by studiotullia | Nov 5, 2023 | DIY, HOME IMPROVEMENT, INTERIOR DESIGN, ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, recycle, retro, reuse, that 70's show
Hello All!
Sometimes we must celebrate the smaller wins, right?
Like this lovely crocheted blanket. A handmade throw to toss around and a nice blanket for the edge of the bed. Found on EBay. We liked the colors and the graphic nature of it.
My daughter is a collector of comic books, avengers posters, Star Wars memorabilia, etc. She plans to plaster the rooms with posters and stack comic books on rows of shelving, etc. The challenge will be to create a cohesive, curated look. At least for some decent ORC final photos before it goes the ways of a teenager.
By the way, the vendor below is a great source for posters and old comic books.
You get the idea, right?
Action figures and other collectibles… 
And of course, don’t forget to check out the talented ORC designers!
See you all next week!
XOXO,
Suzanne
by studiotullia | Nov 5, 2023 | HOME IMPROVEMENT, INTERIOR DESIGN, SUZANNE'S DESIGN PROJECTS
Sports Fans, Week 5 was felt uneventful as we are still on the WALLS, but we are making progress!
THE WALLS
The fact of the matter is that this wall repair work is a grueling, son of a bitch. And if I am honest, I want nothing to do with it. I’ll run errands all day before I have to clean up this mess. I’ve never seen such a pieced together nightmare as we’ve found behind these cabinets. See hwo satisfying though as new sheet rock goes up below.
NOW
BEFORE
We must remember from whence we came.
My husband put several buckets of mud on the walls, slowly building up he walls.
SKIM COATING
Here it is drying. NOW
BEFORE
It does feel good to have the walls pretty much all covered now. Lots of sanding, patching and then painting will be happening now. That is where I can step in and start to help again.
CABINETRY
We are going to put in a WETBAR where the cabinetry was – with a small bar and fridge, as well as some drawers and a nice counter top. The plumbing needs to be rerouted. FYI, the wet bar is not a true bar for my daughter, but a place to make tea and wash paint brushes, etc. since she paints sometimes.
Ive been searching for something we could just make do with but my husband will most likely make it himself. Won’t be done in two weeks though..
I like the simplicity of these. Simple, clean…
If we can get the walls and floors done and my daughter somewhat moved in, that will be a triumph!
Don’t forget to check out all the other participants in the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE:
See you all next week!
XO
Suzanne
by studiotullia | Oct 15, 2023 | HOME IMPROVEMENT, INTERIOR DESIGN, ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, SUZANNE'S DESIGN PROJECTS
Hello my fellow Design Enthusiasts!
Here we are at Week 3 of the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE,
We are still deep into repairing WALLS! Lots and lots of mudding, sanding and building up of layers.
It is a laborious stage of the project and in the end, what will most transform this funky ol’ kitchen.
We are also trying to narrow down our paint color, and feeling pretty happy with
BENJAMIN MOORE – MEDITERRANEAN BREEZE
Here is Charlotte and her Dad working on the walls.
We’ve been envisioning fresh sky blue walls to keep us motivated.
FLOORING
We are also working on selection of laminate wood flooring, from HOME DEPOT.
We will replace the dated laminate floor with a wood look:
WET BAR
The nod to what was once a kitchen will now be a WETBAR and we know we want hexagonal tiles and floating shelves.
HEXAGONAL TILE PATTERNS
The question is what pattern?
Thanks for following along and be sure to check out the other ORC participants!
XOXO,
SUZANNE
by studiotullia | Oct 8, 2023 | HOME IMPROVEMENT, INTERIOR DESIGN, SUZANNE'S DESIGN PROJECTS
Well, hello Everyone. Here we are at WEEK TWO.
BEFORE: Funky Old Kitchen
The room my daughter is moving into is now a very dated kitchen on our second floor. Not our main kitchen. The room has clearly been neglected for a long time. We just never knew where to start or what to do with this room so it has sat barely used for over 15 years in our 1906 house. At some point the house was turned into a duplex and with this kitchen and we are slowly rebuilding it back to a single family house..
The appliances have been hauled out and removed. The corner above is where the fridge was.
And the wall below is where the stove was. Yes, big, gaping holes!
And demolition of the funky cabinetry has begun. What is behind all of this is very pieced together walls and no clean lines or edges. Old wallpaper that had been painted over had to be scraped and then mudded.
Straight lines are being created and lots of patching and mudding is taking place.
So we are in a demo stage for sure.
Decisions had to be made about whether we wanted to keep the built ins at all but the woodwork is pretty darn shoddy so we are going to scrap it all in fabric or more space!
These upper cabinets and the shelving is all coming out.
Be sure to check out all the other participants and we will see you next week!
Thanks for reading along!
XOXO,
Suzanne
by studiotullia | Oct 1, 2023 | DIY, HOME IMPROVEMENT, INTERIOR DESIGN, ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, STYLE TIPS FOR DIY
We are doing the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE this Fall to light a fire under our you know what. The kitchen demo has begun. I will get into the nitty gritty of this project real soon but I want to share some inspo pics brought to you straight from my daughter’s Ipad. She is deep into the 70’s era which I grew up in so it is a trip down memory lane.
Look at that color palette!
Mod Teen Bedroom
Here is the mood board we put together. This will be a challenge to pull together. Looks cluttered to me. Somehow we will make this work.
She can lean on her Dad’s old records and turntable we will dig up from out storage in the basement.
Years ago we did a One Room Challenge for her bedroom and we are going in an entirely new direction. She has been in a tiny room for several years and is now ready to move into what was our upstairs kitchen. Our house was once a duplex, where my Mother lived for ten years in the upstairs unit, but we now use it as a single family home. This kitchen has been a catchall room for crafts, spare pet cages, a slime lab, holiday cooking, etc. but has been under unitlized for many years. It will be her STUDIO BEDROOM complete with wet bar and large closet.
A comfortable, mod reading chair.
Wondering which second hand store would have a crochet blanket…
This reminds me of college. Where does one even get milk crates anymore?
QUEEN – Freddie Mercury
I blame my husband for the RUSH influence.
Be sure to check out all the other participants of THE ONE ROOM CHALLENGE!
Thanks for following along !
See you next week.
XOXO,
Suzanne
by studiotullia | Jul 26, 2020 | DIY, HOME IMPROVEMENT, INTERIOR DESIGN, ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, SUZANNE'S DESIGN PROJECTS
HONESTLY, I don’t know what every teenage boy wants in his bedroom. And frankly, I really don’t want to venture there… I do know how to help you figure out what your teenager might want in his/her room though…
Kids are home a lot more these days, trying to make the best of their situation as we all are, right? Backyard use is a constant for recreation with all kinds of indoor activity happening as well, in places like the kitchen, dining room, living room and family room/basement. Legos, crafts, baking, reading, the inevitable screen time…whatever the activity, we all need SPACE.
INTERNET use is way up and that scares me, and it’s not going away with this generation. I recently moved a spare computer into the DINING ROOM so the kids can be in the center of the house if they are online, not lost in their room for hours. YouTube University can offer kids endless access to knowledge and DYI fun, but needs parental supervision for sure.
With part time online school a most likely scenario this FALL, we all need to make sure our kids’ rooms function well for their needs.
SO, on to BEDROOM DESIGN… One must ASSESS the room before PLANNING and DESIGN begins. Take pictures and dimensions of the room and try to think in new ways about the use of the space. What can you get RID of? Have a conversation with your kid about what is and isn’t working for them in their room. What are their hobbies? Interests? Favorite things? Will they need a new desk? A comfortable chair? A laptop? A good mirror? Adequate lighting in bed? A way to store books, games, etc? Do they want to display any awards, ribbons, posters or art that they love?
Watch a few TIDYING UP MARIE KONDO or QUEER EYE episodes together. They’re are so motivational and heart-warming.
Creating a mood board together is a great idea…and believe me, it will change over the course of the project. It’s all part of the process, but so worth it in the end.
EVERY GOOD ROOM TAKES TIME AND ENERGY TO COMPLETE
Once its all done you can truly enjoy it. The hard work really pays off.
I’ve been refreshing my girl and boy teens’ bedrooms this past year so let’s delve into that process, shall we?
The process of working with your kid to create a room they really love is such a rich experience. Delve into their interests and get to the root of what they like to have around them and how they want to use their own space. It lets them know that you care. And it’s important for them to feel good in their space…
BOY TEEN BEDROOM #1 (ARTHUR’ S ROOM):
Arthur had an awesome room to begin with. The second floor location looks out over an ancient cherry tree (so it feels like a nest), has beautiful muntin/lattice trimmed windows, and a huge walk-in closet. The unusual roofline and crazy room dimensions, although challenging to work with, make it unique and charming.
START WITH A COLOR SCHEME
Arthur insisted that he wanted green walls as GREEN is his favorite color. Together, we considered many greens before we picked the right one. It helps if you have the beginning of a color scheme to work with, like this owl painting by local artist, ELIZABETH SEE.
We used STOKES FOREST GREEN by Benjamin Moore on the walls. It brings a lot of happy energy into the room.
NEXT, ESTABLISH A THEME OR A FOCAL POINT
In the case of Arthur, A LOVE OF OLD THINGS
The focal point of the room is the ANTIQUE ROPE BED from the late 1800’s that was his great, great grandparents’. Mr. Can Fix Anything reinforced this bed to last forever. It was once literally held together by rope with a mattress made of hay. Hence the saying, “Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” I found this in the attic of an old house in Flat Rock, NC. called CHANTELOUP, that once belonged to our family. Arthur loves that it is the oldest object in our house.
Arthur has always loved pirates and the sea, so when we came across this wallpaper at a local boutique (PICNIC NW), we thought it just might work. It’s inspired by the old-fashioned copperplate illustration technique, full of hand-drawn lines and a real sense of the time taken to produce such a work.
HIGH SEAS MURAL WALLPAPER
Sometimes the most challenging aspect of a room turns out to be its best feature. That was the case with this room. The slanted wall from the roof line was a big design dilemna. Rather than ignore it, we decided to do something notable.
ACCENT MURAL WALL DEPICTING OLD SHIPS AT SEA
The HIGH SEAS in Henderson Blue wallpaper mural was done in partnership with REBELWALLS. It was our first DIY wallpaper installation and it went pretty well. The design was based off of an antique etching but the scale and color gives it a modern edge. The blue is a little softer on the eyes than the black and white version we almost went with. I was afraid the green wouldn’t work with the mural but somehow it does. The mural really lights up the room. It stands on its own. I kept the color palette on the bed pretty toned down, mostly blues, whites and browns, to tie in the blue in the mural.
Once we’d identified the HIGH SEAS wallpaper and the old ROPE BED, it felt natural to go in the direction of an old captain’s quarters on a ship.
We bought this antique rug on EBAY while drinking way too much Two Buck Chuck back in the late 90’s. We later discovered that it was just like The Dude’s Rug featured in the classic film, THE BIG LEBOWSKI. It has worn like steel over the years and Arthur wanted it in his room. So, that was yet another design component to work into the mix.
The room was lacking light but after we put in the sconces on either side of the bed and the lamp on the desk, it seemed to provide enough light and cozied up the room.
FYI, sconces should be hung approximately 5 feet from the floor and 8″ away from the bed.
These sconces were from IKEA and not bad for $17 a piece! We just needed to drill holes and hide the wires which was a quick fix by my husband.
The chandelier and lamp are also from IKEA. I love the way the light shines through the holes in the copper lamp shade on the desk at night.
The original paintings are by local artist ELIZABETH SEE, who is a favorite of mine. We have various paintings of hers all over the the house. We have been to her studio where the kids picked out the art from Elizabeth themselves. I also framed his birth certificate and included some antique ship prints and a vintage carved deer head.
The duvet cover and sheets are from IKEA and the decorative pillows, plaid throw and bedskirt are from STUDIO TULLIA (the fabric is from PENDLETON). I often use ticking on the backs of bedding pillows because it is so comfortable and utilitarian. If one side is too hot or itchy you can just flip it over. I also used it for the bedskirt.
I used two different duvet cover sets and layered them on the bed.
Henry seems right at home in Arthur’s room.
In the case of Arthur’s vast lego collection, we donated this ANTIQUE CURIO CABINET to the cause. I wanted to paint it bright red but my husband wouldn’t allow it. It was a wedding gift from my Aunt Donna. It really was the perfect solution as you can see the entire beautifully contained collection within the confines of this cabinet.
The STAR LIGHT on top of the cabinet is from POTTERY BARN and is a wonderful light at night.
The VINTAGE MODEL AIRPLANES are from a dear neighbor and I thought I’d try hanging them up in his room. They are pretty delicate so I am hoping they hold up.
Here is a detail shot of the curtains. They have the ribbon work which STUDIO TULLIA is so known for. They used to be in my dining room but were in really good condition so I held onto them. Glad I could reuse them for this room. I ended up using four pleated panels which works really nicely for this double window.
When I think about what my teenage brother had up in his room in the late 70’s, I’m happy with legos and pirate ships for now.
NOW WE HAVE THE INTERNET, WHICH IS ANOTHER BALLGAME ALTOGETHER
Safeguarding what’s out there on the internet for them to find, is another thing altogether. A recent webinar I attended about kids and pornography held by local author of the book, BIRDS & BEES & KIDS, AMY LANG, was a rude awakening. Her website is a great resource for parents. Two great takeaways from the webinar were 1) establish house rules around internet usage and 2) install the Circle app that lets you manage content and time online for your family’s as well as enable you to manage all the devices on your home Wi-Fi.
This room was completed as part of the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE in 2019, which is a bi-annual design challenge in which you have 6 weeks to overhaul a room of your choice. REBEL WALLS was kind enough to partner with us on this DIY project. As a ORC designer/blogger guest participant, you are required to share your progress each week. The accountability piece and the collective spirit of the event, help to pull you through. If you haven’t heard of it, check it out. They have a whole section on KIDS ROOMS.
by studiotullia | May 19, 2020 | HOME IMPROVEMENT, INTERIOR DESIGN, ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, STYLE TIPS FOR DIY, SUZANNE'S DESIGN PROJECTS
Well, here we are at WEEK 2 of the ORC project. In case you missed the first post, we are remodeling my 13 year old teenage daughter’s tiny bedroom. We think the best use of the space should include a loft bed. My husband, with her help, is in the throes of making this custom bed.
Here are some nice ones that help us to conceptualize how to best use the space.
This loft bed with built-in shelves under the ladder allows room for a desk and more storage space. I love the bookshelf under the bedrail.
POTTERY BARN always has quality furnishings, and its styled beautifully with their linens. The brass touches are nice.
This is also from POTTERY BARN which I included because we are considering painting the bed gray.
A truly mid century loft look by WEST ELM/POTTERY BARN. The yellow is beautiful with the warm wood tones. Love the dresser in there, too. I love how the desk fits right behind the ladder, which is simple and elegant.
This is the Harlan loft bed with desk ($500 range). This more basic loft bed is built with comfortable sleeping space and plenty of room underneath. It is available at several online stores including Wayfair and Overstock.
These two pieces above are both from IKEA. There are lots of nice options for storage bins, drawers, etc. They are a bargain around $100 each. And they would just fit, within an inch, below the loft bed we are making.
We already have a desk chair kind of like this that someone had just left on the street corner across from an office buiding. It looked brand new, so I grabbed it! Like I said, LAW OF ATTRACTION at work…
We are also considering a comfy chair if it will fit. This first one (above) is from URBAN OUTFITTERS and the second one (below) is from POTTERY BARN TEEN.
On sale for $199 at POTTERY BARN TEEN right now.
I am loving this vintage mid century modern light fixture that extends out, with little stars. $250 at HIPPO HARDWARE in Portland, OR, a great resource for vintage lighting and hardware. The place has soul.
This one from TARGET is also nice, and we love the color. About $100.
We are headed in this direction with grays, blues and white direction with pops of color in the art. We also want to mix in some color with the art.
We have been watching all of the AVENGER SUPER HERO MOVIES in order since the quarantine started. Usually one or two a week. It’s actually really fun to watch as a family. Thank goodness these Disney movies now have plenty of heroines as well as heroes. AVENGER HEROINES will be the prevailing theme in the art that she is considering for her room. I can think of worse role models, right?
1. Captain America: The First Avenger (1942-1943)
2. Captain Marvel (1995)
3. Iron Man (2010)
4. Iron Man 2 (2011)
5. The Incredible Hulk (2011)
6. Thor (2011)
7. The Avengers (2012)
8. Iron Man 3 (2012)
9. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
11. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
12. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2014)
13. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
14. Ant-Man (2015)
15. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
16. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016)
17. Doctor Strange (2016-2017)
18. Black Widow (2017)
19. Black Panther (2017)
20. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
21. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2017)
22. Avengers: Infinity War (2017)
23. Avengers: Endgame (2018-2023)
24. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2023)
There are so many great sources on ETSY for everything from downloadable $5 pdfs you can print yourself, to pricier vintage movie posters and comic books.
Rosie the Riveter is not a MARVEL SUPER HERO but Charlotte is relating to this heroic image. She has even been dressing like her in a blue jumpsuit from TARGET and a bandanna around her head.
So this coming week, we are prepping the room for paint, sanding and continuing work on the bed, and playing around with how much art we need, where we will hang it, and what fits within our budget.
So, here is the link below to the ORC FEATURED DESIGNERS as well as the GUEST PARTICIPANTS if you just can’t get enough.
Thank you for reading along. Until next week….
#STAYSAFE, #STAYHOME , #STAYCALM&DESIGNON
by studiotullia | Oct 28, 2016 | DESIGN TRENDS, HOME IMPROVEMENT
Well here we are at WEEK 4 of the ORC. I am at a rather difficult stage of this project.
PAINTING OVER THE ORANGE WALLS
The orange walls have required at least three coats of white paint and I’m not even sure that’s going to do it. I still have to paint the trim on the doors and the stairs.
My intention is to finish those by the end of the weekend. We’ll see how that goes. This is after one coat so you can see what we are dealing with.
That old trim is looking pretty funky.
Trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The pictures for my gallery wall are being matted and assembled this week.
I ordered a runner from West Elm and I’m hoping it’s everything I want it to be
Once I have it, I can figure out the door paint colors
So I’ve definitely got my work cut out for me NEXT WEEK.
I’ll be painting the dresser and selecting new hardware…
My husband’s job is to install the lighting and assist with painting. He is a seriously speedy champ on the paint roller.
We also need to restore the floor at the bottom of the stairs. It is the scariest thing we found when we pulled up the rug. This area is also the entry into my home office so I thought it needed something.
I found an awesome stencil on Instagram from HEIRLOOM142 . It is coming from Canada so I hope it gets here in time! They shipped it out the next day which I really appreciated.
I’m stressing out this week so wish me good luck.
Grab a huge cup of coffee (or wine if that applies) and follow along with all the other DESIGNERS and GUEST PARTICIPANTS
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post. I’ll talk to you next week!
Best,
Suzanne
by studiotullia | Oct 20, 2016 | DESIGN TRENDS, HOME IMPROVEMENT
Three things I have been juggling this past week:
- Pictures/Frames for the gallery wall
- Slipcover style for the ottoman
- A mirror for over the ottoman.
It really takes awhile to sort through old photos and then decide which ones to use. I decided to opt for artful pictures; strong images that stand on on their own. I also have a strategy for framing my pieces. In an effort to not get too busy, Ive limited the palette to white, black, occasionally gold/silver and a few unique vintage frames to mix things up. It takes time to build a gallery wall so I am not expecting to finish it completely in the next couple weeks, but at least I’ll be on my way. Here are a few examples of PICTURE WALLS I really like:
I like the simplicity of the black and white
I also like when there is some art thrown in along with some variation in sizes. 
Here are some of the PHOTOS I have gathered so far. Ive made a few trips to Goodwill and I have found frames from Aaron Brothers, IKEA, Pottery Barn as well as some higher quality custom frame shops! I am taking them to a framer to just have the mattes cut and assembled with nice hooks on the back.
The closest I have come to an style slip cover I want is this simple tuxedo style. The fabric is going to be a white or natural cotton fabric:
And I would like to put a mirror over the bench. 
So I am on the hunt for one locally; we’ll see what I can find.
So, don’t forget to check out the progress of the ORC PARTICIPANTS HERE:http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2016/10/one-room-challenge-fall-2016-week-3:
And the other GUEST PARTICIPANTS here: http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2016/10/one-room-challenge-guest-participants-week-3 
Have a wonderful Friday and enjoy your weekend.
Best,
Suzanne
by studiotullia | Oct 13, 2016 | DESIGN TRENDS, HOME IMPROVEMENT
SO, here I am at Week 2. I put this mood board together to show you how a few things have changed.
I have managed to buy some white paint and we are prepping the walls for painting.
I have been casually shopping and found a few nice items that are serving to inspire.
RECENT SCORES:
I was lucky to find this work of art that gives me some direction as far as accent colors. I might paint the frame white; haven’t decided yet. We go to the beach a lot although I have never seen the Oregon coast this busy so I am not sure where this beach is. This reproduction of a photograph is quite large and is helping to set the tone for the space. 
Here is another fun find – I found this mid century lamp at GOODWILL – it has a wonderful white crackle finish on it. It is a decent size and I found a Nate Berkus lamp shade from Target that compliments the shape and the bronzy metal base.
I have been battling with whether or not black and white is too high contrast and I might tire of it so I have decided to keep things light on the walls but bring in some softer elements and pops of color so it feels cozy and inviting like these fabulous baskets from TARGET again by Nate Berkus.
CARPET:
I don’t think we can get our wall to wall carpet completed in 5 weeks as the waiting list for installation is a few months out via HOME DEPOT. They have decent wall to wall carpeting options for hard core use in this area and they also have 12 mths interest free financing so that’s looking like the way to go.
(WALL TO WALL CARPET..will most likely not be installed in time)
RUNNER OPTIONS:
FURNISHINGS:
I am leaning toward painting our heirloom dresser white and I like the sand/tan drawer fronts of this piece from THE LAND OF NOD. I think it is a grasscloth type texture on there which really looks terrific. Might be less likely to get tired of it if we keep it neutral.
Sure would love to find some nice knobs to modernize our dresser. Any ideas? Love the ones on this piece.
I have also been inventorying our art and family photos as I am working on a salon style gallery of photos and art. I need to several items taken to the framer to spruce up the mattes, get glass for some frames, etc.
Thanks for stopping by!
– SUZANNE
Be sure to check out the talented group of FEATURED DESIGNERS :
and check out all the other GUEST PARTICIPANTS
See you next week!
by studiotullia | Oct 7, 2016 | DESIGN TRENDS, HOME IMPROVEMENT, HOUSE TOUR: Traditional Spanish Style House near Pto. Vallarta
Well, here I am again, taking the challenge. Along with hundreds of other designers, I am committing to 6 weeks of design starting today! This bi-annual event, sponsored by Linda from CALLING IT HOME, is super fun to follow along.
Here is the link for the ORC DESIGNERS …
And here is the link for the ORC GUEST PARTICIPANTS, who are free to join in with their own projects.
A little history…Our house is an Arts & Crafts 1906 Bungalow style house. Grandma used to live upstairs in our house, which was converted into a duplex a long time ago, but she moved out a little over a year ago.The kids (two 9 year old twins) have moved upstairs so they could each have their own rooms. We are slowly transforming the space into a lighter, more kid-friendly zone.
Last Spring I did my DAUGHTER’S ROOM as part of the ORC SPRING 2016:
BEFORE:
AFTER:
This time, I am going to spruce up the UPSTAIRS HALLWAY & STAIRS.
Here is the BEFORE:
The walls and carpet have got to g0! I am also rethinking the furniture and its functionality. And the lighting.
Here is the chair I have there now which is not that comfortable and the wrong color.
My daughter needs a dresser just outside of her room, where the large trunk is so I am planning to paint an old heirloom piece that we have. I like the idea of a punch of color. Here’s an example:
The banister and post are looking warped. The woodwork on the upper level is kind of wobbly and in a perfect world, needs to be replaced.
We recently stripped the carpet on the stairs to see what we were dealing with underneath.
This is what we found under the carpet at the bottom of the stairs. Pretty bad. So, that needs to be replaced and painted also.
BLACK & WHITE with COLOR ACCENTS is pretty much the direction I am headed.
Here are a few inspiration pictures I have found by the firm, ASHE_LEANDRO. Boy do they have the BLACK & WHITE motif down:
Photo Credit: ASHE_LEANDRO
I need to put some artwork up on the wall going upstairs and in the hallway. This salon style hung artwork could work.
Photo Credit: ASHE_LEANDRO
There is a possibility I might tint the white walls slightly. I like the way this yellow piece looks as an accent color (for the heirloom dresser).
I should probably mention The BATHROOM, as it is off from the HALLWAY and is the next item on the list when this is done. We were going to do it for the ORC, but weren’t sure we could get it done in time.
I would like to continue the BLACK & WHITE motif into this room as well.
Here is a BEFORE:
I really like these bathrooms:
And some kind of black/white tile, but I don’t know that I will get too far with the BATHROOM just yet.
So, to summarize my tasks in the next several weeks, here it is:
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ORC FALL 2016 TO DO LIST
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Date
|
Task
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10/9/16
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PAINT HALLWAY & DOORS
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Reoccur walls and trim and paint
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Select Door colors and paint – black or color.
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10/16/16
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REPAIR/REPLACE WOODWORK ON STAIRS
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Paint stairs and wood work
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Possible replace column/post at top of stairs
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Repair floor at base of stairs and paint
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10/23/16
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PAINT STAIRS AND WOODWORK
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Paint Selection, possible design motif/stencil
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FURNITURE SELECTION
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Replace Chair and Chest with more functional furniture
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10/30/16
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Paint heirloom Dresser for Charlotte
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Select a new piece of furniture or spruce up the one I have
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FLOORS & CARPET
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Replace wall to wall carpet
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Select a Runner for upstairs
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10/6/16
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LIGHTING
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Select a new light fixture and install
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SELECT ARTWORK, FRAME IT & INSTALL
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Select art work, family photos and have it framed and hung up on the walls
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Select artwork/mirror for over the dresser and piece of upholstery.
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ACCESSORIZE & STYLE
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Accessorize with plant, throw, pillows.
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Nothing like a little accountability to get things rolling. So I am off….
Thanks for reading my post!
Best,
Suzanne
![ONE ROOM CHALLENGE 2016 -WEEK 6 of CHARLOTTE’S ROOM FINAL REVEAL!]()
by studiotullia | May 13, 2016 | DESIGN TRENDS, HOME IMPROVEMENT, HOUSE TOUR: Traditional Spanish Style House near Pto. Vallarta, INTERIOR DESIGNERS THAT INSPIRE
Well, we managed to finish up just in time! Here are the results. We were lucky to have a bright sunny day for these last minute pictures, thanks to my amazing assistant, Amanda. Everything is smelling like roses and I am drinking a gin and tonic as I write this (it is after 5 pm West coast time, FYI).
FINAL REVEAL:
Below is a painting of our backyard fig tree that Charlotte and her friend Alex painted together last year. I floated it in one of IKEA’s shadow box frames.
As you can see we have a little woodland theme going on with the deers and bunny rabbit. I know the rose floral shade on the sconce and bed linens from IKEA are a departure from the neon splatter, but it was such a lovely pattern we bent the matchy matchy rules. Perhaps bold colors or solid colored linens would have worked better, but we wanted to make these work. They’re cozy and a little English or something. The framed deer art is hand cross stitched by a very patient Oregonian: a vintage find that was in perfect condition. The antique bed is an heirloom from my grandparents that my Mother stripped and refinished years ago.
The large splatter pillow was a trial run before the curtains and the hand drawn critter pillow Charlotte drew awhile back as a prototype for a school auction project. The cross pillow was from STUDIO TULLIA inventory and we liked it in the room.
You can see a little bit of the furry stool we created by covering an IKEA stool. It is the perfect little occasional stool for this tiny room and adds some much needed glamour.
I want to show you a close up of the white bunny painting by Oregonian artist ELIZABETH SEE because she is so talented.
We have come quite a ways in just a couple weeks. Here are a few before shots:
Getting that pink the right color took some work. Between BENJAMIN MOORE PAINT and METRO PAINT we got it done.
The IKEA curtains were perhaps the funnest part of this project and they really set the tone for the room.
This IKEA PS 2014 ceiling pendant is very cool in its design. The pull factor really is fun at night and gives you a diverse range of visual effects. Her twin brother Arthur is a little jealous when it comes to the light. Thank God they have lego building experience as they put this thing together all by themselves. Whereas that project might have put me right over the edge.
This is her bookshelf which I have staged for this shoot. The camellias ,roses and hydrangeas are from our garden. The amethyst cut crystal vase was her great grandmother’s and the other vase is a hand painted vintage vase as well. The flower etched globe light is from IKEA. And we all know that’s an AMERICAN DOLL in a wheelchair. The one thing in the catalog Arthur liked because it had wheels.
HARRY POTTER books without their covers aren’t so bad looking next to the collection of NANCY DREW books.
All of the pillows in this feature have been provided by my primary sponsor ~ STUDIO TULLIA! Vintage ones (like the cool beaded rose pillow above) as well as other vintage oddities are available through TULLIA MARKETPLACE, which is not fully off the ground, but should be by this Summer.
Here are a few more pictures of the flowers up close because they are just so pretty. The vase is by who else…IKEA. The little painting is by Charlotte.
A FEW MORE NOTES…
We decided last minute to switch out her side table form TARGET and it needed to be white. The finish was antique gold and it just fell flat in the corner. We almost painted the gold framed mirror, too, but decided it added some bling and was ok as is.
This room was a quite a challenge because in all honesty this room is a dog. The room is tiny, the ceiling is slanted, the windows and trim work are funky, and many more issues I don’t need to bore you with.
The good news is that this is the room she wants to be in and is a very happy girl. She could not fall asleep last night she was so excited. I hated to wake her up this morning. This room is her safe haven, compared to the larger guest room where she was temporarily staying during this project.
Sweet Dreams, my Sweet Charlotte.
I am excited to grab a cup of coffee tomorrow morning and indulge myself in the many final reveals as part of the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, thanks to CALLING IT HOME.
This was a great challenge for me and 6 weeks was just about right. I am excited to do another room in the Fall.
Here is the link to twenty very talented designer bloggers’ final reveals HERE
And if that’s not enough, there are over 1,000 Guest Participant Final Reveals to view HERE:
Thanks so much for following along!
Best,
Suzanne
by studiotullia | May 5, 2016 | DESIGN TRENDS, HOME IMPROVEMENT, HOUSE TOUR: Traditional Spanish Style House near Pto. Vallarta
Well, we are coming into WEEK 5 with one week left to go. It has not been glamorous: its been about painting and electrical, but it is almost done!
My husband spent half a day last weekend putting in the electrical for the ceiling pendant in Charlotte’s room and while he was at it he upgraded our smoke alarms upstairs which felt good to check off the list.
As you can see, we got the walls painted and just have the trim left to paint. It took a little work to get the lilac and pink right. I think they are not too intense and balance each other out pretty well.
We still need to add trim to this one wall. Don’t ask me why it’s not there. That is how this house rolls and has for several decades.
Hope Hubbie can find the plates for the switches and outlets. I got the curtains hemmed and just need the hardware installed. Oh honey…
Yesterday we assessed where we are with ART, PILLOWS and BED LINENS.
She got this in MEXICO:
There is never a shortage of pillows around here. The splattered one was made up using leftover fabric from Charlotte’s curtain project.
We might paint the frame on this mirror. Haven’t decided yet.
We have this large vintage cross stitch piece that I found at a rummage sale that Charlotte loves. 
It sort of ties in with the bed which is an antique from my grandparents.
And, here is another lovely Mexican textile to add to the mix.
To check in on the ORC Featured Designers, go HERE
And, to see the ORC Guest Participants, go HERE
So, there’s a lot to do still, but we are going to pull this thing together by next week. Until then….have a great rest of the week.
– Suzanne
by studiotullia | Apr 28, 2016 | BENEFITS & GREAT CAUSES, DESIGN TRENDS, HOME IMPROVEMENT, HOUSE TOUR: Traditional Spanish Style House near Pto. Vallarta
Things are getting real here, folks, with only a couple weeks left. Our goal is to have electrical, painting, curtain installation and most of the furnishings in place by next week. That will leave the last week for bed linens, art, styling and the photo shoot.
Check out the GUEST PARTICIPANTS HERE
And check out the FEATURED DESIGNERS HERE
There are some wonderful projects going on so take a peek.
SPLATTERED CURTAINS
If you recall, we have been discussing Charlotte’s curtains and I had some serious concerns about the outcome…
Well we decided to dive in one recent afternoon. Starting with the three neon paints dyes (with glitter) I made her do a few practice runs, trying different brushes and splatter techniques.
We put a tarp down in the back yard and laid the two cotton curtain panels on it.
We got out the neon dye colors:
And, here she is giving it a whirl.
Lots of mixing going on…
After a few practice runs on scrap fabric, and before we even started on the curtains we had to run back to COLLAGE, our local crafts store to get more paint! 
By the time we got back with SEVERAL more fabric dye colors, it was starting to get dark!
The paints and splattered textiles were even beginning to glow. We had to hustle as I was not setting all this up again. I didn’t want her to over do it anyway.
She was able to get it all done before it was too dark and we were really happy with the results:
I am also making a euro sham for her bed out of a couple of the scrap pieces. All in all it took about two hours.
UPHOLSTERED STOOL
We needed to find some sort of small chair or stool for her room and I came across this one while shopping at FABRIC DEPOT. I picked it up to look underneath and drum roll please… it was from IKEA!
So back to IKEA I went and got this for $35.
I had some leftover white fur from my pillow line on ETSY so I am using that to cover the stool.
Here’s the fur we used although it is more white – Arctic Fox white. We are going to decide later if we want to paint the legs or leave them black.
Here it is…what do you think? This puppy could use a little trim/combing, but not too shabby:
TEXTILES & PENDLETON:
I was shopping at Pendleton Woolen Mills and came across this interesting turquoise plaid that I thought might be a colorful blanket. So I am keeping that in mind at $60/yard.
Here is one of the PINK CROSS pillows available at STUDIO TULLIA on ETSY that we are planning to use on her bed.
And I am just starting to think about art, although she already has quite a bit of her own to work with. I just think these are lovely.
And lastly, think it would be fun to paint her door this rose quartz when we get to the hallway outside her room.
Wishing everyone a great few last days of the week.
And, thanks for reading!
Best,
Suzanne
by studiotullia | Apr 21, 2016 | DESIGN TRENDS, HOME IMPROVEMENT, HOUSE TOUR: Traditional Spanish Style House near Pto. Vallarta
We decided to get some shopping done for the essentials of the room: lighting, hardware and curtains. I wasn’t sure how much input to let Charlotte have, but for the most part she picked some essentials I couldn’t find too much fault with. I just had to keep reminding her that the room is small so we couldn’t go too loud or crazy.
So here’s what we accomplished in less than two hours at IKEA:
LIGHTING:
She picked this floral etched glass KNUBBIG globe, which is a pretty accent light for the bookshelf. It has a subtle cherry blossom motif which is in keeping with our theme.
We finally decided on this chandelier by DAVID WAHL. I am curious to see how it looks installed. We chose the turquoise inside rather than the orange.
I like that you can easily pull on the cords to control the amount of light into the room.
Then we chose this RODD sconce that we paired with the EMMIE BLOM shade which has a nice floral pattern:
They had it on display and we liked it. We are from the City of Roses afterall.
Next we moved onto…
HARDWARE & CURTAINS:
This is the look we were after with the grommets. We chose the MERETE cotton curtains which are a nice weight cotton.
We also wanted sheers so we picked the LILL lace curtains:
We went with the VASENTLIG ball finials and double curtain rods:
Pretty basic choices, but I feel good that we got those items taken care of. It gives my husband some time to install the pendant and sconces as well as the curtains rods.
We are still painting the walls and hoping to have that done soon. And, Charlotte plans to splatter the curtains…oh boy.
I loved this chair but it is too big.
We also considered this one at VINTAGE VINTAGE on Division St, but again too big.
Would you look at all the carts at IKEA! We were leaving as they were closing up.
Well, thanks for reading and we will see you next week!
Best,
Suzanne
by studiotullia | Apr 15, 2016 | BENEFITS & GREAT CAUSES, DESIGN TRENDS, HOME IMPROVEMENT, HOUSE TOUR: Traditional Spanish Style House near Pto. Vallarta
Well , here we are at week two of the ORC. Old houses always require more prep than you think. My husband and I agreed to not spend a month on the ceiling like we did in our bedroom. Still, there were some cracks on the ceiling and a few holes in the walls that had to be addressed. My husband got that done and the floor prepped for painting.
PAINT
Charlotte has chosen lilac walls and light cherry blossom pink for the ceilings with white trim. This is where we are headed:
First Light #2102-70 by Benjamin Moore
and, Spring Iris #1402 also by Benjamin Moore
We started with METRO PAINT, which is a local paint supplier in Portland. There paints are all recycled and very affordable. My father in law (who is a contractor) uses their paint all the time and recommended I give it a try. I love their MOUNTAIN SNOW – which I used for my HOME OFFICE.
So, we bought a gallon of CARNATION (for like $12!) and we have been methodically adding MOUNTAIN SNOW to try to get close to light pink we might like.
FYI, Metro Paint has a limited palette of colors, but in reality if you have the time and gumption, you can mix and match and come up with some pretty nice colors. They haev lots of examples and formulas in their store. It can make painting a house almost affordable.
Charlotte with CARNATION, untouched. Too pink as is as you can see.
After painting the entire ceiling with a lightened pink, it is still too pink. So, we’ll add more white. I think we are close though.
SLIGHT TANGENT
The lilac bush is blooming outside of our house – I used the flowers to decorate the twins’ birthday cake this week. A little much for Arthur. Oops. Charlotte and I tinted the icing lilac. I guess we are in a custom color mixing mood. The lighter part of the lilac petals are such a perfect color.
I came across this cherry tree in bloom the other day and had to share this. There really is nothing like Portland in the Spring.
There were 3-4 inches of pink petals on the ground!
LIGHTING
So, I am also thinking about lighting. She needs a pendant light and a bedside lamp. Or ultimately a sconce by her bed. I am a big fan as they leave your bedside table free and provide nice light. Here are a few possibilities:
With a gold sconce from Visual Comfort:
Here’s a sconce from IKEA:
A new pendant light from IKEA:
It does cool things at night:
Is this vintage glass pendant light stunning or what?
I even like this Chinese paper lantern for $12:
CURTAINS
And here are some basic white curtains with grommets for a modern look. Grommet curtains are super easy to use. And these curtains will be used daily.
I am leaning toward sheers behind the curtains rather than shades. The windows are sort of odd and need to be replaced ultimately so the sheers should offer some coverage for now.
Charlotte has some ideas of her own about the curtains. She wants to splatter them in a ROTHKO-ish way. I have my concerns, but nevertheless, we bought the paint at COLLAGE in Portland:
I’ve been looking at Pinterest for ideas:
So, we will cross that bridge soon enough.
Well, I better stop for now. Thanks for joining.
Follow along with the ORC Featured Designers
and
Follow along with the Other ORC Guest Participants
Thanks for reading!
Have a great Friday and weekend!
Best,
Suzanne
by studiotullia | Apr 6, 2016 | BENEFITS & GREAT CAUSES, DESIGN TRENDS, HOME IMPROVEMENT
I am going to take the challenge (as I often encourage my kids to do) and participate in THE ONE ROOM Challenge organized by CALLING IT HOME as a ORC Guest Participant.
My 6 week project will be my daughter Charlotte’s room. Here are a couple inspiration palettes we came up with. Soft pinks and lavenders, with neutrals and maybe a few punches of color like green or yellow so its not so pinky sweet. The cherry tree in our front yard and the whole neighborhood in fact is blooming gloriously. That has been our primary inspiration as far as finding the right pink and lavender for the walls and ceiling.
She is nine so she still plays with dolls…maybe for another year or two…
Just to give you a little background on the room and my daughter…she and her twin brother have moved out of their shared nursery which is now my HOME OFFICE and moved upstairs into their OWN ROOMS. Charlotte’s room is really small. It could be a walk in closet; it’s that small. There is another room that’s a decent size available but she has chosen this one for the coziness factor.
Here is a quick floor plan of the room. The dimensions are 9’5″ X 7′ 3″ .
As you can see there is room for a bed, a dresser, a small accent chair and a side table. That’s it. The ceiling height is 7’10” at the highest point but 6″10″ where the roof line intersects with the window frame.
Here is a before shot of the room. This is what you see when you walk in. Two windows. There is a little more to the room on the left wall where the bed will go and that’s it. There are also issues with the double-paned windows as you can see.
So, here is a list of what we are hoping to accomplish:
- Patch old plaster and paint room.
- Select lighting for the room; a ceiling fixture and small lamp for bedside table.
- Design and fabricate Window Treatments
- Slipcover existing side chair we own
- New bedding – cover, shams, accent pillows
- Select and hang art
- Either re-carpet or find a throw rug.
- Address double pane window fogginess issues.
Think this is do-able? I guess we are going to find out.
So follow along with the twenty designers and design bloggers who will each be sharing room makeovers from start to finish over the next six weeks. And there are many more guest participants, like me,who will link to the CALLING IT HOME website.
See you next week!
Best,
Suzanne
