Decorate Your Home Archives - Page 68 of 113

As with fashion, I am always hesitant to spend a lot of time and/or money investing in design trends (chevron walls aside). The new, big thing goes away as quickly as it came into style, and you are left holding a bag of a bunch of acid washed jeans that need to be taken to Goodwill.

I’ve been concerned that my budding obsession with Edison-style filament light bulbs would wind up in that Goodwill bag. Then, I started seeing more and more of them being used in fixtures that show bare bulbs, and I realized that it would be an easy update. Both Lowe’s and Home Depot sell the bulbs now (there are actually two sizes at HD) and they are $6-$8 a pop. There are many more styles and bases available from various online retailers as well.

Restoration Hardware’s Edison bulb collection

Of course, this style of bulb looks great in industrial style fixtures, such as these found at Forma Living.

But what about a more traditional lighting fixture? Could it be enlivened with a filament-style blub? If the fixture has a bare bulb, then I think the answer is yes. Imagine this fixture from Ballard Designs with an Edison bulb.

Or how about this wall sconce from allen + roth at Lowe’s? Wouldn’t it be more interesting if vintage-style bulbs were in this vintage-style fixture?

I think upgrading a fixture or two to an Edison-style filament bulb is a great way to add a little trend to your home.

What’s your take on the Edison bulb? Love it or leave it?

A word of caution on these type of bulbs, though. Although the wattage will be the same as a traditional bulb, the lumens (or light output) will be much lower. I recommend them being used as accent lighting. Don’t expect that one 60-watt Edison bulb is going to produce the same amount of light as a traditional 60-watt bulb – it simply won’t. That being said, the Edison bulbs are supposed to last longer than a traditional bulb.

Nearly one year after I began the process of transforming our master bedroom into a unique and inspired space, I’m happy to {finally} report that the transition is now complete.

If you will remember, my master bedroom used to look like this – plates, toile and all. It was a nice space, but it was safe, unfinished and certainly didn’t scream Lindsay.

The new room is a 180-degree turn from the previous. It may be too bold for some. It may be too busy for others. But for me? It’s just right.

It’s hardly recognizable as the same room, don’t you think? It took what seemed like a million years to complete, but I made each (and sometimes agonizing) decision in a thoughtful manner, making sure that each item placed in the room was one that brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart. Every thing has a purpose.

One of my favorite views is the one of the bed, where I can see the wonderful gallery of photos of my little family. Our family photographer had them printed on metallic paper for me, so they shimmer in the sunlight.

On my side of the bed, you’ll find the mid-century modern bar cart that I defiled updated to use as a nightstand. You’ll also see my bright yellow dresser and more black and white photos of my kiddos. I picked up the silver and black antlers at the Round Top Antique Show. My husband isn’t a fan of them, but I’m a big enough fan for the both of us!

The chevron walls are a surprise shock to some, but we love them just the same. Two of our walls are painted with bold gray chevrons underlined in a thin silver, metallic stripe. The other two walls are just solid gray. I’ve had some readers say to me, “I could never sleep in a room with such busy walls,” but it doesn’t bother us in the slightest. After all, our eyes are closed when we sleep. 😉 Instead, we feel like we are falling to sleep in the pages of a magazine, and that’s a pretty cool feeling.

My husband’s side of the bed features a great typing cart I found at a local antique store. It’s the perfect color, perfect size, and perfect story – the label on the front of it says that it is from the Tiffany Stand Company in Saint Louis, Missouri. So is he. Well, he’s not from the Tiffany Stand Company, but he is from Saint Louis.

He also gets an up close and personal view of my layered, open frame collection. Lucky him!

Of course, I can’t leave out my little thrift store cast-off dresser. It’s proof positive that you CAN turn something ugly into something beautiful.

I installed white bottom up/top down cellular shades in all the windows. They are perfect for the room because we generally only have them cover the middle of the windows for privacy (they are fully raised in the photos), and we get tons of bright sunlight in the room. I added an industrial crank table, yellow chair and a ReStore restored chandelier to create a little sitting space. It’s perfect for having a cup of coffee or tying your shoes.

Next to the sitting area is my leaning mirror and Brutus, the cute white French Bulldog statue I found at one of those stores where you never really find much of anything good. My husband and son delight in dressing him up in silly outfits, and I make a big production of being put off about it. 🙂

I am so happy to share my completed room with you. It is everything I imagined…and more. A bunch of thrift and antique store finds can certainly come together in a modern, eclectic fashion.

I’ll put together a tutorial and source list and post that in a few days. Until then, here’s to me finally getting it finished! (Update: Here’s the list of sources and tutorials.)

Upgrade Your Light Fixtures with One Simple Change

Mastering the Master Bedroom {the Reveal!}