Archive for the ‘decorating’ Category

RUGGY AGAIN

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

As alluded to earlier, I’ve been continuing that experimentation with rugs thing by picking up this vintage kilim for the guest bedroom off Etsy for a sweet $75.

Handmade and thinly flat woven, this sassy rug has a nicely worn texture and great asymmetric pattern in a neutral deserty palette that seamlessly fits in with everything else around this place.

Duh. Of course. All things browntown are welcomed with here with open arms.

Unlike the other colorful rug I’m continuing to struggle with in the living room, this one is a definite keeper and will likely end up in the go-to rotation of props I enjoy using for styling stuff.

Too bad this blanket just ain’t working and the bed is still is a mess. I’ll eventually regret that bit of laziness seeing that internet photos live forever and occasionally come back to haunt you.

Oh well. That’s still one sexy ass rug.

Mmmmmm.

So brown. So very beautifully brown.

Hey dogs? Please don’t destroy it, you crazy unpredictable beasts!

FILED UNDER: bedroom, bowie, decorating, etsy, floors, guest bedroom, Iggy, links, vintage

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FIBERS

Monday, February 27th, 2012

BOOM.

Suck on that.

Dreams do come true.

So much fiber-y art has entered my life recently that it’s like a Cinderella story made of dusty yarn from the 70’s. Beautifully lush stringy old yarn.

With the loss of its chandelier, the dining room has been going through a slow transformation that includes – obviously – new lighting and just maybe a new dining table? Possibly thinking about going for some custom style action? ‘Cause I’m fancy? Or super picky? Or whatever.

Yuppers. Big dining room redo. Eventually.

Till then, this gigantically glorious wall hanging will have to hold down the fort.

Whoa whoa whoa. Slow your roll.

Tell me you didn’t think this was the only fiber art wall hanging thing happening around here?

No. Way.

Because when I get obsessed, I get obsessed. Perhaps you noticed that little ‘s’ in the post title?

DOUBLE BOOM.

In your face.

It’s like this thing is so crazy good that the frame can’t handle it! Not at all! Stupid frame!

All that beauty is overflowing with goodness. Jute-y ropey goodness.

Try to ignore the messy bed and that seemingly new ‘rug’ like rug on the floor. I’m apparently such a busy lady that I can’t be bothered to make my bed for photos or discuss this ‘rug’ situation. But don’t you fret lover, that ‘rug’ will be covered in a forthcoming post.

For now?

NO distractions from the fibers.

With these two transcendent works of aesthetic textile-ish glory installed in the dining room and the guest bedroom alike, I believe we’ve finally reached the limit of fiber art the house can safely hold. No, wait, I’m wrong. There’s still that Don Freedman piece, which now lives in the kitchen and that other simple weaving in the hall. But who’s counting? Not you.

Don’t count them.

Just. Don’t.

So. Provenance? AKA, where did these come from?

The dining room behemoth was once owned by all around super nice person Kathleen Ryan, who emailed me a few photos after reading about the great fiber search. Of course I fell instantly in love and we then worked out a mutually beneficial trade. By the way, trading vintage stuff is probably my favorite thing in the world to do. I can happily deaccession something I no longer have space for while someone else gets to do the same. Win win!

The guest bedroom’s sassy ropey weaving was found some time back during a trip to Palm Springs. We went out for a little shopping fun and stumbled on this baby at a consignment shop in Cathedral City. I grabbed that sucker off the wall and never looked back.

 

FIBERS!

 

FILED UNDER: art, decorating, dining, guest bedroom, vintage

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RUGGY

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Been feeling this weird need to own more rugs (that are not cowhides) and have stalked a few via Craigslist and eBay without much success for the last few months.

Apparently, rugs are hard?

Well, they can be incredibly costly when considering larger sizes like 9’x12′, so you better be pretty into investing some cash into rugs. Sadly, most the rugs I find tend to be either totally trashed or oddly sized or just u – to the – gly on all levels. When I saw this rug listed about three months ago on Craigslist (fairly close to my house) I immediately liked the worn-in threadbare quality and semi-persian / semi-kelim / semi-whatever vibe it had going for it. Plus, it was super HUGE.

Per usual. Emailed. Spoke a bit to the seller. Seller then vanished.

These things happen a lot.

About a month later I saw this thing pop up again at three times the original price and was surprised, but not shocked – since these things also happen a lot. Of course, it languished on the ‘list and over the following months would occasionally pop up and I would stalk it and send a random email here and there and offer the original price we had originally agreed on. Of course I continued to be shot down.

But I am tenacious animal.

After like the seventh relist or something crazy like that, the rug was listed again at a reasonable price and I tenaciously sent my little email again – and finally – arranged to pick it up.

Viewing it in person? Not as awesomely handwoven and perfectly vintage as I hoped or believed it was going to be from those tiny Craigslist thumbnail pics.

These things? They also happen a lot.

We did the negotiating dance and got the price down and I gave into rug ownership.

Now that I’ve gotten this puppy home and fulfilled my whole ‘maybe I should get a rug’ impulse, I’m finding myself totally on the fence about this whole getting a rug thing. I love seeing and using awesome rugs in other peoples homes and enjoy the layered texture and great bit of pattern they bring, but perhaps somewhere in this minimalist heart there’s no room for a solid patch of antiquity. Then again, I kind of love the way it changes the space and plan to pair it with my marble knoll coffee table and a freshly white fireplace. With those additions considered into the grand scheme, I can fully imagine it would be moderened up while still adding the right amount of texture to the space. For now though, I won’t commit to lugging that 1000 pound beast of a marble table in here until I feel good and sure about things.

I’m waffling. I’m a rug waffler.

The rug remains an undecided living room visitor or possible option for the den. Everyday I sleep on it in hopes of finalizing a decision and everyday my mind swings back and forth from rug! to NO rug!

These are the hardest most soul searching questions one must face at some point. Duh.

FILED UNDER: craigslist, decorating, floors, vintage

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