DIY Art: Upholstery Yardage Charts

A lot of you asked where I got the upholstery yardage charts that I hung <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/04/diy-faux-malachite.html" target="_blank">in my office</a>. It was definitely one of those "make it work" ideas.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 1DSC_0315.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/1DSC_0315.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />Originally I had grand plans of photoshopping out my favorite pieces from the various upholstery charts floating around the web (I posted a few of <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2010/07/upholstery-charts.html" target="_blank">the ones I reference here</a>) and making the lines a bright reddy orange and then taking the files to the printers.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0258.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0258.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />I was inspired by these orange prints from the first season of <a href="http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/whats-hot-top-design#last-slide" target="_blank">Top Design on Bravo</a> (remember that show from back in the day?).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo topnotch_12-lgn.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/topnotch_12-lgn.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo top-design-matt-room1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/top-design-matt-room1.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Well, the long and the short of it is I ran out of time to go with the original plan. So I grabbed an orange artist's marker with a brush tip and a roll of white butcher paper and whipped these three "posters" up in about 30 minutes (I was <i>really</i> out of time and needed art up fast). I <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2010/07/upholstery-charts.html" target="_blank">used these charts</a> for reference and literally held up the paper to my laptop screen to roughly and quickly copy the "yardage chart" title.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0372.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0372.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0291.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0291.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0367.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0367.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />I have plans to go back and redraw them all because I like the concept a lot, but I started to get pretty sloppy with the execution by the third poster (the one with the sofas). Also, most of the pieces I drew were straight from the old upholstery charts which (I realized in the middle of my time crunch) were pretty generic (read: boring). But how cool would it be to do real iconic furniture pieces, or even some of the new pieces currently available online and in stores? I'd happily spend an afternoon sifting through 1st Dibs listings to get an inspiration file going!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: start;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0240.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0240.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The frames are just black IKEA Ribbas with the mats removed. I mounted the butcher paper right on to the chipboard backing using double-stick tape. (That's my signature secret move when custom framing/mating is not in the cards. I actually have come to really like the brown addition from the chipboard. I know that sounds a little cheap and weird but I've found the natural brown adds a surprising color element most of the time? Anyway, it works in a pinch.)</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0351.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0351.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I'm happy with the way these posters look on the dark gray walls. They probably would have been lost on a lighter wall color. Though it's a given that I'll always love orange and gray together.</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0301.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0301.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Info on items in this post (feel free to ask if I missed anything):</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/04/diy-faux-malachite.html" target="_blank">DIY Malachite desk top</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/04/inexpensive-black-lamp-shades.html" target="_blank">DIY black lampshades</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/03/eames-management-chairs-in-scalamandre.html" target="_blank">Leopard Eames chairs</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.target.com/p/threshold-iron-bowl-gold/-/A-14327353#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=gold+bowl" target="_blank">Gold bowl for storing paint decks</a> (I need to buy like four more of these bowls before they sell out, they're my favorite)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.art.com/products/p10229081-sa-i1294377/douglas-david-walker-untitled-d0018.htm?sorig=0?WT.cg_n=Gallery+Search+Redirect&WT.oss=Untitled+D0018&SSK=Untitled+D0018" target="_blank">Colorful abstract</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/03/new-art-in-living-room.html" target="_blank">B&W abstract from lot purchased by this artist</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2011/05/kitchen-rug.html" target="_blank">Persian rug</a> in front of back door</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/01/hanging-guitars.html" target="_blank">Slipper chair</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://shop.freshly-picked.com/collections/mouse-pads/products/gold-mouse-pad" target="_blank">Mouse pads</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.target.com/p/bright-wicker-basket/-/A-14242154#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=bright+wicker+basket" target="_blank">Green woven wastebasket</a></div></div>

DIY Art: Upholstery Yardage Charts

A lot of you asked where I got the upholstery yardage charts that I hung in my office . It was definitely one of those "make it work...

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Chalkboard Markers on Picture Frames

How great is this living room of one of my readers, Linda?<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LShukla_1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/LShukla_1.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>She wrote to me:  "<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">I recently spied my old chalk board markers and randomly decided to draw on the glass of a couple picture frames.  It ended up being super fun and I liked the look (a bit irreverent), so thought I would share with you.  It's so simple and something your girls might enjoy for personalizing existing framed pictures.  And it wipes right off with a damp paper towel."</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LShukla_2.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/LShukla_2.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I love this! It is endlessly exciting for me to see the creative ideas you guys come up with. Sometimes the blog world can feel a little stale and your submissions are like a breath of fresh air in my inbox! :) If you'd like to share one of your ideas, feel free to <a href="mailto:jenny@jennykomenda.com" target="_blank">email me</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And for kicks, here are just a few more photos of Linda's pretty living room. Man, I'm so loving dark wall color, always and forever.</div><center></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LShukla_3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/LShukla_3.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LShukla_4.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/LShukla_4.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LShukla_6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/LShukla_6.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo LShukla_5.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/LShukla_5.jpg" /></div>

Chalkboard Markers on Picture Frames

How great is this living room of one of my readers, Linda? She wrote to me:  " I recently spied my old chalk board markers and randomly...

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A New Leather Source

I've really been wanting a chair in <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/04/new-headboard-for-master-bedroom.html" target="_blank">our small bedroom</a>. I looked around for a while and then remembered <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2010/05/found-my-office-chair.html" target="_blank">the Plycraft chair</a> that I had tucked away into storage. It fit perfectly in the small nook by my closet.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0458.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0458.jpg" /></div><br />But the vinyl on the chair is all ripped up and in bad shape, so obviously it is time for an upholstery job. Because the walls are so dark in here, I thought something a little on the lighter side would be pretty.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo 3DSC_0344copy.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/3DSC_0344copy.jpg" /></div><center></center><br />I started hunting online for a hide of leather in a light shade and I stumbled across <a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/leatherhut/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686" target="_blank">Leather Hut</a> on eBay. They had a ton of great options at really affordable prices. Then I realized their showroom is in Brooklyn! It's open to the trade only and only by appointment, and it did not disappoint. I found <a href="http://instagram.com/p/Xuw3f0wW-E/" target="_blank">two identical hides of navy leather</a> for a client's dining chairs and this half hide in a really lovely pale camel, almost blush. I love the color and the sheen so much!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0492.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0492.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />I think the color will be perfect on the dark rug and against the charcoal walls.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0511.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0511.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I've got some mink oil that will help protect the finish and it will probably darken it a little bit or at least make it look a little more broken in. I'm so excited to pull off the wood shell on this chair and get to all that tufting! :)</div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_0508.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/Album4/DSC_0508.jpg" /></div>

A New Leather Source

I've really been wanting a chair in  our small bedroom . I looked around for a while and then remembered the Plycraft chair that I had ...

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