{friday finds: nailheads}

Nailheads are everywhere. Traditionally, a leather club chair accented with decorative nailheads is what comes to mind. The pieces we have in the design studio are contemporary and traditional; the nailhead knows no boundaries when it comes to adding a touch of sophistication to any piece.

This column is wallpapered in anaglypta, painted, and glazed. “The clerk” added hundreds of  nailheads to achieve the look of a hand-tooled leather column.  In DIY projects, nailheads can be used to cover mistakes and staples, as well as offering a decorative detail.

{join in on hirshfield’s color contest and win!}

Ever wonder how Hirshfield’s comes up with those unique color names? Well, for the Minnesota Spring 2010 Color Collection, we’re looking for YOU to give us those names. And, if we choose your name suggestion, you get a $100 gift card to Hirshfield’s! Jen Miranda has more info for you in the video below…

{transitioning my son’s bedroom from tween to teen}

My son may not be like most other boys – at least not stereotypically!  You see, he doesn’t like a messy room and insists on clean bookshelves with only the basic necessities – a Webster’s dictionary, a framed photo of himself in his football uniform, a signed basketball and several trophies he’s earned from various sports – that’s it!

So when he took over his sister’s pink and yellow bedroom a few years back,  I asked him what color he’d like to paint. “You can paint anything you want as long as it isn’t loud,” he said. Wanting to please my young minimalist, I chose a gentle, but warm beige paint accompanied with white wood blinds for his windows. I then sewed panel curtains in soft beige and black stripes. Sophisticated, but understated, I decided.  Keep these points in mind when you go to decorate your teenage son’s room:

1.    Make it a comfortable place to hang out (with a book, some music or a few friends).

2.   Oversized pillows go a long way for kids to lounge on.

3.   Create one focal point: most kids’ bedrooms are average to small in size so don’t overwhelm the eye with too many distractions.  In my son’s  room, we made an old walnut-stained desk the main attraction

4.   Use neutral paint tones as a comfortable backdrop

5.   Use accessories to showcase your son’s attributes and passions. In my son’s case we used a grown-up sports theme – a signed basketball, a signed baseball bat, a framed jersey etc.   Curtains or panels add a warm touch to any bedroom. Use fabric even when you use blinds for the main window covering.

6.  Consult  resources like www.teen-bedrooms.com for some great ideas.

Yes, that little boy of mine is growing up. And even at 6’4”, he is still reminiscent of that little boy who just a few years ago wanted his bedroom to look like a pirate ship. But not anymore! He has transitioned to a sophisticated, tranquil design taste that is suggestive of his corner office about ten years from now!

{friday finds: name that color contest}

After too much egg nog, Aimee lost her blue jacket, coin purse, and satin slipper in the Gobey Desert. It started out as a lazy day with a southern breeze when her friend Elizabeth Rose had the bright idea to go au natural… What is this about? The words in bold are paint color names from the Hirshfield’s Color Is…fan deck. What color is Elizabeth Rose? Are you influenced by the name of a paint color? Why Elizabeth Rose? Why not Audrey Rose?

Show us your amazing creativity by participating in Hirshfield’s “Name that Color Contest.” We are kicking off the contest on the first day of the the Home and Garden Show, Wednesday, February 24, 2010.

Have you always thought you would be good at naming colors? Here is your opportunity to name a color and maybe win a $100 Hirshfield’s gift card.

Click here for all the details of this colorful contest.

Mr. Hirshfield was a good sport when I caught him running out the door…”just hold it.”

{local color: design grenade}

I cringe every time I see the {black, blue, and gray all over} post listed in “top posts.” I pulled images for this post late 2008 and early 2009, when the pickings were slim. I do remember being bowled over when I first saw the gray bedroom on decor8. A bedroom painted gray? What next?

Now, there are so many amazing black, blue, and gray rooms “out there” for all to enjoy. I would like to share this Minneapolis living room which was painted, furnished, styled, and photographed by the owner. I say that because it looks like it a magazine spread.

Benjamin Moore’s Galaxy 2117-20 was used on the walls. Can you tell it is a cross between aubergine and black? That color is what Michelle Lamb’s workshop with Hirshfield’s employees was all about: chameleon neutrals…bridging or transitional neutrals.

Read about Ken’s remodel on his blog Design Grenade.

As always, thank you for your business, and thank you Ken, for making our product look so good.

Shop local…68¢ out of your dollar stays in the community when you support locally owned businesses versus 43¢ at non-local businesses. Minnesotans hang on to your pennies, let’s not lose any more jobs.

{home & garden show 2010}

Home & Garden Show?

One of Hirshfield’s customers found this wonderful photo in his father’s belongings and passed it on to us. My guess is the Home & Garden Show, but what decade? Anyone want to venture a guess? I thought by the numbering on the back of the photo it was 1967, but I’m having my doubts.

Let this be your official notice… 2010 Home & Garden Show begins Wednesday, February 24 and runs through Sunday, February 28, 2010.

Highlights that caught my attention:

• Timber Barn Bungalow – works as a lake retreat, hunting cabin or backyard studio (think small)
• Celebrate Minnesota Gardens – refresh your winter soul with beautiful greens and flowers
• Meat Raffle – never tried a meat raffle, but have always wanted to- proceeds to Emergency Food Shelf
• Radio Disney – Kids get in free with library card on Friday
• Sasha Andreev – Curb Appeal host
• Christopher Straub – Minnesota’s Project Runway Designer
• Pat Verlodt – WHO? Pat talks a mean game of color. She is an industry color expert; selecting paint lines, consulting with building product companies, and trend analysis. She is presenting “Trends in Color” on the Lifestyle Stage, at 2:00 on Saturday. Hirshfield’s is excited to sponsor Pat’s visit to the Home and Garden Show; her audiences always rave about her presentations.
• That’s not all. Hirshfield’s is having a fun, fun contest, but I can’t tell you anything more about the contest. I asked my boss twice if I could put out “feelers” and I was turned away each time with a huge, “NO! Not yet, we’re not ready.” I know I am sorely testing his patience, but I can’t help myself…stay tuned. Now I’m worried, I think I broke my promise to him to keep quiet.

Look for Hirshfield’s at booth #2306.

Shop local…68¢ out of your dollar stays in the community when you support locally owned businesses versus 43¢ at non-local businesses. Minnesotans hang on to your pennies, let’s not lose any more jobs.

{hardwood floors adds beauty and leave dust mites behind}

As I’m sweeping my kitchen floor, readying it for the vinegar-and-water mop I use to clean them, I wonder why I love hardwood floors so much.  They are more work to keep clean, for sure! They get scratched by shoes, falling toys and un-manicured dog paws and they fade with too much daylight! In my case, with dark (almost black) hardwood, they also display dust, dirt and crumbs at all times.

So why do I love them? Because they bring character, warmth and charm to any room that carpeting, in my opinion, can’t match. Ever! My entire main level is covered in hardwood, including the family room. “Are you sure you want to do that?” well-meaning friends lamented when I tore up the new, beige carpeting of my living areas when I moved in 10 or so years ago. “It is so warm and cozy to have carpeting in the family room,” they continued.

But rather than cozy carpeting, I imagine the stuff that in all likelihood is hiding underneath the carpeting and padding. Nasty stuff like old food, dead (or alive?) bugs, germs, dust mites and other items that, over time, settle nicely into the fibers of the carpeting; items that my kids would roll around on. No –  a hardwood floor can be cleaned, and though more work to keep up, nothing can hide therefore providing a healthier indoor living environment.

{friday finds: console & dome chair}

When “the clerk” showed me the finds of the week, I thought it was about the uniqueness of these two pieces.  I was wrong. It’s all about the finish on the console and chair, but more so on the console.

Words such as: bleached, driftwood, unbleached, pickled, whitewash, limed, were shot down when attempting to describe the finish. It is painted in a way that gives it a  good-looking, refined, multi-layered finish. Kathy and Greg, Hirshfield’s designResource, told me they have seen other pieces with a multi-layered finish, but the finish looked “goopy.” It sounds like it is hard to find a quality looking finish, so you’ll probably want to stop by the showroom and see for yourself! This versatile piece will freshen up the look and feel of any room in your home.

Would you agree “statement chair” best describes this accent piece?  The fabric is a winter white canvas, divided into sections by the nailhead detailing and thin wood strips. The tops of the nailheads are not polished, and are more of the old style nailheads, almost like a rivet. The piece also has the painted finish, though on the chair, more of the wood grain shows. A one of a kind piece.

The showroom is open M-F, 8:30-5:00 for your browsing and buying pleasure.

My head spins because they (designResource) are so spot on with their inventory and always on the front end of a trend. If there is a piece in a magazine that you are interested in, call the showroom and see if they have it on the floor or a similar piece.

A lovely Valentine’s weekend to all.

{tips and techniques for removing wallpaper}

When my husband and I first moved into our home, the downstairs wallpaper was the first to go. It had pictures of antique fishing lures and might have been cute in a lake home or cabin but it didn’t fit our personal style. We spent hours steaming away the paper and scraping the walls. It was a labor intensive process, and upon looking back, I’m sure there could have been an easier way.

As I embarked on another wallpaper removal project, I thought this time I would consult an expert. Thank goodness for Jon at the Hirshfield’s Southdale location because he saved me a great deal of aggravation this time. The first thing to do is loosen a lower corner, pull outward slowly, and see what happens, recommended Jon. A lot of times the paper is peel-able, but not necessarily strippable. The backing may remain on the wall, and if that’s the case, it needs to come off. If that doesn’t work, the next step is to score the paper and soak it. Jon recommends using a disk to score the paper liberally, but warns against using too much pressure. You want the scoring tool to just break through the surface of the wallpaper to reach the enzymes in the paste on the back side, which will break down during the next step. Now it’s time to soak the wallpaper. Jon recommends using DIF, which is a liquid wallpaper stripper. You can buy a spray bottle, mix the DIF liquid, according to directions, using very hot tap water, and spray it over the wallpaper that’s being removed. Let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes, reapplying if it begins to dry out. If you should run out of DIF, try using an 80% hot water and 20% vinegar mixture. DIF does work considerable better. This should loosen the paper enough to remove it with a broad knife or wallpaper scraper.

Any remaining paste can be removed with a stiff, not flexible, scraper. Once all the wallpaper is removed, let the walls air dry. Rinse the walls one final time with clean hot water. Sand them a little bit if needed, and you should be set for your next home project: decorating those walls so they reflect you, your style, and your home.

Thanks to Jon, this is a home improvement project I no longer dread!

{decorating with Inspiration}

My favorite store for eclectic wares is A Wreath of Franklin in Buffalo.  It was during my first visit several years ago that I “met” what is now the inspiration piece of my kitchen ~ a chandelier with a statuesque rooster as the focal point, surrounded by five red and gold striped lampshades with coordinating eyelash fringe. I didn’t buy the piece on this trip ~ even with considerable coaxing by my sisters-in-law ~ as I was quite certain that my husband would have me committed if I came home with a rooster chandelier! Think about it.

But, over the next weeks and months, I couldn’t stop thinking about this chandelier and dreamed of how I would decorate around it. Two trips to Buffalo later, “my” rooster came home with me and, much to my delight, my husband loved it as much as I did (well, “loved” may be a bit of a stretch here!).

I knew that the color and treatment of the walls was going to be the key to pulling this inspiration piece off. I consulted with a wonderful faux painting expert named Matt at the Hirshfield’s in Eden Prairie on how to achieve an “Old World” look without spending a lot of money. I attended a couple of Matt’s faux painting classes and then engaged in several conversations with him on how to achieve the look I wanted. He recommended a ragging-off process, using a buttery yellow base with a caramel-colored glaze, which was rolled on and then ragged off with damp, high-quality rags. The look is subtle, yet stunning!

With several more wrought iron accessories, curtain rods, paintings, and a variety of nicknacks to complement my rooster chandelier, I was able to transform my previously wall papered kitchen into a cozy place to gather with family and friends. All it took was a little vision, creativity, nerve (!), and elbow grease!