Rochambeau

Studio Transformation

Thank you for dropping by today and for your kind comments and emails about my wrist.    I'm feeling better everyday in every way, thankfully!!

The last few months, I've been fiddling around ~  revamping my studio, thought you might like to see.

 

Here are a few of the elements that I combined....

 
 

to add whimsy to the top of my shelving system.

This is what the shelves look like before.

  And above, how it looks today.   I'm still tweaking the top part.  Magnets were added to the fabric curtains to allow easy access inside.

 
Thanks for dropping by, for taking the tour!

xox

Constance

Room Redu~Part Four

 Redesigning a Room ~ Lessons Learned

Every creative endeavor, over time will reveal a theme, a pattern will develop.  If we pay attention, we can also gain wisdom.

The two predominate themes of this room, turned out to be Water and Texture/Patterns (how they play off of one another).  I did NOT plan it, this is just the way turned out. 

*********

(Above:  Room with summer blanket, painting by Sally Martin and a cherished Indian textile).

When you become aware, you will also most likely hold on to a gift. A whisper that can advise you where to go next.

*********

(Above: Bookshelves purchased at Goodwill, repainted, added legs and fabric to the backboard).

Once a woman spoke at my mother's Garden Club meeting, about the process of judging flower shows.  She handed out a paper, which included this criteria listed above

*********

I'm NOT into rules but, these particular design principals and elements, have  guided me ever since.

*********

(Above: Ottoman from Goodwill, reupholstered.  Made pleated skirt for the round table out of linen surrounded with Indian textile detail).

 

  I've come to realized, over time how the same principals apply to all things, creative.

*********

(Above: Some cherished things in favorite bowl, sitting next to beautiful Dior book, a gift from Noelle.  They sit upon a trunk which I repainted and raised by adding legs to a base).

 

Whether creating a painting....

*********

(One of Bridget's paintings happily entered my life).

or arranging flowers, designing a room, a house, a handbag, designing clothing, setting a beautiful table, or a fabulous looking plate of food, the elements of good design, remain the same.

*********

(Other thing that I like: Moroccan slippers, a gift from my oldest friend Leslie and an antique parasol from France, a gift from Melanie.)

What makes one thing "work" and another "not" are all based on these laws and principals above.

*********

(Above:  My little girl bed, turned into a divan, I also made pillows, on the wall hangs family photos, a assemblage by my friend Mary and my neglected guitar).

But usually we are unaware of why we like something.  Why it works.

*********

(Above: An old lamp base serves as a sea shell stand).

 
When I didn't know what to do next............

*********

(Above: This pillow was created to tie all of the elements of the room together.  It is a focal point and has a combination of all of the colors, used in the room).

I turned inward and leaned upon the "Elements of design", (which now reside in my heart).

(Above: A reflection of light).

Creativity is a mental challenge, even a battle at times, but if you keep experimenting, you WILL finally win the battle!

*********

(Above:  The fan disappeared into the ceiling, after painting it white (Noelle's idea). Also, painting the chain white and adding the dark read little felt beads added a touch of whimsy).

Fixing mistakes ........................

(Above: Detail of the new divan.  I actually took the legs off and raise the bed higher with cinder blocks covered with matching fabric).

 

can actually turn into some of the most creative ideas and outcomes ever!

*********

(Detail from bed-skirt, above).

When I look at this room now, it's hard to believe what it looked like before......

*********

(Above: Luggage rack~turned into side table, covered the lampshade with a linen skirt, Goodwill).

  My goal was to add light, make the room feel comfortable, happy and unique. It took months to complete, yet it was  worth the effort!! I realize my room isn't for everyone!  No, it is for my husband and me. 

Now that it is FINALLY finished, (well almost), it brings tremendous joy, one that I can't fully describe.

*********

(Above: The valances were made out of old cruel bedspreads).

 

I have learned about myself.

Thank you for coming along on the journey!!

*********

Before:

During:

 

After:

~Fini~

Room Redo ~ Part Three

Lesson Three



Things I have learned from
a room renovation.

  Every creative endeavor must start with the first bold step.  One that will set the tone and give direction to the decisions that proceed, a foundation for whats to come.  You can change your mind later,  but at least you will have started down the path and are on your way, to where?  That's the surprise!

What direction will you take?
Where are you going, and
how will you find your way?

(Sea Goddess lamp~base above,
a gift from Noëlle)


?????
 Decisions~Decisions

After painting and plastering the walls, then stenciling the floors of our bedroom, I thought now what?  There are so many options ~ I wasn't sure which way I wanted to go, what direction to turn.



I began looking through piles of tear sheets, collected over the years,
but nothing inspired me there.




Then one day I made the decision to go ahead and anchor the room with my Persian carpet.  I adore this rug, for it is imperfectly perfect.   The magic carpet that flew us across the country and back.

This decision started me in a direction and dictated what came next. 



My favorite textiles worked well with the rug and walls.



So did my Moroccan lanterns.



I found this unusual mirror at the Neiman Marcus Bargin Box, in Longview, Texas.  A store which sells broken NM merchandise.  It was simple to glue  the piece of wood that had broken off back on, but a monster to hang.  This mirror is super heavy. 



 I scored a bamboo headboard at Goodwill for ten dollars. It also needed a bit of attention, but was also easily doctored up.



I placed our bed under the far windows and the room and the room completely opened up! 



The room looks much different now,  but you'll see.  Still, these photos above have been part of the journey.



Lesson learned:
We must start somewhere, anywhere,
if we want to make something happen!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you are interested in first part of the redo you can go here.
For the second part, here.

Thank you for coming along for the ride!

To be continued~

Room Redo ~ Part Two

Lesson 2



It is though taking risks, experimentation,
and making mistakes, that we learn to fly.



Come ~ Join in this journey of discovery.  One that I've been on for more than seven months now.  Here are my memories of the process and challenges of
Redesigning a Room:
Part 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After ripping up wall to wall carpet, pulling off wallpaper & plastering the walls (seen here), I started painting over the plaster, making the BIG mistake of NOT using primer first!


It ended up the plaster just absorbed the paint, these walls were painted THREE times, before I broke down and finally bought a can of PRIMER! I had the primer tinted the same color blue as the wall color and it worked like magic!  I should have started with that tinted primer!

  I'll admit, sometimes it really would pay off to follow instructions, but that is SO against my nature!



One thing I did get right and wasn't disappointed by, was the color.  It is a peaceful mix, of pale blue with a touch of gray.  A cheerful shade, reminiscent of the sky on a beautiful day. 




Next, there was the issue these hardwood floors that were a disaster.  First, I had high hopes and stripped them, using chemicals.  This is extremely strong and expensive stuff.  It  took forever, as I worked small patches of floor a few feet at a time.  It still looked terrible after many weeks of stripping, so I tried a heat gun and scraper. 



One day,  I waived my truce flag and gave up, just like that, surrendering countless hours of work.  Looking down at our floor, I could still see plenty of colorful globs of paint in certain places.  I decided not to look back, but moved forward into Plan B.  A friend recommended I paint the floors brown to anchor the room.  So, I tried painting a portion of the room brown, but it didn't look right.

Truce flag found here




I kept thinking and thinking, especially in the middle of the night about what to do, until one day I noticed something that caught my eye and inspired me.  It was one of the few things I brought when we moved here last year.  A French a kitchen towel, which I had made into a pillow.


 
I decided to paint the floors a linen color like the pillow, using outdoor house paint (smart move, as it is very durable and opaque).



Then I went on a serious stencil ~a ~thon!



For days and days, a bit at a  time.   I stenciled and stenciled, making plenty of mistakes along the way.  I needed to make concessions,  for the room is not square, I don't suppose any room is.  I repainted, and re~stenciled,  then finally one day....



The floor was finished and I was happy!  This combination of colors layered with the motif,  tricks the eye.  Much of the imperfection is now disguised and the floor works in harmony with the walls, like the sky touching sand. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I would stand back and say "WOW", staring, for minutes at a time.  "I did that"? I don't believe it.   How can that be?



I am learning to take risks and experiment.  I'm realizing it is alright to make mistakes, that many times  (even working in this large format, like a room) it is an invitation for creative solutions and favorable outcomes to manifest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



  I am beginning to learn how to fly!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To be continued!
 

Room Redo ~ Phase One

Lesson # 1:

I must learn to be patient, if I want to
 accomplish something big!



When we moved to Texas,  I took on the largest creative challenge in my life. Since I'm used to working in a small format, redesigning our room has stretched my imagination and taught me new things.



Not only about interior finish outs, but about thinking in a grander scale.  It has also been a kind of metaphor about life.
Today is the first installment, of a short series of posts about:  The Big Redo.



 
Here above, is a photo of our bedroom, before.   These are the things, I wanted to change.  I did not want wall to wall carpeting, nor wallpaper,  but that was all I knew, except I wanted our room to be light and bright.




Have you ever wanted something so badly, that you suddenly have the ability to move a mountain?  Say for example, you are able to lift a car off of a child.  You get the idea.  Well, the first thing I did, was rip out the blue wall to wall carpet and padding.  Doing this took power and might.  It was my "superhero" moment!  The good news?  Hardwood floors below.  The bad news?  The floor was splattered and layered with every color of paint imaginable.  I removed all the staple~tack boards around the sides & center of the room. That alone, took days.  I was fretting over how I could get rid of the carpet, since I don't have a truck.  Then, can you believe, I found a woman who wanted the carpet?  She even came over to pick it up?  Things work out.



At  night, I would put on my ipod and rip off wall paper.  Some of it came right off with ease, but most did not.   Of course I didn't follow any instructions.  Who me?  So I'll admit, I ripped off a bit of drywall too.



Next, I started the arduous journey of plastering the walls, but listening to Noëlle's instructions this time.  Again, crankin' the tunes on my trusty ipod.



Here is the first coat of plaster.  Now, perhaps can you tell?  It is already looking  much cleaner and brighter, don't you think?

Lesson # 1:

I am learning to be patient, because I want to accomplish something big!