Amber B Design Studio

Interior Design & Decoration for the Central New York region

My Hand Painted Wall Design

by Filed Under: design, dining room, Featured, painting, personal design style 11 Comments

 

 

 

 

 

I am constantly inspired by design ideas and have lately been stretching my comfort zone to try new ways to express those inspirations into my own home. A room can completely be transformed through paint. Whether it’s a whole new paint color on all of the walls or a special treatment to one wall section… paint can change a room’s vibe and overall style. I have always loved designer Kelly Wearstler’s unique take on design and the way she can effortlessly push the envelope. Take for example, her iconic foyer with those gorgeous coral walls…

image via Vogue
How cool is that picture?!? And then my jaw dropped again when I saw a similar style, but on drapery panels…
The home of Christine Dovey, designed by Meredith Heron and seen on Style at Home.
And I am in awe of this modern hand painted look also seen on Kristin’s living room wall from the blog, The Hunted Interior…

I knew I had to apply it in some way in my own home. And if I got it totally wrong, it’s just paint, right? There’s really no tutorial for this project. Just some leftover white paint, a two inch paint brush and your creativity. I would paint a couple of brush strokes and then step back to make sure it was coming along how I planned. That’s all there is to it! And my husband really likes it, too. He walked in and said, “wow, I really like it!” Win win for me! It was also a great validation for me that I didn’t just do something completely crazy. 🙂

{DIY} Adding Pom Pom Fringe

by Filed Under: DIY, Featured, foyer, personal design style, project 6 Comments

When I {or I should say my husband) installed a curtain rod above our front door, I chose the same drapery panels that are in our kitchen and family room. I wanted to do a little something more to them, so I decided to add black pom pom fringe to the edges of the panels. I am happy to report that this was super easy to do! It took about 20 minutes one night to get both panels finished!

After

Here’s a little step by step if you are thinking of adding a little pizazz to store bought drapery panels…

The Materials

You Will Need

1. Black Pom Pom Fringe cut to size
2. Aleene’s Fabric Fusion
3. Drapery Panels
4. Scissors

I had the lady at Jo Ann Fabrics cut the pom pom fringe to size for each panel. She was great and added an extra few inches, which I cut off after the project was complete. It was nice to have that extra bit of fringe in case one side had an unfinished edge.

First, I layed the fringe in place to make sure I liked the way it looked. When I knew I had enough and it was just the way I wanted, I moved the fringe to the side and started to add fabric fusion to the panels. I love this stuff! I have used it to attach trim to lamp shades and now this! The fabric is washable after 24 hours and can also be dry cleaned! I don’t have a picture of this step, since I was using both hands, but I applied the fusion about 1/4 ” from the edge of each panel.

I started this project on the carpet, and then realized I might be getting permanent glue on the carpet! Not good. Luckily, I didn’t… but I came up with another way to do this project just to be sure-

I decided to place an old sheet under the panel where I was working. Both are terribly wrinkly, but nothing is perfect during the process, is it??

I waited about an hour to make sure the glue was secure to the panels. This stuff is amazing. It adhered so well and I could tell it wasn’t going anywhere. I decided to add a little fabric fusion to the top and bottom of the fringe, to prevent fraying. The lady at the store said I could stictch the edges to prevent fraying, but this girl doesn’t sew! So, the fusion will also work like a charm. I was too excited to wait until the next day to attach the panels to the curtain rings, so I went for it!

Next up, is painting the stair railing black! One of these days!  🙂 Oh, and of course adding drapery tie backs and steaming those panels. Is it ever done???

DIY Chevron Stairs!

by Filed Under: DIY, diy stencil, Featured 15 Comments

I wanted to check in and show you an amazing project my mom recently completed. This is one of those projects that I wish I could take credit for, but unfortunately, they are not my stairs. My mom painted these chevron stripes on the stairs, herself! I love the way they came out. It really stops you in your tracks the moment you walk in the front door.

Isn’t this project incredible?!? Chevron is no longer just for pillows and drapery! I also love this last image, which shows a glimpse into her wall stripes. I keep telling her she needs to start a blog and document these projects! I love that she painted every other stair. I think it’s the perfect amount of pattern. I also love that the alternating stairs are painted a soft gray, so there is not too much contrast. To follow the same step by step instructions she did, visit HERE.