This is the story of a chair.

It belonged to my neighbor, who had purchased a whole set, but upon her big move she left this lil’ beauty behind.

I’m sure some of you are thinking “I own this chair!” , and it is  a popular type of Windsor loop-back reproduction commonly sold at Target amongst other places;) So, I decided to try my hand at stenciling and making this piece a little more one of a kind.

Another inspiration to revisit stenciling came from a Storque article on surface designer Lena Corwin.

Here is what Violet looked like after I stripped and sanded all the white paint off of her seat.

Not too shabby! I like the look of her with the oiled and sanded natural wood. Ahem…you may also notice the amethyst curtains that I hand dyed this week!

Next, I cut flower shaped stickers from contact paper. I did this by tracing the design onto the contact paper, then applying them to the seat of the chair.

This method of stenciling can be used to create a wall mural too.

To do this yourself, you simply need:

• A wooden surface
• Roll of contact/self adhesive paper
• Scissors
• Paint and roller
• Brush for touch ups

I decided to let the natural wood show through the surface, so I didn’t need to do a base coat of paint.

I am pleased as punch with the final results.

Ain’t she a beauty?

If you have similar stencil projects you’d like to share, send over the pics to hilary.hahn@pinkpianos.com.

Next Monday, I will be sharing the work of a talented artist along with an interview here!

Until then, XX!

I saw a great doormat at a friend’s house recently. It was a stunning acrylic artwork painted onto cotton canvas with the ends stitched together.

Talking to Michelle, the owner of the mat, I realized I loved the idea of having art on the floor as well as the walls. This supports the notion that nothing, not even art, is too precious. Kind of like throwing patchwork wall hangings on the floor to be used as carpets.

Time to give it a try!

I have a pile of old dyed cotton muslin, I’d been looking to repurpose. Muslin is lighter than canvas, if you have cotton canvas on hand, I say go for that instead. You may want to prime the surface with a spray gesso before chalking out the design. Here’s what it looked like with a little paint.

This piece was inspired by my little trip to the Central Valley. I’ve been inspired by the rural nature of things…lol…here’s how that drifted into my art!

After painting, your image with acrylics or textile paints, let it dry and look for a strong and complementary backing. I love recycle old sheets, canvas, or even a pillow case for a smaller rectangular mat. I found some white cotton fabric and some leftover Aubergine dye that did the trick. Even natural colored fibers work well. I stitched all three sides with the image turned inside.

Next, turn it right side out as you would in sewing a pillow.

This piece could also be used for a dog’s dishes and water bowl, a patterned runner for the hallway, or outdoor mat! The floor cloths of artist, Marianne Bernsen, whose original piece inspired us, can last for years.

Dare I wipe my shoes on it, now?

Vintage frames are simple to find, elegant as décor, and cheap to boot!

The idea for this post came from the vintage bronze headboard that I completed last week.

On more than one occasion, old wooden frames seem to fall right into my lap. Once, while rummaging through the warehouse at Children’s Museum Los Angeles, I found a dolly full of them. This cache of frames has become my favorite DIY project like when I’m in between designs.

While surfing the net (I get a kick out of calling it that), I found some fabulous handmade artists who sell their own DIY frames on Etsy.

I like these plaster frames by Olivesomeday because the pastel paint gives them a modern update.

In my opinion, when scouting out vintage frames the more ornate the better.

Here’s how we dressed up Jon’s bedroom with a frame from Wertz Brothers Antiques, all it needed was coat of silver paint. You may remember her from the headboard redo.

This brass frame from Neawear is darling! What surprised and delighted me was the way she describes it as wall jewelry. These come with a chain attached and can be hung around your neck or on the wall. Soo Remarkable!

Additionally, I was stunned by Nea’s Verdi green patina necklace that reminded me of all the patinas I’d love to apply to frames. I haven’t tried the blue one by Modern Masters yet…

Finally~I wasn’t sure what to make of this, but check out these frames stitched into a textile design.

Do you love-love it..or not-so-much it? Let me know your thoughts on this one!

I’d love to share with you a simple and vibrant headboard from the Chun Residence in Santa Monica. Jon, our friend came up with this idea as Annie and I worked on her interior design. Here’s how we pulled it off!

A DIY headboard should extend a few inches beyond the mattress on each side to allow room for the bedding.

This one was made from an old closet door. First, we sanded down the rough spots and went to work using the Silver Sage paint from Restoration Hardware and deeper blue that we had on hand. Jon mixed the color herself based on the wall color behind. We wanted it to be a shade darker than the wall, but still in the same color family.

We knew that we wanted to add interest by inlaying a pattern into each square inset of the door’s design. At first, we considered using wallpaper, but opted for fabric and foam combo as more textural.

We cut squares of Masonite, which can be done using a Skil saw or by going to a lumberyard and requesting the cuts. If you can find a Mom n’ Pop shop, they are usually easier to approach. Next, we added foam squares, the type used for chair cushions and couches. We had some left over from a couch that Jon’s husband had built. A very handy couple these two! I recommend using 1-1 ½” thick foam. We affixed them using a wood epoxy. Then, we wrapped the fabric around our little panels. Sort of like stretching a canvas, I start in the center then work my way out with a staple gun. The last step is to mount the panels using wood glue and let dry overnight. This headboard can be mounted directly to the wall.

Jon's headboard

Next, I’ll show you the headboard redo that I’ve been working on all week in my studio! Plus, I’ll give you the low down on mattress sizes and sheets.

I came across this funky fabulous headboard at a yard sale and decided to give it an upgrade. What attracted me was it’s solid wood frame and carvings set into it’s shapely design.

I immediately applied a light coat of stripper to peel of the varnish and glossy finish. Next, I went to my sander and buffed off the what was left of the coating. Once the wood was clean and bare, I oiled it to hydrate the wood and keep out the dust particles. What’s left was only to apply two thicks coats of latex semi-gloss paint. I was lucky enough to have some left over from a previous project. After apllying to generous coats and working paint into all the crevices of the wood, I used a polyurethane spray sealer to protect the paint job.

In the future, I hope to take more photographs of the process for all to see. Also, expect to see many of my furnishings up for grabs. This one in particular is already sold, but I couldn’t resist sharing the process in case some of you find old wooden headboards. You may find that a coat of white paint really freshens things up!