1-2 Catalog Inspiration

If you missed the announcement of the results for last week CLICK HERE.
For Week 1's submissions CLICK HERE

This week's theme is:
"CATALOG HACK"

Each contestant was instructed to find an "outside source" such as Pottery Barn, Anthropology, Ballards, etc. for inspiration for their project this week. 
Their projects are nothing short of amazing!
And remember.... you get to vote for your top 2 favorites!
The winner of this week's competition will win immunity from next week's challenge
AND.... this beautiful necklace from Yesteryears Jewels! 

 We will begin with last week's winner, Brooke and Kallie @ All Things Thrifty

#1 All Things Thrifty- Mismatched Dining Room

For those who haven't gotten acquainted with us yet at All Things Thrifty, we'll mention that we are thrifty gals who love to execute fabulous decorating ideas CHEAPLY. The entire purpose for our site is to prove that you can get designer looks that are easy on the pocketbook and to prove that decorating can be inexpensive. If you haven't visited us yet, we'd love to have you check out our site.

The use of bold colors can be so much fun in decorating! All of the images in the collage above are from Pottery Barn. I love PB. Mismatching furniture is in, and I loved the idea from PB to put all different colors of dining room chairs around a table. So, I started gathering chairs. I wanted all of them to mimic the same decorating style so I had to hunt for a few months before I located enough. The search paid off! I found the chairs at the local thrift store for $4.00-$6.00 each. I then painted and glazed some of them to create the antique look I was going for.

If you would like step by step instructions on how to reupholster dining room chairs or how to create an antique look with paint and glaze, go to All Things Thrifty.

I made my own version of the Pottery Barn BURGERS, ICE CREAM, and MALTS signs for less than $5.00.

When I found this double wing back chair at the local thrift store, I was ecstatic. I have seen some sweet double wing back chairs at anthropologie. I'm learning how to reupholster, so I decided to make her part of the mismatched theme around the table. I love how the fabric ties in the other colors in the room. The chair cost $25.00, and I picked up the fabric to reupholster her for about $60.00. I created a one-of-a-kind UNIQUE double wing back for a mere $85.00!

For more details and instructions, please visit us at All Things Thrifty.

Now I have a Pottery Barn look for pennies on the dollar. My husband likes that a lot so both of us are happy!

#2- WhisperWood Cottage- Framed Vintage Swimsuit & Sign

Oh, inspiration! The best thing about catalogs is that they know how to create such fabulous vignettes.  But what do you do when you don't have the exact furniture, the exact accessories, the exact colors, and/or the exact style? You work with what you do have!! It's not about copying the inspiration. It is about being inspired by it and creating a space that is definitively your style. PHASE 1: Clearing the space. The existing neutral walls and the dark brown desk fit with the inspiration room. Everything else that was in this space was cleared out.

PHASE 2: Adding key accessories.

I started by adding the key accessory pieces that drew me to the inspiration photo: the framed vintage swimsuit and the sign. As often as possible, I like to use authentic pieces with character and history. Luckily, I was able to add some here.

THE SWIMSUIT

In my version of the framed vintage swimsuit, the swimsuit is a man's size 40 black wool suit that has "Detroit Beach" printed across the chest in orange letters. I found it at an estate sale last summer. Imagine a muscle-bound lifeguard strutting across the beach during the 1920s!

THE FRAME

The swimsuit is framed in a $1.99 Goodwill find. A simple sanding and coat of black paint covered the once brass finish on the frame.

THE SIGN

While I didn't have a rowing sign, I did have a black and white water-themed sign that says "WPA Water Main." WPA stands for the Works Progress Administration, which was an organization started by President Roosevelt in 1935. It employed nearly 8 million workers in the U.S. as it rebounded from the Great Depression.

PHASE 3: Adding supporting accessories. 

To finish off the space, I started with this buoy, a garage sale find from last summer. A loose piece of wood became the perfect "clip" to hold a black-and-white photo of my grandmother in Lake Michigan many years ago. While this unique "frame" echoes the framed artwork in the inspiration photo, it is a fun interpretation that makes it uniquely my style.

This battery jar, plant, and seashell display is my interpretation of the plant and jar of shells on the floor in the inspiration photo. For an additional punch of personality, a vintage Arcade ice pick gets added to the mix. The metal finish of the ice pick relates to the chair found in the inspiration photo.

With the addition of a lamp, a framed photo in a natural frame, a wooden stool, some books, a chair, and a lantern, I was all done. Here is the WhisperWood Cottage interpretation of the inspiration photo...

Thank you!

I hope you enjoyed my interpretation and twist on the catalog inspiration photo. Are you feeling inspired by all the SYTYCD projects? I hope so! Now, go out, be inspired, and inspire others!! Visit my extended post for more photos at WhisperWood Cottage!

#3- Shabby Nest- Framed Chalkboard on Console

I have been wanting one of those huge chalkboards in the Pottery Barn Catalog for ages! Trouble is, I didn't want to spend the $149 it was going to cost to buy one. So what's a frugal OCD (Obsessively Consumed with Decorating) girl to do? Why, make one of course!

So with a little help from the Hubby, I made my own chalkboard. All it took was a 4x4 piece of underlayment, some 1x3's, nails, wood glue and some chalkboard paint. Pretty soon we had ourselves one of these.

Of course, a Pottery Barn-inspired chalkboard deserves a Pottery Barn-inspired setting in which to dwell. So I set about creating one. And here is what I came up with.

I decided to use a rustic wood console table as the basis for my vignette. It's similar to one I've seen in the PB catalog, and it was approximately the same width as the chalkboard so I knew it would work perfectly. After I had the table and chalkboard in place, it was time for the accessories.

I chose to use a pineapple garden finial and a tall topiary as the basis for my tabletop accessories. I then added in a galvanized letter H, a small cement nest (holding another bit of green to echo the green in the topiary) and an old house number nestled in the prongs of a vintage floral frog.

Of course, as any PB aficionado knows, it's also important to accessorize under a table. So I grabbed an antique box with a fabulous patina and added a wire basket full of books on top. Now, to make the basket look especially Pottery Barn-ish, I turned all the books backwards, so all that is visible are the white pages. (This is one of my favorite PB decorating tricks...it looks amazing in a bookshelf.)

I also added these cute terracotta pots filled with an old wire brush and sandpaper belt strips (sounds strange I know, but it looks perfect!) The pots were new when I purchased them. Too new. So I gave them a patina by brushing a wash of cream and burnt umber acrylic paint mixed with water over each of them. I then painted the "No. 3" on the front of one of the pots for a little interest.

Finally, borrowing another decorating trick I have seen in PB catalogs, I placed a couple of framed pieces of art in a big basket. The black frames echo the black in the chalkboard and create a sense of balance. I just love how it all turned out.

To find out more about this project (including a more in depth explanation of how to make a chalkboard like mine) please join me at my blog, The Shabby Nest.

#4- Welcome to the Turner Farm- Ladder Pot Rack 

My Pottery Barn Inspired Pot Rack

No, I don't live under a rock, but sure felt like I did when I first discovered the world of

blogging just a few short weeks ago.  I had heard about Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs, and Anthropologie, I just had never seen Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs, or Anthropologie.  Can you imagine?  I am sure catching up and quickly.  Wow, a whole new world!

Mr. Norm and I have been designing, planning,constructing and completing our new farm house kitchen for 3 years now.  During that time we have been on the search for a pot rack, one that  would fill many requirements; function, style, versatility and $$$ense. 

I have many pots and pans of many shapes and sizes.  See the extreme size differences in these two.  The red one is my standard home stock pot.  The shiny one is one of my smaller commercial stock pots.  I have much larger ones still in storage, waiting to be put to use.  The red one fits nicely in my pan drawers.  The shiny one not so nice.  I need a place for easy access to each and every one of them. 

We decided that this wall would be the place to showcase the larger pots that are not used on a daily basis.

There it was, the inspiration I had been searching for over at ww.potterybarn.com,

click on the props and you'll see it too.  Do you have any idea how long it took me to figure out what PB stood for? My inspiration is the feature photo on the banner of the prop page. They sell the ladder for $179.00.  Imagine my delight, when I realized that I had seen that very ladder, earlier that day.  I had it in my hands, ready to bring home, but put it back.  Anyone else like that?  Pick something up, put it back down, pick it up again.  Decide not to get it and then end up going back.  I have a hard time parting with money. 

 Would it still be there? YEAH! and it was marked 65% off.  $9.37 after tax.

Commercial S-Hooks are expensive.  They range from $6.99-$12.99 per hook and I found them too small to fit around the rungs of the ladders.  The solution: birdhouse hooks, 2 for $1.67.  They are perfect!

With plenty of room for my big beauties waiting in storage.

See that plant hanging?  It is sitting on a wonderful little rusty white patina bench,  Grammie T. gave it to me.  It was a bench used in the old claw-foot tubs.  Works great as a plant shelf.  See more photos on my blog.   My farm house is a work in progress.

The fire suppression guys are scheduled in this week to complete the hood and ansil system installation. 

And you can see, I've changed my mind with my kitchen gadget board.  Update coming soon at Welcome to The Turner Farm.

#5- Junk-Fest- Junk Style Living Room

Living, It's More Than A Feeling

Comfortable, casual living...often inspired by mail order catalogs, is more than a feeling...it's a state of mind. Does your living room invite you to sit back, relax, maybe settle in with a good read? Are you surrounded by colors and textures that are pleasing to the eye, harmonious with your lifestyle? Here at JunkFest, it's about surrounding yourself with treasures you love, with an unexpected twist!

With just one living area in our home (many have both formal and informal living rooms) I wanted the furniture to be comfortable, inviting guests to sit back, kick up their feet and stay awhile. I like to incorporate some of my junk-style infused pieces for fun and interest, such as the small side table made from a rusty grate and a cream separator base. The rusted wall shelf, which holds portraits and empty frames was crafted from vintage tin crown moulding.

Unexpected textures such as rustic crates or primitive wood bowls, well-used in another era, evoke a casual feel.

Time-worn clock faces embellish these baskets, and help to anchor in the darker accessories in the room.

The vintage typewriter holds memories of ancestors and a simpler time. Architechtural elements and a perfectly patina'd wash stand-turned-table add character.

Catalogs, such as Sundance, Pottery Barn, or Ballards are now offering vintage replicated pieces at a premium....but comfortable, casual living doesn't have to cost much.

More great inspiration and ideas (with perhaps a surprise or two!) are right around the corner at JunkFest. Stop over and see us!

More than a Feeling. It's a State of Mind.

JunkFest

#6- The Feminist Housewife- Water Bottle Chandelier

 The inspiration:

An Anthropologie store window: featuring up-cycled plastic water bottles

What I started with:

Approximately 50 water bottles; Coke bottles, Aquafina bottles, Dasani bottles

A recycled bottle chandelier:

Using 50 plastic water bottles I crafted and painted flowers and attached them to natural-jute wrapped wire. It hangs from four strands of natural jute.

The total cost for this project: $16!

A close-up shot :

For a detailed tutorial check out The Feminist Housewife!

#7- Miss Mustard Seed- French Pillow

Confession time.  I'm not much of a catalog or mall shopper.  I only own a few things from Pottery Barn - their decorating books and some sconces my mom gave me.   I've never even seen a Ballard Design catalog and the only thing in my house from Restoration Hardware is a pair of candlesticks I bought at a yard sale for $2.00.  Despite those facts, I knew immediately what I was going to do.

On a rare mall visit in November, I had the chance to roam around in Restoration Hardware for a while and fell in love with their linen pillows.  The smallest one was $35, which is not that bad, but I usually spend less than that on a piece of furniture.  So, I looked longingly at them and walked away.

After months of pining for these pillows and similar ones made out of vintage grain sacks, I took matters into my own hands.  I know I can paint these designs...will it work on fabric?  With acrylic paint?  Could it be that simple?  It was!

I pulled some natural linen  ($12/yard) out of my fabric stash and cut it to fit a down pillow that was on my bed.  It was an old bed pillow that I split to make two smaller pillows, so that was free.  Feathers were flying, but it was free!  I mixed pewter gray and burnt umber acrylic paints to make a soft brown color to paint the address.  My blog friend in France, Bird from Bird Crafts, helped me out by giving me the address of the Eiffel Tower.

I typed up the address on MS Word and printed it up in the desired size.  Fortunately, the linen fabric was see-through enough to place the printed paper underneath and lightly trace it in pencil.  I then painted the letters.  Once the paint was fully dry, I made a simple pillow with a piping edge. 

Here's the bottom line:

Restoration Hardware Paris Address Pillow - $35.00

My Hand Painted Pillow - Less than $5.00

To see more visit me at Miss Mustard Seed

#8 Flea Market Trixie-Monogrammed Stand 

With this week’s category being catalog inspired, I couldn't resist doing an anthropologie inspired item.

I love repurposing objects into something different and new. I made the monogram stand using an ornate garage sale frame,wood dowel, wood blocks, fabric and the actual cursive"T"Letter was made from Shrinky Dinks.

For more info on how this was made and the before pictures of what it used to be please visit me Here

#9- Funky Junk Interiors- Bingo Board

     ~ An  Impostor in the House ~

Something I've collected for awhile are antique board games. So when I spotted PB's Bingo wall sign, I knew right then that this idea would fit in well with my existing theme.
Left over pine tongue and groove boards were cut down to the desired size, then were lightly distressed with a hammer and nails, creating worm holes and dents.  The boards were then stained, capturing all the distressing perfectly. They were then nailed down with old rusty nails (yup I did!)  to an old cupboard door, creating the perfect firm base for what I had in mind. 

Next up was to create a Bingo decal, which was drawn on the computer, then sent to a vinyl cutter. Special numbers with family significance were mixed in with other random numbers to further personalize the piece. Fun!

Once the paint was dry, the piece received a light distressing until the wood tones peeked through, as well as a little rustic bling. :)

Two old wrought iron style handles were removed from an existing tray, which were then mounted to the board, creating a whole new theme and purpose to the piece!

The Bingo tray, blending in perfectly with an old coffee crate side table salvaged from the curb, was especially designed for this very spot, as the crate top has seen better days. The warm woodsy tones with black and metal accents mimic the rest of the eclectic elements in the room, adding an added whimsical touch to this sitting area!

If you'd like to view a full tutorial along with many more photos on how the tray was made, come on over to Funky Junk Interiors  for the tour!

( pssst... just don't tell the other antique board games that there's an impostor in the house... )

Now scroll up and VOTE for your favorite 2! The poll is located in the top corner