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 | Nov 7, 2019 | DIY, INTERIOR DESIGN
FINAL REVEAL
Well here we are at the FINAL REVEAL!
I have to say I was cutting it pretty close as of last week. The painting was not yet complete and just last weekend my husband and daughter helped me get the wallpaper mural up. Phew!
So, here it is:
We used STOKES FOREST GREEN by Benjamin Moore on the walls. It really is a lovely green and it brings a lot of happy energy into the room. That’s our kitty, Henry, by the way.
The HIGH SEAS in Henderson Blue decorative wallpaper mural was done in partnership with REBELWALLS. 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. The mural really lightens up the room. I was afraid the green wouldn’t work with the mural but somehow it does. It stands on its and I kept the color palette on the bed pretty toned down. Mostly blues, whites and browns.
The duvet cover and sheets are from IKEA and the decorative pillows and plaid throw 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.
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 need to drill holes and hide the wires which is a quick fix by my husband.
The chandelier and lamp are also from IKEA. I purchased them over a year ago and I noticed the chandelier was on sale the other day so maybe it is being discontinued. I love the way the light shines through the holes in the copper lamp shade on the desk at night.
These paintings are by local artist Elizabeth See, who is a favorite of mine. We have various paintings of hers all over the the house.
The model planes are from a neighbor and I thought I’d try hanging them up in his room. They are pretty delicate so I am hoping they hold up. As you can see the curio cabinet is chock full of legos. Hard to know what to do with them all so this was one solution. He still wants more shelves for more and more legos.
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. (They need to be pressed!)
My husband took the pictures below with his phone using the panoramic feature. You can also get a sense of how it looks at night.
I will get a list together soon of the items I purchased for this room.
There are a lot of talented peeps out there who’ve been working hard for the last six weeks. You should check it out. Thank you Linda with Calling It Home for sponsoring this event which occurs twice a year.
ONE ROOM CHALLENGE FINAL REVEALS:
Here are the links to the featured designers and guest participants:
I’m going to spend some time visiting these other sites now that I can take a breath and chill out for awhile. Thanks so much for following along.
by studiotullia | Nov 7, 2018 | DIY, INTERIOR DESIGN
At last we have made it to Week 6! I’m excited to share some pictures with you below. When you have a chance, there is a plethora of fabulous ORC Rooms by Guest Participants and Featured Designers (click on the two boxes below to get there). Now that I am done with this dining room, I plan to spend some time there myself…
So, here goes. This dining room has proven to be a great challenge. The sun was spotty today in Portland so I did my best to capture the natural light in the room.
SKY MURAL
There is one accent wall where (with the help of my daughter and husband),I have painted a decorative sky painting.
My dear friend and floral designer Joann Andriese helped me to go for the large scale branches which I trimmed from my backyard. I reupholstered our existing dining chairs in Miles Redd Tumbling Blocks by Schumacher.
The chalkboard was created using a Portland flea market find (the carved frame), that I placed a chalkboard inside. I am not sure what it was before, but it seemed to have been built into a wall and was apparently salvaged and sold at an auction, per antique dealer, LOOKS & BOOKS, from Milwaukee, OR. The carving looked old world and reminded me of Italy. My daughter has been wanting a chalkboard for awhile. It has to cure for a couple more days when I initially posted this.
Here is a shot of the built-in which was painted a pale aqua paint to compliment the sky wall. It is full of various heirloom and contemporary dishes as well as crystal, vintage paintings and vases, an old clock and books.The chandelier is from FEISS. The plant from PORTLAND NURSERY.
Here is a more panoramic shot and you can see that I have panels flanking the bay window. They are custom made out of linen blend fabric called BUTE in Ivory from Cowtan and Tout, which is super wide and so gorgeous. The two pleats on the leading edge are striped cotton called ULLAKARIN from IKEA. The woven jute rug is also from IKEA.
This heirloom rocking chair I had reupholstered when I had twins out of a leopard velvet (like Jamil Natural). It was my great grandfather’s. The blanket is from salvaged PENDLETON.
I’ve been playing around with table placement so here you can see that I moved the table and chairs so they are horizontal to the bay window. It works both ways.
The abstract artwork is from TARGET. The heirloom loveseat was also my great grandparents that I had reupholstered in striped ticking.
Here’s a close up of the vintage dinner plates I found at an estate sale. The runner is also from IKEA.
The little lumbar pillow is FANTASY FOREST by SCHUMACHER , made by STUDIO TULLIA.
A detail of the curtains, also made by STUDIO TULLIA.
Here’s another shot of my kids’ favorite spot along with fabric Sonora by SCHUMACHER and a custom faux snow leopard throw which is also a favorite in the house.
The kids aren’t the only ones who like this spot.
If you look above the door there is another found painting that was framed locally by I’VE BEEN FRAMED, my go to local art store and framer. They frame most of my found art and prints as well as family art, photographs, etc.
Here is a detail shot of the rug and chairs.
And accessories.
And a shot of the table with candles lit earlier in the day when I had no sun.
I thought this brass napkin holder and napkins from IKEA were fun to add to the mix.
Here are a few before shots just so you can appreciate how far we have come from the original orange dining room.
Here the kids are priming the chalkboard for the first time with white chalk after it cured for three days.
The kids have been having fun writing menus and such on the chalkboard:
So, that is a wrap. The sources with links are listed at the end of this post.
I could not have pulled this off without my highly skilled husband, Shiloh. I am so grateful for all his electrical, construction and installation work.
Thanks so much for following along!
SOURCES
BENJAMIN MOORE – chalkboard paint
COWTAN & TOUT – Bute in Ivory for curtains
FEISS LIGHTING – Chandelier
IKEA – Lonholt jute rug
IKEA – black linen and Goddag woven table runners
IKEA – Tillstallning brass napkin holder & napkins
IKEA – Ullakarian Striped Fabric on lead edge of curtain panels
I’VE BEEN FRAMED – frames for vintage paintings
MILLER – gray paint by Joanna Gaines
METRO PAINT – Mountain Snow for custom paint mixing and base coats
PENDLETON WOOLEN MILLS – salvaged Pendleton wool for throw
PORTLAND FLEA – antique carved frame
PORTLAND NURSERY – houseplant
SCHUMACHER -Miles Redd Tumbling Blocks on Chairs
SCHUMACHER – Sonora white fringe fabric on pillow
SCHUMACHER – Fantasy Forest on accent pillow
STUDIO TULLIA – throw pillows
WS HOME – black candlesticks
by studiotullia | Oct 17, 2018 | DIY, INTERIOR DESIGN
Here we are at week 3 and I have made some design decisions. The lighting and upholstery fabric have been ordered. But most importantly, I have started the mural! It’s like getting into a swimming pool; its a little hard at first and then you get more comfortable.
Be sure to check out what’s happening with the other ORC guest participants (tap the image above).
And to see some of the the featured designers at week 3 (tap the image below): 
There are so many talented folks who do this – you should grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine) and spend some time checking things out.
So, onward we go. I settled on a chandelier:
LIGHTING
This was what we had before:
And this is what I selected:
$297.45
Originally $729.35
There are a few chandeliers out there that I love (that cost a lot more) but ultimately to find something my husband and I both agreed on, and with the price being so right on this one, we went for it. I like that the shades are hand blown glass rather than fabric shades that gather dust. And I like the more modern look and black silhouette. I can take my time and wait to find a really amazing chandelier down the road.
UPHOLSTERY for CHAIRS:
I was going to go with a leopard velvet kind of like the rocker pictured below.
I needed something somewhat neutral that works with the black and white in the room on the loveseat and the sideboard.
STRIPED BLACK & WHITE LOVESEAT
BLACK/BROWN PERIOD SIDEBOARD:
I ultimately chose:
RED MILES TUMBLING BLOCKS by SCHUMACHER
It will breathe some new life into the room, I am hoping.
So, the inevitable needed to happen. The mural needed to begin and I have never done a mural before.
MURAL INSPO
JOHN DERIAN’s SWALLOW WALLPAPER:
and this lovely wallpaper mural by:
So began the custom mixing:
And the beginning application of paint with the roller:
And the brush (see our lovely temporary light fixture below):
My 11 year old daughter was helping me quite a bit with the sky and clouds. She has always been an artist…
By the end of the second day, it was looking more like Van Gogh’s Starry Night than what I had in mind.
I made the mistake of thinking that I could bang this out in a couple of 3 hour sessions and after two days, that is what it looked like.
I told my daughter I wasn’t happy with it and that I wanted to paint it over. She asked if she could play with it for a bit if I was planning to scrap it anyway. So she did. I swallowed my ego and admitted that I liked what she did with the clouds. She softened them and blended them better so they weren’t so animated. Then I realized that, as usual, I needed to slow down and take my time if I wanted to create something worth keeping. She is always telling me to slow down.
So needless to say the mural is still in the works.
We are in full swing now and I look forward to sharing my progress with you next week. In the meantime, you can follow me on INSTAGRAM
Let me know what you think and thank you for following along!
by studiotullia | Jun 24, 2018 | DIY, INTERIOR DESIGN
I didn’t want to leave you hanging any longer about my DINING ROOM ORC…I was not able to complete this project in time for a few reasons.
We decided to redo the ceiling tiles which has slowed us down quite a bit. My husband is doing it himself and now with Summer and the kids out, we have been away for the last three weekends. The ceiling tiles looked so hideous after we painted the walls, that we determined we better do it now, or we’d never do it. All four of us were ill with a virus that wiped us out and persisted for weeks right around the deadline of the ORC, not to mention we were out of town the in San Francisco the week before so the timing was crazy. I had a record Spring promotion on a GORGEOUS pillow collection that I co-curated with the ENCHANTED HOME and that left me spinning for weeks trying to get orders out on time. I’ve been too frustrated to address the issue publicly, but alas, I have. So, stay tuned and I will keep you posted on our soon to be lovely dining room!
PAGODA COLLECTION with Enchanted Home – so pretty don’t you think?
BACK TO THE DINING ROOM…
I did get three of the four walls painted in a lovely light gray PIECE OF CAKE by Joanna Gaines/Magnolia Homes that Miller Paint sells. What a refreshing change from the deep orange.
I am planning to do an ombre/accent wall of some sort on the one remaining wall. This is what I am thinking. This gorgeous wallpaper by John Derian has been my ultimate inspiration. I want to do some sort of gray/light blue wall treatment and if I am brave enough will try to add a few swallows as well. I am experimenting to see how much of this I can pull off.
This is where the DINING ROOM was after one coat of gray paint, so obviously I added another. This is where I am headed for this season’s pillows and a matching runner for the dining table. Light, cool, calm.
This photo below was after one coat of white paint. So happy to see the chandelier carried away after I left it on the curb with a free sign 🙂
Curtains all gone, which lets more light in, too.
Where we are today, with dry wall ready to go on the ceiling. Those old tiles may have asbestos so we are going to just cover them up rather than demo them, have the dust in the air, and have to pay a fine to take them to the dump.
My husband built these supports to hold up the dry wall as he works.
I am happy with the way this painting turned out after I put a gray stained modern frame on it. I got this lovely landscape painting at an estate sale a couple years ago.
This beat up floor vent needed to be replaced badly.
Can you believe my husband found a replacement during a remodel he was doing at work!
So between birthday parties, weekends at the coast with kids out of school and regular trips to the pool, this is where we are with this project.
Hope you are having a wonderful start to your Summer. Thanks for following along.
by studiotullia | Nov 8, 2017 | DIY, INTERIOR DESIGN
THE ONE ROOM CHALLENGE was extended one week (for the first time ever due to all the natural disasters of late). This is WEEK 6 and the FINAL REVEAL will be WEEK 7.
EXCUSES
I apologize for a gap in reporting on my project.
Between the monthly flea market where I am a vendor.
and HALLOWEEN, it has been a whirlwind of muddy pumpkins, costumes and candy.
The visits to the pumpkin patch (twice):
The HOMEMADE Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Costumes:
So, back to the room…
IKEA TRIP
No ORC is ever complete without a trip to IKEA and a night of Swedish Meatballs.
Besides walking throughout the entire store for inspiration, I needed to consider the baskets and the sheets:
Do you think we stayed too long?
GALLERY WALL
The gallery wall is coming together although I am wanting to replace the large beach image on the upper left. I don’t know that I can pull it off in time. I tried to incorporate Jimmy Smits from How to Get Away With Murder into the gallery wall last night. Love the pop of red and the dark contrast not to mention, el hombre guapo! See how that dresser is still very UNPAINTED.
I love the indigo blues and rich reds in this quick shot I took of a tanker in Astoria last weekend, but I want the picture to be more interesting.
After some perusing on MINTED, I found these:
San Francisco is only one of my favorite cities in the world. Which would you choose?
A)Overlooking the Golden Gate, where my husband proposed:
OR
B) Baker Beach, where we had our wedding pictures taken. They are both pretty wonderful. Which one do you like?
NEEDLE ARTS
Here’s a little embroidery project in the works that justifies occasional Netflix binging – it’s for the room also because you know, its all in the details.
I am incorporating some colors into the indigo mix to liven things up. This will be one more layer of interest along with some lovely Pendleton pillows.
CURTAINS
The rings have to be hand sewn onto the curtains as they are extremely heavy and the drapery hooks simply won’t do.
SCONCES
I am happy with the sconces for the price although I need some rods to hide the wires it would appear.
CRUNCH MODE
I can’t tell you everything…I have to leave some things a surprise.
What color will I paint the DRESSER? I am about to pull the trigger or in this case, load the paint brush.
And I have some painting to do this weekend on the doors and trim. We are down to the wire here. I was hoping for a glorious sunlit afternoon next week with the natural light just right to capture the room.
So, hang in there and next week I will show you what I’ve got!
And be sure to check out the FEATURED DESIGNERS via CALLING IT HOME’s website:
As always, thanks for reading along!
by studiotullia | Oct 12, 2017 | DIY, INTERIOR DESIGN
And be sure to check out the FEATURED DESIGNERS via CALLING IT HOME’s website:
This week I’ve been trying to settle on the textiles, rug and lighting so I can got those ordered and in the works. I put together this mood board:
LIGHTING
I have this antique chandelier:
and I am trying to modernize it/freshen it up so I have found a few options…
This is fun, from SASSY SHADES on ETSY:
and I am in love with these, from SHANDELL’S:
I am also looking at SCONCES for above the bed which are really needed for night time reading. Here are a few I’m considering. These are all from LAMPS PLUS except for the one that is second from last, which is from TARGET.
I am leaning toward the third pair down as I like the brass and gold combination and it will offer a little contrast.
The look is pretty good for the price of $99/pair. The last one I would take in a heartbeat but it is a little over budget.
TEXTILES
This was one of my inspiration shots (room by Ana Rosa):
I put together these fabrics that I found at THE MILL END STORE in SE PDX. I like the Japanese toile that has a vintage quality to it and I am adding stripes and ikat.
I am going to use these fabrics for my duvet cover and euro shams:
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
I have some triple pleated BELGIAN LINEN SHADES from WS HOME for this room. I am going to add a decorative inner edge to liven up the curtains and tie in with the blues in the room.
This is what I will add – a few pleats on each inner side.
It is really nice to step into a soft, plush rug in the morning so I am thinking maybe something like this SAFAVIEH CALIFORNIA SHAG runner from LOWE’s for $83.
PAINT COLORS
I am planning to paint the trim a fresh white. 
I was originally planning to paint the dresser indigo blue but I am also playing around with caliente red also.
Only because I can’t get this entry by @maxwhumphrey out of my mind.
And LIGHT GRAY PAINT for the two DOORS
That’s where I am for now. I would love to hear your comments. I have some fun art ideas in the works to share with you next time. Thanks for stopping by.
by studiotullia | Nov 10, 2016 | DIY, INTERIOR DESIGN
At last! The FINAL REVEAL of my UPSTAIRS HALLWAY & STAIRS. I am so exhausted from the final last two days of pushing myself; painting the final coats on the walls, doors and dresser. Three coats seems to be the magic number for best coverage.
Just a little reminder that for years, the UPSTAIRS HALLWAY & STAIRS was a tangerine orange with some random furniture pieces and very basic lighting.
Here is a BEFORE SHOT:
Are you ready?
Here is the AFTER SHOT:
And here are a few more:
I wanted this to be a functional space for my nine year old twins. Charlotte’s room is too small for a dresser and she really needed a place besides the guest room across the hall for her clothes. 
I painted an heirloom dresser WHALE GRAY by BENJAMIN MOORE. The wool rug is a MOROCCAN RUG from WEST ELM that I added for warmth and color. The wall to wall carpet couldn’t be installed during this time frame. The STAR LIGHT is from POTTERY BARN and the Lamp in a Mid Century vintage find. The shade and baskets are NATE BERKUS for TARGET.
The horizontal reproduction beach painting was from ROSS and it served as my color inspiration for the room. Of course I’d love a beach photograph by GRAY MALIN but for now, this is what we’re working with.
The kids could use a mirror for getting dressed and I found this one at TARGET for $40. The antique bench was a GOODWILL find, with a cane seat and back. It was too folksy for the space with a carved heart in the back so I modernized it with the custom seat cushion and lumbar pillow in white and gray linen, custom made by STUDIO TULLIA. They are filled with down blend and super comfy.
The elongated arm was what I really liked about the antique bench besides the scale being perfect for the kids,
The flower oil painting above the guest room door is by ELIZABETH SEE, an Oregon artist.
SO, moving onto the GALLERY WALL in the STAIRWAY…here is another BEFORE SHOT (with our dog, Pumpkin):
And here is the AFTER:
Salon style GALLERY WALL of family photographs; mostly black and white photographs with some art thrown into the mix. I used black frames, white frames and a few vintage gold frames. I am still working on the wall with several more to go above these. It takes time to select pictures, frames and mattes. That was quite a project in itself. The limited edition print is by Italian artist, BAU and was from CR FINE ARTS, LTD.
I painted the ugly brown stairs white with gray treads along with the railing at the top of the stairs.
Here is the view from the bottom of the stairs. I found this basket made for stairs that is perfect for books, toys and other odds and ends that need to go back upstairs.
So, that is it. I will add some more pictures to this post later, however I am working on this remotely from Astoria, where we are staying for the weekend.
So check out the rest of the ORC GUEST PARTICIPANTS’ rooms HERE
And the ORC DESIGNERS, invited by the ORC Sponsor, CALLING IT HOME, who finished their rooms yesterday are HERE:
Here are all the sources I can think of for now:
WHITE WALLS – Mountain Snow by METRO PAINTS
WHITE SEMI GLOSS on trim and stairs – MILLER PAINT
GRAY DOORS – OWL GRAY by BENJAMIN MOORE
GRAY TRIM on Railing & Stair Treads – WHALE GRAY by BENJAMIN MOORE
GLASS PENDANT – SCHOOL HOUSE ELECTRIC
MOROCCAN RUNNER – WEST ELM
BEACH PAINTING – ROSS
FLORAL OIL PAINTING – ELIZABETH SEE
ROUND MIRROR – TARGET
CUSTOM CUSHIONS on Antique Bench – STUDIO TULLIA
LAMP SHADE & BASKETS – NATE BERKUS for TARGET
BENCH, DRESSER, & LAMP – vintage finds
FRAMES on Gallery Wall from POTTERY BARN, IKEA, AARON BROTHERS, and a few vintage ones.
I hope you liked it! It feels much moire inviting and functional now. LIke we have gained an extra room.
Thanks so much for following along! Have a great weekend.
Best,
Suzanne
by studiotullia | Nov 3, 2016 | DIY, INTERIOR DESIGN
I finally got the orange walls covered with three coats of MOUNTAIN SNOW white paint from METRO PAINT. Now everything is looking very white.
This is where we were last week:
And this is where we are this week:
I’ve finished most of the trim in a GLOSSY WHITE from MILLER PAINT and hung up this VINTAGE MIRROR.
I’ve installed this 28″ Round Mirror from TARGET. I wanted a bigger one, but for $49 I went with this one.
We had to stop and sand the glue and carpet remnants off the stairs and side molding before we painted anymore of the stairs.
The WEST ELM ASHIK WOOL RUNNER arrived and while I wasn’t so sure about it initially, I think I can make it work.
It looked like this on the website: 
And this is what it looks like in person. This is a close up of the rug. The palette is lighter and the fibers are more coarse than the original photo, with a lot of the salmony orange pink.
I started to panic and look for another rug, with this inspo photo of a space by ASHE + LEANDRO in mind:
This is what I came up with two different woven Indian rugs from a local store, CARGO
and
but in the end, I opted for the WEST ELM rug after all. The colors seemed too busy for the hallway and the size was not really right.
MY FOCUS this last week is all about CONTRAST in this WHITE HALLWAY and a NEW LIGHT FIXTURE to replace this existing one, which is nice, but too small:
So, here’s my final check list:
- Paint semi gloss CHARCOAL black paint on stair rail and tops of stairs
- Paint all four doors semi gloss SILVER GRAY
- Paint office door to my office semi gloss CHARCOAL
- Paint stoop at base of stairs white and apply the STENCIL from HEIRLOOM142 from Canada below for fun:
5. Hang all my NEWLY MATTED AND FRAMED PHOTOS in the stairwell.
(For you Portland locals) Seth at I’VE BEEN FRAMED, was a dream to work with; along with some pre-cut double mattes that I found, he matted and assembled “frame kits” for me that made it super easy and affordable. I went in there with ten or so frames and was worried how much that was going to cost. It cost me about $50!
6. Install the custom cushions and lumbar for the new antique bench I scored at GOODWILL for $40:
I thought about painting this bench but I have decided to leave the natural wood and cane work. I am making a seat cushion and lumbar pillow to give it a more modern look and hide the missing cane work until I can get it fixed. Overall its pretty sturdy though.
6. And lastly, there is the matter off the antique DRESSER, which I am planning to also paint MILK PAINT CHARCOAL. 
I’ve got my work cut out for me, which might have something to do with why I am getting so little sleep lately…I’m worried.
See you next week for the FINAL REVEAL.
Don’t forget to check in with the FEATURED DESIGNERS:
As well as the GUEST PARTICIPANTS:
:
See you soon! Thanks for following along.
Best,
Suzanne
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 | 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
