Hi guys — no baby yet, but my mama sense (and my doctor) say evacuation is imminent. I really wanted to bust out mega shoots of the rooms I’ve finished up, but I’m just too tired and uncoordinated. Like, I am physically unable to bend my body into the positions necessary to photograph small spaces.

So instead of trying to make some House Beautiful spreads happen (I wish), I told myself I could shoot just one sneak peek shot of each room. And I did. And now I feel all crampy and I’m racing just to type this before a baby shoots out of my bajingo…

In other words, this is going to be my last post until I show up with a bunch of sappy photos of a newborn baby. Let’s jam.

The front room/playroom is finally finished… mostly. Is anything really ever finished? Anyway, here’s my source list:

Paint color is Benjamin Moore Dark Harbor.

Couch is vintage Danish rosewood and wool boucle. You do remember Alexis, right?

Painting was thrifted long ago in California.

Rug came from Overstock, but the price has gone up since I bought it.

Chinoiserie etageres were purchased from Room Service and custom painted to match the walls by Matt. These were by far my biggest splurge — about $550 for the pair.

Sconces were $2.99 each at a thrift store, but I had to buy harps and scored some ultra fancy shades at TJ Maxx for $15 each.

Bengal Bazaar pillows came from Etsy.

Everything else is vintage thrift.

I was kinda convinced I would have the baby before I could even move a crib into the nursery, but we actually got a lot further on this room than I thought we would. It’s still missing some art and bedding, but it’s 90% there. Source list:

Paint color is Benjamin Moore Frappe.

Chair is vintage Milo Baughman that I had recovered in Togo fabric. This was the big splurge for this room — about $450 total.

Curtains are super cheap Ikea Ritva onto which my sweet MIL spent two nights sewing ribbon trim… LOVE THEM! Four panels cost $65 plus time. Can’t beat that.

Mongolian fur pillow came from the West Elm outlet for $5.

Light fixture came from Ebay.

Vintage Raoul Dufy screenprint came from Room Service for $28. I cut a new mat for it.

Bookshelf is Ikea Expedit.

Sheepskin rug is old news.

Everything else is thrifted.

And last but not least is Ike’s room. I think that I complain every time about how hard it is to shoot rooms in this house, but this room really is tough. I can’t wait to shoot it with proper lights, but not now. Mama is tired. Source list:

Paint color is Benjamin Moore Deep Secret.

The big boy bed was the major splurge here. I got it off craigslist plus I paid Matt to paint it, so about $450 total.

Light fixture and rocker are both vintage and appeared in Ike’s old room.

Rug is vintage and used to live in our old dining room.

Curtains are Ikea Aina.

Bedding is a super cute Ikea seersucker stripe that didn’t photograph well.

Blue velvet pillows are Ikea.

Sheepskin is Ikea.

Leopard pillow is TJ Maxx.

And that’s what I’ve been working on.

I’m not really sure when the baby will come out — I’m not actually due for another week. But I think I need a few days to myself before the main event, so I’m signing off for now.

Please add DC to your google/RSS feed so you’ll know when I’m back with baby pictures and more room reveals. Or you could just come and visit the archives. I used to write some pretty sweet posts before I got knocked up and my brain turned into jello.

It won’t be too long before my triumphant return… pinky swear.

Until then, I’ll miss you guys.

Be awesome.

Yesterday I had dreams of meticulously cataloging our bedroom with my camera. To that end I hid all the extra pillows required to comfort a huge pregnant belly to sleep. I stuffed the cardboard boxes full of maternity clothes into the bathroom (I patently refuse to integrate that disgusting crap into my actual wardrobe). I made up the bed. And then… I was tired. Exhausted, actually. Apparently I only have about 30 good minutes left in a day before I start getting shaky and weird.

But I am a warrior, so I took a few pictures anyway — just not as many (or as mind bendingly awesome) as I had hoped for. But pictures, nonetheless. Let’s do this.

First of all, THANK YOU SANDERS! for enduring sample harvest 2012, in which I set out to try every Benjamin Moore color ever made. I’m actually really happy with Dior Gray. Sometimes it’s purple, sometimes bluish, sometimes just gray. Always soothing and comforting.

So, this is not the ultimate configuration for our tiny bedroom… the rocker will probably get switched out and I need new lampshades and I did not style the space at all.

But you know what? I don’t like a lot of shit cluttering up my space. It makes me nervous. And while I’ve been in a mad rush to acquire big basic pieces before baby arrives, I do believe in slowly collecting only accessories that you really really love. So it will all get there. Someday.

But let’s talk about that ho-tastic bedding. You know, I don’t buy a lot of brand spanking new stuff. I like vintage, thrift, antiques. But I draw the line at undies and bedding. I mean, if you want to get crabs and bedbugs that’s your decision. Me, I like the delicious feeling of unconquered territory when I lay me down to sleep.

That meant new bedding, because my old linens were looking pretty haggard. I’m not sure how I feel about those crazy coral sheets — I did order a new set in “blush,” hoping they might be a little less HEY STRIPPER!. And then there is the giant faux lynx blankie. Practical? Yes. It will hide a multitude of sins, like leaves and maybe even baby vomit.

But maybe I like it better without?

Or with? I’m on the fence. It’s twin size so I could always use it to cover Ike’s new big boy bed or a sofa.

Anyway, that’s what I have going on so far. I didn’t really buy anything except for paint, Ikea linen curtains and bedding, so it wasn’t an exorbitant makeover. I painted the frame around the Pop Chalee print… I think that’s it. Minimal effort sans the endless repainting.

Ok, so maybe not minimal effort.

In case you’re wondering, all the bedding came from Overstock and it was super cheap. I think I got a bedskirt, sheets, new pillows and the fur blanket for $200. Not bad.

What’s bad is that our bed looked like this for five minutes before Ike came in and tore everything up in a mad frenzy of trampoline inspired gymnastics.

And that’s why I can’t have anything extra nice. So this will have to do.

I’m off to cut mats and other unfun stuff.

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

*** UPDATE ***

I forgot to include a before pic…

My eyes!

Last week I was experiencing a serious pressure related block up/meltdown, and pretty much as soon as I (you) gave me permission not to decide, I decided a whole bunch of decor related stuff. I also decided not to worry about the house so much anymore, mostly because I am now 35 weeks pregnant and I look like I swallowed a whale and I have a sad little waddle going on. Apparently a tiny human will be rocketing out of my hoohah in five weeks or less and I should maybe probably focus on preparing for that, too.

At least now Baby X won’t have to spend his first month or two of life staring up at a patchwork quilt of peachbluegraypurple paint samples in the master bedroom, because that shit is DONE.

Sadly this is not our bedroom, but the color is a very similar medium purple gray. I took the advice of Anita and Christian and revisted my sample of Dior Gray. Sanders gave me his blessing (because Sanders is a saint and is totally allowed to bestow such things upon mere mortals), so we did the deed and it is good.

Climaxxx!

I also ordered some desperately needed new bedding… old bedding may or may not have gotten caught in the painting crossfire.

In a reversal of my usual hatred for contrast, I’m planning to go mostly light and bright against the moody painted walls. Like so:

Because a basic white quilt and shams can be dressed up in so many ways.

Pretty, simple pillows and ikat blanket.

I might have ordered some coral sheets…

And a giant faux fur blanket to cover up our new quilt, because kids and cats (and lazy parents) are murder on white.

Details and pictures to come when I can stand long enough to take them.

In the meantime, let us bask in the glory of my decisiveness…

because it won’t last for long.

[Images via my bedroom files on pinterest]

Sorry for the quiet around here of late. Ike’s out of school again and I’ve been whipping us both into a frenzy of day trips and play dates. Today is dr. appt # 8million, so I don’t have a lot of time but I thought I’d report on what’s been going on around here.

A whole lot of painting, and none of it’s good.

You’re probably thinking: But, Erin — you have Sanders! Every paint color he picks must be magical!

It is. And yet sometimes I foolishly do not listen to him. Sometimes I chicken out and second guess him. Sometimes I am an idiot.

Now my bedroom looks like this:

Also Ben is pissed that I didn’t just use the extra gallon of dark gray navy paint from Ike’s room instead of trying to pick a new, slightly different dark blue paint.

Did I mention that I’m an idiot?

But you know, it’s hard picking colors for the last rooms in the house. The first ones go up pretty easily — limitless choices! And then the possibilities narrow into a handful of pathways… and then I get confused.

Should I repeat a color, or choose a new neutral color? Because I’m not sure I love the dark blue. And peach didn’t work (promise! and I did try Jumel Peachtone, aka orange sherbet, for the person who suggested it).

I am inspired by this trio of beautiful rooms:

This paint looks like Ike’s room color, BM Deep Secret.

This one looks like the front room paint color, Dark Harbor.

And this is the missing element. Kind of gray, kind of purple. Kind of amazing.

Could be BM Evening Gown.

Or perhaps Evening Skyline.

And my wild card pick is Arctic Seal.

So you can see I’m thinking something purpley, but not Violet Beauregardey. Something warm and enveloping or perhaps deep and mysterious.

Or maybe Sanders will tell me to do something else entirely, and I WILL LISTEN.

Details to follow.

Also, I may be getting a new rug for the bedroom. And possibly designing it and the paint color around these curtains that didn’t work for the living room:

Because, when the choices narrow down I try to make things more difficult by adding another level to the equation.

I can derive a polynomial function in my head faster than I can decorate (remember the shortcut, calculus nerds?).

But I am learning.

[photos via design traveller]

The nice cleaning lady is here for her inaugural visit… I think she was kind of scared when she looked at the floors. I am having some terrible guilt attacks about sitting here doing nothing, so I’m going to show you a bunch of mockups I did for our bedroom and then email bombed to Naomi last night. Now I look busy and important enough to have someone else doing my dirty work.

Our bedroom is currently a barfy shade of green khaki that must be stopped… we already painted the ceiling and now I must settle on a color to cover up the patchwork quilt of paint samples that is spreading up and down the walls like mildew.

I have been desperately trying to create a sunny peachy ivory oasis, kind of like this:

But our bedroom is too dark and unoasisey to make it happen. I think I have to go bolder. Cooler.

I could use the extra gallon of paint I have from Ike’s room, but would it be weird to use the same strong color in a master bedroom and a kid’s room?

Would the fact that the color is named “Deep Secret” make it even weirder?

I also have a sample of this greeny blue color, but I think the green may be too cloying. Not that I’m picky or anything.

Perhaps a cool purpley blue? I don’t know if I look good in this color, so my vanity may prevent this from happening.

I’m generally obsessed with this room. I already foisted it upon Jenny, who is having paint issues with her own bedroom:

But I’m also a little concerned that three cave rooms in one house is at least one too many.

However, our bedroom is pretty dark… we have one big bay window that faces south but it also faces the street. We live at the back of a culdesac so there’s not much traffic. But still, I don’t want the whole neighborhood watching our private business.

I’d prefer to keep that a deep secret.

So what do you guys think? Do you like any of the mockups? Suggestions for other non crazy colors?

I can’t handle uber coral or pink pizazz in the bedroom. I think I’d like to keep things in the green or blue range, for continuity’s sake.

If you have favorite paint colors, spill it.

Headed out to bother Sanders now.

He is so nice not to kill me.

Well, I’m not really sure why I decided to paint the dinette and kitchen peachy pink. But I done did.

There she blows — Benjamin Moore Terra Bella. Many thanks to Sanders, who thinks that Karly and I are crazy for suddenly wanting to paint everything pink and peach and coral. He still went way above and beyond to help me pick a lovely shade.

I have to say that lucite and brass was not where I thought I would take this house, but Mr Sciolari was in the right place at the right time for the right price. Plus he reminds me of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, and that’s a good thing.

I still have a lot of work to do, but I think we’ve already improved the situation we moved into:

Have you ever seen so much brown in your life?!

Although the (TEMPORARY) table and chairs are clawing my eyes out, I’d still say it’s far less offensive than it was.

Now, all I need is a new table and chairs and window treatments and maybe a rug and some art… I’m liking indigo as an accent color, which I’m largely drawing from the front room scenario:

Dark Harbor and Terra Bella are so happy together.

Anyway, this calls for some mockups. I’m so predictable.

#1 has a dreamy Thom Filicia rug that costs way too much, integrates the navy chesterfield I already own, supposes that I will buy a new tulip dining table (and I am — really). Then I threw in schoolhouse chairs and country club art to give it some old skool flava.

#2 is a little more modern regency, with an affordable kilim rug and some very affordable cafe chairs. I took Chester out just to see how that would open up the space. Still buying the table. Awesome leopard painting will be available at Minty soon.

What elements do you prefer?

I really don’t know what to do about window treatments in any case… I was crushing on Naomi’s curtain idea, but now that the color is so fussy I’m thinking that simple and tailored is the way to go.

Tune in tomorrow to discuss ways in which my new paint and chandelier are making the shabby brown kitchen look even browner and shabbier.

Something must be done to rectify the situation.

Hint: paint will be involved.

Until then please help me buy cheap amazing things to finish out my dinette space.

Thank you.

So Karly has talked me into going light and bright for the cavernous, north facing family room, and dark and cozy for the smaller south facing rooms. I’m feeling good about my dark and cozy color picks, but super skittish about picking a white — the subtle differences are so much harder to see when the color is barely there. That’s where you come in. Meet the contenders:

Up first is Sander’s first string pick (did I just use a sports metaphor? who the eff am I???): Collector’s Item.

Yes, I know. It looks baby pink, which is very unsportsmanlike. On the wall it looks… less baby pink. Jeffrey Bilhuber calls it “almost blush.” Ahem.

In the picture it looks straight up white. That’s because photos LIE.

Up second is another Sanders pick: Farrow and Ball’s White Tie. This is decidedly more yellow in real life, so much so that I wonder why I even bother posting swatches online. This whole process would be a lot easier if y’all could come to my house and look at the stupid paint on the wall already.

Here it is in action:

So, what do you think? I’d say that Collector’s Item has a little something more going on, but most of what it has going on is pink. Meanwhile, White Tie is a no fail choice, but is it too country trad?

In case you were wondering (and too damn bad if you weren’t), I’m looking at Hague Blue and Pashmina (it really is a gorgeous, complex color) for my other major neutrals. That’s right — I just called Hague Blue a neutral. Because it is. Just ask Tandy — she has a similar color in her living room.

Haguey hotness.

Ok — pick a color. Any color.

As long as it is one of the colors I just listed.

Yesterday I threw my old ass back out. Not content to just chillax and watch tv (ok, actually I already blew through all of my Project Runway back episodes) I’ve been whiling away the hours supine on the couch, browsing the internets with laser like focus. I need to pick a paint color for our great room. Yes Sanders already picked one for me and I know he’s going to be right, but I just wouldn’t be me if I didn’t hem and haw and try to second guess him.

Thanks in part to your feedback, I’ve finally reconciled myself to the fact that white is going to look barfy in that shady room. I realized that I want white so badly because I have a fear of commitment — white plays well with everyone.

And also because it loves to play with itself. Heh.

Plus I am kind of a colorphobe. This room is actually awesome, but if I had to live here I would wake up with the hives every morning.

So what I’m struggling with is, do I just pick a neutral? I think I have this fear that it’s going to go flat, dingy, or Martha Stewart on me. I really wish I could paper the whole room in gold grasscloth (yes I know the picture above is not grasscloth), but with 18 ft ceilings there is just no freaking way.

Or do I pick a pale color to give the room a little something something?

Here is the room again for reference. I want to wash that suburban band aid right out of my hair.

What color is your living room painted? Do you love it?

[Elle Decor, Wreckorated, Ad Russia x2, Elle Decor]

I went to visit Sanders yesterday so he could pick the perfect paint color for me, and when I told him I had a north facing, shady room with high ceilings, this is what he chose to go with my flooring sample:

It’s called Pashmina, and it’s a medium gray/brown. Pretty, but not exactly the white I was hoping for.

Here it is in another room I ran on the color analyzer thingamajig doohickeywopper.

It’s nice, right? But maybe too dark? Maybe not?

When I told Sanders I wanted white, he shook his head in the wrong direction… he did give me a few lighter samples, but they all looked like dingy shitballs when I held them up to the walls at New House. Here is the best of the light samples he gave me:

It’s called Deep in Thought, and I am deeply thinking it looks better in these rooms than it will in mine.

What do you think? Whiteish or medium greige?

I’m going back to visit Sanders again today, but I’ll tell you now that he’s pretty much always right.

Up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane — it’s Sanders! Austinites from all over the city regularly travel down south to meet with Sanders, the super skilled, superhero of paint. Readers of this very blog have even benefited from his knowledge by taking advantage of Sanders’ expertise in our Ask Sanders column. And today this interview I conducted with him near the start of our working relationship is being featured over here by Benjamin Moore.

That’s because Sanders is the man.

Karly and I have worked with Sanders for years, and without his super help, I’m not sure either of us would have ever painted a single wall. But just look how awesome our houses turned out:

Karly’s nursery — a symphony in Harbor Gray (and lots of other colors).

My house — painted with Abalone gray and BM’s gold metallic paint.

You can check out the rest of our houses here and here to see some of Sanders’ other perfect paint choices. That’s right. I said the P word.

Did I mention that Sanders is also a nice guy and fun to hang out with?

Here he is with Ike when Ike was just a little shrimp. Sanders has two kids of his own, including a six month old, so he never gets mad when Ike won’t stop messing with the water dispenser at the store.

If you don’t live in Austin — well you’re missing out on Sanders’ charm, that’s for sure. But you can still write in with your questions, which we will review for inclusion in our ongoing Ask Sanders column. Just drop us a line at hollaback@design-crisis.com and we’ll see what we can do.

See? Sanders transcends space and time. He really is a superhero.

Finally finally finally, despite many obstacles and a complete lack of sleep, I managed to photograph Ike’s new nursery/playroom and today is the day I’m sharing it with you — my fellow members of perpetual renovators anonymous. If you recall, we wanted to get rid of the queen sized bed in Ike’s nursery, because who wants to play sleepover party with a snoring toddler in the room? Plus, Ike desperately needed some space to store his growing toy collection. Ok, I desperately needed to get the toys out of the living room, and for the most part we have succeeded. Triumph!

So, without further ado:

Hooray! We’re so glad it’s done, and it’s become an infinitely more pleasant place to spend time.

And a view of the facing wall where we have the changing station, plus a peek at me shooting the room. I really hope I was wearing a bra that day…

Since I’m sure you’re dying to know, here’s the skinny on how this whole plan came together. The first item at hand was stuffing our giant queen sized mattress in Ike’s closet (I can’t believe it fit). Then we headed out to Ikea and bought some Expedit shelves and a kid’s Kritter table and chair set, for a total cost of about $120.

I have to say the white stuff wasn’t my first choice, but finding good vintage funiture for kids is HARD. And expensive. I looked everywhere for kid’s furniture, but Ikea really had the best, cheapest selection. And look at all that delicious toy storage.

Now that we had a jumbled mass of mahogany and stark white furniture, the paint drama descended on me like late stage ADHD, or maybe like early onset Alzheimers, or something else really really bad… after mixing up approximately 876 samples, Sanders cut me off and chose Pratt and Lambert’s Wolf. I LOVE IT. Have I mentioned lately that Sanders is a genius? He is. Go see him, or email us with your painting conundrums. He can fix them up lickety split.

After solving the paint problem, I scored the antique Heriz rug on craigslist for $160. It’s old and has taken a beating, which made it perfect for a kid’s room. Plus I’ve been dying for a Persian rug forever, since way before I wrote this post. Double plus this sucker is ginormous and triple plus it has been recently cleaned, which is HUGE deal for vintage Persian rugs, especially if you’re a lazy mom like me and you love to lay on the floor. You can’t just steam clean a Persian rug, and professional cleaning is crazy expensive — it cost the previous owner $600! But if you want one for yourself (and you know you do), Naomi over at Design Manifest wrote an excellet primer on how to snag your own.

It was of the utmost importance that we spend as little as possible on this project, so every single other thing in this room is something we already had: I got the Italian hot air balloon chandelier at Round Top over a year ago and Karly told me to paint it black (that Karly is one smart lady — smart enough to design a beautiful nursery right the first time around, as in without a giant unnecessary bed). The drummer boy painting was also a Round Top score. I’ve had the fabulous Klein blue velvet rocker since we moved into this house over three years ago, I scored the rocking horse at a thrift store before Christmas, the stuffed giraffe was something stupid like $3 at the thrift store, I’ve been toting around the vintage 50s sailboat painting over Ike’s crib since May 2005 (the thrift store sticker is still on the back), the mahogany furniture is early Phyllis Morris that we bought in California years ago, and the other toys and artwork were gifts from very generous friends and family — many of them made by hand.

I did get a few great 20×200 prints for Christmas that I put in here, including two by Jenny Odell and this one by William Wegman. Also, I traded Karly some plates for the coolest sconce in the world, which you can barely make out in the second picture. It’s a hand holding a lightbulb and it makes me gigglesnort every time I switch it on.

In case all you parents out there were wondering, yes — we do have more toys than these. There are two giant scooters parked in the closet (just for the pictures), and although we definitely reduced the amount of toys in the living room, there are still a lot of toys out in the living room. Kids like toys. Go figure.

That’s it for my tour, except for the most important part:

Ike loves his new room, just like any king loves his castle. And it’s a good thing, because I am not repainting it again.

At least not anytime soon.

You deserve a break today — a break from my annoying, self centered preoccupation with silly paint problems. Ok, I’m also super busy with real life stuff, and I’m currently too tired to attempt painting with a toddler attached to my leg. Don’t worry, I haven’t lost my obsessive streak (is that even possible?). I have a date with Sanders this afternoon to crystallize my plans for world domination, and I hope to have a mostly revamped nursery by the end of the weekend. Right now I just need something interesting to nudge me towards completion… Something exciting! Something crazy!

Something like this:

Marie Claire Maison

I’m sorry, but why did I not think to create Ike a Bollywood themed bedroom? I love the little beds with Ettore Sottsass paint jobs.

On another note, I want to say, Hey! Thanks! For writing in with your thoughtful comments. You’ve all been such good, helpful listeners. Maybe you have problems that you need to unload? Tell Mama all about it.