Bossy color’s living room – another update

The other day I was talking to the wonderful Sheila Hagar of the Walla Walla Union Bulletin, and she casually asked, “So how’s your living room looking these days?”

Egad! I thought. (Or something close to it.) Things have changed! Not too much, but still, enough for an update.

Yellow living room

It was 2 short months ago that I thought I’d cracked the code on the art wall over my sofa. But the minute I pressed “publish” on that post, I knew the wall would have to change. Writing about Albert Barnes and his goofy picture-hanging tendencies got me all twisted up.

So we re-hung those suckers pretty quickly. (Once again, thanks, Uncle Jimmy. Also known as the bossy color serf.)

Blue sofa with yellow art wall

And what else do you see? That’s right! FINALLY! Accent pillows! (Best Christmas present ever. I did guide the giver, of course.)

The pillow covers are from Mi Casa Bella on Etsy. And please note that they’re not yellow and WHITE; they’re yellow and OATMEAL :)   Big difference.

Yellow Zebra pillow

I originally wanted the pillows for the moss green sofette in front of the window. But then I remembered this mohair throw wasting away in the back of a closet. I think it’s a good substitute. (Plus I already had it. Always a bonus.)

Plaid mohair throw

Bottom line (and I know you’ve heard this before, but please keep the guffaws to a minimum): the living room is done FOR NOW. Sure, I’d love to do something w/ those darn chairs. And I’d like to replace the light blue lamp (which really belongs in my office) w/ a white one. And the peachy velvet on the tiny embroidered chair is wrong wrong wrong. But all in all, I can live with this for a while.

See? No pithy comment at the end. So you KNOW I’m serious.

Photograph in yellow living room

Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She has been quoted in publications from The Washington Post to Real Simple and is considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.

You asked…about decorating a rental apartment (on a budget!)

Hi, Annie. I’m sure you have suggestions for amazing things that can be done in an urban rental apartment without a ginormous budget. Right?

Undecorated apartment living room

I moved in almost a year ago, and while I like to think that I have good taste, I haven’t really been able to put together a cohesive design/feeling for the place.  In some ways I’m not sure where to start.

Gold sofa

My apartment is quite spacious and has wonderful light…It’s also got lots of cream colored walls that are like blank canvases just waiting for something more interesting.

I like things that are unique, and possibly somewhat unexpected (a la my zebra ottoman, which I adore)…

Zebra bench ottoman

Mostly, I want my home to be inviting, and having a feeling of warmth, elegance, and eclectic interest.

Thanks! – A.V.

Beige apartment

Dearest A.V.

Have no fear; “I don’t know where to start” is my middle name! (Makes monogramming difficult, though. Ba-dum-bum.)

Please start by moving that freestanding bookcase and CD tower to another room (put contents of both on the built-in shelves). I’ll wait.

Thank you. Now I’m going to cut to the chase. Considering that this IS a rental apartment, how likely is it that you’d ACTUALLY paint? It would have to be the WHOLE living space; I don’t want to chop it up with accent walls.

That’s what I thought.  :)

So in a radical departure for bossy color, I’m going to recommend a solution that does NOT (gasp!) revolve around a new paint color. Instead, let’s introduce color through art and accessories, and bring in more black to tie in with your beloved zebra ottoman.

Bare window with A/C unit

1. Hang drapes at the window.

I realize you have an A/C unit and a radiator to contend with, but we’re going to distract you from those horrible things.

Pottery Barn blue velvet drapes

I suggest a black drapery rod and solid blue – aqua, turquoise, light peacock, a blue in that neighborhood – ring-top drapes. They could be velvet. (Don’t install tie-backs as in the Pottery Barn picture above; let them hang straight.)

2. Create an office area in front of the window…

Shelves in apartment

…by positioning a long, skinny table/desk facing the living space. Search “trestle table” - those will be skinny enough for you. When you’re seated, your back should be to the window.

Please look through Horchow for decorative chairs like these; no office-y swivel chairs, please.

Viceroy hotel desk3. Flank the sofa with funky floor lamps.

(Say THAT 5 times fast.) These black spindle floor lamps from Lamps Plus would be lovely. Please note that we’re bringing in the black. I might suggest replacing those shades with larger ones.

Lamps Plus spindle floor lamp

4. Create an art wall over the sofa.

This is NOT DIFFICULT! It’s all about the framing. If you haven’t been collecting vintage frames for years, don’t worry.

Pickup Blue living room

From Elle Decor

Just go to Ikea and buy a bunch of frames, 5 x 7″ and larger. Since your end tables are brown, I’m going to go out on a limb and say buy black AND BROWN wood frames. (Bold!)

Next, think. Do you have anything meaningful that you’d like to frame? A postcard? A portion of a letter someone sent you? Not family and friend snapshots. And use mattes to give tiny pieces more presence.

Add to that several new INEXPENSIVE purchases from Etsy, such as this collage from Catwalk

Etsy - Catwalk

"I Feel Pretty" by Felicia Piacentino

…and this archival print from Imagine Studio

"The Stripped Umbrella" (could they have meant striped?) by Imagine Studio

"The Stripped Umbrella" (could they have meant striped?) by Imagine Studio

…and this pigment print from 20 x 200.

20x200 Tatsuro Kiuchi

"Car Free" by Tatsuro Kiuchi

Notice how each of these pieces has black or blue in them? That is NO ACCIDENT!

5. Replace your media armoire with a long, LOW media stand, cabinet, or chest.

You can move the current one – it’s kind of interesting looking, isn’t it? – into your bizarrely large front hall area.

Bleak entry

Bonus suggestion: Don’t forget the pillows! Through Etsy (since you’ll already be on the site shopping for art), how about 2 black and white pillows on the sofa,

Black and white pillows

From PillowMio

plus one big fat solid blue pillow on the sofa and another one on the chair.

Blue accent pillows

From Anita Nirma

Good luck, A.V., and keep us posted!

Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. Look for her in the November 2010 issue of Real Simple.

5 accent pillows with just a touch of glam

Let’s take a breather from bossy color’s living room, shall we? In other areas of our life – i.e., the money-producing part, also known as “work” – we’ve been recommending a lot of accent pillows with just a touch of glam.

We ask you: who couldn’t use a little glamour in their lives?

Exactly.

WHAT: John Robshaw’s Sheesha pillow

WHY: Works surprisingly well in neutral settings; the mirrors add pizzazz. We recommended these on cream sofas in a neutral living room.

John Robshaw's Sheesha pillow

WHAT: John Robshaw’s metallic pillows (we’re counting this as 1 bullet point. It’s our blog. We can.)

WHY: Same reason: the metallic adds sparkle without being too edgy. Wouldn’t the blue one look great on a teenage girl’s bed, or in a neutral living room in the summertime?

John Robshaw's metallic pillows

John Robshaw's Cyan pillow

WHAT: Michele Varian’s Hannah silk pillow

WHY: Yellow and gray is a very popular color combination right now, as you know. The Hannah pillow adds sophistication AND a little fun. No mean feat. (If one is looking for glamour, one really need look no farther than Michele Varian. In addition to her silk pillows, she has appliques, ultrasuedes…very impressive.)

Michele Varian's Hannah pillow

WHAT: Thomas Paul’s Flock pillow in Plum

WHY: The silk is luxe, the pattern is elegant, the color is delicious.

Thomas Paul's Flock pillow

WHAT: Jonathan Adler’s Bargello Puzzle Pillow

WHY: Yes, “WHY?” you may be asking. This is glamour for the sheen-averse. It takes a certain confidence to display a pillow with this much geometry and this many colors. Despite the fact that they have a chunky feel, bossy color would argue that Jonathan Adler’s take on Bargello needlework does indeed have a touch of glam.

Jonathan Adler's Bargello Puzzle pillow

What pillows have YOU found to be the right balance of everyday and glam, Gentle Readers? You know how we love hearing from you.

Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She has been quoted in publications from The Washington Post to The Seattle Times and is considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.

5 surprisingly OK things in the Country Curtains catalog

Someone must have done the recycling.

orange curtains and sunflowers

Elle Decor – gone. House Beautiful – gone. Spanx catalog…oh, that one was thoughtfully laid aside for future consideration…

But what’s this? A catalog from bossy color’s youth. Country Curtains, it says across the top. “FREE SHIPPING on phone orders,” the sticker reads.

Isn’t Country Curtains the evil force behind the proliferation of ruffled, rod-pocket swags and valences in a 50/50 blend?

Heaving a great sigh, we thumbed through this catalog as we tucked into lunch…and we were pleasantly surprised.

Here are 5 items from the Country Curtains catalog that bossy color would recommend to clients and friends – or even purchase for herself.

1. Seersucker bedding. Crisp, clean, and 100% cotton, we could see a combination of the White and Blue Stripe colorways in a girl’s bedroom. (Since we’re in that mode.)

2. Red Geranium accent pillow. How cheery! Think sunroom, with natural wicker furniture.

red geranium accent pillow

natural woven roller shade3. Textured Woven roller shade. Given Hunter Douglas’s outrageous prices*, we definitely would give these a try. Especially under a pair of drapes.

natural woven roller shade closeup

4. Tension rod in Pewter. Tension rods are notoriously unattractive, but Country Curtains’ Decorative Spring Tension Rod looks rather elegant. Perfect in a kitchen or bathroom, where you have bossy color’s permission to hang vintage hankies or dishtowels with clip rings.
metal tension rods
5. Hemstitch curtains. They do have that rod-pocket top (of which bossy color is not a fan), but the white ones are 100% cotton and tasteful in a bedroom.
crisp white curtains in white bedroom
Dorky but probably very useful bonus item: “Curtain Tender” in Pewter (not pictured). A 40″ rod for pushing back ring-top and tab-top drapes. Hm!

metal rods for pushing back curtains

*There’s no question that Hunter-Douglas offers an excellent selection of products, good quality, and warranties. But good heavens, they can be pricey.
Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She has been quoted in publications from The Washington Post to The Seattle Times and is considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.

Throw pillows on a bed. An update.

In our last episode, bossy color apologized for our, how shall we say? lame, lazy attempt at accent pillows on her very own bed.

Galbraith & Paul headboard and Benjamin Moore's 1646 Lookout Point

At the time the offense took place, we were focused on the new Galbraith and Paul headboard, with which we were madly in love. We ran out of steam before “finishing the look,” as they say. [More...]

Galbraith & Paul hand-blocked fabric

A concerned Gentle Reader inquired about the bed now, hoping against hope that bossy color had come to her senses and clawed her way out of matchy-matchy hell.

We are happy to report that yes, the bed is now considerably less offensive. Most days, it looks like this:

bed with turquoise and orange accent pillows

Please note that these are the same pillows that were (accurately) pronounced “sad” when they were parked on the blue living room sofa.

turquoise and orange accent pillows on sofa

We think their new location is a dramatic improvement, don’t you?

On days the turquoise-y pillow is otherwise engaged, the bed looks like this:

orange and white monogrammed accent pillows on bed

A bit hokey, perhaps, but that little monogrammed pillow has sentimental value, as it was a bridesmaid’s gift from a dear friend.

The Company Store's Veranda matelasse coverlets

The matelasse coverlet, by the way, is from the good old Company Store. When our husband said that it reminds him of the linens in Italy, we knew we had done well.

Bossy color hopes this little update has restored your faith in our ability to make a bed.  

We feel better, that’s for sure.

Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She has been quoted in publications from The Washington Post to The Seattle Times and is considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.

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