Newlyweds and Nesting: Elizabeth Anne Designs Living: A Food, Lifestyle, and Craft Blog » modern

More Nursery Progress!

Julia — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:18:17 +0000

I have so many nursery projects to share with you readers! My inner Martha Stewart has really come out for this event and even if you aren’t the most crafty person in the world, I think you could do a few of these projects without too much trouble. Making the nursery personal and yet inexpensive is one of my top goals for the room (besides making it totally awesome and modern and bright….those are good goals, too, right?). So I knew we’d do a lot of DIY projects and I’d hunt for gently used pieces of furniture that just beg to be refinished. So far, so good.

My loving fellow-crafty lady mother come up to The Great North to visit her only daughter a few weeks ago. Our sole mission was to pump out as many projects as humanly possible in 2 full days. So we first went fabric shopping and found a literal JACKPOT at a local quilting store. Narrowing it down to just three prints was painstaking but I’m really happy with what we chose:

My mom got to work on the sewing machine (since I still haven’t sucked it up and learned how to sew) and made two sets of orange curtains with green tie backs, a green window seat cushion, and two yellow cushions for the rocking chair. The window seat is definitely one of my favorite spots in the room so far.

Meanwhile, I became familiar with repainting woodwork. We found this awesome changing table/dresser on Craigslist for $75. It is solid wood and 15 years old, so it needed a bit of revamping. I swapped the wooden red knobs for some simple brushed nickel ones and voila….a brand new dresser!

And after scouring the internet for The Perfect Rocker, I decided we could not justify spending hundreds of dollars on a nice upholstered rocker that would probably only be used in the baby’s room. Well what do you know, but my in-laws had a handmade rocker created by my father-in-law back in 1972. The clean lines made it a little more modern and he didn’t mind if we painted it. And so, painting cane became my nemesis but I succeeded after sanding, priming and painting the heck out of it.

And with the fatty cushions my mom made, we have a modern and functional rocker for next to nothing. And isn’t the changing table/dresser cute sitting next to the rocker?

Henry totally digs ‘his’ new chair. I tried to rock him like a baby in it but he was mortified and refused.

The dog that inspired the doggie prints in the nursery:

He really thinks he owns the whole room, poor guy.

And a few shots of the whole thing:

Now all that is left is making a bumper and bed skirt, getting some small shelves for the empty wall, and going crazy with frames and wall decor! Plus the closet needs a renovation for sure but I might put that off awhile longer.

Moral of the story? Craiglist is your friend. Quilting stores have amazing fabric for things other than quilting. And if you try to do too many projects in a weekend you will literally start slurring your speech. But it’s so worth it, my friends:)

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Posted in: crafts, decor, fabric, furniture, modern, pregnancy

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Built In Style

Rebekah — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:10:56 +0000

via Dwell Magazine

I love the following about this 400 square foot barn-turned-house: exterior siding, extra deep window sills, concrete floors, and exterior living space.
I hate the following: the couch two feet from the dining room table, the six inch sink.

Could you live in a space this modern (or this small?)

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Posted in: decor, eco living, modern

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Pets: A place to nap

Anne K — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:00:49 +0000

Because I work from home, I have been on a quest to redecorate our tiny rented bungalow. Nothing like being home all the time to make you realize that your place needs some updating.

First thing on my list was to find a new dog bed for Dottie. Like many dogs, Dottie owns our couch. However, we would like for her to have another place to nap and hang out when people visit. Not everyone wants to share a couch with a 70lb. dog. We tried the usual brick-and-mortar stores – Target, Walmart, Petsmart, etc. We didn’t see anything we liked. So, I started an exhaustive search on the internet. Along the way, I found a plethora of dog beds and thought I would share. Fair warning, not everything I found was budget-friendly.

I looked on my favorite place – Etsy. There were quite a few dog beds for sale. Here are three beds that piqued my interest.

Eco Friendly Bed from Etsy Seller Annies Sweatshop.
This bed is covered with fleece created from recycled plastic. It’s not only stylish and cuddly, but eco-friendly.

Dog Bed made from Vintage Samsonite Suitcase from Etsy Seller Chiesta
This bed is designed for smaller dogs, but is a unique choice. When not in use, the suitcase still closes. It can then do double-duty as a furniture.

Lily Pad Floor Cushion from Etsy Seller Spruce Your Home
This floor cushion can also be used as extra seating for you…if your dog doesn’t mind.

As much as I liked the handmade items from Etsy, I wanted something that was a bit more practical. My husband and I agreed that we needed something that would be easy to wash and clean. Here are some of my more practical finds.

Snoozair Inflatable Dog Bed
This is an inflatable dog bed with a removable, washable cover. According the manufacturer, this bed can support up to 400lbs. and is impervious to scratches. It’s a great option for travel because the bed packs flat when deflated.

Wave Bed from Tepper Home
This bed is stylish and comfortable. Because it is raised off of the floor, it keeps your dog warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Kuranda Bed and Slipcover
This bed is popular with many animal shelters for its easy maintenance and comfort. I had not considered buying one until I discovered they offered slipcovers. We wanted practicality, but I wasn’t ready to sacrifice style. {As a side note, Kuranda has a great donation program where you can donate one of their beds to a shelter of your choice.}

I also found some other very interesting pet beds. For those with higher budgets or those who wish to spare no expense, here are some of my other finds.

Sleep Number Bed
If you can buy one for yourself, why not one for your furry friend?

Bessie & Barnie – Dog Sofa in Versailles Fabric from allpetfurniture.com
For lovers of damask, here’s a bed for you.

Entryway Dog Bed Cubby from Pottery Barn
This is not only stylish, but functional.

Contour Dog Bed from Pet Revolution
Minimalist Chic for your dog

Manhattan Sofa from Chengoo Boutique
For the dog with more classic sensibilities

Eclipse Dog Bed from Modern Tails Luxury Pet Boutique
How about a bed with architectural flair?

After it’s all said and done, we decided on this bed. It has a washable, stain-resistant cover. What we liked most about it is its nest-like shape. We’re hoping that Dottie can snuggle in it when we’re not home. It’s not the most stylish bed, but we’re hoping Dottie will like it.

Donut Bed from Dog Gone Smart

Although we’ve found the bed we’ve been looking for, anyone care to share some of their pet bed choices?

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Posted in: decor, modern, pets, style

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Decor: Best Planters Ever

Rebekah — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:00:16 +0000

{Pull+Push via Swiss Miss}

I want. Bad. Very very bad. Enough to pay $47.00 bad.

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Posted in: decor, modern, outdoor life

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Decor: Menlo Park Modern

Rebekah — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:00:50 +0000

{Source}

There is literally nothing I don’t love about this modern yet extremely inviting home. Oh to have a place to put all of my stuff so that nothing shows on the counters!

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Posted in: decor, modern

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