Cozifying My Ikea Edland Bed

Perhaps you are familiar with the clean-lines of the Ikea Edland canopy bed, a piece that I've had for about two and a half years. For awhile now, though, I've wanted to soften the lines of the bed with a fabric touch.

I hemmed and hawed for awhile about which direction to go in; did I want a canopy? 

A panel hanging at the head of the bed? A set of panels at each corner? 

Talk about being indecisive, or at least I was until Jamie of I Suwanee shared these images:

 

(via I Suwannee)

And, like that, the decision was made; I'd add some panels to the left and right of my pillows.

After rousing endorsements of Gray Line Linen from Jenny and Bryn, I opted for this $9 white linen to complement the existing color scheme in my bedroom.

Over the weekend, my mom was kind enough to help with the sewing and she added a row of buttons to hang the panels to the frame of the Edland. The buttons make it easy to remove the fabric when they need to be dry-cleaned.

So, with that I won't keep you waiting any longer...here was the before:

and the all-important after:

 

 

To create these panels, Mom and I put together two 15" wide linen panels with little more than a straight stitch. The one detail that we added was a row of coordinating buttons at the top of each of the panels, which allows me to easily remove the fabric for dry cleaning down the road. I also chose to add a tie-back to both panels with the fabric I purchased.

I love the cozy touch the linen panels add to the bedroom, while also drawing attention to the tall ceilings.
I still have to add a piece of art above the bed to tie it all together.
What do you think? 

Antiquing with Mom

On Saturday, while nearly everyone obsessed with interior design was anxiously awaiting the newest issue of Lonny, I was out with my mom searching for antiques and some unique secondhand finds in Connecticut's Farmington Valley.

And, in case you thought I would have had a better time reading Lonny, I present this photography evidence to prove the contrary. Man, I spotted some absolutely fabulous items!

Let's start with the items I should have bought:

This empire-style chair was part of a pair and in absolutely perfect condition (though I'd change the upholstery). 

I like the idea of combining a classic, timeless chair like this with more modern pieces. Each chair was $55.

 Don't get angry, but I passed on this gilded chandelier, which was only $248. It was about 3.5' wide and beautiful. 

Ugh, I need a house before I start buying light fixtures...

The same goes for this moravian star fixture, which was $225.

How great would this be in a small space like a powder room?

Anyone need a set of 4 Paul McCobb dining chairs? 

Got $395? That's how cheap they were.

And, why overlook some well-priced pieces, such as this brass and bamboo-shaped bar cart,

 or this collection of eye-catching minerals from India:

 or how about this bobbin-style corner chair, which was $110:

Staffordshire dogs kept popping up in several of the dealer's booths, but if you're not a dog person you can also find yourself a pair of staffordshire cats--who knew?

I loved several more pieces, including rugs and artwork:

While I didn't walk away with any of the pieces I shared today, I did manage to take home a beautiful item that I passed up in October that hadn't yet been sold. Let's hope that some of these pieces will be around when I venture to CT for my next trip.

TGIF, 3/9/12 Edition

Good Friday morning, blog friends!

As you read this, I am enjoying a long weekend with my parents in Connecticut and you better believe Mom and I have a project or two to accomplish while we're together--look for it next week! 

But, before I could leave the week and my apartment behind, I had to snap a few pictures of red springtime accents that brightened this past week for me.

A collection of red tulips in my living room.

Long-lasting, lush carnations add a chipper touch to a bedside table.

This $5 cyclamen plant from Home Depot brings an exotic shape to my dresser top.

The timeless red-and-blue combination carries over from my bedroom to my Jack Spade tote.

I hope that you and yours have a fabulous weekend.

'Til Monday.

Linen Napkin Giveaway Winner!

Last week, I shared a sewing tutorial that covered creating eco-chic cloth napkins that even the most novice sewer could easily tackle. Along with the tutorial, I offered a giveaway for one lucky follower of Meet Me in Philadelphia: a set of 4 linen burlap napkins in a warm mustard made by moi.

Thank you all for entering, but there could only be one winner.

Congrats to Caroline of A Flair for Vintage Decor, who is such a lovely blog friend!

Caroline, I'll email you to arrange shipping these to you.

If you didn't win, be sure to try making your own cloth napkins--I'd love to see your creations if you do.

Thanks again for entering and thanks to Online Fabric Store for providing the fabric for this giveway!

Recreating Robert Motherwell

For my birthday, my Aunt Jan was kind enough to send me a set of 3 vintage framed scenic silhouettes because she knew I'd always had a thing for silhouettes. Isn't she thoughtful? Well, in case she's reading, I hope she doesn't mind that I decided to make a temporary change to this trio!

I was absolutely crazy for the combination of black and gold on the frame, but wanted to have a more modern/abstract look to the art inside and felt that a Robert Motherwell-inspired look was perfect.

Robert Motherwell was an American painter and print maker who came into prominence during the middle of the 20th century during the abstract expressionist movement that included Jackson Pollack, Willem de Koonig, and Lee Krasner, among others. Motherwell's work attempted to communicate the "truths" found in the human unconscious. 

1. "Frontier #6," 1958 by Robert Motherwell

2. "Gesture Paper Painting No. 11.," 1975 by Robert Motherwell

3. "Gesture Paper Painting No. 3," 1975 by Robert Motherwell

4. "Lyric Suite," 1965 by Robert Motherwell

For my Robert Motherwell-inspired project, I needed just a few things...

1. Set of 3 vintage silhouette prints
2. 3" x 5" white cardstock
3. a paintbrush
4. black paint

Want to see how I made 3 Robert Motherwell-inspired paintings with my gifted vintage frames?
Here's how.
Step #1:
I started by removing the brown paper backing on each of the three framed prints, which then required me to remove about 78,000 rusty brads from each frame (good thing for that tetanus booster!).

Step #2:

Next, all three frames and the glass were wiped down and I put them aside to begin painting lots and lots of abstract designs on my 3" x 5" white cardstock sheets with black paint. There was no rhyme or reason to the designs; instead, I held the paintbrush loosely and didn't think too much about the end product.

I painted many extra sheets of cardstock so that I'd have many designs to choose from in the end.

Step #3:
After allowing the paint to dry, I picked out 3 of my favorites for a coveted spot in the frames.
I didn't mess around with those rusty brads again, and instead used masking tape to secure the paintings and backings in place. And, while I didn't show it, the silhouettes are directly behind the cardstock paintings, without any damage!

And that's all it took to make these loose interpretations of Robert Motherwell's abstract expressionist style.

Because I didn't ruin the original silhouette scenes, I can always swap the modern paintings out for them.
What do you think of my Motherwell-inspired trio?

Jazzing Up an Ikea Stave Mirror

Last week, I alluded to several projects that I've been working on, so today begins a week of reveals. Enjoy!

I've owned my "Stave" white mirror from Ikea for about two years and, up until recently, was on the fence about keeping it. It only cost me $50 and because it wasn't a major investment piece, I thought I might trade up for a floor mirror with a bit more oomph for my bedroom.

But, I thought I'd take a cue from one of my recent posts that touched on the subject of affordable-but-"meh" catalog pieces that can easily be transformed with the addition of a decorative detail or paint.
I thought I'd try adding both.

For this project, I used:

1.  an Ikea "Stave" mirror in white

2. two pieces of 8' x 1/2" unfinished rope molding (I bought mine at Home Depot for ~$7)

3. a miter box 

4. glue

5. a coping saw

6. spray paint or latex paint in the color of your choice

Want to see how I customized this bland mirror in a few easy steps? Here's how:
Step #1:
I purchased two 8' long pieces of unfinished wooden rope trim from Home Depot that cost ~$7 a piece.
The trim was narrower than the mirror's frame, and I began by laying it on the frame so that it was centered. It looked great!
Happy with the look, I took my coping saw and cut two pieces for the long and short sides of the mirror.
These were straight cuts.

Step #2:
With two pieces of trim cut for the short and long sides of the mirror frame, I marked where each piece would meet at a mitered corner. Then, I used my coping saw and miter box to cut each piece of trim on the diagonal where I had marked it.  

Step #3:
With two short edges and two long edges mitered, I was ready to run a bead of glue along the flat side of the trim. I pressed the trim to the mirror frame and wipe any excess glue.
While glue is drying, it's also a good idea to fill in the spaces in the mitered corner with wood filler.

Step #4:
With the glue set and the trim secured to the mirror, I began painting with abandon. I didn't tape the trim off because I knew I'd inevitably have to use a razor and Windex to clean up the mirror regardless.
I used paint that I had lying around: "Lamb" by Martha Stewart for Home Depot--a fresh, classic white.

I allowed the paint to dry and scraped away any paint on the mirror's glass.
Now, all cleaned up and transformed, I'm ready to share my jazzed up Stave mirror with the world...

 
I'm totally in love and so happy with the custom feel the addition of $15 worth of trim had on this nondescript-but-affordable mirror.
What do you think?

TGIF, 3/2/12 Edition

Before we officially end my birthday week...yes, I do mean 'week'...I thought I'd share a few photos of it.

On Tuesday (my actual birthday), Adam brought me to Kanella, a restaurant just a short walk from our apartment that specializes in Cypriot food--pretty cool, right? Kanella's chef, Konstantinos Pitsillides, was recently named a 2012 semifinalist for the "Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic" award from The James Beard Foundation. 

What a great birthday dinner it was!

 Adam and I devoured the saganaki, sheftali, lamb chops, and pumpkin-stuffed 'winter ravioli' (which I just had to take a picture of, below):

 And, really, no birthday is complete without a few gifts, am I right?

Family and friends were so kind with their cards and presents...I feel so lucky.

One particular gift, a set of vintage silhouette scenes from my aunt, sparked a project..

Be on the look out for that next week!

I hope you all enjoy a lovely first weekend of March.

Come back next week, when I'll be sharing several projects I've been cooking up around here.

AND

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a set of 4 linen burlap napkins handmade by moi!

The giveaway will end Sunday, March 4 at 11:59PM.

'Til Monday, friends.