal and good company while lounging on a comfy banquette. I’m so excited that I have finally built our deep dining bench. Now, I have to add the cushions! I could not … Continue reading
The Fall 2023 One Room Challenge is underway! In the spring, I decorated our entryway, including turning our closet into a mini-mudroom. This fall, I am working on our dining room! One element I have been planning for some time … Continue reading
Modern and classic. Elegant and streamlined. This is the balance I was looking for in a dining room chandelier. I also wanted an open design, so we could make the most of our views. This week, I will show you some of my favorite options, as well as what I ended up DIYing for ~$50! Along the way, I’ll show you my favorite gold spray paint and how to add a DIY cord cover to a chandelier.
My top two choices were the West Elm Swoop Arm Chandelier (below left) and the Hammons Sputnik Modern Chandelier (below right) (a dupe for the Jonathan Adler Meurice chandelier):
I was getting ready to buy one of these beautiful lights when, at the last minute, I decided to take a quick peek on Craigslist, and I came across a chandelier with a similar shape for only $25! I’m pretty sure it is this Modern 6-Candle Chandelier shown below which is less than $100, even if you buy it new!
The light I found was a mix of black and gold, so I prepared to spray mine gold. Not all gold spray paints are the same. I happened to have the Krylon paint (left) in the garage, but it is a reddish color, more copper than gold, so I went to our neighborhood hardware store to pick up a can of my favorite gold paint, Rust-oleum, shown on the right, and it is perfect!
I added these frosted globe bulbs, which I think look more modern than the flame-shaped bulbs.
The last step was to was to add a cord cover. This is a 5″ wide strip of fabric about 1.5x the length of the cord. I ironed down a 3/8″ seam along the two long edges, and then I used hot glue to close the “seam” around the cord.
I’ll keep posting progress updates on Instagram and a weekly post here with more details! I’m looking forward to the next steps of this project, as well as enjoying the other participants’ posts. You can follow the whole event on the One Room Challenge website!
Julie AKA “Jewels”
Welcome to the Fall 2023 One Room Challenge! This is such a hectic time but also such a fun one, with lots of projects to do and explore and a great supportive community! In the spring, I decorated our entryway, … Continue reading
You know how much I love faux bamboo furniture! My collection includes these Chippendale chairs and this Thomasville dresser-turned-bar cabinet. When I recently acquired an older bookcase, which I chose for its solid wood construction and low price, I noticed … Continue reading
There are a few furniture painting projects that I’ve always wanted to do, like this mid-century dresser, or this faux bamboo bar cabinet. A big Chinese-style wedding armoire has been on my list, and my chance finally came! I found … Continue reading
Jewels at Home 