…and the new shop will be up very, very soon!  So here is a little sneak peak of what will be available.  You can see more here.

My husband thinks it’s kind of weird, but still kind of cool, that I wanted to turn some old redwood floorboards into a piece of artwork.

I’m not going to say it was easy, but it was actually a completely fun process to go through. I guess when I get something in my head, I have to figure out a way to make it happen – even if that means employing cheap (free!) child labor.

From stripping the many layers of paint off this gorgeous, rich redwood to sanding it down and linking the planks together to form canvases, every step of the process was exciting and sort of unknown. We didn’t know if the layers of paint would easily come off. We didn’t know if it would look good to leave some of the old paint on the boards to add character to the piece. We didn’t know if hand-distressing painted floorboards would feel authentic or schlocky.

Now, I’m not saying this was all done completely uninformed. There was plenty of research and testing that went into the process before putting non-toxic paint stripper to wood, but overall, it definitely was a learn-as-you-go experience. I just kept referring back to what I wanted to create – it was in my head – and knew what I needed to do to make it happen.

The project started out as an idea I had after putting together this Modern Americana mood board based on the brief I got from my client, then it moved into a full-blown concept and finally,  a finished piece. I stressed the details. I took my time. And I am really happy with how everything turned out. It’s so different from my other work, yet somehow fits right in.

What do you think?

***

See the mood board post here. And a post about the supplies shopping trip here.

The Synopsis (of sorts):

After going through a divorce, she buys a run down villa in Tuscany on a whim….

via

She does some renos….

via

And lots of cleaning….

via

And makes it cozy…

via

She learns to cook…

via

She enjoys her balcony…

via

And makes new friends and drinks lots of wine.

via

THE END

Ok, so there is a lot more to it than that but you get the gist.  If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. And I loved the laid-back attitude in both the Italian lifestyle as well as in the decor. Rustic materials, with muted colours paired with a few pops of colour thrown in.  Here is my take on a Tuscan-inspired room:

1. Italian Wood and Iron Chandelier, Circa Antiques via One Kings Lane 2. Clay tiles by Stoneshield 3. Portou Oak Armchair by Rathwood Furniture 4. Lytton Cocktail Table by Vanguard Furniture 5. Atelier Chesterfield Anthropologie 6. Missoni Pillow 7. Benjamin Moore Desert Green Paint Colour 8. Tuscan Landscape by Marlene Robbins

Oh and did I mention you can rent the Villa Bramasole where Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed as a vacation home…..if you decide to do that, please note that if required I could fit in a really large suitcase (take me with you!).

AND, now I’m craving wine….

Ciao Bellas!

]]> http://christiescreative.com/2012/03/06/succulent-love/ Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:49:55 +0000 christienoelle http://christiescreative.com/2012/03/06/succulent-love/ On a visit to West Elm this weekend I came across the lovely terrarium and succulent display by garden and plant extraordinaire Shane Powers and wanted to share some pictures of my latest succulent additions.

Display photos taken at Emmeryville, CA West Elms. Loving the log stand and reclaimed wood wall.

I picked up a few succulents from Home Depot when I was buying supplies for a DIY chalkboard (more on that later) along with a couple or terra-cotta pots. I already had a small ikea pot I’d previously spray painted yellow, so I only needed two new pots. I re-planted those bad boys and placed them inside a vintage coca-cola crate that I purchased for $7 from someone on Craigslist that was used to hold programs at our wedding. I placed them on an old vintage cigar box and a checkbook box to give some staggered height. I scored the vintage bottle from the Treasure Island Flea a couple weekends ago for only $5!

To the left of my new succulent display, I have the Mr & Mrs signs that I made for the head table at our wedding. The Ampersand sign was purchased on Etsy. I had intended to take one of those cute pictures where my husband and I held it between us, buuut I totally forgot about it. Fail. At least it looks cute on our cabinet!

*Table runner made by my talented grandma with Premier Prints Susana fabric.

I also scored an awesome terrarium that I LOOOVE from the Treasure Island Flea. I got this for $25 and I think it was well worth it as it’s such a cool piece and is something that probably would have taken me a ton of time to make had I attempted to DIY. Its currently sitting on our dining table.

Hopefully the rumors about the ease of taking care of succulents is true. I have have a track record of killing plants so keeping my fingers crossed that they stay alive for a while!

It’s photos like this one that inspire me to plan out new design ideas. Always keeping those wheels turning.

It is one amazing dream come true!

Lots and lots of hard work and many setbacks along the way, but we made it and are thrilled with the results!

I started the house building story on the blog a long time ago, and so far we have covered our first basement digging disaster, getting started a YEAR later finally, foundation and first floor, second floor, lock-up, and starting to finish.  I also did a post on our beautiful barn wood floors.

So now to start looking at the final product and have a house tour!

Yay!  The fun stuff at last!

I thought I would start with the living room since it is the room we spend the most time in and the room that has probably changed the most already since we moved in.

Get ready for lots of pictures!

This is the living room from the stairs.  You can pretty much get the whole room in this shot except the piano is hiding behind the light fixture over the table and the curio cabinet on the right is hidden as well.

On the left is the front entry alcove and to the right is our back hallway and mudroom area.  The kitchen is open to this room on the other side of the table.

Starting on the right, you can see the curio that we redid this summer (we had a disaster on that as well, see this post for the details) and the table that I recovered with pages of Shakespeare.

Behind this next shot you can get a peek at the mudroom hallway.  All of the hooks back there are in the open.  No closets.  Just hooks and benches.

The central seating area consists of our couch and love seat and my great-grandma’s chair.  I had originally planned on recovering these couches (as they are 16 years old!!) before we moved in.  I was thinking brown leather.

Am I ever glad I didn’t do it before we moved, because once we got them in here, I realized that with the dark floors and the dark farm table, brown leather would have been a big mistake.

So I am still loving the Navajo print, and when I do get around to recovering them, it will definitely be with something light (Belgian linen would be lovely).

We love this little sitting area.  There are always kids rolling around on the floor or playing chess or Scrabble, and adults on the couches visiting and enjoying the fire.

Or reading.  That tiny little table was built by my great-grandpa.

The table in the corner is also a nice place to have a cup of tea and a visit.  It has excellent light as it is surrounded by big windows and I take a lot of pictures at that table.

The heart of the room is the fireplace and it is the reason we spend 90% of our time in here.

The antler wreath, paper trees, rusty metal star, and copper boiler lid make one lovely, rustic mantel.  The mantel itself is a piece of cedar that my grandpa planed on his sawmill for my uncle, who had brought back cedar logs from BC to build his home with.  That was 30 years ago and they still hadn’t used it, so my uncle and aunt gave us that wood as a housewarming present and it makes me think of them and my wonderful Grandpa every time I look at it.

The rest of the copper boiler holds our firewood.  Our fireplace is actually a wood burning stove that heats our house all winter, so it sees a lot of use, and that hearth warms a lot of chilly people!

To the left of the fireplace is the piano.

As you can see, we also use it for picture display.  The music stand displays our son’s latest paintings when he isn’t practicing his saxophone.

In behind the piano, tucked into the corner by a low window and my found art, is a chair for lounging, reading, napping.

And in between that little corner and the front entry is our smoking table  antique that we received as a housewarming gift from my husband’s parents.  It belonged to a great aunt on his side of the family.

It is a great little place for display and I love changing what is on it pretty regularly.

So you can see our living room is a cozy place filled with furniture that is comfortable and casual and vintage and meaningful to us.

I can’t resist a shot with my Valentine’s Day flowers in it!

I hope you enjoyed the living room tour.  Come back soon for tours of the other rooms of our home.

]]> http://anekajensen.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/2012-las-vegas-market/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:28:57 +0000 Aneka Jensen Interiors http://anekajensen.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/2012-las-vegas-market/ Hi Everyone!

It’s been way too long since our last post, so we made this one count…!

Check out some of the photos below to see some of the cool  trends and new products we came across while at the Las Vegas Furniture Market that took place from January 30th-February 3rd at the World Market Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is one of many trade shows we visit on a yearly basis to get a feel for what direction the market is going from an interior design stand point. There are hundreds of show rooms to go to, educational seminars, and even some celebrities, authors, and other influential people in the business that you may come across.

“Rustic Elegance” is a hot trend right now. The juxtaposition of these two elements combined creates a versatile design by refining the distressed look and creating a sense of casualness to the overall feel.

The style of the room pictured below is eclectic, but also plays on the rustic elegance style with the coffee table and bookshelf, the feel is pretty casual but the bold grey and yellow pattern on the chairs dresses it all up

This rustic-yet refined metal console is another great example of rustic elegance

Another furniture trend we saw incorporated mixed materials, and as a result often created a mix of styles as well, as you can see in the table pictured below the use of metal and wood combines the traditional and industrial styles for a new look.

This was also a cool piece! wood/metal/mirrors

And finally, something that is becoming really hot right now- The leather tufted sofa below with nail heads lined with pillows

Hope you enjoy the photos! Leave us a comment and let us know what you think! What other trends are you seeing/gravitating towards right now?

Have a great weekend!

AJI

Is it not the cutest thing ever??  And of course there are moose antlers on the front.  It’s a cabin!!  I also love the cheery red trim.

Inside is an amazing use of space.

Three levels of bunks built in an L shape into the corner of the cabin.  Cute, cozy little beds with enough room for 6 or more people!  Look at the peeled pine ladder they made.  Rustic goodness.

And in the opposite corner, this adorable little wood burning stove.  She used all of the flat rocks she had been collecting over the years to create the base.  I. Love.

This picture makes me giggle.  I see at least two of the essential items needed for a cabin.

Toilet paper and lots of storage!!  See the shelves above and below the window and the shelves tucked into the corner?  The hooks on the pine paneling?  All good stuff in a cabin.  The wall in between the window and the shelves is being used as a guest book of sorts and they write on it every time they stay out there.  They always put the date and some little catchy phrase to go along with it (XMas Beers!!).

Here is the view from the top bunk.

The best part is, they built it using only the materials they had on hand, including all of the hardware, lumber, and paint.  Over the years (they live on a farm) they had accumulated a lot of this stuff, and they thought building a cabin would be a great way to use it as well as provide them with a little getaway.  The only things they purchased were the windows, door, and little woodburning stove (so cute), and they were all second hand.  It was also built on a skid so it can be moved if they want.

We love this cabin and it gives us lots of ideas for our own little cabin at our lakeside lot.  I love that it is only big enough for beds, heat, and a little table and chairs.

That and those moose antlers on the front!

I would stay here any old day!!

I like the idea of crisp white trim with moody gray-blue color and a menagerie of animal busts, prints and picture shelves on the walls. Add in a solid wood bed with a gorgeous wool blanket, a sleek glider with a cinnamon colored accents plus some nature-inspired accessories and you have yourself a solid Big Boy Room.

What do you think? Oh, and I’d like to do some more of these design boards in the future, do you like ‘em?

Sources {{Giraffe, Anthropologie :: Stag, West Elm :: Deer print, Berkley Illustration :: Surface mount light, Schoolhouse Electric :: Wood Industrial Letters, Restoration Hardware Baby & Child :: White shelves, West Elm :: Bed and quilt, Room and Board :: Wood side table, similar here :: Horse lamp, West Elm :: Glider, Serena and Lily :: Pillow, Room and Board :: Throw, Zhush :: Cowhide rug, similar IKEA :: Wood knot lamp, West Elm :: Striped bin, The Container Store :: Rattan baskets, West Elm}}

I dream of having a country kitchen filled with roosters and hens! This is inspired by my grandmother’s kitchen.

The Eggsential Tote – Chicke… thedizzybobbin $25.00	Set of 2 Crochet Egg Cozies … annerstreet4ho… $25.00
Vintage Galvanize Wire Hen B… MoontooandCo $	Speckled Hen / Chicken Fresh… mulberrylanefo… $34.00
vintage holt howard coffee p… thecreekhouse $21.00	60′s 3 MOD Coffee Cups. … TheGrooveVinta… $14.95
Hen Milk Jug autumnalways $8.00	Rooster Cup patticeramics $27.00
Rooster Quilt MarianneMcCann $2000.00	Retro Turquoise Terry Cloth … belleocchio $10.00
Rustic kitchen – Chickens an… TiffinyDesigns $11.00	Rooster Tea Towel leahduncan $18.00
Vintage Coffee Container – C… littleredmerca… $18.00	SALE vintage porcelain spice… spicyvintage $19.00
3 Metal Serving Trays heidistreasure… $21.00	Vintage Miniature Glass Hen … thewildrecluse $6.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.