Chain Linking it All Together

Junkyard toughness with a sultry drape. Masculine metal with feminine curve. Chain link is a trend I could trim my whole house in...

Chain Link Floor Lamp from Bermingham & Co. on 1st Dibs, Boyfriend Chain Bracelet from Bing Bang, Chain Link Cake Plate by Magenta, Industrial Bar Table from Greenwich Living on 1st Dibs

Spring Gallery

Last week's visit from a swallowtail butterfly prompted me to add some signs of Spring to my decor, starting with a new gallery wall in my living room.

I've been tweaking my living room for months trying to get it just right. When my workspace was featured in Where We Blog From back in November, my desk occupied the corner by the windows. To make the room more comfortable for my Thanksgiving guests, I rearranged and hung new art (as seen below). 

It was an improvement, but the art looked stale and washed-out to me. Finally, last week I found the solution! The Ikea picture ledges allow me to layer frames for more impact, and their modern lines make my eclectic art collection look more graphic than granny. I also realized that I was using the wrong metallic- doesn't that antiqued gold look warm and rich against my mauvey-gray walls? I'm still waffling on adding more color to my decor, but for now, a little glimpse of blue sky goes a long way!

The cloud painting is a promo postcard from an art gallery, and my set of vintage butterfly prints ($5 on eBay years ago) acknowledge the season. The framed W (for WarLock, of course) is perhaps my cheapest and easiest DIY to date. I picked up the golden letter ornament for $1 at Restoration Hardware, mounted it directly onto the cardboard backer of the Ikea frame, and added a guinea feather for good measure. Under $20, under 20 minutes, and I love it. It ties the colors and textures of other pieces together, and the curved line of the feather balances the arrangement. It also happens to be a preview of the themes I'm using for the wedding... so I get a little "I-can't-wait" thrill every time I look at it!

The last and best addition to the living room is the industrial swing-arm wall lamp, a lucky $30 find at Jeremy's in Berkeley. I'd purchased it for my bedroom, but it did something amazing for this formerly  unlit and unloved corner: it turned it into the coziest nook in the house.

I think I'm finally on to something. Anyone else redecorating this Spring?

Seattle Favorite: Pat Gallagher's Sculptural Lighting

When you're young, broke, and living in a standard-sized (read: miniscule) apartment, art can be the last thing on your mind. Original art works are pricey, and it's hard to justify buying sculpture if there's no place to put it without bumping into it. That's why I like to seek out pieces that unite form and function, like these light fixtures by Seattle artist Pat Gallagher. After all, you can always use another lamp- especially one with a delightfully steampunk aesthetic that makes you want to brood in the amber glow of its Edison bulb and invent a time machine...

Images Courtesy of Pat Gallagher

Each fixture is completely one-of-a-kind, an amalgamation of found industrial objects infused with new utility. They are forward-thinking ingenuity (the epitome of green design) under the guise of historical permanence. This is exactly the kind of art that Adam and I can agree on- I admire the grace of their curving forms, he'd pick one up and admire how dang heavy these things are! And did I mention that the lamps are extremely affordably priced? We're talking "snap one up for Christmas and still have change jingling in your pocket" prices...

For more information about Pat Gallagher's art, be sure to stop by his website. Better yet, check out his pieces for yourself- Mr. Gallagher will also be selling his sculpture and photography at the Pratt Holiday Art Sale, and you can see new work on display at Avanti Art & Design at the Greenwood-Phinney Art Walk tomorrow!

A Long Lost Sibling

Scanning through AT the other day, this picture caught my eye.

Image Courtesy of AT via Tocar Interior Design

What's that on the coffee table? A sculpture? A vase? An urn?

Recognize it now?

Did the light bulb go on in your brain?

It's the ceramic base of a vintage Chinoserie lamp... identical to the pair I bought on Craig's List and refurbished!

Separated at birth!

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

Heat rises.

You learn this in grade school science, but it has very little import in your life until you're living in the upper floor apartment of an old house. Adam and I gloat about this phenomenon when we're walking around in shorts in the winter, but we pay for it in the summer when our brains are melting. Matilda drapes herself across the furniture and grumbles about how miserable she is; we crossly remind her that we would have opened the windows if it weren't for her recent rooftop escapade. We become sluggish and sullen, we spend stupid amounts of money on iced beverages and tickets to mediocre (but air-conditioned) movies, we suffer a three month lapse in productivity.

Well almost. Matilda and I cleaned off my desk this weekend, and made room for my handsome new lamp, Wilton.

I can't even believe I was lucky enough to snag one of these from Crate & Barrel Outlet!

Knocking a wist off the list? Now, that's what I call productivity.

This week might be a quiet one for Shock the Bourgeois- when not in a heat-induced stupor I'll be wrapping up the party planning for our company picnic this Saturday (yarrrr!). Never fear though- tomorrow I leave you in Adam's capable hands. Remember: we're still looking for a humorous name for his contributions!