Great Discount Fabric Source!

More blog merging:  Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008

 

I wanted to share a great find that I came across last week for upholstery fabrics: http://www.modern-fabrics.com/. This North Carolina based business recycles remnants of designer fabrics from wholesale, to-the-trade-only, fabric suppliers and sells them to the general public at major discounts. Feast your eyes on a huge selection of Maharam prints along with Kravet, Designtex, Brentano, Luna and lots more. They have easy browsing tabs organized by yardage and they even have an eco-conscious browsing option! My favorites are Brentano's Kiko,

Calvin Fabrics' Star Thistle

and Knoll Regard's Dahlia.

I am by no means an upholstery guru since as of now I have just been collecting chairs in my garage while being overwhelmed by the bevy of fabric choices out there, but I have found some great sites with info on how to reupholster furniture.
Here is a list of sites that I found particularly intriguing:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1974-11-01/How-To-Reupholster-Furniture.aspx
http://www.mormonchic.com/crafty/wingback.asp
http://thecutcloth.blogspot.com/2008/05/re-upholstery-101.html
These are what I am starting with. I like to read anything I can get my hands on (and the web is such an outstanding resource) because it helps me to understand multiple different ways of tackling a project. I figure at least one of these should make sense, and the others are available for troubleshooting and filling in the blanks.
This month money is tight, but as soon as I can spare $50 I will take the plunge and buy my fabric. I am sure that I'll have much to learn where only hands-on experience can truly teach.
Until then, more decorating tips on the way!

Art in Stone

More blog merging:  November 14, 2008

As I've been reading about ways to gain inspiration for color schemes, I've been searching for items that really speak to the tranquility that I am trying to recreate in my new space. The most striking item I found (which is also insanely out of my price range) is the "Harwood" Hide Rug from Horchow which they list for a cool $3300:

It has all the colors that seem to be pulling me in except for the blues (this rug has more of the purples and taupes). Anyway, falling in love with this color scheme has made me particularly sensitive to other items that are in the same family. While at work today I stumbled on some granite colors that, aside from taking my breath away, seemed to be separated at birth from this lovely rug, and it got me thinking about how I would extend these colors throughout the home.

Granite has become a must-have for any higher-end kitchen renovation. Although there are other materials that boast anti-microbial properties, stain-resistant surfaces, higher price tags, and most importantly, no maintenance, I feel there is still no comparison to the beauty of granite. Take a couple hours and stroll through the rows of slabs at your local granite source, or, if you are bored at work, do a google search for colors. Some of them are so beautiful I want to frame them and hang them on the wall as abstract art.
My favorite for this application is a Brazilian granite called Blue Louise.It is mined at the bottom of the ocean, and can have bits of lavender, turquoise or rust. I think it almost looks like a view of earth from space. It also happens to be the most expensive granite on the face of the earth, so a little 12'x12' might in actuality be all I could afford even if I had fantasies of using it in the kitchen.
Back to the granite I found in the color scheme from the rug, the Azul Imperial (or Imperial Blue on some sites) seems to fit the bill:

The colors look like a water color painting, or like you are staring at the sky with wisps of clouds floating by. It's amazing to me that these stones are totally natural. Wouldn't you like to have a piece of earth's history to eat your breakfast on every morning??

This one reminds me of glaciers.

Back to reality and my space, I will not be putting in granite kitchen tops any time soon. But, these slabs are valuable design tools to pull colors from. I think I will tone down the pastel-y nature of these colors with lots of warm wood tones. They will go nicely with our beige couch and help conjure up the peace-inducing atmosphere I am looking to create.

A Country Kitchen Mini-Rant

An attempt at merging old blogs...Here is a post originally from Oct. 29, 2008.

In the real world, I work as a kitchen and bath designer. Lately,
in design blogs, I've been seeing a lot of curtained sink cabinets (See left and below) and honestly, I'm not sure what's going on here. Are the occupants so strapped for cash that they've had to resort to using their cabinet doors as firewood? Was there a break in by the frump fairy that all the sudden decided to perform an impromptu kitchen remodel?

My personal opinion? THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE FOR A CURTAINED SINK CABINET!!!

With the plethora of options out there for cheap cabinets, run to your nearest cabinet supplier and buy replacement doors if yours are damaged beyond repair or, for some reason, looted. If you are going for that country chic look, try repurposing window shutters as doors to break up the monotony of cabinet fronts. Or, if you just have to have that fabric in your kitchen, take a cue from 50's era hutches and give things a modern update by placing the fabric inside the cabinet door frame, like this photo taken by Jessica Jones for http://www.orangebeautiful.com/.

There are so many creative ways to spruce up your kitchen aside from those mentioned above. Here are just a few examples to get your creative juices flowing:

1. Buy colorful storage boxes (even dollar stores can yield treasures) and place them on industrial metal shelving units under your counters to hide your clutter and add personality.

2. If you really want to encourage a country feel, wooden crates might work perfectly for your open shelved storage needs. Buy a rolling cart and stack your cleaning supplies in style next to the exposed piping under a wall-mounted farmhouse sink. For extra impact, paint the wall a different color and it'll really pop.

3. Buy some copper or aluminum sheets at your local craft store and try your hand at creating pinhole art by poking holes in your metal to make fun designs. Mount designs like fabric panels mentioned above, in the center of your less then glamorous door panels.

4. Paint can be your best friend for eye-sores, until you have funds for a remodel. And who knows? Maybe after you are through, you'll love your "new" cabinets so much you'll buy yourself another ten years! The trend now is to incorporate multiple colors into your kitchen design. You can paint all your wall cabinets one color contrasting with your bases. You can pick a few select cabinets (sink bases and range top bases are good options) to stand out in different colors against the rest of the room.

5. Attach eye hooks to the underside of your counter and buy chalkboards sized to fit in wooden frames. Hang the frames like panels from a hook and let your little munchkins attack them with colored chalk for a kid friendly touch. This will keep little ones out of open shelving much better than cloth and look a whole lot more creative.

If these ideas don't get your wheels turning, Better Home and Gardens has two great slide shows on cabinet fixes: to update bland builders cabinets or to get some fun kitchen makeover ideas, click here. By all means, let your imagination flow and avoid that ugly skirt with a more modern and eye-pleasing approach!!

Watermelon Feta Salad

Because it's May and I'm getting spring fever, I have been attacking it by making salad. Not the boring lettuce-tomato-cucumber-carrot variety, but interesting salads that can really be satisfying as a light dinner or lunch. To start off, here is a recipe that was inspired by a beach-side cafe in Eilat (even though it might still be a little cool for beach-side lounging in this part of the world!): Watermelon and Feta Salad.

Serves four as an appetizer.

1/4 Watermelon

1/3 cup Feta (add to taste)

1 pkg Mint Leaves (a nice size handful) shredded

Fresh ground Black Pepper

And that's all folks! This salad is even more refreshing if the watermelon is chilled first. The only downside is that this salad doesn't keep well. The feta will begin to dissolve into the watermelon juice to make a kind of yucky soup- not recommended. But, if you plan on making ahead, the mint and watermelon would be very happy marinating together and the cheese can always be sprinkled on before serving.

1,000 beautiful things...

...not all in this first post, but I've been collecting images for the past two years and have finally decided to do something with them.  I've carefully filed away these inspirations that I've found "along my way" and hope that they might inspire you too. 

To start out, a bit of backgroud.  I am getting married in October to a wonderful man and able-bodied partner in life's exploration.  Lots of big changes coming- the merging of two seperate lives into one family, the merging of two families into one, wedding planning, house decorating fantasies and everyday lustings.  On my mind now:  China Patterns.

I am not ready to give up on the tradition of fine china just yet.  I know many modern couples are eschewing it as a waste of money, but I do think it depends on your lifestyle.  I grew up in a family that had dinner together every night, and, with company and holidays, used the beautiful "special" dishes and silverware to make these events extra festive.  I love the change of pace, and can't wait until we have the space to have dinners on a real dinning room table with our own new "special" dishes. 

Here are some patterns I've been recently obsessed with:

Taste Blue by Paola Navone for Reichenbach

Here is what the five peice placesetting looks like in white:

Taste by Paola Navone for Reichenbach

Anna Weatherly's handpainted china is like an original painting at every placesetting (I literally would sell my soul for these dishes):

An Assortment of Bread and Butter Plates

Augarten Handpainted Porcelain from Austria:

Meadow and Alpine Flowers

I do realize that there is no real consistency between the more naturalistic botanical themes and the graphic of the Italian china, but recently I've been all over the place in terms of personal taste.  I am inspired by mixing and matching and eclectic juxtapositions.  In fact, the highlight of my last week was when I discovered the mix and match china pattern app on this website.  Get creative!  Most china patterns can be bought in open stock, which means you can buy a dinner plate from one designer, a salad from another, etc., etc.

Here are some mixed placesettings for inspiration:

 

This one...

Or this one...

Or these beauties from Martha Stewart:

Loving this refreshing take on formal china...loving even more that you can go with a basic rimmed pattern for the majority and throw in a more expensive salad or dessert plate!  Budget style with big impact.

My Quickie Snack/Dinner: Hummus

I've eaten lots of hummus. Everyone seems to have their own recipe. The best that I've ever had, hands down, was in a little tiny restaurant in Tel Aviv on Ibn Gevirol, very close to Pinkas. I wish I could remember the name, but alas, I left the restaurant drunk on hummus and pickled radishes without a clue. Such is often my state when faced with amazing food and no willpower. It was a great thing, one that has left me in a constant search for that perfect hummus (or at least something that came close!). I'm getting there. Myself. My biggest homemade hummus complaint has to do with consistency. I want a smooth texture, and I don't want it to taste overly full of tahina. Last night I played around with some homemade tehina and I came close- Closer than ever before! And I have a backup plan that will only improve things! (More on that backup plan to come when I finally plan ahead and use dried chickpeas instead of the ones from the can...)

Machinery: Food processor

1 can of Chickpeas (or use dried...eyeball amount, soak overnight and boil for 1 hour until soft and skin starts to separate)
2 tbs Chickpea Can Juice (or water used to boil them)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 tbs Sesame Seeds
1 tbs Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Cumin
Garlic
Salt
Pepper

Optional:
Toasted Pine Nuts
Parsley
Paprika

In the food processor, add the sesame seeds and the olive oil. Spin those seeds until they look like they are as broken down as they are going to get. Then, add your chickpeas, lemon juice and spices. Easy Peasy. This recipe takes a lot of adjusting so taste along the way and add things as needed. If you like a chunkier hummus, don't add as much liquid. If you want it smoother, blend for longer while adding in more chickpea juice and olive oil. If you actually want to serve your hummus and aren't already just eating it out of the food processor with a spoon, spread it on a plate and sprinkle the parsley, paprika and pine nuts on top.

"Blog world, meet Fennel."

Fennel was always one of those scary vegetables that I never knew what to do with (and I hear it tastes like black licorice?? Ick!). Well, I'm here to tell you that it's NOT scary, and the licoricey flavor is really quite pleasant. This salad will blow your mind (and impress dinner guests). I made this the first time for a dinner party last summer and have been making it ever since. It's a big winner.

image via epicurious

Fennel and Granny Smith Apples

(adapted from epicurious)
Serves 8

1 Large Fennel Bulb
2 Granny Smith Apples
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
Large Handful of Chopped Tarragon Leaves
1/3-1/2 cup Olive Oil
Fresh Ground Pepper

On a mandolin (or with a knife), slice the fennel and apple VERY thinly. Mix in chopped tarragon and pour in dressing. Grind pepper on top to taste.


The lemon will really work with the fennel to bring out the sweet flavors. You can always adjust the amounts of ingredients to work for you. I usually go easy on the oil and kind of eyeball it, just adding enough to help lightly coat everything along with the lemon juice.

Chinese Cabbage Salad

Quick Recipe:  Chinese Cabbage Salad

1 1/2 lbs Shredded Red Cabbage
8 tbs Toasted Slivered Almonds
2 tbs Sesame Seeds
8 Scallions Chopped
1 pkg Ramen Noodles, Crushed

Dressing:
3/4 c. Oil
6 tbs Rice Vinegar
2 tbs Salt
1 tsp Pepper
4 tbs Sugar

Noodles get soggy if dressed ahead of time.



Spring Pasta with Beets

I like the idea of "Head to Tail" eating (also known as "Tip to Tail", "Nose to Tail", etc.). This food philosophy embraces the use of all parts of an animal, vegetable, etc. to maximize your investment and to lessen your waste and impact on the environment. This might sound scary (and I'll be the first to admit that there are some things that are just NOT meant to be eaten), but vegetables are an easier way for me to ease into this mindset, and beets are a great way to dive in.

As far as environmental impact and waste go, vegetables are obviously a very earth-friendly choice, especially if you are supporting local farmers markets (or growing your own). Since I am living in an apartment with an iffy garbage disposal, composting is not the most convenient option. Using more parts of my veggies means less stinky garbage!
This pasta was adapted from a combo of recipes I've seen on epicurious and thekitchn.com.  It's very simple, and follows the formula "Starch + Veggie + Greens + Protein = Full one pot meal" (and this one comes out a beautiful magenta color from the beets!).

Beet Green Pasta

Serves 2

Orrechiette pasta

2 beets (boiled or roasted with a little bit of olive oil in the oven, then peeled)

Greens from beets, washed and chopped

Pine nuts

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil your noodles separately from your beets if you are going that route.  In a saute pan, toast the pine nuts and add cubed, cooked beets with a little olive oil.  Add a bit of reserved pasta water to the pan and throw in the beet greens until just beginning to wilt.  Mix with pasta and enjoy!