Lauren's Anthropologie-esque Kitchen

Open Shelving Style Kitchen Uppers

Hi Christine!
I just found your blog! It's amazing! I just bought my 1st house, and I move in on June 1st. Right now, all I have are pictures of is from how the owner has it. So, none of my furniture. My taste cottage/eclectic (I love Anthropologie-esque stuff and vintage/antique).

The house itself is 100 years old and cottage looking from the outside. I love older homes- and I love that your interior is going to be consistent with your exterior. Anyway, I have time to paint and do other things during the month before I move in, and I'd love some help.

First of all, I'm trying to figure out what to do with the walls in the kitchen (maybe more white, instead of brown??). I would not go white unless it was white beadboard- just painted white would be too dull. The tile on the floor is a gray tone. I'm also not sure about the countertops (maybe wood? but would the gray floor look weird with that?). Wood counters are a classic. You could always bring in some gray in the backsplash to help tie in the flooring. I put a picture in below of a hand painted tile from Country Floors that has some white and some gray- you could absolutely use a tile like this on the backsplash and add a wood counter. Repeat the wood somewhere in your room- like your furniture. I also feel like the fridge looks bulky where it is, but I'm not sure what other option there is. Just replace it with a counter depth refrigerator. You pay more for less square footage- and it killed my husband to do it- but after bugging him for about 2 years- I got mine- and love it. From a design standpoint it is the best solution- and if you run out of room- just clean out your refrigerator- you don't really need more space. (coming from a mother of 4) I also thought about changing the hardware on the cabinets- what do you think?? I don't have a real good look at the hardware.... it is hard for me to say- but in general I'd like to see something with more contrast. Anthropologie has some really great hardware to check out- I like their button knob.

Check out I am cutting your e-mail in half- I will finish it with an additional post and just focus on the kitchen in this one.

Thank you soooo much. This is the best blog ever. ANY advice is appreciated!!!!
Sincerely,
Lauren

Well Lauren,

Congratulations on your new home! I'd like to add a few more thoughts to what I said above. I would have one dining set in the center of the room- and no additional furniture. The arrangement the previous owner has is really not good. If you are interested in making any structural changes or additions- consider adding a display area above your cabinets- where there is space- like in the kitchen above. Or you could take down all of your upper cabinets- and have a more open feel like in the photo at the top of the post.

Over your dining room table- remove that horrible ceiling fan and add some charming lighting. I found this glass jug pendant from Shades of Light- I would do a little collection of three of them- hung in staggered heights.

Add some Roman shade or cafe curtains on your windows. Find a fun vintage fabric like the one below from Amy Butler. Your curtains and backsplash will bring in your character.

I would put beadboard on the wall- floor to ceiling would be perfect- painted white. Then add a vintage plate collage to the larger back wall.

Consider some retro chairs like you see in the red and green kitchen photo above- paired with a simple wood table that brings in the colors of your counter- and adds warmth to the stone floor. The addition of the retro will give you more of an Anthropologie feel- and not too country.

Any more ideas for Lauren? Anyone seen any cool vintage Anthropologie-esque kitchens lately?

Decorating with Plates

I have posted on decorating with plates before- see here... But wanted to show you a few new fresh ideas I've found.

The whole look of overlapping the plates is fantastic- a little more casual and fun.

Even on a small wall a plate collage is a great solution.

Who would have thought to use plates in a modern living room?

This room is a modern shabby chic- and pulls off the vintage plate decor beautifully.

With no blue in the decor- the Wedgwood plate look still stands strong.

What do you think?

Anyone want to go hang a plate on their wall?

Plate Collages

I wanted to expound a little on the plate collage idea that I gave Nicole yesterday - the example above is quintessential Martha Stewart - symmetrical, uniform, simple and beautiful. A more provincial look is found below - balanced - but definitely asymmetrical, unique and charming.

Compare these to the retro modern collage from yesterday's post - which do you prefer?

First Things First!

My husband and I bought a house last December and it hasn't been decorated yet...mainly because I have absolutely NO CLUE of how to do anything design wise. The only thing we were able to accomplish was hanging one picture on each wall, which is a bit plain and boring. We also couldn't agree on curtains and ended up with an interesting color duo/style. I've had wishes to decorate, but every time I mention it, my husband laughs and asks me what I am going to do. He thinks of decorating as clutter. No so! My mom is coming into town to help me paint the entry hall, living room and kitchen/dining area in a few weeks and I can't even figure out a color. I LOVE this color on the walls in this post - but they have very light colored carpet and mine is a red-brownish color and I don't know if it would work...or if I could even find it.

I have many issues and don't know what to do. I've been married for 7 years and we haven't ever bought furniture, and can't right now. But I have a budget of about $300 for "decorations" (not including paint - that's a separate budget).
#1 Ideas for wall paint color
#2 Ideas for decorations of fireplace/mantle area
#3 Ideas for wall in dining room as well as windows in dining room - Really, anything would make me jump for joy!

Dear Nicole,

If new furniture is not in the budget - start yard-saleing- check Craig’s list - check the Penny Saver. Your hunter green and burgundy is really working against you. Right after college I picked up a cream colored sofa in OK condition for $25. Something like that would be much easier to decorate with than your jewel tones. Go get something neutral.

You need some inspiration. There are an infinite numbers of paint colors. Don’t’ start with the paint. Start with fabric. I hate it when people start with the paint!!!! Why does everyone want to start there???

OK - so let’s see - you have chocolate brown drapes with cream sheers. Let’s start there. You went and bought a cream colored sofa off of Craig’s List. I can see that you have children from the high chair - don’t worry about the light color. You only paid $25 for it. Down the road you can get some nice chocolate brown leather.

So- let’s dress up your second hand sofa with some new pillows. The ones I picked out for you are a zebra print from West Elm. Get two of them. Now we have a brown and cream thing going - but this does not give us a paint color. Let’s add a rug. The one below is from West Elm. There - now we’ve added some color. Go back and add a couple of blue pillows also. OK - now - select a paint color - perhaps Chatroom by Dunn Edwards.

See what we’ve done? If you don’t like my specifics - you can still follow the pattern.

1. Remove the bad. Your furniture is awful - it has to go.
2. Work with the good that you have. Your drapes are nice - INCORPORATE those colors.

Make them belong - tie them into the room.
3. Go find a rug that has brown and cream in it and other colors as well. Use that rug to pull paint colors off of.
4. Then select a paint color.

You have a serious furniture arranging problem going on there as well - go get your Penny Saver Furniture and some graph paper - make a floor plan - and e-mail me again - I will help you.

Your window treatments in the eating area? This is open to the living area where you have already purchased the brown and cream - so I would do a Roman shade in a print that has brown and cream in it - and do it on ALL of the windows - including the one that has the drapes. Another option - find a woven wood shade that is brown and cream - use it throughout.

Your wall in the eating area? SCALE SCALE SCALE. Now that you have chatroom (a bluish color) on the wall - add plate collage with white and brown vintage plates. Get well-priced plates and you can cover a good sized wall without spending too much. Check out Ebay and Etsy as well as TJ Maxx and Ross. Finding the plates can be a fun adventure.

Your fireplace - well - all of the fireplace decorating advice I gave is really null and void for you with your opening there. I would find a plant or large dark brown basket or some cool pottery for that area. Fill the area the best you can - don't go too small.

There you go - you have your work cut out for you! Go get a Penny Saver and get to work!

Priceless Art

After seeing this post- Carol left this message:

Here's my question: how much is too much to spend on artwork? I see this piece for the wall costs more than the sofa. I guess I'm surprised by this, but maybe that's why my house never looks professionally done. I'm pretty cheap when it comes to things on my walls. Is there any rule of thumb?

- Carol

I would never put a rule of thumb on the price. There are rules on the size and scale. I once heard of accessorizing being 1/3 the job cost. I think it is great when you are starting a job from scratch, and have finite amount of funds to reserve an appropriate amount to decorate the walls and accessorize. Most of us decorate as we go along. I can tell you that I personally saved for a year for a hand painted screen in my family room. It did cost about the same as my leather sofa. Sometimes, however, you can find the coolest items at a low cost- like a plate collage. These plates I found on Etsy- a set of three for $16. You could search out some cool plates- raid your grandmother's house- go to flee markets- TJ Max- and make a fantastic collage on your wall without ever having to write out a large check. Oftentimes people purchase items that are too small- probably to save money. The cool mixed media art at the top of the post- also from Etsy is only 6" x 12"- Most walls would need a set of about 16 of these :) Sometimes- to make your art affordable- you could start with , say 4 pictures- (on a smaller wall) and slowly get more as time goes on- until you have the amount you need to fill the wall you are working on.

In this post - the wall art is the glue. All of the other items are natural- or black. The art is what pulls it all together. It is also the element in the room that will make it not just functional- but "cool" and pleasant. This piece is what gives the room "atmosphere." The wall art is also the "focal point" of the room. It is a pivotal vital piece. Spending some money here will prove to make all the difference in the room.

Your attitude is not uncommon. I run into it a lot- and people diminish their beautiful homes by purchasing their wall art at @X&^%$ and *X%&^%&^ . (I mentioned actual places- but thought I would offend a bunch of people... :) Those places are great! For when you are in college- or just starting out.- But when you are a grown up- it's time to get some grown up wall art. ;)