A Designer At Home

Beaded Necklace Pendant Knock Off #SwapItLikeItsHot

October 9, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Boho Light Anthropologie Beaded Pendant Knock Off

Hey Guys!

Today I have a cross between an Anthropologie Beaded Necklace Pendant Knock Off and a Thrift Repurpose for #SwapItLikeItsHot. I received an interesting and challenging mix of items from Charlotte of Ciburbanity (the host of this fab series!) and I’m excited to put my creative skills to the test with the items I received.

If you’re new here, my name is Corinna and this is my blog. It’s a happy place where I love to share my journey in creating beautiful spaces meant for living in. I love design and will begin Interior Design classes next year but until that starts, I’m just having fun sharing my DIY, decor, and renovation stories here. I would love it if you’d keep up with the happenings here, my email newsletter is a great way to get notified when I post, but I’m also a big fan of Instagram and Facebook and would love to see you there. If you’re also a blogger, be sure to leave me a comment with your link so I can come check you out!

The items I chose to work with are the two chalkboard hanging stars. I actually didn’t realize they were some kind of hanging art until I went to pull the stars out of the box to work with them. The way they were sitting in the box made them look like a container of some kind.

I’m a huge fan of Anthropologie and had already been stalking the beaded neacklace pendant lamp so that’s probably where this whole idea came out. Lots of chunky wooden beads are involved with those pendants and because I love boho, I thought the chalkboard star “container” would make a really cool “bead” on the lamp.

I pulled leftover twisted fabric wrapped cord and wood stain out of my stash. Picked up a few different dowel rod sized (big and chunky ones), a plug and light socket. Once the supplies were gathered, it was time to get creative!

My husband pulled through for me and cut the dowel rod into big bead sized chunks and then drilled holes into each piece, making it a true bead. He even went in a sanded them for me. I pulled the stickers and hanging bit off the chalkboard stars and smooshed them together back into the “container” shape I thought they were all along. Husband then drilled a hole through them turning them into a fun bead. A huge part of this DIY goes to his efforts!

While he was doing all the power tool parts, I spray painted the bulb socket and played with our little guy.

I went in when he was finished and stained a large chunk of the cut wood dowel with the last of my “Special Walnut” Minwax stain, most of the remainder with “Ebony” Minwax Stain and a few I left in their natural state.

cut-dowel-rod-wood-bead-large-giant-diy

cut-wood-dowel-stained-large-diy-beads

Whilst those dried, I went inside and wired the plug to one end of my cord. I wrapped a loose knot where I wanted the pendant to hang from the ceiling.

Then once the “beads” were dry, I played around with where and how I wanted the beads resting atop one another. When I was happy, I wired the socket onto the end of the cord. I hung the lamp from an ordinary hook, twisted in an Edison bulb, and let there be light!

Boho Light Anthropologie Beaded Pendant Knock Off

I collected items for Melissa of Polished Habitat. You just wouldn’t believe her amazing transformation with one of the items I sent her. It’s so creative and beautiful!

Check out her project here.

unnamed

Tune in all week to see the crazy items this talented group of bloggers has been making over! Search the hashtag #swapitlikeitshot on social media to follow along with all the fun or check out our Pinterest Board.You simply must take the weekend to check it all out!

MONDAY

That’s My Letter / DIY On the Cheap / Run To Radiance / The Gathered Home

Two Thirty Five Designs / Chaotically Creative / Decor Adventures / Homemade By Carmona

TUESDAY

Thoughts From Alice / Reinvented / Confessions Of A Serial Do-It-Yourselfer / Restoration Redoux

Always Never Done / I Am a Homemaker / Black and White Obsession / Windgate Lane

WEDNESDAY

Town and Country Living / brepurposed / The Charming Farmer / 58 Water Street

Designer Trapped In A Lawyer’s Body / Year of Serendipity / White House Black Shutters / Desert Domicile

THURSDAY

Two Purple Couches / Like A Saturday / Finding Silver Pennies / Artsy Chicks Rule

Something to Be Found / Shades of Blue Interiors / Simple Designing / Our Southern Home

FRIDAY

Evey’s Creations / Dragonfly and Lilypads / Weekend Craft / Ciburbanity

A Designer At Home / Polished Habitat / Blue i Style / Addicted 2 DIY

The Edison bulb was provided by Parrot Uncle for this project.

Thrift Score Thursday #84 #swapitlikeitshot

October 8, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey Guys!

Today is an extra special thrift centered Thursday because it falls during the week of #SwapItLikeItsHot! It’s a really cool series coordinated and hosted by Charlotte of Ciburbanity where one blogger thrifts for another blogger and the receiving blogger has to repurpose the items given to them and it works round robin for 5 days. My day to share my project is tomorrow but I wanted to pop in a sneak peek with shots of the items I received in my package from Charlotte herself (how lucky am I that the host is my sender my first round!). She picked out a couple really interesting and challenging pieces to work with. Thankfully that left me to get creative!

I received 2 hanging chalkboard stars, a paisley print bag and a coaster set with their own case. If I had more time I would’ve done more but the only pieces I’ve been able to work with amidst the bathroom remodel starting are the chalkboard stars. I hope you think I did a good job with them. Make sure to pop back in tomorrow to see their after!

The features were to die for yet again this week. With the weather getting cooler, I had hoped you thrifting prodigies would give my jealous heart a break, but alas, the feed is gorgeous as usual.

@watassa Who ever said you can't find anything good at the last day of an estate sale? Welcome home, friend. #plycraft #mcm #thriftscorethursday #colddeadfingers #leland #upnorth #selig #midcentury #darling #thrifting #thatsdarling #liveauthentic #livefolk — @watassa Who ever said you can’t find anything good at the last day of an estate sale? Welcome home, friend. #plycraft #mcm #thriftscorethursday #colddeadfingers #leland #upnorth #selig #midcentury #darling #thrifting #thatsdarling #liveauthentic #livefolk

@doug_fritock Peacock chairs seem quite common here in the Midwest, but I hadn't come across a nice diminutive one like this before. So versatile, I had to bring it home from @savers_thrift last night. The art print is from @urbanoutfitters. #thrifting #vintage #thriftscorethursday — @doug_fritock Peacock chairs seem quite common here in the Midwest, but I hadn’t come across a nice diminutive one like this before. So versatile, I had to bring it home from @savers_thrift last night. The art print is from @urbanoutfitters. #thrifting #vintage #thriftscorethursday

@mariaski63 You bet your brass, it's #thriftscorethursday!!! #brass #brassdecor #vintagebrass #decoratewithbrass #thrift #thrifter #thrifting #thriftshop #thriftstore #thriftstorefinds #thriftstorescore #goodwill #goodwillhunting #asiandecor #chinese #chinoiserie #hollywoodregency #turkish #tray #teatray #bookends #vintage — @mariaski63 You bet your brass, it’s #thriftscorethursday!!! #brass #brassdecor #vintagebrass #decoratewithbrass #thrift #thrifter #thrifting #thriftshop #thriftstore #thriftstorefinds #thriftstorescore #goodwill #goodwillhunting #asiandecor #chinese #chinoiserie #hollywoodregency #turkish #tray #teatray #bookends #vintage

And that wraps up my “finds” and features for this week. I hope to see you back here tomorrow for #SwapItLikeItsHot. Until then, don’t forget to hop on over to this party’s other fab hosts and this week’s guest cohost because they’re epic thrifters and they know how to pick some fantastic features!

Want To Join In? Here’s The Rules!

We want you to participate! Hit up your local thrift stores, craigslist, yard sales, estate sales, side of the road, anything! Thrifty doesn’t necessarily mean from a thrift store. We want to see your good deals, wacky finds and treasures.
Don’t feel like you need to save those finds for Thursdays! Yes, features are shared on our blogs and Instagram on Thursdays, but we’re all checking in on (and using!) the hashtag all week long. So, when you see/find it, feel free to share it!
Each week, Trisha from Black and White Obsession, Cassie from Primitive and Proper, Brynne from The Gathered Home, Myself (A Designer At Home) and occassionally a guest co-host will pick a favorite thrift score or two to feature! So please note that by linking up with #thriftscorethursday,you are giving us permission to share your finds via social media or on our blogs.
Please remember that we can only share love for photos shared on public accounts. If your profile is private, we can’t see your finds.

Interested in hosting with us for a week? Want to see your face on this fabulous little graphic? You know you want to, it’s so much fun! Shoot me an email, and we’ll get you coordinated to guest host!

Global + Craftsman + Boho Bathroom in 6 Weeks

October 7, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey Guys!

I can’t beleive it’s that time of year! One Room Challenge is back and it just so happens to be starting at the same time we’re tackling this bathroom remodel. So naturally we have to try to get this done in 6 weeks now, right?!

If you don’t already know, One Room Challenge (or ORC for short) is a 6 week long challenge hosted by Calling It Home. Essentially you start with a room and completely make it over in 6 weeks. Check in is Thursdays but because I cohost #ThriftScoreThursday and we post on Thursdays, I will be posting my updates on Wednesdays!

We are taking on a pretty massive bathroom renovation, so I’m taking it easy on myself. 6 weeks is the “goal,” but I’m not certain that will be a reality.

I cheated a bit an already announced some what we planned on doing in the space last week. Here’s a refresher in case you missed it.

And the part we all want to know, here’s the current… just, be kind.

And just in case you’re missing any horrifying details from that terribly blurry picture, here are the key points:

So far the most important part of the process was just completed yesterday evening. Our lead test. We tested negative for lead! YES! Our home was built 1955 so this was a really big scare for us. We had our test completed through Environmental Engineering & Technology, Inc. She used a gun that measures into the wall and checked several surfaces to ensure there was none present anywhere. She was also incredibly friendly and made the whole experience easy for my anxious self.

We also met with a third contractor to get an idea of pricing for the work we are not going to be taking on ouselves. I feel like we are way behind in making this decision. So far we’ve had two quotes. One included the work to rework piping to bring the hot water heater that is currently located in our detached unfinished garage into the house and that estimate was $6,650. The second quote we received did not include the hot water heater work and that was $7-8,000. That’s a huge difference so I’m hoping to hear better news with the third contractor.

So what do you think? Do you think we can do it? Are we nuts? Do you like the initial design? We still have a ton of decisions to make (and a lot of work ahead!? So be sure to stay tuned!

Leather Fringe Garland

October 6, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey guys!

Did I ever tell you about that one time I bought 3 yards of a faux leather fabric in probably the most perfect color on Amazon? Well, I did. And having never really bought fabric before, I way overestimated how much I needed. So I’ve been thinking of different ways to use the extra fabric and came up with this ultra cute leather fringe banner!

I feel like this banner is perfect year round but I bet it would look especially cute layered with something like this acorn garland for a Fall mantle. It’s also really easy to pull together and is a great way to use up any leftover fabric.

Supplies:

Leather-like material, ruler/yard stick, pencil, scissors

How To Leather Fringe Garland:

Start by cutting out a rectangle of fabric. Mine is 10 inches tall by 36 inches wide.

Go along one of the long sides and mark 1/4 inch increments. I used the threading on the backside of the fabric as a guide so only had to mark part way. Then mark off about 1 and 1/2 inches on the other long side as a guide for where to stop cutting,

Cut straight lines at those 1/4 inch marks to the stop point. (This would be the time consuming part)

(See that large bundle of leather fabric there in the basket? I’ve still got loads more to work with!) Gold thumb tacks work really well for the weight of the fabric. Just press through the fabric and hold it up on the wall, adjust until you like how it hangs, then press the tacks in place!

Because I don’t have a mantle-like space to hang my fringe garland, I thought it would be really run to set it up in the back yard with the lanterns I have hanging in my trees. It’s so boho and would be really wonderful for weddings and dinner parties. Just make one and let your imagination run wild!

I thought about making up a really cheesy and badly edited picture of it hanging over a white fireplace. I think it would look hella cool hanging across the mantle but, alas, I have no fireplace yet. I’m pretty stinkin’ determined to have one eventually, so if you see a good DIY fireplace, send it my way!

Check out these other fun things to add to a Fall Mantle. I’m telling you. Next year will be the year I get a mantle and I’m putting all the pretty leather and metallic things on it!

I hope you’ve found this tutorial helpful and inspiring. If you recreate it, tag me in a photo on social media so I can see it! If you thing others may find it helpful, giving it a share would help me out a lot. Have an awesome day <3

Crushing On: Vintage Bathrooms

October 5, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey Guys!

While we’re sorting out some of the background things going on with the bathroom remodel, I thought it would be really fun to explore vintage (or vintage looking) bathrooms and what it is I love about them. I love doing this kind of thing when looking to decorate my own spaces because it helps me hone in on what I really gravitate towards (and gives me an idea of how realistic I can get with those dreams).

One thing I really love about the bathrooms that I gravitate towards is how imperfect they are. There’s a quintessential mess to them. Whether it be fixtures or tile that appears outdated, tapestries that seem misplaced, or toothbrushes/lotions/brushes out for display- I like it.

I hope to channel some of that perfect imperfection in the decisions I make for my own bathroom. I have to be careful about the decisions I’m making because home values are not rising well in our neighborhood and we don’t want to be here forever (love the location, layout, etc. but maybe I’ll chat about that in another post). And since this is the only bathroom in the house, I want to go big but not too big. We still want to keep funds open in the future to add a second bath (and new roof, new HVAC, new windows, taking down a a load bearing wall, etc), so I’m trying to find a happy balance between high style, labor costs, the budget, and DIY capabilities.

I digress, here are a few spaces I’m drooling over right now.

(please, if you enjoy any of these spaces, click the links below them and pin from the original source!)

This is the bathroom from Lauren and Chad’s Apartment Therapy Home Tour. The penny tile floor, the rug, the claw foot tub (that is not happening, unfortunately!), the feminine drapes and lovely hanging plants. I love the dark walls and makeshift jewelry hangers about. Penny tile floor is not happening for us. It’s actually what we attempted to install ourselves, I’ll have to dedicate a blog post to that separately, but the more I think about all that grout to clean… yeah, that’s a lot of grout. Plants and feminine drapes are totally up my alley and those have permanent spots in the design. I probably won’t have the budget for a fabulous rug like this one, but I’ll keep dreaming 😉

I wish, wish, wish I had a fabulous archway like this one in Sasha’s Apartment Therapy Home Tour‘s bathroom. The fabulous textiles are just so good. The direction I’m thinking we’re taking with our design likely won’t include just an array of beautiful colors. I’ll definitely be talking color scheme soon,though. I really love the spanish tile floor. The tuscan feel is so warm. I’ve definitely toyed around with the idea of doing a floor like this but I don’t know that it would be very good for resale. And then there’s the lovely gold shelf and hanging planter- easy bohemian charm.

Hanging plants- check. Sweet indigo shower curtain- check . I love the white subway tile (but something is drawing me away from that) and the wall mounted sink (oh, if I had all the storage in the world I would go this route!). I find the chrome fixtures refreshing, but I don’t think I’ll be using them myself (I’m leaning towards old world bronze, but we’ll have to see where it goes!). This bathroom hails from a Design*Sponge home tour of Michelle Leblanc and Chris Riemenschneider.

I have been obsessing over this image since the day I stumbled onto it on Pinterest. It’s from a short post on Fat Cat asking about the mirror and light fixture combo. The post is years old, but if she’s still wondering- I say I love it. I love the imperfect pairing and the mixed metals. More than that I love the little wooden shelf. And more than that I love that fabulous mirror. Of if I could stumble onto a perfectly retro mirror like this one I would just die. Not literally but figuratively of course. I’m also pretty smitten with how imperfectly dated those wall tiled are (love the idea of tiled bathroom walls all around but I don’t even want to calculate the cost of that after having done so for the tub surround and floors- yikes!).

This bathroom is in the home of Alex and the home of Alex is a converted garage. Be still my beating heart! I love tiny spaces and this one doesn’t dissapoint. First let’s focus on that amazing circular mirror. I’ve been on the hunt for one, just to have one, but if I find one it may very well end up in my bathroom. I’m also smitten with the clawfoot tub, because let’s be real- who isn’t?! The brick wall is amazing and not something I’d dare risk putting in my house. But the charming tiled wall is something I find myself drawn to time and time again. And plants. Because what bathroom is functional without plants?

Let’s visit another bathroom with an amazing rug. I probably should have been visiting flea markets this whole time (I’ve actually never been to one!) so that I would have hopefully stumbled onto one of these but at this rate I won’t. At least not in a price range I’d been OK forking out the money for. Subway tile again makes an appearance (they say it’s timeless, but what about square 4×4 tile- isn’t that stuff everywhere?) and I swoon for the floors, but the grout is an issue for me again. I’m really glad to have seen these kinds of floors slowly coming back into style though! I think the old mirror is especially charming and I love the shelving unit above the toilet- it’s very printer’s drawer-esque but deep enough to be functional. This bathroom is from an Apartment Therapy post about Non-Matchy bathrooms.

There are actually a lot of things I don’t like about this bathroom. But there are a few key pieces that make this bathroom a favorite for me. Firstly- the textiles. Because they’re textural and unexpected in a bathroom. I’m loving that there’s more than 1 mirror. I’m not sure that there’s enough wall space to do that in my own bathroom but it’s certainly an idea on my radar. I’m also crushing on the linen shower curtain and that fabulous turkish towel (if I can find any that aren’t much more expensive than the ones I’m currently eyeing down at Target and World Market– then I’m buying stat). via a Private Barbara Bestor Apartment Therapy Home Tour.

This bathroom is from Home Adore- Garden St Residence Pavonetti Office Design. The black and white is classic and I appreciate it even if it’s not for me. I don’t think it’s coincidence that those floors have popped up again. I really do love the,. Other things I love are the black faucets and curtain rod, but there’s also another metallic in the space, note the light fixture (it appears to be a brass finish of some kind) and gold mirror- I am seriously crushing on the combination. And of course- the essential plant element is present.

And do you remember my dream house post? I shared a home that was/is? for sale (just checked, appears to still be for sale) and it is the epitome of the perfect home as far as design goes. I thought it’d be fun to revisit that today since I am talking about dream spaces and all. I love the color coordinated wall and floor tile. They both make my heart race with excitement! I just don’t know if I’m brave enough to attempt something like that. Resale value- ya know? I love that there are dark colored tiled with dark fixtures and yet the whole space still feels incredibly light and airy. #goals

So what did I learn from visiting my favorite bathroom spaces today?

I want a lot of things that I fear wouldn’t be great for resale value
Plants are essential for living and breathing (and for bathrooms to function properly)
I’m drawn to elements that appear “dated” or “un-updated”
Mirrors are a huge focus for me, it has to be a carefully chosen detail
Mixed metals are happening
Interesting textiles make for an interesting space
I have a serious issue with even entertaining the idea of grout cleaning
Light and Airy is key but execution for this goal is unsure
Green and Blue are colors I gravitate towards
I still don’t have an idea of what I want to do for my own space

So was that fun? Did you make it through all of that? Do you have any suggestions for materials or ideas for decor for me? You guys are the best for being here so I’m sure you know something I need to know about!

Himmeli Inspired Lighting + A Tutorial

October 2, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey Guys!
Why does no one talk about himmeli anymore? It’s such a beautiful art form and the actual himmeli art is fascinating! It’s geometric and easy to replicate the intricate designs with trendy brass tubing. But as trends come and go in home decor and design, himmeli has fallen by the way side. But I have not forgotten and am still obsessing!

Because explaining this kind of technique can be really difficult to explain in written word, I filmed myself creating the light fixture in case that might help any of you interested in giving it a go yourself!

I’ve seen himmeli pieces made with straws, but I knew that it could be a potential hazard being connected to something electrical. I know most bulbs won’t get hot enough to melt a straw, but I would rather be safe than sorry. So I bought round brass tubes from Amazon. And steel wire from the dollar store. Armed with my supplies, I asked my dad what he thought would be the best way to cut the tubes. He lent me a hacksaw, which worked out pretty good! Looking back, he thinks a dremmel tool would’ve been easier (and props to my Dad for gifting me one for my birthday last year!) Or a tiny pipe cutter.

The process isn’t complicated, but I do think the video helps give life to the instructions.

The Process

Run steel wire through three 6 inch long pieces of tube. Run the wire back through the first rod to create a triangle. Then run 2 more pieces of tube to create a second triangle. Repeat until you’ve got 6 triangles connected that form a hexagon. Then run two pieces of tube that connect to each side of the hexagon, creating 6 more triangles, using the 6 sides of the hexagon as a side for each of the triangles. Connect the points of each of those 6 triangles with a 6 inch piece of tube. For the top, create a trapezoid with 2 pieces of 5 inch tube and 1 piece of 1 inch tube. Connect the trapezoids and you’ll have a small hexagon in the center to run your light fixture piece through.

When I had started stringing the brass tubes onto the steel wire, it hit me how delicate and glamorous the skinny brass tubes were. That’s why I changed my initial design up a bit to create a hexagonal drum shaped fixture instead of the more geometric and organic shape of the Urban Outfitters light fixture.

The hardest part for me was working up the courage to hard wire the fixture. Like, it took 2 months to convince myself to just to it already. I had to teach myself how to, without any experience with electrical. It turned out to be SO easy though (but I’m not an electeicial, so don’t listen to me!).

Isn’t the shadow against the ceiling just too cool? I found the globular bulb at the dollar store.

And that’s how I made my brassy himmeli inspired geo ceiling light. Works great as a ceiling light but would also be ultra fabulous as a pendant anywhere.

Love Himmeli? Here’s More Himmeli-like lighting:

I especially love himmeli when it’s in the form of this fabulous lamp from Lampsplus. With retro flair coming from the frosted glass sphere in the center and trendy geometric lines inspired by classic himmeli techniques, this lamp screams, “hang me somewhere!”

If you’re not keen on a whole lot of geometric factor in your decor, a small dose like in this himmeli hurricane light fixture from Corey of Tiny Sidekick for Remodelaholic is a fun way to add that little touch of whimsy.

The light that inspired my own himmeli adventure is the Urban Outfitters Magical Thinking Geo lamp– I ended up changing the design from the original inspiration, but this is a perfect example of a simplified and airy himmeli inspired light fixture- perfect for anywhere!

I hope there are still people out there enjoying this art form and that you’ve found this post helpful and interesting! Please give it a share and leave me a comment and check out these other posts before you go: