MY LITTLE COTTAGE STUDIO {layout}

As promised, here are some photos of my progress. It took me a while to figure out the best layout for this 170 sq ft cottage. I wanted an office, sitting area, photo shoot space and inventory space. I dedicated half of the cottage to photo shoot and inventory storage and the other half for a small office and sitting area. My priority was to get rid of as much as I could (you can see how many boxes of junk I have in the before photo) and have the space to start putting furniture into place. As I mentioned in my previous post, I haven't purchased any furniture (except the wardrobe) everything is hand me down or from my previous apartment. I want to take my time to find pieces that would look good and fit nicely in this space. So what do you guys think of the layout? I cant wait for when everything is finished with nice furniture and decoration! The style I am going for is RUSTIC GLAM with a boutique feel without clothes everywhere. Obviously, it is far from that but hopefully the final result will be just like how I envision it in my head. I am so happy to have a place to work in everyday and the best part is its only a few steps away!

I've always wanted one of these wardrobes. I always see them in those cottage living magazines and now I have one! I am planning to get another one for the other side of the window so I can have more clothing storage space

The wall where my dress form is is where I take photos. My lighting kit is on the other side of the room.

Here is my little sitting corner. My sister gave me this awesome chair which I will be painting soon. My desk is right behind this shelf where I am keeping some handbags and magazines

I really need to figure out a prettier way to organize all the stuff under the desk and I could use an office chair

Does the chest of drawers look a little awkward here?

here is the mess

DIY VINTAGE VANITY

I bought this mod vanity chair from the flea market a long while ago. I meant to give it a makeover sooner but it was one of those things I just kept putting off and its finally done! I used my left over stripe fabric from Ikea and matte black spray paint which is left over from the vintage valet stand.

first i want to show you my new backpack that I bought (from f21) to carry when I go cruising with Lola. It matches my helmet which makes me look quite dorky (i realized it when i saw my own reflection riding by store windows)

I would've kept the gold but it was very rusty

reupholster + paint

WITTY KNITTER

Fall is officially here as of Saturday, September 22nd. Although it still feels like summer in LA, I wont let that get in my way of knitting up a few cozy scarves. For those of you who frequent Joanns, you probably received a bunch of 50% off coupons in the mail. I went a little crazy and bought balls and balls of yarn. Yarn makes me happy :) I designed sweaters for many years but when it comes to hand knitting, I am just a beginner knitter. Paul's Mom got me a knifty knitter loom a few years ago and I have to say it makes me look like a pro knitter. It took a while to figure out how to get started as the instructions were a little confusing. I recommend just watching this video. I am currently knitting a chunky blue scarf for Paul, hope he will love it!

Feeding my black & white stripe obsession. Just one of the many things you can do with yarn

the cheapest yarn i could find. You can use any color you want and as many colors as you want

save your cans and bottles and start wrapping them with yarns. I find that it is easiest to use double sided tape instead of glue.

looking good so far. still have a looooong way to go!

STRIPES & GOLD

I have a little obsession with black and white stripes. In fact, i wish my house was all black and white but I know someone will be complaining and craving color. Just like bed sheets, curtains are ridiculously expensive as well. One of the things I love about my home is the bright and airy feeling. We have lots of windows and french doors but getting all the window coverings for them got very expensive. Ever since we moved in, I knew I wanted striped curtains (and rugs). We went curtain shopping almost every weekend. We bought and returned a bunch of curtains. Folding them back and getting it to fit back into the package was not easy! But finally saw these stripe fabric from Ikea and decided I should make my own. I liked the way it turned out and made 2 sets (4 panels) of these. With about a yard of left over fabric, I recently decided to make a table runner for the dining table. What do you think? I think stripes look good in any room. I will be making some stripe cushions for the chairs soon! My other obsession is with gold things, especially gold and white combo and particularly kitchen related items. Don't get me wrong, i love love love gold jewelry, i prefer it over silver but for the home, i particularly love gold things for the kitchen. If only I could just get a gold espresso machine and toaster I'd be a happy girl!
Here I show you my new little coffee corner setup in the kitchen.

pretty much looked for everything gold in my kitchen and put it on the tray

I Must thank Sean for saving the Hubert's lemonade bottle which I spray painted gold. Now I want to spray paint everything gold.

Ok, no one drinks coffee out of those teeny tiny gold cups. This is what I really drink coffee out of. Just keep'n it real guys!!

black white stripes + gold.... OH MY!

the curtains in guest room

FIT FOR A QUEEN {diy duvet}

Hello everyone! Finally, a post! I will be stuck at home today so I thought it was about time to update the blog. Im excited to show you my new handmade duvet! I dont know about you but I find bedding (and curtains!) to be ridiculously expensive! Why spend hundreds of dollars when you can make it yourself for $50? Yes, $50 with enough fabric to make a few pillow cases! Here, I custom made a duvet for my queen comforter. I searched the internet for measurements but it turns out there is not standard size so I measured my comforter to ensure a perfect fit. I now know why my blanket use to always be lumpy! my old duvet (even though it was queen size) did not fit properly!!!
After a bunch of fabric and a few straight seams, I can now sleep soundly without lumps of blanket balled up on top of me.  I was going to sew ties on the inside to hold the comforter in place but after a few nights without it, the comforter did not shift at all so no ties needed! Truly a custom fit :)

I am not use to flat sheets so I made my duvet with solid white back. All I need to do is turn it down at the top for an instant made bed....GENIUS right? I just cant be bothered making the bed every morning

Hidden snap closures at the bottom seam with 1" facing

my fabric of choice: dove grey and white dot pattern and solid white. 100% cotton. These are my left overs, enough for a bunch of pillow cases!

CHALKBOARD PLAQUE

I've been wanting to try out chalkboard paint and finally bought some to try. I am very pleased with the result. Recently, we put up towel hooks in our bathroom so I made these plaques to hang above each hook to say "his" an "hers" or "mine" and "yours" or "paul" and "emily". So many options I cant decide! So these chalkboard plaques are perfect. I can simply erase and write a new word when I get tired of the old one. They are inexpensive and easy to make. I suggest sanding down the wood before painting so you get a nice smooth surface.

I used grey and black chalk board. I am really loving the grey :) made a few for around the house. These were to test out the paint. I cant wait to make a huge one !

the guest bathroom door

All supplies available at Michael's. I used chalkboard paint by Martha Stewart. After painting the chalkboard, I then painted the boarders white.

HOME SWEET HOME

Since moving in to our new home, we've been slowly but surely getting each room in the house to look the way we want. Its been a fun but long process as Paul and I have very different taste (cottage chic vs modern contemporary). Our living room is the closest to being done. We found the furniture we wanted just a few months after moving in but i am just now getting around to the decorating part.

Glass display box filled with seashells and sea pebbles we found while vacationing in Bali

Keeping the color palette neutral (white, grey, silver) with a splash of aqua

When I get Miffy (my teddy bear dog) I will make her a bed with my vintage suitcase

I have a few vintage suitcases that i may turn into a bedside table

Such a cute idea! this is on my DIY list of things to do. I found this image on a beach cottage blog.