Peonies are blooming!

And the happiest season of the year is upon us: the peonies season!
With the rain we got over the couple of days, the peonies bloomed overnight. I made a few arrangements with them, and had on an extra one to offer to a fellow stressed mom across the street!

Now that the tree bloomed, I'm waiting for the bushes. Just keep them coming!

A room fit for a wanderluster

Recently, I got to know my baby's gender: It's a girl!
Growing up I was a tomboy, and never had a tendency for choosing pink, say over blue!
The nursery room is under TLC, as due to some leaking gutter got some water infiltration damage.
I have decided to go with vintage navigation maps and blue and white stripes with details in white and coral.
My inspiration board came from these pictures found on pinterest.

The current state:

A new blank slate for a future baby girl room:

Genevieve

With the replacing of the windows on the 2nd floor "reading room", now being transformed into a playroom, some of the many toys that were housed in our family room have been moved into the new playroom, and a more adult environment has been created.

In the family room, a built in has survived and houses memos, books, and orange color galore!

I love orange color, it reminds of my travel to Thailand, the Buddhist monks robes, the praying beads,...for me is a very soothing color.

I have added some of my souvenirs from several distinct places, such as Mozambique, Ethiopia, England, Costa Rica, South Africa, and Goodwill from just around the corner!

Mr Y has a very good eye for bargains and nice things, as well. He was a darling when he got an antique print with a lady called Genevieve, my late mom's name.

I used the holes that can be found on the sides of the built in to pass through the red and white ribbon I  got a few years ago in Cape Town, added a clock from Target bought for song at Goodwill, and slowly my built in is being nicely dressed with my cooking books, cake stands and magazines.

Stripes and florals: yes, please!

Do you get happy when sometimes decor purchases just fall in together as a well though puzzle?

Well, it was how I felt today when I put the Thibaut stripes wallpaper I had bought a while ago on ebay,  and an amazing Sharon Kessler fabric adquired at my most recent DeBois haul.

The plan:

Wallpaper the lower portion of the dining room walls, and replace my not so fancy paper curtains to some snazzy roman shades.

What do you think? Do you like/mix prints with stripes, either on your fashion or home decor?

Stripes and florals:

Fabric detail:

Hasta la vista, paper curtains!

A "tornado" of changes around the house

 The tornado on Monday may have not passed around Baltimore, but the change-bug was pretty alive and kicking in MY Maison.
I had a room, that Mr. Y and I called: the reading room. Is on the second floor, just out from one of our guest rooms, that soon will become our son's big boy room.
The issue we faced was called Siberia cold temperatures during the winter months. We tried everything:  extra heaters, besides the radiators, curtains, winterized the windows, etc. nothing worked!
The last resource was to change the old single panel windows to the modern comfort.
We can see a bit of the difference between the original windows found in the first floor, and the final work being done by our amazing contractor Bob.
Our plan is to transform it into the kids playroom. Today was raining cats and dogs, and while cleaning it up, I really wish it could be my own playroom: books, a nice cashmere throw and tea!

 OUTSIDE:

INSIDE: 

:

Karl Springer, a great designer and a mirror

One of the many things I have learned when pursuing antiques and valuables is look into the back of the items, the quality of the materials used, and the finishings.
When I came into a junk store and found a mirror heavy as a rock, beautiful lines, parchment, mid-century lines I knew I had hit the thrifty mother load!
I came home, did some internet research, et voilá! I was in the possession  of an original Karl Springer octagonal mirror.
Karl Springer was "THE" designer of royals and celebrities. Those that loved his work include the Duke & Duchess of Windsor, Frank Sinatra, Doris Duke, Jackie & Aristotle Onassis, Joni Mitchell and many others with good taste!
Mr. Y was never found of the mirror, and in a marriage ones needs to choose battles, so I have decided to consign to the amazing Baltimorean mid-century dealer Orions Objects.

My mirror that had a special place in my family room, and some amazing Springer's pieces found and sold at 1stDibs:

Photo credits:   Photos of individual pieces from 1st Dibs.

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Two chairs and an almost tornado

I was welcomed into Baltimore with a tornado alert. Grey skies, wind and rain (this one very welcomed, as my poor neglected garden is fifty shades of brown...).

My first aid kit was to gather some of the chair projects I have on my DIY list.

I got both chairs for $20 at David's. I have a few yards of lovely Kaufman leopard print bought at DeBois, and a lovely green velvet bought at Calico Corner Outlet in Lancaster, PA.

Now my question is the color to paint the chair legs: black or white?

Velvet in the bottom, and leopard print on the top:

The leopard print:

Before & After: The Brutal(ist) change

I have mentioned previously that one my furniture enablers/feeders is the amazing, and fast growing famous, store in Hampden, called David's on the Avenue.
It all started when I rented my tiny apartment, with the best Mount Vernon Place view, I just needed few and small pieces, to receive friends for a drink before going out to the many fantastic restaurants of the area.
At that time I was constantly traveling to Africa, and my roots were pretty loose until my husband, that time still fiancé, and I bought our first house at the Cross Keys Village, and I went from one bedroom to three bedrooms. Fast forward another couple of years and we had seven bedrooms in our hands to fill with more furniture.

When I moved to Roland Park, some furniture was just too small for some spaces, but with a good vision and a coat of paint (I used Gloss White by Rustoleum), and you immediately change that piece!
The original dingy, brown sofa table on the first picture. For a while I had the 2nd photo set up, but the lamps were just too small.
It's located in the landing area of the second floor, between the master bedroom and the nursery.

BEFORE:

MIDWAY:

AFTER:

This brutalist Zodiac mirror is by Original Finesse, a company started in the 60's by two brothers in law. The company was closed in the late 70's. I have two other pieces from them, and is always a piece of conversation as one was bought at David's and the other one through ebay.
You can find two of these mirrors on 1stDibs here.
I paid around $200 for the piece, and I think it was one of the most expensive pieces I got there!

A sunny window shade

One of my "I-wish-I-had-the-mastery" to do list is to learn how to do roman shades. Fast forward six lessons of 3 hours each, a few yards of fabric.. et voila: three roman shades.
Sorry for the picture low quality, as I took it with my cell, but proper pictures will come soon.
The most difficult part was to choose which fabric to use, and with the measures in hand, the fabric was perfect for the three windows: one at the entry hall, one at the second floor landing, and last the one at the third floor landing.
I can't find the before picture for the entry hall, but was a majestic paper curtain.  The remaining windows were naked!


The one at the entry hall:

The one at the second floor landing:

I am currently preparing the roman shade for my son's room, and I promise to do a photo step by step tutorial.
Have a great inspiring and surrounded by nice things week!

Before & After: Art addi(c)tion!

What a simple addition of art, two prints, and a mirror brings so much warmth to a room!
My twin bed guest room is always in change, but is getting closer to my vision.
Both Carol Gigg's prints and mirror were bought at my local Goodwill store for less than $50.
I had the headboards upholstered, and were $300 both (only work), and I got the linen fabric at Calico Corners for $80.
The duvets and covers are from Ikea: $60. Lamps ($19.99 each) were from Home Goods, and the amazing vintage vanity table , $55, was from a local furniture consignment store that has closed for business, and the rug was bought at an auction ($150).

Unfortunately, I don't have photos of the all whole process when I started, but here it is how it looks now:

BEFORE:

 AFTER:

Before & After: A charming little Varanda in the concrete jungle

On my stays in Sao Paulo, I try to fit some time to go to Bello Quilt and get some sewing classes. So far, I have done pillows (12 and counting) a duvet cover for my son's crib.
Currently, I'm working on more pillows and some roman shades. I will try my best to do some photo tutorials.
Cida, the owner and teacher,  is an amazing teacher and friend, and very perfectionist! Her bags, children clothes, quilt covers are just works of art!

My last project was to replace my Ikea outdoor chair covers for something more colorful and interesting!

Here is the result:                        


BEFORE:

 AFTER:

The fabrics are outdoors fabrics that I bought here in Sao Paulo in the garment/fabric district. I still have plenty left, if anyone is interested it costs $25.00/yard.

Before & After: Small Changes

As many of you can attest (the ones with the decor bug, of course), is that there isn't one day that you don't change something around the house.
Well, today I just did it, and how nicer it looks:

The before:

And the after:

Before & After: "Almost perfect" and I am fine with it!

I love evenings... So much, that I have trouble going to bed at night. I prefer staying up reading and spending endless hours on Pinterest. However, due to this last "addiction", my mind is filled with ideas (please read grand ideas, zero-how-I-will-translate-that-to-real-life).
To add to those grand ideas, I have become a fabric hoarder.  Since reading at the fellow Baltimorean blogs design par Deux and Pigtown Design about the "fabric holy grail" that is Debois Textiles.
My furniture hoarding "enabler/feeder" is an amazing store in Hampden filled with great pieces and people David's on the Avenue.

This is an example of one of my most recent adventures into the needles and thread ruthless world...
You mix a great chrome black leather, tarnished with a few cigarette burns:

With 2 yards of Windsor Smith for Kravet, Mandella fabric, and you get:

An awesome, almost perfect bench! 

I must thank Rose from Nifty Needle that with loads of patience and trust on my poor, almost non-existent  sewing skills, lead me through my first upholstery project!

It's not perfect at all, due to being short of fabric I was unable to align the patters, and will not win any Martha Stewart crafty honor badge in a million years.

Beijinhos, MY.