Corner nook

I'm showing you the rest of my apartment redo. Like I said a few posts ago, I split the room into chunks and rejigged each area (like this corner) as a little room unto itself - if you're intimidated by the process of redecorating or even refreshing a bit, this strategy can make that process less daunting. 

I relocated these huge thrifted glass lamp (with ruby red shade bought for a song at Consumers Lighting in Toronto) to the large teak hutch (thrifted over a decade ago for $80) as it was so large and the scale looked off in its former home, on the dining room table. I added some vintage bags to the end of the hutch and piled other books in a haphazard way.

A red pilllow case hides a stain on the teak and defines the lamp.

I like having a sense of humour when I decorate. This painting, by my very talented sister, features the profile of a man on a beach as he stares off into the distance. I positioned the black statuette beside it (thrifted for a few dollars) so that she was looking the same way too. The Star Trek-type decanter was given to me by my best friend and was in her family when she was growing up.

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How to do pretty: light & whimsy

Want to do pretty in your pad as spring approaches? Simply do what I did when I re-jigged my apartment this past weekend: change up the accessories. Away went the deep jewel-toned pillows and out came my pretty pillow ditties.

They lightened up the dark sofa, as you can see. Blue velvet, you may know, is a bit of a thing for me. And when the months turn warmer I need to inject a bit of light n' bright, just so it doesn't look like some dreary 18th century novel!

A wee bit of whimsy helps in a case such as this worn blue velvet chair found curbside. This handmade floral pillow thrifted for a few bucks perfectly balanced out the - shall we say austerity? - of this piece.

There was a general theme to my redo that kept the entire place looking somewhat cohesive: I created little vignettes by separating the room into areas and then incorporated the elements that inspired me in the original vignette I showed you yesterday: florals, soft, muted colours, basically anything in my closet or stashed away that said "pretty" or whimsy. (Like this Liberty of London scarf tossed over a pedestal table).

Or these jewellery baubles (recently thrifted - but that's another post) in this pretty pedestal bowl.

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Pretty spring makeover: start with one tableau

Spring has come to my apartment even though there were flurries for most of the day in Toronto, eeps.

I haven't posted on decor in so long as, truth be told, I have been uninspired in my space and haven't re-jigged it for months. Then, with a gal pal coming over for dinner last night, I looked around at all the (dust) and Persian carpets on the floor and dark colours and thought, "UG. I simply cannot make dinner until this palce has a fresh new look."

A whirlwindish afternoon of vacuuming and cleaning and tweaking set in. The final look is pretty. My inspiration: I tossed this piece of Ralph Lauren fabric that I've had (and meant to do something with) for years over the table and voila, there was my new spring tablecloth!

Then I added pretty bric-a-brac like a white cornucopia vase, a crystal tealight holder (both thrifted), a bamboo vase with bamboo in it (a gift) and a lovely chintz jug by  Lord Nelson Ware of England (given to me when my best friend's mother moved out of her home to an apartment).

Of course, tossing some of my fave flowers, orangy roses (that smell: do you know most roses these days don't?) into a thrifted silver vase was the ultimate way to create a pretty springtime look.

I kept the lamp base (which I thrifted at Sally Ann for under $10) the same but changed up the shade (thrifted for a few dollars and in mint condition) to a deep blue one, for contrast. The dark wood lacquer mirror was relocated from my desk and also provided a bit of grounded-ness to this pretty vignette.

This dark floral cushion, thrifted for $3.99 and actually from an old and now defunct Toronto store, is pretty yet provides important contrast too against the distressed silver wrought iron chair (found as a set of four for $20 years ago in a thrift shop and spray painted silver, by moi, years ago as well - like how the silver is getting that chipped beat-up look now).

This older tableau was fine for the winter, but I'm loving my new spring look.

This table area was actually the inspiration for re-jigging the rest of my apartment into a prettier look more akin to lighter spring weather. This week I'll show you how I did it!

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Past rooms I have loved

Mmmm, last night's post was on lazy decorating and I'll continue the theme tonight as I've been too tired and too busy to rejig my digs of late, sigh. Which is a shame as doing so always invigorates me and alleviates stress.

I like the little tableau on the coffee table (garage sale special) that I created here - I plopped a thrifted velvet scarf on top as a runner and a lamp thrifted at a junk shop. The acidy green colours here are appealing to me too. The bookcase angled in the corner creates a nice wee nook too.

I love the colourful jumble of silky and velvet pillows tossed on my Barrymore loveseat. May need to recreate that look.

My little Dinky doo liked it too ....

Can't leave Dag out. And speaking of nooks, this blue velvet chair (found in the trash) is the perfect lounging chair for a certain feline friend. Love the string curtains and the angled bookshelf again (the latter of which I've lugged around since my 20s); very cozy.

I'm patting myself on the back for the low-slung print over the table (thrifted for $4.99, framed at Simpsons, I swear to God). Sometimes lower is better.

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Keep it the same but change it up

An exercise in doublethink: you can keep it the same, yet change the look.

In other words, the next time you feel the urge to do a room re-do but don't have the energy for a full-on makeover, simply keep the bones of the room the same and change up the sofa, cushions, artwork and accessories.

Admittedly the first look is a little blah, but keep in mind the time of day is different here so the colours aren't popping as nicely.

But I do tend to prefer this look as the jewel tones pop out more. It's nice to know there's a designer's solution for a gal who craves change in her pad but is often too busy or lazy to move all the furniture around.

Often, rotating the accessories and switcherooing the loveseats can do wonders. Then the fun comes in re-jigging the accessories; you can just let go and play.

P.S. Most of the furniture and accessories here are either thrifted or from the trash!

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Valentine's thrift gift pour moi?

Do I need another lamp? I have divulged somewhere in the contents of this blog just how many lamps I have, so I won't repeat myself here. Let's just say it's a style obsession - a true love, perhaps? But changing up the lamps in my life is a fun way to give my space a bit of a face lift.

And this mammoth ruby red glass base lamp, in the window of my neighbourhood thrift store, is just to die for, isn't it? My mummy is sending me some money for a Valentine's giftie, the sweetie, so maybe I'll buy it.

After all, it is red. And je love it .... Actually I've never quite seen anything like it. Natch, I would toss the exceedingly ugly shade.

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New Year, new look a la easy peasy bohemia

I've been a wee tired and bored with myself of late - a line I snatched from a Bruce Spingsteen song that perfectly encapsulates my feelings. And when I start feeling that way only one thing can help: an apartment re-org.

I was in the mood for a new look, but not in the mood for lugging big pieces of furniture around. So all I did was shift a couple of Persian rugs around and reposition one love seat so that the two love seats are facing one another - an easy way to create a cozy nook - and then moved the blue chair where the blue loveseat used to be.

I put good old Uncle Ugly (the 'family heirloom' table that my folks picked up 35 or so years ago at a garage sale, which I spray painted silver a few years ago) back in commission as a coffee table, and piled colourful decor and coffee table books on him to add to the clutter-cozy effect.

It's amazing what moving around a few pillows, lamps and paintings can do - see the low hung Paris scene over the large wood dresser to the right of the white mirror? That just happened that way as I had another painting there and didn't even bother to move the nail. Easy peasy bohemian style is what I'm all about, remember.

Before my little re-org I was questioning my boho look, characterized by clutter, lotsa velvet, and colour and texture. Now I'm in love with it again. Just goes to show that a little re-jig can work wonders on your psyche.

Happy New Year!

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Mini makeover

For a fresh new look without lugging around furniture, settle on a rough theme/colour scheme and change up the lamps, chairs, pillows and decorative accessories to match the mood and tone.

I haven't been doing anything much to my apartment lately in the way of rearranging as life has been busy; but I've learned that you can create a whole new look without moving large pieces of furniture around - it's the semi-lazy Grunge Queen way, remember? But it's also what I call play - just moving stuff around my space is kinda therapeutic, actually.

My fave velvet chair found in the trash my first fall in Toronto. I scattered an old old wool shawl thrown over top (found in a junk shop for $20; the guy said it came in a box marked 'granny's shawl'!) and a red velvet pillow, thrifted.

In this case, the dining room table was blah blah - I had a dull coloured lamp and shade on it and the entire space looked washed out. Using the blue glass Moroccan star (now on the table) as inspiration, I changed up the lamps, chairs, and other accessories to create a punchier look with red and blue accents. There was a certain, semi-exotic mood in my mind.

This solid wood dining room table was $30 at my local thrift store. Pretty much everything you see here was thrifted, found in the trash or bought second-hand.

In the spirit of play, I tried a little something different and propped a thrifted painting of a Paris scene on top of the mirror on the table. I didn't think it would but it actually makes the ceiling look higher. And I hauled out my lovely antique Persian rug that I've had under my bed for months - Dag the cat IS scratching on it again now that it's out, but what the heck am I supposed to do: keep a rug under the bed for my entire life and never enjoy it?

Yup: the bohemian clutter bug in me is slowly learning about simplicity! I love the 1940s blue lamp perched on the bookcase.

I didn't do much with the living area, just changed the direction of the rug and added a footstool as table. I like the simplicity here. It's very New York (in my imagination, at least).

Thrift store art and a piece I chased the artist down to buy, brazen thing that I am.

I love the print on the bottom; it reminds me of a William Morris design (come to think of it the book on top is about the Pre-Raphaelites!). I walked into a shop one day and saw it hanging in a back office - tracked the artist down and asked her if she wanted to sell it. Now it's on my wall.

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Maybe I really AM the Grunge Queen!

... so I said to myself when I came home one day recently, only to find that my sweetums had bought me this romantic gift: a string mop, bucket, and cleaner to clean my floors!

Now don't get me wrong: I used to have a mop, long ago when I would spend entire weekends cleaning my pad. Then I got a life. The mop got old and I chucked it; the bucket - who knows where it ended up? Perhaps it's buried in my storage unit, pining away for the lost mop - but they both vanished from my domestic repertoire. What can I say?

And since no lecture accompanied said gift - only the quietest and most well-intended of cleaning wishes - I took no offense. And, truth be told, with all the cat hair and furballs puked up and sopped with only a piece of TP or a rag, let's just say those floors were looking a little worse for the wear.

And so, dear readers, I have embraced my spanky new bucket and mop, which you see here in my (now clean) utility closet (with a thrifted lamp, in need of repair, hiding in the background!). They have been put to good use this very day, when the good 'ole Grunge Queen found herself rearranging chairs and rugs and doing a little re-org of sorts - you will see the final product soon enough!

So go forth in good stead with thy mop, fellow grungers - and if a man ever brings you domestic supplies, think of it as a little reminder that he's not trying to change you ... he really just wants to spend his life with you -- with clean floors!!

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Ow. My aching back. I spend 7 hours Sunday on me little re-org, and this little grungy girl is sore!

Here's a sneak peep at my new desk.

This little stack of papers represents the new direction my desk is taking: neutrals with little splashes of bright colour.

Here's the "new" old living room. I'm still tweaking it but I am liking the somewhat pared down look - yes this minimalist pour moi! I like the idea of doing away with the coffee table for now as the look is sleek and clean. Let's see if it's functional!

I tried to make things cozy with the lighting - I'm not just the Grunge Queen; I'm also the Lamp Queen and have over 20 lamps, most of which are thrifted!! I change them up often to create different looks. The wee wall lamp (thrifted for a mere $4.99) is perfect for snuggling on the loveseat reading, as is the higher placement of the brass lamp (picked up new for a fiver at my fave Toronto lighting store, Consumers Lighting on Dufferin St. and Castlefield Ave.). I'm so tired I think I'll flop down and do a little reading right NOW!

I love the John Lander print above the couch. I found it for $4.99, I think, at my fave thrift shop, Stretch Thrift. The glass was broken and it broke even more on the way home, so I just did away with it altogether. Now it's much easier to hang sans glass!

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Books, books, books, in and out of my apartment

Books. In my apartment.

More books. In my apartment.

And yet more books, in my apartment. But these are the ones I'm keeping.

These are the ones I'm donating, six bag full, as part of the biggest Grunge Queen apartment re-org to date.

Yes, I am decluttering massively. A former English major, I amassed a whack of books in the past - books which I have hung onto and faithfully moved from apartment to apartment, but books which I've never opened since completing schooling a decade ago.

So bye-bye 18th century novels, Canadian Confederation poetry volumes, and good books I've read once but will never read again.

This is only the beginning.

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Reorg and divesting urge

I feel a reorg coming on.

I haven't done much in my place for months, and I am getting sick of the mess and how things look.

I also feel the need to cut back on large portions of my stuff. That could eventually manifest itself in a major Grunge Queen stuff sale.

If you're in or around Toronto and are interested in possibly coming to a sale where I divest myself of large amounts of my stuff, please email me at grungequeen@yahoo.com and I will start a shortlist of peeps to email when I am finally ready.

It may take a few months, but it is coming, dear readers.

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Reading room

Here are my bunnies. Ever since redoing my bedroom (see a few posts below), they've been hanging out on the bed, as they are here.

I love the vintage-esque pillow I bought at Pottery Barn (with a media gift certificate. The pillow was not a thrifter special!).

It's sitting on a duvet cover I thrifted over 10 years ago for $3.99, which has this dusty rose on one side and a light blue on the other.

The brass bed was also found over 10 years ago for just over $100.

Let's leave Dink and Dag to their slumpers ....

Speaking of brass, I decided to haul this brass book holder out and put it at the end of the bed on the floor.

Why?

I had too many chairs after my breakup re-org, so the idea of creating a little reading area in my room came to me.


There's the thrifted purple bowl to the right of one chair.

I found the chair in the trash. The heavy brass table was given to me by my recent ex.






Here are the two chairs, side by side.

The blue velvet one on the far left was also found in the trash and it's one of my fave chairs.

My cat Dag loves it too. You may be able to see the white stuffing oozing out of the top of it!

One of my carpets, a long worn runner found for $100 at a decor consignment shop in North Toronto.

Have I actually sat in these chairs and read yet?

Not really.

But I like the look of it. It seems kinda old world, to have a formal-esque reading area.

Ta ta!

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Simple clean

I've never been completely happy with the look of my bedroom; even after each and every reorg I'm never quite satisfied.

This time, as part of my breakup reorg, I decided to keep it simple and even more peasant-like in the bedroom.

I relocated by fave painting by Toronto artist Julie Glick to a huge wall, and added a dusty rose duvet cover to the bed to complement it. I've had the brass bed for over 10 years, picked up in a junk shop for under $150.

I tossed a few more rugs to the floor, and jazzed up the night tables with these darling teeny lamps (1940s 50s?) - thrifted at Goodwill for $4.99 each.

The garage sale chair beside the table was $5. The fabric is pretty icky so I tied a sequined shawl around the back.

My retro thrift shop purses and belts adorn the seat part of the chair.

And in the silver bowl on the table (thrifted for about $3.99): lavender. I squish the lavender buds between my fingers when I go to bed and let the scent waft over me. Lavender is supposed to calm and relax you so it's perfect on the bedside table.

BTW an ex from long ago made the two 'nightables' for me out of an old vanity!

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