We have a row of fine dining restaurants in the downtown area of my hometown.  Years ago, we made friends with Marco, the owner of a Zagat rated Italian restaurant called Risibisi (meaning ‘rice and peas’ in Italian).  A few weeks ago, Marco hired me redo his front window.  My task was to inject some style, texture, and romance into his window display without spending a fortune.  I was delighted to be entrusted with the task. 

Let me give you a brief tour of the inside of the restaurant before I show you the upgraded window decor.  His menu features rustic Italian cuisine, with an elegant presentation.  Handmade gnocchi, risotto, beef carpaccio, osso bucco, cioppino, seasonal specials, with wines from Italy – and all made with fresh, local, sustainable products.  Our meals are simply scrumptious every time we dine.   

Read the rest of this entry »

I am in the middle of a remodel of my home office.  I originally envisioned elegant window panels scaling the wall from floor to ceiling.  But then I realized that if I am surrounding my window with cabinetry and shelving, then the idea of dramatic curtain panels had to go, well, out the window.  But I still needed a touch of fabric to cover the less than lovely white blinds.

I’ve made window valances before so I constructed yet another valance for my home office with the same technique I’ve used before, but this time, I added a soft swag.  I found this curtain on clearance at Lowes for $7.

How to Make a No Sew Swag Window Valance:

A note on fabric choice:  Since you’ll be using a lined curtain turned on its side to construct your valance, choose a solid, or a pattern that looks good when you flip the pattern horizontal instead of vertical.

Supplies:

1. Curtain panel long enough to run width (not length) of window
2. Staple gun
3. Fusible web for bonding fabric (sold as Stitch Witchery or Heat-n-Bond at fabric stores)
4. 1/2 inch x 2 inch thick pine, birch or poplar board from home improvement store, cut to length of valance
5. 1.5 inch “L” Brackets
6. Iron

.

Step One:  Choose where you want your valance to sit above your window, then measure the length of fabric you’ll need to cover the top of the board, and hang down over your window.  Cut fabric to chosen length.

.

.

Step Two:  Trim side of curtain panel to width of valance, plus 2 extra inches on sides.  Use the fusible web, a hot iron, and a moist cloth to bond your fabric together to form a clean hem.

.

Step Three:  Press your fabric with an iron to remove any wrinkles, then staple it to the top of your wood board, leaving 2 inches overlap on each side.  Trim off any excess fabric on the top.

.

Step Four:  Wrap your fabric around the side of your board and secure side with a small staple.

.

Step Five:  Locate studs on wall, then position your “L” brackets on your valance to match up to the wall studs.  Screw valance into wall.

.

Step Six:  To swag your valance, pinch your fabric together, then secure with a safety pin.  If you experience too much “droop” in the middle of your valance, and it pulls away from the window’s edge, one trick is to secure your fabric to the wall underneath the fold with a small tack.  It works !

Step back and enjoy your inexpensive and homemade swag valance.

Now I just need to install those gigantic cabinets!

When I was a girl, we lived in a cottage.  In the living room was a built in daybed.  In that daybed, I would bury myself in cozy pillows and blankets for hours while I read the latest Nancy Drew mystery.  It was enchanting.  Some of my fondest memories are there. 

Whether it’s a lazy summer afternoon, or a rainy winter day, I’m still crazy about the idea of lounging in the mid afternoon in a daybed.  There’s something about a bed, out in the open, beckoning you to lie down with your favorite book, with the likelihood that you will indeed, and eventually, drift off to slumber land.   

These days, with two small and energetic children, a nap in the middle of the day is my idea of a serious vacation.  But at least I can dream of drifting off to dream in some of these favorite cozy spaces.   

House Beautiful, March 2009

Read the rest of this entry »

If you thought you were getting a juicy discussion on Hollywood’s best lifts and enhancements, I’m truly sorry to disappoint.  This topic is not nearly as scintillating. 

I’m talking about closet doors.  Those standard white doors installed by contractors in every house built in America in the last 15 years.  (That is, unless you can afford those upgraded wood or custom doors that we drool over in glossy décor magazines.) 

As you regular readers know, I am in the process of remodeling my home office.  I have ignored this space for years, but no more ! I’m starting from scratch this time.  A blank canvas.  I realized that before I could hang my gorgeous grasscloth wallpaper (in the most amazing slightly luminescent gray blue, oh joy!), I had to touch up some trim.  And I had to paint the closet doors.  The paint was dingy – yellowed from years of sunlight – and they are the first thing you notice when you walk in my home office.  No. Thank. You. 

Instead of just painting them white, I thought I’d give them a bit of interest and a hint more sophistication.  After all, they practically take up the entire wall, so why not embellish? 

Read the rest of this entry »