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CHRISTMAS 2023

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 05:15:45 GMT

SOURCES

LIVING ROOM

7.5' Layered Washington Spruce Tree - This realistic tree is a favorite of mine. I love the sparse branches and overall shape of the tree. It's very convincing. The space between the branches allow the ornaments to really shine. I've found it's easier to fill a sparse tree than it is a fuller one. I layered plenty of my viral glass ornaments from last year (which have been sold out completely, but I included a list of similar options ) with new red glass ornaments and vintage red satin ornaments . I reused a brass tree collar that I bought a few years ago but added a new glass/brass star topper . Instead of my normal clip-on candles that I've used in the past, my new addition are the crystal ball tapered candles which has been this year's new "it" item.

FAMILY ROOM

7.5' Flocked Grand Northern Rocky Fir - Can you believe this stunning tree has 6,672 lights? I've always wanted a cluster light tree. They're magical even on their own. I still couldn't stop myself from styling this beauty, though. I kept the glass icicle and vintage satin ornament theme going. For this tree, I clustered the crystal ball candles and I love the effect.

Unfortunately, the brass and stainless steel orbs and presents sold out on CB2 before I even received my own packages! Which confirms my reasonings for early holiday decor shopping. I love the luxurious touch these pieces bring to my tree. Crossing my fingers they come back in stock next year.

Printed Curtain Collection Launch with Sara Le x TwoPages

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 18:03:28 GMT

I've been keeping a big secret around here for quite some time now.. and I'm so proud to finally share.

I designed my very own curtain collection alongside my amazing partners, TwoPages .

15% off discount code: SARALE

This is something I never would have imagined coming into existence but now that it's here, it all makes sense. This line of custom printed curtains is absolutely beautiful. 3 stunning patterns, 17 colors. It's incredibly hard to choose a favorite! I've worked so hard on this line to make sure everything is perfect. From the patterns to the scale, the colors and the names. There's a curtain that fits every season, style and vibe.

These are custom linen blend curtains, made to fit perfectly in length and width to each window. The patterns are printed on the fronts with solid white backs. There are various header styles such as the popular pinch pleated, triple pleated, tailor pleated, etc. Photographed below are all unlined and body memory shaped.

I hope you enjoy what I've been pouring my heart into.

Very proud moment for me. Ahhh! Look, I'm a designer of my own collection.

Highly recommend purchasing a sample book with every color. Some colors are almost like chameleons, looking more brown or olive green depending on lighting. I've fallen in love with every shade.

All of my curtains are body memory shaped. Pull them right out of the package, attach the hooks and rings and they're perfectly ready to hang with no steaming. Amazing.

SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE

https://twopagescurtains.com/collections/sara-le

Use my exclusive discount code SARALE

(Available for my collection only, swatches not included)

The line up of the 3 patterns: Floral, Leaves & Plaid

Pictured: Floral - Scarlett, Leaves - Bronze, Plaid - Latte, Leaves - Stone

FLORAL SERIES

Pictured: Floral - Copper

Pictured top to bottom: Vintage Linen, Ivy Brown, Copper, Porcelain, Scarlett

( This photo is unedited, unfiltered--taken on a dark, overcast day.)

The Floral Series. It's giving romantic, elegant, dreamy. This set is a favorite amongst my family and friends. Each color is so different when you truly look at them closely. I can't wait to use Scarlett during Christmas. That bit of deep red with the tan linen is stunning. Gets me excited to start on my Christmas lookbook this year. The Copper is the absolute perfect curtain for all the autumn warm vibes. The Ivy Brown shade looks more brown at night but the olive green comes through with the sunlight. It's stunning.

Pictured: Scarlett, Copper, Porcelain, Vintage Linen, Ivy Brown.

PLAID SERIES

Pictured: Plaid - Midnight, Evergreen, Latte, Raisin

I love the plaid series for any occasion, but mostly Fall and the holidays. Can you imagine the Midnight shade next to a meticulously decorated navy and gold Christmas tree? The Evergreen in a room filled with plants. Latte in an all white themed wintery Christmas room. Raisin in a cozy, moody living room with deep Fall leaves on the coffee table.

Pictured: Latte, Raisin, Evergreen, Midnight

( This photo is unedited, unfiltered--taken on a dark, overcast day.)

Pictured: Raisin

Pictured: Evergreen - Seriously, so gorgeous next to the rich browns in my son's bedroom. He chose this one and says it is his absolute favorite.

Pictured: Latte

Pictured: Midnight

LEAVES SERIES

Pictured: Stone, Travertine, Bronze

The Leaves series. There are 8 beautiful shades of this line: Brown Olive, Sage, Denim, Wine, Bronze, Stone, Travertine, Moss. ( This photo is unedited, unfiltered--taken on a dark, overcast day.)

A friend of mine, Cindy Vu , ( florist of @ScarlettandFlora) described this set perfectly.

"It reminds me of toile.. except when you look closely, a more modern take."

Pictured: Travertine

Pictured: Bronze

Pictured: Denim

SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE

https://twopagescurtains.com/collections/sara-le

Use my exclusive discount code SARA for 15% off your order

(Available for my collection only, swatches not included)

I've put so much love and thought into this printed curtain collection. I would be so honored if you incorporated one or two into your home--and if you do, please share it with me! I'm so excited to see all the iterations of this collection in everyone's home.

with love,

Sara Le

A very special thank you to my lovely friends over at @ScarlettandFlora f or helping my celebrate the launch of my collection with this AMAZING floral arrangement.

MY TOP PICKS FROM JOSS & MAIN'S BLACK FRIDAY PRE-SALE

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 16:41:07 GMT

*This post is in partnership with Joss & Main . All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

It's that time of year where the best sales are here!

Of course, I have to share my top picks from Joss & Main's Black Friday Presale before they sell out . The have a huge variety of beautiful pieces with amazing quality. I am always impressed! They're kicking their sales off early with up to 40% off. I love being able to score my favorite items early before the good stuff sells out. The great part about shopping with Joss & Main? Always fast + free shipping site wide!

JOSS & MAIN IS OPENING THEIR FIRST STORE! 2022

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 06:09:26 GMT

*This post is in partnership with Joss & Main. All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

Have you heard? Joss & Main is opening their first store ever. Yep! You will now be able to experience in-person shopping at their Burlington, MA location (and more location openings to come in 2023 - yay!) I get excited seeing items in real life and getting a feel of the exact color, size, feel of furniture/decor, so I couldn't be more ecstatic hearing that they'll be rolling out stores. The greatest part is that you won't ever have to worry about loading your car while shopping in store. They ship everything right to your doorstep!

I'm no stranger to the amazing products at Joss & Main. They're the ultimate style edit for all things home.

The pieces are not only beautiful but such great quality, too! The most recent addition to my home from their 2022 Fall Edit is this stunning Lilo Armchair and Phoebe Embroidered Throw Pillow . I'm obsessed with the curves of the silhouette of the wooden arms. That rich, dark stain? To die for going into the colder season. I especially love pairing the beautiful, natural woven banana fiber seat with the soft camel-brown toned throw pillow. It's giving me major Fall vibes!

I love this chair so much that I couldn't decide what spot in my house to place it. It's truly beautiful anywhere.

I can only imagine the thrill of seeing a piece like this in-store. It's definitely something you don't come across often. That's why I'm so excited to learn about the new store (and future) openings. If you're in near the new Burlington, MA location..please stop in & check it out for me. I'm there in spirit!

However, you can always shop JossandMain.com 24/7 for fast & free shipping!

SHOP MY JOSS & MAIN PICKS

Setting the mood with Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® paint

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 22:27:16 GMT

*This post is in partnership with KILZ®: Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® paint . All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

Transforming a space can be as simple as a change of paint color. Whether you're wanting to achieve a warm, cozy room or a dark, moody one--sometimes, all it takes is a fresh coat of paint! I really wanted to change the vibe of my bedroom to be a little more inviting. It's a north-facing space which has cooler sunlight. It has always felt a little cold, no matter what "warm" tones of bedding or furniture I utilized. I knew KILZ®: Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® paint had something I was looking for to set the mood. This paint line is so buttery-smooth with the most gorgeous color options!

I knew it the moment I saw it.. 'Soft Landing' the perfect shade of a creamy, camel color. Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® paint description for this is a "camel with a light yellow hue" which is exactly what it is.

At first when painting this color, it might come off more buttery yellow than expected. Give it some time to dry. The results are so beautiful once the paint settles.

BEFORE

My previous color was a very simple, creamy white. It was bright yet still too cold and not as comforting.

AFTER

'Soft Landing' by Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® paint has the perfect amount of warmth, light but not too light. Depending on the lighting, it has stunning depth with shades of camel. When the natural light hits it, it has a gorgeous buttery-soft look. It's a very complex, interesting neutral shade.

This color looks stunning with earth tones!

This room couldn't have turned out better, all thanks to Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® paint for making it possible! Their selection of beautifully curated colors are absolutely timeless. I can't wait to explore more for my home!

DIY COFFERED CEILINGS

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 21:53:38 GMT

SOURCES

DINING CHAIRS

VINTAGE TRAVERTINE DINING TABLE

PLEATED PENDANT SHADE

RUG

ARTIFICIAL TREE

TALL FLUTED PLANTER

BOUCLE THROW PILLOW COVERS

(SIMILAR) CURTAINS

CURTAIN RODS

D.I.Y. FLUTED CREDENZA

SCALLOPED WOVEN BOWLS

(SIMILAR) ASYMMETRICAL MIRROR

WOVEN VASE

FAUX STEMS 1

FAUX STEMS 2

D.I.Y. HERRINGBONE DOORS

Here it is, our dream coffered ceilings..

We've been imagining having a ceiling treatment like this in our home for a long time. It never felt like the right time to tackle and we honestly didn't know where to put one anyway. After living here for almost 7 years, it finally clicked. The dining room is the perfect space for it. Plus, the old herringbone ceiling was no longer reflecting our style. Sometimes, it takes living in a space for a bit to truly feel it out. A warm, rich ceiling was more us .

Cozy yet grand. It has so much interesting dimension while still being simple.

"What paint color is on the ceiling?"

TURKISH COFFEE BY SHERWIN WILLIAMS

"I know brown isn't for everyone, but I didn't do it for everyone. I did it for me. "

Some people think brown interiors and immediately think of the outdated, brown & burgundy style. While everything seems to always cycle around, I believe it usually comes back in a very fresh, new way. Fortunately, I've convinced thousands of you that brown is kinda the new black (although, I think neutrals/earthy-tones are timeless). We're all loving the touches of brown throughout the house and the feedback has been overwhelmingly awesome!

"What kind of wood are the beams made of?"

We built these faux beams out of red oak and stained them with Varathane's Dark Walnut gel stain . I opted for gel because of the thickness of the product. No drips, less mess! I applied with a staining sponge and didn't put down any drop cloths. Living life on the edge? Maybe lol.

"Where are your dining chairs from? How are they holding up and do you like them?"

You can shop my dining chairs ( here ). We absolutely love them! From the design, to the low profile, to the tones.. they're perfect for this space. The back of the seat curves so comfortably and double as an arm rest. The seats aren't as thick in cushion as our last chairs but they're still comfortable to sit on for hours. They'll definitely last for years to come. Bonus points because they're extra kid-friendly! I hadn't realized how messy of a eater my son was until I paid more attention to his chair. Fortunately, these wipe up easily and they're as good as new.

"...that pleated pendant light!!!"

I know, it's a beauty. Could you believe that it's only a lamp shade combined with a modified pendant light fixture? SO inexpensive for both pieces and a quick D.I.Y. project. You can find the shade ( here ) and the pendant ( here ). We removed certain parts of the pendant in order to fit the sha de on it.

BEFORE

You can read more about us saying goodbye to our black herringbone ceiling . We love our home through every phase. We feel at peace knowing that our design decisions aren't forever. The herringbone was very trendy and I've wanted to change it for quite some time now to something more timeless.

Change is beautiful and we embrace it.

We ripped out all of the herringbone. We originally used hardboard, cut into strips and routed the edges on each board. This was an inexpensive project, so we didn't feel too bad about ripping it all out!

Installation for the coffered ceiling starts off with smooth ceilings. We installed hardboard once again for the smoothest base. We made sure to cut and install them so that the seams would be covered by the beams.

I probably should have taken more detailed photos of the construction of the beams. Please note, this is not a tutorial. I'm only showing bits & pieces of our process. We started off with placing boards on the ceiling for the sides of the beams to be attached to.

We attached wood to the inside of the side pieces for the bottom piece to attach to. You can see it in the photo above.

The reason for the tape is because my fiancé scribed each piece of wood to fit the ceiling (because walls/ceilings are always a little crooked!). This ensures the best fit and avoids having large gaps between the beam and the ceiling.

I just love the small lip on the bottom of the beam! It's a simple detail but makes the beams more interesting.

I used my current favorite wood stain color - Dark Walnut by Varathane. I go back and forth on gel or liquid. Like I mentioned earlier, gel was best because of the thicker consistency for this project. No drips!

We went back and forth on whether we should paint the inside panels white or brown. It was pretty easy to decide on my end. I love a deep, dramatic ceiling so brown was the clear winner.

After painting and staining, we installed crown molding to finish everything off. Doing everything in this order made the process way easier since we didn't have to worry about taping things off. The crown and walls needed to be painted anyway, so we didn't bother taping off around the beams.

The finished, styled room.

I've never been more satisfied with how this room looks. It's exactly what I envisioned and more! From the ceiling treatment, to the wainscoting, to the light fixtures to the dining chairs.. everything works together so perfectly. This might actually be the last time we change anything major in this room since it's all so timeless.

SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR BLACK HERRINGBONE CEILING

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 04:47:37 GMT

I know what some of you are thinking.

Why would we get rid of that beautiful ceiling?

Simply because.. it wasn't simple enough . We absolutely loved the herringbone while it was up. Truthfully, it did break our hearts a little to remove all the boards because it felt like it was apart of us. We installed it years ago, so you can imagine our style has immensely changed since then. We believe in our home evolving with us. It's actually been 2 years since we started to remove all of the herringbone in other spaces. Different accent walls, cabinet doors, etc. Since 2020, we really tuned into our style and realized, we love a clean and classic look.

Herringbone is beautiful, I'm not knocking it/anyone who has it in their home. I actually still love a good herringbone wood floor! Or a travertine herringbone fireplace insert. Amazing. It just wasn't right anymore for the ceiling. It felt very "farmhouse" here and it was really competing with the wainscoting. Too. Many. Lines.

But doesn't it feel like we're throwing money away?

Not really, it was quite inexpensive for this project. It consisted of hardboard cut into strips and nailed into the ceiling. Hardboard is such an affordable material! We're going to be using it for our new ceiling.

When we first installed this ceiling, we originally painted it grey. It was like this for maybe a year or two? Then I decided to paint it black, which was the best decision! Can you tell? I was very much into the very bright, all white interior. Still super pretty, just not us.

This is the ONLY photo I have of this ceiling during the installation. It was maybe 4 years ago and I rarely documented our D.I.Y. projects at the time. Crazy how things change!

..so, what are we up to??

We're installing our first coffered ceiling.

This has been a dream ceiling for us. We've always loved the detail of them and this room will be so perfect for it! We enjoy trying new things. This will be a great learning experience for us. I know some people are sad to see the herringbone go, but I promise the new ceiling will be worth it. It'll be more cohesive with my current style and the wood will bring the most beautiful warmth in this space. We're so excited!

To start, we added more wainscoting trim to bring the walls up higher. We'll paint it Accessible Beige @ -75% .. it has brightened up the room immensely even though it isn't fully painted, yet. It feels so grand already!

We began ripping out the herringbone boards.. which was a little heartbreaking, only because it felt like it was apart of us and reminded us of our older style. Saying goodbye to a certain part of our lives.

These boards, although thin, were pretty dang heavy to transport.

We began installing new hardboard panels to the ceiling. Why? It'll create a smooth surface and cover up all the popcorn. (Our daughter is such a great helper, lol). We'll prime & paint this section!

I know, there are seams.. but they'll definitely be covered up..

..by beautiful, wood beams! We have a long way to go and have already ran into a few bumps in the road. Just like every project, right? That's how we continue to learn. It's going to be great! Stay tuned.

ROMAN'S ROOM REVEAL

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 00:14:29 GMT

SOURCES

UPHOLSTERED BED FRAME
OLIVE GREEN DUVET
CHECKERED THROW BLANKET
OLIVE GREEN THROW PILLOW
ALPHABET RUG
LAMP
WALNUT HOOKS
GOLD SCONCE
PLEATED LAMPSHADE (MODIFIED TO FIT SCONCE)
BURNISHED BRASS KNOBS
BRASS RAILS
WHITE/BRASS CONTAINERS
CURTAINS
CURTAIN ROD
DESK (COMBINED 2 NIGHTSTANDS WITH WOOD TOP)
ROMAN SHADES
POLE WRAP
CHANDELIER (LOWES-DISCONTINUED)
MCM CHAIR - DIY

Ahh finally! The highly anticipated room reveal. Roman's room is full of fun DIY projects.

From the arched built-in, to the arched headboard, to the beautiful midcentury modern chair (a Pierre Jeanneret Kangaroo inspired remake) and pole wrap wood walls .. there is so much to love about this room. The contrasting colors of the dark wood with the white and olive green tones. It may be my favorite room in the house!

I'm going to keep this post short and sweet. So please, enjoy these photos as much as we are enjoying the fruits of our labor.

To see more details on the pole wrapped walls - read this blogpost .

I'll be writing a more detailed blogpost about the MCM chair. Stay tuned!

PAINT COLOR: TURKISH COFFEE BY SHERWIN WILLIAMS

AALIYAH'S ROOM REVEAL

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 20:44:03 GMT

SOURCES

WALL-MOUNTED VANITY MIRROR

ANTIQUE BENTWOOD CHAIRS (FB MARKETPLACE)

CHANDELIER (WORLD MARKET-DISCONTINUED)

OLIVE TREE (IKEA-DISCONTINUED)

Can you believe it? My daughter's room reveal is finally here. This one in the works for a long time. Possibly our longest project ever. If you have a teenager, you know how much they love their privacy and space. We worked on it a little bit at a time.

We started this room reno last August because our basement flooded due to a broken water heater. The day before, our dog of 16 years passed away. We were all over the place emotionally. Her room was affected the most by the flood. We didn't want to take any chances of mold growing, so we ripped up all the drywall and replaced everything. It was a mess but it needed to happen. It really pushed us to do it asap. If it hadn't flooded, we probably wouldn't have started on her room yet because taking all her furniture out and sleeping in another room didn't sound fun to her. Oh gosh, thinking back.. I'm not sure how we kept it all together but I believe being able to do something we loved really helped distract us and get through it.

I designed this space with her input every step of the way. Aaliyah loves the neutral, warm aesthetic so we kept everything light. Lots of whites, creams, wood tones and touches of brass.

Rest in doggy heaven to our babygirl Versace. The sweetest little pup ever.

How crazy is this before photo?

I wish I had taken a photo before we pulled everything out but her room was in shambles from the flood already.

The toughest part of this room was probably the wallpapered ceiling. My neck & arms hated me, lol. This floral, watercolored wallpaper is peel & stick which I believe is more difficult to apply than traditional wallpaper. If you misalign it by even a little, you have to peel it up and realign it. It's definitely a two-person job. If one person holds the roll straight while the other smooths it all out, it's much more manageable.

Doesn't this little corner feel like a quaint little cafe? We wanted to clear her space up by getting rid of her desk and added a little bistro table with antique bentwood chairs.

For her closet doors, we bought basic bifold doors and added trim to them to make them really special! At first, my daughter wanted to keep them natural but I really felt like she needed just a bit of contrast. I'm so glad she could see my vision of darker stained doors! (Dark Walnut by Varathane) She loves shades of brown, so it didn't take too much convincing. I love the touch of moody elegance.

We have come a long way from this view.

My fiancé's hate for drywalling runs deep * lol

We didn't want any popcorn texture on the ceilings, but we also didn't want to scrape it in case there was any asbestos. So we did what we've done before in our kitchen and covered the existing ceiling with new sheetrock. This allowed us to have a smooth finish for the wallpaper. We moved the chandelier to be centered to the end of the bed which makes the space feel more open! The light fixture position before was just way too close to the awkward bulk head.

This wainscoting detail is so beautiful! I wanted something different in here since everything else would be kept pretty simple. This was our first time doing any kind of trim like this and we love it!

My fiancé likes to preassemble the boxes first before installing them to the walls. He has a whole process for it but this ensures the joints don't separate in the future. Someday, we'll have to do a more detailed tutorial of it.

We're so incredibly happy with how her bedroom turned out. It's simple, elegant, peaceful. My daughter has gone through so much through these middle school years. It's important for her to have her own space where she can really clear her mind and relax.

To our daughter: let this space be a reminder to you that life is beautiful no matter what struggles you encounter. You are not defined by your struggles, but how you overcome them. We love you so much!

RICH & REEDED CHOCOLATEY BROWN WALLS

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 20:45:26 GMT

Here's a project that I'm so excited to share with everyone! If you follow me on instagram (you should!) , you probably saw all the new additions of brown in my home lately. We've been staining so many things darker to add a little more depth against all the lighter wood tones that we have going on. But.. what I've realllllly been desiring to do? Paint a wall brown.

& so a new project is born: Roman's bedroom.

You might be thinking, "This is supposed to be a room for a 5 year old kid?" .. let's remember, Roman is not your average 5 year old kid, lol. He has been begging us for wainscoting in his room for quite awhile now. I would've loved to make that happen for him, except there was already existing board & batten. We honestly didn't want to go through the trouble of ripping it all out and repairing any damaged drywall. That's one of the things we enjoy the least! So, I decided to work with the board & batten which I'm so ecstatic that I did. It turned out better than I imagined.

We painted the battens a rich, deep chocolate brown and added stained pole wrap to the inside squares for the reeded detail. It gives me wood wall moulding vibes that you see in all those amazing, old interiors.

This wall is probably my absolute favorite in the house. Rich & reeded. Moody & masculine. Perfect for the sweetest, growing little boy. He got to help out a tiny bit for this project which we all know he loves doing so much!

Here's for every, " Where did you buy those wood panels?" I received..

POLE WRAP @ HOME DEPOT!

Roman always loves helping dad whenever he can.

Pole wrap is typically used to wrap columns up until the DIY community discovered it. You'll now see it used in so many different ways! It's such an easy-to-use material. We've used this product to make tables, cabinets, step stools, desks, wall treatments & so much more! There's a whole pole wrap movement as the fluted/reeded trend has come through full-force.

It's such an easy material to work with! All we did was measure and cut to size for the length. You can cut in-between the grooves with a razor to shorten the width.

I used VARATHANE'S DARK WALNUT - GEL STAIN .

I made sure to wipe-on/wipe-off. Using a brush makes it easier to get in-between the grooves.

I brought in a sample of the stained pole wrap to fi nd the closest brown paint. My final pick:

TURKISH COFFEE by SHERWIN WILLIAMS

We didn't want the whole room to feel too dark, so we painted the rest of the walls a creamy white. Literally, it's called:

CREAMY by SHERWIN WILLIAMS

Time to install the pole wrap! We didn't want any nail holes, so we used LOCTITE to adhere it to the walls.

How beautiful did this turn out? It looks so elegant, especially with gold accents. Here's a peek at the bed we ordered. The entire point of this project was to get him a bigger, lower bed for him. There will be a DIY headboard for it! I'm thinking.. arches.

C urrently , we're working on custom arched built-ins across from this wall . Stay tuned!

SOURCES

POLE WRAP
LOCTITE
VARATHANE - DARK WALNUT STAIN
SHERWIN WILLIAMS - TURKISH COFFEE
UPHOLSTERED BEDFRAME
GOLD SCONCE
PLEATED SHADE (TAKEN FROM THIS LAMP)
CHANDELIER UNAVAILABLE

ORGANIZING WITH THE HOME EDIT: WALMART HOME

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 06:26:47 GMT

*This post is in partnership with Walmart Home. All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

Do you know what's equally as good as a pretty home? An organized one! I've teamed up with Walmart Home to show you how I organize my bathroom drawers using plastic organizers from The Home Edit 's new line of storage systems. These amazing, stackable modular bins are so easy to customize to fit your needs. They come in a variety of sizes that you can mix and match which makes it perfect for any space! I'm so impressed with the quality of the BPA-free plastic material. You really can feel how durable it is.

I chose the 10 Piece Bath Edit system for my drawers. I love the size variety between the 3 small, 4 medium and 3 large insert bins. They're absolutely perfect for storing bigger items such as toothpaste or mouthwash while holding floss or bandaids in the smaller bins.

I mean.. Walmart Home really came through with this line with The Home Edit. In love with how clean & organized this is! I actually have more bins in this drawer (that I didn't end up photographing yet). It's deep which allows for bin stacking, meaning double the storage! Yay! I managed to fit all of our necessities in here while still looking incredibly tidy. There is so much satisfaction every time I open these drawers. This year, I'm totally vowing to update all of our cabinets and drawers with these organizers. It truly makes life run so much smoother when everything in the house has its own designated space.

I'm so thankful for the ease of having these readily available at Walmart! Their online shipping is also pretty quick & amazing.

- SHOP THE POST -

Check out these other products from The Home Edit x Walmart Home to fulfill all of your organizational dreams!

P I C T U R E D : THE HOME EDIT - 10 PIECE PLASTIC BATH EDIT

2022 TREND REPORT WITH JOSS & MAIN

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 00:44:54 GMT

*This post is in partnership with Joss & Main. All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

Let's start off 2022 with the latest Trend Report! I'm so honored to partner with Joss & Main to give you a look into the beautiful design styles currently gracing our homes. Joss & Main's Trend Report is ful l of s o many amazing pieces. I've gathered my top picks to show you how I incorporate them into my space. Everything is shoppable! Ta ke a peek below..

- SHOP THE POST -

sculptural shapes. organic materials. textural elements. moody ambiences.

There's this huge movement in design where people are craving more interesting, bold details such as sculptural shapes in their furniture, lighting and decor. Curved pieces balance out harsh, straight lines while evoking calmness. Lighting with soothing glows for the most moody, lived-in ambiences. You'll see a pull towards organic materials with tons of texture. Bringing those outdoor natural elements indoors with extra grainy wood. Dark, rich wooden tones are making a comeback. Marble with dramatic veining and natural woven materials throughout. Artwork filled with plenty of abstract lines and texture.

Joss & Main's Trend Report is full of incredible pieces with all of these details!

Here are my favorite items that I chose for my dining room. After putting away all things holiday, these pieces updated my space in the most inviting and fresh way. It can feel a little naked once all the festive decor is packed away but I was actually excited to bring new life to my home!

KASEN 4 LIGHT VIBRANT GOLD CHANDELIER

The light that I didn't know that I needed in my dining room! You'll see tons of MCM style chandeliers and pendants in my trend report. Plenty of touches of gold, black, rattan. This gorgeous light fixture comes with white AND black metal lamp shades included. I didn't realize this at first, so it was a very happy surprise opening the package. I opted for the black because I love the boldness but I can totally see myself switching to white as the weather warms up. It completely grounds the room. It gives off the coziest ambience with the lighting focused mainly on the travertine dining table. It's perfect for a relaxing evening feast.

A huge thing I've seen people aiming for in their homes is creating more moody, comfortable, lived-in spaces . We're home more than we've ever been, so creating quaint atmospheres is high on everyone's list these days.

DANIELS TANGLED TABLE OBJECT

We're all gravitating towards more unique pieces of decor lately. Things that look like they've been handcrafted or vintage . This sculptural beauty has such a wow factor! All of its curves and creamy, speckled texture makes it an absolute statement piece. I love the organic, modern feel.

KELLI DECORATIVE BOWL

Wood with raised, bold grain brings in that natural element that we all love. Mix these with modern, sculptural pieces for the perfect balance! This wooden pedestal bowl is one of my current favorite styling pieces. I even incorporated greenery that have a funky shape to the stems. Another amazing wooden piece that I really wanted to feature in this blogpost is the Nuirfield Solid Wood Garden Stool ( but it was on backorder-available to ship now! ). The grain is so rich and the shape looks like it was crafted using techniques that give off an old-world vibe.

HAROLD CARRERA BOOKENDS

The dramatic marble veins of these bookends is the perfect, sophisticat ed touch to some of my favorite interior design books.

SWOOPING LINES FLOATER FRAME PAINTING ON CANVAS

Abstract art has always been and will always be my favorite style of art to display. There's no surprise that it would make it on the trend report! The simplicity has us all incorporating pieces like this one in our home and it looks great in any room ! When I saw this one on Joss & Main, I instantly felt drawn to the colors, textures & the elegant swooping lines.

I hope you enjoyed seeing how I style my home for a fresh look for the year! Wrapping up this post with more of my favorite picks from this year's Trend Report by Joss & Main! Click below to incorporate s ome of these beautiful pieces in your home.

- SHOP THIS POST -

CHRISTMAS 2021

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 08:57:04 GMT

SOURCES

I'll be updating this list as I keep adding more items* - Thanks so much for your support!

TREES

7 FT. NOBLE FIR PRE-LIT TREE (LIVING ROOM)

7 FT. BALSAM FIR TREE (DINING ROOM)

6 FT. PRE-LIT DOWNSWEPT ALPINE BALSAM TREE

5 FT. PRE-LIT DOWNSWEPT ALPINE BALSAM TREE

4 FT. PRE-LIT DOWNSWEPT ALPINE BALSAM TREE

TREE DECORATIONS

TREE TOPPER (SOLD OUT)

SIMILAR STAR TREE TOPPER

CLIP-ON CANDLES

WOOD BEADED GARLAND

CRYSTAL RHINESTONE GARLAND

CRYSTAL BEAD GARLAND

JEWELED GLASS ORNAMENTS

BROWN ORNAMENT SET

ALABASTER STAR ORNAMENT

METALLIC TEARDROP ORNAMENTS

WHITE TEARDROP ORNAMENTS

ANTIQUE BRONZE ORNAMENTS

MATTE GREEN ORNAMENTS

GREENERY

PINE GARLAND

LIT JUNIPER BRANCH

CEDAR STEM

HOLIDAY DECOR

BROWN BOUCLE STOCKING

CREAM BOUCLE STOCKING

COW BELL SET OF 3

DEER FIGURINES

FURNITURE/ACCENTS

BOUCLE GREEN THROW BLANKET

IKEA FARLOV ARMCHAIR - DARK OLIVE GREEN

IKEA SANELA OLIVE GREEN CURTAINS

PEDESTAL ACCENT TABLE

ARCHED MIRROR (SIMILAR)

GREEN & BLACK MARBLE CHECKERBOARD

DARK GREEN TAPERED CANDLE

RIBBONS/WRAP

NEUTRAL RIBBON SET

KHAKI VELVET

DEEP GREEN VELVET RIBBON

BROWN SATIN RIBBON

STRIPED WRAPPING PAPER

GREEN WRAPPING PAPER

TABLE SETTING

BROWN FLORAL PLATES

EVE COUPE COCKTAIL GLASS

GOLD FLATWARE

OLIVE GREEN PLACEMATS

STONEWASHED LINEN NAPKINS

I'm going to keep this post simple with just a tiny bit of my thought process. Enjoy the sources (that I'm able to provide) & these photos of a sneak peek of what's going on in our home. Of course, there will be plenty more as the holidays come by!

My approach for Christmas this year - to keep things as minimal as possible (for me) while still being festive! I've been slowly decorating each space so that I don't overwhelm myself, because let's face it.. Christmas is just full of "stuff". I've been enjoying the process as I add in a little more each day. This year, I've been really drawn to rich, olive green tones. I've added touches of it throughout my home such as the curtains, armchair, artwork, even little stuff like tapered candles or a green marble checkerboard. These are things that'll stick around long after the holidays are over which is a huge plus!

For my holiday decor, I love incorporating old & new pieces for a more curated style. I do always enjoy adding some new pieces in to freshen up the look. A lot of my collected ornaments are staple pieces that I've used throughout the years because I just love them so much. Unfortunately, bec ause of this, I'm not able to link everything but I hope you find inspiration through these photos & enjoy your holiday decorating session!

D.I.Y. BATHROOM RENO

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 07:58:36 GMT

I may be just.. I don't know, many months late to this blogpost.. but better late than never? Haha.

Now, if you've been following my instagram stories.. you may already know how impulsive I can be when it comes to home projects. I might have an entire list of things to-do, but that doesn't stop me from waking up one day saying "let's rip up the bathroom" even though that clearly was not on my to-do list, haha. This was one of those times. 5 days before we decided to throw a party for my fiancé's birthday. Ambitious? Sure. Crazy? Definitely lol. We didn't have the expectation that we'd finish everything within that timeframe but we at least hoped to have a good foundation down and a working sink.

Because of how last minute everything was, we started off by demoing with no official plan. I decided to do what I do best and pick everything as I go. I may have lost A LOT of sleep searching endlessly for the perfect hardware or lighting. No doubt we had to return more than a handful of items that didn't work (thank goodness for amazon's ease of returns). In the end, everything came together beautifully!

Presenting to you (in case you missed the reveal on my instagram post) our finished bathroom!

We're so happy with every single detail of this space. It's even more rewarding knowing we did everything ourselves! From our custom-built wood fluted vanity to the soft, dreamy tile. The stunning wall-mounted gold faucet to that incredible travertine vessel sink. That unique, asymmetrical mirror with the elegant sconces. I honestly cannot choose my favorite detail.

Let's start with the unique mirror. Most people love the fun shape! Only a few people have commented that they wouldn't be able to have such an asymmetrical piece (as they might feel unbalanced) but there is so much beauty in imperfection. The curvy nature has this sculptural, artsy feel. What's most important is that I love it and that it feels right for my home. This piece was my first ever in this sort of fun style and I literally have 6 now. Haha! It a ctually was created & shipped from Turkey by this Etsy shop. The quality of the product, customer service, packaging and fast shipment is out of this world amazing. The seller is so personable and I've actually had the honor to build a fun partnership with him. Love being able to support small businesses, too!

This sink was actually our plan B - however, I'm so glad it worked out this way. The original sink I ordered was a rectangular travertine vessel sink that somehow got lost in shipping. Everything happens for a reason though & this one just belongs ! I didn't realize how beautiful this shape would look against all the other details. It softens all the linear details of this room, and the rectangular one would've ended up looking too boxy. The na tural organic material, curved shape & texture really makes you feel like you're on a retreat with my final option!

I'm a sucker for golds paired with creams. So, this wall-mounted gold faucet + travertine sink combination = the perfect match! I honestly never thought to have a setup such as this, but my fiancé made such a great point. We won't ever have any water pooling up near the faucet/handles like we used to. It was always a pain to clean!

You might have noticed that the antique ball knobs on the vanity is not the same color as the gold faucet . I decided on these because of the antique hooks on the wall. I bought these some time ago while antique shopping and thought it'd be a fun touch to hang hand towels on. Adding knobs with the same finish as the hooks creates cohesiveness while letting that beautiful, gold faucet really shine.

One of the things that I always find difficult? Matching up gold finishes. I don't need everything to be *exact* depending on what it is so I try not to stress it. Mixing metals is something that I've actually enjoyed doing as it keeps things more interesting and keeps your design from falling flat. I love adding black metal into the mix for added contrast. Black details help ground your space and truly elevates your look.

I absolutely love the creamy, warm aesthetic. Bathrooms can sometimes come across as looking "cold" but this one surely isn't! Are cozy bathrooms a thing? Because it is here!

I decided on a light wood-toned vanity because honestly, I wouldn't have to worry about any paint chipping. We made sure to seal the Poplar wo od in order to protect it from water + it makes it extra durable. I can scrub this thing without dealing with the hassle of touching up paint! Of course, I had to add the fluted detail to the drawer fronts. It's just another textural element that ties this bathroom in with the rest of my house.

We decided to make 5 full drawers for the best storage. The top-middle is actually a tip-out door ( that we haven't finished because 95% club ). I'd have to say, I'm pretty impressed with my fiancé's ability to build drawers these days. It was never his favorite thing to do in the past but he's gotten a lot more comfortable with it! Anyway, I started utilizing the storage almost immediately and I don't ever want to go back to having normal cabinets with shelves anymore. There was so much wasted space in our previous bathroom vanity. Drawers are a must-have!

The tile. Oh man, the first thing I was so sure of. Zellige tiles have become quite popular lately. I don't believe these are handmade like some of the tiles from other brands, however, given the beauty & availability of these.. they made them a great choice. I'm in love with the simplicity and subtleness of the neutral tones of each tile. It looks so dreamy and soft! Not only are they stunning now but I have a feeling I'll never get tired of them in the future (even if they aren't "trendy" later on).

The bathroom accessories are all from Target! I like to mix a little bit of everything (instead of buying all from the same collection) to keep things more interestin g with the variety of textures and materials.

BATHROOM SOURCES

BEHIND THE SCENES

We started this project off by removing everything including the original board & batten. The first thing I wanted to do was get that entire wall tiled while my fiancé worked on the plumbing for the faucet. It was a bit tricky having to work around the section where the faucet was since we had to guess the placement of everything based off of measurements.

I used this tile here. They have so much variation of tones throughout which is what I'm absolutely obsessed with!

I think this part is what took the longest. We definitely had leaks mixed with frustration the first time or two. I'm glad he was able to figure it all out! Don't ask me how he knows how to do any of that stuff. Maybe in another universe, he's a plumber lol.

Smooth sailing after the faucet was successfully installed!

In the photo above, you can see that I started grouting the tile. I used the color "biscuit" by Mapei. It's a warm, creamy beige that is subtle enough that it doesn't take away the focus from the beautiful tiles. While I worked on the grout, my fiancé worked on building the vanity. Since we were installing a vessel sink, we configured the vanity to be on the shorter side so it would be more comfortable. I think vessel sinks get a bad reputation for being "too high" - which shouldn't be the case if you just adjust the height of the vanity/faucet accordingly.

He was successful in his drawer making! For the best functionality, I had him build a total of 5 drawers. *Notice our placeholder vessel sink? Due to our original one getting lost in shipment.

Roman helping mom paint wash the fluted pieces for the doors!

I made sure the extra extra seal the all the wood to protect it from water. I usually like to use polycrylic with a brush.

Drilling holes for the cabinet hinges. Rome always being the best helper by vacuuming all the sawdust.

My poor fiancé. He's incredible for being so patient and supportive of me and all my changes. My original design idea was to go with just one sconce hanging off one side of the mirror. Of course, we hated it. SO my fiancé got to redo the electrical twice.

Sooooooo happy with how it's turning out at this point. Wow.

He got this bright idea to skim coat the ceiling to get rid of the texture. Not the most thrilling project ever especially because he remembered how much he hated doing that lol. Plus your neck hurts after awhile!

We wanted the baseboard of the bathroom to look really good. So my fiancé took the extra time to make all these fancy cuts for the vent cover to fit into. His skills are always improving and impressing.

The final piece of jewelry for this bathroom. I ordered 4 different light fixtures before finally ending with this one. Sometimes, (a lot of times) I don't get it right the first time. It takes seeing things visually in front of me along side all of the other elements to really make a concrete decision. I love the classic style of these. They feel cohesive with the rest of the fixtures that I have installed in the rest of the house.

My mock up of the bathroom! We built the vanity to our own custom likings but I'd say we did a pretty incredible job at making our very on-a-whim vision come to life.

I'm going to keep this simple: thank you for being here & I hope you enjoyed (reliving) our bathroom reno with us!

WALMART HOME: HOLIDAY HOME GIFT FINDS

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 17:17:57 GMT

*This post is in partnership with Walmart. All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

Can you believe we're about halfway into October already? Time is just flying by and I can't get my mind off the fact that we'll be decorating for Christmas soon! I start early in November, of course. Every year, I tell myself that I'm going to prepare Christmas shopping earlier to avoid any last minute procrastination chaos. It's a great idea now more than ever, considering how everything keeps getting sold out faster these days.

I've teamed up with Walmart Hom e to put together a fun holiday home gift guide to make shopping a little easier this year! I'm always surprised with the amount unique products they have. You can totally shop in-store, but it's so much easier to shop online with their amazing shipping. They have a variety of great options of gifts for everyone!

indoor s'mores maker

I spotted this amazing indoor s'mores maker while gathering up some of my favorite items from Walmart . Can you tell that Roman absolutely loves it? It's the perfect indoor family activity during these colder months! I love the lazy susan style compartments that house all of your s'mores essentials.

I know it'll be an absolute hit during our holiday get togethers & as a holiday gift!

MY WALMART HOME - HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE PICKS

Get a head start on your holiday shopping this year by checking out Walmart to find gifts for everyone!

WALMART HOME: FALL TABLESCAPE

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 21:16:30 GMT

*This post is in partnership with Walmart. All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

Oh September, the start of all the festive seasonal decor ! Our dining table gets the most love during the colder months. I love creating cozy, welcoming atmospheres for intimate family gatherings. Walmart Home has everything I need for a Fall tablescape. Whether it's online or in-store, they have staple pieces for the perfect dining experience. This season, I'm partnering up with them to show you how I bring Fall into my home with items from their Fall collection. Walmart has been impressing me so much lately with their variety of home goods pieces at such affordable prices & great shipping.

My goal this year was to keep my seasonal decor minimal with an upscale feeling. Decorating for Fall doesn't always have to consist of bright orange pumpkins! Think warm & cozy, bold & moody.

Dinnerware

Start off with your essentials! Walmart definitely has it. I fell in love with this two-toned dinnerware set from Walmart. It's simple, neutral but still interesting with lots of texture. A set like this is so versatile and makes it easy to mix and match different styles.

Flatware

I thought I'd switch things up with black mirrored flatware ! Typically, I'm a sucker for fancy gold flatware (which I still love) but I was really drawn to the contrast of black with my lighter palette. Bits of high-contrast give off such an elevated feel in my opinion. I love collecting a variety of flatware sets to change the aesthetic of my table settings. I actually own several sets from Walmart - they have so many great options.

Napkins

Here's your chance to introduce textures, patterns, colors! Napkins are so easy to change up & store, so I can be brave when it comes to my selections without feeling married to the decision. For this setting, my goal was to keep things minimal so I used very neutral two-toned fringe napkins . The fringe is just the prettiest little detail and texture!

Glassware

You can't go wrong with keeping your glassware set simple and classic. I always gush over all the pretty glasses with fun designs, but ultimately.. I love classic shaped glasses. They just go with everything!

Add layers

I usually use plate chargers for an extra "added layer of interest" but I wanted to try something different. How pretty is this table runner ? I love the natural jute material! Typically, I don't use runners with my round dining table but I thought it would be fun to have some more layers of texture.

Create a cozy atmosphere

Now that you have the basics, add all the fun stuff! First, let me say I absolutely love incorporating candles wherever I can. In the Summer months, I usually only use white. Once September hits, I incorporate muted colored candles . Try using earthy Fall tones like an olive green or terracotta.

Add height with a centerpiece

I suppose I should mention, having some sort of main centerpiece is a-must. Play around with height by adding in taller or shorter floral arrangements/stems. Since I'm going for simple, I kept my centerpiece on a smaller scale using olive stems in an olive green vase. (Okay, I honestly really just love the cute little vase + it was something I had on hand lol) See how I have different variations of height? Between the tall candle holder to the shorter vase, it keeps your eyes moving and the room flowing.

SHOP MY FALL TABLESCAPE

Make it feel extra Fall-like with a pretty landscape print! I love incorporating colors with art in the background.

Have you started preparing for the Fall season yet? If not, I've listed some of my favorite picks from the Walmart Home section below!

WALMART HOME DINING ROOM PICKS:

MORE WALMART HOME PICKS

Here are some items that I'm really loving right now.

WALMART HOME CITRUS SUMMER

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 01:34:09 GMT

*This post is in partnership with Walmart. All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

So excited to share with you all some of my favorite picks from Walmart Home 's Citrus Summer collection! They have so many pieces that'll help you achieve that vacation-at-home feeling whether in your living room, bedroom or tabletop decor. Th ink tropical color with a mid-century modern twist. Love that! I've created a mood board to help visualize how you can style your living space with some of my top picks!

Arched mirrors, touches of gold, wood tones & that sculptural table.. what's not to love?!

Some more really fun items from Walmart Home:

Check out more pieces from Walmart! They also offer FREE 2-day shipping & returns for purchases over $35.

WALMART HOME SUMMER PICKS

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 22:50:22 GMT

*This post is in partnership with Walmart. All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

Summer is finally here and we couldn't be more excited! This year, we've been working hard on creating a relaxing oasis on our patio. We spend so much time at home with the kids, so we wanted our backyard to feel like an escape. I've chosen my favorite picks from Walmart Home for our outdoor space. Walmart Home has a great variety of all the things! Outdoor pieces, home decor, tabletop accessories & more. Check out my favorite Summer picks - what do you think I'll incorporate on the new patio?!

Are you working on your indoor/outdoor summer looks like I am? Be sure to check out more amazing selections from Walmart Home here !

JOSS & MAIN SUMMER EDIT

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Sun, 16 May 2021 18:26:28 GMT

I love getting my home ready for the upcoming season! So much of it has to do with the colors, textures and accent pieces that I incorporate. Joss & Main's Summer Edit is here – and 7 home trends made the cut, all inspired by the vacations we wish we were taking this year! Expect faded fabrics, cool cutouts, sculptural and woven decor, fluted details, natural wood, lots of fringe and layers of texture. Every piece in the Summer Edit is designed to mix & match effortlessly. And everything ships fast & free!

You can check out JOSS & MAIN'S SUMMER EDIT here.

*This post is in partnership with Joss & Main | Wayfair. All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

Ready to see some of my favorite pieces styled in my living room?

AMANDA HANDMADE FLATWEAVE BEIGE RUG

When the weather starts to warm up, I love brightening my aesthetic while still adding in warmth and texture. I switch out rugs, throw blankets, pillows, decor to freshen things up! This year, I wanted to focus a lot on bringing visual interest by utilizing a ton of texture. I absolutely fell in love with this handmade rug ( Amanda Handmade Flatweave Beige Ru g ) because of the faded colors, the gorgeous distressed design and the beautiful fringe detail. It's the perfect rug to layer on top of another rug without feeling too busy!

It consists of mainly beige, muted blues and peach - which is truly perfect for me. I'm not much of a "pop of color" girl, so I was extremely happy to see the subtleness of colors. Not to mention, I'm so impressed with the quality! It reminds me of a true vintage rug for a fraction of the price.

I honestly had a hard time deciding between the rugs below. They're all really beautiful and very neutral, even the peach one. Just by looking at the photos, I can tell it's extremely muted which I bet looks incredible in person.

SHOP | JOSS & MAIN SUMMER EDIT - RUGS

This rug feels so light & airy! It gives me those hot summer, vacation vibes. Throw in a jute rug underneath for some added delicious looking texture.

One of my favorite design styles is wood + light, warm neutrals. It gives me a sense of calmness and has this spa-like feeling.

GYEONG-HUI THROW

I've been seeing a lot of fringe being featured in the Summer Edit & I'm here for it! It has that vacation-like, relaxed aesthetic. I've incorporated it into several areas of my living space.. such as the fringe on the rug ends, the throw blanket, pillows & even the mirror on the wall!

This throw blanket is the perfect styling piece for any sofa/chair! Yes, even for outdoor use. It's light-weight enough for the season to keep you cool while still giving off a cozy appearance. It has incredible texture & all the perfect shades of neutral. I especially love the striped details and the earthy olive tones mixed in. It's looks so organic with its woven texture.

"This throw is woven from recycled water and beverage bottles that would have made their way into landfills globally. The bottles are collected and recycled to make fibers that are in turn used to create this beautifully Woven Throw."

You can easily pair this throw blanket with so many different styles of pillows. I have it layered with lots of light, textured pillows. However, I've gathered up some of my favorites from the Summer Edit that would look lovely!

SHOP | JOSS & MAIN SUMMER EDIT - THROW BLANKETS & PILLOWS

CHELSEY BEIGE 28.25" SEAGRASS FLOOR VASE

One of the trends I'm really enjoying incorporating are open-weave decor such as this incredible, handwoven, oversized floor vase. I'm in love with the organic shape & airy woven design. It's a versatile piece where you can throw in dried botanicals, faux stems or a faux plant in it! Even though the dimensions are listed right in the title on the product page, I was still surprised at how tall this floor vase is. It's substantial enough to put something really tall in it while still having a dainty look to it.

SHOP | JOSS & MAIN'S SUMMER EDIT - DECOR

Another fun way to utilize the cool cutout trend- the addition of woven lighting! I absolutely love these pieces below. You can bet I'm thinking about where I can put some of these in my home.

SHOP | JOSS & MAIN'S SUMMER EDIT - WOVEN LIGHTING

DAGGETT ACCENT MIRROR

Last but definitely not least. In fact, I think this might be my actual favorite of their Summer Edit collection. This STUNNING mirror boasts layers on layers on layers of textural elements - which include beautiful strands of braided wicker, frayed edges and amazing natural wood. I love having an accent mirror in the room for the summer light to bounce around the room. Although very neutral, this mirror embodies so much interest. It's definitely the kind of mirror that you would see at a beautiful resort on vacation, so why not incorporate it into your home during the season to get that same coastal vibe?

Again, the pieces below were so tough to decide between! I almost chose to incorporate the framed jute wall art, but ultimately decided on the mirror because it would compliment (instead of compete) with my existing gallery wall. How beautiful are all of these pieces from Joss & Main, though?!

SHOP | JOSS & MAIN'S SUMMER EDIT - TEXTURED WALL ACCENTS

I mixed a variety of woven features to my space and balanced it with sculptural pieces.. such as the lighting, vases, furniture and decor on my built-ins. The balance between the modern curves with a lot of the organic, natural materials keep the design from falling flat. The lamp pictured above is a vintage piece, however, I've listed other great sculptural lamps for you guys!

SHOP | JOSS & MAIN'S SUMMER EDIT - SCULPTURAL LIGHTING

I'm absolutely thrilled with my newly styled living room. Although we haven't been able to leave the house much, being home feels like the coziest vacation. It was so easy to achieve this look with all of the amazing pieces from Joss & Main.

Love the Summer Edit ? New Trend Edits drop every season, and every month there are new arrivals.

A D.I.Y. KITCHEN MADE FROM SCRATCH

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Thu, 06 May 2021 06:21:16 GMT

KITCHEN

I can hardly believe it, y'all. In just 2 months time, our home has evolved dramatically by improving just one space. It's probably the most important space in a home to be honest. It gets the most use & is truly the heart of the home! The kitchen.

With how open the kitchen is from the living room, I'm honestly surprised I allowed us to go this long (close to 6 years) with such a poor functioning space. In my mind, I avoided any projects in here because I knew it would end up extra pricey considering all that I imagine my dream kitchen to include. I wanted to start on this huge remodel when I could rip everything out .. but sometimes, it's better to just go. for. it. If I don't start this now, when will I ever? We could totally live in a home through different phases until the final design. That's what we've been doing unintentionally anyway, lol.

Let's refresh our minds with the original kitchen:

My kitchen - 5 years ago. Original cabinets were cream.

I already know what some of you may be thinking: the before didn't look bad! While that might be true, it's only true from a distance. The cabinets were so wonky. There were lots of crooked doors and they were made out of super cheap material. The paint was all chipped up. Nothing was holding up! I've had doors literally falling off the hinges and face frames falling apart. Most of the cabinets were useless because of the awkward size/placement.

Our original plan was to do a bandaid makeover by fixing up the doors with fresh paint & pulls. However, we've done that already once and it just wasn't good enough. I didn't want to waste time repeating that mistake. That was the moment of realization when I decided it would be best to just D.I.Y. a whole kitchen by rebuilding our own face frames & cabinet doors. In my mind, that seemed easier than sanding/painting cabinets.. (hahah who am I kidding)

Another HUGE reason for this kitchen remodel: the poor microwave vent. That thing did not have the greatest suction, which led to oil build up covering the ceilings, walls, cabinets, etc. I was so excited to say goodbye & have a new range hood installed!

These are super throwback photos - when my dining room/pantry didn't have the pretty makeover that it does now. Who was following along when I designed this barn wood door? Haha, I'm so happy to have it gone! It was cute, just not my current style at all.

My past style was definitely "light & bright" which I now look back and feel like it did not have enough personality. It was so trendy before. You know, that all white faux farmhouse look. I really did enjoy it and I'm thankful for that phase of my life because it brought me to where I am now. All white interiors will always be classic but for my home - I crave for warmth, a little moody, unique, dimensional, elevated, a touch of fun but still sophisticated.

THE PROCESS

We started off by taking off the cabinet doors. Remember- we were only going to repaint them lol. After I decided we should just rebuild everything, I sketched up a design which included no upper cabinets. Instead, we'd build a hutch that sits on top of the counter to store all of our everyday dishes/cups.

I sketched up this little design to get an idea of what I wanted. All of the details came in at the last moment but I knew I wanted to create a focal point in the kitchen. That meant reworking the bottom cabinets to be symmetrical on each side of the range. The cabinets above the fridge needed to stay so I thought a hutch on the left side would help with symmetry. Plus, it would provide ample storage space considering we'd be losing most of the upper cabinets.

We first started on the tall counter "breakfast bar" area (as we call it). My fiancé covered the sides with new wood panels & ripped out the face frames to install new ones.

Face frames! All of the wood we've been using are Poplar & plywood (for the inside cabinet doors).

How sweet is my son? He shows so much interest i n all of our house projects!

Our first set of doors! I am so proud of my fiancé's mad skills. It isn't easy getting all the measurements right, especially for inset doors. They have to be super precise otherwise they won't align correctly.

The construction of the doors. The frame is made using a tongue & groove method so there are no screws/nails on either side of the door. All of the sides fit together and the plywood fits into the grooves.

Drilling holes for the hinges. Roman's favorite part because he gets to help dad by vacuuming up all the sawdust!

Install time! My fiancé had to dry fit the doors to make sure they were all perfect before we could move on to sanding/staining them. Look how good they look!! Amazing job babe!

There are a lot of moving parts in a kitchen renovation. We couldn't move onto certain things until finishing other things, such as the sink. We had to replace the sink before finishing the base cabinet and face frames for the bottom cabinets.

How gorgeous is this deep, white sink?! We had a double basin before and it felt so tight. This one is spacious . Bonus points for this sink because you can't even tell when we have dirty dishes in there, haha. We've lived with this sink long enough now for me to confirm that this was 100% a really great purchase! It's incredibly easy to clean (using bar keepers friend).

The pretty brass faucet that I fell in love with! I love the polished look here against the honed marble. Mixing different textures like this makes for a very interesting kitchen.

Another detail that I needed to finalize: the backsplash. I honestly had no idea what I was going to go with until I saw this beautiful black honed marble. I knew it was the one the moment I laid my eyes on it! I'm really drawn to the stacked tile pattern for a more streamlined look. After finalizing this decision, so many other details of the kitchen came rushing to me. Sometimes it just takes that one thing to make it all come together in your head.

We decided the easiest way to remove our old backsplash was to remove the drywall completely. This is a lot less messy and so much faster than removing just the old subway tile. We used an oscillating tool to cut around the tile to remove in large chunks.

Another way we sped this process up: MUSSEL BOUND! This was my first time ever tiling & using this product. It's basically an incredibly strong adhesive. Once the tile is positioned, any pressure on the tile will make it impossible to remove. I absolutely love this stuff! We used the traditional thinset for our subway tiles and it was messy. However, I don't know if I would recommend using this for any tile that has a more difficult pattern/shape since there is no wiggle room to reposition the tile once it's installed. A simple tile/simple pattern works great, though!

My fiancé replacing the rest of the drywall while I finished tiling and grouting. My first tile job ever!

After the backsplash was finished, we started to work on the wood detail that will sit below the soffit. There was no way that we could remove the soffit because of the way our roof sits, so we decided to work with it rather than against it.

After that, we started to build the hutch. We notched out a hole for a cute little niche for my salt/pepper and oil to sit in.

Putting everything into place.

We used thin pieces of wood to frame the niche. I was going to add a shelf but decided to just go simple on it in case I wanted to add taller pieces in there.

For the back of the niche, I wanted to incorporate the marble for it to all tie in together. Using Mussel Bound once more, we attached it to plywood with extra tile.

My attempt at getting a progress shot of my fiancé installing the niche together, but Roman wants to steal the spotlight lol. He's such a cool dude.

For all of the face frames, my fiancé preassembled them so that the joints are all tight & secure.

We used wood glue & brad nailed the face frames into the cabinet bases. This is the part that really makes the kitchen come alive!

I always get ahead of myself, haha. Even though we weren't anywhere near to putting in finishing touches, I had my fiancé install my marble shelves. Sometimes it's nice to see these little additions when you're in the midst of a huge renovation that feels like it's taking forever. A little instant gratification! Just a little motivation to get to the finish line.

I customized these brass gallery rails from Paxton hardware. I love that vintage touch!

We really wanted a fancy spice drawer in our kitchen. We started building the base of it here..

There are 2 shallow drawers for our smaller spice jars, 1 medium drawer & the bottom drawer for large items. We created these with our own handmade wood sliders because it was impossible to find drawer slides of the right length. Pretty awesome that it works so well.

I totally forgot to mention the removal of the microwave vent above the range! One of our main purposes of this kitchen renovation was because of the terrible ventilation system we had. There was so much built up grease because of the poor functioning vent. We ripped that out early on and replaced it with this vent. There was already a duct system hooked up from the previous owners which made it really easy to install the new one!

The range hood cover is made out of plywood & will be plastered over.. but first,

.. a fun little gold detail. This is actually a door kickplate! I love to think outside the box and be creative by using materials in totally different ways.

We covered the base with pine for a more finished look. The control buttons are located at the bottom which is great for easy access!

We covered the hood cover using the Valspar Venetian Plaster. I found this product at Lowes and didn't have them tint it. It was honestly a little troublesome to buy because the employees weren't very knowledgeable on the product. They kept telling me over and over that it wouldn't turn out if I didn't tint it, which made no sense to me lol. I wanted the texture of the plaster which is exactly what I got!

After letting the plaster dry for an hour, I went in and burnished it to give it a polished look. It's really beautiful, you can still see the texture! The burnishing gives almost this marble, polished look.

Let's fast forward now - all of the cabinet doors and face frames are done & have been dry fitted. Since it's pretty cold here in Minnesota, my fiancé set up a tent to contain the dust while he sanded everything.

The worst part of this entire process! Staining. I honestly hate staining wood so much lol. We used the same combination that I've used on several projects in my home which I will list below:

MINWAX STAIN COMBINATION

ON POPLAR WOOD

Sand and apply wood conditioner. Wipe stain on & immediately wipe off. Apply stain one after the other with a dry time of 5-10 minutes in between coats. Wait at least 24 hours to dry before sealing with polycrylic.

*Remember, staining with this mix won't always have the same results on different types of wood. Always do a test spot first!*

1 COAT SIMPLY WHITE
1 COAT GOLDEN OAK
1 COAT WEATHERED OAK

*If you want a deeper wood tone, use 2 coats of Golden Oak.

I came across these fluted pieces which are actually oak pole wraps. They came in huge sections that are 96" long! We cut them into sections to use as the fronts for the cabinet doors. I love the visual interest & texture! We repeated this detail behind the sink as well!

Staining is such hard (& stinky) work. We didn't worry about getting stain on the walls because we needed to paint the whole room anyway.

Ahh! Aren't they so beautiful? Pictured above is me sealing the wood with an ultra flat polycrylic. Notice some of the hardware? This means that we're done with the cabinets!!!

I fell in love with these antique gold latches. They were a great color match for some of the existing pulls that I own (on my living room built-ins and bathroom vanity), so I decided to use knobs by the same company for the kitchen. Repeating little details like this throughout the house really helps the flow of the home.

CEILING PROJECT

I think we can all agree that popcorn ceilings are the worst. They make a room appear so much smaller because of the shadows created by all the texture. It's a huge dust magnet which is impossible to clean. In this case, the built-up grease was never going to come out! Trust me, we have had many failed attempts & it'll be forever stained.

A part of me wasn't mad at it. That just meant that we could finally get rid of that horrible texture! Considering our home was built in 1963, we didn't want to deal with any possible asbestos (and the dusty mess), so we decided the best way to go about this was to cover it with new drywall. It only makes the ceiling a tiny bit shorter which isn't noticeable & it makes the process 100% times easier.

Did you think I would just leave a bare ceiling? It wouldn't be me if I left it plain, lol. This was the perfect opportunity to add in some faux beams for a little architectural detail. Also- don't mind the light. Haha I went back and forth between light fixtures.. this one just wasn't the one. I had imagined it to be a lot bigger but it ended up way too small.

However, here you can see I replaced it with something different. Haha it isn't made by Kraus, by the way. I used the packaging bag that my sink came in to protect my new fixture from dust & paint for the ceiling. Ahhh, this part is so exciting!

We used Pure White by Sherwin Williams in flat for the ceiling & satin for the faux beams.

OUR D.I.Y. FLUTED/BLACK MARBLE ISLAND

Look at that beautiful oversized woven pendant! It's by Studio McGee Threshold. I love how substantial it is.

Now that all the other chaos is finished, it's time to move onto our island. We needed something smaller for our little kitchen because our previous island was too big. I really love round tables but I found it challenging to find the perfect piece. So we took it upon ourselves to just build our own, of course. The fluted panels were perfect as a base! We attached it to a concrete form tube and filled inside with sand bags to give it some weight, which keeps it from tipping over.

For the black marble top, I stole a table top from our family room's coffee table! It's the perfect size & I love that it goes so well with the backsplash. It looks so cohesive & custom. However, the marble used to be polished which wasn't really the vibe I was going for. So we did a crazy experiment & poured vinegar all over it to hone it! It didn't turn out perfect but it still looks so much prettier than it did before.

Next, searching for the right chairs..

.. which we found! A fun little touch was to mix two different chairs together. I went with black wishbone counter stools and gold backless stools. I love having a variety of seating options available. Also, did you notice the minimalist looking sconces on the ceiling? We installed those towards the end of the remodel. They're super simple with a little mixed metal detail! They really tie in the appliances with the brass elements. In the future, I'd love the incorporate brass/stainless steel appliances. I already have my eye on a couple options!

CASE OPENING INTO THE KITCHEN

Roman looks like he's doing a happy dance because we're so close to this kitchen being complete. Honestly, as I'm writing this post, I kind of can't believe we did all of this in 2 months lol. Anyway, we really needed to replace the builder grade trim on the case opening. It's such an important detail because it looks right into the kitchen.

I wanted to add in some aged-looking wood for the door jamb paired with more decorative trim (to match all the wainscoting) on the outside. I love that the wood detail is "introducing" the wood cabinetry in the kitchen.

We used a variety of different trim profiles for a more layered, dimensional effect. All it needs (in this photo) is just paint! We went with the same color as the walls - Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige @ -25%

THE COMPLETED KITCHEN

Notice the matching step stool that we built? It is literally the cutest little addition. Look out for a future blog post on that.

If you guys are wondering where we ended up placing the microwave, it's hiding in the hutch! The right side door opens down, giving the microwave room to open freely. The left side door opens normally, with a drawer the slides out housing the coffee maker. I love this little corner! So functional.

Oooh that flow into each room. I can finally say that I love almost every view in my house.

We added this brass & wood utensil railing in last. It's such a cute little touch, although I do have plans to replace it with a magnetic knife holder. Super excited for that! It's one of the things that my fiancé really wanted.

That sweet framed art (called "Lovers" by BFFPRINTSHOP) is my little reminder of the love that my fiancé & I have for each other. Even through a stressful, overwhelming kitchen remodel. We made it through the other side without killing each other, hahaha.

These spice jars bring me so much joy! This! is exactly what kitchen dreams are made of lol

The beams. The lighting. The mixture of different hardware. The fluted detail. The honed marble. The niche. Ugh everything in this kitchen makes my heart so happy! & to think we did this all on our own. I'm so proud of our hard work!

Views on views on viewsss!!

A really great shot that shows the black toe kick! I didn't mention it above, but I thought painting it black would be a nice, modern touch. It's so beautiful with the wood cabinets. I feel like this detail anchors everything else.

Doesn't this view have a quaint little cafe vibe? If you've made it this far into this blog post, you deserve to be invited over to come see this kitchen in real life.

There are still a few more things that we'd love to change (such as the countertops, the floors and appliances). Still, the transformation is incredible & we're so proud of all our hard work as a family to make this come alive. I hope you all love this space as much as we're enjoying it! Now, what's next?

DIY FLUTED COFFEE TABLE

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 20:23:10 GMT

The fluted coffee table of my dreams - built in just one day! This project was probably one of the simplest and easiest that we've done! I was craving for a little change in my living room but I didn't want to let go of my round marble CB2 coffee table that I love so dearly . The marble top has g orgeous veining & brings so much sophistication to my space. The base of the table is interchangeable - I was u sing was the gold. CB2 sells a few different options (I own the black marble/black base combo as well) but I thought, why not make my own base? & there the idea sparked, a fluted t able!

The light wood tones, the sculptural element with its curves and lines from the fluted detail brings this coffee table to a whole new level of beautiful. I knew it would help set the tone of the design aesthetic that I was transitioning to.

If you're wanting to recreate this table, I suggest looking for a marble top on Facebook marketplace to repurpose. Otherwise, you can build a top out of wood, concrete, or whatever your creative mind can come up with!

DIY FLUTED COFFEE TABLE

MATERIALS:

- ROUGHLY 20 PIECES OF 8' HALF-ROUND MOULDING

- 24" ROUND PANEL

- 2X4

- POLYCRYLIC

- WATERED DOWN NEUTRAL PAINTS FOR FLUTED DETAIL

Starting off with our base materials- I purchased everything at Menards. You may find these at your local hardware stores (Home Depot, Lowes) depending on availability. The half - round trim pieces aren't as readily available at any other stores besides Menards (here in Minnesota at least). You can order them online, however, you risk being sent pieces that might not be straight or have too much grain. I carefully selected pieces that had subtle grain for an overall lighter wood tone look.

First, you'll want to make your base. After figuring out our desired height, we cut 2x4 pieces and attached them to the round panels (using brad nails first just to get the base, then screws for extra durability).

We cut the half-round trim and started to brad nail them into the top and bottom panels. You should probably use wood glue as well, but let's be real, I was a little lazy lol. This goes by pretty quickly.

I'm a visual person. I like to see my work to get reassurance that I've got a solid idea going ! Seeing this little bit installed with the marble top made me feel like this was the right DIY design. So happy already!

Time for paint!! The natural wood of these pine pieces are pretty, but just a little too yellow. I didn't want to go through the mess of staining them, so I decided a watered down paint would work well.

I created a watered down paint mix using the colors above. I played with the color/water ratio until it matched the w ood stain that I have in the rest of my home. I used a "wipe on, wipe off" technique to be able to let the beautiful wood grain show through.

Do you see the different between the left and right side? The left side is where I applied the paint. It neutralizes the yellow tones. After this step, you can fill in the little holes from the nails with a wood putty in a similar shade. I admittedly have only done a few holes & decided to finish the rest whenever I have time (haha 95% club) & I'll seal it with polycrylic as well.

The finished project! I actually did this a few days before Christmas so this was my reveal photo on instagram ( I know I'm extra late to this tutorial, I'm busy okay!! ) If you decide to recreate this table - tag me, friends!

DIY FLUTED CREDENZA

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 08:59:27 GMT

THE VERY MUCH ANTICIPATED BLOG POST.

& I don't blame you guys for being excited about this one. I fall in love eve ry time I look at this master piece! I was so inspired by my DIY fluted coffee table, I knew I had to incorporate that same beautiful detail somewhere else in my home. Originally, I wanted to make a fluted base for the marble dining table but it just seemed too complicating to figure out at the time. Although, I was completely certain that the days of my previous mirrored cabinets were over. They just felt heavy and no longer represent my style, so I sold it on Facebook marketplace & started to visualize a replacement!

My brain was already racking up ideas. We quickly planned a day to venture out to IKEA to grab their Besta TV unit frame for a fun DIY. At this point, I still hadn't worked out every detail but I knew it would eventually come to me. My idea of making the doors have the appearance of 6 drawers came suddenly at the last moment & I absolutely love the outcome!

If I'm being honest, I'll admit I was a little too excited to take down all of the Christmas decor so that I could transform my home again.. especially as a fresh start for the New Year! I've been drawn to all of the beautiful interiors filled with details with geometric, curvy, abstract decor.. some sculptures mixed in, orga nic pieces , light wood tones, etc.

This fluted credenza is the perfect addition that helps me achieve this new aesthetic that I'm aiming for! After it was complete, I didn't have much time to style it for a photo. M y gallery wall surely needed simplifying. I removed some of the more wintery prints and replaced them with textural fabrics that I already had on hand. It was a spur of the moment styling decision but I think they look great & are here to stay !

Okay, let me stop rambling and just show a quick step-by-step explaining how we built this incredible addition!

DIY FLUTED CREDENZA

MATERIALS:

- IKEA BESTA TV UNIT FRAME

- BESTA SOFT CLOSING HINGE

- BESTA SHELVES

- (4) 1X3X8' POPLAR BOARDS

- ROUGHLY 20 PIECES OF 8' HALF-ROUND MOULDING

- HARDBOARD OR PLYWOOD

- MINWAX WOOD STAIN: SIMPLY WHITE, GOLDEN OAK, WEATHERED OAK

- POLYCRYLIC

- WATERED DOWN NEUTRAL PAINTS FOR FLUTED DETAIL

- CHAMPAGNE BRONZE KNOBS

& of course: power tools, screws, wood glue, etc.

*I have not included materials or the process for the black base that the credenza sits on.

Let's begin with the Ikea Besta TV unit . The perfect size & so easy to build off of. This isn't our first time hacking this piece. We actually feel pretty experienced with it at this point! The fact that we know the measurements for custom doors, have the ability to buy the hinges and extra shelves at the same time and we save tim e on building our own frame makes it a no brainer as a starter piece. Also, it's inexpensive which makes it perfect for a D.I.Y. project.

Using Poplar 1x3x8' boards for the door frames & Pine half-round mouldings for the fluted detail.

I purchase the moulding from Menards ( here ) but you may possibly find them at your local hardware stores such as Home Depot or Lowes, depending on your area and availability. They're also available to purchase online, however, I like to see my product in store to make sure they're straight. I'm a lso particular about the wood grain. A lot of them look extremely stripey, so I try to pick pieces that have minimal grain for a lighter wood toned appearance. My fiancé had to drive to a handful of stores looking for the half-round moulding. We sort of bought all the good ones when we built our fluted coffee table, haha.

The difference between these pieces of half-rounds will make a dramatic difference in how the end product looks unless you completely paint over them. I wanted to keep mine pretty natural so I had to be a little picky!

We cut 6 - 25" pieces & 6 - 18 .5 " pieces for the door frame.

Using the Kreg K4 Pocket Hole Jig for the pocket hole screws.

My fiancé made two holes on each end of the 18.5" pieces. These will screw into the 25" pieces.

Here's the plan for the doors. We'll assemble the pieces to have the appearance of 6 drawers but there will actually only be 3 doors! We'll add a piece of hardboard for the back and the fluted trim will be glued onto the back piece.

Using clamps are i mportant/helpful in order to kee p the pieces of wood flush & in place.

Now that the frames are attached together, we glued a piece of hardboard to the backside of the door.

The glue is pretty strong, but we also used brad nails to keep it all together. We also put weights down on the doors (not pictured) while the glue was drying, for extra adhesion.

My fiancé used his router with a flush trim bit to cut the extra hardboard.

Now that we have the basic door frame assembled, it's time to drill holes for the hinges! Since we have built doors for the Besta unit before, we based the measurements off of those ones. We originally got the measurement from the cabinet doors that Ikea sells specifically for this unit.

Vacuuming as we go to minimize the debris.

For the half rounds, we cut pieces to fit the inside spaces of the doors. There is no special measurement here, we had to make tweaks for the length since not all of the spaces were "exact" and we wanted the fluted pieces to have a super tight fit. This minimizes any gaps and prevents us from having to fill in any gaps !

But first! Before we installed the fluted pieces, my daughter & I painted the half rounds. I created a watered down paint mix using the colors above. I played with the color/water ratio until it matched the wood stain on the doors. I used a "wipe on, wipe off" technique to be able to let the beautiful wood grain show through.

Before applying the fluted pieces, we stained the door frame first. That way I didn't have to worry about getting stain on the fluted pieces. The reason I didn't stain everything all together was because I knew it would've been a pain to get in between all of the cracks. This way was much easier.

*Here's the stain combination I used.

Also, did you notice the bottom base frame we made for the credenza to sit on? Here's a rough sketch of the build plan for it. Unfortunately, we cruised through the entire thing and I forgot to take photos! It was a pretty simple boxed frame. It adds height & I love the simplicity of it as opposed to having traditional furniture legs to raise the piece up.

Apply wood glue & install your pieces. We didn't nail them in because I didn't want to go through the trouble of filling any holes. Yes, my loving fiancé is full of cheese lol.

Progress! I love this part of a project.. almost to the finish line and seeing it all come together.

This part. So satisfying & better than I envisioned it! At this point, all of the fluted pieces are installed & my fiancé painted the bottom base black. I love the dramatic contrast of the light wood & black paint. To complete this project, all we needed were knobs! Waiting for them to arrive in the mail felt like a lifetime. I still actually need to seal the wood as well.

The knobs that I decided on! So simple & pretty.

Ta-da! I'm so happy with my choice to go simple with the hardware. The round knobs break up all the lines of the fluted detail and it looks incredible!! So far, this has to be my favorite Ikea Besta hack to date.

Will you be incorporating this fluted detail in your home anytime soon? If so, remember to tag me in your photos because I'd love to see!

STAIN COLOR COMBINATION

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 09:04:01 GMT

MINWAX STAIN COMBINATION

ON POPLAR WOOD

*Remember, staining with this mix won't always have the same results on different types of wood. Always do a test spot first!*

1 COAT SIMPLY WHITE
1 COAT GOLDEN OAK
1 COAT WEATHERED OAK

*If you want a deeper wood tone, use 2 coats of Golden Oak.

SHOP MINWAX STAINS

STAINED PIECES WITH THE ABOVE STAIN COMBINATON

STAIR RAILINGS - DIY BLOGPOST

DINING ROOM CLOSET DOORS - DIY BLOGPOST

PANTRY DOORS - DIY BLOGPOST

DIY AGED BENCH

BUILT-IN CABINET DOORS

FLUTED CREDENZA - Stain combination used on frame. Fluted details are painted with watered down paint. (blogpost coming soon)

IKEA TARVA DRESSER - This dresser is made of Pine*

A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS - 2020 TOUR

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 23:24:36 GMT

SOURCES

I have listed items specifically used for my holiday decor. *Click for direct link to each product*

For all other main sources (furniture pieces, light fixtures, rugs, etc) see the SHOP MY HOME section.

NO LINKS:

BUILT-IN SHELF - SMALL WREATH: DIY
METAL/WOOD MINI TREES & HOUSES: TARGET
CHRISTMAS BANNERS: HOME GOODS
PEARL GARLAND: THRIFTED
STOCKINGS: DIY
WHITE LARGE DEER: 2019 AT HOME
COFFEE TABLE GIFT BOX: HOME GOODS
ORNAMENTS: AT HOME, CB2, HOBBY LOBBY, HOME GOODS, MICHAEL'S, JO'ANN

LIVING ROOM

Welcome to my 2020 holiday home tour! Just like almost everyone else this year, I was extra excited to start decorating for Christmas. To start it all off, I focused on the main living areas.

But first, let's talk about this amazing floral vintage print displayed on the TV. I discovered it on BFFPRINTSHOP 's website and fell in love with it. I love how romantic it looks! Such a perfect piece of art. I transferred it onto a flash drive, plugged it in & used the photo app to display it.

I've toyed around with the idea of a classic red Christmas, but usually chicken out when it comes to color. This year, I decided to just go for it but in the most elegant, traditional but modern way. I still kept things somewhat muted while mixing in pops of red . Best of both worlds!

I incorporated rich reds with roses, velvety ornaments, faux berries (& coming soon, gifts wrapped with burgundy ribbons). I mixed in crystals, beaded garlands with modern, black/white ornaments, matte ornaments and some textural gold ornaments. I found these fun banner s that give my tree a unique little touch!

I couldn't help myself, I had to hang up some stockings. I usually don't care to hang stockings since we never really put anything in them but this year I'm feeling extra festive + it was all for the aesthetics! I love the different fabrics used for each one. I used leftover fabric from my previous projects to make them. The best part? It included no sewing! I attached wooden letters for each member of our household. *The V is for our dog!

Our latest update to our home is this wall! We added wainscoting to frame the gallery wall & installed these beautiful sconces. This is so new that I haven't had a chance to style it yet. I thought about adding a couple swags or ribbon hanging from the light fixtures but we'll see! I kind of like it just simple as it is for now.

I fell in love with the Hearth & Hand wreath from Target. There were a few different spots I could've placed it, however, a bove & center of the sofa was where it felt like it belonged. I switched out the original black ribbon to the burgundy, velvet ribbon to carry on my theme.

Okay, how cute is this wooden nutcracker? I found this gem at Michael's. It's one of those paintable crafting pieces but I love the natural wood look of them. So cute.

BUILT-INS

As for my built-ins, I could hardly take the anticipation to get them styled for the holidays. We built them last February so this was my first year decorating them for Christmas. I was bursting at the seams! I recreated the wreaths in a smaller size to hang from my built-in sconces.

I wanted my shelves to feel festive and classic. A few red accents, greenery, gold and wood decor pieces make the perfect combination! Target came through with the cutest little houses + trees as decor in their dollar spot. I painted some of them gold to bounce off of my other gold accents.

For the little decor pieces, I used ornaments that I found at Walmart. I love that they're smaller items which avoids the look of overwhelming amounts of cluttered decor.

I found free printables online and printed them on canvas paper (I found mine at Michael's). I filled thrifted gold frames with the prints + took out the glass to be able to see the pretty textured paper.

I stacked a few books here and there to bring different heights to each shelf. My goal is to always make everything feel balanced and cohesive, while bouncing the same colors diagonally.

I have tons of thrifted vases! I've painted them on several occasions depending how I want to style them. This vase was originally black for my Halloween styling. I used my favorite Rub 'n Buff in Gold Leaf to give it that antique gold look. I filled them with faux stems that I got from Target & Hobby Lobby.

DINING ROOM

Now let's go over to this special room, the dining room. It has transformed completely because of all the holiday decor. It feels so magical in the evening with the addition of the glowing, crystal draped Christmas tree!

How dramatic and romantic is the garland draped over my large marble mirror? With the details of the crystals, roses, pinecones and ribbon, it's definitely a statement piece every holiday. I switched it up this year with this new garland that I found at Hobby Lobby (last year's was flocked) and I added a pop of red for that wow factor.

I had this fun idea one day to add a wood appliqué ( from Lowe's - painted in Rub 'N Buff Gold Leaf) on top of the mirror for an extra touch of gold. I love the way contrasts with the green and red.

The view of this room in the mirror is just so dreamy.

The gallery wall was completely unexpected. Previously hung there was a large canvas with an abstract, simple piece of artwork. I was painting over it to change up the style of this room like I usually do once in awhile, but it turned out to be a disaster. I improvised and decided a collection of prints in thrifty, antique frames would be perfect for the theme that I was putting together.

Most of these amazing prints are from BFFPRINTSHOP (the same print that is displayed on my TV pictured above*). I selected pieces that would give me a winter wonderland vibe, so that this gallery wall could carry over after the holidays. The floral print is obviously a favorite. I mixed in vintage style prints with a few modern prints, as well as modern frames to keep things balanced.

I decorated the console with a couple of gorgeous deer decor, in an antique gold and velvety green. I added a few houses that I got from Target in a cluster, and filled a cloche with ornaments and pinecones. I added more faux trees in vintage brass vases to play off the other vintage art pieces.

I hadn't planned to do much for a table setting, so I tried my best to use things that I already had on hand. The adorable little wreaths with velvet bows was all that was needed to make this place setting feel festive. As for my centerpiece, I filled this skinny dough bowl that I owned already with faux stems, pinecones and ornaments! I love how simple it is, compared to my previous elaborate tablescapes.

At the last minute, I decided to buy a Christmas tree for the dining room. Target was having a 50% off sale on their trees and the deal was just way too good to pass up! I've stumbled across their Balsam Fir tree year after year and loved the somewhat sparse, natural look. The branch tips are very pretty as well! I purchased the 6.5 ft. which is now sold out, but the 7 ft. one is still in stock.

I had no clue what to do with this tree as for decorations, so I went out shopping to see if I could find something I loved to work off of. Often times, that's how my themes are created. I fell in love with these marbled glass ornaments from Joann's, as well as their simple wood turned ornaments. They advertise them to be paintable, however, I'm always drawn to natural wood.

After seeing the tones and textures coming together, I set my mind on having matte, neutral ornaments. I remembered Arvin Olano recommending on his instagram a beautiful spray paint color by Krylon in the color Khaki so I went on a hunt looking for it. I had my fiancé spray paint clear ornaments. They turned out SO GOOD. I added in a little bit of contrasting, glossy burgundy ornaments and tucked them into the tree to conceal them a bit. Finished it off with a whole lot of crystal garlands & I couldn't be happier with the outcome!

That's all for now! I've still got some things to wrap up (like gifts haha) and possibly add a few more touches to other parts of the home, such as the entryway or bathrooms. I hope you enjoyed this little holiday tour + stay tuned for a special post on my gift wrapping!

SOURCES

for items that I showed above + other great products for the holidays!

A FIRST GLANCE INTO CHRISTMAS

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 07:19:23 GMT

2020 CHRISTMAS

* This is just a little sneak peek into my Christmas decor. There's plenty more to come!*

It's pretty clear this year that a lot of us are itching to pull out all of the Christmas gear! A little extra holiday cheer is completely welcomed early in our household. It takes me so much time preparing everything, so I honestly prefer to get a head start on it.

I've been pushing myself to go out of my comfort zone lately. I'm usually a neutral loving girl. It's my safe place & I know I'll never get tired of it. However, something about a bold, rich color was tugging at my heart. Time to switch things up!

I loved the idea of a classic yet modern, elegant, red Christmas. Here's what I've come up with so far..

ORNAMENTS - Of course, I don't own any red ornaments so I went on a mission looking for the perfect pieces. These deep, burgundy red ornaments caught my eye. I love the velvet with the classic pattern/shape. I found some red dangling crystals to pair them with & I knew some faux red roses would look beautiful with them as well. I found all of the red items from At Home . I won't be able to link the exact ones since it's hard to find them online, sorry friends!

CHRISTMAS TREE - My faux tree is a pre-lit Noble Fir from Anthropologie - Shop Terrain . I fell completely in love with it last year and had to have it. I love the sparse branch style. The tips are very realistic! I've become more particular about my trees as each year passes. This one ticked all of my boxes.

STAR TREE TOPPER - This one is from At Home . I love the size and classic look! It's made out of plastic and doesn't have real mirrored details, but you can't tell + it's safer this way!

TREE COLLAR - Everyone really wants to know where my tree collar is from. I got lucky one day and found it at Target from the Hearth & Hand collection. Mine was a little banged up but it didn't bother me. It isn't noticeable under the tree + I knew I wouldn't be able to find another one anywhere because it sold out very quickly. You may be able to find it at a Target in stores but it doesn't look like they're available for shipping. I'll link other options below!

Updating with this photo showing my new additions to the tree*

TREE RIBBONS - These beautiful ribbons really finished off the look of my tree! I found them after I thought I was done styling my tree. It' s the perfect little detail that I didn't know I needed! Unfortunately, I won't be able to link it, but you might be able to find it at your local Home Goods!

CRYSTALS, GARLANDS, ETC - Another big question: Where are all the crystals and garlands from? They're all from a mix of different stores. You can try your luck at Hobby Lobby, CB2, At Home, Michael's, Home Goods. That's where I found all of mine in previous years. I have so many yet feel like there is never enough, so I try to pick out more whenever I come across them.

All of my other decor have been collected throughout the last few years. I've got an abundance of different Christmas trees, ornaments, crystals, garlands, tree toppers, etc. I buy some items new every year to add onto my collection. I think this is the year that my fiancé will have to build some extra storage somewhere for all of my things, haha. Our storage closet is filled to the top.

DEER - I fell in love with this piece! I bought it last year from At Home and unfortunately, it isn't available anymore.

GIFT WRAP - I haven't fully decided quite yet on my gift wrapping design. The gift boxes in the photos are just props of empty gifts with last year's wrapping. Haha! I know I can't be the only person that has faux presents under their tree as decor. I like to keep it pretty simple with just a solid color wrapping paper and bring interest with different textures of ribbon and picks.

GARLAND - This year, I searched and searched for the perfect garland for my huge dining room mirror. It had to be nice and full with realistic tips. This one is from Hobby Lobby (2 pictured above). I love the mix of eucalyptus in this one! It originally had berries in it, but I cut them off for a more simple look. I added gorgeous crystal garlands and hanging crystal ornaments, with faux roses, pinecones.. and a beautiful, velvet ribbon to complete it.

SHELF DECOR - I finally had the time to style my built-in shelves for Christmas and I'm loving how festive it is! I haven't been able to take any official photos, so here's my little sneak peek. The little wood/metal houses, tiny trees are all from the Target dollar spot. The frames are thrifted and Home Goods filled with free printables that I found online. I filled the shelves with little ornaments as accents! The stems are from Hobby Lobby & Target and the wreath is a fun DIY project that I did inspired by my Hearth & Hand wreath!

2019 CHRISTMAS LOOKBOOK

The design of our home has changed a lot since last year. Our previous vibe was more modern monochromatic with touches of gold and lots of different textures to bring in interest.

SHOP CHRISTMAS

FAUX TREES

TREE COLLARS

ORNAMENTS

DECOR

WREATHS, GARLANDS, STEMS

ELEGANT HALLOWEEN STYLING

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 03:35:14 GMT

SHOP HALLOWEEN DECOR

MINIMAL FALL DECOR

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 06:32:16 GMT

DINING ROOM

When I think Fall, I imagine dried florals and warm, earthy colors with hints of brass. I think cozy and romantic.

September is me & my fiancé's anniversary month, so I love romantic tablescapes. I incorporate lots of candles & roses. I used glass/gold test tubes as a simple and easy way to display the roses.

I love to fill the table with eucalyptus for some added greenery and neutral, white pumpkins. I used white baroque plates that I've had for years and paired it with smoked glass and tortoise shell style plates.

I knew these diamond pressed glassware would be the perfect addition to bring in some Fall vibes. The woven placemats add so much warmth and texture. The napkins are simple but interesting with the little fringe detail. I love how organic these pieces feel, along with the texture of the string wrapped pumpkins. Everything will be linked to shop directly below.

Some years, I fill my home with more pumpkins and fall related decor, but this year I wanted to keep it minimal.

LIVING ROOM

For the living room, I wanted it to feel like Fall without completely screaming it. I used lots of warm-toned, textural elements for interest such as braided knitted throw blankets, vintage-rug style pillows, heavyweight cotton woven/fringe pillows, brass metal lanterns..

I filled the room with more dried florals throughout.

Let's take a moment to admire this beautiful vintage-rug style throw pillow. It's my favorite of all time!

I love to style my built-in shelving with a mixture of faux/dried florals, earth-toned vases, some wood and woven pieces, hints of brass and artwork that have Fall colors in it!

I just discovered Pixabay.com recently and I'm obsessed. It's a website that has copyright-free images/videos that you can download and use for free anywhere. I could search page by page for hours and find so much awesome artwork! Here's one that I love so much: Charles Porter Art

Most of the vases and little decor pieces that I used to style the shelves are thrifted. I usually find so many unique items of different textures and shapes!

SHOP FALL ITEMS

DIY STAIR RAILINGS

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 20:59:04 GMT

Our very first little project when we bought our house 5 years ago was painting our outdated oak stair railings. We were fresh homeowners with very little D.I.Y. experience but we definitely knew how to use a paint brush. I was content with everything painted white until we decided to replace them. After all these years, we finally felt skilled, comfortable and knowledgeable enough to rip them out. We technically didn't know how we were going to do it, but I knew it was something we could figure out by looking at the old layout of the railings. I was so excited to put in an order for the materials!

I did a lot of research looking for the best priced iron balusters. I was happy to be able to find them on Etsy ( here ) for only $2.50 per bar. Looking at local home improvement stores were almost double the price and that adds up quickly! The flat/angled shoes were also from Etsy ( here ) and they even have fun, modern, decorative balusters.

THE PROCESS

Installing wainscoting with part of the old railing still in tact.

The motivation for this project came from our entryway refresh project. I painted the stairs black, added a runner and replaced the flooring with the same LVP that's on the lower level. I quickly realized how badly the railings needed to be done. The board & batten was extremely banged up so that needed to go as well. My new plan was to add wainscoting with a more modern hand rail.

After we demo'd the old railings, we looked at how it was constructed and used the exact same layout to make it easier. We cut & installed the shoe rail, hand rail and newel posts first. There are fastening installation kits that make this a pretty simple process.

We bought the same amount of balusters and kept the dimensions the same as well. These balusters are skinnier than our original wooden ones, so we took the length of the railing and divided it by the amount of balusters that we were using. This gives the center measurement of where each baluster hole should be on the shoe rail. We used a laser level lined up with each hole to mark the holes underneath the top hand rail. We crossed our fingers and drilled the holes, hoping they would line up perfectly!

The real struggle of this entire project was getting the holes for the angled railing to line up. The angles basically threw us off. We eventually figured it out and got it all to line up perfectly. Tip* Use painters tape to make your marks on instead of directly on the wood.

Newel post installation kit - used to connect posts to the floor.
Angled railing with pocket screws to attach the handrail to the newel post. We used dowels to plug the holes, then cut & sanded them smooth.
Newel post installation kit - used to attach the hand rail to the rosette on the wall and the newel post on the other end. This kit comes with plugs.

Roman loved helping is daddy test fit the balusters.

Each iron baluster needed to be cut down to length. They're hollow which makes it super easy. We put the flat shoes on and inserted them into the holes. The flat shoe has a screw set that you tighten to keep everything in place. This process went by so fast! We were test fitting first just to make sure we did everything correctly.. plus we were just so excited to see it all in place, lol. We took it all off after and prepped the wood for stain, using our favorite stain combination of course! We did the final install of the balusters after everything was stained and sealed with poly.

MINWAX STAIN COMBINATION

1 COAT SIMPLY WHITE
2 COATS GOLDEN OAK
1 COAT WEATHERED OAK

THE FINISHED LOOK

The before

Let's take it back to a real throwback photo! This was the entryway when we first moved in (except the railings were oak). We went through many different phases to get us by until we were ready for a remodel. The second photo was beautiful with the white board & batten, railings and faux marble tile but it wasn't practical for such a high traffic area. The stair treads and walls got banged up and the floor was impossible to keep looking pristine.

What a difference! I'm obsessed with how much more warm & inviting it feels when you first walk into the house.

Would you take on a DIY stair railing project like this? As intimidating as it may seem, it wasn't as difficult as I had anticipated. With the proper tools and correct measurements, it was a breeze (for the most part). If you're interested in taking on a DIY like this and have any questions, feel free to reach out! I'm always happy to help.

All materials linked below. Thanks for stopping by!

ROMAN'S ROOM REVEAL

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Sat, 29 Aug 2020 06:37:37 GMT

SHOP ROMAN'S ROOM

CANE HEADBOARD // WOOD BEDFRAME // DUVET COVER // BATMAN PILLOW // WALL SCONCE //

DRESSER // RECTANGLE KNOB / GLASS KNOBS // PLAY KITCHEN // BOOKS //

SUPERHERO PRINTS // DICTIONARY PRINTS //

As a parent, one of the most bittersweet feelings has got to be watching your babies grow up. It's beautiful to see their personalities form, watching them learn, grow confidence and independence.. but sometimes you just wish they could stay little forever. These emotions heighten whenever I'm in the middle of transitioning their bedrooms. I find myself feeling so sad after selling their things that they've grown out of!

We finally decided it was time to let go of my son's toddler-bed & transition him into his big boy twin-sized bed. This simple change initiated an entire bedroom makeover that I actually really enjoyed. I'm all about appreciating every phase that we go through with our kids. Roman is currently obsessed with superheroes right now and it's actually the cutest boy cliche thing ever lol. So I just ran with the theme, in hopes that he'll be more comfortable to be in his own room more independently. He still crawls into my bed every morning, but I'll take every cuddle while I can.

Before - Do you still remember his nursery? His grey vintage style Jenny Lind crib was adorable. He slept in it only a couple times as a newborn, maybe lol. We eventually sold it for this gold toddler bed. Slept in this one more than the crib, but never a full night!

SAFAVIEH - CANE HEADBOARD

It all started with my fiancé telling me one night around midnight, "We should get Roman a bigger bed." Say no more. I immediately searched for beds, not really knowing what style to go with until I came across this beautiful cane headboard. I ordered it right away! If you haven't noticed yet, I'm loving anything with cane right now. I also couldn't be happier with the entire vibe of our dining room with the cane chairs. How many more times can I say cane in this post?

It didn't come with a bed frame. Our original plan was to build one from scratch but I ended up finding this simple wood bed frame from IKEA ( Neiden ) along with the slats, which saved us a ton of time. I didn't want a basic metal one so this was a great option. We tweaked it by cutting off the top section so the headboard could fit with it. We painted the frame along with the headboard so the finish/color would be the same. It was originally a glossy black which I wasn't the look I was shooting for.

PAINT COLOR

Mortar & Pestle - Sherwin Williams

I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and do something different, so I took a chance on this olive green paint color. So happy I did. It's earthy, moody, soothing and perfect for a boy's room.

IKEA TARVA DRESSER

We gave our son's original dresser to our daughter since it was looking a little too feminine for the style of the room. I imagined having a simple wood dresser. Since this entire project was pretty much spontaneous and unplanned for, I decided to save on cost by buying this basic dresser made out of pine from IKEA. I've seen tons of DIYs with it. Someday I may tweak it but for now, I love the simplicity of the light colored stain paired with the knobs.

For the stain we used the same combination as we did for our herringbone wood doors and our stair railings (reveal for that is next!). *Remember, staining with this mix won't always have the same results on different types of wood. Always do a test spot first!*

MINWAX STAIN COMBINATION

1 COAT SIMPLY WHITE
2 COATS GOLDEN OAK
1 COAT WEATHERED OAK

D.I.Y. VINTAGE DICTIONARY SUPERHERO ART

I love incorporating things that my kids love while still making them aesthetically pleasing. These prints were quick, easy and inexpensive to make! I found some free vintage dictionary printables on Pinterest and the superhero digital downloads on etsy. All you have to do is print the dictionary first, followed by the superhero on top. I'll link both printables below!

It only costs $14 for the digital superhero prints. You'll buy it and download them, that way you can print them however you need. I adjusted the saturation of the photos to be more muted before printing them over the dictionary pages. This will give it that cool, vintage look!

COMIC BOOK SHELF

Did you notice the little bookshelf? I was browsing through Target and knew it would be so perfect! Obviously, the ikea play kitchen needed a little updating, too. I've been needing to touch it up anyway because of the normal wear and tear from playing. This was the perfect time + it looks so much better black. I added burlap to the oven door and wooden knobs as an extra little detail. Yes, I need to wipe the mirror. Haha

The missing piece that really completed the room was the bedding. I bought so many duvets but they were all wrong for the room. I thought I wanted shades of brown but every single one ended up being the wrong color and so blah. The olive green duvet brought the wall color to life! This entire room is so dang cute now. I know it's going to be a room that he'll be able to grow with.

SHOP ROMAN'S ROOM

CANE HEADBOARD // WOOD BEDFRAME // DUVET COVER // BATMAN PILLOW // WALL SCONCE //

DRESSER // RECTANGLE KNOB / GLASS KNOBS // PLAY KITCHEN // BOOKS //

SUPERHERO PRINTS // DICTIONARY PRINTS //

CREATING AN INSPIRING WORK SPACE WITH FLEXISPOT

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 07:16:09 GMT

The time is coming where school is starting (or has already for some people!) but this year looks a little different than the rest. Only a couple more weeks and we'll be sending our teen daughter off.. down the hall from her bedroom, into the family playroom, to her brand new desk setup!

This year, we committed our daughter to a full-year home of distance learning. It was not an easy choice that we could take lightly. We literally waited until the very last day to register her because our brains could not wrap around the idea of keeping her home or sending her back to school. There is no right or wrong, but we chose to take the safe route, mainly for the consistency. We didn't want to go through a rollercoaster year of keeping up with what the school districts were planning.

It was a tough decision but it was a million times easier knowing we have the space, time and ability to give her what she needs to be homeschooled! We designated a space in the family playroom for her very own desk setup. We are so lucky to be collaborating with Flexispot to show you this incredibly durable, modern & functional sit-to-stand desk!

FLEXISPOT SIT-TO-STAND DESK

This electric desk is completely height-adjustable with the ease of just two simple buttons that controls up + down. The frame is made of industrial-grade steel which makes it extra durable. I was actually really impressed with the quality when it was being assembled! I have no doubt this desk will last for years to come. The tabletop is large (48"x30"), allowing plenty of space to set up a laptop with extra space to work + for supplies.

*This post has been sponsored by Flexispot. All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

Simple 2-button keypad

My desk is originally the all white frame + top, but obviously.. you all know I had to spin my own magic on it! I love a good D.I.Y. I bought 4 rolls of twine and wrapped the outer legs to give it a cozy feel. I love the simplicity of the leg frame shape already, but I wanted to add a little warmth to the desk to be able to match seamlessly with the room.

I used a hot glue gun once in awhile to make sure the twine didn't budge. This was an extremely easy cosmetic upgrade to the desk! I left the inner part of the legs untouched so the table could still functionally slide up and down.

For the rest of the setup, I decided on an inspiring gallery wall that caters to my daughter's interests. She's a musical, artistic girl. The Mozart statue, Mona Lisa, violin are all pieces that really give off a creative vibe. I hung a couple vintage pieces up of a world map and Old English lettering (both found on either google/pinterest, printed out on canvas paper). I found a weekly planner printable and attached them to the cane frame.

The pretty desk chair is from World Market.

We decided to set this space up in the family playroom as it's the most peaceful section of the home. It's away from the main living areas and the ironic thing is that our toddler son rarely goes in there unless we all do. It's actually perfect! & It'll help avoid having my daughter stuck in her bedroom all day doing work, or being bothered by her brother while she's trying to remain focused. I am so excited to see this desk put into action soon!

I've teamed up with Flexispot to give you all $15 off of any order $150+!

Here's the link: $15 OFF - http://flexispot.refr.cc/withsarale

The desk chair looks to be sold out on World Market but I've listed a couple other beautiful options. Most items for the gallery wall were thrifted or DIY'ed, so sources below are not exact products that I have pictured above. For sources for the rest of the room, click here to see Family Playroom details.

NEW PANTRY DESIGN

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 19:09:58 GMT

SHOP PANTRY

WALLPAPER // OLIVE TREE 1 // OLIVE TREE 2 // PIPE BRACKETS // GOLD RUB 'N BUFF // TALL GLASS JARS // SHORT GLASS JARS // GOLD TUBS // SEAGRASS BASKETS // WOOD DOORS // GOLD PULLS

Since updating my dining room with all new wood doors ( here ) & freshening up the room to match the style of the rest of my home, the inside of the pantry deserved a refresh, too! The original white woven baskets were becoming worn out and coming apart. The baskets were flimsy. The whole pantry interior was lacking compared to the rest of the house! Here's a little before & after to give you an idea of what I started with.

BEFORE & AFTER

In the beginning, the before was simple and of course beautiful as well.. but it's 2020 and I wanted to make things more interesting. Just like how this year has been, lol.

Now, if I could go way back in time.. I would show you what this pantry looked like before it transformed into a functional pantry. It was a useless closet with bifold doors that broke like clockwork. We kept a trash can and random miscellaneous junk in there. It's incredible to see the changes this closet has gone through!

GLASS/PIPE SHELVING & FLORAL WALLPAPER

I wanted to be able to look in and see a flawless, uniquely styled pantry. I didn't want bulky shelves, so I opted for glass instead. I love the glass jars with the glass shelves. It almost looks invisible, with the exception of the snacks against the beautiful floral wallpaper. I incorporated the glass/pipe design only for the top half of the pantry, since that is what you see when looking through the custom doors.

I fell in love with this wallpaper when I first saw it! There was a debate over a different wallpaper on my instagram, but I scrapped that entire pattern when I came across this one. It's the perfect amount of white and black, is extremely detailed yet still a soft, dainty design.

We continued the wallpaper on the side walls and ceiling, as well as wrapping the shelf brackets for the bottom shelves. I wanted the entire thing to be seamless & clean. I used any extra wallpaper to wrap the wood shelves. It turned out so beautiful & it was worth the extra amount of work! It's all in the small details!

The pipe brackets originally came black. I wanted it to feel a little less industrial, so I used Rub 'n Buff in Gold Leaf to give them an aged gold appearance. This was really quick & easy!

STORAGE BASKETS

I found the gold wired baskets while on a Home Goods/Marshall's run. The gold buckets are beverage tubs from Target. The seagrass baskets are from Ikea. One of the most commonly asked questions I've gotten is about where I store canned foods. They're all hidden in the baskets at the bottom! They're pretty big, deep baskets. Any canned, boxed, packaged, extra items are stored down below. We also have plenty of storage in the rest of our kitchen cabinets for other items like rice, flour, sugar, coffee, etc.

The beverage tubs are amazing storage for chips, packaged snacks, bread, etc. My kids easily grab and go out of these! The best part is that I have no doubt that these will last for years to come. I can wipe them clean without a problem. My main focus for this pantry was for it to be most functional for my kids. They're huge snackers especially being home on quarantine mode.

FAUX OLIVE TREE

Another addition that really completes the pantry is this beautiful faux olive tree ( here ). I love pairing natural elements like wood and greenery together! It warms up the space & makes it feel so cozy. The pedestal planter was from Home Goods and I filled the top with moss.

All we have left to do is wire electrical inside the pantry. The addition of lighting will make it look like a fancy boutique. It'll give that wow factor and be really convenient to see everything better. That'll wrap up this entire project!

I am gushing over every single detail and I hope you all love it as much as I do! Thanks for stopping by!

SHOP PANTRY

WALLPAPER // OLIVE TREE 1 // OLIVE TREE 2 // PIPE BRACKETS // GOLD RUB 'N BUFF // TALL GLASS JARS // SHORT GLASS JARS // GOLD TUBS // SEAGRASS BASKETS // WOOD DOORS // GOLD PULLS

DIY WOOD DOORS - BUILD PLANS

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 07:47:48 GMT

Finally, the highly requested build plans for the beautiful herringbone doors that @buildwithboi created for our dining room. I dreamt of having wooden french doors in place of my worn out closet and pantry doors for some time now. With my fiancé's improving woodworking skills, I knew I could design something that he could build. They turned out even better than I envisioned and I'm so thankful for his willingness to execute all of my ideas!

We added glass inserts to one set of doors in order to display the items inside of the pretty pantry.

The perfect stain color, hardware & herringbone detail.

HOW TO: BUILD HERRINGBONE WOOD DOORS

TOOLS YOU WILL NEED:

MITER SAW
TABLE SAW
ROUTER
3/8 RABBETING BIT
ROUTER TABLE
CHAMFER BIT
KREG POCKET HOLE JIG
POCKET SCREWS
DRILL
CHISEL
HAMMER
CLEAR SILICONE
PUSH POINTS

SHOPPING LIST FOR EACH DOOR:

We used poplar. Double up for 2 doors. Adjust materials depending on your needs.*

(3) 1x4x8 WOOD BOARDS - stiles/rails (long side pieces & horizontal pieces)
(15-20) 1/2"x3"x3' WOOD BOARDS - herringbone pieces - you may need more/less depending on how well you cut angles & whether you want to incorporate glass or not
12"x36" GLASS SHEET - found exact size at home depot
1/4" PLYWOOD - size depends on whether you want glass or an all wood door

CUT LIST FOR EACH DOOR:

*Note: depending on your door opening size, you may need to adjust these measurements to fit your home.*

(2) 80 1/4" x 3" BOARD
(3) 11 1/4" x 3 1/2" BOARD
(1) 1/4" PLYWOOD CUT TO 12" x 34 5/16"
(10) 3" x 3' BOARDS

STRIP DOWN PIECES ACCORDINGLY

ATTACH WOOD USING POCKET HOLES

ROUTE INSIDE EDGES W/ RABBETING BIT & A DEPTH OF 1/4"

YOU'LL END UP WITH ROUNDED CORNERS

SQUARE OFF THE CORNERS WITH A CHISEL

CUT & INSERT PLYWOOD ON THE BACKSIDE. ADHERE USING WOOD GLUE

MEASURE & CUT HERRINGBONE PIECES @ 45° ANGLES

ROUTE THE LONG SIDES W/ CHAMFER BIT FOR DEPTH

EXAMPLE OF ROUTED EDGES

ADHERE HERRINGBONE PIECES W/ WOOD GLUE TO THE FRONT PLYWOOD

MINWAX STAIN COMBINATION

Sand doors and apply wood conditioner. Wipe stain on & immediately wipe off. Apply stain one after the other with a dry time of 5-10 minutes in between coats. Wait at least 24 hours to dry before sealing with polycrylic.

1 COAT SIMPLY WHITE
2 COATS GOLDEN OAK
1 COAT WEATHERED OAK

GLASS INSTALLATION

Apply silicone around the edges & insert glass. Position push points a few inches apart, lying flat against the glass. Using a putty knife, gently tap each point firmly into the wood.

SHOP HARDWARE

Add your hinges, hardware & admire all of your hard work!

These doors honestly couldn't be more perfect. It took some trial and error (with the stain color) but it was worth all of the stress! Be sure to sand & stain all doors the same so that the stain color will be consistent. If you were inspired by this and recreate this project, please send me photos! I'd love to see your creations!

FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE LUCKY FINDS

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 00:06:58 GMT

One of the best feelings when updating your home is when you can incorporate pieces that you found for a steal! I always search Facebook marketplace and I have gotten pretty lucky so far. I pretty much look daily just for fun and I usually come across must-have pieces from time to time. The good stuff tends to be further away from the cities (maybe nobody wants to drive out so far?) but being cooped up in the house so much lately, we don't mind a little road trip. Here's a fun little list of my favorite treasures that I've found.

Crystal Drum Chandelier

When I was searching for a new light while updating my bedroom, I knew I wanted a crystal chandelier. I actually found one almost identical on Wayfair for around $500 that I was going to buy but then THIS beauty popped up while searching on FB for only $100 ! At the time, I thought it was the same one as the Wayfair one but after further inspection.. I discovered it to be the Pottery Barn Adeline Crystal Chandelier ( here ) which retails for $1300. I basically got this for free. I honestly couldn't believe my luck. It's the most beautiful light. My fiancé drove 4 hours but I think we can all agree, it was well worth it!

3-Tiered Crystal Chandelier

Clearly, I have a special spot in my heart for crystal light fixtures. The beveled glass looks so beautiful and classic! It can make even a playroom look fancy. This one is sold out online, but I managed to score it for $90 .

Italian Black Marble Table Lamp

This one is one of my favorite finds of all time! I got this black marble lamp for a whopping $5 ! The original owner said she was going to throw it out. All it needed was a new lampshade. This thing is solid marble and extremely heavy! After doing some digging, I discovered that this is a piece from designer T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings and sells for $4,500 online!!! What the what?!?!!? I almost feel bad for buying it for $5. Haha

Antique Brass Marble Side Table

This one was intended to be used for the playroom remodel, but I loved it so much that I wanted it in the main living room. I felt like it belonged there! I scored this baby for $20 !

CB2 Rouka Chair

I've had my eye on this beautiful, velvety chair for awhile. I didn't know I needed it until I redesigned my makeup vanity desk. The gold steel frame is more of a bronze/copper finish. It pairs well with my canopy bed! Anyway, I stumbled upon this chair a couple times on FB Marketplace and I couldn't pass up on it anymore.

Gold Accent Chairs

We took another little road trip for these two. I knew I wanted a couple accent chairs that were simple and modern. The shape of the frame was just what I envisioned for this space. It originally had blue-gray upholstery but I changed it to fit my needs. I scored each of these for $150 each !

There are tons more that I could share, but I'll leave this post specifically for my favorite finds as of today. What are some of your best thrifty finds you've scored? Leave me a message.. I'd love to hear!

SHOP EXACT/SIMILAR ITEMS

MY BOLDEST DESIGN DECISION: DINING ROOM UPDATE

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 07:27:59 GMT

SHOP MY DINING ROOM:

BRASS/MARBLE DINING TABLE // CANE CHAIRS // GOLD CHANDELIER // LOLOI RUG // BRASS/MARBLE MIRROR // CONCRETE LAMP // PETRIFIED WOOD SALT/PEPPER SHAKERS // GOLD PICTURE LIGHT // CURTAINS // CURTAIN RODS // CURTAIN RINGS // GOLD PULLS

Sometimes the best designs come from risky decisions.. it can turn out really bad or really good! I knew I wanted to incorporate more black into my dining room so that my home had more consistency. Remember my dark playroom remodel? It has honestly been a huge waterfall effect after we designed our living room built-ins. It's calming to walk through my home and see the same elements, each room with the same vibe. Lately for me, that has involved lots of black, white, wood, greenery, texture and little touches of gold.

Let's take a look at the original dining room..

It all started with the pantry doors. They look nice from afar, but up close you'll notice that they're sadly chipped in many areas. We needed to retire those quick! We could've just refinished them but I wanted good quality doors to be able to hold up to the kids constantly tearing up the pantry. I designed custom wood herringbone doors for my fiancé to build, that way we won't worry about any chipped paint! I knew that if the doors were wood, the room color would need to be rethought.

I'm not too far off with where I want this room. Hints of black and wood but still not quite the look I'm trying to achieve. I've decided to also retire all the grey tones. Sometimes it takes a couple tries, heck even a handful of times to transition your home into everything you imagined.

I wanted classic, timeless, sophisticated, cozy.

I made a poll on my instagram about which area I should paint black in my dining room. Ceiling or upper walls? Initially, 59% of people voted for me to paint only the upper portion of the walls. Tons of messages rolled in with the same questions! "Won't black make your room smaller? Too dark? Is there any sunlight in that room? That'll make the ceilings appear lower." I posted an inspiration photo and the vote changed to 37%.

I'll admit, I was on the fence between the two for a few days. No matter the vote, I always follow my heart! It's interesting to see which way my followers vote, though.

BLACK HERRINGBONE CEILINGS

BLACK MAGIC - Sherwin Williams flat

Dark ceilings felt right . I played with the idea of the upper walls painted instead, but I kept imagining a black stripe going around the room. I would've also had to paint the ceiling white if I went with with black walls and that just sounded like waaay too much work, haha.

I'm so happy that I chose this route. It elevates the room completely! It's so stunning with the new doors and white walls. Even though it's dark above, the room still feels bright. The feedback from everyone was overwhelmingly positive! Everyone has changed their minds and are loving it as much as I am.

You'll notice the other big change to the room are the dining chairs. I loved my grey/gold chairs, but they felt bulky and didn't give me the look that I wanted. They sure were comfy & durable though! We needed more black and less gold. I found these cane chairs from Target ( shop here ) and fell in love with the modern shape and classic look! I decided to paint them black to really enhance the look.

CORELLA CANE AND WOOD DINING CHAIR BY OPALHOUSE

These sold out immediately after I ordered them! They're back in stock now but may sell out quickly. I'll list other cane chair options in case they do.

Painting Tips:

Remove cushions before painting
Always sand/prime for the best adhesion
Sand between coats for a smooth finish
Use an angled brush on hard to reach areas
Apply paint with a foam roller
Frog tape for the cleanest lines

The chairs play off so well against the ceiling and wood doors! I'm so excited to have a couple friends over (when things feel safe again) to have a little dinner party. The ambience in this room at night with candles lit is so relaxing!

CUSTOM WOOD HERRINGBONE DOORS

These gorgeous doors are a whole other story that I'll have to save for another blog post! I'll have my fiancé give me details so I can write up a tutorial ( stay tuned ). The build of it is pretty simple (ish) but the stain combination was tricky! It took us several times to get it right but it was worth the headache. They're sooooo beautiful!!! I keep encouraging my fiancé to build some more to sell. They're just too good. We installed glass in one set of doors for our pantry. The other set of doors is a closet that we use to store coats (I have too many, because Minnesota).

Minwax Stain Combination:

1 coat Simply White
2 coats Golden Oak
1 coat Weathered Oak

We made these out of Poplar. The best way to achieve this finish is to apply these coats one after the other, making sure not to let each coat dry for too long (maybe 5-10 minutes in between). Wipe on, wipe off immediately.

My next project for this room is the pantry. I'd love to add some cool wallpaper and do something with the shelves. I can't wait to share it!

SHOP MORE CANE CHAIRS

FAQ: DO YOU RECOMMEND THE IKEA VIMLE SOFA?

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 21:45:12 GMT

Each time I post a photo of my sofa, I am faced with the same questions..

"How do you like your Vimle sofa? Is it comfortable? Durable? Which color is the fabric? Do you recommend it?"

Well, honestly .. if I didn't like my sofa, I wouldn't include the name of it whenever I post a photo. I truly only recommend/mention products that I love and use myself! If there's one thing you'll eventually learn about me (or already figured out yourself) is that I don't hold on to things that I don't love. Haha, it's not the best habit but it does bring me a lot of happiness! My style & expectations change with time and I fully believe in making your space reflect you 100%.

+ it's slipcovered. Huge plus if you have kids, want light-colored fabric or just love an extra clean sofa like me.

+ it's modular. You can customize the layout to fit your needs.

+ it's super duper comfy.

+ it's inexpensive compared to other sofas of this size.

The seat cushions on the Vimle are the perfect firmness in my opinion and because of that, they have held its shape throughout the last 2 years of owning it. They have not sunken in one bit. My family of 4 love to sit, lay, sleep on the same spots and you would never be able to tell where. My toddler JUMPS on this thing like a trampoline everyday. At the same time, it's soft enough to be so incredibly comfortable. The back cushions have a softer fill which I love! Once in awhile, I reverse the cushion so that it distributes evenly. This keeps it looking new and full for years to come.

*note- I do believe Ikea is phasing out of the Vimle and replacing it with the Finnala. They are the exact same except the Finnala is only about 1" higher. Not enough to tell a difference in my opinion.

My original cover is the Gunnared Beige , which has a wool-like feel. It's a light beige with subtle grey stitching mixed in. There were several occasions where my son got his little hot-cheeto fingers on the sofa & it was no problem wiping it right out. The cover is extremely fitting to the cushions and frame (sometimes makes it difficult to put them on..if you have long nails like me). I have since updated my Vimle with new custom covers from Comfort Works (pictured above- read post here ) and I am in love with it! The Pure Linen White cover feels fresh, modern and relaxed!

Changing out the slipcovers is as simple as unzipping the cushion covers and separating the velcro (for the chaise/frame). Only the cushion covers are regularly washed since the frame doesn't get touched often, meaning we rarely take apart the entire sofa unless we want to completely change out to a different colored slipcover.

Ikea's Gunnared Beige compared to Comfort Work's Pure Linen White sample

2-seater section with a chaise on both ends

The IKEA Vimle Planner online gives you the ability to play with different layouts. They have a little kiosk in store with this program as well which is what I did. My initial plan was to buy an L shaped sofa, but I chose to add an additional chaise to create a U-shape at the last minute. I'm a lover of symmetry in design, as well as comfort and functionality. The chaise lifts up for some hidden storage inside! With this combination, it is almost 11 ft. in length, making it the perfect size for us. Everyone in the family has ample room to cozy up on.

Cons from other people/reviewers that I've heard is that the assembly is difficult. We have a lot of experience with assembling furniture pieces together so personally, it wasn't terrible. Now, it isn't our favorite thing to do (I'll admit) but it isn't impossible. The only part that gave us trouble that I can recall was getting the sections to attach together. You definitely need two people. We got the hang of it after a couple times.

This sofa has a height of only 32 5/8". Some reviewers dislike that low-profile. I, however, have never felt this as an issue. I usually end up lying down to relax when I really want to get comfortable. I mean, the chaises were made for lounging weren't they?! I personally prefer lower sofas, anyway. They feel modern, cozy and give the illusion of more space!

I also have to note that I'm in love with the chaise because of this amazing DIY waterfall table that my fiancé made. I've seen a similar product specifically for the RH Cloud. It's probably the most used table in my house. Haha

To sum this post up and answer the question simply:

yes, I would 100% recommend

It has been the most family-friendly sofa we have ever owned so far. We have no regrets! The price point is amazing. It's comfortable. Durable. Modular. Functional.

CURRENT RUGS IN MY HOME

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Sat, 30 May 2020 21:51:13 GMT

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive are about the rugs in my home. Shopping for rugs online can be difficult and feels endless! I've been there. Searching for hours. Scrolling through hundreds of pages. Stock photos are rarely accurate. You basically rely on reviews (but most of the time, the lighting in the review photos don't show the true colors either!) & returning a rug that doesn't work out? Too much work. So here are my opinions of the rugs I currently own in my home including photos in natural lighting/different angles.

*Often times, you'll find the same exact rug on several websites under different names.

ABBEVILLE ORIENTAL BEIGE/UNIQUE LOOM CHATEAU COLLECTION

I have this rug as a 9x12 for my living room. I instantly fell in love with it when I saw it in person! It has the perfect variation of beige with taupe brown shades. Grey pairs beautifully with it. There is an inset pattern of charcoal/navy depending on your lighting. At first, I was hesitant on ordering this one because of the "navy" but it's honestly so dark, it really only looks navy when there's a lot of sunlight. We have never experienced any shedding and it is very soft on our feet!

SHOP THIS RUG

LOLOI MILLENIUM/ALEXANDER HOME CHARLOTTE MEDALLION

This one is so gorgeous! It's filled with shades of grey, beige, taupe, black and a blue-grey. I was also hesitant on this one because of the blue tones but it's pretty subtle overall. The blue is mainly borders the rug with a medallion in the middle that is actually stunning. I originally wanted a warmer toned rug, but I think it's perfect after seeing it in my space. My sofa is between a grey-brown. The rug ties all of the grey, wood & concrete together. I love the hints of black detail playing off of the black built-ins and coffee table. This one is also very soft with no shedding!

SHOP THIS RUG

LOLOI LAYLA/GIACINTO ORIENTAL

The popular Loloi Layla rug. Just about every home decor instagrammer owns one in their home. Yes, it's just that good! I own two: a 5x7'6" and 2'3"x3'9". This rug looks different in everyone's home. It has this chameleon effect when you look at it while walking/moving it seems. Some days it looks more olive green, other days it shows more brown. It shows variations of so many neutral tones of olive, brown, cream and hints of pink/red/navy. It's a versatile rug that works well in just about any space. It's also good to note that this is just a printed rug. It appears textured because all of the details but it's just a print of a vintage rug. It has a foam like feel and is durable from my experience.

I originally had this rug in my living room but have since moved it to my dining room. I love switching items around my home to give each space a new feeling.

SHOP THIS RUG

MORE RUGS

I haven't included any bedroom rugs above, only my main living spaces. I'll save the others for another post (I'm actually shopping for a couple new ones). I've listed more rug options that I love below & you can click for direct shopping links to these beautiful rugs.

A SPRING REFRESH FOR OUR SLIPCOVERED SOFA WITH COMFORT WORKS

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Thu, 21 May 2020 23:20:38 GMT

I know what you're thinking.. that white sofa would never last with my kids & dogs! Well, guess what? I have a toddler, a pre-teen & a dog. My toddler is a wild child that loves jumping on the sofa like a trampoline. He's also the biggest snacker (the kid loves his flamin' hot cheetos) and yet, I still would choose a million times to have a light sofa.

The secret? A slipcover.

I have been a lover of slipcovers throughout all the years of owning my home. They've come a long way & fit custom to your sofa! You wouldn't even be able to tell it was a slipcover unless you flipped the cushion to find the zipper.

My sofa is the IKEA Vimle - a modular, slipcovered sofa that can be customized to your desired layout. IKEA only offers 6 different colors (3 dark, 2 beige and a patterned red) which isn't nearly enough options for what I'm trying to achieve. I own the Gunnared Beige but have always wanted that crisp, clean white sofa.

That's when I discovered Comfort Works.

Comfort Works is a company that handmakes custom slipcovers to so many popular branded sofas. If you don't see your brand on their website, they have a process to figure out your measurements & will give you instructions to do so! They offer an impressive amount of colors & fabric choices and they'll send you fabric samples to test out.

If you visit Comfort Work's website, you'll notice they list all of the fabric details & care guide instructions. You can add on a smart option to convert your sofa into a charging station with hidden, built-in USB ports! You'll also find that they don't make slipcovers for just sofas. They make them for dining chairs, ottomans and even arm rest protectors! Genius.

Their new Pure Linen Collection

caught my interest for a spring/summer vibe. I've been adding lots of warm shades to my home, so it was a tough decision whether I should go with the Pure Linen Natural or the Pure Linen White . Because my original sofa covers were beige already, I decided to switch it up and go all white! I've dreamt of having that Restoration Hardware Cloud sofa look without the insane RH price .

The Pure Linen White is a beautiful, soft white shade. Their Madison White in cotton is a more stark white (shown in the first fabric sample photo on the right end).

Installation for the covers are pretty simple.

Our sofa is massive & takes about 30 minutes to take apart everything to change the entire base frame covers. Usually, when we wash our covers (about once a month), we only wash the seat and back cushions.

That takes less than 5 minutes to unzip all of them.

Each cover comes with a helpful tag with a description of where it belongs to.

Here's an installation video to give you an idea of what it looked like..

Here's a fun fact: we actually had to do this twice in one week because the first time we filmed it.. we accidentally filmed it on slow-mo. Haha! Thankful for my super patient, sweet fiancé for reassuring me that it was no problem to (take off the covers, disassemble the sofa, put the original cushions back on and start filming to install the new covers on once more) basically, do it all over again.

The Pure Linen collection is so soft and cozy. It has that beautiful linen texture making it feel extra luxurious. It fits perfectly with the atmosphere of our newly designed living room.

..from beige to bright

I'm already thinking about what type of covers to choose for another sofa that I own. They're just that good. Before we got these covers on, we had just got done remodeling our family playroom ( see here ). I spent most of my days in that room enjoying our labor of love. Now that my sofa feels brand new again, I can't choose which room I spend my time in. I literally haul my things back and forth all day between both rooms haha!

*This post has been sponsored by Comfort Works. All opinions, ideas & content are completely my own.. as I will only recommend products that I truly love & use personally!

WARMING UP OUR FAMILY PLAYROOM WITH A NEW LOOK

Wed, 20 May 2020 20:13:29 GMT

Ever wonder how a room ends up with all of the details and finishes it has? Well, here goes my story..

..from light & bright to dark & cozy

I'll be honest. Usually when people ask me, what's your next project? I have an idea in my mind of what it will be, but it never plays out the way I imagine. There's always an interception of a million projects. This one (which is a pretty big one) was completely unexpected. It was a project that desperately needed to be done but we always looked passed it. Being home for so long opened our eyes that we truly needed this space to be 100% comfortable.

Our family playroom is located on the lower level of our home. We designed it 2 years ago after having a limited amount of toy storage in my toddler's bedroom. Although the room was really beautiful, we didn't find ourselves utilizing it enough because we truly just hated the carpet! We put a rug down to make it a little more tolerable. Yet, still only used the space only a handful of times in the beginning.

An incredibly cute room. We hacked that ikea kitchen & had the ballpit made custom from a really sweet seller on Etsy called whatkidslovethemost . You can click for a direct link to her shop! (& see a bunch of my photos for her ballpit listings)

My fiancé worked so hard on these DIY built-ins . I really love his willingness to create so many crazy ideas I acquire in my head. I mean, that herringbone detail? So good. To think that his skills have improved so much since then, also! It really impresses me. My design eye has definitely evolved over the years as well.. meaning more projects!

Flooring.

We knew that if we wanted to give this room new life to its fullest potential, that meant ripping out that dusty carpet. I sent my fiancé to bring home as many flooring samples as possible. We wanted something durable, waterproof & easy to install, such as Luxury Vinyl Planks .

In the beginning, I wanted to match the flooring to the hardwood floors on the main level. I wanted it to be consistent but finding an exact match was so difficult! It had me thinking, do I really want dark floors anyway? I've been drawn to the light wood-look flooring that is all over Instagram and Pinterest. I came across this gorgeous LVP at Lowe's & knew it was the one. Eventually, we'll have the main level done or do something that's cohesive..but that's for another post!

We used Procore Plus in Warm Honey Oak .

At only $2.38 per sq. ft., this is a great, budget-friendly flooring option. It's 5mm in thickness and feels really durable (we ran furniture across it to test if it would scratch). The color is what we really fell in love with most. We were selective when laying the planks down to make sure it didn't result in that "stripey" floor look and to make sure there weren't two of the same looking knots laid down next to each other. The planks took some getting used to. If removed at the wrong angle, the interlocking system could snap off so we had to be pretty careful when installing them. After finishing all of the more difficult cuts done (in the hallway, around door trims), it went by pretty fast.

Did you think I was going to go through all that work to change the floors, only to do more work

& PAINT EVERYTHING? You're absolutely right, I would.

Thankfully, my fiancé is always supportive.

The new floors just didn't look great with the original color we had painted the built-ins.

My fiancé was going on a Lowe's run to grab whatever items he needed and per usual.. I call him with the classic,

" So I was thinking.. we should paint our built-ins black. Maybe Black Magic by Sherwin Williams ? Oh, and maybe the entire second level Accessible Beige . Probably all the baseboards, too, so we'll need it in two sheens. Can't forget possibly the interior doors all black. Maybe. I'm not really sure, though. I probably want that done. But I don't know. It would look so nice. What do you think?"

Meaning, just buy the paint and supplies. lol

Before putting in the new flooring completely in this area, we taped off the built-ins to get ready to be spray painted. My fiancé uses a Graco Magnum X5 . Prepping the area is the most time consuming part. Spraying the entire thing from start to finish takes probably.. less than 15 minutes. It's a pretty quick process & gives the best finish!

Custom wood/burlap doors.

There's always a domino effect within every. single. project. We realized during this process that we wanted to reconfigure the shelves so that there were less of them and thicker in size (like the one pictured above). With all the black, I had my fiancé build custom wood doors for the console to warm it all up. I had always pictured cane doors, but with covid19 and all the shipping craziness, I decided to go with a more readily available material- burlap .

Still brings a beautiful, textural element & it's so inexpensive! Win .

Wood stain.

The stain we used is our go-to. Minwax Special Walnut followed by Weathered Oak . We tried out various stain combinations but this one paired the best with the flooring & other wood tones in our home.

Brass pulls.

There was no other option in my mind other than to go with long, brass pulls. Something simple with straight lines and modern. I didn't want it to end up looking too farmhouse-y because of the burlap, so this was a nice balance!

I asked him to build two more doors (for the side bookcases) with any extra scrap wood and paint them black. It makes it look so much cleaner & we need the extra storage! He's so proud of those inset doors. They look so good!

The domino effect resulted in me selling a lot of my furniture pieces & searching for new (or used) pieces. Because everything was closed, I had to either find items online & wait for shipping or search Facebook marketplace. I came across these gorgeous accent chairs (left is the seller's photo) that matched incredibly with the gold pulls! We had to drive 1.5 hours for them, but they were worth it and such a good deal! It was nice to get out of the house and go on a little road trip anyway. I ended up reupholstering them with this plush fabric (literally $13 Walmart blanket, what?!) because the fabric stores were a week behind on orders. The original fabric was a blue-toned gray on one chair, and a patterned fabric for another.. which wasn't exactly fitting for this room.

I love how soft & fun this chair feels now!

Window treatments.

Okay, throughout all of the decision making.. back and forth, sleepless nights. The one thing that actually frustrated us were the curtain rods. Haha! We wanted one extra long rod but found it difficult to find anything that fit our needs and style within the timeframe we were working with. Curtains are a huge deal for me. We need the windows covered at all times at night because we're paranoid and like the privacy lol, so they needed to go up asap!

We bought and returned so many items. Finally, I said to my fiancé.. what about using that rod cutter you have? Duh. He forgot about one of those. This all could've been so simple. We used the strongest rods we could find and combined two sets.

Bamboo roman shades were a must for bringing in more warmth. Plus, they pair so nicely with these curtains! I love having the option of pulling these down if there's a glare from the sunlight shining on the TV. I loved them so much that I had my fiancé grab a set of 3 more for our main living room!

If you follow me on instagram, you probably saw that I found this light fixture last minute after my reveal post. Another Facebook marketplace score!

Coffee table.

I was very indecisive about what style this room needed. I literally jumped around between a wood drum table, to a glass/brass table, to a DIY concrete table, a white marble, black marble.. my mind was all over the place.

I found a few pieces on FB marketplace, but after being mislead by the seller multiple times.. I decided to scrap the entire idea of being thrifty & just go for this beautiful black marble table .

We already own the white/gold version, and my fiancé was rooting for this one from the start. So happy we went with this choice. It's a statement piece that grounds the room.

Rug.

To be able to maximize coziness, a rug was forsure a must. I needed a lot of texture & something that would be able to easily clean spills from. This Loloi rug has enough variation, detail and it's super soft!

Shelf styling.

I love a good shelfie but I also believe in functionality!

I carefully chose the items on the shelves when designing this playroom 2 years ago. I used most of the same things on there besides a few plants & small vases. I found items around my home & had my fiancé spray paint them black to give a dimensional feel and new look.

I fell in love with these classic, vintage board game books ! We play Scrabble a lot with our 12 year old daughter. We hope it'll expand her vocabulary and really make her think (it isn't working, she puts down 3 letter words more than half the time haha).

Other items on the shelf: a clear acrylic puzzle that will really challenge your brain! It has 8 corner pieces just for that one rectangular puzzle. Super confusing but I loved putting it together. I thought it would keep me busy during this quarantine, but I couldn't stop working on it until I finished it in the first 2 days.

Chess pieces (for the chess board on the coffee table), Jenga, Connect 4, playing cards, wooden colored pencils, blank paper books, etc.

Of course, the family playroom would not be complete without my babies' framed ultrasound photos.

Concrete.

I made it my mission to incorporate some concrete elements somewhere in this room. I just love the texture and rawness of the material! I had this plant stand that was banged up from being moved around outdoors, so I decided it would look better covered in concrete. It looks so good next to this floor lamp! We covered the bottom in concrete as well to really tie them both in. At the last minute, we thought it would look really cool and artistic to cover the top half of the "paint-dipped" frame with concrete, too. It originally had a beautiful floral print but it just felt too feminine for this room. I could tell my fiancé didn't care for it much. I'm still trying to rework that brass/wood console table. I didn't spend much time on it since it wasn't priority for me. Eventually, I just may have my fiancé build a super minimalistic console table there.

2 year difference. You probably could've never convinced me that I would add so much black paint and wood into my life! Amazing to see our home evolve into what it is now today.

Well, that's a wrap for now. I hope you all enjoyed the condensed version of my entire thought process for creating this remodel!! Thank you for visiting & supporting my passion.

HOW-TO: HAND-PRESSED BOTANICALS

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Wed, 20 May 2020 02:00:08 GMT

This huge gallery wall (used to be even bigger) was originally filled with the sweetest family photos. Life gets busy though, and maintaining updated photos with kids is not an easy task! I decided to put the photos away and create a gallery wall that could stay for awhile.

This is an easy DIY project that literally anyone can do, but looks so beautiful and high-end!

I was always inspired seeing framed botanicals at Restoration Hardware.

YOU WILL NEED:

PICTURE FRAMES
IRON (LOW-DRY SETTING)
PAPER TOWELS
PAPER
HOT GLUE GUN OR CLEAR TAPE
FRESH GREENERY
BACKING PIECES (CARDSTOCK, FABRIC, BE CREATIVE)

I used Ikea Ribba frames in the size 19.75"x19.75"
All of my greenery were found at Trader Joes
I mixed up the background for each row of frames, all from Michael's
Top row: brown cardstock
Second row: burlap
Third row: linen

GATHER YOUR GREENERY

1. SANDWICH YOUR CUT-UP PIECES OF FRESH GREENERY BETWEEN PAPER TOWELS, FOLLOWED BY PAPER

The paper towels will soak up any moisture from the greenery.

2. ON A LOW, DRY HEAT SETTING.. PRESS THE IRON ON THE PAPER

I do this in increments of 30 seconds to a minute, moving around my iron here and there so it doesn't burn too much. Depending on what type of fresh greenery you're using, you may have to do this several times until you flatten and dry it out enough.

3. USE A HOT GLUE GUN OR CLEAR TAPE TO ADHERE YOUR GREENERY TO YOUR BACK PIECE

Be gentle with the greenery, as it may be fragile & crisp from ironing.

4. FRAME!

If you're using a mat, tape the back pieces on the corners to keep them from sliding.

& there you have it! Stunning pieces of framed, hand-pressed botanicals in just a few easy steps!

I hope you all try this simple project and love it as much as I do!

Feel free to send me photos and tag me when you try it out. I love seeing different variations of my ideas!

STAY HOME & DIY: QUARANTINE CRAFTS

saratle@yahoo.com (Sara Le) — Mon, 18 May 2020 22:03:25 GMT

a round up of projects that have kept me busy at home

When life throws you covid19.. you make craft projects at home. Haha! My daughter just said "that's corny but that is exactly what we did with a lot of our time. Before everything shut down and the stay-at-home order took place, I made my last Michael's run and bought everything I could think of to make projects out of even if I didn't quite know what I was creating yet. I bought canvases, watercolor paper, clay, paint, moss, faux florals and so many artsy things for the kids. It was so helpful having these supplies to keep us going. It's really difficult for me to lounge around the house all day with nothing to do.

MOSS BOWLS

These moss bowls were a hit! I created 4 of them to spread throughout my home. I love it paired with this wooden dough bowl. I paired the moss with a faux-stone look bowl & two brass bowls. I used foam that I found around the house and a hot glue gun to adhere the moss, keeping it all together.

ABSTRACT PAINTINGS

I'm including screenshots from my instagram stories of my process (so they may not be the best quality photos).. you'll figure out from my captions that I absolutely had no idea what I was doing. Haha, I was going with the flow.

I took this large canvas that I already owned from another room & painted this landscape piece right over it! I wanted to add more green into my dining room to add some interest & go with the new moss bowls I created! It creates an earthy, natural aesthetic that I really love when paired with lots of modern white and black.

CLAY BEADED GARLANDS

I have always wanted beautiful beaded garlands to drape over items. They're such a versatile decor piece and give off such a calming appearance.

I formed the clay into imperfect spheres and poked skewers for the holes. I let them dry for a day, and used craft paint, layering on several shades of beige/white. I used cotton twine to create the tassels.

Originally, I had painted it black with a twine tassel, but changed my mind and went with a lighter palette. I love the way they turned out!

I made a second one just so that I won't have to move them around the house for styling. I painted that one a deeper brown shade & made the beads twice the size.

CLAY TORSO SCULPTURES

I've caught an interest for sculptures lately. All of the ones that I've liked have been pretty pricey, so I decided to take a shot at carving my own. All I bought was the clay and searched for things I already had at home to shape them. A facial roller was actually the most convenient little tool! I spent a day making these while drinking mimosas.. I wasn't sure if that was going to hurt me or help me, lol but I think they turned out great!

FAUX FLORAL ARRANGEMENT

Usually when I'm home for awhile, I love to have fresh florals to enjoy. I knew the smarter choice was to let that go considering the circumstances, and just replace with faux arrangements for now. There is nothing like the real deal but the maintenance can be a lot, so I don't mind having faux scattered here & there!

WATERCOLOR ROSES

I pulled out some extremely cheap old frames that I bought from Ikea years ago. I saved them knowing something could be done with it. I just started painting & ended up with watercolored roses. I was just practicing at first but turned out to really like it. I used rub 'n buff to give the frame an antique gold effect. I move these frames a lot! They work well as a small filler decor piece.

HOUSE PAINTING

This was a challenging one! Achieving the correct scale took the longest. I knew it was the perfect piece to frame for my entryway.

There are so many more other little projects that I've done in between, as well as the remodels and refreshes. These were some of my favorites though. It has been great for keeping my mental health in check, in between keeping up with everything else at home. I've already seen so many of you inspired by my stories and trying these out for yourself and it brings me so much happiness. Keep them coming!