DIY: Tapestry Turned Pillow

A few lovely readers asked after the big pillow on my Charlottesville bed (as seen in my posts on the tiny shelf makeover and the postcard wall).

Screen Shot 2015-08-15 at 6.26.32 PM

Isn’t it great?! In high school I picked up this old tapestry from a local flea market, then tucked it away in the depths of a closet where I found it a few years into college. I thought about putting it up on a wall, but what I really needed was a big pillow. Some inspiration...

I pinned this forever ago from Domino magazine:

Screen Shot 2015-08-23 at 3.26.41 PM

Great teal bedspread from a post on House of Turquoise:

Screen Shot 2015-08-23 at 3.27.29 PM

Love this as a cover for a sofa, too (via the blog Honey & Fitz):

Screen Shot 2015-08-23 at 3.28.21 PM

This headboard is from the bedroom of Grace Bonney (of the great blog Design*Sponge):

Screen Shot 2015-08-23 at 3.29.14 PM

After a bit of research, I learned that this type of textile is made by the Otomi people in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. There are so many options other than simply textiles: dresses, purses, you name it. And purchasing from certain sources also benefits the tribe--doing good deeds while beautifying a room!

Because I had a pretty neutral background (white bedspread and sheets, wood furniture, white walls), I thought this color-charged tapestry would give me just the right happy feel that I wanted in my room. I enlisted my dear mother to turn the tapestry into a pillow by sewing on a big piece of red duck cloth that we had on hand as the back and stuffing it with cotton.

Screen Shot 2015-08-23 at 3.25.10 PM

Screen Shot 2015-08-23 at 3.24.38 PM

I love projects like this that make such a big difference but are so simple to do—especially when we’re talking throw pillows! This can easily be replicated for small or big pillows, too.

A friend of mine was thinking of doing something similar in her new apartment, so I did a quick eBay search for Otomi tapestries where I found some great options, like this wall hanging:

Screen Shot 2015-08-24 at 1.44.13 PM

Another wall hanging, very much like mine:

Screen Shot 2015-08-24 at 1.45.10 PM

Placemat--could be made into a small pillow:

Screen Shot 2015-08-24 at 1.46.15 PM

My favorite:

Screen Shot 2015-08-24 at 1.53.01 PM

Of course, having a sewing machine is largely helpful for this project. Sewing by hand, using small stitches, would also work—just want to make sure that the stitches are set in from the edge of the fabric by about 1" so that the stuffing can’t peek through. (Do I sound like Martha Stewart?? YIKES) In retrospect, I would make an envelope pillow (great instructions from Jenny at Little Green Notebook here) and use a standard pillow insert instead of stuffing.

Or, of course, there are options to buy for yourself, like these from the same eBay search:

Screen Shot 2015-08-24 at 1.54.05 PM

From One Kings Lane:

Screen Shot 2015-08-24 at 1.55.18 PM

From the etsy shop mentioned above:

Screen Shot 2015-08-24 at 1.56.32 PM

Pom poms!

Screen Shot 2015-08-24 at 1.58.28 PM

Just used this gorgeous pillow from Roberta Roller Rabbit in a project and LOVE the yellow tassels:

Screen Shot 2015-08-24 at 1.59.27 PM

Do you have any pillow DIYs you’d like to see featured on The Spoonful?? Contact me here or post in the comments below!

Black and White Stripes

I must begin by saying that The Spoonful turned ONE over the weekend! Can you believe it?! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who have read this page, given suggestions, shared posts on social media, and mentioned it in person--I'm so grateful and looking forward to many more years. Without further ado..

How wonderful is this photo (pinned here) of Audrey (my idol) on the most gorgeous settee?

Black and white stripes are the epitome of classic and I adore them. Here's a round up of some favorite moments where they particularly shone:

Liza Laserow via 1st Dibs (and pinned here):

August Black's big cushions are terrific (pinned here):

How about this pair of striped sofas (pinned here), face to face, from French blogger Flodeau?

Nick Olsen painted these stripes on roller shades in his NYC apartment (pinned here). Obviously I'm obsessed. (Also obsessed with the stacked books as bedsides and with the entire apartment in general.)

And for the win... these painted walls (pinned here) via Domino. So. Good.

Is there a topic you'd like covered on The Spoonful? Share it in the comments below!

Inspiration: Fresh White

I'm loving this fresh snapshot from Domino (where else):

Because the furniture is all pure white and the color comes from accessories, it's easy to create what looks to be a whole new space by just swapping out the books and pillows. 

To recreate the look, start with the white furniture. I like how slender the side table is above; here's a similar one from Wayfair (I would also spray paint--glossy pure white--a table if I found a good style in the wrong color!):

The sofa's straight lines keep the crazy pillows from getting too... crazy. Here's a goodie from abc home :

And here's a budget-friendly version from Ikea (with slipcover). A little white paint on those legs is all you need--or check out PrettyPegs for alternative furniture legs made for Ikea goods (why didn't I think of that??).

I've always loved this white coffee table from Hay (sold by abc home):

And the obligatory sheepskin OF COURSE:

A mounted wall light for reading (this one is from Restoration Hardware):

And now for the color! I think that huge Asian fan is a wonderful thing--and I think the black aspects of it (in the original photo above) really work to pull together the many black accents in the pillows, light, even from the books. Here's a vintage one I found on etsy:

The leopard pillow looks to be a classic Brunschwig et Fils pattern (here), but here's a less pricey option:

... cherry red pillow from Target:

... and a black throw pillow from Overstock:

... add one of these catch-alls from Michele Varian:

... grab a few succulents from Homecoming (the coolest coffee shop/florist in Brooklyn) or at the local hardware store:

... and, finally, load on the coffee table books. Need help deciding? MyDomaine, One Kings Lane, and Remodelista are here for you :)

Voila!

Do you have a room you'd like to see broken down on The Spoonful? Let me know in the comments below!

Workspace Goals

Check out this gorgy-gorg workspace from Sarah Vickers. She and her husband, Kiel James Patrick (of the brand KJP), have amazing instagrams (@sarahkjp and @kjp) that are constantly inspiration-worthy--usually for clothes or lovey-dovey photos of the happy couple, but I found this desk to be divine! Every time I look at this photo, I see another little fabulous detail (don't miss the framed taxidermied bat in the upper right corner!). Here's how I would recreate this space:

I'd start with good L-shaped desk for lots of room to spread out (twine-wrapped table leg for a kitty scratching post is optional...):

The contrast between the wood of the desk and the white of the cubbies is just great. These from Land of Nod would work well:

I'd switch the knobs out of the desk hutch with something brassy and fabulous like these:

... or these:

That striped chair is so lovely, don't you think? Here's a similar one from Serena and Lily:

Or this one in blue:

The biggest pop, to me, is the green on the walls. Paint is your friend! Benjamin Moore's Nile Green looks to be prettyyy close to the color above:

The white shelves in Sarah Vickers's photo look to be built-ins, which can get pricey. To cut corners, a good option is to put up shelves with brackets, like these from Home Depot:

The vintage Vogue cover is so great and a bit of red or pink will really pop against the green walls. A quick eBay search opens the door to so many options. Here are a few of my faves: 

/1/2/3/

And now for the accessories! Because who doesn't need that taxidermied bat, amiright?

/1/2/3/4/5/

Have you found a picture of a space you'd like to see recreated on The Spoonful! Let me know!

DIY I'd Like to Try: Pressed Leaves

Sarah Jessica Parker's home in Bridgehampton (as seen in Elle Decor here and pinned here) is as fabulous as one might expect. And would you believe those white tables are Ikea Lack side tables lacquered in white?! Start believing. I'm especially loving the pressed leaves on the walls:

A great DIY opportunity! I know I can be a little Martha Stewart-esque with my DIYs ("It's so simple, really..."), but this one really is so simple. There are tons of options for configuring the leaves, like this great image from Domino (pinned here):

Aren't they gorgeous? If they're pressed between the pages of heavy books (with wax paper to protect the pages!), the color will be mostly preserved and they can then be arranged in gorgeous patterns, like this image from Interiors Addict (pinned here):

The leaves could be framed in glass-on-glass (as shown above) or with a background--I love crisp white or kraft paper and a black or wood frame. Or skip the frame altogether, like in this photo from Country Living (pinned here):

The options are endless! And it's a quick and thrifty DIY to fill up the walls. Win-win :)

Have you tried this DIY? Send it over or let me know in the comments below!

Snuggle-y Bedroom

Schoolhouse Electric (amazing lighting--and more--shop in TriBeCa) posted this photo on instagram a while ago, and I came across it this weekend while going through old photos. How comfy?!

Want to recreate this cozy space for yourself? Read on...

Maps are one of my favorite things--probably because I was forever traveling as a child (I even covered my desk in maps! See that post here.) Etsy has a plethora of vintage pull-down maps like the one in the photo above:

Love this amazing pendant from Schoolhouse Electric:

Check out Schoolhouse Electric's bedding, too, because it's pretty great:

Here are similar lamps from Crate & Barrel:

And bedside tables from Ikea!!

Finish off the space with this big ole sheepskin rug:

And then you'll be ready to crawl right back in bed!

Have you seen a room you'd like to see recreated and featured on The Spoonful? Let me know in the comments below!

Things I Love: Canopy Beds

Wouldn't you feel like a modern day princess in this room, sleeping on this bed (via Elle Decor and pinned here)?

This shot from Lonny Mag is also magnificent (pinned here):

The great thing about a dark canopy like this is that it doesn't have to feel princess-y! Check out this gypsy-esque rendition (pinned here):

Dying for your own? Anthropologie has a gorgeous version here:

Do you have a piece you'd like to see on The Spoonful? Let me know in the comments below!