Project: Letterpressed Calling Cards

We recently letterpressed some calling cards for our good friend Mara.

This was my first foray into the world of letterpressery and it was a ton of fun. Partly because it's a very straightforward process (that honestly anyone could do, with access to the proper equipment and materials), but also because I simply get a lot of satisfaction out of making things.

We'll be printing out another project in a couple of weeks; this time I'll be sure to get some pictures of the printing process itself for your perusal.

DIY Tufted Burlap Headboard

As I mentioned before, I've been pining for a headboard for a while now. However, we have a space issue (not a lot of depth to play with in our bedroom) so many of the store-bought options wouldn't fit, as they are often 3-5" thick and come with legs, which would push the bed out quite a bit. After a little research and a sudden spark of inspiration, I decided we should make one and mount it directly to the wall. I am happy to report that over the course of a weekend, we tackled this little project and we are now the proud owners of a tufted headboard! It has changed the look and feel of our room dramatically. We're thrilled with the result!

I'm also so proud to announce that Apartment Therapy featured our project – what an honor! Thank you, Janel!

Here's a play-by-play....

This is what our bedroom looked like when we moved in:

Here's what it looked like recently, when we were planning out the headboard sitch:

We considered creating a fun, more decorative shape for the headboard, but decided to go with a simple rectangle for our first attempt at self-upholstery. We figured tufting would add an element of complexity, so we just stuck with that.

We had local cabinetmaker Roman Kolbusz (rkcustomfurniture{at}yahoo{dot}com) cut a piece of mdf down to size for us. This is something we would have done ourselves, if we had the means to get a big piece of material home without a vehicle (even a $60 cab ride wouldn't have helped in this situation!) and space for a skill saw and sawhorses in order to cut said material into a 54"x30" rectangle (can you believe that local Home Depots do not cut material down?! Talk about missed opportunity - they could make a killing!) I digress.....

Roman was kind enough to put cleats on the back of the board, which would make hanging the headboard later a cinch:

We marked where the buttons would go and pre-drilled holes:

We originally thought we would spruce up the room with a patterned fabric, and while the options were endless at the various shops in the garment district, none of them screamed, "this is it!" until we happened on rolls of burlap at Mood Fabrics for $4 a yard. BINGO! Our bedroom already had a beachy feel to it, and burlap would be a fun and affordable alternative to a more traditional fabric headboard. Because the fabric was so well-priced, we were able to spend a little more on the rope-covered buttons for tufting, which as also found at Mood - we got nine for $4 each.

We bought 2" thick foam and two yards of quilt batting from Daytona Trimming. We took the foam and mdf up to our building's shared roof deck in order to spray mount the foam to the board without inhaling intense fumes and/or making our entire apartment a sticky mess:

Nice day!

Then we carted the materials back downstairs to our apartment and pulled the batting over the foam and staple-gunned it on:

After the quilt batting was secured, we stapled on a piece of heavy-starched cotton lining to prevent the batting from poking through the open weaves of the burlap.

Then, it was burlap time!

The tufted buttons were definitely the most time-consuming and labor-intensive part of the project. Our needle was a bit too short to fit through the mdf, two inches of foam and three layers of stuff, so Oliver had to get all MacGuyver on it and coax the needle through with a nail. Well done!

We used four pieces of upholstery thread, pulled the buttons as tight as we could and secured them to the back of the board by tying them around finish nails.

Our last step was to mount that bad boy to the wall.....et VOILA! The final product:

And the room with a little styling:

We got indispensable directions from a few other DIY-ers in the blogosphere, and we thank them for posting such thorough how-tos!

Charissa gave readers explicit instructions on Apartment Therapy

Grace on Design*Sponge did an outstanding video tutorial

Kate from Centsational Girl also made an elegant headboard for her daughter's room with outstanding instructions. Thanks, ladies!

Oliver's Paintings at From the Source

Oliver was recently asked to display eight of his paintings in the Chelsea outpost of a fantastic furniture showroom, From the Source. All paintings are for sale through the showroom. Send any inquiries to: customerservice{at}fromthesourceny{dot}com.

This is Oliver's first professional showing - a very exciting endeavor, indeed! The paintings work particularly well with the natural wood offerings of the showroom. A special thanks to Kristin and Chris for making this happen.

Photo courtesy From the Source, ICFF Booth

Based in Indonesia and Brooklyn, NY, From the Source is a leader in sustainable furniture hewn from reclaimed, vintage, salvaged and plantation-grown hardwoods. They offer a line of ready-made furniture and accessories as well as custom pieces, created from stocked elements in their Greenpoint, Brooklyn studio. The price points are outstanding – especially for a New York shop – and the quality is unbeatable. With a friendly, knowledgeable staff, this is definitely a store - and studio - worth checking out.

From the Source is located at 104 West 17th Street, on the corner of 6th Avenue. The closest trains are the F/L/V at 14th Street and the 1 at 18th Street.

To see more of Oliver's art, check out his website: The Vermilion Laboratory

The fourth!

I could hardly pass up the opportunity to post some beautiful red white and blue images in honor of July 4th. Enjoy!

Image courtest Living, Etc.

Image courtesy House to Home

Image courtesy Smitten Kitchen

Interior by Jeffrey Bilhuber

Image Unknown

Image courtesy Amy Atlas

Image Unknown

Via Martha Stewart

Via Serena and Lily

Image Unknown

Via Etsy

Letterpress invitations designed by Elizabeth and David Mandel, via Bella Figura

Major glam by Luis Monteiro

Have a wonderful holiday!

Happy 33rd Birthday to Oliver!

Oliver's birthday, circa 2000

Today marks Oliver's 12,045th day on this earth, and let me tell you, I am glad he's here! From the moment I met him, I knew there was something special about Oliver. Boy was I right! I've spent the last eight years learning more and more about what makes this very unique human being tick, and something tells me the learning will never stop. Oliver is a treasure trove of contradictions, illuminations, new ideas, hidden talents, creativity and curiosity. To be with him is to learn something new every minute of the day, and I look forward to a lifetime of learning by his side.

Oliver, July 1984

Oliver doesn't ask for much on his birthday. In fact, he pretty much only asks for one thing: no nagging. I think you just got a little glimpse into our relationship. So, each year on the 26th of June, I muster all of my strength to leave the poor boy alone and give him a nag-free day. Not to worry, I always make up for it on June 27th!

Apparently, the stylin' jacket above was part of a matching faux denim suit. Pretty SWEET.

So, on his 33rd birthday, he can look forward to a sunny, nag-free day that will end with a delicious baked good.

Is Small the New Big?

That's the big question posed in the July/August issue of House Beautiful. Some people just can't get excited about small (people with space), and I can understand that. But there is a home featured in the issue that everyone can get behind because it is nothing short of FABULOUS.

Interior designer David Kaihoi, his wife Monique, and their little girl, Mirabelle, share a 390 square foot apartment in the East Village. The pictures say it all, so I don't need to spend lots of time blabbing about how gorgeous the place is. I'll just say this: the apartment is a study in phenomenal taste, bold uses of color and pattern (purple walls! stenciled floors!), a willingness to take risks (black bookcase! peel-y antique wallpaper), creativity in multi-functional furniture and space-saving solutions (sofa-banquette-storage unit) and rigorous editing, all resulting in a precious jewel box for a family of three. Every single nook and cranny is enviable. I was so excited about this that I actually scanned the entire article, so enjoy the little house tour!

The entry:

You know I love purple and yellow.

Living Room:

Would you get a load of that chandelier?

Living Room transformed for dining:

A mini-bar, mini-office for bill and email writing housed in and on a lovely secretary:

Bedroom (parents and daughter sleep here, on the chicest of trundle beds):

The wife's side of the closet, insides painted bright, tulip red:

Detail of the 18th century Chinese wallpaper:

Detail shots around the house:

Clockwise, from left:

1. Craft storage inside the bookcase

2. The kitchen, with green lacquer walls remind me of a certain kitchen I know and loved

3. The husband's personal drawer....very neat...looks like Oliver's personal drawer. Mine is not for photographing

4. Inside the buffet

5. Antique doors from architectural salvage store Olde Good Things

6. The washer and dryer that resides in the husband's side of the closet (now that's romance!)

7. Storage in the bathroom

8. DIY bathroom wallpaper on doors concealing above storage

Obviously, it's unrealistic to think that the family can live like that long-term (when that little girl hits the pre-teens, you can believe she's not going to want to sleep in a trundle with her parents!) but for now, Mr. Kaihoi has carved out a little gem for himself and his family.

As it turns out, Mr. Kaihoi was an art handler for ILevel (the go-to art handling/hanging company for New Yorkers and their clients with art worth handling) before Miles Redd snapped him up and made him an interior designer. Miles Redd really knows how to snuff out the best burgeoning designers, doesn't he?

All photos courtesy House Beautiful