How Much Furniture Can You Get In Here?

Bedrooms small or large are bursting. We love to make them multi task and multi function.
Once upon a time a double bed, or s set of twin beds and a night table or two, and maybe a dresser would be the extent of furnishing a bedroom. And the words Master Bedroom where not bandied about. There were children's bedrooms, and the parent's bedroom.

Now bedrooms have dressing rooms, sitting areas, and work areas.
I rather like the desk at the end of the bed idea in lieu of the bench.


But I wonder if I would really like to sit at a desk with a view of crumpled sheets.


Look at all the good stuff in this bedroom!

If the only two people left on the bloggy planet haven't seen the above, check out how masterfully Joni Webb fills a small bedroom with big girl furniture and style.
Go HERE

Joni is blessed with a healthy budget. I know alot of people would LOVE a bedroom like this. Do any of you clever decor bloggers wish to take the challenge and replicate this on a budget? I've done a quick addition of the items shown, and come up with well over $7000. in merchandise, not to mention the cost of people making slipcovers, altering luxury bedding, and making draperies. Don't think I'm telling you anything Joni hasn't, because as usual her post is chock full of sources. She always shares!
If so please post it your ideas and budget, or if you don't have a blog, I'll post it for you.

The top two photos are interiors by Steven Gambrel.
The other one is a stock shot from Google Images.

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Consumer Report: Deep Drop Ruffle Bedspread

A few months ago my darling Alberto fell asleep in bed while working on a Sudoku. The pen fell from his hand and left some school boy ink blots on our white bedspread. It isn't a terribly precious bedspread. In fact it is a budget make-do, comprised of sewing two cheap twin size spreads together. It also had this trellis effect, something that was okay, but not the bomb.
Anyway, I was given the green light to get ANY bedspread I wanted.

The purloined bedspread
Note the trellis design

So I wrote to Joni from Cote de Texas, generally known as an expert in all things pretty, and a good girl friend to all bloggers. She sent me a photo of her deep drop ruffle spread, and suggested I have mine custom made as she had hers done. She advised this for a perfect fit, and for a double ruffle effect that would puddle on the floor.
I have always wanted a spread Horchow sells, but Joni thought it would be cheaper and better to go custom.

The bedroom of Joni Webb Cote de Texas
Her pretty bedspread is linen - note the puddle

I love Joni's bedspread, and she also sent me a photo of one by Pam Pierce. So I checked with the workroom at the store I work in (perch, in New Orleans), and after we cost out the fabric and labor it was a little steep. It was considerably more expensive than the Horchow bedspread.

Pam Pierce

So I ordered the one from Horchow, on sale for $317. for the king size.

My new deep drop ruffle bedspread from Horchow
I love it!

I absolutely love it. The white twill fabric is very high quality. the ruffle is deep and doubled, and it puddles perfectly. This spread is actually a duvet cover if you want to insert a quilt or blanket inside of it. There is an envelope opening with covered buttons on the inside of the bedspread. However it is substantial enough to stand alone as a beautiful bedspread. Click on image for a larger view.


It was out of stock for some time, but it's in stock now. Horchow has excellent customer service.
The only hard thing was ironing it myself. It couldn't help but be wrinkled coming out of the packaging and box.

Hampton bed linens from Horchow. Order HERE

The photo of the Horchow bedspread does not show it puddling on the floor. My bed is not really a king size. It is two twin size beds pushed together and secured. We bought these when we first moved to New Orleans and lived in our first place in the French Quarter. I didn't think we could get a king size inside the 1810 Creole townhouse. This configuration has worked beautifully for us for ten years.
The way the new bedspread puddles makes me feel secure that when I wash it, it will still have a generous drape to it.

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A Sure Thing In New Orleans

I am always thrilled to see New Orleans featured in a major magazine! The July/August issue of Elle Decor features a beautiful New Orleans home decorated by Tommy Clements.

The family room: Victoria Hagen wing chair and antique Chinese table
Where have I seen this before Joni? Love the white slips and a lantern on the coffee table!

Another family room in the same vein by Joni Webb -
Hello Elle! Call Joni!!

Louis XIV armchairs in the family room upholstered in De Le Cuona linen

Tommy kept the palette neutral and the window treatments spare, using simple bronze rods hung with off-white linen.

Linen drapes on bronze rods

The owner is a New Orleans native, but wanted to stay away from a typical New Orleans look, which she thinks can be heavy on period French antiques, major chandeliers, family portraits, and gilt. Tommy agreed that "New Orleans can feel a little one note".

No family portraits, but rather a beautiful tortoise shell over an antique desk

Still there remains a sense of the city's heritage with a handful of French pieces.

In the living room, the bench in front of the window is actually lime green
The animal print on the stool is Ralph Lauren Home

To mix it up in the monochromatic palette, bursts of color are used in the living room via fabrics and art work.

Holly Hunt coffee table

The dining area is open to the kitchen, and there are three modern glass lamps over the table, a playful alternative to a formal chandelier.

Above: Three modern glass lamps instead of a formal French chandelier

Below: Dining room chairs upholstered in Ralph Lauren Home fabric

The bed in the master bedroom has the typical Uptown girl Leontine Linens

The master bedroom is huge and has a deep balcony that puts you eye level with the trees. The house backs up to Audubon Park, which is essentially the back yard.

Below: 17th century Italian bench in the master bath
and a Turkish Oushak carpet, part of a new collection the owner has acquired

The kitchen has marble counter tops and copper pots, and a striking yellow painting
Unfortunately the artist is not named in the article
The chrome stools are Knoll

Go out and get your copy of Elle Decor today. Blogs do not replace magazines! Especially with small scanned images like these! Blogs only entice you, and enhance what magazines tirelessly offer to us month after month. Nothing can replace the pleasure of holding a magazine or a book in your hands.

"A Sure Thing" is written by Julia Reed a fabulous writer and resident of New Orleans who knows a thing or two about doing up an old house here. So get the July/August issue of Elle Decor so you can read the entire article.

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Before N After Slip Covers

photo by Eddie Ross

Months ago I started thinking about getting the master bedroom ready for summer. I got a mountain grass rug (the same as sea grass), painted my dressers white, and got some new bedding including a deep drop ruffle white bed spread, and some some new toss pillows. I also put up some white sheer curtains. The last piece of the scheme was a white slip cover for the velvet slipper chair.



Everyone thinks about white slipcovers sooner or later. And everyone has them sooner or later. It might just be an off the peg one from someplace like Sure Fit, or maybe one from Ikea. These are fine, but they really can't compare with slipcovers made especially for your furniture.


I have had slipcovers made, but they were in chartreuse linen, and also in black and white toile. But I never had white slips made. When I wanted to have one made for the slipper chair, I called my upholstery man who quoted me around $400. I also checked a couple of other places, and the price was more or less the same, plus the cost of the fabric (around six yards).



It was more than I had to spend, so I went online and did some looking around. I thought I might find a ready made one for what I thought was a pretty generic chair shape. I didn't find one, but I found a great company called Before N After Slipcovers.



The price for a slipper chair white twill cover was around $150., and that I could do! So I just went to the site, and followed the instructions.



They give you diagrams to take measurements from, and I did it, sent them the order, and just waited for the turn around, which is about four weeks. I didn't mind the wait because it was still winter, and I was planning ahead.
I got follow up e-mails from a very nice and capable woman named Sue, and I decided to keep it simple, and not micro manage. A few weeks later my slipcover arrived in the mail.



Oops! I guess my measurements were not correct! I sent this picture off to Sue, and she asked me to measure again, and that she would re-do it. I had sent her several photos of my chair from every angle, and she e-mailed them back to me with little arrows on them as to where to EXACTLY measure. She never made me feel stupid or bad. She couldn't have been nicer about it. This is excellent customer service.
While I was waiting for the redo to come, I looked at the Before N After web site again, and found this really great chair seat slip for $55.

It made me think of the beloved queen of white slips and sea grass, Ms Joni Webb of Cote de Texas, who has written the definitive book on the subject.

Joni Webb's chairs

I also revisited some of Joni's postings about slip covers, and had the aha moment. I forgot to ask Sue if they pre-washed the fabric! I had done this with the green linen slips myself before I handed the fabric over to the seamstress. So I shot off another e-mail or two, requesting a pre- wash, or making the slip at least 20% larger.




Many of us own Parsons Chairs, and Before N After does many versions of slipcovers for this work horse of a chair starting at $109. They have a zillion fabric choices, or you can use your own fabric.



Anyhoo, my do over came a few days ago, perfect timing since it is well on the way to summer here already. It turned out so nice! And it looks great with all the other summery things I added. It's a little bigger in lieu of pre-washing.


Adding all the white accents with the blue walls really looks fresh.


I already had quite a few white accents, so it wasn't rocket science to add a few more.


The room feels more and more like being at the beach.


I've had the mountain grass rug down for a couple of months, and it is terrific! Dirt and dog hair do not show at all, and the grass smells sweet, and feels great on bare feet.

I've had this bench for years and years, and had the slip made for it at least ten years ago.


I'm loving the lamps I painted to look like alabaster. The photo is by Edgar Sierra, that he took right after Katrina. It was exhibited at The New Orleans Museum of Art.


My lady saints are in a niche on an antique twig table.


The other night table has another Katrina photo, showing a naked woman climbing out of the rubble of what once was her house.


All in all I am very happy with the changes I made for the summer.

If you're thinking of white slipcovers for the summer (or for all the time) give Before N After a try.

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Did You Do Your Decor To Match Your Dog?

Valorie Hart Designs with a little help from Cholo?

Since I painted the living room Billy Baldwin brown many of the new things I have chosen to go with the new paint color are shades of brown and white too. Our dog Cholo is a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, a Blenheim, which is a lovely combination of brown and white.



So when people come over, they seriously ask me if I chose the color scheme to match the dog!
Maybe unconsciously we're drawn to a color palette we like, and choose those same colors for our home, for our clothing, and even when we choose a dog (or cat). But I really didn't take Cholo to the paint store, and ask that they match his color. I can't deny that he doesn't match the room in the most charming way.

Joni Webb's babies match her white and black decor perfectly

I have a clipping file of rooms with dogs in them, and by and large the rooms and the dogs compliment each other, if not down right match.
We're still in Baltimore, so I am cutting corners by posting the clipping file of some of my favorite dog decor photos.


This past weekend has been wonderful. Our Tango workshops were full, and the dances organized for us have been the most fun we have had in a long time. We have had two extraordinary house hosts, one in Patterson Park, and the other in Clipper Mill. I'll show you photos later this week that I think you'll enjoy.


The highlight of the trip was meeting the terrific Meg Fairfax who has two wonderful blogs: Pigtown Design and Pigtown Pigout. She is all and more that I hoped she would be: sweet, fun, sassy, and design savvy. She took time out of her busy life to show us around her beloved Baltimore, and to join us for dinner one night.

We fly home tomorrow, just in time to catch the big push of Carnival parades that roll down St. Charles Avenue a few blocks from our house, and to go to all the parties leading up to Fat Tuesday. Tango activities are suspended until after Mardi Gras, so it was nice to have this tango filled weekend in Baltimore.


And what happens to Cholo when we travel? Well BK, before Katrina our dear friend Sabina always took care of our pets. AK, after Katrina, Sabina and Joe lost their home and moved to California. So we have found a kennel for Cholo, which at first sounds heartless, but we found a good one called Zeus's Place. It's doggy daycare and doggy camp all rolled into one. Cholo gets alot of TLC and attention, and the chance to socialize and play with other dogs his own size and demeanor (which is that of a shy little guy).

I know I am really missing him, because I dreamed about him the last couple of nights. We'll pick him tomorrow, and get 10,000 doggie kisses.


So thanks for indulging me in another clipping file post. If you have a photo of your dog or cat or iguana ensconced in your decor that you would like to show and share, please send it to me and I'll post it.

I'm sure your choice of dog and decor is absolutely genius!

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