Home Sweet Home: Living Room Redesign

09 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, The Home

Tags

blues, brown, gray, home, interior, living room, neutrals, redesign, white

This is the second post for my Home Sweet Home series. If you haven’t checked out the last one, you can read it here. This time I will sharing our final design for the living room of our new home. I love how the space came out and am very excited to show it to you all. Transforming the room took a series of steps and even though it was hard work, it all paid off in the end.

Here is what the living room looked like before. It was dingy, musty and the beautiful characteristics were almost unseen.

The first step was to take the rugs up. Dan gets all the credit for this one. He took up all the rugs in the house by himself! Once they were up, the room was able to finally breathe.

The second step was the painting. The main issue we had was the walls. The previous owners liked to add layer upon layer which was a pattern we saw throughout the whole house. So, underneath the paint was wallpaper. Because of this, the walls were cracking and peeling. Since we didn’t have the funds to replace the walls, I used textured paint and went over the bad spots to make them even. It didn’t come out 100% but it certainly helped.

You can see the worst spot in the room to the right of Danny. What were these people thinking!

After the walls and moulding were painted, the room was starting to look like I had envisioned. I wanted a calm and peaceful space that was a combination of our favorite styles; industrial and country with vintage and crafty touches. First, we placed the furniture and hung up the curtains and blinds.

Then added all the details and brought it to life. Most of the items in the room we already had. We just bought new covers for the couches, a new coffee table, a small recycled jute rug and textured curtains which was a great buy. It’s cool how the stuff you may of had for years looks take on a new life in a new home.

We stuck with a cool palette of blues, grays and whites with a touch of brown here and there. All neutral colors that bring a soothing and airy feel to a space. This is my favorite color scheme of all. It makes the room feel fresh, clean and comfy. With the addition of all the plants, its a haven of the earth.

I must say the living room is my favorite space in the house because it is everything I wanted it to be and more. It’s a room where people can gather to hang out, Dan and I relax and introduces guests when they enter our home. It speaks of comfort and peace and has an inviting feel. We LOVE our new living room!

The Art of Bookmaking

07 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, Crafty Ideas

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

art, bookmaking, books, crafts, design, paper

When I was in school, I took bookmaking classes which really helped me understand the basics of creating handmade books. I realized it wasn’t that hard after all. Plus, it’s fun to make something with your hands. It really gives your project that handcrafted feel you just don’t see much of anymore.

I want to share how to construct a book from scratch. You can choose any size you want and pick whatever materials suit your concept. There are a few ways to do it but this one is easy, affordable and doesn’t take much time. They make great gifts as well.

{Materials}

2 pieces of thin cardboard or thin matte board of the same size, any size you want.
1 piece of cardboard or thin matte board about 1/4 inches in width.
decorative paper
any kind of paper for the inside
glue or double-sided tape
scissors or an x-acto knife
stapler
a needle and thread, if needed

First, gather the cardboard. The two pieces of the same size will be the front and back cover and the small 1/4 inch piece will be the binding.

Take decorative paper of your choice and lay it flat upside down. Lay the cardboard pieces on top with a 1/2 inch extra around the edges. The binding piece should have 1/4 inch or so on each side so there is space in between the covers and the binding.

Cut the paper to size if needed then glue cardboard pieces to paper. Make sure you create a nice fold in the corners.

Now, get your pages ready. Make sure they are cut to size as well. They should fit inside the covers and not stick out. Fold the pages in half. Use a stapler to attach the paper at the fold. If you are using large pieces, try sewing them together at the fold. One section on each end and one in the middle should do the trick.

For the final steps, take another piece of decorative paper and cut it to size. It should be the length of the edge of the cover to the edge of the first page. Do the same with the back cover. You can use a different design or the same as the cover.

Glue the papers down or use double-sided tape if that works. Once you do that, the book is done being constructed. Now you can add content or leave as is. That wasn’t so hard now was it? You can have a lot of fun with this project. It’s something great to do with your kids too. Especially, if they love to draw and write stories.

Historic Series: The Karpen House

06 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Historic Places

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

antque, daniel karpen, historic homes, history, huntington, karpen house, keith hibner, lloyd harbor, long island, morris karpen, new york, vintage

I love historic areas because they hold so many memories. Huntington has so much to explore. On one of my explorations I visited the Karpen House in Lloyd Harbor. Usually, I try not to bother residents but this time I was compelled to knock on the door. When I pulled up on Harbor Hill Drive, the house seemed a little buried within the trees. In order for me to get some good photos, I had to go meet who lived inside.

Daniel Karpen met me at the door and welcomed me inside to check out the house. He gave me tons of written materials so I had the information I needed. He was also nice enough to give me a tour of the interior and pointed out the historic elements of the home. I was really in awe of some of the original elements that remained and honestly, quite surprised they were in such good shape.

The kitchen was one of my favorite stops because I love vintage appliances. The blue General Electric oven and stove were awesome. The stainless steel sink was also never replaced. The small green house that was attached to the back of the kitchen was adorable. I would love to have one of those!

As we continued forward, I was really taken aback by some of the design choices of the architect. Since the house was built in the mid-1950s, I could appreciate the clean lines and subtle modern touches. With all the dark wood furniture and the granite fireplace, the living room held a warm and natural feeling. The original floor had been cork tile, but it was replaced with ceramic in 1961.

Its best feature? The windows. With an 11-foot ceiling, these huge thermopane beauties allowed nature to literally become part of the house. How awesome is that?

The closets throughout the house were original as well as the doors and room panelling. The basement was very unique in that it didn’t feel like a basement at all. Who ever heard of a basement with ten-foot ceilings? So unbelievably cool.

Karpen told me his father was claustrophobic so you can understand the need for space. The house also sits on a hill, so when you look out the windows its seems as if you are on the first floor. Because Karpen does woodwork and builds furniture, he has transformed the space into his studio. He has such a big wood collection, you wonder where he gets it all. I also enjoyed seeing his collection of vintage tools.

After our little tour of the inside, we walked outside to get some more photos. It was a bit tricky with all the trees but I must say it was quite beautiful. These trees are vital to the home because they give it shade which the house needs because it does not have air conditioning. Built in 1955, the international-style home in Lloyd Harbor is a long, low residence surmounted by a flat roof with overhanging eaves. The roof is also a green roof and covered in moss. Having a flat roof does have its advantages.

The Karpen House represents a vernacular interpretation of the Modern style and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. There also used to be a tree house in the backyard but was taken down in the 1970s due to the growth of the tree. That would have been really cool to see.

From first glance, the Karpen House might look a little disheveled but there are many treasures that lie within it. Karpen grew up here and now resides in the home which was designed by architect, Keith Hibner and built by his father, Morris. The main inspiration of the house was an Oregon home showcased in the 1951 issue of Architectural Record. It was designed by Pietro Belluschi who is a very well known architect.

The Karpen family was well established and Morris was very active in politics once he moved to Huntington. He was the chairman of the Suffolk County Liberal Party as well as being a part of the capital budget committee. His main source of income was his steel plant in Farmingdale where he manufactured steel doors and frames, some of which you will see in the home itself. Once he moved to Asheville, N.C., in 1977 the plant was run by his son Seth and business partner Harold Kardeman until 1995 when it was sold. Morris passed away on March 3, 2002 and his daughter Rachel now runs the plant located in Weaverville, N.C.

You see, in all the many houses of Huntington here is one that really helped the world evolve. It housed smart individuals that really made a difference and contributed a good amount of time, effort and knowledge to their community. Not only does the Karpen House exude style and functionality, it continues to tell the story of the family who created it. The fact that it’s still standing today proves to all of us that love is the master of time and with a little TLC and memories by your side you can keep anything alive.

Art Inspired Palette: Bomobob

05 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art Inspired Palette, Color Inspiration

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

antique, bomobob, cream, decor, flowers, grass, green, ivory, lavender, nature, pastels, peach, photography, pink, purple, summer, vintage, wedding, wild flowers

If you are looking for gorgeous inspiring photographs, than this shop is the place to find them. Canadian photographer and fellow Etsy shop owner, Bomobob has an incredible collection of art to choose from. Perfect for whatever space or project you are working on, his work is nostalgic, peaceful and beautifully captured.

Although it is hard to pick just one (you will see more of his work in future palettes), for now I chose Pastel Summer. Since spring is finally here I thought this piece was perfect. I love its color scheme with lavender, pinks and creams. The image is so lush and whimsy – I imagine myself laying in the grass among the fields of wild flowers, inhaling the sweet scents of nature. Seems like a perfect moment you wish could last forever.

There is tons of inspiration one can get from these photos. Weddings, parties, showers as well as interior spaces. This one in particular would be a sensational palette for a garden wedding with rustic accents or any event in the spring or summer. Make sure you check out more of Bomobob’s work and also his other shop, Aunt Aggie’s Attic.