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Seafood Paella and A Crazy-Easy Cake

September 27, 2012June 11, 2020 Sue Erneta

I’m back with another If I Can Make It, You Can Too recipe. As I’ve told you before, I’m not much in the cooking category but what I lack in the skills department, I make up for with creativity. (Remember the rainbow cake from the first installment of If I Can Make It, You Can Too? )

Recently, I hosted a small birthday dinner for my friend Tracy. On the menu: shrimp and scallop paella and birthday cake, of course.

The paella recipe comes from Ingrid Hoffmann of Simply Delicioso on the Food Network and I first tried it in North Carolina where I was invited to speak at a Women’s Leadership Conference at Lowe’s headquarters. On the last night of the event we ate a meal I will never forget. We were treated to a live cooking demonstration by Ingrid herself, while we ate the delicious paella that she showed us how to prepare. She was charming and funny and I hung on every word she said because I was loving the food! Then we finished with a Duff Goldman cake decorating demo and a chance to decorate our own. Like as in, one mini cake for every single person in a huge ballroom! Duff was as great as he is on TV. (Is it any surprise that Ace of Cakes is my favorite cooking show ever? I mean, it was more about decorating than it was about cooking!) Here’s the cake I decorated at the event:

But anyway, let’s get back to the paella. You can click here for Ingrid’s recipe but I recommend reducing the seafood. It calls for an insane amount and it almost overwhelms it. For this batch, which served 8 adults with plenty left over, I increased each ingredient by 50% but I kept the seafood amounts the same. I’d also like to mention that the recipe calls for Spanish dry-cured chorizo but the meat man in my supermarket recommended a Premio chorizo that was kind of soft and I think it was much better than when I had made it with the more dry, hard stuff.

I started out by getting all the chopping done earlier in the day. The red and green peppers, onion, and garlic were all chopped and put away while I ran to the Y to see Sophia star as Joy the Jellyfish in the Westfield Y Drama Camp’s production of A Little Mermaid. (It goes without saying that she was sensational. But thanks for asking!)

Then about an hour before I started cooking, I measured out the tomato paste, rice, and olive oil. I also chopped and portioned the lemon and chorizo. (FYI: My bowls – which I LOVE – are from Anthropologie. You can get the little ones here and here and the big ones here.)

As the first guests arrived, the oil, onion, garlic, peppers, saffron and chorizo went into the pan.

In less than an hour, we were ready to eat. I served a simple green salad and some ciabatta with the paella. Everyone loved it!

As for the cake, I was stumped. Knowing we were making a birthday cake, Lily immediately asked her “Aunt” Tracy what her favorite color is. (I love that even my 4-year-old knows that when you’re getting creative, you need some inspiration first.) The answer was blue.

I knew I was going to make a box mix cake with my homemade buttercream frosting from this recipe but I didn’t know what else to do. So, I sent a text to the birthday girl asking what her favorite candy is. She replied with this cryptic message: “Twizzlers, reeses peanut cups, sour patch, I’m random.” Suddenly, I was more confused than ever.

Then I tried a Pinterest search for the most general thing I could think of: “Birthday cake”. And I worked! I started to see a bunch of pennants and since that was something I had always wanted to try, I figured I’d do it. Luckily the girls had a bunch of arts and crafts supplies out already so I made the whole thing in less than 10 minutes. (Swear!) I grabbed some paper and cut it into little triangles. Then I took some foam alphabet stickers and spelled out Tracy’s name. (One guest thought I made the letters with fondant! Ha!) Next I glued the triangles to some twine and tied them to a couple skewers that I had in a kitchen drawer. And that’s how Tracy ended up with a vanilla cake with buttercream frosting topped with blue sugar, mini Reese’s peanut butter cups and a personalized pennant.

Everyone loved the paella and the simple cake was a hit too. Happy 40th, Tra!

Sue at Home

Before and After, Decor, Home, My house

I Have a Hot Pink Chair!

September 26, 2012June 11, 2020 Sue Erneta

I have been wanting a hot pink couch or chair for like ever. Remember when I showed you all those dreamy pink pics and told you I was thinking about dying an old slipcover I wasn’t using? Well, I did it!

Here’s the best part: this renovation cost less than $10. That’s right! Ten buckaroos! How, you ask? Well, I already had the chair and a pale pink slipcover. The chair is from PB Teen but unfortunately for you, they don’t make it anymore which I think is a crime to humanity because it’s comfortable, cute and cheap and for quite a while, they were offering slipcovers in different fabrics and patterns. When I got the chair, I picked up three velvet covers: white, bubblegum pink, and pale blue. (What? I figured the chair could be used in other rooms so I wanted to have options! That’s normal to buy three, right? ) Of course, I’ve only ever used the white one.

I decided to use RIT dye in fuschia. The directions called for 1 package of dye for every pound of fabric so I went for three since my slipcover was nearly 3 pounds. I couldn’t find a bucket big enough so grabbed this color-coordinated (!!) storage bin at Home Depot and got to work. First step, fill the bucket with 9 gallons of hot water:

Then I mixed 3 packages of dry dye with 6 cups of hot water and stirred it very well until all the dye dissolved. (Note: it did not stain my measuring cup. Bonus!)

Then I added the mix to the dye bath and stirred. (Please note that I did all this on my deck and I was wearing rubber gloves. They are not kidding about the staining possibilities so take all the warnings seriously! If you don’t believe me, come and ask the few pink dots on my kitchen countertop.)

Before adding the slipcover, I pre-wet the fabric in hot water so the color would penetrate the fabric evenly. (Having the lid to the storage bin was helpful for this step because it gave me something to carry the wet fabric on.)

And then in it went! Next up, I stirred and stirred and stirred for about 25 minutes. If you’ve never pushed a sopping wet pile of velvet around with a paint stick before, I can tell you that you will use muscles you didn’t even know you had. Ouch!

Next up, I rinsed it in the utility sink (which is now pink) in my laundry room. First in warm water, then cooler until it ran clear. This was another special type of muscle torture that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy! Then the scariest part of all – into my beautiful new-ish washer it went! (Don’t worry. The washer came out unscathed.)

I gave it an air-only dry in the dryer and ta-dah! Here is the finished product!

My wise husband (who so kindly signed off on this project before I did it and then called it “awesome” because he knew how excited I was about it) was the one to point out the patterned pillow was a little too much. So, I stole the Je T’aime pillow (similar here) that used to live on our bed. Much better, don’t you think?

I love how the pink looks against the dark teal walls.

The color came out so even. I’m actually mad at myself for being so scared to do this for so long!

I love the way it pops in the room.

Maybe now guests will sit in the chair. They were always kind of scared of it when it was white.

Oh happy day! I have a hot pink chair!

Sue at Home

Disclaimer: Please do not dye anything hot pink in your home without running it by your significant other. I’ve learned that though there are many people who like the looks of hot pink furniture, there are not a lot of people brave enough to go for it. And there are many, many more people who are terrified of it. Thankfully, my husband is comfortable enough in his sexuality to not be so concerned about a little pink in his house. (Though maybe he should because I could possibly love this chair more than I love him. Kidding, honey!)

Decor, Home

How to Create a Tides Beach Club Room at Home

September 6, 2012June 11, 2020 Sue Erneta

Last week, Pablo and I visited Maine for a belated anniversary vacation. We stayed at the beautiful Tides Beach Club in Kennebunkport and yesterday, I showed you lots of pics from the rest of the hotel. (I’m still dreaming of those lucite stools!) The hotel was gorg from top to bottom and we couldn’t have been more pleased with our cozy and charming room. Sure, the view was to-die-for…

…but the room itself was beautiful too. Following each picture are my ideas for getting a Tides-style room at home.

For coral basketweave textured wallpaper try here or if you prefer paint (I do!) try Benjamin Moore Picante.

The headboard with nailhead trim made such a big impact in the room. Try this beauty from here.

Teal looks great with coral. This similar wall art can be found here.

The bed was a perfect interpretation of “modern beach”.

I’m sure you know where to get crisp white sheets and duvet but I always get mine from here.

For a little pop of color, add a coral and white duvet cover folded at the end of the bed like this one.

A decorative shell pillow from here would work or for a more authentic embroidered look, make your own with this.

We loved the glossy wainscoting on the ceiling – and this star shaped light was a surprising touch.

You can find a flushmount like that here.

The room was tiny but there was just enough space for a pretty chair in the corner.

You could get the look with a white slipcovered chair from here.

Similar decorative chair pillow from here (but please don’t karate chop it like this one!)

Heavy draperies look great hanging from thick curtain rods. Curtains made in this fabric from here would be pretty similar.

For a totally coordinated look, have your man wear a matching coral shirt. It really completes the color scheme! (Sorry, I don’t have a resource for him. He’s not for sale.)

For info on booking your own room at Tides Beach Club, click here.

Sue at Home

Decor, Home

Decor Ideas from Tides Beach Club in Maine

September 5, 2012June 11, 2020 Sue Erneta

Last week Pablo and I took a quick trip to Maine for a belated 10-year anniversary celebration. We stayed at the beautiful Tides Beach Club on Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport. The inn recently underwent a huge renovation, turning it into a charmingly modern interpretation of “beach chic” that still stays very close to its laid-back Maine roots.

The beautiful porch out front was always full of people (sipping coffee in the morning and cocktails in the afternoon) so I could never get a shot of it empty. Here’s a great picture from the Tides website. The chairs were so big and deep that I had to pull my feet up into them. I could barely reach the ground!

We never learned to play backgammon but that didn’t stop me from falling in love with this navy lacquered game table and white slipcovered chairs.

A bookshelf offered beautiful coffee table books to peruse while you sit under a rope wrapped chandelier. And how about those chairs? They’re like luxe cushioned director’s chairs. Love!

I fell in love with a pair of these oyster lamps and almost considered grabbing a similar one when I spotted it in Antiques on Nine, a Kennebunk shop. But then I saw the $795 price tag. No thank you.

I was absolutely smitten with these thick crystal lamps. Clearly, good lighting makes me weak in the knees! I also loved the weathered chest though I wish there wasn’t another one just like it nearby. (The repetition made the weathering look obviously fake. Know what I mean?)

There was classic wainscoting everywhere – on the ceilings, up the stairs….

The restaurant side of the main floor was sleek and modern but still totally beachy. (And yes, I’ll be giving you a closer look at those lucite stools in just a moment. Please try and be patient!)

I can’t believe it took me 2 days to notice my beloved Hicks Pendants hanging in the porch section of the restaurant. (We have the bronze/antique brass version in our kitchen. I think theirs were the polished nickel. And MUCH bigger than our little one!) They’re gorgeous in any size or color!

I wonder if this doorway detail was original or if it was found in an architectural salvage place. Either way, it was a beaut!

I kept rubbing my hands over the divine carrera marble bar top but the bartender told me it’s a bitch to keep neat. It’s so porous that every drink ring remains and don’t even think about getting any citrus near it! He showed me a bleached out spot that a lemon wedge left behind. They had to have it completely sanded and refinished within a year of getting it. I’m still in love with carrera marble (have been ever since we got these tiles in our bathroom) but I think I can give up my dream of having it as a kitchen counter. High maintenance and I are not friends!

Even the drinks are pretty at Tides. I can assure you that my Blueberry Fizz was as delicious as it looks!

Let’s take a moment to talk about those gorgeous lucite stools! I seriously would have tried to slip one into my clutch if they weren’t so heavy. (Only a woman drinking too many Blueberry Fizz’s would think she could sneak out with a stool!) But seriously they were absolutely beautiful and the visual break allowed for you to see all the way to the tufted bar. It was all truly a work of art.

Speaking of art, check out the photos from a Kennebunkport photographer that were hanging in the restaurant. It’s dogs hanging out of car windows! Aren’t they so sweet? The photographer is Christopher Becker and the collection is perfectly titled Canine Bliss.

While the doggies hung in the restaurant, the hallways of the hotel with filled with matching frames hung in a perfectly haphazard “pattern”. What was in the frames you ask? Random stuff. Personal family pics (whose family? I don’t know!), interesting modern art prints, fashion magazine pages (bedazzled with glitter glue!), and even some vintage images. I love the way it looked (it kinda reminded me of John and Sherry’s hallway) and it inspired me to finally hang something in our lackluster hall. Hopefully, I’ll be getting on that project soon!

I hope you enjoyed the tour of Tides Beach Club. Tomorrow, you get to see our charming, cozy (ie: small) room complete with resources to create a Tides-style room of your own. See you then!

Did you take any fun summer vacations? Do tell!

Sue at Home

Before and After, Home, My house

Before and After: New Landscaping

August 20, 2012February 16, 2013 Sue Erneta

When we moved into our house a year and a half ago, we didn’t think much of the shrubs. Since we were coming from a townhouse where we didn’t own the outdoor space (and an NYC apartment before that) we knew very little about things that grow. But after a year of not seeing much life around our house, we knew the shrubs had to go.

Here’s what the landscaping looked like the day we closed on the house. Overgrown in some areas and dead in others. And the only decent shrubs were the prickery ones on either side of the door. It was like saying to our guests, “Welcome to our home. And now we will prick you with our pricker bushes.” And that’s just not my style.

Sure, this picture was taken in the winter but I can assure you, not much popped up in the year that followed. (That is, aside from the huge row of forsythia down the side of the house that blooms beautifully in March each year. You can see them on their way out in the pic below.) So, we decided to rip it all out. And suddenly, it looked better already! You’ll also notice below that we had several of the lower branches on the tree cut off so that we wouldn’t have them hanging down in front of the house.

We worked with a landscaper who recommended trees, shrubs, and flowers based on our laundry list of requests. Even though we knew so little about this stuff, we highly considered DIYing it but I’m really glad we hired a pro. I found that his price was not much more than the shrubs alone would have cost us and if I had added in the truck rental and mulch and the shovels and edgers, it would have been pretty comparable. And I’m sure we would have screwed it up somehow! (Local readers: We used First Class Landscaping right here in town and I highly recommend them. Just ask and I’ll give you Jeremy’s number.)

When they arrived to install everything, it was the morning after my 40th birthday so Pablo and I were in no state to supervise. But luckily, Jeremy and his team did a great job on their own. Here’s everything in place getting ready to be planted. (There were also a few small perennials that were added in around the ones pictured below.)

They did such a great job with everything.

We were just smitten with the edging. (What is it about that? It’s so simple but it just looks so crisp!)

Let’s take one last look at that scary overgrown and half dead “before” shot.

And now – TA DA! – the “after”!

There are still quite a few things I’d like to do to the exterior, like painting the door (glossy black? red? yellow? blue?), installing some new lighting and I might want to paint the shutters too. (They’re charcoal grey now and I think it would look much more better if they were black.) Suggestions welcome!

Have you done any landscaping lately? If so, I want to hear all about it! Let me know in the comments.

Sue at Home

Before and After, Decor, Home, My house

Jewelry Storage: A Work in Progress

August 14, 2012June 11, 2020 Sue Erneta

In our old house, we had an enormous master bathroom where I had enough room for a dresser whose sole purpose was to store my jewelry. Let your head absorb that for a moment. An entire dresser for jewelry! Now, in my small master, there’s barely a dresser top and one drawer for my baubles. Which means that most of them live in bags in the closet. It’s sad, really.

So, my jewelry storage isn’t perfect but it’s working for me…for now. Check it:

The neon orange acrylic tray was a Home Goods find. It’s lived all over the house but I like it best for my jewelry. I keep most of the everyday options in here – some long chain necklaces, wrap bracelets, and some bangles – big and small.

I store my cocktails rings and my dangley earrings in this little square silver bowl. (I can’t for the life of me remember where I got it. I certainly don’t love it but it does the job so for now, so it stays!)

My wedding band, engagement ring and watch live in an ashtray when I’m not wearing them. I got it in Paris and – full disclosure – I can’t imagine how it ended up in my handbag. (I’ll blame the caviar and vodka.)

Some of the bigger statement pieces – necklaces and bracelets – live in the top drawer of the dresser.

The “drawer liner” is actually wrapping paper that I got years ago at…you’re never going to believe this…Old Navy. Crazy, right? I love it and I might frame a piece of it to display in front of the poster in the room.

If you’re willing to dedicate a little more space to jewelry storage, here are some good ideas:

Monaluna‘s frame with hooks

Jewelry as wall art at BH&G

Catherine of Hallelu on the Glitter Guide

Cabinet and bowls via Martha Stewart

The great embroidery hoop trick via Apartment Therapy

Sherry’s baubles in an egg crate via Young House Love

I have way too many pieces to do any of these options (remember, you’re only seeing a fraction of my collection in the pics above) but as the mom of two girls, I know I’ll regret parting with any of it. Think of all the future “dress-up” parties we’ll need things for, right??

Tell me…how do you store your jewelry? Or better yet…how do you pair it down? For now, I’ll horde mine in the little bit of space I have…

Sue at Home

Decor, Home, My house

The Hunt for Master Bedroom Bedding

August 7, 2012June 11, 2020 Sue Erneta

Last week, when I told you about the room that inspired our master bedroom palette, I touched upon the decadent, sumptuous, to-die-for bedding from Olatz Schnabel that graced her bed in our inspiration picture. I would have loved a full set of her bedding but I don’t have a spare $4000 sitting around so it’s not going to happen. But, that’s no reason not to dream a little and try to find a similar solution. Here are a few shots of Olatz‘ bedding line. Let the drooling begin.

Olatz Schnabel (the person) draping her gorgeous self across her gorgeous bedding (from Olatz, the bedding line) on her gorgeous bed via Pursuit of Style (It’s just wrong to look that good.)

A clear shot of the full set via Olatz. The sham is only $300. Maybe I could just get one??

The pink and red version in ELLE Decor with…wait. What is that? Yes. Yes, that is a MATCHING HEADBOARD. Just kill me now.

This famous cover is like a trifecta of style obsessions: Domino + Jenna Lyons + her Olatz bedding = my head about to explode! Throw in black painted walls and that fireplace and I’m dead. Dead. via Habitually Chic

The Bowery Hotel apparently has Olatz bedding in every room. May I move in, please? (This pic via NY Mag)

When GQ (my first job was the Fashion Closet Assistant there!) did a story on the best bedding, of course they needed to include Olatz bedding. Insert cute girl in bra and panties to GQ-ify it.

Little Green Notebook did a makeover on Joanna Goddard‘s bedroom and she had an Olatz-ish duvet made for the room. Perhaps this is an option for me? (Still can’t be cheap though…)

CarolynMAKING has a great no-sew (!!) DIY of the Olatz bedding. She did an amazing job but I feel like I could screw up something even this simple.

The crazy thing is that I look at these pics and think, “Everyone makes duvets like this. I’ve GOT to be able to find something similar.” But the problem is the colors. You just can’t find that bright orangey red or that regal purple at mass brands. Pottery Barn makes a nice duvet and sham with a band of color. But in classic “Pottery Barn style”, the color choices are basically beige, beige and more beige.

I found our current duvet at Lands’ End about 9 months ago. They don’t have it anymore but I highly recommend their bedding. It’s super soft, really nice quality and priced very reasonably.

It’s frustrating to know there’s got to be something similar out there and just not be able to find it. (Please let me know if you have a resource for me!) I might just have to try the DIY. If I do, you know you’ll hear all about it! Until then, I’ll live with my subtle stripes because let’s face it, that old way-too-small headboard is a much bigger problem than the duvet! More on that later….

Sue at Home

Decor, Home, My house

I Will Love This Poster For Like Ever

August 2, 2012June 11, 2020 Sue Erneta

Sometimes there are things that you really want to buy but you just don’t get them for some reason or another. My relationship with this poster was like that.

I saw it on the cover of the Sept 2006 issue of Domino magazine in the home of Jessie Randall of Loeffler Randall and I wanted it bad. And I was not alone. It was an instant design sensation and I recall that it was sold out for quite awhile after. (Can you believe that I still have the issue in my personal archives – aka on a shelf in my attic?)

But I didn’t get it. And for once, cost was not the problem. I don’t know why I didn’t get it except that since it was way back in 2006, I suppose I was still sort of in newlywed mode and for me, that meant that I needed to grow up and have a mature apartment which did not involve pink posters. (Read more about my design manifesto here and how it has changed over the years.)

But the love did not fade in the past 6 years. So, when Pablo and I decided to do our bedroom over in shades of pale blue with hits of red and purple, I thought about it again. I mean, yes, it’s mostly pink but it’s got a lot of red too. And as I’ve explained before, Pablo is comfortable enough in his manhood to have a little pink around his house. (You know, as the saying goes: Happy wife, happy life.)

So, I did it. It’s finally ~~mine~~ ours. It needs a little styling love in front of it but for now there it is displayed with a big TV and a cable box. (Sidenote: Have you ever seen a cable box in a decorating magazine or shelter blog? Nope. Where is everyone hiding them?) UPDATE: I saw one on Habitually Chic! Thanks, Heather, for being honest and not hiding it!

Not quite the beautiful accompaniment I always believed it would be surrounded by but it’s a work in progress. (Which is just how I like my home. I mean, what will I do when the renovations and decorating are done?) Some might think a master bedroom should be serene and romantic. But what’s more romantic than the sentiment that I will love Pablo “for like ever”?

For some more ways to display it, check out these inspiration pics:

Propped up against a wall via Adore magazine (Chanel football, anyone?)

Super sweet pink on pink via Carla Lane interiors

So pretty in a modern girly nursery via Small Shop

With cool mid-century furniture in a totally eclectic room via Apartment Therapy

With a red frame and more mid-century furniture via Apartment Therapy

What could be better than a minty wall via Glitter Guide

So, what do you think? Could you put a pink poster in a “grown-up” room? Would the man in your life be okay with that? I’m so glad mine is!

Sue at Home

Before and After, crafts, Decor, Home, My house

DIY: Lengthening our Master Bedroom Curtains

August 1, 2012June 11, 2020 Sue Erneta

I suppose putting DIY in the title of this post is a little misleading. It should be more like “figure-out-how-to-do-it-and-then-hire-someone-else-to-do-it-because-you-can’t-sew”. That’s a little more honest. But if you can sew then you can absolutely do this yourself. Anyway…

I have a love/hate relationship with curtains. I mean, I get it – I know that they can totally transform a room but I find them to be a little fuddy duddy and too “designer-y” for my taste – plus they are often A SMALL FORTUNE. For just a piece of fabric. It kinda makes me crazy.

Let me stop and remind you about the inspiration picture for our bedroom. Olatz Schnabel’s bedroom from House Beautiful. Ahhh. I could just stare at this pic all day. It’s so dreamy.

Yes, I’m aware we don’t have high ceilings like that, nor do we have a gajillion dollar bed but still, I figured we can work with the color palette. Just go with it, ok?

(Sidenote: Before I get into telling you about the curtains I ended up with, let’s just gloss over the EPIC CURTAIN FAIL that happened when I ordered 4 red silk shantung panels from Macy’s. Small room with low ceilings + inexpensive but trying-to-look-expensive drapery panels = turning one’s bedroom into a brothel. I’m not talking about a high class Heidi Fleiss kinda place. I’m talking about 8th and forty-deuce. It was HORRIBLE. They were quickly returned and we shall never speak of this again. Okay? Okay.)

So, I spent a lot of time looking high and low for some curtains for our bedroom. I knew I wanted something that would really pop against our blue walls. Something in either a bold red or a rich purple or even a major print. There were many I fell in love with – most from Anthropologie. Some are long gone now but the ones I was loving are similar to these:

The Marrakech Curtain – This would add an eclectic vibe.

Wandering pleats – I love that rich purple color.

And the new Swing Stripes curtain (they’ve got POM POMS! And I love me some pom poms!)

Since an Anthro curtain can run you from $148-188 per panel, these were all out of the question. (I needed 4 panels and there was NO way I would be spending $600+ on curtains when I don’t even have a grown-up bed. More on that at a later date.)

Then I started looking through the curtains at Anthropologie’s little sister, Urban Outfitters, and there were a lot of pretty prints. They’re all much lighter, semi-sheer cottons but I kind of like that look so I didn’t mind. (Remember, I’ve got an aversion to thick, fancy, old ladyish “draperies”.) I was thrilled when I found this amazing one that was kind of flourishy in purple, orangey-red and even a little of a light blue that kind of worked with our walls. (It’s still available in other colors.)

I bought the longest length they had (84″) and I hung the rod a little bit above the window so the curtains skimmed the floor. I don’t have a picture of this because I was embarrassed by how it looked. Here’s the problem: We all know that curtains need to be hung as close to the ceiling as possible so I knew I was trying to cheat and get away with a cheap solution. What was I thinking? (I know actually. I was thinking about doing it as cheaply as possible.)

In case it’s unclear what I mean, check out the great post from Erin Gates of one of my favorite blogs, Elements of Style. She illustrates the problem in the most simple way:

Hanging curtains way up there just makes the ceilings look higher – and it gives the room a French boudoir feel to it. Ooh la la!

But I had 84″ curtains and I needed 96″. So how to deal with too-short curtains? I ordered 1 extra panel from Urban and they were on sale at that point so I got it for a song. Then I brought all 5 of the panels to my tailor (that sounds so fancy but it’s just my dry cleaner who hems stuff for me!) and asked her to cut the extra panel and add an extra 12 inches to the bottom of each curtain. Is it perfect? Nope! But I asked my dry cleaner to do it and I think she charged me $20 for all 4 panels so I’m not going to complain. (If I had done it myself, I probably would have been a little more ~~anal~~ particular about lining up the print perfectly but I’m quite sure they would not have been sewn straight.) See how messed up there are?

It’s pretty obvious there but when I pull back it’s not as bad. I don’t think anyone would notice unless I pointed it out. See?

One cheap place where you can always count on finding long curtains is Ikea. They sell most panels in one long length that comes with hemming tape so you can make them any length you want. We have these polka dot ones in S’s room. I think they look great and they were so cheap. You can’t beat $13.99 for a pair! The hot pink crinkle sheers are from here.

Since I finally took some decent pics of our master, this will be the first in a series of posts about what’s happening in the bedroom. (No. Not that stuff! Get your head out of the gutter!) So, make sure you subscribe to Sue at Home to see all the action. (Decorating action! Jeez. You should be ashamed.)

Sue at Home

Home

Master bedroom Inspiration: Olatz Schnabel

July 31, 2012June 11, 2020 Sue Erneta

If you’re like me, you’re used to devouring image after image of beautiful interiors whether it’s through magazines, blogs or everyone’s beloved Pinterest. But every once in awhile, you hit upon an image that stops you dead in your tracks and just stays with you. For me, that feeling hit when I saw this image of Olatz Schnabel’s bedroom in House Beautiful.

It’s totally elegant but the colors make it completely fun. It features primarily white bedding (my favorite) but with a band of the richest purple I’ve ever seen to make it totally decadent. That aqua wall color (HB said it’s Benjamin Moore Blue Diamond) is totally up my alley but the bedding, rug, art, and draperies make the wall color almost an afterthought.

In case you don’t know who Olatz Schnabel is, here’s the brief: She’s the ex-wife of artist Julian Schnabel (Yes, that’s his art in the room) and she designs a beautiful bedding line called Olatz. (Yes, that would be her line on the bed.) In case you’re thinking of clicking on over there and picking up a set, let me first tell you that a king duvet cover in cotton will run you $1265. What’s that you say? You’d like the linen one instead of cotton? Oh. Then that’ll be $2015. Ouch.

This more recent shot of the other side of the room, below, featured in T, shows the wall color a lot closer to the real thing. I love how she uses dark frames against the blue wall. Looks like she might have switched out the rug at some point, too.

So, anyway – I pulled this pic from House Beautiful back in the summer of 2010 and held onto it assuming my husband would never sign off on something so “decorated”. All that color would just be too much for him! But after we moved in and we were planning a way to take our master out of the cream zone and into the light, we revisited the picture and–surprise, surprise– I got the okay! Granted, we’re just using the color palette as an inspiration. (Alas, there will be no Olatz bedding or Julian Schnabel originals.)

Just to get a real appreciation for the sad room we’re starting with, check out what our master bedroom looked like when we saw the house. Granted, it’s not hideous. Not at all. But for people who love color, it’s a little “vanilla”. (Forgive the horrible picture!)

So, after I decided on this palette, I started realizing I had so many other pictures in my tearsheet folders or pinned that were in a similar color scheme. I love that they all read as very elegant rooms (even the kid’s rooms in the mix!) but they’re totally fun and not at all “vanilla”.

Check out these red twin beds via Domino (all pics can be found via my Master Bedroom Pinterest board unless otherwise noted.)