Animal Heads & A Residential Project

Hello home decor lovers!!  

I am rhino'd out today.  Why?? Well a new intern started this morning and she is fab!  Then my twitter account was hacked and that was not fab!  I am now updating all of my accounts online.  So if you received a tweet about how to lose weight fast or regarding someone spreading rumors about you, it is bogus!  

Things are getting hot and heavy in the office.  We have serious projects happening and I am trying, but haven't been able yet, to update my portfolio and blog about projects I have recently completed.  I have some great photos of before and afters, and fun ideas, but I am having a hard time keeping up with it all right now.  I have even taken a vacation from writing for Houzz for a bit until I get back to my normal schedule.  

Here is one project I am finally blogging about.  To see the 'before and afters' just click on the link below.   

See our recent BEFORE AND AFTER photos of a residential project we completed in PA. CLICK HERE.


Also, if your are looking for some cute wall decor, these animal heads might be just the thing to add that funky fun factor.  They have been out there for a while but maybe you have been on the fence about what they really look like.  Well I just received some I am using at a clients' home, and they are so cute!  These are the small versions from West Elm Paper Mache Animal Sculptures.

QUICKLY Change That Rush Bench Seat! DIY Idea

This is a very easy 'cheaters' version of upholstering a rush seat bench quickly using ready-made materials.  It can actually be used for any rush seat chair or stool that has a removable seat.  This project has only SIX steps!

BEFORE AND AFTER

Inspiration for this project: This past weekend I was crushing on this adorable walnut finished bench at TJ Maxx but wasn't feeling the rush seat it had.  So I flipped it over and noticed the seat can be removed.  I  did not have much time for this project so I walked to the bedding area to look for fabric to cover the seat.  I found a pair of quilted shams and thought using the quilted fabric would add softness to the hard feel of the rush.   I took my materials home and completed this project in an hour.

Here is what you need:

-bench or chair with rush seat that can be removed

-1 quilted sham per seat (I used 2 quilted shams but you can head to your local fabric store also and buy enough fabric to cover the seat plus another four inches all around)

-Needle and thread (I used white thread to blend with the fabric)

-Scissors
-Screwdriver

The  shams AND bench both came from TJ Maxx.

Why use quilted fabric?  It is thicker than cotton and because this is a 'quick change' project, I am not using any further padding between the rush seat and the fabric.  The quilting makes it a bit cushier.  

STEPS

1. Turn the bench over and unscrew the seat.  

2. Get your sham out.  It should look this size. 

*Instead of using a sham, you can go to fabric store for your quilted fabric. If you do this, you will need enough fabric to cover the size of your seat plus four extra inches all around.  Follow the same steps below.

3. Lay your sham upside down on a flat surface and tuck your seat inside it.

4. Trim the open side of the pillowcase fabric using your scissors so that there is four inches to fold over the edge (you can throw the excess away).

 5. Fold each side of the fabric toward the center tightly (like wrapping a present) and hand thread each corner in place. 

It will look like this.  Don't worry if it looks messy because it will be hidden underneath the bench.

6. When finished screw the seat back in.

This is how it looks underneath the bench.

This is how it looks flipped right side up!

 Add a cute pillow and you get a simple comfortable welcoming new bench!

So easy!!