For the Love of Framing

I hate love doing art installations for clients. 

No really, I hate love it. 

I find it to be a total pain in the a$# joy. 

When working with clients on art installations, I usually love to get some beautiful art from Etsy and then have it professionally framed.

Of course, when we get to the 'professionally framing' part of the project I warn them that it might cost them their first born and a kidney just a bit to get a good quality frame and sophisticated mats. Insert nervous smile and glare from client as we hear the budget crashing.....

One of the reasons I poke my eyes out with bamboo shoots jump up and down for joy when I get to do an art installation is because it is a bit of a hunt to get a good quality on a budget...if only the ready made frame options were a little more sophisticated.


And then I stumbled upon this post by Emily Henderson: Best Ready Made Picture Frames and How to Frame Them. The girl is brilliant. My clients should hire her....just kidding. I do actually use a lot of the Pottery Barn and West Elm ready-mades but Emily does such a good job of reviewing the whole lot of them so I thought I would share. You have to head over there to check out her list....

Here are some I am digging right now for some projects...love the burlap mat- nice bit of texture on the walls...

Pottery Barn Multi-Mat Frames

I tend to love me some square frames....but those are not that easy to find....especially with standard size mats-at AI Friedman they have 8x8 frames with mats for 5x5 but it is tricky finding art or photos that work in that size.

Here is one Etsy artist of Images of This and That who does work in 12x12 to accommodate the Ikea Ribba Square Frame...brilliant, right? I actually won a contest for one of her photos and have not yet decided...they are all so lovely! Check them out....they'll be easy to frame!

   

Ok, that is enough ranting for today...once I finish taking down the window treatment industry for making 84" panels standard (no one should buy 84" unless your house is built for a gnome!) then I'll tackle the frame industry.......one soapbox at a time!

I finally took the plunge...with a new SOFA!

So, after much hemming and hawing I finally bought a couch for my living room! I must say I am so excited that I waited because I feel like this couch was meant to be mine. First, before my big reveal...a little background on my living room: it is a mish-mosh of old furniture that I inherited from my husband's apartment in NYC along with some pieces I bought when we first moved in. While the living room is one of the first rooms you see when you enter my home, I wasn't too inclined to buy a new sofa when the kids were young. Now that my babies are 8&6, we are out of the days of bottles, sippy cups and Cheerios so I felt it was time to spruce this room up. We don't use it as a main family room but we do use it when we have company over for holidays or birthdays because it is off the dining room and kitchen. The living room is also my dog, Fergie's, favorite room. The sofa serves as a step into our big bay window where Fergie spends most of her time.

That being said, I assessed my needs & wants in a sofa for our living room as I do for all my clients and this is what I came up with:
NEEDS:
Durable fabric to withstand Fergie
Dark color to withstand stains
About 90" to accommodate three people
Three cushions so the three people will have personal space
Good looking- not just functional since it is visible through the front door

WANTS
a slightly rolled English arm- not too bulky though
No skirt- I wanted exposed legs
Casters- no reason- I just think they are super cool on an exposed leg sofa 
Velvety fabric- I just wanted that sexy velvet feel!

After taking all of these needs and wants into consideration it lead me to this beauty....

It is the #3043 Sofa by Lee Industries. (Sorry for the fuzzy picture)

Lee Industries

Source: leeindustries.com via Joanne on Pinterest

It is upholstered in Carson Sable which is a brown velvety fabric that seems comfy and durable for the dog and kids.

Source: leeindustries.com via Joanne on Pinterest

I love the exposed gorgeous wooden legs with the casters- easy to keep clean and Swiff underneath. I especially love that there are three seat cushions- every hiney has a seat. While I loved many sofas with two larger cushions- the living room is where we most often sit when I entertain and I'd hate to have someone sitting on a crack between cushions. At 91" this sofa can comfortably seat three people so now they can each have their own cushion. It's about personal space people...the good news is- it is being delivered on Saturday so I will have it for Thanksgiving! More photos to come...now I need pillows, table, etc....

Recovering from Sandy and Veteran's Day

Hello Blog-land- sorry for the long hiatus....here in the East Coast we suffered through some crazy weather and some are still suffering. I was without power for a week...we stuck it out in a chilly home for a few days and then relocated to my in-laws once their power was restored. It was a major pain but I feel very blessed that my family was safe and that we still have a home (even if it was a chilly one!) Amiss all the chaos, I couldn't muster up the creative juices to talk about design.

Anyway, things are looking up- we have power, food & shelter and the kids are getting back to school albeit short days...but better than nothing! I resumed my client work and now back to blogging! I also want to take the time to thank our selfless Veterans for all that they have done to protect the values and freedoms we take for granted in the great country of ours.

Source: stoneykins.com via Marsha on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Jennifer on Pinterest

Tomorrow we'll be back to design talk as usual...I made a big purchase this weekend and I'll share more tomorrow! Happy to be back...