Editorial Eye & Ire

Okay, Apartment Therapy, thank goodness you're through with that year-in-review nonsense and back to business. Without your controversial topics I had no outlet for my snark. I can't believe I made it through the holidays without venting into my usually well-mannered blog.

Well, I almost made it.

Over the extended weekend I picked up a copy of Fresh Home, a design magazine that premiered in June. 

I bookmarked instructions for applying silver leaf to furniture, and I found several lovely images, but on the the whole, it just didn't speak to me. This is strange, because Fresh Home is supposed to be targeted to the frugal under-30-year-old who wants to infuse their own style into their home. That's me, right? 

The thing is, I turn to magazines for images that inspire and success stories that I can aspire to. I don't think frugality limits us to childish crafts, canned advice, or furnishing our homes in one stop at the mall (as a "round-up" from 5 stores would suggest). As I read Fresh Home, I couldn't help but feel that their cutesy editorial copy integrated too cleanly with their advertising- and I didn't like what I was being sold. I can't be too critical, because let's face it- the deceased Domino and the living Living set the bar high. That being said, if Martha can put out a flawless magazine every month, I see no excuse for sloppy editing in a quarterly publication.

For example. Here, a kitchen spread.

A page or so later, the same kitchen appears (upper right corner): totally different oven. 

How does that even happen?

I'm disappointed, because I so want to support a new design mag and keep the industry alive... but next season I'll save my $5.00 for a Craig's List find or a can of spray paint. If I want a DIY project, I better do it myself. And if I want a style idea, I'll refer to my Domino archives and shed a tear for the late great.

Dare to Dream: Bathing Beauty

I love most things about my apartment, but I feel like my bathroom and kitchen have got a bet going about which can mortify me the most.  

Bathroom: You can see flecks of sky blue through my recent coat of "wilted vegetable" green paint!  My particle board medicine cabinet is disintegrating!

Kitchen:  My countertops are forest green laminate!  And my sink has stopped draining!  Again!  Ha!

Oooh.  Touche, Kitchen.

It's tough to call a winner, but right now the bathroom has got my full attention.  A routine cleaning last weekend has somehow morphed into stripping the entire bathroom bare of decor and starting afresh.  

Here's what I'm working with:

That's it, wonky peach tiles, low ceiling, globby yellow-green paint, tilted vanity et all!

In my hands it could become a peaceful refuge... with pearly gray paint, a vessel sink on an antique wood side table, low white subway tile wainscoting, brass fixtures and a little pendant light over the vanity.  But true bathroom improvements do not come cheaply- and nobody likes to invest in a rental unit (especially not a landlord).  

So, I'm left with an oddball bathroom, a fair amount of frustration, and a notebook full of inspiration photos...

This antique brass faucet is the one that got away on Craig's List... *sigh*

The Kohler "Pallene" Spun Glass vessel sink is utterly mesmerizing, like a church window carved out of ice.

Kohler describes the "Finial Avian" faucet as "exotic and whimsical."  I agree!

This Georgian master bath was recent feature on Apartment Therapy.  I love how the metallics elegantly fuse the modern with the traditional.  I have a few quibbles with the decor (a bit sparse, and where's the mirror?), but oh, for a soak in that spectacular tub!

The ultimate bathroom, found in the home of Jenna Lyons, J. Crew creative director (image from the late great Domino).  Jenna, your home is so beautiful it hurts.  You are clearly my long-lost, very rich sister.  I will move in tomorrow.  

See the dilemma?  How do I bring in the essence of these images (dark, luxurious & natural)... without using a jackhammer or a paintbrush?

Curiouser and Curiouser!

Lately my favorite design blogs have been piqued by cabinets of curiosity (here, here, and here, for instance).  This intrigue is all too familiar to me...  I've been treasuring this image from the late Domino Magazine for ages.

Perfection.

But, alas, every inch of my shelving is claimed by my library, leaving no room for other collections!  Perhaps that's why this week's fixer caught my eye.  Could we make it into a miniature trove of treasures?

The first step is to make it more classic than country kitsch.  This month's Martha Stewart Living magazine has an excellent segment on special finish painting.  While some of the techniques she featured were a little out there for me (gingham?  what?), I loved the subtle look of "raw silk."  To mimic the multi-layered finish of the bookcase in my inspiration photo, I'd suggest following her excellent instructions using a base coat of a matte medium gray and a pearlized cream glaze rubbed through with steel wool.

Luminous!

Now that it's polished up, where do you put it?  Because it's a petite two feet tall, it's just the right scale for a tiny bathroom like mine.  It would be both pretty and practical displaying curiosities and toiletries alike.  

 

Fool's Gold glitters among other fool's gems: the Amethysts and Turquoise are soaps!

Antique bottles can make bathroom necessities beautiful.  

I'd fill these with bath salts, cleansers, lotions, potions... you name it.

  Go with a natural green theme.  Bath & Body Works aromatherapy lotions come in shapely glass bottles (with equally attractive price tags).  Inexpensive bath sponges have an interesting shape- almost like a clump of moss or an aquatic plant.  I'd use several!  I'm also rather tickled by this ostrich feather in brilliant green.  It would be a sweet accent in a glass bottle.

These framed butterflies are a natural choice, and I love their neutral coloring.  I'd let them flutter behind bottles on the back of the cabinet.

  

And a few sentimental pieces of my own... a sweet-as-can-be mouse figurine, a bit of real gold, and the weird brass fly that always makes me smile.

So, what say you?  Curiosity Satisfied?

Finally Fixed

I often find myself admiring the inventive shapes of Mid-Century Modern furniture- but I struggle with ways to integrate it into my traditional household.  I typically favor deep blacks and weathered grays, but MCM is typically yellow and orange.  I think the best way to create an eclectic style is to maintain a consistent finish.

The orangey color of this table would clash terribly.

The solution is quite simple.  Since this table has little of its original finish left, sand the rest off and use a purple-gray milk paint as a glaze.  Thin milk paint allows some of the original wood to show through, giving the table warmth while tempering the gold tones.  Allowing the paint to settle more thickly in the tabletop's grooves will give it more depth and character. 

Decorating with quirky traditional pieces will help this modern table acclimate.  A stack of books always makes a house looked lived-in.  Bright flowers are sweet when clustered in a patisserie tea-cup (image courtesy of the late Domino Magazine), and the bird's nest lamp is a charming Craig's List discovery for only $39.

I've subdued the color... but not the style!