My Favorite Brass Lighting

<center></center><center></center>When it came time to choose a light for our music room, I turned right to Pinterest for some inspiration. I wanted something brass, but brighter and bigger than a sputnik. <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/248823948137875316/" target="_blank">This image from Domaine</a> had the *perfect* fixture.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo viaDomainehome.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda024/viaDomainehome.jpg" /></div><br />I had used a local lighting company, Lucent Lightshop, to make <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/183291619/mid-century-modern-raw-brass-6-light?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">new brass sconces</a> for our fireplace (so the Gossip Girl sconces could move to the guest bath).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_0686.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda018/IMG_0686.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_6019.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda039/IMG_6019.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />They did such a great job on the sconces, I reached out to them about recreating the inspiration light in dimensions that would work for our music room. Lucent totally, totally nailed it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_6237.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/IMG_6237.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_6223.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda039/IMG_6223.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's something so exciting about having something made just for you displayed in your home! It's perfect in the space and I love the brass against the new wall color!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7739.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda039/IMG_7739.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Have you seen any lighting lately that takes your breath away? I'm obsessed with <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/248823948137801120/" target="_blank">this floor lamp</a>!</div>

My Favorite Brass Lighting

When it came time to choose a light for our music room, I turned right to Pinterest for some inspiration. I wanted something brass, but brig...

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DIY: Flokati-Topped Piano Stool

<center></center><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo MR1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda028/MR1.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've always loved the look of a smaller stool rather than a big bench in front of a piano. We keep all of our piano music in <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2014/08/new-frames-and-tiger-chest-in-library.html" target="_blank">the tiger chest</a> in the library, so we didn't really need a bench for storage purposes. I found this antique adjustable height stool on Craigslist for about $40. The size was perfect, it just needed a paint job to better work in our music room.</div><a name="more"></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img alt=" photo ScreenShot2014-09-30at100839PM.png" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda035/ScreenShot2014-09-30at100839PM.png" /><br /><br />I wanted a creamy white color to pop against the black of our piano, so I picked up a can of Rustoleum's Heirloom White spray paint, which is a great warm white. We taped off the crystal feet first and I love how the color turned out.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_5629.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/IMG_5629.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The seat top was a little worse for the wear though and the new paint job seemed to only highlight the imperfections, so I grabbed <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70026822/" target="_blank">a little flokati rug</a> from IKEA, trimmed it down a bit and upholstered the seat top with <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2011/06/best-staple-guns-for-upholstery.html" target="_blank">my trusty staple gun</a>.  It was a quick two-minute job! My favorite type of DIY! :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo MR8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda028/MR8.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I love the tone on tone colors of the stool and the sheepskin together, and the new texture was a welcome addition to the space I think. Plus the sheepskin bumped up the stool's comfort factor by a lot without ruining the height-adjustable factor.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7716.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/IMG_7716.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3519.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/IMG_3519.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo MR9.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda028/MR9.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />Have you seen any cool upholstery projects lately using these flokati rugs? <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/01/reader-diy-mongolian-lamb-stool.html" target="_blank">Here's a round up</a> of some of my favorite projects and images - I think a sheepskin is gorgeous in just about any room! I am working on some changes to the studio right now and there is a little footstool in the space that is begging for a fluffy new top.  :)

DIY: Flokati-Topped Piano Stool

I've always loved the look of a smaller stool rather than a big bench in front of a piano. We keep all of our piano music in the tiger c...

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DIY Guitar Hooks

<center></center>I am a long-time fan of displaying guitars on walls. I think they are such beautiful instruments - so sculptural! It's nice to have them out and handy, too. We play them so much more when we can see them often.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3581.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/IMG_3581.jpg" /></div><br />I've used the standard fare guitar hooks before and had three of them <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/01/hanging-guitars.html" target="_blank">in our brownstone</a>, but I knew I wanted to have at least six hangers in our music room. I could have just bought three or four more hooks, but they always seemed like eyesores and I wanted the guitars to seem like they were sort of floating on the wall.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3416.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/IMG_3416.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><a name="more"></a></div><br />I picked up six unfinished wooden plaques from a craft store for about 50 cents each and six of <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-4-in-x-3-1-2-in-Screw-In-Tool-Hook-01215/202305569?N=5yc1vZc89iZ402" target="_blank">these</a> gray vinyl-coated screw-in utility hooks from Home Depot at less than a dollar each. I measure and marked the center of each plaque, drilled a pilot hole and screwed in the utility hooks by hand.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_5717.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/IMG_5717.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />I laid out the guitars on the ground and figured out the best horizontal spacing for our new guitar hooks, based on the width of the instruments.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3438.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/IMG_3438.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />Then I hung all the hooks on the wall with drywall screws (either two or four screws each, depending on the weight of the guitar) right through the plaque and into the wall, all at the same height.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3509.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/IMG_3509.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo vIMG_3434.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/vIMG_3434.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />Then we painted the plaques and the screws with left over wall paint (Farrow & Ball's Green Blue). I decided to leave the hooks gray because the color was not all that different from the wall and I didn't want any of the paint to rub off on the instruments (some of them are really heavy). This was a last-minute project before the Domino shoot - if I had had more time I might have tried spray the hooks with my critter sprayer or something so they'd all be a uniform color. But we were up against a time crunch and the gray is hardly noticeable in person.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo vIMG_3423.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/vIMG_3423.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3461.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/IMG_3461.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">They are super secure on the wall - we've had no problems with these, unlike the "real" guitar hooks we bought at a music store, which would bust out of the wall all the time, or the prongs would flip over. The vinyl dip gives a great padded grip on the guitar necks, and somehow work on even the skinny necks of the ukelele and the banjo. And of course I love that these hooks pretty much disappear on the wall. DIY wins again!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3442.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/IMG_3442.jpg" /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">PS My sweet mom gave me this beautiful antique Russian silver filigree bowl a few years ago and we use it for holding guitar picks.  :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3487.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda029/IMG_3487.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div>

DIY Guitar Hooks

I am a long-time fan of displaying guitars on walls. I think they are such beautiful instruments - so sculptural! It's nice to have them...

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Changes in the Music Room with Farrow & Ball

<center></center>It sounds like some of you have seen our house spread in the fall issue of <a href="http://www.domino.com/" target="_blank">Domino</a>! Now that the issue is out, I can share some more photos, including one of my favorite spaces - the music room!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo MR9.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda028/MR9.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7716.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/IMG_7716.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />I was lucky enough to get to work with <a href="http://us.farrow-ball.com/" target="_blank">Farrow & Ball</a> on behalf of Domino a couple months ago. They had heard that I was picking a F&B color for my music room (I've already mentioned before that Michael and I had decided against the bright cobalt blue), and they offered to send a color expert over to the house for a <a href="http://us.farrow-ball.com/colour-consultancy/content/fcp-content" target="_blank">color consultation</a>.<br /><a name="more"></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LGN13.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/LGN13.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LGN27.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/LGN27.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LGN49.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/LGN49.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LGN46.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/LGN46.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />It was SO FUN to meet Amber, who works out of Farrow & Ball's Chicago showroom. Not only was she an all around <i>delightful</i> person, she had the most amazing eye for color and so many insightful thoughts to share. We showed her our home and talked about our decor plans and our color preferences. I had been leaning toward a great color called <a href="http://us.farrow-ball.com/green-blue/colours/farrow-ball/fcp-product/100084" target="_blank">Green Blue</a>, and after lots of discussion about lighting and room functionality, Amber and I both agreed the color was the right choice for the music room.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LGN30.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/LGN30.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Amber and I loved that the color was sort of a darker version of the green I had ordered for the library curtains.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LGN53.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/LGN53.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Amber was really drawn to the watercolor abstract I had been planning to hang in the music room and we both thought that the warm, bluey green would compliment the painting really well.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LGN34.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/LGN34.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">She and I gushed about how pretty the green color pairs with oranges and wood tones. Since I had already purchased the orange over-dyed rug, and I knew I would want to hang Michael's guitars on the wall (more info on these purchases/projects in posts to come!), I couldn't wait to get this color on the walls!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo MR2.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda028/MR2.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_6237.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/IMG_6237.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo MR6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda028/MR6.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo MR3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda028/MR3.jpg" /></div><br />My favorite part of my meeting with Amber was when we were wrapping up the consultation and she threw out a suggestion to wallpaper the entry. I had been so focused on other spaces that I hadn't even really been looking at the entry. She and I agreed that the space was begging for a pretty pattern, so we spent some additional time browsing her samples. Heaven, I tell you!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LGN57.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/LGN57.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LGN63.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/LGN63.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LGN65.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/LGN65.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LGN40.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda032/LGN40.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I'll be sharing some photos of the wallpapered entry soon, but you already have a sense of <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2014/06/wallpaper-in-entry.html" target="_blank">what happened in there</a>. :)<br /><br />I am such a huge fan of Farrow & Ball colors and paints - it was a pleasure to get to learn more about <a href="http://us.farrow-ball.com/farrow-and-ball-heritage/content/fcp-content" target="_blank">the company and their beautiful products</a> during this color consultation. I truly couldn't be more happy with how the music room turned out. The color is just what I envisioned - cheerful and soothing all at once. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo MR1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/jkomenda028/MR1.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />A big thanks to the Domino team for letting me be the Farrow & Ball <a href="http://us.farrow-ball.com/colour-consultancy/content/fcp-content" target="_blank">color consultation</a> guinea pig! It was an amazingly helpful service - I'd recommend it for even the most over-confident of decorators. ;)<br /><br /><i>And thank you to <a href="http://langphotographers.com/" target="_blank">Stacie Lang</a> for the photos of my visit with Amber!</i>

Changes in the Music Room with Farrow & Ball

It sounds like some of you have seen our house spread in the fall issue of Domino ! Now that the issue is out, I can share some more photos,...

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Painting Moulding the Same Color as the Walls

<center></center>Thanks again for all your kind words. I'm still working on figuring things out. It's been so helpful to try things outside of my normal routine and to just slow down and be more present. I can't tell you how good it feels to be out of crisis mode for even a little while.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_1367.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2015/IMG_1367.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />The broken arm wasn't the biggest deal, but the cast was a pain and I'm so happy it's off now! You don't keep an elbow casted for all that long or else you can risk losing some range of motion down the road. So I'm taking it slow while the break continues to heal, but hoping to start doing some more projects again soon and get back into that creative zone. I think finishing the glossy top coat in the music room is a good one-arm project to try.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo xIMG_0985-1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2015/xIMG_0985-1.jpg" /></div><br />When I did the primer coat a few weeks ago (which is what you see here still), I debated what color to paint the moulding on the walls. I think if I had left the baseboards and the chair rails white, the look would have been a little choppy and maybe too traditional looking, which might feel weird with such a bold color.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_1372.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2015/IMG_1372.jpg" /><br /><a name="more"></a></div><br />I think it looks really modern when everything, floor to ceiling, is painted the same color and the same finish. It makes the light play on the moulding lines in such a pretty way, and the full color wash is so much less jarring than stops and starts of different colors.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo KWIDHue_22July09_Page_064-smcopy.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2015/KWIDHue_22July09_Page_064-smcopy.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Kelly Wearstler's HUE</i></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 89509111314648828_9sjzWU0k_f.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2015/89509111314648828_9sjzWU0k_f.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Nick Olsen in House Beautiful</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo b0a35feb916664ead934c8947e1dddd8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2015/b0a35feb916664ead934c8947e1dddd8.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Anthropologie</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo ades6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2015/ades6.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 6thomfiliciabluelibrary.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2015/6thomfiliciabluelibrary.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Thom Felicia</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 10AerinLauderhamptons.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2015/10AerinLauderhamptons.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Aerin Lauder in House and Garden</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo AtlantaHomesampLifestyles.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2015/AtlantaHomesampLifestyles.jpg" /><br /><i>Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo ce8c93ba9357513d11fac1587fcopy.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2015/ce8c93ba9357513d11fac1587fcopy.jpg" /></div><br />It's a pretty look, right? I'm almost tempted to add more paneling to the blue room before putting the top coat on! I'm especially drawn the the Kelly Wearstler photo (the top example in green). I <i>love</i> the dimension of the panels! It's so much more interesting than strips of moulding.

Painting Moulding the Same Color as the Walls

Thanks again for all your kind words. I'm still working on figuring things out. It's been so helpful to try things outside of my nor...

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