Upholstered Headboards Round-Up

Although I am a fan of our modern bed frame with a rectangular headboard and plain black color, I would be lying if I said that I don't sometimes get the urge to upholster it.  And I honestly think that eventually I will.  Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge has a tutorial inside of her book, Design*Sponge At Home, and I suppose that is where I realized that an upholstered headboard is not something I would have to buy, but is instead something that I could make.  I'm not sure when or if I'll take the plunge into upholstered headboard heaven, but I thought I'd post some beautiful inspiration this afternoon to just get my creative juices flowing.

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What do you think of upholstered headboards?

Have you ever attempted to DIY?

love, maria

How To Sew a Pillow Cover For Beginners: A Guest Blog Post

Good morning, friends!  :-)  Happy Saturday (and St. Patrick's Day) to you!

Today, Lisha from One House One Couple is our guest blogger, and she's got a great tutorial for you all -- the perfect, easy weekend project!  Take it away, Lisha...

Hey everyone, I'm Lisha from 1house1couple. Maria was kind enough to invite me over to do a guest post here at All Things Luxurious, and I am super excited to share one of my latest home projects with you. I just did this a couple days ago so it’s fresh in my mind.


Now to forewarn you, I am not a decorator. I’m definitely more comfortable with a hammer in my hand than a sewing machine. I’m also really frugal, so I tend to purchase the bare minimum for furnishings and décor in my house. Most things that I decorate my home with I simply find somewhere, or it was given to me. But lately I’ve been getting an itch to do a little revamping and add a little more spice and color to our home. So I decided to cover our couch pillows with a fun fabric:


Old couch pillow:

Fun Fabric:

Here’s a shot up close so you can see the design:

First I measured the length of the pillow, from one seam to the other side.

Then I measured where I wanted my sewing to go on the fabric:

And I sewed it inside out, because that’s how you sew things, of course:

I’ve only used a sewing machine like 3 times in my life. I know. Can you believe it? But it’s true. And my friend was here to help me thread it and get it all ready for me, so I was able to start it and I was pretty successful for the first few lines of sewing. But I did get a bunch of up thread at one point:

But I just turned the corner and just kept going anyway, and it worked out okay:

I don’t have any pictures of the big fiasco I had in my pillow cover sewing adventure. This was after I

took the bobbin out to check to see if I was getting low on thread in the bobbin, which I wasn’t, so I put

it back in. When I continued sewing the upper thread kept breaking. I tried to call my friend, but she was busy at work, and I called my husband (the seamster in our marriage) and we tried to troubleshoot it for a while, with no luck. So I went online to see if there were any video tutorials for setting up a sewing machine. And it turns out, I didn’t know that the bobbin had to click and set. I was just placing it in the bobbin area without pushing it in and making sure it clicked. Boy, do I feel lame.

So once that was properly set I finished with flying colors. I sewed three sides (plus a tiny bit by the

corners on the 4th side) and then I put it around the pillow to make sure it was going to fit:

It fit perfectly, so I went back to the sewing machine to sew the 4th side and I realized that I’m too

lazy, so I simply covered the pillow and tucked in the extra fabric! Walla! No one will ever know the

difference!

Plus, if I ever wanted to wash the cover it would be easy to take it off the pillow, wash it, and put it back on.

Here’s a close up of the finished product:

I’m pretty proud of myself because my pillows turned out quite well. I covered two pillows with that

fabric. My husband came home and inspected my work and he said I did a good job. Yay me!

So, now that I know how the bobbin works I won’t be so afraid to sew next time. What do you think of

the pillows? The pretty fabric really makes the room feel more fun and less drab than it did before.

I want to thank Maria for allowing me to steal her blog for the day. You all can come and visit us any time at 1house1couple!

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Love this tutorial, thanks so much for sharing with us today, Lisha!  Now head on over to her blog and check it out!  :-)  Have a safe day and evening, lovies!   I will catch you back here tomorrow.  ;-)

love, maria

Fabulous Printed Fabrics Round-Up

Good morning!  :-)

I've gotta be honest -- this is Day 4 of an absolutely horrible migraine for me, so I am not feeling all that great this AM.  I've been trying to ignore it as best I can, but for those of you who have migraines, you know that eventually they spread to your neck, back, and jaw; and that is really when I start to get frustrated -- it's no fun.  Anyway, I'm just trying to hang in there, ignore it, and get some work done today; but it is hard!

I wanted to show you all some of my favorite printed fabrics that I have found this morning!  Yesterday we talked about layering fabrics, and while I was going through photos to post for that entry, I came upon so many beautiful fabrics -- it was so hard to choose!

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Which is your favorite?

love, maria

Layering Love: The Beauty of Patterns

Hey, there!  :-)

Happy Sunday!  Don't you just love Sundays?  There's something so calm about them -- I adore it.  And on this particular Sunday, it truly feels like Spring has arrived!  We had one very chilly day last week, but other than that, it has been all about warmer weather and lots of allergies.  Definitely my least favorite part of Spring, but I'll take it if it means nicer temperatures!

One of my favorite processes of decorating is layering fabrics and patterns.

This is a small bench that I recovered a couple of weekends ago.  I took the blue-jean-like color of the ikat print and found two pillows that had a beautiful robins-egg blue color with stripes of blue-jean-hues.  The pillows were HomeGoods steals -- the back ones were $4.99 each, and the front was $12.99.

Layering patterns can really add so much depth and texture to a room.  I have always loved throw pillows, but it was only very recently that I started to try my hand at mix-and-matching -- really getting bold with my choices and finding a way to add richness into my home.

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This photo is a great example of using texture to add complexity to a room.  All of the bedding is based on a white color scheme, but there are lace-y accents, buttons, and striped finishes that really make this bed look luxurious and grand.

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One of the most foolproof ways to intermix patterns is to have each pillow or textile use a color (even a very small spot of color) from the one it is closest to.  In this photo, it moves down a line, from left to right -- the bolster pillow is cream, and the orange pillow has cream in it.  The red pillow next to the orange plays off of the bits of red in the orange pillow.  The next orange pillow plays off of the red bits in the predominantly red pillow.  And the cream echoes both the ivory pillow at the far end of the sofa, but also the white bits in the orange pillow next to it.  Symmetry, but interesting symmetry.

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I really like how this bedroom's fabric colors are playing off of the wallpaper.  There are different hues of pinks and greens, and even a little bit of yellow thrown in there as an accent.  I also appreciate how the pillows are arranged to look like a colorful headboard of sorts -- it adds even more of a pop against that delightful wallpaper.

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Black and white is reflected in this room, but in different patterns.  The black and white pillow on the chair and the black and white cover on the bed unify and ground this space and allow for the other colors to take center stage without the room feeling outlandish or too mismatched.

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I love how in this room, colors are reverberated everywhere!  The stripe-y bedspread looks perfect with the polka-dot pillow.  The sky-blue color of the front throw pillow matches a book on the night stand; and the busily patterned pillow in the back looks picture perfect with the little stripes on the table lamp and the light blue of the throw blanket.  All of these colors tie perfectly together with the headboard and the night stand.  A very well-thought-out space.

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This is an absolutely lovely, punchy little space -- perfect for a little girl.  The greens are happy and subtle, the yellows are sunny and bright, and the pinks are sweet but just the right amount of grown up.  The color of the walls is neutral enough that these colors are the focal point of the room, not so much the wall behind them.

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I absolutely love this space.  The upholstered headboard mixes fabulously with all of the echoing colors, and the patterns are a lovely combination of stripes, florals, and solids.  With the bed up against an exposed-paneling wall, it really makes the colors pop and makes a statement.

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Moving from left to right again, each pillow takes a color from its "friend."  This mixed with the adorable window treatments and the accent color of the turquoise upholstery on the seat-bench makes the most charming little window seat I ever did see.

Have you mastered the art of mixing patterns?

What is your favorite color palette to work with when blending different designs?

love, maria

Stonewashed (Linen) Fabrics

Hi, lovies!

How's your afternoon treating you?  I am very tired, that's really all I have to say about mine.  I'm trying to just power through the day so that I can get to sleep like a normal person tonight (i.e. not stay up all night puttering around the house), but my hubby and I are taking a little road trip to Tucson to have dinner, so it'll probably be late by the time I get home.  Oh, well -- I've just gotta put my game face on and claim tonight's victory as soon as I can: sleep!  ;-)

How many of you like stonewashed fabrics?  Why?  For me, fabrics that have almost that worn-in feel make me see the design as cozy -- like a well-loved article of clothing that always makes it into your suitcase; or a delicious pair of linen pants that are just oh-so-perfect for summertime wear.  I cannot get enough of this type of fabric, and I think that I have always had a love affair with linen because of its utter simplicity and beauty.

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This chocolate-y goodness is an Italian linen that would be perfect for both clothing and home decor projects.  I could see this fabric as being the base of an upholstered bench in a foyer, teamed with cream-patterned throw pillows and a pair of Hunter boots at its side.

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A lovely stonewashed print that could surely be bolder in a different color choice, this fabric is the epitome of neutral patterned style.  I love the repetitive nature of this print and the parallel stripes this fabric showcases.  A couple of throw pillows would be my go-to DIY project with this fabric.

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Luxurious aqua leaves patterned onto a linen fabric, this, to me, says whimsical.  It is dainty, yet a stunning print leaving little to be desired; and I love the varying shapes of the leaves, which add an imperfect perfection to the fabric itself.  Ideal for an ottoman or accented seat cushions.

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There is something that I find to be very French about neutral stripes on a linen fabric.  The parallel nature of this print, to me, is not cold but instead elegant and calming.  Serene.  I picture this fabric in a bathroom -- drapery, upholstered onto the seat of a vintage chair... The possibilities are endless.

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This citrine and ivory patterned fabric can be used in both modern and the most classic of rooms.  I see this fabric as incredibly versatile -- moreso than the others, in my opinion.  This would be an incredible accent fabric for furniture -- throw pillows, chair bases -- but imagine this fabric pleated into beautiful, luscious curtains.  It would add an entirely new, bolder element to a room -- a statement room, more or less.

While we're on the subject of the beauty of stonewashed fabric, it would be wrong for me not to comment on the other amazing things that can be done with this lovely additive element.

Linen Wreaths

Linen Fabric Flowers

Wedding-Related Linen Items

Addition of Fabric Paint to Linen Items

Do you have any stonewashed fabrics in your home?

What's your favorite handmade craft formed from linen?

Love, Maria