Stylish Decorating with Monograms

MONOGRAMS! They are making a big comeback! For me, nothing is more stylish or sophisticated than monogrammed bath towels and bed linens. Done right, monograms can lend an air of elegance to a room like none other. Done wrong or overdone, monograms can be tacky. I recently learned of a Monogram Party being given for a Bride-to-Be. What a fresh twist on the traditional Bridal Shower! What young women isn't enthralled with her new married name and initials? I remember when Mr. Panache and I were married. I would spend what seemed like hours scrawling my "new" name on sheets of plain paper. A friend gave me stationary of ivory linen with my newly wed monogram. For the longest time I wouldn't even use it. It was too beautiful for use or at least that's what I thought at the time. Years have past and I have learned to appreciate such fine, personal gifts and the joy you get from indulging in such a luxury. Monograms always add such lovely touches. They are almost as personal as our signature for very few of us have the same three initials as those in our circle of family and friends. When you think of the array of products that may be monogrammed, the list seems endless. Silver is always a great choice but my very favorite is linens. Imagine being able to pass them down through the generations - how soft and supple quality linens become with tender care and gentle use. The pictures that follow are some from my IDEA file. Enjoy browsing around. I hope you are inspired to add a monorgram or two to your personal space. This is may favorite! I LOVE monogrammed pillowcases or shams. This is DONE RIGHT! White bed linens with just a touch of subdued color and the monogram kept elegantly to the pillows.

Here's a great idea. If you want the look of a monogram but don't have the time nor the talent to embroider it yourself, try using fabric paint and a stencil. This wooden bench features decorative linen pillows that have been stenciled. You can pick up stencils, paint, and even fabric at Hobby Lobby to make your own.

I adore this idea! Rather than adding your initial, try something different and fresh - number your dinning chairs. How fun!

Notice the big letter "B" on the shower curtain? What an elegant touch and great accent to the black and white damask wallpaper. The monogrammed shower curtain doesn't compete with the pattern on the wall, but compliments it perfectly and with personal flair.

Here is another fabulous way to personalize your dining room. Tone on tone monograms in the center of the chair's backrest. For me, anything white or ivory can be decked out with a monogram in the same tone.

This glass canister is properly dressed with a family monogram on frosted glass. Understated but elegant.

Here is another one of my favorites - a black lamp shade embroidered with a white initial. Sophisticated and personal - the perfect touch in the Master Suite.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday I will be starting a new bathroom project. During the packing up of my Mother's things, we found an antique chandelier decked out with 8 arms and dozens of dangling tear drops. It's an Old Gold finish presently but the plan is to refinish it in a Hammered Silver and hang it above my Jucuzzi garden tub. I'll share pictures along the way. Another little master bath project is a mini-makeover on my maple vanities. Yeah, I know! You are going to think I'm crazy but I am painting them a deep, rich espresso and installing new brushed nickle hardware. A small change but it will make a huge difference. Stay tuned.....

Until then,

Happy Decorating!

Alisa

Kitchen Island Makeover - Part 1

For the most part I am okay with my kitchen. It's not my dream kitchen but it's functional and spacious. I have a lot of cabinet and pantry storage and that's a huge benefit. When I moved into this house a couple of years ago, it was such a wonderful change from the tiny little kitchen I had in my Florida home that I was just thrilled. After living in the house for a while there are some things that I would like to "makeover". When we moved in (sorry, I can't find the disc with the pictures) the counters were an ugly pinky-beige laminate. We replaced those with smooth Italian tile. I also wanted (at the time) the counters to blend with the color of the natural Maple cabinets. Looking back, I wish I would have gone with a little more contrast. That brings me to my next project - a kitchen island makeover. This is the island presently. What I want to do is add beadboard to the sides and back (where the bar stools set) and paint the entire island black. I want to add features that elevate the island to a piece of furniture rather than a rectangular box of cabinets in the middle of the floor.

I plan to keep the tiled counter. Each tile has little flecks of dark espresso colored variations. By painting the island black, I believe the dark tones in the tile will really pop.

We replaced all the cabinet hardware when we moved in. The previous knobs were brass and weren't my style. I opted for two styles both in brushed nickle. The drawers feature cup pulls and the doors have an egg-shaped knob. I will reuse these once the island make over is complete.

I really like the wood-tone of the hardwood floors. By painting the island black, I am hoping to add a richness to the kitchen and punch up the contrast. While the cabinets are solid maple, the sides and back of the island are a maple laminate which I've never liked. By replacing the laminate with a solid wood beadboard and then unifying the whole island with a nice coat of black paint I hope it will add a touch of drama and elegance.

Off-white appliances and a cream colored porcelain sink was the name of the game when we moved in. The appliances had not been cared for and the sink was chipped. Mr. Panache is very handy so he replaced the sink with a deep, double-sided sink from Thermocast in black and all of the appliances were replaced with stainless steel units trimmed with black accents. We painted the walls a light golden yellow - Laura Ashley Gold 2 - from Lowes. At first I liked the light and bright feel but now I want a more saturated color to add the desired contrast between the walls and the cabinets. There is one wall in the kitchen (not pictured) that is painted a Anjou pear green. I am considering that color for all the walls in the kitchen but I am going to wait until after we've finished with the island to decide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When taking on a project like this, it is always a good idea to get plenty of inspiration and research your products. My first inspiration came from Pat at Back Porch Musings. She had her kitchen island painted black and it turned out lovely.
Then, Debra K at the Bunnies Bungalow also featured a sassy island makeover in red. I love the furniture details she added. Those details really add panache to the overall kitchen. I later found that Rhoda at Southern Hospitality featured a cabinet makeover for her bathroom vanity. She actually painted a white laminate vanity black! It turned out beautiful!!!
The Nester featured an island makeover completed by her sister and I noticed that while her island was painted white, the cabinets in the background were painted black. So I e-mailed the Nester to see if I could get any insider tips. She was so helpful and provided some great ideas, tips and techniques. She also gave me a link to the site of a professional painter. It was full of important things to consider when you undertake a painting project such as cabinets.
~~~~~~~~~~~
This week I will spend time researching the project and making a list of supplies needed. Next week Mr. Panache and I hope to get started. I am not sure how long this little project will take but I don't want to rush it. The most important thing when painting cabinets is to prep the surface fully and wait one day between each coat of paint. Since a new island isn't in the budget this month, I want to take my time and get a great finish. Hope you will stay tuned for updates and pictures of our progress.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow is Outdoor Wednesday and I plan to feature some outdoor living inspiration. My deck is in need of some TLC and I'm on the search for a new outdoor dining table. I'm looking for a good second-hand piece that will seat at least six. We've made it through the cold wintery months, now it's time to get outside again and enjoy the crisp morning air while having a cup of coffee or the evening breezes while dining al fresco. I hope you will stop by. Until then,
Happy Decorating!
~Alisa

The Powder Room REVEAL

Well today is the big REVEAL. My mini-makeover of our Powder Room is practically complete. There are a couple of special order items I'm waiting for but the majority of the make-over is done. If you remember from my design board posted earlier this month, I wanted to give the room some punch and I wanted to leave the textured, tan wallpaper intact on the lower part of the wall. Since I use lots of earthy, warm colors throughout my house, the eggplant upper walls were painted a lovely shade of dark red which flows much better with the entry, foyer and lower hall. Let's take a look:

Just to refresh your memory I've posted a couple of "before" pictures.

Here you see the dark eggplant walls. The walls were painted this shade when I bought the house and I knew I wanted to change the color. But one thing after another took priority over this little space. The Paris street scene border was replaced and a decorative molding was added at the bottom to add depth.

Kind of bland compared to the rich color of the makeover. I just love RED and animal print! For this little powder room, it was the perfect combination.
I found the cheetah print towels at Marshalls, the border and paint came from Lowe's, the mirror is a vintage piece from Home Interiors. I moved it from an upstairs bedroom.

I added a plate stand and placed a decorative plate with a Palm Tree motif ringed with cheetah print over the towel rack. I also added two metal scroll-work sconces and ball candles.

Here is a close-up of the wall border. I really love the colors and pattern. I am on the hunt for more Zebra print accessories. I just love those stripes!

This wall cabinet holds a collection of decorative accessories. Since this space is used infrequently, I did not have to be concerned with practical issues such as storage for toiletries. A metal stand is used below to store extra tissue and hand towels.

I found this giraffe statue and added him to the mix. His coloring and pattern fit nicely with my exotic "safari" look.

I love the antique finish and crystal finial on the towel rack.

We are waiting for the faucet and hardware for the flusher on the toilet. After these are installed my mini-makeover will be complete. All in all, this little project cost just a little over $125. The power of paint goes a long way in transforming any space. The fun border and accessories add interest and whimsy. I hope you've enjoyed looking around.

Tomorrow is Tuesday and our tablescape day has been moved to Thursday and I will be posting a new table featuring an unusual color scheme. I hope you will stop by to check it out. Until then,

Happy Decorating!

~Alisa