Guest Room Styling with Serena & Lily

It's been busy in such a good way!! I just got back from an unbelievable trip to High Point Market, which is the world's largest to-the-trade furniture/ home decor show. The scope and magnitude are impossible to describe, but let's just say my brain exploded. Multiple times. (See the highlights here). I am also on Week 4 of 6 with the One Room Challenge over at Laura Design Co., and as if all that wasn't wonderful enough, my mom came to sneak in a quick visit from California!

Our guest room has been quite neglected, and I've been wanting to spruce it up for a while now. Mom's visit happened to coincide with Serena & Lily reaching out to see if they could send me a product to review. (Apparently somehow they were tipped off to the fact that I stalk their website on a near daily basis). One of the options was the Lanai Mirror- which seriously- I have been eyeing for MONTHS, and maybe even years, so I knew it would be a great fit for the guest room dresser immediately. In case you're curious, I went with the larger of the two sizes.

If you're not familiar with Serena & Lily, they are one of my top 3 favorite retailers. Their style is classic, preppy and a little bit coastal. Seriously, the last time I saw one of their ads in a magazine, I tore it out and carried it around with me for a week. This is what a nerd I am.

The mirror was here in no time and was just as gorgeous in real life as it was in their catalog (and my dreams). The fates even converged so that our magnolia tree popped, giving me fresh branches to style with! Ready to see it?

This room was long ago a nursery, but I painted it this deep navy (Naval by Sherwin Williams, one of our favorite go-to Navy blues), knowing that it would transition seamlessly into a guest room. I have a floral duvet cover (from RH over a decade ago) that I've always loved and am designing the room around. Now that this dresser is styled, of course, it makes me want to finish the room!

The rest of the room is pretty close...we just need a headboard (tough choices anyone?), a little more art, and some styling and we'll be there. But a huge thanks goes to Serena & Lily for the lovely mirror and a good start on finally finishing this room!



This post was sponsored by Serena & Lily, for which I am very grateful, in the form of product for review. As always, I would only recommend brands on this blog that I would share with my best friends at our weekly playdate. 

DIY Summer School // Sprayed Gold Leaves

Hi everyone and welcome to your LAST class of the designPost DIY Summer School Series. I'm sad it's over! Today's theme is 'Found in Nature.'

In true last-day-of-school fashion, today's lesson is so easy, it's downright lazy. Two instructions: Find a leaf, and spray paint it gold. Boom, DIY!

Now since you know I can't help it, I'll give you more detail about how I did mine, but if you are a skip-the-words-read-the-pictures kind of blog reader, you can cut class now and feel confident you've already got the gist of it.

First of all, this project was inspired by two things: 1) My inability to keep house plants alive, and 2) Mari Orr on Instagram. A while ago, she posted a picture of a gold spray painted leaf in the #foundforaged feed, which fittingly inspired my friend Traci to comment, "Paint all the things gold!" Yes, yes, let's do that. (By the way, if you love art and want crazy amounts of inspiration, follow Mari on Instagram. Her feed is a delight to the eyes).

Anyway, around the same time, I was posting about my rubber plant and its sad and untimely demise. It was a slow process - probably 9 months in total- but the plant went from a robust green beauty to two sad and spindly sticks pointing wickedly out of the dirt, like the tsking fingers of a petrified teacher shaming me from beyond the grave. But I had a plan. I was collecting the leaves as they fell, letting them brown and curl, dry and harden, as I imagined painting all the things gold. (Careful readers will remember me promising I had a plan when I defended the Dead Plant of Terror's continued presence in my old bedroom. Today's DIY is that plan! And new readers will have fun clicking that link and playing I-Spy for the plant's cameo...so long as you promise to go here afterward, so I can prove to you I don't live like that anymore).

So, to clarify the process for the DIY-er's who need very specific instructions, here are the steps:


1. STEP ONE: SLOWLY MURDER A RUBBER PLANT

Yep, let the leaves fall off one by one and just leave them on your floor to brown, dry and harden.

Cautionary note: Communicate your plans to your husband, who might otherwise throw them away, thinking he's helping out around the house, only to be met with your near hysterical meltdown and frantic clawing through a garbage bag.

I am sure this project can be done with any number of leaves, but I can't imagine one more perfect than the rubber plant's. The texture and curled patterns that the naturally dried leaves take on are beautiful, and so diverse from leaf to leaf!

Also, for those of you who are too horrified to read any further at this point, you could just get a rubber plant and try to keep it alive. They are lovely plants and naturally shed a leaf or two from time to time, even when healthy. :)

However you choose to do it, grab a leaf and you're all set to start this project.

2. STEP TWO: LACQUER THE LEAF (OPTIONAL)

When I painted my bedroom nightstand, (the one New Readers just saw when they clicked the link absolving me from bedroom shame), I had a jar of Americana Decor Chalky Paint Lacquer left over. (Sorry I can't find it online- I bought mine at Hobby Lobby). I decided to use it on my leaf before spray painting, because I wanted to fix some hairline cracks and make the leaf as durable as possible.

If you're going to display this up high and out of reach, this isn't a necessary step. But since I didn't know if I might want to use it to hold paperclips, business cards, or as a ring dish, I thought it best to shore up its strength as much as I could before painting it. The lacquer I used was on the pricey side at $10 a jar, so I think Mod Podge would work just as well. I just used what I had on hand.

Make sure you spread the lacquer extremely thin. The leaves have a wonderful striped texture that is reminiscent of these lovelies and you'll want to preserve it. Don't slop a ton of clear coat on, or the texture won't show through under your paint. A large paint brush stolen from your kids' art drawer will suffice.

3. STEP THREE: SPRAY PAINT THE LEAF GOLD

Having tried every gold metallic spray paint on the market, I will agree with every blogger who has ever told you that Rust-Oleum Metallic Gold is the only way to go. The finish is gorgeous.

Give your leaf several light coats. I did four coats, each 15 minutes apart, to achieve my color.

One trick I use to spray paint small objects is to set them inside a box instead of laying them on flat cardboard. The lid flaps keep the paint from flying all around, and you can easily carry it inside to dry (helpful when the garage is humid on a Chicago summer day).

4. STEP FOUR: DISPLAY!

I actually tried the lacquer again over the top after painting, thinking it would seal everything, but all it did was change the finish to a sickly shade of green. In the end, I haven't needed anything on top of the spray paint. I've used the leaf a few different ways (though I think it's best suited to sitting on top of books and looking pretty), and the paint hasn't come off at all.

So, style away!

Well, team, that does it for DIY Summer School. It's been a privilege to be included with this group of bloggers, and my heartfelt thanks goes to Beth of designPost Interiors for creating this series and inviting me to be a part of it.

I'd love for you to follow Avery Street Design Blog on Bloglovin' (or sign up on the right side bar to have posts come to your inbox) so we can stay in touch. Kind of like waiting until the end of the school year to friend your teacher on Facebook so it isn't awkward. Wait, do kids ever do that? You can also find me on Instagram and Pinterest.

And now, for the last time, let's head off to the other teachers of DIY Summer School and see what they've been up to!

DIY Summer School brought to you by:

Beth, designPOST interiors

Jennifer, Dimples & Tangles

Claire, Claire Brody Designs

Mallory, Charming in Charlotte

Lindsey, Lindsey Brooke Design

Kevin, Thou Swell

Sarah, Life on Virginia Street

Laura, Avery Street Design

Featuring these DIY themes:

June 4th: IKEA Hack

June 18th: Thrifting

July 9th: Wildcard

July 23rd: Craft Store

August 6th: Hardware Store

August 20th: Found in Nature

Interview // Top 5 Places in Chicago to Instagram

A few months back, I was interviewed by some sweet girls over at Bloguettes about my favorite places in Chicago to take pictures for Instagram. Admittedly, I do not get into the city nearly enough, as I am a suburban girl through and through. But it is something I want to do more of, and I have a running bucket list of places I'd love to go and shoot.

In the meantime, I collected my Top 5 so far for the Bloguettes blog, and I'd love for you to check out the interview! 

Top 5 Most Instagrammable Places in Chicago

Be sure to let me know what I should add to the list...

family room refresh & caitlin wilson textiles giveaway!

Long time readers of this blog know how I've been unable to "finish" decorating my family room for, like, ever. I've been completely stuck and indecisive about it in general. It's a classic case of the shoemakers kids having no shoes. For other people, the ideas are endless. For my own house, it's not so easy. I just spend too much time here! 

I've also learned recently that I have major style ADD. In setting up our Laura Design Company Pinterest boards, my partner (also Laura) and I have been trying to create a resource that will be helpful for our clients in assessing their styles. These "Style Profile" boards range from classic to bohemian to everything in between, and in the process I realized that my style is bohemian and classic and everything in between. That's helpful to know, but also means I have a really hard time decorating for myself. I want everything to be a perfectly blended eclectic mix with tons of layer and interest, and I also want it to be completely simple and minimal. I want a whole wall of vintage prints and I want the same wall to be a giant expanse of empty white paint.

When Caitlin Wilson Textiles reached out to introduce me to their shop and ask if I'd like to host a giveaway, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to spend a little time dreaming about how I'd finish my family room once and for all. I'm always advising my clients to get the end-game in mind before they run around buying pieces willy nilly, so maybe I need to follow my own advice.

Caitlin Wilson's pillow and rug collections were all the inspiration I needed to get the gears turning about how I could create a family room that's casual and kid-friendly (a must!!) but still stylish and interesting. Their textiles have an edited, preppy and feminine feel that is just what I would be going for, and as a mom of three, designer Caitlin Wilson knows how to build a collection with family life in mind. 

Photo courtesy of Caitlin Wilson Textiles

The photo above was the jumping off point for my family room scheme. It combines so many different styles- boho in the rug, mid-century in the lines of the table, some found & foraged with the branches, some prep in the pillows, a classic sofa, and a tiny bit of glam with those gold accents. And even though it has all of those styles crammed in there somewhere, it's still edited and minimal. Just right.

So here's how I'd make that inspiration a reality in our own family room:

Pillows & Rug Caitlin Wilson Textiles // Sofa- IKEA // Coffee Table- West Elm // Side Table- Crate & Barrel // Eat, Drink, Nap Book // Art- Dwell Studio // Mid-Century Dresser- Chairish 

The pillows were definitely the jumping off point, and the rug in the bottom of our inspiration photo (though let's be honest, it's out of my price range) would pull everything together in the best way possible. But even without the rug, the pillows will give this room a great pop of color.

I decided on an IKEA sofa because it's the most kid-friendly option. I can imagine my boys perched on those wide arms to play Mario Kart and my daughter curled up in a nest of stuffed animals sketching 'till her heart's content, without me having to panic about the sofa getting destroyed.

The coffee table seems equally sturdy and kid-proof, and I'm excited about the idea of being able to actually wipe up spills (not possible with our current upholstered ottoman).

The side table is soooo beautiful, and the shape and finishes combine the mid-century and glam touches I'd like the room to have.

Eat, Drink, Nap because the cover says Eat, Drink, Nap. And it's pretty. (Thanks for the recommendation, Joanna).

The art from Dwell Studio is just gorgeous, and I love the deep purple, navy and lavender colors. They'd go great with the rug and pillows.

I personally think every room benefits from a vintage piece, so I would grab a dresser like that mid-century beauty to use as a TV console.

So, what do you think? What kind of house projects are you dreaming about these days??

My friends at Caitlin Wilson Textiles would like to get you started! They're giving away one pillow cover- any one of your choice!- from their collection to one lucky follower.

All you have to do is two steps: 1) Head over to Instagram and follow Caitlin Wilson Textiles, and then 2) Tag two friends on this post. Easy as pie.

One winner will be chosen at random to receive a pillow cover of their choice from Caitlin Wilson Textiles. You can enter up until 10 pm CST on Wednesday, June 24th, 2015. Good luck!

Disclosure: I am not receiving compensation for this post, but I was gifted product to review. As you can see, I styled them in my bedroom as my family room is too unworthy- for now! As always, all opinions are 100% my own and I only share companies with you that I would share with my best friends at our weekly playdate.

DIY summer school // IKEA hack built-in bookcases

Good morning and welcome to the first day of DIY Summer School!

Those of you who've been tracking with me for a while remember my home office project, the one where I finally got a grown-up space to work from home. This office has been a lifesaver! And one of my big Blog Bucket List posts that I always intended to write and never did was about how we actually built the DIY Ikea Hack bookcase wall. 

Since today's theme is "Ikea-Hack," I've finally got the excuse to share. Here is how we did our DIY Built-In IKEA-Hack Bookcases!!! 

1. STEP ONE: MEASURE

We used the Borgsjo Bookcase in white from Ikea for this project. The bookcase is 29-1/2" wide. 5 bookcases fit on our 12'11" wall. I measured, measured again, and even sketched a to-scale rendering to make sure we would like the finished look using this size of bookcase. 

Note your ceiling height at this point as well. Ours are only 8' and these bookcases, which are on the shorter side at 71-1/4"H, fit it well. If you are working with taller ceilings, you may consider choosing a taller bookcase.

2. STEP TWO: SHOP

If you're getting 5 cabinets, like we did, here is your list:

Bookcases:

(5) Borgsjo bookcases, white

(5) Borgsjo 2-pack glass door, white

(5) Borgsjo 2-pack door, white

(1) Gallon Zinsser Cover Stain Primer

(2) Gallons Sherwin Williams Pro-Classic Semi-Gloss Paint, (ours is Color Matched to Martha Stewart Pure White)

(20) Liberty Oil-Rubbed Bronze Cabinet Knobs

Construction: (Sorry, from here on out, I don't have exact quantities!)

2 x 4's - around 25-30

drywall - around 3 sheets

Trim:

Crown: Alexandria #94368 5-1/4" Primed Finger Jointed Pine Crown Moulding

Top of Bookcase: Alexandria #00RB3 3-1/2" Primed Finger Jointed Pine Casing

Directly under Bookcase: Alexandria #WM-163 11/16" x 1-3/8" Pine Primed Finger Jointed Base Cap Moulding

Baseboard: Alexandria #WP20 6" Primed Finger Jointed Pine Base Moulding

Sides: IP Moulding 11/16" x 11/16" x 8' Crystal White Cove

In Between Bookcases (to fill the tiny gap): LP Building Products Crystal White 8' Lattice, 1-1/8" x 1/8"

Optional:

(3) IKEA Ranarp Wall/ Clamp Spotlight (Sconces for above bookcases)

Note: We hardwired these. I told you I'd write a post about how. I tried, I really did. Every time Ryan tried to explain it to me in terms I could relay to you, well, let's just say I don't have good spacial reasoning skills. So, just know, it can be done, and I can't tell you how. 

3. STEP THREE: PREPARE THE SPACE

The short version is you don't have to do this, but we cut out our floor, started with no drywall behind the bookcases, and wired for electrical outlets that would be in the bottoms of the bookcases. 

I’m going to assume you already have a wall you’re building these up against. (We didn’t, which is why you see through the studs in the pictures- that was a new wall as we were building the frame of the room at the same time).

You will want to at least remove the baseboard on your wall so everything can fit flush against it. 

IF you want to wire the cabinets for electricity (we put outlets in three of the bottom cabinets to plug in things like my laminator, pencil sharpener and electronic devices, and added three sconces above the bookcases), you should remove most of the drywall so you can get electricity in it. (I'm not going to counsel you here on how to wire stuff up - my official position is that you should hire an electrician for the parts of this project that could electrocute you). 

The reason we cut out the floor is that we might replace the flooring someday, and Ryan said we should do it this way to make that an easier process down the road. You can choose to believe him or not!

But yeah, at this point you are committed, and you are straight up destroying your house!

Using the circular saw always makes Ryan happy...

4. STEP FOUR: BUILD A CAGE BASE

These cabinets aren’t very tall, so you’ll want to lift them off the ground so they look taller and fill the wall space a little better. You also need something sturdy to drill them into so they don't move around. So the base is key.

Build two long skinny rectangles from 2 x 4’s that will run along the edge where your floor was cut out (another good reason to cut out your floor- guideline!) A nail gun is the fastest way to assemble these. Set them in place end-to-end and running from one wall to the other, and check that they fit. If they do, nail in a series of short 2 x 4’s running down the length of the cages. The smaller 2 x 4’s should be placed inside the rectangle frames. 

Then, screw a long 2 x 4 to the studs of your wall. The cage you just built will support the front of the bookcases, and the suspended 2 x 4 will support the back of them. (I know you have no idea what I'm saying. Just look at the pictures for a bit and hopefully it will make sense)!

Check everything with a level. Use shims to level it out if needed. Once it's all good, screw the cage to the floor.

5. STEP FIVE: SET BOOKCASES ON TOP OF CAGE

Set bookcase cabinets on top (unpainted and without doors on them) and position them all in a row next to each other (sides touching with no space in between) on the base. Make sure the row is in the exact center of the wall, with the same amount of space on either side at the outside edges.

You'll also want to make sure you place your cabinets so they are protruding out from the cages about an inch. Drywall (which will be going around the bookcases on all sides) will be ½” and the trim will go on top of that. You want everything to line up when you’re done, but err on the side of the bookcase sticking out further than the trim. If it doesn’t look right, you can always add a second layer of drywall or wood trim, but you can’t push the bookcase back into the wall further. Make sense?

6. STEP SIX: ATTACH BOOKCASES TO STUDS

Remember to cut holes in the bottom backs of the bookcases for access to your electrical outlets if you are installing those.

Now you have three ways to attach the bookcases to the wall. 1) We had an open wall behind them, so we found places to screw into studs from behind where you’d never see the screws. Yay for open walls. 2) If you are building into an existing wall/ drywall, you can screw in the most inconspicuous places you can find and then patch the holes with Fluff and paint over them. Or, option 3), and one that my contractor neighbor recommends, is gluing them. He swears Liquid Nails would be all you’ll ever need to hold those suckers in place. Take them out one at a time, put glue on the bottom and put it back in place. In hindsight, my husband says he would have used method #3 instead of the screws. You run no risk of damaging or splintering the wood and they aren’t going anywhere.

7. STEP SEVEN: PAUSE 

Somewhere during that gluing/ attaching process and before you move on, you'll want to stop and take a good long look at how everything is lining up. Make sure all the cabinets are PERFECTLY level and flush and plumb and perfect. This is an installation with lots of vertical and horizontal lines and you’ll want them all to be square at the end or it will drive you nuts forever. Use shims, and be as OCD as possible.

8. STEP EIGHT: BUILD A CAGE FOR THE TOP

Build a cage for above the bookcases. Same construction method as the base. It needs to be a very tight fit- touching the ceiling and touching the bookcases when you’re done- so measure well and shim accordingly. Make it snug.

Install the cage at the top of the cabinets by setting it on top and screwing it into the ceiling. Then run a bead of Liquid Nails in between the cage and the bookcases to bond them together. Make sure the cage is perfectly level. Check and check again, use shims. Take care to make sure the front of it is level (not slanting diagonally back or anything but standing up straight and plumb).

Wire it up for electricity if you're planning to do so. 

Styling the still-under-construction bookcases with pink peonies and DIY artwork is optional.

9. STEP NINE: BUILD CAGES FOR THE SIDES

Build mini cages on the sides. This is so you have something to secure the drywall to. We recessed the drywall on the sides but in hindsight I wish we hadn’t. You can suit yourself, but just check the depth of these cages. When it’s all said and done, you’ll have dry wall on top of them and then trim on top of that, so make sure they aren’t protruding too far.

Use screws to attach the side cages to the top and bottom cages and the outside walls.

10. STEP TEN: DRYWALL AROUND THE BOOKCASES

Anywhere that you installed a cage (top, bottom, sides) will receive drywall over it. Remember to cut holes in the drywall for your sconces if you're doing them. We used a professional drywaller for this step because drywall scares us, and it’s sooooo hard to mud and tape without showing seams. It is not a huge investment of time for such small and few pieces of drywall, so for us it was well worth having someone come in for this step. 

This is where it starts to take shape and gets really exciting!

11. STEP ELEVEN: TRIM TIME!

We started with the piece that rests just on top of the bookcases. Who knows why. You have 6 areas to add trim:

- Crown along ceiling
- Casing along top of bookcase
- Base cap just under bookcase
- Baseboard along floor
- Cove in a "picture frame" formation on sides
- Lattice pieces to fill skinny gaps between bookcases

12. STEP TWELVE: CAULK

This is the part of the project where the excitement wears off and the tedious stuff left makes you want to cry. You have to caulk ev-er-y-thing. The bad news is, caulking is nooooo fun. The good news is, caulking is magic. MAGIC. You won't believe how wonderful your bookcases will look when you're done. Don't forget to fill all the nail holes in the trim.

13. STEP THIRTEEN: PAINT

Paint! You're almost there! Prime everything with Zinsser primer and then paint it with a semi-gloss white. All trim, drywall, bookcases (don’t forget to paint the doors, the insides, the shelves, everything) will get the same color. This is a huge time commitment and giant pain in the butt. 

True confessions: You know that drywall guy we hired? We had him do all the painting for us too. While we were out of town. Best thing ever!! This part is a ton of work and by the time you’re done building these cabinets, you’re so burned out, you're missing thumbprints because of all the caulk, and the thought of painting just puts you over the edge. If your budget can at all swing it, have it done for you and have someone paint your toes while you’re at it. You deserve it! (Make sure not to let your painter paint over your shelf holes- you’ll need them to put shelves in). Having this done will save you at least 10 hours of work, and you'll get to come home from vacation to this:

14. STEP FOURTEEN: PUT IN SHELVES

Once everything is painted and pretty (and dry, heh), start putting in your shelves. It’s easiest to do this while your doors are off. Be prepared that you’ll scuff all that new paint when you’re doing this, and touch ups will be necessary. If you already know what will be going in the cabinets, you can space the lower shelves to accommodate it. For the top, where there are glass doors, space the shelves perfectly evenly so they create a uniform look. You’ll see them through the doors!

15. STEP FIFTEEN: PUT ON DOORS AND KNOBS

Put the doors on. The IKEA instructions will tell you how to install them and how to level them. Leveling them is key. Install new knobs.

16. STEP SIXTEEN: REJOICE, YOU ARE DONE! FINALLY!

You get to enjoy your new cabinets! Revel in the fact that you’re done! Sleep! Style them with pretty stuff! Post them to Instagram as if they appeared like magic in your house! Feel yourself regaining sanity as you can see your floors and organize your paperwork once again! Tell yourself if was all worth it! (It was).  

BUDGET BREAK DOWN:

OK, well, let's just be clear, this is going to be a ball park. I always start a project with a budget number in mind, but as second and third and seventh Home Depot trips happen for just the right kind of screws, and as weeks turn into months, I start to lose track. So I'm sure some savvy math blog police will want me to disclose that this is an estimate from a very poor memory and not an exact account of the costs. And I'm absolutely certain I'm forgetting something. Normally I'd count on Ryan to read this and tell me what it is, but since we're on page 40 or something of this post, he's surely asleep on his desk drooling all over his keyboard by now.

Bookcases: 5 x $120 = $600
Hardware: 20 x $2 = $40
Trim: 52 linear ft x $3 = $156
Trim: (9) 8' pieces x $2 = $18
Paint: $150
2 x 4's: 30 x $2 = $60
Caulk, screws, odds & ends: $100
Drywall: 3 x $8 = $24

What am I forgetting?

MATERIALS TOTAL: $1,148

Drywall & paint labor: $600

TOTAL TOTAL: $1,748

The reason this is important is the "Was it worth it?" question. I didn't know until I had a recent conversation with a contractor to price out an installation of built-in cabinets that was smaller and much less elaborate than this one, and the quote came back at $5000. So, yep, we decided it was worth it.

As for time frame, it took us about 5 months. But to be fair, we were doing construction on the whole room, not just the bookcases, AND you were pre-warned that our projects move slower than a 5-year-old making a Happy Meal decision.

In case you'd like to see how the bookcases turned out all dressed up, you can see the complete office tour here!

For more DIY & decor inspiration, follow Avery Street Design on Bloglovin'!

And now, off to see what the other teachers of DIY Summer School have up their Ikea-hacking sleeves. I must thank Beth of designPost for hosting this Series and for giving me the kick I needed to finally make good on my promise to share this tutorial. (I think we can all see why I needed a kick- that was ridiculously long!) Thanks Beth!

Beth, designPOST interiors

Jennifer, Dimples & Tangles

Claire, Claire Brody Designs

Mallory, Charming in Charlotte

Lindsey, Lindsey Brooke Design

Kevin, Thou Swell

Sarah, Life on Virginia Street

Laura, Avery Street Design

And hey, one more thing. Bloggers, do you have an Ikea Hack project to share? Link it up below yo! Tag 'em on Instagram with #DIYSummerSchool too. See you for the next class...June 18th for something from the thrift store!

{p.s. I'm sharing this post with House of Hipsters at Found & Foraged}

An InLinkz Link-up