1960's room divider: geometric chic

Lately, I've become obsessed with 1960's wood screens, used as room dividers, like the one used on the set of Mad Men in Pete Campbell's NYC apartment:

Alas.  I found a SPITTING IMAGE of this screen, found by an interior designer.  This piece was on Craigslist for a steal at $200, and the woman selling it told me it had been cut out of a 1960's home with a saw.  It would need some work... the edges were raw due to the removal.

My sister loved it.  She decided it would not only look PERFECT in my girlfriend and my new apartment, but would be the perfect backdrop to get married in front of.  2-for-1.

So, after about 20 hours of patching, cleaning, sanding, and constructing a wood frame, my dad has restored the piece to its original geometric glory.  Here is how it looks now:

moroccan breakfast nook.

When my girlfriend Kristen moved into her charming Spanish bungalow style apartment, there were little quirky things we thought were charming.  One of these weird gems was a small nook with open shelves, dividing a little work-space from the walk-in closet area (which we quickly named furniture purgatory).  "Cute," we thought.  "We can come up with some cool way to use this."

We came up with nothing.

After months and months, it still remained an awkward see-through shelving area, where you could see all our random workout shit and extra furniture from the living area.  To make matters worse, it stood opposite a "desk space" created where a closet probably used to be.  The desk was too high with a chair underneath, so it morphed into a place to pile bills and to put the cat food.

See photos below.  Embarrassing, but accurate.

"Let's make it a little breakfast nook," said Kristen one morning.  I paused.

"This is why I love you.  Because you are a genius."

So, I bought cheap curtains from TJ Maxx.  Bright yellow ones.  2 styles.  2 pairs of simple through-the-rod hemmed style, 2 pairs grommet style.  "Ah ha," I thought.  I could just use some tension shower rods to hang them from.

So I bought 3 tension rods in the shower aisle from Home Depot (otherwise known as Lesbian Mecca).

I put two shower rods on each side, just high enough so the 84" hemmed drapes brushed the floor when I hung them. 

Then for the "tent" part, I layed 2 panels out as if I were going to sew them together, grommet to grommet.  I did the same with the next 2 panels.  Then I used the remaining tension rod as the "sewing needle", weaving it in and out through the grommets. 

I carefully hung the rod and put the draped fabric over the existing rods.

I added a few finishing touches to our corner, inlcuding a pendant lamp from MyHabit, hung with a zip-tie:

An abstract drawing I composed in art school five years ago...

Some mid-century walnut salt & pepper shakers.

Below see where I found all the components to this nuggety little moroccan nook.

Peweter crocheted poufs, CB2- $89.95.

Square walnut 1960's coffee table, Pasadena City College Flea Market- $40.00.

Mid-century salt & pepper shakers, Pasadena City College Flea Market- $15.00.

Abstract print- my own.

Silver frame- Habitat for Humanity store- $10.00.

Canary yellow drapes, TJ Maxx- $14.99 a pair.

Tension shower rods, Home Depot- $8.99 each.

Industrial gold pendant light, MyHabit.com- $89.99.



making an old-ass shower look new.

I moved into this charming brick 1920's apartment above the shops in East Hollywood about 2 years ago.  The owner re-did the floors and restored the original hardwood... "My own little gem!", I like to think of it as.

Everything was workable.  The old cupboards, the ugly drapes-- it could all be fixed to fierceness.  The one thing I couldn't figure out is how to re-work the bathroom, but moreso the nasty tile situation in the bath/shower.

Back in the day when they grouted it, they chose a sandy color in between the bright white tiles.  Over the years, it has turned into quite the less-than-chic dusty mustard hue. 

No matter how much I cleaned it, my shower never felt clean.

"Re-grout!" I thought.  "Let's regrout the shower."  So, I began one of the messier projects I've done and went apreshit with bright white grout.  It seemed like a genius idea.

However, re-grouting is only useful if the existing grout is not flush with the tile.  If I thought it through prior to going apeshit, I may have realized this.

Alas.

I came up with one of the best and easiest ways to make old tile grout look brand new. 

Paint it.

This sounds like a horrible idea, but it's a fun, messy project that's actually really easy.  Use your fingers, and massage the paint into the grout.  If you get paint on the tile, it's fine, as just like grout it will wipe off with some spray and a cloth.

Check out the BEFORE and AFTER.



BEFORE



AFTER



AFTER

AFTER

decorating a coffee table.

One thing that drives me nuts is when a coffee table is so "tablescaped" that you can't put your coffee down on it.

Pointless.

So, I keep it to one side of the coffee table.  Beautiful collected things arranged in a chic, simple way.

1. Start with a tray.  I like to use the Format tray from CB2, because it's acrylic and you can see your things through the clear sides.
2. Try to stick to one color in multiple hues; add one pop of a different color at the end.
3. Stack gorgeous books.  Fashion books, design books, art books, and architecture books are my faves.  Try to buy the ones that have covers that match your decor.  (Some great, gorgeous books are Tom Ford, Emilio Pucci, and Richard Avedon.)
4. Stack the books from large to small.
5. Use pattern.  Along with the pattern-clad Pucci book, I used a ceramic tray from Jonathan Adler ($78) to create a clean yet visually exciting "tabletop" to arrange objects.
6. Find some sort of pretty vessel like a bowl to place on top.  I found this vintage 1960's Goran brass bowl from Church Hill Antiques in Culver City.  This is my pop of color.
7. Create a cool spot for remotes.  They never show remotes in design magazines.  Why?  Because they're ugly; that's why.  I found a long box on sale at West Elm where I can stash them, cover them, and always know where they are.
8. Create dimension.  I created visual interest by using objects with different heights.  Here, I used some agate slice coasters in a fierce tone of teal for the lowest level.  I originally saw them at Jonathan Adler for over $30 each.  I found them for half the price at Lawson-Fenning in Silverlake.  I then used the brass/orange bowl for the next layer, the West Elm long lacquered box, and a DL & Co. trumpet candle in azure to finish it off.  If you wish, add a tall layer by using fresh flowers of the same kind placed in a cup.

planning a dinner party.

For at least a year now, I've been saying things like "we should buy these lucite napkin rings... For when we have a dinner party," and "these would be great for when we have people over, babe.". And yet, nine times out of ten, it's me, Kristen, and the cat on a Saturday night.

"We're going to do this shit.  We're going to have a dinner party," I decided last week.  

So, I started off with the menu:

• Homemade garlic herb bread with butter

• Farmer's market salad: fresh arugula, dandelion greens, spring mix greens with sautéed mushrooms, avocados, goat cheese, center cut bacon.  Salad dressing made with onions, garlic, sautéed mushrooms, cilantro, parsley, basil, and thyme, lemon juice, orange juice, garlic olive oil, hint of balsamic vinegar.  Roasted almonds on top.  Fresh ground salt and pepper.  (veg/vegan option available)

• Gnocchi with homemade cream sauce: gnocchi al dente.  Sauce made with sautéed onions, basil, garlic, pine nuts, italian canned tomatoes, fresh roma tomatoes, and olive oil puréed.  Mixed with heavy cream and Gorgonzola cheese.  Parmigiano Regiano shavings, fresh ground pepper, toasted pinenuts, rustic diced heirloom tomatoes on top, and basil garnish on top.

• Dessert from Little Door Next Door and Sweet Lady Jane.  "Oreo cookies" and lemon bars.

Now for the plates.  These are the ones I have & have ordered:

  

       

I already set the date a month ahead of time and informed 10 of our closest friends.  If you want a great turnout, plan ahead!  

i die. for my living room.

Left to right:

Orange Saarinen style chair- $60 from Sanford's Junk Shop.  Orange upholstery fabric- $2.99/yd.
Orange rocker chair- $40 from craigslist.
Blue throw pillow- Found under my grandfather's mattress.  Vintage- from early 1960's.
Coffee table- My grandfather's from the 1950's, painted white & wrapped in aluminum sheeting.

Adrian Pearsall 1960's couch- $950 from www.vintageapartment.com
Male and Female wall vases- $6.95 each from CB2.
1960's Acrylic Shelf- $45 from This Is Not Ikea. www.thisisnotikea.com
Vintage Metal Radio- $20 from Goodwill.
Turquoise lattice pillows- $35 each from Room Service.
Orange Moroccan pouf- $185, One Kings Lane.
Multi-faceted side table- $149 from West Elm.
Portraits- Jose A. Guzman Colon.
Pandora Hexagon Rug- $249 from Overstock.com

Mad Men stole my couch.

So, my girlfriend has been kind enough to appoint me her honorary Decorator.  Not only do I get to be uber-creative and employ my [frugal] decorating aptitude, but I get commission in lots of ways.  Winky face.

I decided I like our [her] couch much better when it's covered in my grandpa's bright yellow blanket from the 60's.  The canary yellow hue makes me happy, and I'm really into monotone in design with a pop of one additional color.  Here, it's a teal/turquoise/robin's egg pop.

We bought our couch for $600 on craigslist about a year ago. 

It's cute, mid-century lines-tastic, and simple with its heather-gray hue, but since my girlfriend has let me go apeshit down the eclectic-happy-chic road, I figured... fuck it.  Who needs gray?  Let's go not-so-mellow yellow. 

So, alas, I found this awesome newly upholstered beauty from Michael, my fave "secret spot" furniture dealer.  3 pieces, $1550.  So, I put an ad for our old couch on craigslist for $400, and thought, "Perfect; I'll put the money toward the new fierce yellow couch of amazing-ness."

 

"Sold," I said to the furniture people.  I'll get it as a prezzie for my girlfriend (and, let's be honest, for me) this Friday when I get paid.  "Should I put some money down, or something?" 

"Don't worry," they told me. 

"It'll be fine til Friday.  Honestly, who's going to buy a bright yellow couch?"

I texted Michael the next day.  "We've decided on the couch.  I'll for sure come get it Friday."

I then received the following text.

"Mad Men bought your couch."

Awesome.