casapinka

Stripes and Chairs and Velvets, Oh My

Now,  take this chair....

And this chair with some glossy black paint on the custom carved wood

(YES, HUSBAND. That is not a typo, and if you obstuct the process in any manner I shall paint the kitchen pink next week.)

And this Hicks fabric as we already discussed. And perhaps lose the bus sized cushion - the blue chair above doesn't have a cushion. Think of the cool little cushions in contrasting fabric I could make. Oh BOY!

Or heck, this fabric  (we're talking chair, not cushions still) because I can't do any of this without throwing in some variety. I know you guys'll hate it but I'm a sucker for a bright, happy fabric.

Or this Designer's Guild fabric, although there is the small problem of TAUPE.

Perahaps one of these Designer's Guild babies...

and I'll admit to loving this DG velvet stripe although not for the pink room. I need a studio, not a bordello. Somewhere, though, I must use this in the house. ..

Thanks to Lsaspacey of the blog Shelter for the link to the Lyford Quadrille fabric. Here is a photo from Domino. I think I liked it on the blind and cushion better than the chair. And apparently I really am a twit because in doing an internet search, I found that I asked same question here and Style Court answered it (slowly shakes head in resignation,  thankful that "Hey you!" rather than actual names causes her children to respond.)

Pink and Green French Chair

This custom made silk and down French bergere chair was adopted by a certain elated blogger who plans to reupholster it in something unfailingly amazing. If you are a decorating fan and know what that fabric might be, you should say something. Spotted yesterday on Ebay with 8 hours left, she  couldn't believe that nobody else outbid her in the final minute. She had been looking for a comfy reading chair for the window in her pink studio, and it just waltzed into her life. A little unsure if this was too fussy for her, she quickly saw that she could love it.

• Custom made
• French
• Silk
• Down
• Chocolate
• $185

I'll have to move the pink desk elsewhere to make room for the chair in the corner. That's ok - husband needs a new desk, anyway. He'll be completely psyched .

David Hicks La Fiorentina would be spectacular, which Err is also considering for his new chairs. I'll add others as they come up. Anyone remember that red Chinoiserie blind in Domino -might have been in a Celerie Kimble charity room or something. I thought it was Quadrille but cannot find it. I loved that.

Lulu DK's Marlon

There was an old lady...

God bless husband's pinstriped heart. He apparently read my post and look what the mailman brought: Not one, but TWO pairs ("I knew you wouldn't wear them if they were going on the wall so I got you a second pair.") THANK YOU, sweetie, and once I take the cheesegrater to my heels I shall don them and build a suitable outfit around them for a night on the town! Won't they look SMASHING in the pink studio? What do you think: Balanced on plexi, nailed into the wall, perched on a shelf, glued to the wall? Kate - anyone know Kate Spade? Would love HER opinion! P.S. I know the bows on the left shoes bend up and I think that's why they were marked down so much (What?! No WAY. They are NOT. Any girl would KILL to wear something this gorgeous. Right, ladies?)

First organization visit

I met with the personal organizer on Monday. I consulted her because I have so many bits and pieces in my studio (fabric, sewing notions, paint, brushes, tape, scissors, big paper, little paper, watercolor paper, canvas, stapled canvases, magazines, power stapler, yarn, knitting needles, magazines, kids' artwork - get the picture?)

I just can't figure out how to organize it so it's easily accessed and still looks good. Her first suggestion was this art frame which comes in different sizes and colors. It holds 100 pieces of kiddo art (or adult art) behind the display piece and you can change out the front whenever you want. Super idea. I think we might put one downstairs and upstairs. The next task I have to complete is to list every single type of item I want organized. She actually thinks it will be a simple job since I don't have a bunch of papers and junk to go through - definitely encouraging.

File Cabinet

Here it is! I've put it into a corner of my studio. I hated the black file cabinet and of course I like the butterflies but I still don't want it to be the focus of the room - sort of like a butterfly toilet. Husband sweetly agreed to replace the handles on it when he gets a minute. Is anyone interested in a "File-along?" I would open a Flickr group and you could post your pimped out file cabinets. Reading about the Ripple along, which I am joining, gave me the idea.

To those of you wanting a tutorial, I will put one on Pink Mohair this weekend (I like to keep Casapinka pretty much house related with the DIY stuff over there.) The studio is coming along slowly. Art needs to be hung but I am useless when it comes to that; Anna is going to hopefully hold my hand through it!

Butterfly filing cabinet

Last year interior designer Mary McDonald had her home made chinoiserie filing cabinet featured in Domino. I loved what she did with it and have been meaning to liven up this dented ugly thing since then but have been too lazy. I finally got to it this weekend and thought I would show you the work in progress. I actually painted over the butterflies instead of just leaving the photocopy exposed and if you only KNEW what restraint it took to stick to black and not add fuchsia (killed me.) If people are interested, I took photos of the process and would be happy to post a tutorial. It's not as easy as it looks and I will probably have to redo the side because of air bubbles. It is bound for my pink studio and perhaps it will make me file all my inspirational photos (and bills.) I'll be sure to post the finished product later this week in its new home, rather than where it currently resides, very conveniently, in the middle of the floor.

Work table

Not to bore you with more of last weekend's flea market loot, (I plan to do so all week so prepare yourselves) but I got this table for a SONG. I had been looking for a work table for the studio and there it was. Made of aged poplar by these two funny old guys, it's the perfect size. I took a photo and sent it to Anna and she emailed me back with the coolest idea: Wallpaper the table and cover it with glass! Well, I wonder if fabric might have a similar effect and not ruin the top of the table (see photo below) because ya never know: poplar tables could be next year's big ticket item. Not to mention that defacing any wooden item, including, I'm sorry to say, Target veneered bookcasess and eighties kitchen cabinets, is verboten in our household. If you want to get a rise out of certain people, just stick on an HGTV show where old den paneling is being whitewashed and just watch the hamster start the mad dash around the wheel with crazed indignation. There is NO SUCH THING as faux bois; it's all BOIS. Perhaps I could lay wallpaper down rather than pasting it, which would avoid the predictable reaction from certain males in our household.

Desk Chair

Anna saw this chair on line at West Elm and thought it would be a good accent in the studio. I have always always wanted a real desk chair rather than a borrowed dining room chair. We talked about my refurbishing a cool faux bamboo dining chair but I've been working a lot lately and sometimes a girl just wants some instant gratification. Now, I forgot to discuss with her whether it should have arms or not and I really wanted arms; however, it doesn't fit under the desk, which I hope doesn't offend yours or Anna's aesthetic sensibilites.

This cushion is one of Black and Spiro's remnant cushions that Anna sent me for my birthday. I can't believe what a sweet designer and friend I have. There are different fabrics on either side: Manuel Canovas, Nina Campbell and Designer's Guild (and one other that slips my mind.) The silk is unlike anything I have ever felt and apparently one of them was used in the Queen Mother's (or maybe the Queen's) bedroom. Just goes to show that there is a bit of Casapinka in all of us, isn't there?

Thanks, Apartment Therapy!

Here is the custom built bookcase for my studio. It came about because I posted a question last month on an open thread at Apartment Therapy:

"Anyone have any experience with the Expedit bookcase from Ikea? Quality? Appearance? It's awfully inexpensive so I'm a bit worried. There is a similar one (white - I want white) at West Elm and a big one at DWR. Anyone know any other sources for something similar? I've looked at furniture stores and nobody has it."

The responses were very helpful. I didn't realize that the Expedit bookcase was virtually a household name. I learned that it looks good but is a notorious pain to put together and will break apart if moved. I really didn't want to buy something almost guaranteed to end up in a landfill.

Expedit from Ikea - $179 plus shipping.

The Collins room divider from Pottery Barn for an astonishing $1200 plus $150 for shipping. There are two bookshelves featured side by side.

I spoke to Anna and she thought the Expedit style would be great for organizing all my art supplies, magazines and books, and that we should wallpaper the back. My thoughts exactly! I decided to ask Jimmy and Mark (my handymen) if they could build me one. They were ECSTATIC. Nothing like a woman who knows exactly what she wants, and they were itching to build something instead of lay hardwood floors. I gave them the measurements, told them how many compartments, and showed them the other bookcases featured above. I wanted it to be moveable, sturdy, and the back to be separate so I could wallpaper it (to see confused handymen tell them you want to wallpaper your bookshelf.) Nevertheless, they built it, added three coats of glossy white paint, and a week later it was mine. All for $325. In the words of Jimmy, "You ain't gonna buy nothin' this sturdy unless it has a gas tank."

There is also this bookcase from West Elm that is $549 plus shipping. It is smaller than I wanted and has casters. I could just imagine my three year old wheeling it down the stairs.

You don't have to live in an apartment to benefit from AT's great advice. Even someone like me who isn't keen on the mid-century modern aesthetic still gets a lot out of their posts. So, thanks Apartment Therapy and readers; I couldn't have done it without you (and I know you secretly love the pink room!)

One last view because I'm just so darned happy with it.

In the pink

The Studio is now painted with the lighter (25%) formulation. The light in the room isn't very good on this snowy morning and I am devoid of lamps. On a brighter day, I will post more photos. It is simply beautiful; Anna, how could I have doubted you? I think the top and bottom photos most closely represent the true color of the room (on my computer at least) which changes with the light of the day in a most ethereal way. The color is so sweet and warm I love standing in the room. I have many books and magazines piled on the floor but it is time for me to move in and to think about how to turn it into my own sanctuary. Despite the whole Pink Mohair thing, most people who know me would never have predicted a pink room. The painting is by Amy Ruppel and I think will fit perfectly.