Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working on updating the powder bath in the entryway of our home.  It’s always been unremarkably boring, but since it’s the bathroom that a) you see when you walk into the house and b) our visitors always use, it was overdue for a little revamp.

I have a few more things to finish before I can reveal the entire room to you, but I must say that it is pure bold, vintage quirk.   Oooooh, that sounds like a perfect eclectic style mix, doesn’t it?  However, I do want to show you a fun little piece that can be completed in under 15 minutes.

Well, hello to you, too!

The floor needed a small, textured rug, but necessity didn’t mean that it had to be plain and boring.  The simplest process ever yields a “talking” rug.  Besides, who wouldn’t want a little greeting when they walk into a room?

How to Paint a Talking Rug

1.  Find a natural fibered rug, such as jute or sisal.  The rug I used is a 2 x 3 jute rug that I picked up at Cost Plus/World Market for $16.99.  As a side note, they have really great natural rugs for reasonable prices, so make sure you check them out when you are in the rug market.

2.  Cut your word out of vinyl and position it on your rug.  I used my Silhouette SD to cut out the word, but you absolutely do not need to have a craft cutter to do this.  You could trace your word onto a piece of sticky vinyl shelf paper (i.e. Contact paper) and cut out the stencil by hand.  The font I used can be downloaded here for free.

3.  Dab your paint onto the rug with a cheap chip brush, using a up and down motion.  The vinyl won’t stick incredibly well to the rug, so I wouldn’t brush the paint on to ensure that your brush won’t slip under the vinyl.  Any craft paint would likely do, but I am using Martha Stewart craft paint because it is really thick and creamy.  The color I chose is Wild Blueberry, which looks like a dark navy under the light in my room (remember that your lighting will effect your color choice!).

4.  Keep dabbing until your stencil is completely filled in and only solid color shows through.  For reference, it took me under 5 minutes to fill in my word.

5.  Carefully remove the vinyl and put your rug in a place where it can dry.  If you are in a hurry, you can use a hairdryer and it will dry more quickly.

I love my little “statement” piece and the fun that it brings my tiny bathroom.  If the paint comes off after a lot of wear, I could easily touch up the paint.  Or, for only $16.99, maybe I’ll buy a new rug and give it a new voice.

What say you?  Could you use a little unexpected greeting somewhere in your home?

Choosing a color scheme for a new decorating project is one of my favorite parts about being a home decor fanatic.  Your choices really set the tone for how the finished room will feel, so I think it’s incredibly important for you to love the colors you decide to use.  It’s a very personal choice.

As you can imagine, I get a lot of questions and emails asking for my help in selecting colors.  It’s a lot of fun to search through my fan decks and put together color scheme suggestions.  A lot of times, my choices are inspired by a “feeling” – the colors just feel right together.  Other times, I draw inspiration from textiles that I think are beautiful.  Regardless, it’s important to me that those colors say something about me or about you (if I’m helping you select a color scheme).

For example, the below Bike Lane Dress from Anthropologie invokes a light and carefree feeling.  You can see that I have chosen a color scheme (the colors are from the Glidden color palette) based upon the dress.  If this was to be a room in my house, I’d use either the Toasted Oatmeal or Soft Sapphire (if my room had a lot of natural light) on the walls, and bring the other colors in through accessories.  I might even steel Mandi’s coral dresser.

If you’d like to go a bit bolder, find some bolder inspiration.  I own (and covet) this bird print top from Old Navy, and it was only after I bought it that I realized it is largely in the same colors as the powder bath that I’m working on.  I’m sure you are thinking, “Oh, Lindsay.  That is crazy.”  But, I’m promising that it works and it works really well.  As you have seen, I have navy on the walls and am bringing the yellow and red in as accents.  I’m hoping to have the entire room finished in the next week or so, but you know how slow I am when I’m making design choices!

Traditional home decor textiles are, of course, a great place to draw inspiration, too.  A pillow, rug or curtain panel is a great place to start.  This Gazebo Cloud pillow from Tonic Living has a fresh palette.  If you wanted to put color on your walls based on this pillow, I’d suggest going a shade or two lighter than the Robins Egg or Seal Grey.  Or, you could do a neutral wall (maybe something like Glidden’s Oyster Shell) and bring in the colors through accessories and the one boldly painted piece that I think every room should have.

A fun duvet cover is perfect for pulling a new color scheme, and this Flourish Bird Duvet Cover from Urban Outfitters is no exception.  It’s also a great example of how colors can be inspired by a textile but not match them exactly.  As long as the shades you choose don’t clash with the textile or with each other, your blended color scheme will work perfectly.

As I’ve said, color choices are extremely personal.  They need to be based on YOU, not what you see in magazines or read about in blog posts.  They should fit your lifestyle, your home, your feeling about the you that you are.  You will likely notice that you select your clothes based upon those guidelines, and I have a feeling that your home textile selection would be no different.

MyColortopia, the other blog that I write for, has put together a little quiz that you can take to help you choose color schemes that fit your personality.  If you are reading in email or via a reader, you may have to click over to my actual blog to take the quiz.  It was pretty accurate for me, and it even suggested some colors in shades of purple and orange that I hadn’t considered but really liked.

How do you choose color schemes for your home?  What did the MyColortopia quiz say about you?

I have partnered with Glidden/ Akzo Nobel Paints to participate in the My Colortopia program but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I have been so excited about all the attention that my master bedroom has received.  Y’all are so sweet!  I just love it so much, and its been so fun to share it with you.

I’ve gotten many questions and comments about different elements in the room, so I put together a list of everything I could think of that would provide some answers.  If there’s anything I’ve left out or if you have other questions, please let me know and I will get you the answer.

Paint Selections:
Dark Gray – Behr Dark Granite
White – Behr Powdered Snow
Silver Metallic – Martha Stewart Living Precious Metals in Silver Leaf
Yellow – Sherwin-Williams Decisive Yellow
Light Gray – Krylon Classic Gray (spray)
Teal – American Accents Lagoon (spray)
Black Glaze- Ralph Lauren glaze in Black Silk
Bed Stain – Sherwin-Williams custom mix

Furniture:
Bed – custom handmade (modification of Ana White’s Farmhouse Bed plans)
Yellow Dresser – thrifted and refinished
Gray Dresser – thrifted and refinished
Yellow Chair – thrifted and refinished
Mid-Mod Bar Cart Nightstand – vintage and refinished
Industrial Cart Nightstand – vintage
Industrial Crank Table – found at the Round Top Antique Fair

Accessories:
White Duvet and Shams – Target
Gray Rectangle Pillow – Target
Teal Smocked Pillow – Mills Design Company
Gray Throw Blanket – Target
Teal Lamps – vintage
Lampshades – Hobby Lobby
Yellow, Gray and Teal Frames – thrifted and painted
Gray Curtain panels – Ikea
Top Down/Bottom Up Cellular Shades – Payless Decor
Black Wooden Curtain Rods – Lowe’s (allen + roth corner connectors for bay window)
Black Glittered Chandelier – thrifted and painted
Black Leaning Mirror – Ikea
White Dog Statue – Garden Ridge
Antique Gauge and Bottle Collection – vintage
Silver and Black Antlers – found at the Round Top Antique Fair

Related Posts and Tutorials:
Mastering the Master Bedroom {The Inspiration}
Mastering the Master Bedroom {Chevron Walls}
Mastering the Master Bedroom {the Handmade Bed}
Mastering the Master Bedroom {the Miss Matched Dresser}
Mastering the Master Bedroom {the Thrift Store Cast-Off Dresser}
Mastering the Master Bedroom {Updating an Outdated Light Fixture}
Mastering the Master Bedroom {Layered Frame Gallery Wall}
Mastering the Master Bedroom {the Reveal!}
How to Paint Perfect Stripes on Textured Walls
Covering a Self-Adhesive Lamp Shade
Auditioning for a New Nightstand
What to do When Temporary Shades Become Permanent
How to Display Industrial Gauges
Furniture Stain can be Grey-t
How to Stain Bare Wood
Finding the Perfect Piece of Furniture
Rehabbing a Tired Chair

Whew!  Just a little light reading for the weekend. 

As with fashion, I am always hesitant to spend a lot of time and/or money investing in design trends (chevron walls aside).  The new, big thing goes away as quickly as it came into style, and you are left holding a bag of a bunch of acid washed jeans that need to be taken to Goodwill.

I’ve been concerned that my budding obsession with Edison-style filament light bulbs would wind up in that Goodwill bag.  Then, I started seeing more and more of them being used in fixtures that show bare bulbs, and I realized that it would be an easy update.  Both Lowe’s and Home Depot sell the bulbs now (there are actually two sizes at HD) and they are $6-$8 a pop.  There are many more styles and bases available from various online retailers as well.

Restoration Hardware’s Edison bulb collection

Of course, this style of bulb looks great in industrial style fixtures, such as these found at Forma Living.

But what about a more traditional lighting fixture?  Could it be enlivened with a filament-style blub?  If the fixture has a bare bulb, then I think the answer is yes.  Imagine this fixture from Ballard Designs with an Edison bulb.

Or how about this wall sconce from allen + roth at Lowe’s?  Wouldn’t it be more interesting if vintage-style bulbs were in this vintage-style fixture?

I think upgrading a fixture or two to an Edison-style filament bulb is a great way to add a little trend to your home.

What’s your take on the Edison bulb?  Love it or leave it?

A word of caution on these type of bulbs, though.  Although the wattage will be the same as a traditional bulb, the lumens (or light output) will be much lower.  I recommend them being used as accent lighting.  Don’t expect that one 60-watt Edison bulb is going to produce the same amount of light as a traditional 60-watt bulb – it simply won’t.  That being said, the Edison bulbs are supposed to last longer than a traditional bulb.

Nearly one year after I began the process of transforming our master bedroom into a unique and inspired space, I’m happy to {finally} report that the transition is now complete.

If you will remember, my master bedroom used to look like this – plates, toile and all.  It was a nice space, but it was safe, unfinished and certainly didn’t scream Lindsay.

The new room is a 180-degree turn from the previous.  It may be too bold for some.  It may be too busy for others.  But for me?  It’s just right.

It’s hardly recognizable as the same room, don’t you think?  It took what seemed like a million years to complete, but I made each (and sometimes agonizing) decision in a thoughtful manner, making sure that each item placed in the room was one that brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart.  Every thing has a purpose.

One of my favorite views is the one of the bed, where I can see the wonderful gallery of photos of my little family.  Our family photographer had them printed on metallic paper for me, so they shimmer in the sunlight.

On my side of the bed, you’ll find the mid-century modern bar cart that I defiled updated to use as a nightstand.  You’ll also see my bright yellow dresser and more black and white photos of my kiddos.  I picked up the silver and black antlers at the Round Top Antique Show.  My husband isn’t a fan of them, but I’m a big enough fan for the both of us!

The chevron walls are a surprise shock to some, but we love them just the same.  Two of our walls are painted with bold gray chevrons underlined in a thin silver, metallic stripe.  The other two walls are just solid gray.  I’ve had some readers say to me, “I could never sleep in a room with such busy walls,” but it doesn’t bother us in the slightest.  After all, our eyes are closed when we sleep. Instead, we feel like we are falling to sleep in the pages of a magazine, and that’s a pretty cool feeling.

My husband’s side of the bed features a great typing cart I found at a local antique store.  It’s the perfect color, perfect size, and perfect story – the label on the front of it says that it is from the Tiffany Stand Company in Saint Louis, Missouri.  So is he.  Well, he’s not from the Tiffany Stand Company, but he is from Saint Louis.

He also gets an up close and personal view of my layered, open frame collection.  Lucky him!

Of course, I can’t leave out my little thrift store cast-off dresser.  It’s proof positive that you CAN turn something ugly into something beautiful.

I installed white bottom up/top down cellular shades in all the windows.  They are perfect for the room because we generally only have them cover the middle of the windows for privacy (they are fully raised in the photos), and we get tons of bright sunlight in the room.  I added an industrial crank table, yellow chair and a ReStore restored chandelier to create a little sitting space.  It’s perfect for having a cup of coffee or tying your shoes.

Next to the sitting area is my leaning mirror and Brutus, the cute white French Bulldog statue I found at one of those stores where you never really find much of anything good.  My husband and son delight in dressing him up in silly outfits, and I make a big production of being put off about it. 

I am so happy to share my completed room with you.  It is everything I imagined…and more.  A bunch of thrift and antique store finds can certainly come together in a modern, eclectic fashion.

I’ll put together a tutorial and source list and post that in a few days.  Until then, here’s to me finally getting it finished!

With my powder bathroom re-do well under way, free standing sink vanities have been on my mind.  There are many different types of vanities available both online and in home improvement stores that will fit into most types of decor.

Well, except mine.  Because you know, I can’t just settle for a plain ‘ole vanity, right?  Aww, you know me so well!

I pulled together some inspiration photos when contemplating our new vanity, and I thought I’d share them with you today.  There are some really creative people out there (which is the understatement of the century, I know).

Artist Benjamin Bullins installed this amazing bicycle vanity made from reclaimed items in a bathroom in New Orleans.  If I had the space, I am positive that I would have been a big fat copy cat on this one.

In a converted barn, Carrier and Company Interiors in New York created this farm-themed bathroom.  I’m not really sure if they used a reclaimed feeding trough, but it sure looks like it.  This would be fun for a country cottage home.

What about this darling sink Laura of The Little House in the City spotted at a flea market?  How fun!  These old sewing machine tables can be found at just about every antique store in the country.  This would be an easy DIY.

Gina at Willow Decor (who has a gorgeous home, by the way) had this galvanized wash tub sink custom made for her laundry room.  Isn’t it so pretty?

And last but not least, my very favorite of the pack.  Plans for this table to vanity conversion can be purchased from Plans Now if you don’t want to try your hand at figuring it out on your own.

What do you think about these vanities?  Perfect for the right space?  Over the top?  Do you have a unique vanity or have you ever seen a cool one that inspired you?  Please share!