Kilim Ottoman Coffee Table & Life

Lately, I've been thinking about changing out our coffee table for an upholstered kilim ottoman.  Currently, we have a live edge vintage wood coffee table (which I do like), but my husband is constantly using my lovely Turkish kilim pillows as cushions for his feet when he props them up on the table.  So not cool!  Since he just has to have his feet up, I figured I may as well make it more comfy for him and at the same time save my poor throw pillows. 

Not to worry about the current coffee table, I'm planning to use it as a TV stand.  I've actually been looking for a cool low stand for the tele.  The coffee table should work out perfectly, since it has a bottom shelf for the VCR and cable box.

One of the local shops, I frequent, has kilim ottomans I've been eyeing for a while, but sadly they don't have any pics on their website, but I did find another one I like at Eco Chic.

 

 

This one is a bit pricey, but I do like it and it has a plethora of color options.  The ones at the other shop have more of a traditional Moroccan rug pattern (kind of like the throw pillow in the above pic). Decisions, Decisions.

 

In other news, the trainer at the gym has decided to torture me.  She put together my personal fitness plan and it's grueling.  I'm beginning to think that she believes I'm wanting to train to be some sort of an athlete (can you say Iron Man?!).  I think I need to explain to her that I really am only wanting to look halfway decent in a swimsuit.  My son is out for two weeks on school holiday, so it's messing with my routine.  I'm going to have to go to my classes and stuff in the evening now. 

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Also, we're going on our little mini vacation to the Taronga Zoo, in Dubbo, this coming weekend, so I'll miss a couple classes, but I'm told that the zoo is huge and we'll be renting bikes to ride around. I'll also be packing up the cooler and several totes with all our fruits and veggies and I'll be bringing the blender for our morning smoothies.  We plan to stay right on track with our plant based lifestyle. 

 

 

{image and ideas for staying vegan on vacation via Cadry's Kitchen}

 

 

My husband has still been rocking his weight loss and fitness.  Tomorrow is the last day of the fitness boot camp he's been attending, three days per week, and is signing up for another four weeks.  Our six year old is dying to attend boot camp too (they actually have one for kids) and says he's saving up all his money to go.  He's just a tiny little thing, but has been doing jumping jacks and sit ups every evening and eating all his fruits and veggies, in preparation.  He's always telling us that he needs his broccoli and avocados, because they're heart healthy foods.  We don't want to burst his bubble, just yet, but, we think, he's still a couple years away from going to a kid's boot camp.

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Oh and one more (small) thing.  This past weekend my husband and I celebrated our seventeen year wedding anniversary.  He bought me a nice tripod for my new camera and said that he put some money back for our Bali trip, as my gift.  Plus, we are going on that little trip this weekend too.  It's funny, but looking back over all the years, it feels like we've lived so many different lives together (probably because we've lived so many places).  On one hand, it feels like the time has passed by in the blink of an eye, but on the other, so much has happened and changed over the past seventeen years (and pretty much all for the better).  It will be interesting to see what's to come.

 

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Indigo Block Print Dhurrie...

Folks, I believe I have found the new rug for our living room.  On my last living room design board I showed a black and white dhurrie and said that I wanted to find one for our living room that had some sort of a graphic print. 

Well, here it is...



I love that it's 100% cotton and is handwoven and hand blocked in Jaipur, India.

My only complaint is that the largest size is a 5X8 and I'd like for it to be larger, but I can live with that. For the style and the price, it's really hard to complain about anything. 

Living Room {Australia}

Will this ever end?  Today, I'm presenting you with yet another design board for our living room.  In the past I've discussed getting a new sofa and how that has been a real challenge.  A couple months ago we searched and searched, but couldn't find anything we absolutely love and could live with for many years to come (when you're spending that kind of money you should really love it).  However, we did end up making a  decision.  I know shocking!  We decided to just order a white custom slipcover for our existing sofa.  I think that was the logical choice, we get a couple more years out of the sofa (until we move back to the States) for the least amount of $$$.  Hopefully, when it finally comes in (from England) we will love it and it will provide the "transformation" we've been seeking. 

The sofa we have is a discontinued Ikea model and is slipcovered (we bought it second hand when we arrived in Australia).  Apparently, they had a wide variety of slipcover colors to choose from, but since they no longer sell them I did a search for anyone who makes slipcovers to fit that model and I lucked out and found several.  The only catch is it takes a month or two to make and then has to be shipped.  At first we were looking at mid September, but now it's looking like mid October, before it arrives.

So here is what I'm thinking the room will look like in a couple months....

As you can see there are a couple new things on the board I'm still wanting to purchase.  The jute rug I purchased, from Ikea, last year, is already starting to fray on the corners, so that needs to be replaced.  This time I'm thinking of a flatweave, like a graphic dhurrie or kilim. 

And then the lamps...A.K.A my arch nemesis.  They're kind of like the problem I was having with sofas...I just keep hitting a wall at every turn.  The lamps I pictured on the board are from West Elm, but again, I don't care for the shade or the price tag, but I like the lamp and color.  But, I also still really like the Buddha lamp I've blogged about a couple times.  My new teak side tables and the room are in desperate need of ambient lighting.  Designing for oneself is really the most challenging. 

We've lived in our current house for two years now (still hard to believe) and I've only hung bamboo roman shades in the master bedroom (we have a pretty large collection of bamboo shades that we carry around from place to place...house to house), so I'm going to finally put them up in the rest of the house.  I also have a few sets of curtains I made about seven or eight years ago, but they're off white and won't look right with the white slipcover, so I think I'll grab a pair of white ones from Ikea, but I want to jazz them up a bit.  How do extra large white pom poms down the leading edge sound (bringing in a little Moroccan flare)?  I think I'm going to order some thick white yarn and make them myself.  I'll also order a few colors of yarn and make cute pom poms like the ones on the inspiration pillow, but I'll add them to the pillows I'm going to make with my new links fabric. 

As far as the art goes, I want to create a gallery wall above my antique Chinese console (pictured).  I'm, also, still searching for a frame to fit my otomi...I so don't want to spend money on a custom one.  Lastly, I think I'm going to buy that travel sketch of India I blogged about recently.  They're just so amazing, I'm going to start a collection (good/inexpensive idea for any family who want to know what to buy me for birthdays or Christmases).

So, what do you guys think of my most recent presentation?  It's a bit more colorful than I usually gravitate towards, for myself, but I think my otomi is inspiring me to be more adventurous with color.

Teak Side Tables Score...

This is how it happened... today, after dropping my son off at school, I headed to the next town over to pick up another cute peplum t-shirt.  Actually, I better back it up a bit ...Yesterday, I took my son to swim lessons (like we do every Tuesday), after school.  Unfortunately, when we arrived we were informed that the pool was closed due to a "feces incident"...I know YUCK!  Anyway, with some extra time on our hands, I decided to swing by a shop and look around.  While there, I found a really cute peplum t-shirt on sale for $8!  It came in a variety of colors, but I chose black.  I would have tried it on and found out right then that I loved it and would have purchased more, but my son decided to announce, rather loudly, that he needed to poop..."right now, it's an EMERGENCY, Mom!"  And no, of course not, the store did not have a restroom, so I had to pay quickly and rush him to a potty. 

Fast forward to today and like I said earlier, I went back to the shop to buy another top.  Love it, by the way!  While I was there, I decided to pop into another shop, I like, which sells vintage, antique and imported furnishing and home décor.  As I'm walking up to the shop I spy some teak side tables from Bali.  Yes, I know, I kind of have a "thing" for anything Balinese...It's a sickness...I'm working on it (kind of, well not really, o.k., not at all).  Upon seeing them and the price, I instantly decide that I'm buying them and head inside to haggle over the price.  Truth be told they were already priced really well, but I've bought a few pieces from them before and I know the prices are negotiable, so I went for it.  I talked them down a bit, after agreeing to pay in cash and to take them home today.  So, drum roll please...I got a pair of beautiful solid teak tables for $50 each! 

So long story short long...oops...I owe my new side tables to poop.  Yep, the pool pooper and my sons very public and very loud declaration brought me to my new lovelies.  Got to love fate!

Now I'm really needing those new table lamps!

Link Love (and Balinese dreams)...

Some boxes arrived in the mail today from my Mother, most of them containing birthday gifts for her Grandson (he's turning six next month), but one was for ME!  She surprised me with a few yards of one of my favorite fabrics, which I've mentioned on this blog and have used on "inspiration boards" many-a-time, but for some reason have never ordered for myself. 

Okay, okay, I'm sure you're dying to know, so without further ado, the much coveted fabric, which is now all mine, is the Links Indigo.

 

I'm still deciding what I want to use it for.  My top choice would be several large pillows for a Balinese daybed.  Well, the Balinese daybed that I've been wanting for many, many years now.  Heck, now that I have the fabric, I may as well drop the big bucks and just buy the darn thing.  Makes sense in my mind, which is all that really matters.  By the way, I already ran that idea by the hubby and he did seem to pause for a moment to consider it (or perhaps to wrap his brain around my insane logic), but was all, "wouldn't you rather have the new camera that you've wanted for years?"  and I was all, "um, well, can't I have both?"  Yeah, I'm pretty sure the pause which followed that comment was not in consideration.  All I have to say for now is, we shall see.  Wink, Wink.

{DIY} Nightstands on the Cheap...

I've noticed many Ikea Rast chest of drawers madeover (Hacks) and many look really great, so I thought I might give it a shot too.

For quite a while, I've been needing new, larger nightstands, but haven't a.) come across any I absolutely love and b.) well, I'm too cheap to spend big bucks on some I would absolutely love.  In the meantime (O.K. for like sixteen years), we've been making due with a pair of mismatched antique ones that have long outlived their welcome.  We need an upgrade folks....like big time.  At least a bump-up from a smart car to a sedan.  It's all about the trunk space. ;o)....

But seriously, I think I can make them look stylish.  Heck, they can't look worse than what they'll be replacing-fingers crossed. 

So here is the plan:  Purchase two Rasts, paint them white, add grasscloth to drawer fronts, and replace the pulls.  Sounds simple enough.  Of course, I'm good with the idea part...not always so good with the follow through...

Rast Hacks {IKEA}...

This "Otomi" painted one would also look really cute in our bedroom (hhhmmm)...






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Fabric Love...

Wanted to pop in really quick to share a little fabric love with you all.

Love, Love, Loving the Sari fabric by Manuel Canovas...

 

May need to find something to use this on!

Enlightened Lighting...

You may recognize this lamp from one of my recent design boards.  While on my current trip back to the US I searched for new lamps for our living room, but came up short.  Don't get me wrong, I found many great options, but none that had the right combo of great deal and style.  To my surprise, I found this Serene Buddha Pedestal Table Lamp, online, at Lamps Plus, while pulling items for my board.

 

You may also notice that I changed the red shade out for a natural color linen.  Making this change completely elevated this lamp and took it from cheesy Chinese restaurant kitsch to a stylish and expensive looking fixture. 

 

Needless to say, they'd fit right in with my existing decor, are very close to what I've been searching for and are definitely in the running.  Yay!



Lamp Love...

Another item I'll be searching for, while I'm back in the states, are lamps for our living room.  We're on a different wattage over here, and I have some adaptors I can use, but really just having them here for aesthetics is enough.

Here are some lamps that are serving as inspiration for my search...

Loving this Regina-Andrew Design "Artifact" Mini Lamp

have always loved coral lamps and especially the bold red of this Regina-Andrew Design

 

 

Something with natural horn would work too.  Like this Jamie Young Stacked Horn Table Lamp

 

 

I've been wanting a turtle shell or two for a while so I'll keep an eye out for something like this "Gold Tortoise" Mini Lamp

This Carved Goddess Lamp would fit in perfectly!

Thinking I'm going to need a bit of luck on my side, to find great deals similar to my inspiration!



Sofa, Pendants & Flowers

On a recent outing we popped into a furniture store we like, called Early Settler, to see if a sofa we were considering is still a contender.  I snapped a couple quick pics to share, since the photo online doesn't do it any justice.

As you can see it's a rather large sofa with a chaise and a linen slipcover.  I really love everything about it, except the throw pillows and the only hesitation I have is the size.  Don't get me wrong, I actually love the scale, but I'm worried about committing to something that may not fit into, say, a condo in Hawaii.

You may have also noticed that they happen to have the Lotus pendants, that I've blogged about before. and that I really, really, really want hanging above the sofa.  Hmmm...quite the coincidence.

 and last, but not least, the beautiful Valentine flowers, from my guys.  Also wanted to point out that the space on the wall to the right of the flowers is where my new Otomi will be hanging!

Hope you guys are having a nice day today.  Unfortunately, my little guy is home sick from school today and is lying on the sofa next to me watching cartoons.  He's feeling much better, since his fever broke.  Gotta run, getting demands for a juice box.

Birthday & Otomi...

My birthday is next week and a gift from my Mom arrived today.  She knew that I'd been admiring obsessing over Mexican Otomi textiles, so she purchased a wall hanging for me. 

{this is mine}

The plan is to frame it and hang it above my antique Chinese console.  I love, love, love it!  Thanks Mom.  My new art collection is coming along quite nicely, if I do say so myself!

Our New Art...

The pieces are framed and hanging on the walls and I'm so proud of myself for not procrastinating.  Since we live in a historic house, I only use either 3M hooks or hang pictures from the picture rail.  In the living room, however, there is only a plate rail, so it had to be 3M hooks.  So far, the hooks seem to be working out really well and if I don't hear any loud bangs and the sound of breaking glass in the next few days, I may be converted for life! 

Without further ado, here are the new pieces...



This is my FAVORITE one!  The other two prints were mentioned in a previous post, but I kept this one as a surprise.  I've seen this vintage photograph around Pinterest and have pinned it several times and fell in love with it instantly.  I really wanted it, so I went on a little mission to track down the source for this photograph and after many links found it on Wikimedia Commons and they had all the information about the photo and mentioned that this photo was in the public domain because the copyright has expired.  The photo is described as "Young Berber woman of Tunisia, with tattoo and traditional jewelery (early 1900s)...1905"  With this information, I downloaded the image and had it made into a poster (only for my personal use).  With all the great deals I got on the prints, and some great inexpensive ready made frames I tracked down (after searching many, many, many stores), I was able to bring all three pieces in at $98 total cost.



 

 how adorable is she?  I just love her!

O.K. I will admit that the old man kind of startles me, when I walk into the room, and he really freaks out the hubby...he thinks he resembles my late father.  Actually, the first thing he asked me when he saw him was, "when did your father ever wear a turban?"  Maybe there is a very slight resemblance.  I think he'll look better as part of a future gallery wall.

After hanging them, I started thinking about rearranging some of my furniture and making room for my antique Javanese cabinet that's been hanging out in our guest bedroom.  If the furniture ends up moving around, some of the pictures may move too.  Bringing in new items always causes a chain reaction...at least in our house.  Still needing a new sofa, side tables, table lamps....Next up, however, is decluttering and organizing.  We're turning the guest bedroom into a playroom.  I'll be sure to keep you all in the loop.

Photography Love...

Guess what! Do you give up?  O.K. I'll tell you.  The three photography prints I ordered over four weeks ago (it always takes between 2-5 weeks for anything to reach us) arrived Friday and I've already framed them and I've hung two of them.  The third will be hung today, after I go out and get some wire.  Then I'll take some pics. Can't wait to show you guys....I love, love, love them. 

In the meantime, I thought I'd share another print that I'm dying to order. 

{Riziere, Bali Print by Diagentur}

I've always had a slight major obsession with Bali and am hoping to visit sometime in the near future.  This print could keep me company and keep the dream alive, until that time.



Art Purchases...

One of my goals for this year is to purchase some new art for the house.  My favorite type of art is photography, so I'm kicking off the new year with two purchases...

My favorite of the two is a colorful print from India by Bruno Morandi

The second purchase is an adorable B&W print from the series The World of Kim Anderson VII by Kim Anderson


Can't wait for them to arrive so I can get them framed and displayed!  If you like either of these prints you can find easy links to them on my Art Pinterest board or go to art.com.  You can also check out some of my other picks on my Art board that I'd love to add to the collection.

1GS Decor Finds & a Ferry...

Just wanted to pop in and share a few things happening in my world...

Last weekend we went to the flea market and I picked up a vintage leather suitcase, for $10, to add to my collection (I believe this makes number 6)...

yesterday, I picked up a set of six ikat place mats, $5 for all six and an ikat table runner for 8 bucks. I <3 them!

one of my husband's co-workers picked us a bunch of fresh oranges and mandarin oranges from his trees.

and the ferry, well, we took a trip into Sydney, Friday, via the train.  It was the first time we took the train from our town all the way to Circular Quay in Sydney.  We had lunch at Pancakes on the Rocks and took some photos (fun touristy stuff) and decided to take a ferry part of the way home.  We took the River Cat (ferry) from Circular Quay to Parramatta and then took the train the rest of the way home.  The boat trip down Darling Harbor, past the Opera House, under the Harbour Bridge, past mansions atop the cliffs along the coastline and past sailboats anchored in the many coves was/is a trip worth taking!

Hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend!

*all photos via 1GS