Good with Style

Decorating How to: Replace Your Sofa Legs

Pottery Barn has been my default-go-to for home furnishings at various times in my life (what a surprise). Such was the case when purchasing a new sofa six years ago. It just seemed like the easiest thing to do (translate=I am lazy). Now, knowing more, I would have done things differently. For one--I prefer upholstered furniture so much more than slip-covered. Also, I would have chosen a different fill for the couch pillows. As it is, the down just isn't my thang. For one, I'm not patient enough for the constant fluffing, and also--have you ever noticed that the feathers poke through and prick you? It's like the goose is getting back at you posthumously or something. I also made a teensie mistake by letting my kids jump on the couch--it's a bit saggy in the middle. Not unlike my own middle. My point is--I'm looking to remake the sad overused wretch that is my sofa. First step--replace the couch legs. Of course, I want to use legs made from Sustainable Wood. I happily discovered BingLtd--an online shopping, bricks and mortar home furnishings business. Now, if I can just get my husband to turn the sofa over so I can check out those legs.

The next step: Replace the cushions and upholster (rookie style) the couch. Good luck with that, right? I do have a simple (really!) how-to upholster project in my Eco Chic Home book. I'll keep you updated on this little home decorating project as it progresses. 

*Photo: Atwood Sectional. $3199. 92"L x 65"W x 27"H. Available in Cabana Hemp (as shown) or Urban Tweed Ink. FSC-Certified Wood Frame. Available at Area 51 Furniture Store, Seattle.

More about the different types of sofa legs:

It's Complicated

 

 With about 7 weeks until my due date, I am in full blown nesting mode. I've been sifting, sorting, and getting rid of a ton of stuff--which is actually something I do on a regular basis because I can not stand to live with too much clutter. I can't stand living in a dirty space, and when you have to much stuff you really never can get your home as clean as possible. Which is why I am always trying to get rid of things we don't need. To make things especially complicated, I also have a tendency to hoard things that I think I can make into something interesting--such as CD Jewel Cases. Most of the projects in my last book come from my experiments with designing home accessories using repurposed materials. I'm drawn to things that can't be easily recycled--like most plastics. And things coated with plastic, like wire hangers. Yes, I know that the dry cleaner will reuse hangers you bring back to them. But that's called reusing, not recycling. Which is good of course, but also has it's limitations. Like, what happens if too many hangers are returned, or when the hanger is bent out of shape.  

So, I have a lot things like CD Jewel Cases, of them which I plan to make into things like this bookshelf light, but I have not yet done so. Which is where the sifting and sorting comes into play. Sometimes I feel like I'm just moving the same stuff around all of the time. Kind of oppressive. I guess if I weren't so lazy/tired/pregnant I'd go ahead and make the lights, put them in my Etsy shop and call it a day. But, for now, I'll just tuck them away and wait for inspiration/motivation to strike. Have a great day!

XO Emily 

 P.S. To learn how to make this awesome CD Jewel Case/Box Light, buy my book Eco Chic Home!

Yoga, Design and Living Off the Mat

Yoga helps me everyday and it has nothing to do with my yoga mat. While there are so many people in the world who have found and embraced yoga, there is so much misunderstanding about it by people who are not familiarized with what Yoga really is. But, I'm not going to get into that right now. For me, connecting Yoga and Design isn't about burning incense and incorporating an alter to Ganesh into a living room floor plan. It really all comes down to 1. Mindfulness: becoming aware, continuing to live in that awareness. 2. Intention: making a decision about who and how you want to be in the world. 3. Action: the most difficult part--actually getting up and doing it. Anyway, that's what it's all about for me. I make a connection between my Yoga practice and design, and ultimately, consumerism. I've put an excerpt (it's actually the introduction) from my book. Have a lovely evening.

XO

Emily

(Excerpt from my book Eco Chic Home)

No matter how great or how small, all living things are connected to one another. We are all connected. This a beautiful thing to realize. What I find fascinating is how we are able to stop and and acknowledge this connection, but in our day to day living, we forget, or ignore, how our individual actions are impacting our environment. I believe everyone wants to make the world cleaner, but not everyone knows how to get from point a to point b. Before any changes can really take affect, we need to help everyone move along to point b. We must bridge the gap between a few individual voices and the broader population.

Mindfulness is a practice that helps bridge this gap between knowing we are connected, and seeing that connection everyday. You can use mindfulness to live every moment understanding that you are a force in the world, and you make things happen, even with that one small choice, like deciding to put that bottle in recycling instead of in the trash. I began to embrace mindfulness a few years ago through my Yoga Practice.

(Read more here...)

Blog Lovin' + Sarah Richardson Inspiration

I've been blogging for a number of years now. I first started as a way to launch my freelance writing career, then promote my first book, second book, most recent book. All the while I have been evolving as a writer and as a person. This is what I love about blogs, the malleable and transformative nature of the medium. You can change when and however you wish to change. I am at a Sea Change moment in my life, having just closed a big chapter by way of finally getting my grandmother's house (and my childhood oasis) ready to be sold. I've also been looking for a house with my dear husband, which is not the most empowering experience when you are operating within a very specific budget. So losing and finding a home is a big part of my story right now. We've lot out on three houses because we were outbid. But something happened over the last couple of weeks. First, instead of being disappointed with what I do not have, I re-immersed myself in what I do have. This included spending more time with my children--taking them to buy the groceries, involving them in the meal preparation, sitting down together. It has occurred to me that what sustains us is not what we have from a material perspective, but really it's the shared experiences we have. The rituals of everyday life, whether it's cleaning the house, cooking the food, or doing the laundry--are accessible to all of us. You can live in the smallest house, but when you clean and organize it just so, it can rival the largest mansion. Because what a castle is doesn't depend on what it is, but rather how it is. 

XO

Emily

Photograph: Sarah Richardson Designed Room

 

how to have an estate sale

I am on my way to the midwest for one last visit to my grandparent's house, a place where I spent a lot of time all through my life. It has always been what I consider to be my home, and this is a really hard thing to do. I've been putting it off, but there's no more time left because now we are going to be selling it. So whatever I do not take will be sold in an estate sale. I've been looking online for information about this process, and there is surprisingly little about what to do when a relative dies and you are left to take care of their home. To make matters more complicated, I live in New York, and my grandparent's home is in Rock Island, Illinois. So, I am going to fill up a 'POD' with whatever fits, and have that shipped to a storage facility here in NYC. I will do my best to be prudent, but it's very easy to let one's emotions to take over. My grandmother saved everything, in fact, she was a very organized hoarder. It must be genetic because I definitely have hoarding tendencies. I'll be thinking a lot about my attachment to things this week and trying to take less than I might want to. I mean, it's not like I can't get more stuff in the future if I want to . Afterall, there's always ebay, right?

XO

Emily

eco-friendly container and vase inspiration

Source: hutchstudio.blogspot.com via raccoon on Pinterest

I'm seeing a lot of newspaper plant containers, these with chicken wire are especially clever. I love to make designs using wire hangers (which can not be recycled--fyi). Here's my take on the wire container idea, which was inspired by Steaks Frites, which I believe are often wrapped in newspaper in their containers, n'est pas?

Photography Credit: Seth Smoot and Kendra Smoot from Eco Chic Home by Emily Anderson

marie antoinette let them eat cake + shop the fleas

"Relax and Slip Your Pronouncing Eyes Like Cake..."

(Kirstin Dunst as Marie Antoinette)

Marie Antoinette is known for her love of cake, but did you know she is also famous for inventing the flea market? Well, sort of.

Legend has it that she was standing high above the place that would be known as Les Puces de Paris--The Paris Flea Market, looking down upon the crowd when she remarked "Oh but they look like little fleas." Or something like that.

 

Whether or not this really happened, one thing that is for certain true is the long and rich history of The Paris Flea Market, and all of its progeny.  

 

*This line of poetry is from:

A Domestic Film

by Amy King

 

This is the director’s cut,
a traveling space in the folded crook
of your plotted hand like silver night
on a thousand platters spreading westward,
then plywood. I watch the brittle flower spread,
almost mobile with her walking petal plans—

Feminine form to feminine prone,
relax and slip your pronouncing eyes
like cake, only softer and heated, across
the unmarried wife waving goodbye
to the silent screen world of strangers
safely baking on Dishwater Island.

 

eco-friendly paint is good for you

Even if you aren't doing the actual painting yourself, you still should ask for No-VOC paint. There are fantastic options available, here are a few of my favorites:

Valspar Paint

Green Painting (a painting company)

Ecos Paints

Natura Paint by Benjamin Moore

GreenSure by Sherwin Williams

Freshaire

Environmentally Paint by The Real Milk Paint Co.

Yolo Eco-Friendly Paint

Also, read this round-up from Apartment Therapy's Re-Nest with an eco-paint review...it's from 2009, but still helpful.

 

eco chic home intervention

 Having recently decided to stay put in our apartment (for the time being) rather than making the big move to the suburbs, I have taken a page from my book Eco Chic Home, and began a gut-re-organization of every single corner of my home. After several trips to our storage facility (aka my home in the country) and a reconnaissance mission to IKEA (which I always find endlessly inspiring), I think we're finally there. I literally upended every drawer, cupboard, closet, file box, and more to get our place to a better place. I'm feeling recharged and redirected, which is a great way to go into Fall, don't you think?

Photo Credit: Nola Clutter Busters

I would love to see your ideas for creating a simple, stylish home...please share photos on the Eco Chic Home Flickr group...spread some inspiration and beauty!

better homes and gardens mentions eco chic home

 

Eco Chic Home is mentioned in the July 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. 

 

I'm on page 25. How cool is that? Have a great weekend!

Read More »

 

My Home Organizing Tips

In honor of today, which I have designated as a day (week?) of organizing, here are a few solutions you might like.

 

Make it yourself, or find it at the.com.(This is no longer a working site--any ideas where you can find this?)

Here's another clever way to put vases or jars to work on your wall, via Postro Advintage on Etsy.

This Martha Stewart towel caddy looks really easy to make, and what a great thing to do with your old bath towels.

 

Never find yourself without entertainment for your kids--take this little drawing crayon pouch with you wherever you go.

One of my favorite ideas from the Editors at Martha Stewart--this is made with two identical bookshelves.

 

This is a project from my book, Eco Chic Home, and I actually have this hanging in my home. It's really useful for stashing receipts, sunglasses, money.

 

This is my little girl's "office" that I created for her right before my son was born so she would a space that was just for her (they share a room). I just used an Ikea table with telescoping legs, set it on the lowest setting. Everything else are items we had around the home that I repurposed--a muslin covered tack board, vertical files, and the table. These are my "Organized Monday" ideas. Please share some of your ideas (with photos!) and I'll post about them next week.

 

Martha Stewart Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio

I was on Martha Stewart Radio's Morning Living Show, Sirius Channel 112 and XM 157, last week to talk about my new book, Eco-Chic Home. I was so thrilled that they asked me to be on the show.

I've been there twice before, once to talk about my Eco-Chic Weddings book, and once to talk about a green wedding article in Martha Stewart Weddings that featured some of my ideas (read more about the wedding here). When the hosts, Kim Fernandez and Betsy Karetnick, asked me about a project in my book, I told them about the wire vessel made from a wire hanger (pictured above). But then I forgot to mention an idea that would have been a perfect one to share...grrrr. I thought of it about five minutes after I left the building. Don't you just hate that? So, I will tell you about the idea I wanted to share--it has to do with a long leather coat from the late '90s and a pair of scissors. Check back later today!

P.S. By the way, be sure to check out the Martha Radio Blog, there are two great posts you should read about container gardens (yes, Spring is on its way) and also about The French Laundry.

Emily's Upcoming Press/Events/Appearances

MARCH 10

9:30 AM EST

Martha Stewart Radio

MARCH 22

Time TBC

Heritage Radio Network (Brooklyn)

APRIL 22

7:30 PM to 9:30 PM

WORD Brooklyn

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To host an event with Emily or for interviews:

goodwithstyle (at) gmail (dot) com

@goodwithstyle on twitter

Romantic Homes Magazine Features Eco-Chic Home

I am excited to share the very first (print) magazine feature of my new book Eco-Chic Home in the February issue of Romantic Homes Magazine. And I am in good company, as the other designers featured are: Tamar Schechner of Nest Pretty Things (photos are Tamar's pretty things), artist Gregg Bugala, Cindy Kihn-Santiago of My Romantic Home, Jennifer Lanne, an artist in Upstate NY, Carolyn Westbrook of Carolyn Westbrook Home, Ann Millang of St. Barth's Home, Sarah Richardson of Sarah Richardson Design, Diane Sedo of Sentimental Celebrations, and moi. Romantic Homes is a such a pretty magazine, I am honored to have been included.

If design govern in a thing so small*

  
(photo & styling: Kendra and Seth Smoot)

Practically everything I design is derived from everyday materials. 

Newspaper, cardboard, glass. I especially like working with 

wire hangers, I think it's because I love fil de fer so much.

It is surprisingly simple to work with a deconstructed wire 

hanger, all you need is a good wire cutter and some medium size 

pliers. I made the compote above with two wire hangers and a bit

of fine gauge copper wire. You can see the detailed

instructions when the book is released. 

In the meantime, feast your eyes on these fantastic wire 

creations by Marie Christophe. 

*This line of poetry is from:

Design

by Robert Frost

I found a dimpled spider, fat and white,

On a white heal-all, holding up a moth
Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth --
Assorted characters of death and blight
Mixed ready to begin the morning right,
Like the ingredients of a witches' broth --
A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth,
And dead wings carried like a paper kite.

What had that flower to do with being white,
The wayside blue and innocent heal-all?
What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?--
If design govern in a thing so small.