my best road find yet!

On a busy Saturday last weekend we were headed to a birthday party and were already late. Little did I know we were about to be even later, because here we were driving down the road (quickly, I might add, since it was a country highway), when all of a sudden...

"JENNY LIND! JENNY LIND!" I exclaimed, interrupting whatever my husband was talking about. Luckily he didn't lose control of the car, and, since he knows me well, instantly knew he needed to turn the car around. These eyes don't pass over a design treasure!

Out at the end of a long driveway, propped up on a telephone pole with a spray-painted cardboard sign reading "for sale" was this:

A spindle wood, Jenny Lind style bed, with frame. $50. In great condition and obviously an antique. After looking it over, I handed the man $50 (thanks to our loosely followed Dave Ramsey envelope method for budgeting, we actually had cash) and we loaded it in the car. A very good reason to be late to a birthday party, I should say!

So then, we had to figure out what to do with the bed. My first thought was to incorporate it into our toddler's transformation from nursery to toddler room, especially since she already has Jenny Lind furniture, but I want to be able to use the two antique twin beds we already have. The bed frame, as it turns out, is a full bed, so that would be a little much for her. 

So I turn to my guest room. It has a queen bed, but the full bed can easily made to fit a queen mattress with a little handy work from my husband. 

This is what it looks like now. 

I've had the set since I was a teenager. It's held up nicely through the years, but you can definitely tell it was picked out by a teenager (and a little dated). Even still, this is probably my favorite room in the whole house. It has a huge front, south-facing window that gets great light. I got the duvet cover as a wedding gift and I absolutely love it. It's so cheerful. And because this room generally stays untouched by our toddler, it's always clean ;) 

So it makes me happy to give this room a little bit of attending to. 

{I know you're probably thinking, Cool, cool, butttt, are you ever going to actually finish a room in your house? And the answer is, probably not. Welcome to the life of a designer!}

This is along the lines of what I have planned for this room:

1. Convertible Wire Pendant from Urban Outfitters // 2. Insect Prints (I bought a while back) // 3. Assembly Home Cone Table Lamp // 4. Bird Duvet Cover (originally from Pottery Barn) // 5. Eva Colored Glass Lamp from Pottery Barn // 6. Magical Thinking PomPom Curtains // 7. Tiger Oak Antique Dresser // 8. Dash and Albert Samode Rug

The paint in the room is the taupe that covers the whole house. I probably won't change it anytime soon. It works in the room and it has the potential to turn into another kid's room down the road.

The Desk at the bottom left is a roll-top oak desk that we got for free (!) from a friend. I haven't decided what to do with it, if anything. Probably just replace the hardware. The stain looks really great under my bug prints that I so adore. The rocker is a family heirloom that I have already in the room. It's called a nursing chair--it's small and armless (for before our comfy gliders came along to nurse babies in). The mirror I got at TJMaxx several years ago, and the Tiger Oak dresser is just an inspiration photo. I'd like something like that, or a bench of some kind. I may even move my daughter's Jenny Lind changing table in there and convert it into a storage piece. 

We almost had it put together for you to see in the room, but the frame is too short for a queen mattress, so the hubs has to do some more adjusting. He widened it, but we never guessed the length would be an issue!

I'm not usually a finder of good deals like this bed. I can spot treasures like a hawk, but usually people know what they have, and we never have the money to compensate them for their knowledge of classic furniture. So I'm still very excited about this one! Stay tuned for the slow transformation of this bright little guest room of mine. 

Color with Doors

I've been dreaming of painting a few doors in our house for some time now.  I really want to tackle the front door, but I'm so indecisive on the color for the outside (I know I want the inside of it to be black). Our home is tan with cream trim and it definitely needs a little somethin' somethin' to wake up the front porch.  I think a freshly painted front door (and new light fixture if I'm being greedy) will do just the trick.  

I love this gray and green combo.

Our front door is not the only door I want to paint.  We have far too many interior doors (including 4 pocket doors) to even think about painting so I'll leave them white.  However, I do have an itch to paint the door in our laundry room that leads out into the garage.  Right now it's a white door in a tan room with slate tile and a white washer and dryer.  It needs something.  A fun colored coat of paint on the door would be perfect---not to mention easy.  You can paint one side of a door with only a sample size of paint in most cases...which means it would be a nice room update for less than $5!  And if I use one of my many sample colors I already own, it'll be free!  Decisions, decisions. 

I always love when I come across rooms that have a door in an unexpected color.  Painting a door in a different color makes it stand out and become a fun accessory in the space instead of a typical, overlooked necessity.  

Oh hello beautiful pantry door!*

Here's Emily's mint door from Little Green Notebook.

Then there's these blue beauties.

A little coastal blue.

Periwinkle is my favorite.

Everything about this kitchen is lovely, including the door.

Coral, anyone?

Whenever I make some decisions, I will let you guys know (and see!)  

*Click on images for sources.

Rain Chains

Over at the Nguyen Casa, we are planning on installing gutters. When you think of gutters you probably think generic, boring. However, gutters can be spiced up with rain chains.

If you are unfamiliar with rain chains, let me introduce you. As the name implies, they are chains that hang from the gutters and help guide the roof run off down. It is an attractive alternative to a downspout that can add architectural interest to your home. They typically pour over a pebble covered drain, into a water feature, or can be used as irrigation in flowerbeds and planters. Since my backyard is a breading ground for malaria, I’m interested in the container-less setup.

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Rain chains can be found in a variety of shapes and finishes.

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Here are a few images of some installed:

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As you can see there is a rain chain that suits any style.  Here are a few of my favorites that are available online.

UPDATE: A few of the ones below have sold out, but click here for some that are available.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 //

Do any of you have rain chains on your home? If so, how do you like them?

livin' the dream

Starting a business isn't easy. Doing what you enjoy is easy, but actually making a living from it is where it gets tricky. I think very few people have unlocked the secret to making this work while keeping a reasonable work-life balance. We've made a lot of progress here at 3A, but we still have a way to go. 

Being where we've been, it always gives me a dose of joy and inspiration to see someone else taking the leap. Especially when it's someone I personally know!

Friends, meet Lauren:

She's making it happen, y'all. Last week she launched her website, the Department of Agra Culture. When I saw it, my first thought was this is SO her!

Lauren and I met in college in our grueling interior design program and became friends (as most of us did as a result of spending the majority of our waking hours together in studio). Growing to know her, I can say three things about her:

1. She is kind-hearted and hard-working.

2. She has a traveling spirit and a love for new places.

3. She has a true knack for collecting treasures in looked-over places and putting them together in a beautiful way.

The "thrift store" method of decorating and design has caught on like wildfire: going to the nearest salvation army, finding an old discarded piece of furniture, painting it, and displaying it as a treasured object. But this method has it's flaws: either people don't really know what they're looking for (i.e., honey, you should have left that at the thrift store), or their house starts to look like a thrift store. Lauren takes it up a notch, knowing how to take something overlooked--whether it be new or old, local or from across the globe--and putting it together like something out of a magazine. And she's been doing it as long as I've known her. Even having my own talents, I've always been envious of hers. It's beyond local shops--it's into lands unknown; it's a unique gift she carries.

Her new business takes all of that and rolls it all into one unique career perfectly made for her. 

Follow her as she travels all over the world (literally), collecting things to repurpose, create, and share. Personally, I love her style. It's bold, it's bright, it's cheerful, and it doesn't follow any trend. 

Lovers of neutrals, I challenge you to open your eyes to culture and color. Lauren will make you love it!

Happy reading!

Fall Patio Refresh

Fall is my favorite season.  Hands down.  I could have sworn someone was burning leaves outside the other day (ahhh that smell!) and my heart nearly skipped a beat.  Pumpkins, foliage, scarves, football, chili...I love it all.  But one of my favorite things about fall days are the temperatures--when it's a little cool in the mornings and evenings but perfect during the day.  Yes, that's what I'm dreaming about.  So even though we're still having temps near 100, I can't help but fantasize about relaxing on the patio during those cool, autumn days to come.  

If you're like me though, your patio may need a little love to revamp it from these long summer days.  And now is actually a great time to give your patio a little refresh.  Stores are ready to move out seasonal merchandise, which often leads to great deals.  You can use much of what you may already have and give it an update with a few key items.   Here's what I'm dreaming of for my patio facelift:

one /// two /// three /// four /// five /// six /// seven /// eight

1. Cafe lights add instant charm and give the perfect nighttime glow.

2. Pillows are one of the simplest ways to update a space, especially with one as beautiful as this.  Use your existing summer blues and add in some warmer tones and patterns to compliment them (see number 4).

3. Black and white stripes.  You. Can. Never. Go. Wrong.  Sophisticated and classic without being too stuffy.

4.  See number 2. :)

5.  These red tumblers are the perfect color for fall and the "seeded glass" looks so real you'd never know they are plastic!...which means worry-free for accidents!

6.  I've had a fire pit on my wish list for quite some time now.  I love that this one is open on the top AND the sides to offer the maximum heat for those chilly nights.  It's also great for s'mores and ambiance.

7.  You need a good tray for serving your drinks and food in style, and this one fits the bill.

8. Plants (and planters!) bring life to a space.  I love the unique shapes and heights of these offered at Crate & Barrel.

It doesn't take much to really transform your patio and make it a space where you'd love to spend time this fall!  

I've shared my favorites.  What's on your outdoor wish list this fall?

coffee-stained wood

More progress in the navy bedroom. Last week the curtains went up! I don't have photos yet because they still need to hang a while to get out some of that new-curtain stiffness. Plus what good is seeing everything go up piece by piece. I think it diminishes the final "ooh" and "ahh" over the grand reveal ;)

In order to put up these new curtains (that have been sitting in their packaging for months) I needed a really inexpensive DIY method for my curtain rods. I'm in love with these from West Elm:

But I'm not so in love with the price. So, I made a rough inspired recreation and here's how it came out:

I'll eventually paint the hardware, but for now you can't even see them except at certain angles

Not exactly like the real thing, but good enough for $11 per window. 

Here's the easy DIY:

1. Buy a dowel rod from Lowes and some hardware that will fit the diameter of your rod. That was tough to find, since the dowel was 1" in diameter and most curtain rods are thinner. I settled on these, even though I wanted these, because they were cheaper :) Hey, I have 3 windows. It adds up, people.

2. Take about 2 scoops of fresh coffee (not leftover grounds because they are less potent in staining power), put in a bowl with boiling water--just enough water to make it soupy. You definitely want it much more concentrated than coffee you drink. 1/2 cup to 1 cup should be plenty. 

3. Take an old rag, dip it in your cooled coffee mixture and wipe onto your wood in a single direction, as to not agitate the texture of the wood. It will probably take several coats before reaching the desired darkness. I think mine took 4 or 5 for a medium stain (and they dry lighter than you think, so make sure you let the wood dry before throwing in the towel...literally).

4. Measure the width of your window and add on a good allowance for your window panel and hardware to be well-spaced (about 10-20 inches per side, so 20-24 inches total) and trim down accordingly. If you don't have a saw, you can do the measuring ahead of time and ask a Lowe's employee in the wood department to cut them down for you.

5. Paint your ends gold (I did 5 inches of gold). Done and done! You can use a shiny sealer if you want, but I prefer the natural finish. 

I may go back and buy a thicker dowel rod cut it down to 3 inches, paint it gold, and screw it onto the ends so it has that end-cap look of the ones from West Elm. We'll see. For now I'm satisfied

Here's a close-up of a before and after side-by-side to see how dark the wood became:

I got the idea to use coffee from my visual arts days. We sometimes used coffee to stain paper for sketches or ink drawings to make it look more antiquated. And I'm always a fan of using something that's totally free of harmful fumes! 

I was skeptical at first of how it would turn out, but I love the color. I would imagine different coffees produce slight color variations. And large pieces would probably take a good amount of time so I would definitely stick to small pieces if you decide to try this for yourself. Definitely a good alternative to buying a whole can of stain for 3 little curtain rods!

And as you might have guessed, this means I'm getting closer to my master bedroom reveal. Baby steps around here :)

Until next time!