Kerala Home plan and elevation - 1500 Sq. Ft.

Ground Floor - 1300 Sqft
First floor - 200 Sqft
Total Built up Area – 1500 Sqft

Designer: Smarthome
Engineering and interior Consultancy
Mala-Thrissur
Ph.04803271484, 9809060630

Email: smarthomemala@gmail.com

"Miss Mustard Seed in a Box" - 2000 Follower Giveaway!

In previous giveaways, I've hand painted a custom piece for one winner.  I decided to go a different route for this one and put together a box of things that are commonly featured in my home and on my blog.  This is a 2000 follower giveaway, so it had to be a box packed full of awesome stuff.  So, let's take a peek inside...

The winner will receive - A large, antique Ironstone platter, six Bakelite knives, and a tea towel with a "B" monogram...

...a pair of white birds...

...four antique postcards...

...a feed sack (white with blue writing)...

...a silver creamer...

...a vintage baby dress (hanger and drawer are not included)...

...and an antique balance scale. 

I get a lot of comments on my scales, so I thought it was only fitting to buy one for the box. 

Here are the rules to enter:

1.) You have to love this stuff.  I'd hate to ship this box to someone who doesn't like any of it.  Ok?  Let someone win who really wants it!  If you love this stuff, just leave a comment.

2.) For a second entry, leave a comment letting me know you are a follower or have become one.

3.) For one last entry, post about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter page, or any other social networking site and leave a comment letting me know you've done so.

The giveaway will be open through Friday, August 6th at midnight EST.  A winner will be chosen by Random.org on Saturday, August 7th.  Good luck!

Don't forget that you still have one more day to enter the giveaway for the Crochet Camera Bag.  Don't miss out on this one!

Kerala Home plan and elevation - 1969 Sq. Ft.

Ground Floor - 1162.50233 Sq.Ft. (108 (M2)
First Floor - 807.293281 Sq.Ft. (75 (M2)

Total Area - 1969 Sq.Ft.

MOHAMMED KUTTY K
KONATHUM KUZHI HOUSE
PULLIPPARAMBA
CHELEMBRA
MALAPPURAM
673634
Email: msmohammedk@gmail.com
KSA- RIYADH
PH 00966594236142

Furniture Feature Friday - Favorites & a Link Party

Oh, I missed our little furniture party the past few weeks.  It's so fun to see the creativity and hard work all of you lovely ladies (and sometimes a stray gentleman here and there) put into rescuing cast off pieces of furniture that deserve better.  Here are three of my favorites from last time...

I chose this ottoman, which was made from scratch by Becky from Tea Party and her husband, as the winner for the CSI Project furniture makeover challenge, so I had to pick it as a favorite here as well.  I mean, come on.  They made a tufted, leather ottoman from scratch.  And you would never walk into this room and think, "there's a tufted leather ottoman that someone made from scratch."  You would wonder whether they purchased it from Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware.  Well done, Becky! 

Penny from The Comfort of Home painted this pretty secretary desk, which looks perfect against the yellow wall color and topped with the classic botanical prints. 

Jennifer from She Endeavors achieved a beautiful worn finish on this dresser.  I absolutely love the look she achieved and the choice to mix up the hardware. 

It's been three weeks since our last party, so I'm expecting a lot of great links! 

Here are the rules for this get together...

1.) Your post has to be about furniture.  Please, please, please...just furniture.  If you find your link has been deleted, it's not because I'm mean, it's because your post was not about furniture.  You can share makeovers, awesome finds, favorite pieces, furniture arrangements, or even pieces on your wish list!  Built-in furniture like kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities qualify as furniture.  

2.) Post a permalink (the link to the post), not the link to your blog.

3.) The link party closes Friday at midnight PST and I will choose my favorite(s) and feature their project on next week's FFF.

The very weet Elaine made a potting bench for her mom...for less that $5.00.  She doesn't have a blog to link up the project, so I offered to post it for her.  Elaine would love feedback, so leave a comment on this post to let her know what you think. 

Modern house plan - 2320 Sq. Ft

Ground Floor-1300 Sq. Ft
First Floor-1020 Sq. Ft
Total Area-2320 Sq. Ft

Architect : Koshy Associates
A2, Mahaniam,
9/10, Arunachalapuram Street
Aminjikarai, Chennai - 29
Cell - 9444122276
Click on each image for larger view

More on Drop Cloths

First of all, can you believe how cheap the contestants made drop cloths look on HGTV Design Star!  I kid of course.  Well, sort of.  Drop cloths are cheap, but they don't have to look like it.  If you slap a drop cloth from the package directly to the window (especially with some pieces of a taxi cab bag tied to it, a la Design Star), it's going to look cheap.  If you reuse them in creative ways, they can look fantastic! 

This French chair was upholstered in a bleached drop cloth. 

Slipcovers were made out of drop cloths for all of my dining room chairs...

...the pair of wing chairs in my family room and the sofa in my living room (yet to be revealed.) 

I used a little leftover fabric to make a slipcover for an ottoman in my guest room as well. 

I wrote a post about working with drop cloths in a home decor application, but I have learned something new since then.  Jamie left a comment for me with a link to an article about neutralizing bleach.  I had no idea you needed to neutralize bleach.  Apparently, it will stay active in the fabric until it is neutralized.  Now, I've been bleaching my white cotton twill slipcovers for years and I have never had any of them shred or fall apart, but it is better to be safe.  There were several products the article recommended, but hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) was the most readily available, so I bought a couple of bottles from the grocery store. 

I had no idea there were so many uses for hydrogen peroxide!  Not only does it neutralize bleach, but it can be used to kill bacteria on cutting boards, tooth brushes, in bathrooms, and it's a great stain remover.  So, I added about a cup to the wash with my bleached drop cloths to neutralize the beach.  I have no idea how to know if it worked...does anyone have any further tips on this? 

I did learn that hydrogen peroxide in a stronger solution (35%) can be nasty stuff, so it's better to purchase the 3% solution. 

I know it's extra work to wash, bleach, and neutralize, but this fabric is ideal for slipcovers and upholstery.  It's durable, washable, and neutral.  It's also cheap, so if you mess up, it's not a big deal. 

So, happy bleaching, neutralizing, slipping, and upholstering!

Don't miss your chance to win a crochet camera bag.  Click here to enter!

1886

In 1886, Grover Cleveland, the 22nd President of the United States, was in office.  R. L. Stevenson wrote "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".   The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York Harbor on October 28th.  John S. Pemberton first introduced Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia.  And this table cloth was made. 

Aunt Nancy is my husband's great, great aunt and this table cloth was discovered in her attic.  His family knows I love and appreciate antiques, especially family pieces, so they gave it to me.

Can you imagine how long this lace work took to make?  I'm impatient when I'm waiting for my pictures to load, so I can write a post.  I would've had a tough time finishing a project like this. 

"Things of quality have no fear of time"

This table cloth is evidence of that.

Don't miss your chance to win a crochet camera bag.  Click here to enter!

Resource Furniture: Italian-Designed Space Saving Furniture

Demonstration of amazing line of Italian-designed space-savers.

My Reupholstery Crash Course

I bought this pair of French chairs at an auction almost a year ago.  I had fallen in love with them and they had to be mine.  I was willing to pay about $100 for the pair, but ended up walking away with them for $20. 

Of course, they were orange.  I guess other people just couldn't see beyond that. 

I originally made slipcovers for them, but they looked so sloppy after someone sat on them.  After slipcovering my sofa in the living room this week, I had a "bee in my bonnet" to do something with these chairs.  So, I browsed through my upholstery books, took a deep breath, and started ripping away the orange fabric.  I didn't want to take this chair totally down to the frame, so I worked section by section to make sure I didn't get overwhelmed. 

I bet most of you can guess what the chair is covered in - a painter's drop cloth that was bleached.  I can't believe how much it looks like an old grain sack.  It has this wonderful nubby texture that plays nicely against the warm wood.  It keeps these chairs from looking too stiff and formal. 

I am really proud of my double welting cord, which was also a first for me.

I painted stripes down the center of the chair to further hint at an old grain sack. 

I even made a pillow to match my curtains.  Did I mention I was up until midnight?

It looks so much better and "cleaner" now that it's been reupholstered.  It's not perfect, but I knew these would be my "learning chairs" and I learned a lot on the first one already.    For my first time, I think I did a pretty darn good job (if I don't say so myself.)

I used an electric stapler that really didn't drive the staples in very well, so I'm on my way out to buy a pneumatic stapler that I can use with my compressor.  I didn't take pictures to write a tutorial on this one, because I was just learning myself.  I'll take some pictures and give you some tips when I work on the twin chair. 

Come back Thursday night through Friday night to share your most recent furniture finds and makeovers at my Furniture Feature Friday link party. 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the crochet camera bag.  It runs through Saturday.

I'm sharing this at JAG's Show & Share Party and CSI's Fabric Week.

Creative furniture designs

Get Inspired!