Category Archives: Home Design

Ombré porch swing

Posted in Home Design, Stuff to make by

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I’ve been meaning to paint something pink, so this project satisfied that urge–times five. The whitewash on the porch swing at our family’s summer cottage had turned dishwater gray so it seemed perfect for a little ombre. I bought Benjamin Moore color samples in a range of five pinks: elephant pink, ribbon pink, strawberry sorbet, autumn red, and italiano rose. I mean, who could resist those names?

This paint job was deeply pleasing but also time intensive and tedious–all those little spaces! I used to painter’s tape to demarcate the ombre pattern on the runners on the back of the swing, which I mention here out of pride (I think it looks swell). I’m hooked now–and considering painting the risers on my back stairwell in ombre . . . stay tuned.

Marimekko bench cushion

Posted in Home Design, Sewing, Stuff to make by

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This bench cushion was (honestly, I swear) easy to make. I bought a big slab of green foam from Jo-Ann Fabrics (half price!) and then cut it to the right size with a bread knife–weird, but it worked perfectly. I wrapped the foam in cotton batting to add some softness. The little village on this Marimekko fabric fit perfectly for the dimensions of my cushion. Basically, I made a shallow box with the fabric leaving one long side open, and then stuffed the foam in–slightly unwieldy but otherwise not hard at all. Both the Liberty Book of Home Sewing and Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts have excellent instructions for making a bench cushion. I decided to add piping to my cushion to give it a finished look, and to add a touch of navy. (The bench itself is my daughter’s old bookcase tipped on its side–the shelves make perfect shoe cubbies!)

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Dollhouse renovations, part 1

Posted in Home Design, Kids, Stuff to make by

Here is my old dollhouse, shipped over from England when we moved in 1977, in the early stages of renovation. I love how the glue remnants on the wall make it look like a condemned crack house. I am giving my daughter free rein to update the interior,  so we had a great day scraping off layers of wallpaper and ripping up felt carpeting–seriously dusty and gross. This house was a major part of my childhood, and truth be told my early teenage years. It will be a test to see how “free” I can really let her be. I have landmarked the exterior, since my dad is still very proud of his handiwork. (He worked through the night to have the house painted for my birthday morning.) We have plans to make a hot pink sectional sofa, and some pendant lamps. So, expect more dollhouse posts in coming weeks!

Eight-point star quilt

Posted in Home Design, Sewing, Stuff to make by

This quilt was adapted from a pattern in Quilting for Peace. The author Katherine Bell kindly pointed out in her instructions that the stars are time consuming–ahem, yes they are, as in they will consume months of your time. But she also notes that the results are worth it, and I have to agree. I learn something new with every quilt. This time I learned all about the stretchiness of fabric cut on the bias. Fortunately, quilts are forgiving of–maybe even improved by–their idiosyncracies. After lots of experimenting with more interesting color combinations, I went with charcoal for the binding. I think it adds an elegant touch.

Alphabetical Bookcase

Posted in Home Design, Recycled materials, Stuff to make by

Embrace your inner librarian! Wear cat glasses and a lot of wool cardigans! Above all, alphabetize!

I painted this bookcase for a school library to (loosely) organize paperback picture books, but I think it would be fun to have in a kid’s room. I used precut cardboard stencils and leftover paint from other projects. The bookcase was leftover, too, and languishing in the basement. I set the bookcase on the ground for browsing, but I think the stencils would work well vertically, too.