¡Olé! for Serape

February 9, 2016 Cate | StyleMutt Home

So besides settling into our new apartment, I've also been settling into my new job. My schedule has been rather unruly as of late but the new gig does have perks... like it's own private thrift store! Yup, you heard me right - the company I work for has a monthly thrift store where the proceeds go toward a charitable fund. And the beside the remarkable prices, the best part is that employees get first dibs! Twas there that I scored this er... beauty...

What I liked most about it was its lines: tapered mid-century legs with brass feet and the beautifully bowed wood back. What I did NOT like however, was the icky gray-brown stain [the picture really doesn't do it justice] and well that... interesting floral print.

Now let me shed some insight on the inner-workings of my head when I'm hunting for a piece to flip. First, I scan the thrift store for a piece with "potential." Once I identify my target, I then assess my options. Sometimes I know exactly what I would do to cute-ify it, sometimes all I have to go on is a je ne sais quoi. Next step is to check the price - is it a steal? If it is, I pull the trigger and buy - plan or no. I'm sure inspiration will strike sooner or later...

And sometimes inspiration strikes sooner rather than later. In this case, it struck while I'm walking back to my office with my haul. Have you also noticed this recent design trend of reupholstering mid-century furniture in unexpected textiles...?

I think I love this budding trend because of [you guessed it] all of the colorsssssssssss.

Now I begin to take stock of potential supplies and remember that I brought home a stray Mexican serape blanket a few months ago. It's PERFECT and now I officially have a plan of action. The end result?

¡Olé!

The bright pinks, greens, blues, and reds of the serape are a happy pop of color to what was once a ho-hum floral.

I spent 6-ish hours stripping stain to reveal the original warm wood underneath but it's so worth it because now the wood is a buttery soft texture instead of a shellac.

The backrest cushion was a happy accident. I didn't really care for the original metal bars as a decorative element. I realized I had some spare batting from my cowhide bench so I wrapped it in extra serape fabric and hand stitched the cushion into place.

I also got that epic rattan plant stand at work for $5!

It's such a simple idea with a BOLD impact. ¿No? If you like statement pieces then be sure to check back in with us on Friday for our next #stylemuttspaces reader design! Hasta la vista mis amigos ;)

Mid-Century Serape Chair
Now available for sale
$180

If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, please email me at cate@stylemutthome.com.

Cate [and Caleb's] Color Clad Apartment ||part 2||

January 22, 2016 Cate | StyleMutt Home

This is a moment I've been waiting for since April. Ever since we left our jobs, moved in with friends, found new jobs, found a great apartment, and up-and-moved to Leesburg, VA. We spent March-November with all our stuff in storage which left me pining for a space of our own to decorate again. The urge got so bad that I even did this mock up back in October to try to quench my redesign thirst.

Look familiar?

Now, we've been relatively settled in the new place for almost 3 months [and mostly unpacked for about 1] so I reckon it's time for a tour ;) Annnnnnnddddd since it's Friday - that makes this today's #stylemuttspaces feature.

If you're new to this style mutt spot, first of all welcome! Second, let me fill you in: any one [designer, betty home-maker, under-water-basket-weaver] can submit their home for a reader feature on our SPACES page. This page serves as a curated pool of decor inspiration for any and all [so be sure to check it out if you haven't already - there's LOADS to be inspired by especially for style mutts].

So let me get to it and invite you in already!!!

Ok so I don't have the rug yet, or my kilim pillows, and the chair's not all leather - but it's a step in the right direction considering most of the decor was free, cheap, or a hand-me-down.

The first thing that greets you when you walk in, is a rattan shoe rack that was a spontaneous free find on craigslist. It is actually a magazine rack that was way out of the way to pick up, but it was free and it was cute and even though I didn't have a plan for it when I drove over there to get it, I brought it home, cleaned it up, and then realized it was the perfect solution to our small entryway issues. Above it hangs some of my original artwork that epitomizes those punches of color I like so much.

The plant stand was also unplanned but only $5 at a gem of a thrift store! Since there wasn't an impressive selection of palm-fronded trees in the dead of winter at Home Depot, I went with low-maintenance/ black-thumb resistant snake plant I decided to name Sebastian just now.

I got the cot thinking it would serve as our extra seating but Thor quickly claimed it as his seat in the house because he can snooze with his head on the window sill and one eye on lookout for any signs of Caleb after a long day at work.

On the wall hangs my trio of old dresser drawers with an assortment of plants and my favorite brass accents - Steve the Stag in the place of honor obvi.

Just behind the couch is our teeny-tiny dining area - which is exciting because we have never had one before! The sliding doors open up to our deck which stretches over to our bedroom window too.

Here lives my favorite and most ambitious impulse buys: the white campaign bookshelf triplets.

They fit perfectly in their little nook and sport more pops of color and the most damning evidence of my collectionist tendencies. I can see a minerals collection, a cloche collection, colored hardback collection, white ceramics collection, and a moss ball collection apparently.

To the left of the living room is our galley kitchen and the hallway leading to the master. A necessary ceiling fan prevented me from re-installing our copper pipe canopy bed, but I kept the statement chartreuse curtain as our pseudo headboard.

Points if you recognize that bench ;)

Flanking the bed are these epic brass swing-arm sconces I scored from a fellow local furniture flipper. We connected via craigslist and I ended up chatting her up for over an hour when I "popped" by to pick up the fixtures. She was kind enough to cut me a deal and we've stayed in touch swapping tips & tricks. We're gearing up to show off her home and some of her KILLER furniture flips one of these fridays so you can all look forward to that soon.

I kept the pieces I restored from our furniture flip off which are perfect because they lend so much extra storage.

At the foot of the bed is another miracle MCM find we're using to corral all of Caleb's clothes.

He's kind enough to let me leave that frou-frou tray on it 24-7. Fun fact: that collection of color-dipped candles were made for me by our very own style mutt Chelsea ;)

My dresser hugs the wall between the entrance to the room and our closet (trust me, I'm sparing you some clutter-shock by skipping the closet part of the tour).

Above hangs the diy faux pull-down chart from our old place while atop lays the dust-trap of a printer's drawer to display all my bells and whistles.

I have to laugh when I look back at our old apartment and I admit that I'm a twinge embarrassed. But I also have to remember that at the time I was very proud of how I decorated it. Isn't that always how it goes? I remember being proud of my second grade poetry but there's nothing impressive about rhyming the word wave with save am I right? Regardless I have to acknowledge that my first apartment helped evolve and refine my taste. And perhaps in another two years I will look back at this apartment and also be embarrassed. But I suppose that's the cyclical curse of an ever-changing style mutt my friends.

Thanks for popping in to take this little tour with me! I will of course keep you posted as I acquire the pieces we're saving up for and inevitably start rearranging in t-minus 2 months...

Playing with Jewel Tones

January 19, 2016 Cate | StyleMutt Home

Guys! I have a new apartment! More importantly though, said new apartment has a GARAGE!!! You know what that means my friends... I finally have my own StyleMutt workshop! No more slugging pieces up flights of apartment stairs [and by me I mean Caleb]. No more heavy chemicals in the kitchen. No more painting piece on the balcony - much to the amusement of our befuddled neighbors. And since we moved in November, I've acquired not one, not two, not three, but FOUR new pieces to work on at once... Praise the Lord for concrete floors, unloading in the driveway, and storage space. I promise to give you a decor tour of our actually living space this week, but in the mean time one of my projects needs your input ;) I have a STATEMENT of a dresser in the queue for furniture flip bucket list item number 5 [why do I always go out of order?!?]

Let's take a look at our pre-jeweled candidate. Ain't she a beaut? My super strong and oh-so-talented younger sister-in-law Casey [Chelsea's lil sis] helped me pick up this lovely lady.

With the help of some handy-dandy rendering, I have mocked up this dresser in some bright colors and would love your input! Some of these colors I've used before in refinishes but I'm not ruling any repeats out just yet. I want the dresser to tell me what color it wants [and you all too]. So first up, let's try on teal:

Yes yes I know what you're thinking - Cate, haven't we seen this color from you before...? And you're right. I have done a teal & gold one-two knock-out punch combo before with this lil bamboo number:

I just can't help myself. I look at that teal rendering and I get giddy. But I have more colors to try on so I'm open to being swayed... Next up: Poppy.

There's just something about a pop of red am I right? I could see her all done up in scarlet, making a statement in any room like this little she-devil:

But what about an enchanting emerald? Chelsea won me over with her emerald highboy last fall and I've been aching to give green a go of my own.

Green pieces are becoming more and more a symbol of luxe in the home - a saturated viridescent could be a winning hit for some shopper.

Or maybe I go really bold with a vivid magenta...

It's girly and glam and would be a show-stopping moment. But would it be too risky for a prospective buyer?

I've always been drawn to a rich Chartreuse! Anthro has the right idea here with a green-gold campaign piece.

But again, is citron too decor forward or should I say decorward?

And then there's navy. Another color I have played with before. Last year I put a navy & gold dresser on my 2015 flip list and I LOVED how it turned out on this campaign piece.

Even though the blue came out more saturated in these photos, a deep deep blue was such a winning look.

Perhaps it's indulgent to include navy in my jewel-tone prospects but I couldn't help but mock up this long-and-low in a deep navy. Where magenta and chartreuse may be too risky, navy is rapidly becoming the new neutral and so easy in integrate with any home's style.