Harper’s Room

I wanted to title this post “Harper’s Nursery,” but I really don’t feel like she is a baby with a nursery anymore.  It is turning into a little girl’s room.  She just turned 1 last Friday, and I can’t believe how fast she’s growing.  I guess it’s technically a nursery — she still needs her crib and changing table, but she is rapidly turning into a little girl right before our eyes.  She plays in her room, with her toys.  It is her very own room.  She is getting more and more independent every day, plus she’s mobile and has a hilarious little personality starting to shine through.  I think her birthday gave me the little motivation I needed to finish her room like I wanted it, and I finally got it all set up and photographed today.  Enjoy!!

If you’ve been reading, you’d know that I’ve been busy painting things for her room – including her changing table, a side/magazine table, a wall shelf, and her dresser. Here are some “before” photos, and you can see the finished product in her room photos!!

Here is the entire room from the doorway:

So as a refresher, here is what it looked like when we first moved in:

And here’s a shot of it that I took today (at almost the same angle):

Lots of new details!

So here’s the breakdown on Harper’s room:
Crib: IKEA
Crib bedding: Olivia by Dwell Studio for Target
Recliner: La-Z-Boy
Blinds: Home Depot
Rug: Target
Bookshelf: Way Basics
Dandelion Wall Decal: Etsy
Pom-poms: Michael’s by Martha Stewart
Changing table: Hand-me-down
Baskets: Wal-Mart
Dresser: Thrift Store
Side table: Hand-me-down
“H-A-R-P-E-R” Wallpaper Letters: Land of Nod
Lamp Set: Fred Meyer
Wall Shelf: Hand-me-down
LOVE Print: Oh Brooke

This is my new favorite room in the house! What do you think of Harper’s room??

So cute, and so easy to put together!

As my daughter’s first birthday is coming up, I’m in a hurry to try to finally finish her room!  She was born 6 weeks early, so I feel like I didn’t get a chance to properly put it all together like most nesting moms-to-be would.  It is a very cute room, but with a newborn I didn’t get to finish all of the projects that I had in mind!  The paint on the upper half of the room was all that was done when I left for the hospital, so it has been a slow project, but I finally got a few projects done this week so here I am to share what I’ve been up to!!

First of all, I am no way being compensated to promote this product.  I just found something that interested me and I wanted to share!  I discovered the company “Way Basics” a couple months ago, and have been going back to their site all the time ever since, but I haven’t bought anything until now.  They sell modular storage furniture, which is made of recycled paper in the form of “Z Boards” that you can put together how they intend, or you can be creative and have fun with them!  They are having an awesome Summer Sale, and I saw their Rectangle Plus 3 in pink on sale for 50% off (for $33!! As of today…), so I decided that it was such a bargain I would try it for Harper’s room.  I would love the white, or even the “Kraft” series for my office, but I wanted to try it before I make a bigger commitment.  The cool thing about Way Basics furniture, is that it is held together with peel-and-stick industrial strength tape!  No screws or nails, just peel the strip off and stick it together — sooo simple!!  And it is super strong, plus the way it is put together keeps it strong; it rests on the horizontal boards, and there is a backing board to keep it all together.  Anyway, I love Harper’s new shelf.

I taped a little video of me putting the shelf together so you can see how easy or difficult it would be, which took less than 10 minutes.  The video, though, is only 43 seconds long because I used Gawker, which is in timelapse.    Enjoy!!

And here is the shelf, put together and filled with some of Harper’s stuff, except when she decides to play with the toys I carefully placed on it. That is why the books and breakables are on the top 2 shelves!!

And there she goes…

By the way, Way Basics is holding a “Messy Room Contest” on Facebook, and I submitted a photo of my office/craft room — a room that I haven’t gotten to organizing yet — and guess what?!?!?! They picked me as one of the contestants!!!!!! Come to think of it, I don’t know if that is good or bad, ha! But anyway, I need lots more votes to win so I need your help! You have to become a fan of Way Basics, but as you can see from the video, they make some pretty cool products, and they don’t post a lot so come on, help a girl out!! The prize is $250, which I could put to really good use for shelving in my office…and by shopping at Way Basics, I could buy a ton of organizing products!!

I hope you enjoyed my video — have a good week!!!

{E-Decorating} Tonya & Cody’s Wyoming Bedroom

Tonya and Cody asked for my help, ready to move the babies out of their room because they wanted an update to their bedroom (which is already an amazing room to work with) with some rustic modern style.  They love neutral and natural colors and furnishings, but with some contemporary style.  The bed and headboard, green chair and ottoman, black desk, rug, and black gun cabinet had to stay, while everything else was able to go, so I got right down to work to put a plan together.  Tonya’s biggest issue was the bed. It really can only go on one wall (unless you get rid of the headboard — not happening according to Cody) because of the angles of the roof — something you don’t realize will be problematic until you live in the space. I’ll let the pictures do the talking!

Here are Tonya’s before pictures:

As you can see, the bones of the room (and rest of the house) is new and updated, so they wanted their decor to be calming and a restful space to enjoy away from the kids. The floorplan is a “U” shape surrounding their master bathroom, with a lot of difficult angles and tight spaces, so I had to focus on low furnishings and camouflaging to make use of wasted space.

Here is their new bedroom floor plan (click the photo to see it larger):

The main differences are that the desk will be to the left of the bed, the chair and ottoman will be in the entry, and the new furniture is around the walls. See more info. below!

And here is the plan I came up with:

And here is the color/material board breakdown:

1. This room will be a palette of green, brown/blacks, creams and a little red in the existing rug and bathroom paint.  This first color is the wall paint color, a soft, sagey (yet masculine) gray-green to coordinate with their existing green chair and ottoman, and ground the room in a nice, earthy color.  It will also bring out the greens in the rug, and tone down some of the other main colors.  If possible (but it will work either way) I would like the headboard and floor mirror to be stained a deep brown/black stain.  This color is called Misty Air (OC-44) by Benjamin Moore.
2. This is the ceiling and trim paint color, a nice warm cream that will soften up the ceiling angles and warm up the space.  Sea Haze (2137-50) by Benjamin Moore.
3. I chose to darken up the duvet with a nice chocolate brown organic set with lots of fluffy texture.
4. These wall mirrors with java-colored shelves will add some sparkle (especially with a few candles flickering on them) and reflect the warmth of the ceiling.  These (I chose them as a pair) will go on the flat wall on either side of the bathroom door, off the foot of the bed.
5. I chose black grommet curtains for both windows to add some modern pop and to make sure to block out the view as the neighbor’s house is right out of the window behind their bed!  This will also tie into the black desk, gun cabinet, and new brown/black furniture.  They will have to be hemmed for the low window.
6. To soften up the modern black curtains, I’d choose a double rod and add these graphic (yet rustic-patterned) sheers underneath.  Layering always helps finish a room.
7. Another great contemporary decor statement would be these block shelves, which come as a set, and will go above the existing desk.  The desk will be moved to the left of the bed, on that same wall.  The existing photographs and artwork (which is now on the floor and the gun cabinet) will go here, along with some candles or accessories that Tonya already owns.
8. These black and white ikat print throw pillows will add more rustic, yet contemporary, charm to their bedroom while coordinating with the other patterns in the room.
9. Tonya requested some natural textures and botanical touches, so these willow branches (maybe even 2 or 3 vase-fulls around the room) will add some height and camoflauge in those awkward spaces.  So speaking of camoflauge and awkward spaces, the gun cabinet will be pushed away from the corner as far as it can go and turned 90 degrees (with the door facing the room), and the vase of willow branches will be placed in front of the door.   Another spot that could use a vase of willow branches is in the opposite end of the “U”.  Back there is a built-in countertop, sink and mini-fridge with a mirror above it.  However, the slope of the ceiling is so sharp that unless you’re standing right next to the countertop, you can’t even stand in there.
10. This is the vase that the willow branches will go in.  Self-explanatory, right?
11. What do all quiet work desks need?  Why a nice little lamp!  Again, the desk will be over to the side of the bed!
12. This is a black and white woven throw, which would be a nice touch on the green chair and ottoman to make a new little reading nook.  The reading nook will be located in the room’s entry, which is where the gun cabinet is located.  This will also help to camoflauge the awkward corner that is left right there. (Note – this throw has already sold out!! So I’m substituting this organic version in natural or clay.)
13. Tonya and Cody’s bedroom could definitely use a little more storage — so let’s cue the new dresser!  The nice thing about this dresser is that it is low enough to fit under the angles of the ceiling, and it also will triple as a media cabinet (to hold her printer) and a changing table (which is what it technically is).
14. I thought this console table with storage baskets would be a nice storage piece for right next to the entrance; a spot to drop change or watches, and it could store some books as it is right next to the reading nook.
15. All reading nooks need some light, and I loved the shape of this floor lamp.  Another piece that would camoflauge the gun cabinet with some height.
16. As to not leave the other far wall bare, this black/brown bookcase will be laid horizontally underneath the low window in the room, providing storage and display space.
17. This side table will add some more natural texture with its woven base, and a little sparkle with its glass top.  These could be used in the reading nook, next to the armchair, or even against the bathroom wall (under the mirrors) off the end of the bed.

And there you have it!  Tonya and Cody’s rustic modern bedroom, set in beautiful Wyoming!  We can’t wait to see what they come up with!

If you’d like your own custom color/material board and e-decorating package, then visit this site or contact me to get started!

My Bedroom: Breezy and Bright

Now that the weather has warmed up around here, we’ve actually been doing something that I don’t think we’ve done for 7 months — we’ve OPENED OUR WINDOWS!  And in our bedroom, we actually have a really nice view and a cool breeze that sneaks in at night.  It’s very peaceful and fresh.

Aaahhh…it’s so nice to get some fresh air in the house. And here in Likely we have great fresh air…that is unfortunately buzzing with mosquitoes more and more every day, but that is one of the only downsides of living in the country…that we can see, anyway.

The view out of the window behind our bed is the north view, which is so nice and green – that is our neighbor’s house and front yard, which is filled with some gorgeous apple trees. What else could you ask for?

Now for our next project before next winter: new windows. We currently have single pane aluminum windows in our room, Harper’s room, the bathroom, the office, the kitchen and the laundry room. 8 windows total, but we’re only replacing 5 of them right away. They loved to retain moisture and ice up last winter…and moisture on the windows = mold = bad news. But fortunately it’s easy to take care of and we’ve kept an eye on it and kept it clean. The projects never end, do they?

{Color Therapy} Paint Color Party!

I love blog parties! I stumbled across this blog (via Hooked on Houses) called 320 Sycamore today and saw she was hosting a Paint Color Party and I just had to join!

She’s asking for some paint color photo inspiration today so here goes!

Here is the new “reading nook” in my living room. The walls are Ashley Gray by Benjamin Moore.

This ivory wall is actually old wood paneling, but we just painted over it with Acadia White by Benjamin Moore.

My kitchen has white cabinets (High Hiding White door, trim and cabinet paint by Ace Hardware), and the green is called Misted Fern by Benjamin Moore.

Someday I’d like to paint the kitchen a color called “Sulfur Yellow” by Benjamin Moore, but that has to wait until we get new countertops.  We have the fake blonde wood laminate right now and it won’t go together, but I really, really love Sulfur Yellow (#1).

The dining room stripes are using the Misted Fern from the kitchen and the Acadia White from the living room in two different finishes.  The green is a semi-gloss and the ivory is a satin, which gives it a wallpaper feel.

The bathroom is painted “Pumpernickel” by Ace Hardware paints.  If you’ve been reading lately you’ll know we’ve been very busy on that project!!  Click the link for more pictures of the surrounded-by-earthy-brown bathroom.

The bedroom’s upper 1/3rd is painted “Pilgrimage Foliage” by Benjamin Moore, and the lower 2/3rds are in the Acadia White (like the living room and dining room.  We have a TON of it!)

My daughter’s bedroom is painted in “Everlasting” by Benjamin Moore and the bottom is..you guessed it!  Acadia White!

My very unfinished office is painted in one of my very favorite colors: Old Salem Gray by Benjamin Moore.  It depends on the light, but it can look beige, gray or green.  As you can see this picture looks very green, but if you choose this color you won’t be sorry!  It’s so pretty!  I wish I would have gotten the office painted before the kitchen because I would have picked this for the kitchen instead of the brighter green.

And Melissa at 320 Sycamore showed a wall that she painted “Danville Tan” by Benjamin Moore…I had a client choose that color so here’s another shot of it paired with “Branchport Brown” by Benjamin Moore as well.

And there you have it – all the colors of Casa Christensen!  The next room I’d like to paint is our laundry room, which I want a very light, barely there robin’s egg blue or light sage-y green like this photo.  Mmmm…you know how I love pretty laundry rooms!  And paint!

(image linked to flickr source)

Have a good weekend, everyone and thanks for stopping by for some color inspiration!!!

If you’d like your very own paint color consultation, then feel free to contact me (lindsay @ lindsaychristensendesign.com) or click here for more information!

Love Is How We Got Her…I Mean Here…

After reading a very sweet comment from a reader, I headed over to her blog to check it out. From there I immediately bookmarked it and followed her on Twitter!  The blog is called {ohbrooke} and it is just gorgeous!  She’s doing some fun things with it as well, so head on over there and check it out.  After you read this post, that is.    The point of mentioning Brooke and her blog is to talk about the print that I bought from her shop!  I saw it and thought it would be PERFECT for Harper’s room!  It’s a graphic print that says “Love Is How We Got Here” in various shades of tan with a heart behind it.  How perfect is that for a little girl’s room?  Plus the colors are the same ones that I used in her room.  It arrived safely, with free shipping at quite a bargain!  It fit wonderfully into an IKEA Ribba frame that I had ready for her room, and I think it is just so cute in there!  Because yes…love is how we got her.  I mean here.

Here is the print hanging in my daughter’s room.

And here is a close-up of the print, which is linked to Brooke’s shop.  Enjoy!

Happy Mothers Day and Antique Store Find!

This year I got to celebrate a new holiday: my first Mother’s Day! The photo below shows some pink roses that some friends got for me. They are so beautiful, I just had to put them next to my side of the bed on my new side table that we picked up at our local antique store! Glenn has a matching one on the opposite side (as you can see, we moved the baby bassinet out of our room as Harper is sleeping in her own crib, in her own room now! I can’t believe she’s 9 months!). We scored this matching set of side tables for $15 each!! Not exactly what I would have chosen otherwise, but they’re really growing on me. And I can’t stop thinking about some other great deals we found there…hmmm…

Now all we need are some matching lamps for each side of the bed. I think we need something substantial as the side tables are rather skinny. I’m trying to decide if I want table lamps or plug-in swing-arm wall sconces. I love, love, love Nicole’s bedroom lighting over at Making It Lovely and I would love something like these wall sconces:

Hers are Pottery Barn, but I don’t think they sell them anymore. I couldn’t find them on their website.  But I’ll keep looking. Maybe it will come to me in a dream…

(Image via Making It Lovely, linked to source).

What is it about sleeping in your own bed?

Ah, vacation.  We had a great time in Costa Rica, but as soon as we got home and retired to our own bedroom, I was in heaven.  I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.  Yes, that kind of feeling!  What is it about sleeping in your own bed?  I love our bed.  It’s gigantic and comfortable and I could spend all day in it.  I’m blogging from it right now.  The frame is a little dated (I know, I know!) but it’s all we have for now and we’ve had it for years (it was a hand-me-down from Glenn’s sister) so it’s hard to just let go!  Eventually we’d like to get a more contemporary platform bed, but it (like a lot of things!) will have to wait…until we hit the lottery.  But a few things that we are planning for our bedroom for the near future are: 1.) New, matching side tables.  2.) Matching table lamps for the side tables.  And 3.)  A coat of brown paint (not sure yet if it will be chocolate or tan) for the moulding on the wall and the ceiling.  I’ve seen some neat dark ceilings and I think that would make our bedroom even more cozy!

When I began planning the design for our bedroom, all I knew were the colors I wanted; a warm palette of orange, brown, and cream.  I wanted to find a pattern or fabric, so I started with the pillows and did a search on etsy.  I literally searched for “orange brown cream pillow” with the goal of finding a pattern that both my husband and I could agree on (i.e. no flowers!), and I found the Joel Dewberry Aviary fabric through the pillows at Norajane’s shop!

I bought 2 pillows there – 1 square and 1 rectangle.  The square one was intended as a single throw pillow for our bed, and the rectangle one was meant to go in a wingback chair that used to be in the bedroom.  I loved them once I got them – but the square pillow looked so teeny tiny on our small bed!

Here is what it looked like -before- with the 2 pillows I bought (and I made the other square one with extra curtain fabric!!).  But how dinky to they look?

I decided to add some more pattern and bulk up the pillow factor.  I’ve had my eye on anything in the “tile” pattern from Pottery Barn for awhile, and I ran across some organic euro pillow shams in orange on eBay!  How perfect!  When you mix 2 different patterns, a general rule of thumb is to use patterns that are different sizes (1 large pattern with large colors and 1 smaller, tighter pattern with more colors is always good), and try to keep one a little lighter and airier.  What do you think of my eBay score???

My husband and I actually both loved -and agreed- on the fabric so much that I bought more of it to sew curtains to cover the closet.  Okay, I didn’t sew them (thank you to my mother-in-law!  But I did hem the bottom and plan on sewing more this summer.)  Check it out!

The other thing that I love about the new euro-size pillows (which I bought from Sears online) are super soft and fluffy, so I actually love using them to sleep on!  So there you have it, my comfy, cozy, super-gigantic, gender neutral bed and bedroom.  I could spend all day in there – especially because the window coverings are super dark so it’s a cave that you could sleep in until noon in.  Which is great because our room is on the East side of the house = direct morning sunlight!  Eek!  Alright…time for my nap…