ODE TO YOU…& HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

ODE TO YOU…& HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

There is a layer of icy snow on the ground as I write this.

With the office closed today, I spent the first hour of the day in bed with a good book and a pitcher of coffee, followed by a hot, epsom salt bath.

It’s been a day of cleaning the kitchen and chatting on the phone. Each person I’ve spoken with today has his/her own version of challenging weather and circumstances. Old friends in Massachusetts, Washington, Vermont, and Alaska followed by family in North Carolina, California and the Oregon coast…it is windier and dryer than usual in some places and wetter rather than snowier in others. And some folks have lost their power…so there seems to be no norm this year.

I saw some neighborhood kids out sledding, while making batches of cookies today. And tonight, it’s chicken pot pies for dinner followed by a movie.

Now that’s quite delightful, while the weather outside is frightful, eh?

OOPS

This is the least prepared I have been for Christmas in years.

A new job, lots of drama at my kids’ school (a shooting, yes, I said a shooting), and clueless over what to get teens, made it challenging. There are so few items on the shelves at many stores. I might just give the kids cash and fill their stockings with goodies. They are happier making their own purchases anyway. It is more about being together – sharing meals, hanging out and playing games.

Here are a few old pictures where I really pulled off quite the holiday splendor. It was easier than to wow the kids.

HUGE SALE

By the way, there are still lots of festive pillows at my shop, with a sale on through the end of the month. And a little heads up: there will be a HUGE SALE in January.

ODE TO YOU, MY LOVELIES…

I want you to know just how grateful I am to all of the customers that support STUDIO TULLIA/A WELL LIVED HOUSE and other small businesses.

It takes a little more time to find and shop from small businesses. Your discerning eye for unique hand-crafted goods and willingness to”shop small” means the world to so many of us.

You are supporting a handful of diverse, strong and creative women who are mothers and grandmothers, wanting a flexible schedule and a fair wage, so they can work from home and be with those they love.

As we all know, family is what it is all about. Wishing you and yours a safe and joyous holiday season.

XOXO

SUZANNE

Our Little Cabin in the Woods

Our Little Cabin in the Woods

Chronicles from a Well Lived House...

Every December since the kids were small we’ve gone to Silver Falls State Park for their annual Holiday Festival.  It seems crazy to take off and leave in the middle of one of the busy times of the year but I’ve come to realize as an entrepreneur and mother, a couple days and nights in an ancient forest is often exactly what we all need. 

We take hikes, explore, go to the festival – and make crafts, and wreaths, and birdhouses. And when we are back at our little cabin, we read, play cards, talk and relax.

The air is so fresh and the forest is lush and rich with ferns and moss. 

Within a one mile loop you can see two stunning waterfalls.

After marching in a protest about climate change this Fall with my kids, listening to Gretta and taking an online clutter clearing course by Denise Linn this past Summer I am less inclined to buy as much this year for Christmas. I am trying to be more thoughtful about gifting things that are truly useful.

And that are more in tune with the earth and have a lower impact on the planet.

You can see how the Pendleton textiles blend so nicely with the outdoors.

That’s one of the reasons I chose to use salvaged mill ends from the Pendleton factory this Fall and Winter. The textiles are all natural fibers and would otherwise be thrown away. I love the hunt for cool stuff in their bins. And I have to say, I have given many, many gifts made from Pendleton wool to my brother, Dad, in-laws, friends, and neighbors over the past couple years and everyone seems to truly appreciate them.

The leftover Umatilla plaid they use for the shirts are such lovely color mixes and super soft. And I love the leftover blanket scraps and fringe I can add to the cushions.

I’ve also started selling patches which you can buy on their own or have applied to accent pillows. A portion of the proceeds from all patches sold is donated to The Oregon State Park Foundation.

There is a FLASH SALE going on for the next two days on all ready-to ship items at my ETSY store.  Take a look!  Just let me know in the notes at checkout if you want anything gift wrapped.  Friday, Dec 20th is the last day to guarantee delivery with priority mail.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for following along.

Have a wonderful holiday next week and try to get to the woods!

 

Let’s get cozy…

Let’s get cozy…

Chronicles from a Well Lived House...

With temperatures dropping and leaves falling,

I can’t help but want to cozy up my home. 

How do I do that? 

For starters, lots of furry blankets that the kids and pets love. 

And layers of Pendleton throws and pillows.

I have throws all around the house –  in my office, in the dining room, and at the foot of our bed for one more layer if necessary.

We live in an old house that gets drafty.  And up here in Oregon the damp cool air can be bone chilling. 

The chihuahua gets a fleece coat and the cat gets a plug-in heated bed!

Even our pets (bearded dragons and hermit crabs) get heated stones and pads for under their cages). 

The daylight lamp also comes out, perched right by my desk. It’s no coincidence that my home office is in one of the sunniest rooms in the house and all white. Everything. The walls, curtains, and furnishings.  It is how I survive in Oregon.

We’ve been busy at STUDIO TULLIA making lots of wool cushions for the winter season.

There’s a huge sequoia redwood tree up the street that produces pine cones and lovely wonderful smelling greenery shown here with some woolens… 

What makes this pillow special?

It is made from a salvaged “mill end” from Pendleton Woolen Mills. You never know what you’ll find when hunting in the bins.  My favorite find is the blanket fringe which I love to add on the ends of lumbarsBelow is a picture of one on my son’s bed with our new kitty Henry.

All outdoor potted plants that can’t handle freezing temps come in, too.  It’s nice to have a place inside that gets a fair amount of sun.

Wool planters lined with ticking for indoor plants look nice mixed in with other clay and brass planters.

 These blankets are also “salvaged” – they might have one tear on a seam or be missing fringe on one end for some reason.  I can usually find the missing fringe in the bins and sew it back on or easily resew the hem on one side.  It really looks just as nice and honestly I don’t think anyone would even notice but you. And best of all, they are a bargain.

MORE PILLOWS…

These patterns are usually available and very popular this time of year.  Walking Rock and Condensed White.

There are so many things you can do with these gorgeous jacquard fabrics that are all 100% virgin wool.

I like to bring these more vibrant colored plaids out for the holidays.

This Swiss cross pillow has been a favorite and adds a classic touch to any room.  So nice to give to doctors, nurses, and loved ones.  

This 11×11 inch cutie makes a great gift for a baby.

We also have these accent pillows that I often put a patch on. A portion of the proceeds from all patches sold are donated to The Oregon State Park Foundation and The Nature Conservancy for their ongoing stewardship of our beautiful park lands and places like the Zumwalt Prairie Reserve, the largest prairie sanctuary in the country, home to many precious ,endangered animals including the Tullia ringlet butterfly – our namesake.

I can never get enough of the blues myself that I love to layer in with other indigo patterns, denim and cotton ticking.  

Just few wool pillows folded in with your other ones gives an added layer of warmth to a room.

Some are blanket weight and others are made from their leftover lighter weight Umatilla plaid fabrics they use for winter shirts and they are super soft.

This faux taxidermy moose by FARAWAY LOVELY is pretty fabulous don’t you think?  I found it on Pinterest while searching under Pendleton. This company had quite a selection of these mounted animal heads covered with Pendleton. Check them out!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving next week. Thank you for following along!

 

PDX STYLE & DESIGNER MAX HUMPHREY

PDX STYLE & DESIGNER MAX HUMPHREY

Chronicles from a Well Lived House...

PORTLAND: DESIGNER MAX HUMPHREY & PDX STYLE

SPOTLIGHT ON THE NORTHWEST:

INTERIOR DESIGNER MAX HUMPHREY

I wanted to share the work of Portland local MAX HUMPHREY. His contemporary style is whimsical, vibrant and regional in the sense that I recognize Portland’s STYLE, inevitably influenced by our unique local resources and small businesses. I have always been drawn to the space featured below: the use of red, graphic art, refreshed vintage and retro accessories. It is well balanced in an assymetrical way and just fun.    

 

Portland loves bohemian touches which you find in his use of colorful middle eastern rugs and textiles. There are some great resources here for Turkish kilims, rugs, and poufs at places like WILD SHAMAN and KUSH RUGS .

.Given our close proximity to the Columbia River Gorge and the Cascade Mountains, the forest/outdoor/woodland themes are also prominent in the use of vintage art, topography maps, army cots, wood stoves, etc.  Great vintage finds can be found at URBANITE and MONTICELLO MARKETPLACE.

Eclectic mix of fabrics and colors.   No rules as far as styles.  He stages a lot of his room shots with whimsical props like bicycles, leopard shoes and kids’ sneakers as well as spirits, vintage objects, lots of books and potted plants. 

Crafts have always been strong in Portland, as evidenced by the volume of vintage crafts at estate sales, and it is making its way into retail outlets like THE CRAFT BAR, ASSEMBLY and COLLAGE, just in my little corner of SE Portland.  The winters are long in the Northwest.

I enjoy the rich mix of texture and colors in his choice of textiles, retro lamps, the plants,  the Pendleton plaids, and vintage, mid century and more contemporary cleaned lined pieces.

 Some of the images shown here are also on the CITY HOME website, featuring their products. I’m going to guess many of these items come from places like 

CITY HOME furnishings, LEGACY MODERN, PENDLETON, and CARGO

NEWS FROM THE STUDIO:

I’m going to a conference in a couple weeks (https://www.altitudesummit.com/) and wanted to have some fresh business cards and marketing materials.

My assistant and I have switched out the pillows on this countless times, but alas, I actually put this version in the MOO cart today and bought it!   Hoping to give prospective customers a sense of the offerings available via STUDIO TULLIA.  I am always on the hunt for one of a kind, vintage textiles as well as an evolving assortment of designer textiles.  I love to help curate specific looks and collections, whatever your project.

NEW POSTCARD

 

We also freshened up my business card.   The logo we already had, but I wanted something new for Spring.   We used a remnant fabric that I had and incorporated that into the design.  

NEW BUSINESS CARD

The fabric is called “Bavier” au “Esprit de France” design by Greeff.  Greef was bought out by SCHUMACHER awhile back and still reproduces a lot of their patterns.  I found a bolt of this in my grandmother’s basement when I was a design student. It belonged to my great uncle who was also a designer in NYC in the 40’s and 50’s. He was an inspiration to me even though I never met him.  My grandmother shared his journals, letters and fabrics with me, which I still treasure.   I reupholstered a large wing chair in this fabric like 20 years ago in what is now my son’s favorite chair.  It is pretty worn to shreds, but I am glad it was loved and enjoyed for so many years in our home.

LEGACY MODERN POP-UP at URBANITE

If you live in Portland you might know about URBANITE,  a warehouse and curated designers’ collective,  always chock full of interesting finds.  

One of my partners, LEGACY MODERN, has a pop-up shop there right now. Go check it out if you haven’t been before.  Owner Mike Albino has a great eye for quality Danish Mid Century Modern and Industrial Furniture. He also supports the talents of many local artists as you’ll see in the ceramics, glassware, lighting, prints, paintings and STUDIO TULLIA soft goods!

LATEST PRODUCTS FROM STUDIO TULLIA

My neighbor is an antiques dealer and she has great estate sales very Summer.  I got this there and I believe it was intended to be a very lovely hand towel. I pieced some cotton to the sides to make it into a very large euro sham. I am a sucker for embroidery work, and this is a fine example.  You know many hours went into this.

(PLEASE NOTE: This above piece is SOLD, going to a fine home in Portland)

I always have random pieces left over when I use Josef Frank’s CITRUS GARDEN from Schumacher. I use it to make all kinds of things including random sized accent pillows, which have become quite popular.

I was thrilled to come across this fabric below by SISTER PARISH DESIGN. I was drawn to it at the MILL END STORE in Portland and was so thrilled to read in the selvage that it was from Sister Parish.  

Per the website…Resembling an American quilt, Campobello is a print that symbolizes Sister Parish’s love for American Craft and most specifically quilting. Parish Hadley worked with quilters from Selma Alabama in the late 1960s to develop patchwork quilted yard goods and also collaborated with the Freedom Quilting Bee from 1967 to 1969, bringing old-fashioned quilts to high end publications. The primitive tree border along the side enhances the sophistication of Campobello.

Eleanor & Franklin Roosevelt were married at Mr. & Mrs. Henry Parish’s house in New York City. Campobello was their country house in Canada.

Here is the grand dame herself. I love this quote from her as it very much resonates with my approach to design:

 

“Some think a decorator should change a house… I try to give permanence to a house to bring out the experiences, the memories, the feelings that make it a home.”

Here is a picture of her great granddaughter below, Eliza Crater, who is the creative director of the  Sister Parish Studio and has carried on the family tradition with her own personal style, along with her mother.  I can see the resemblance for sure. She is shown here in their family home, where her grandmother now lives, which once was Sister Parish’s.  And look what’s on the walls!

Here’s a recap of some of PORTLAND’s great resources:

ASSEMBLY

CARGO

CITY HOME

COLLAGE

KUSH RUGS  

LEGACY MODERN

MONTICELLO MARKETPLACE

PENDLETON

THE CRAFT BAR

URBANITE

WILD SHAMAN

 As always, thanks for reading along. 

 

 

 

 

 

FALL 2018 ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, week 6 DINING ROOM – FINAL REVEAL!

FALL 2018 ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, week 6 DINING ROOM – FINAL REVEAL!

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

TARGET – abstract framed embellished painting Project 62

WS HOME – black candlesticks

TURNING TOWARD BLACK & WHITE

TURNING TOWARD BLACK & WHITE

Hello Folks,

I’ve been revisiting black and white as well as moody, darker florals and grays lately.  Black and white pairs with just about any color year round but resonates with me in the cooler months as colors deepen.

BLACK, WHITE & GRAY

I am pretty happy with the new palette below but planning to add some softer, textured notes and grays to the mix in the coming months.

The Bunny Hutch fabric by Hunt Slonem for Lee Jofa has been really popular as has the FAUNA (the black spots) by Kate Spade for Kravet.   The other coordinates below work with everything and the iconic CHIANG MAI DRAGON in SMOKE is so fresh in this new color way even though its from the 20’s.

Here is how the pillow collection is looking. You may shop the full BLACK & WHITE COLLECTION with all custom sizes at my website.

Ready-mades and bargains are ready to ship right away and available at my ETSY STORE

This is another palette I came up with that adds more color and vintage wovens and needlepoint to the mix.

This pillow is a vintage Guatemalan woven pillow with embroidery. I  only have a couple left.

Pendleton Woolens in various black and whites are always a beautiful addition.

How fun are these fringe-laden pillows made from Pendleton Mill scraps!

RESEARCH

I’ve  been looking at some of these fabrics below – what do you think?

SONORA adds a sophisticated boho vibe and some gorgeous texture.

This is more a natural linen color that also adds warmth and great texture to the mix.

VENTO

And here are some of the darker patterns I am loving right now:

CHAMBRAY in CHARCOAL on linen

AURORA DAMASK on linen

BINARY EMBROIDERY

OWLISH in BLACK by Kate Spade

EXOTIC BUTTERFLY  in BLACK by Joseph Frank

ANTELOPES in JADE by Paul Poiret from the 1930’s

ANTELOPES in COBALT 

FANTASY FOREST has a vintage vibe that is fun:

DESIGN INSPIRATION

Nobody does black and white quite like http://www.asheleandro.com/

 

And, Nobody does black and white sketches quite like ALBERT HADLEY:

 

I love this black and white print:

FERNS LINOCUT PRINT by MAGPRINT on ETSY:

And is she beautiful or what?

From House of Fabulous

I want the butterfly dress:

 

GIFT ITEMS

I’ve also been adding some gifty items like this pouch using THE BUG CHICKS LOTUS Fabric for $14 for the holidays

 

and this SHANGHAI PEACOCK fabric in a glasses case below for $24

And this Clutch purse in Chiang Mai Dragon for $24

 

 

I hope you are warming up to FALL and getting ready for all the festivities coming just around the corner. We are about to start decorating for Halloween and planning to do a Day of the Dead shrine this year. Ill share it with you on INSTAGRAM

While Spring/Summer are my favorites, I love Fall but I start to get down about the rain and lessening of light for the next several months in Portland.  Thanks as always for reading and let me know your thoughts about the collection.

ORC FALL 2017 FINAL REVEAL – GUEST BEDROOM

ORC FALL 2017 FINAL REVEAL – GUEST BEDROOM

Well, I am SO happy to share with you some pictures from the ORC FINAL REVEAL of my upstairs GUEST ROOM!  

 

 

I have to tell you that I really struggled with this room. I thought I had it all together and a couple days before the reveal I was NOT HAPPY with the results.   I did a few things  that turned the room around.  The bedding felt lifeless, the room too traditional, and I was uninspired by the art.  It was not cozy enough.

I added WHITE:   white baskets, white duvet cover, shams and pillow covers from IKEA, fresh white paint on the trim,  white lilies in a white vase. In an old house, in low light Portland, I have learned that nothing makes a room look fresh and modern better than WHITE.

 

I called my neighbor, Virginie Hoover, who had some lovely SHIBORI textiles she made this Summer that gave me the more bohemian/beach vibe I was looking for.

 

I went to GOODWILL for more frames and art, and printed some posters at WALGREEN’s from my Iphone pictures that were done in one hour.  Fortunately, the local framers,I’VE BEEN FRAMED, were totally resourceful and accommodating and built some framing kits for me to assemble the art really fast.

My kids were the best, and helped me paint the dresser. I was up until 4 am the night before the final reveal day painting trim and doors.  I was so exhausted and the extremely gray rainy day made it really hard to get any decent pictures.  SO finally today the SUN came out here and there and I ran upstairs to try to capture the room.  The night time shots I tried to take last night with artificial lights were horrible.

Something serendipitous always happens during a One Room Challenge when I go to Goodwill. This time I found a beautiful blue glass vase for $6.99 that had the original $59.99 price tag on it.

 

I also picked up a large framed poster really just for the frame but when I hung it up, oddly enough,  the watermelon print grew on me and really kind of pulled things together.

 

SOURCES

Here are the SOURCES for the above room – I’ll do my best here:

PAINT COLORS:

WALLS – BENJAMIN MOORE MUSLIN

DRESSER – AMERICAN EMPIRE ANTIQUE, PAINTED BENJAMIN MOORE VAN HEUSEN BLUE with a few RESTORED CRYSTAL KNOBS from HIPPO HARDWARE

BOOKSHELF – IKEA

BELGIAN LINEN CURTAINS – WILLIAMS SONOMA HOME, with a few striped pleats added to the leading edges by STUDIO TULLIA

DOORS – BENJAMIN MOORE DOVE GRAY

TRIM – MILLER WHITE

SLEIGH BED – BERNHARDT, found for FREE, donated by a neighbor, on NEXTDOOR

GRAY SHAG RUG – IKEA

FRAMES – IKEA, except for the silver lead frames that are custom.

PHOTOGRAPHS – beach pictures taken with my Iphone and printed at WALGREEN’s except for VENICE Photos bought at Artists’ Co-op in  Monterey, CA.

SCONCES – LAMPS PLUS

ACCESSORIES –

White vases, frames, white baskets-  IKEA

Watermelon Print by MAZON found, blue glass vase and white ceramic sandpiper found at GOODWILL

BASKET HURRICANE – TARGET (found at Goodwill)

WOVEN BASKET BALLS – POTTERY BARN

Blue Striped Clay Bowl – GOODWILL

FAUX LLAMA FUR THROW & LINEN – custom made by STUDIO TULLIA

ALL BED LINENS – custom made by STUDIO TULLIA except for white linens – all from IKEA.  The fabrics were found at either FABRIC DEPOT, THE MILL END STORE or PENDLETON WOOLEN MILL ENDS

The BUNNY HUTCH PILLOW on the chair is a HUNT SLONEM print from GROUND WORKS/KRAVET.

CRYSTAL LAMP – CRYSTAL REFLECTIONS, CA

LINEN SHADES for ANTIQUE CHANDELIER – AMAZON

FLOWERS, PLANT – TRADER JOE’s

 There are some amazing GUEST PARTICIPANTS for you to check out by clicking on this image below:

And of course the wonderful FEATURED DESIGNERS via CALLING IT HOME’s website:

Let me know what you think. Do you like the blue dresser? That was my biggest decision: what color to paint it.  I let my daughter pick it in the end.  Kind of wish it was a more indigo blue.

Thanks to Linda at CALLING IT HOME for creating and producing this legendary event that gives so many designers the kick in the XXX, accountability piece and collective motivation that seems to help bring these projects to fruition.

As always, thanks for reading along!

ORC Spring 2016 – Here we are at Week 4!!!

ORC Spring 2016 – Here we are at Week 4!!!

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

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And check out the FEATURED DESIGNERS HERE

 

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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.

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We got out the neon dye colors:

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And, here she is giving it a whirl.

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Lots of mixing going on…

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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!  IMG_3187.jpg

By the time we got back with SEVERAL more fabric dye colors, it was starting to get dark!

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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.

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She was able to get it all done before it was too dark and we were really happy with the results:

IMG_3241.jpg 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!

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So back to IKEA I went and got this for $35.

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I had some leftover white fur from my pillow line on ETSY so I am using that to cover the stool.

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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.

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Here it is…what do you think?  This puppy could use a little trim/combing, but not too shabby:

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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.

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Here is one of the PINK CROSS pillows available at STUDIO TULLIA on ETSY that we are planning to use on her bed.

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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.

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And lastly, think it would be fun to paint her door this rose quartz when we get to the hallway outside her room.IMG_3239.jpg

 

Wishing everyone a great few last days of the week.

 

And, thanks for reading!

 

Best,

Suzanne

 

CROSS PILLOWS OFFER STYLE AND COMFORT…and it’s time for a GIVEAWAY!

CROSS PILLOWS OFFER STYLE AND COMFORT…and it’s time for a GIVEAWAY!

I want to share some CROSS pillows with you.  The cross as a symbol has been around for along time and I thought it would be fun to delve into its meaning.  The bold colorful ones below are not of a religious nature so much as a comfort/first aid nature.  Technically I am referring to a Greek Cross, which is a cross with 4 arms of equal length. A common sign in ancient Greece, in pre-columbian America, in the near east, and in the euphrates-tigris region around 1500 B.C., according to an article written about crosses by DesignBoom.com

With the recent legalization of marijuana in Oregon, green cross signs are around every corner, offering medicinal herbs to those in need so maybe it had some subliminal effect on my interest. In honor of Oregon’s new law, I made a green on white cross pillow that offers comfort in the form of soft linen with a down insert.

Green and White Cross Pillow

Green and White Cross Pillow

This is also available in a few other colors:

Citron Green Cross Pillow

Citron Green Cross Pillow

And the classic and most iconic, would be the red:

Red and White Cross Pillow

Red and White Cross Pillow

According to wikipedia, the red cross symbol is the international sign for medic. It is associated in the U.S. with the American Red Cross, a nonprofit aid agency that helps those in need, regardless of their ability to pay. The cross was one of many symbols used to signify medic until the introduction of fire arms to battle and the increase in casualties. Henri Durant designed the red cross as we know it today after witnessing tens of thousands of soldiers left dying on the battlefield with no one to help them.  Here’s the link If you want to read more: http://www.ehow.com/facts_6761604_meaning-red-cross-symbol_.html  And, here is the skinny on the founder of the Red Cross and the symbol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Dunant

The pink and white is a gentler version that would be nice in a nursery:

Pink and White Cross Pillow

Pink and White Cross Pillow

I saw a pillow like this one in the DC Designer Showhouse 2015. The designer of the nursery was Nancy Twomey and she created a lovely room, with an animal theme, as well as a Scandinavian airiness with the colors and calmness of the space.

9A. Nancy Twomey-Nursery

Nursery by Designer Nancy Twomey (photo by Michelle Goldchain)

Nursery by Designer Nancy Twomey
(photo by Michelle Goldchain)

I love the pink cross shelves!

Nancy Twomey (Photo by Angie Seckinger)

Nancy Twomey
(Photo by Angie Seckinger)

And I came across many wonderful Pendleton Fabrics featuring crosses.  I have made some of them into a few different pillows:

Gray and Cream Cross Pillow made from Pendleton WOOL.

Gray and Cream Cross Pillow made from Pendleton WOOL.

Here is the back side:

Back of Pillow, also a Pendleton Wool.

Back of Pillow, also a Pendleton Wool.

Here are two other pillows from STUDIO TULLIA using the Pendleton’s San Miguel cross fabric, featured in a wonderful room designed by Leyla Bowden Jaworski @designshopinteriors

Room by Design Shop Interiors

Room by Design Shop Interiors

Room by Design Shop Interiors, Designer Leyla Bowden Jaworski

Room by Design Shop Interiors, Designer Leyla Bowden Jaworski

Pendelton Cross StudioTullia 4

These cross images in different forms are also evident in Pendleton Wool fabrics which are often derivative of Native American imagery and symbols.  These cross symbols often symbolize the Four Great Primary Forces and their interaction with the sun.

Fabric by Pendleton Wool. Pillow by STUDIO TULLIA.

Fabric by Pendleton Wool.
Pillow by STUDIO TULLIA.

Here are a few lovely Pendleton patterns with crosses.  They have names like Mini Chief Joseph, San Miguel, and Walkiing Rock…

FullSizeRende1r

oswego bay drab

walking rock bw

CrossRoads Blanket by Pendleton.

CrossRoads Blanket by Pendleton.

The description for the above blanket in the Pendleton Catalog reads as follows:

The Crossroads design reflects First Nations teachings and the power of the four directions – the number “four” is sacred among many Native American tribes. East represents the physical body, the realm of the Warrior. West represents the heart and the path of the Visionary. North is the region of the mind and the wisdom of the Teacher. South represents the spirit, enlightenment and the realm of the Healer. Balance and harmony are achieved where the directions meet at the center of the Medicine Wheel. Crosses in this jacquard pattern symbolize the crossroads where the paths meet – the place where an individual becomes whole.

How’s that for some food for thought around crosses and their sybolism in art and design?

Now, for the DETAILS of the GIVEAWAY!!!  Go to either my Pinterest page at https://www.pinterest.com/sfortescue/ or my Instagram page at https://instagram.com/studiotullia/, click on follow, then come back and tell me where you might want to use a cross pillow.   The winner may choose one of Studio Tullia’s new linen cross pillows: green, citron, red or pink.   The winner will be announced on November 2nd.

Thanks for reading!  Until next time,

Best,

Suzanne

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