Making Color-Blocked Draperies

The nursery makeover continues with a window treatment and decorator JoAnne Lenart-Weary has a great idea!  "Let's treat the window and closet door opening as one". 

The next task is choosing a window treatment style.  This is a boy's room so ruffles and frills are not part of the plan.  The parents also requested that the room be designed so that it would grow-up with their new son and not be too baby-looking for a toddler or first grader. JoAnne and Susan Woodcock, who will be fabricating the window treatment discussed the options.  The decision was made to use three solid color fabrics to create a functional drapery.  Several top treatment ideas were considered such as a cornice or a box pleated valance, but in the end the best option was to use decorative hardware to keep the corner from feeling too crowded.

A grommet drapery heading was chosen because the smaller stack-back will fit into the tight corner between the door and window.  The three fabrics were sewn together for each panel; green, red and blue in equal sections (when cutting add for hems, headings and seams).   In the photo below one of the color-blocked panels is being measured before adding the lining.

 

After the drapery panels are lined and hems and finished the #15 plastic, snap-together grommets from Rowley Company are set into the heading.

 

The draperies will be installed on Aria decorative hardware with a black finish.



You may have noticed that we are using a lot of black as an accent in this room.  Black might not seem like a "baby" color but the use of black in this room helps to balance out the 4 foot by 6 foot chalkboard dominating one wall.  The father-to-be, Mike Williams is a school teacher so he loved this idea!  The chalk board was painted on the wall with special chalk board paint and framed with wood upholstered in the stripe fabric used elsewhere in the room.

Stay tuned for more updates as the nursery continues to be decorated, and join us on April 17 and 19 for two live, webinar presentations showing decorating and fabrication details.  Click here to register: Bringing Home Baby

Nursery Makeover: Behind the Scenes

The work begins on the nursery makeover. Parents-to-be Brittany and Mike Williams spent the weekend painting the walls and ceiling.  The blue ceiling paint was the first order of business.  Next, the apricot walls were primed and painted with the new soft yellow color. The room immediately felt bigger and brighter.  (See our previous blog post for Sherwin & Williams paint colors).

 

 

With the addition of a crib and changing table the room becomes a nursery!

We were excited when the fabrics arrived at Rowley Company from Greenhouse Fabrics.  The stripe will be used to create a cute, laminated roller shade that will block light for afternoon naps, and the solid fabrics will be sewn together to make bright color-blocked drapery panels.  

JoAnne Lenart-Weary, decorator for this project found two other fabrics for pillows and cushion covers.  The polka-dots she found locally and the Safari animal print is from Greenhouse.  The addition of these prints  will add a bit of whimsey to the room. 

Stay tuned for more details as the nursery makeover continues and sign up for our upcoming webinars showing the makeover from start to finish. Visit our website and click on webinars to register for these free, live presentations with JoAnne Lenart-Weary of The Decorating and Staging Academy and Laurie Medford and Susan Woodcock from Rowley Company..

The Decorating Begins!

Our nursery makeover begins with this basic room.  First time parents Brittany and Mike Williams had done little with this room since moving into the home. When we asked Brittany to describe the room she said one word; "blah".  It's time to get to work!

 

We begin with an initial consultation with Brittany and JoAnne Lenart-Weary.  The starting point is color.  JoAnne is a pro at helping clients narrow down color choices, she created the patent pending color system "Color with No Regrets".  With this system JoAnne proves that you can eliminate over 75% of the paint deck in three minutes with a unique and easy color test.  It was great fun to see JoAnne in action!

In a few minutes a color palette was selected and while chatting about color and decor Brittany shared her vision for the nursery.  She wanted a room that was warm, nurturing and fun and that would grow with the baby.

During this appointment we measured the crib, dressing table and window for soft furnishings and the room was measured so that a furniture plan could be created.

A few weeks later JoAnne visited Rowley Company to share her selections for paint colors, fabrics and wall art.  The selections made us all smile.  Especially the Zoo-Wallogy wall graphics available online at Fun Decor for Kids. This is the "fun" that Brittany and Mike were hoping for.  These vinyl graphics are easy to apply and do not harm the wall surface.  They can be removed and placed in different arrangements to keep the room interesting and ever-changing. 

 

For the paint colors Sherwin Williams "Vital Yellow" #SW6393 was chosen for the walls.  This will provide a soft yet warm background for the lively wall art and "Resolute Blue" #SW6507  was chosen for the ceiling to give the baby boy and his animal friends a cheerful blue sky above. 

Three solid fabrics were chosen from Greenhouse Fabrics to create a color blocked drapery for the window. Greenhouse Fabrics #A2440 Cabbage, #A2427 Cranberry, #A433 Indigo

 

 In our next blog post we will share more photos to show the room being painted and other fabric selections for cushions and more.

Bringing Home Baby; a Nursery Makeover

Back by popular demand, Rowley Company is presenting another room-makeover webinar!  We have partnered with interior decorator JoAnne Lenart-Weary to create a very special room from start-to-finish.  JoAnne is the founder of One Day Decorating and The Decorating and Staging Academy and an enthusiastic and accomplished decorating veteran. 

JoAnne, Laurie Medford and Susan Woodcock will turn a spare bedroom into a fun and functional nursery for new parents expecting their first baby.  And it’s a boy!

We will be presenting two webinars; one with a design focus and one showing the fabrication steps for all the soft furnishings. You will see the entire decorating process, from choosing paint colors, creating room layout, selecting furnishings and art to creating window treatments and crib bedding that will grow with baby.

Mother-to-be Brittany Williams and JoAnne Lenart-Weary discuss paint colors.

This spare bedroom will be transformed from "blah" to "ahh" with talent, creativity and practical solutions for parents expecting their first baby.

We will be blogging about the project and sharing updates of the progress. Stay tuned!

Registration is open.  Click the links below to attend the live, online semainrs.

Bringing Home Baby; a Nursery Makeover Part I: Design and Decorating

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/454657250

Bringing Home Baby; a Nursery Makeover Part II: Workroom Techniques

Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 11:00 am Eastern Standard Time
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/732551234

Jute Webbing in No Longer Undercover

 

Jute upholstery webbing is commonly used as a base on upholstered furniture seats and headboards. It is extremely strong, durable and when woven together and stretched over a frame creates long-lasting support 

It is available from Rowley Company on 72 yard rolls.

Jute webbing provides a base that is not too rigid yet is extremely strong yet can be sewn through for button tufting

A jute stretcher is used to pull the webbing tight for stapling or nailing.

Jute webbing is no longer undercover!  

We are seeing this affordable and humble product transformed with creative ideas and inspired uses.

 Simple burlap bolsters with jute webbing accents

The Bolster Queens

Tote Bag with Jute Webbing and Buttons

Pesky Cat Designs

Burlap and jute pillow collection from Better Homes and Gardens

Shabby chic shower curtain and pillow from Burlap Country

We love this idea!  A woven jute webbing floor runner can be customized for any space.

Learn how on the Martha Stewart website 

 Stage curtain manufacturers use jute webbing to reinforce heavy drapery panels but we love this industrial look for loft living, boys rooms, home theaters or that oh-so-special high end garage

Northeast Stage Curtains