We’re back with another edition of Etsy Thursday. For our new readers at 7HL, every couple of weeks, we highlight a few of our favorite finds on Etsy. Yes, we confess, we are a couple of ”Etsy-fanatics”. I always say, “If you are looking for something unique, check out Etsy first!” So, ready or not, here we go…
I love the idea of selling printable products online. They are affordable, fun and you don’t have to pay shipping. These downloadable recipe cards from Little Paper Dog are really fresh and would be a nice addition to a kitchen-themed gift basket or even a hostess gift. A PDF file is sent to you via e-mail within 48 hours after purchase and includes instructions, two sizes of recipe cards, decorative bands, four circle gift tags and 4 square gift tags.
I have a crush on these pillows covers from Kyoozi. I’ve been stalking them for a few weeks and I’ve come to the conclusion our couch in the living room needs them. It would make her happy. If you find they are suddenly sold out, you’ll know why (wink, wink). But no worries, with most handmade Etsy shops, all you have to do is click the “Contact Seller” button to place an order for something that is sold out or to request a custom order. Make sure to check out all the great pillow covers from Kyoozi. I’m especially loving the Geometic Lattice and Jacquard lumbar pillows. They are addicting.
This Vintage Upcycled Book Safe iPod Dock from BrightWall is one of those Etsy finds that makes you go, “Hmm… I wish I had thought of that.” This is surely a fun way to stash your iPod while keeping it charged at the same time. To make this clever creation, the pages were cut and glued by hand. This would be a great gift for someone with a bunch of gadgets. And if they happen to love antique books, that’s even better!
Do you have a current Etsy favorite or even a favorite Etsy seller? Let us know in the comment section!
7th House on the Left does not accept payment or perks for anything in our Etsy Thursday features. We simply have an obsession with Etsy that we want to share with everyone : )
We did it! Since last week’s post, Greg and I hunkered down and made some real, bona-fide decisions about the kitchen. Boy, does it feel good! The next natural step in this process is to measure the existing space and come up with a detailed functional layout (shelved cabinets vs. drawers, etc). Before we get to that though, we decided to put together a mood board complete with some of the details and features we would like to see in our kitchen. Having this mood board on hand when making decisions during what we’ve heard to be the looooong process of laying out a kitchen will help us keep focused on the “big picture” and not get overwhelmed with the little things. Being overwhelmed just takes all of the fun out of projects, and we like fun.
1. IKEA’s Adel Kitchen Cabinets. We’ve been toying with the idea for a few months, but we’ve officially decided to go with IKEA cabinets. A few weekends ago, we made a trip to the nearest IKEA (which is about an hour and a half away) and were blown away with not only the quality, but the endless customizable details. In making our decision, we also took into account everything you guys have been telling us about IKEA’s cabinets. (Remember Emily’s IKEA kitchen renovation? That was awesome!). Once we looked over all of IKEA’s options, we finally decided on the off-white Adel model.
2. Carrara Marble Subway Tile. We have always loved the classic look of subway tile. After reexamining our collection of kitchen inspiration photos, we noticed most of them had marble subway tile rather than ceramic. Carrara marble has the stigma of being super expensive. However, after doing some research, we found that you can purchase Carrara marble subway tile at a very affordable price — especially for a cozy-sized kitchen like ours. This will be a great way to bring in a luxurious material without breaking the bank. Not to mention we are super excited about getting our hands dirty and tiling our own backsplash.
3. Oil Rubbed Bronze Hardware. Though these particular hardware pieces are a little on the pricey side (as far as hardware goes), we are going with these based on the idea that upgraded hardware will give the otherwise affordable cabinets a more substantial and “expensive” look. We’re trying to “class it up a bit,” if you will. Also, the fixtures will tie in with the doorknobs throughout the house.
4. Monochromatic Color Scheme. The adjoining living room is painted a nice, medium gray (Martha Stewart’s Cobblestone). This will be a really nice contrast with the off-white cabinetry. Though we haven’t made a final decision on the countertop material, we are leaning toward using something dark in order to “ground” the space. (Something in the black/brown family would be nice.) Overall, we are keeping things pretty monochromatic, so some of you are probably thinking, “Where’s the color?”. Well, the cool thing about having a monochromatic kitchen is that you can accessorize it with color through dishtowels, flowers, a bowl of fruit, etc. What’s even cooler is the fact that you can change it out seasonally or whenever you are in the mood for something different.
5. Reflective Accessories. Utilizing reflective accessories (like these glass jars from Crate & Barrel) will help bounce some light around the room and bring a little extra bling to the kitchen.
6. Open Shelving. In our opinion, if you are looking for an airy vibe in a kitchen, open shelving is a must. I can’t wait to unpack our collection of white serving dishes and display them. It will feel like Christmas morning.
7. Stainless Steel Appliances. With our choice of cabinetry, black appliances would stick out like a sore thumb, and white would get completely lost. And who doesn’t love stainless steel appliances?
8. Window Treatments. We have been searching for a place to use this fabric from Dwell Studio for a while, and we think the kitchen will be perfect. The dark gray tone in the fabric will pull out the darker veins in the Carrara marble backsplash. It will also tie in to the adjoining room’s wall color.
I love the feeling of being armed with a plan. All (okay, almost all… we are human, after all) of the second guessing and doubts go out the window when you’re armed with a well-thought-out plan. It’s a truly great feeling to get this ball rolling… faster.
When I was a kid, one of my prized possessions was my hardback book collection of Disney Classics. Like every other four-year-old girl, my favorite story was none other than Cinderella. The book collection is now tucked away in a box in my parent’s storage unit, but my love for hardback books (or Disney for that matter) has not faltered.
Twenty-some years later, I still have an obsession with hardback books. Luckily, Greg has shared my obsession and doesn’t mind me rummaging through the book isles of whatever store we happen to be in. We like to search for books that don’t just have pretty covers, but are about topics we both enjoy.
It’s not a huge collection (we have about twice as many as in the photo. Bentley is sitting on them.), but we want to do something with them and be able to add to them as we find new treasures. But what kind of something? So once again, I scoured the World Wide Web for inspiration on how to use hardback books in the home in a stylish way and this is what I found…
Not all of us have a lofty staircase leading to who knows where in the middle of our living rooms — and for those of you who do, I envy you. I love what the owners of this loft (pictured below) did with their hardback book collection. This can easily be done in any home by installing simple, shallow shelves (kind of like this). The creator of this masterpiece chose books that are different hues of the same set of colors, which makes the collection look as though it’s a piece of art rather than just a bunch of books. At the same time, the collection was made to look as if the color coordination and arrangement happened by accident, which gives it an eclectic, charming vibe.
Mixing a book collection with quirky trinkets and bold accessories is another easy way to make a statement. Keeping the books in the same color families makes a big impact by way of cohesiveness. It’s also a great way to bring in a fun, unexpected color combination like the orange, red, pink and teal combo pictured below. I also love how they incorporated the stacks of magazines. By adding small framed photos and artwork in front of each stack, it makes the display interesting and less boring. I just might hold on to this idea when it comes to my office.
Unlike the other two inspiration photos, this particular book collection isn’t tied to any color-scheme. The dark shelving really brings out the book cover’s random colors. Though there are only a few added accessories, notice they are white — which ultimately brings more attention to each individual piece. It also gives what would be dark room a light and airy element. And I’m kind of loving it.
The dark furniture in the above inspiration photo is reminiscent of the entertainment unit in our living room. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been looking at the empty shelves wondering what to put there. Now, armed with some inspiration, I’m thinking this may be a good home for our collection of hardback books and maybe some decorative trinkets mixed in here and there.
When we first moved into the house, we stashed accessories and some of our books on the shelves just to get them out of the way. We’ve since taken everything down to start from scratch:
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to wonder around the house to gather our books and maybe a few trinkets to see what we can come up with. I’m also dying to have Greg take care of those pesky wires dangling from the back of the TV (ugh!).
Do you have any special collections you like (or would like) to display in your home? Share it with us in the comment section…
