Post Card Painting

I just saw the neatest idea for art today. I bought the December'08/January '09 issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion. There was a story on the owner of Joan's on Third in Los Angeles. The story includes a tour of her beautiful LA loft.

As my eyes feasted on the beautiful photos of the monochromatic back drop of her home, embellished with whimsy and bright touches of color, I immediately saw the painting on her bedroom wall. You can CLICK HERE to read the entire story on ME's mag website.

The painting above her bed is a postcard. I was hoping to find information on the artist or where they are available, but there is a footnote regarding the painting that Joan found the painting in a Santa Monica restaurant and kept bugging the owner about it until they let her buy it.

Isn't it clever? What an idea. I might just have to buy a canvas and make one of these. Wouldn't they make a great gift for someone far away. You could paint it just as you would have written them a postcard.

I love it!

Be Inspired. -Karol :0)

Curtains & Hugs

I realized something last week. I am living in a rental home. At the beach. Totally out of my element. For over a year I have tried to combine this beach cottage type home with my country/cottage decor. The floors are all ceramic tile in the downstairs living space. I do not like it, but I can't change it. All the windows downstairs in this area are actually double doors that lead out to the wrap around porch. I have not added curtains in any of the rooms. I love curtains and I finally bought some for the living room area last week.

I realized curtains are like hugs. Curtains just make a room feel so cozy. Curtains warm up a room. I have never lived in a home without curtains. Now that I have added them in the living room it feels warmer when I am in that room. I will feel even better when I add a cozy room size rug to the living room. That will be next.

I balanced out the room by adding a set to the doors at the front entrance. -Don't mind the pink chairs. Slip covers are on my to do list. Soon!

I am thinking of adding a "mistreatment" (as my fave blogger Nester calls it) of plaid at the top of the curtains. Just to add a little more substance to them. I will share pics when I do so.

Be Inspired! ~Karol :0)

Kitchen Hutch

I bought an old white hutch at the auction several years ago. As I have explained before, I was planning on opening a gifts and antiques shop where I used to live and I thought this hutch would make a great display piece. I also figured I would use it personally, too. As it was being moved from our driveway to my storage room down the street from where we lived at the time, the glass (hand poured glass I might add) broke in one of the doors. I was so sad. All this time it has been in storage and one door had no glass.

As I have been emptying out my storage rooms I finally moved the hutch to my home a few weeks ago and placed it in my kitchen. I bought some chicken wire and replaced the glass with chicken wire. I am quite pleased with the result. I think it goes well with the coastal cottage look I am transitioning to.

Below are two pictures of before and after.

Be Inspired! -Karol :0)