Pillow Fort: a New Option for Styling an Affordable Kid's Bedroom

Today Target released a new line of home goods geared towards children. First, let's all acknowledge how adorable the name is--Pillow Fort--I mean, could it get any cuter? And a cute name isn't all it has going for it; this stuff is the bees knees! With both modern and traditionally inclined pieces, you could pull off a Pottery Barn Kids/Land of Nod look (for a fraction of the price) or go for a more Ikea meets Urban Outfitters vibe. Different collections feel better suited for different ages, ranging from nursery design to pieces even young teens would love. 

I rounded up a few of my favorites into two mini design boards. All items pictured are from Target, and most are from the Pillow Fort line itself. 

Boy's Room: Outdoor Adventure

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Sources: 

Giraffe Head / Zebra Head / Bear Head / Woodgrain Canvas Bin / Lamp / Tepee / Fox Pillow / "Hello" Sign / Black and White Bedding / Night Stand / Striped Rug / Wild and Free Sign / Green Paint - Benjamin Moore Absolute Green / Blue Paint - Benjamin Moore Morning Sky / Mural Inspiration

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Girl's Room: Sunshine Chic

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Sources:

Black Vinyl Adhesive Stripes / White Dresser / Yellow Chevron Curtains / Unicorn Head / Mint Junior Cafe Chairs / Flower Pillow / Flamingo Sheets / Hello Sunshine Pillow / Night Stand / Lemon Comforter Set / Pink Spindle Floor Lamp / Mint House Cubby / White Basket / Fabulous Wall Art / Pink Paint - Benjamin Moore Melted Ice Cream / Yellow Paint - Benjamin Moore Sundance

**At this time, many of the items are only available online, but there is currently a 10% discount on most of the Pillow Fort line (as well lot's of other Home Goods!!) with coupon code: HOMESAVE10. If you spend $125 or more you save 15% but this cannot be combined with the above promo code. 

If you need help planning, designing, and sourcing items for your nursery or kid's room, we'd love to chat! We offer a variety of In-Person services, and our E-Design options are a convenient way to access custom design solutions no matter where you are located. 

DIY Agate Inspired Coasters

Agate is having a moment in the spotlight and I couldn't be happier. The colors, pattern, and texture have such an organic, fluid feel. I've had my eye on some agate art but haven't been able to think of the perfect place for it. This DIY project was just what I needed to fill the gap. Making these coasters was so much fun! It is easy, doesn't take too long, you probably already have the materials around the house, and the results are beautiful!

Supplies Needed:

• White Square Glazed Tiles ( mine were 4.25" x 4.25" ) 
• Colored Sharpie Markers
• Rubbing Alchohol
• Paper Towels
• Paint Brushes
• Gold OIL BASED Sharpie
• Clear Glaze

Before you start working on a tile, it is helpful to decide what the color palette is going to be. I like to select a fairly monochrome set of colors for each tile. Don't hesitate to use a color on more than one tile, however. In fact, this will help to unify the set as a whole. 

Creating the Agate Effect

• Start by drawing a curved line across the face of the tile. I think the balance of the pattern is better if you avoid starting directly in a corner.
   
• Dip your brush in the rubbing alcohol and then push/smear toward the line you drew. This step takes some experimentation but if you make a mistake, just dip a paper towel in rubbing alcohol and wipe it away.
   
• Repeat the first two steps, being sure to dab your brush dry often. 
   
• Another useful technique is to tilt the tile after you have applied some rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol pushes the ink and you can get pretty creative tilting and rotating the tile.

Gold Veining

Use the gold, oil base Sharpie throughout your pattern to create this incredible veining effect! The oil base reacts a little differently to the rubbing alcohol, and almost clings to the sides of the adjacent colors. Seriously, how amazing are those gold edges!?  

Gilded Edges

Once you are happy with the pattern on the surface of your tile, use the gold Sharpie to color the edges of each tile. I recommend doing two sides, waiting a few minutes for those to dry, and then finishing the last two. It is also important to be careful not to touch the top of the tile as your fingers will smudge the pattern.

Seal the Tile

The next step is to seal the whole tile with a clear coat. This will both protect the beautiful artwork you just created, and seal out any potential moisture when being used as a coaster. I am disappointed that the gold veining and edges lose a little bit of their luster when the clear coat is applied, but I have not found an effective alternative. If you find a better product or method, please let me know!

Do not worry if the surface of the tile appears cloudy as you are spraying the sealant--it will clear up as it dries. 

Apply Backing

Lastly you will want to choose some sort of a backing for your tile. The purpose of the backing is to protect your tabletop from the scratchy, unfinished side of the tile. Felt is common choice, but personally, I don't think it does this project justice. High quality fabric in a coordinating print or solid would be lovely. I also think small adhesive tabs in the corners would work as well. They are usually made of plastic, rubber, or felt (and yes, felt would be okay in this application).

I actually haven't completed this last step yet because I am considering mounting the tiles inside a frame and hanging them as art. ( Like this ) 

Save this idea for later or share it with your friends by pinning it to your one of your Pinterest boards! You can also follow us on Pinterest to see more DIY projects and tutorials!

Little Lovelies

Thrifted Vintage, Bargain Treasures, and a New Design Book

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Sometimes you have such a great week you simply have to share all the little things that made it lovely. (Clockwise, starting with the top left)

1. I was hunting for vintage globes at an antique show this summer but they all seemed a bit pricey. This beauty was a mere $6 at a thrift store and I love the colors in it!
2. My long-awaited copy of Emily Henderson's new book, Styled arrived and I devoured it in less than 24 hours front to back. I highly recommend it! The style quiz was a blast and the results were spot on! Stay tuned for an in-depth review in the near future!
3. Isn't this wreath amazing?! I think it is the texture that really does it for me. I also enjoy that it can work with both fall and winter decor. YAY for double duty! The best part, when I found it at Christmas Tree Shops, I fell so in love I took a deep breath and knew that even for $30, a little more than I typically spend on an impulse decor purchase, I had to get it. Then, when I got to the register, it rang up at 1/2 off!!! 
4. This vintage Steelcase office chair was another big win. The castors are in beautiful condition, a little gold spray paint, some new upholstery, refinishing of the wooden arms, and this chair will shine! Did I mention it's also incredibly comfortable?
5. I was surprised to find this hanging basket lamp at Goodwill. It was on a top shelf and either no one else realized how easy it would be to update that ancient electrical wiring (I just switched it out with this $5 piece from Ikea) or the thrift store gods were guarding it for me. Since I moved the table lamp that was originally there, I think this will go perfectly in Grey's nursery!
6. This marble base and glass dome were another thrifted treasure. I'm excited to pick out a few little baby succulents to display in it!

How to Paint a Striped Wall

I am so excited to share this project with you because I absolutely love how it turned out! I've been thinking about it for awhile but hadn't found the time, or nerve, or something to get it done. This isn't my first go-around with painting stripes on my walls, but this is definitely the most bold. Last time, I painted a wall in our living room with vertical stripes in two very similar shades for a calm, subtle look. This time I decided horizontal stripes were right for two reasons: with high contrast colors I didn't want to risk the circus tent effect, and because this is in an entry/hallway I felt like the horizontal stripes would be welcoming and draw you into our home. 

So, without further ado--our new striped entryway!

Before pictures:

Before I started with any taping or painting, I made a quick sketch of the wall and made note of the wall height so I could calculate how many stripes I wanted and what size they needed to be. The wall is 90" - 3" baseboards, so the total height I needed to divide into stripes was 87". 87/9 = 9.66 or 9 2/3. I decided to make my marks at 9 3/4 because this was an easier increment with the tape measure I had on hand. I started measuring from the bottom, so that the difference would be made up at the top of the wall, further from the eye. I decided to measure and then tape each line as I went so I didn't risk losing, or confusing, my tiny pencil marks. My husband was so kind to help me with this part of the process (it is MUCH easier with two people!) and had the genius idea to use a chalk line. This helped connect our measurements in a straight line that we then used as a reference to tape. 

Pro Tip: When measuring and taping, remember that the tape counts in your measurement. The stripes that are meant to be painted will appear larger because the size of the tape (in this case 1") is being counted into the height of the not-to-be-painted stripes. This means that for the sections you wish to paint, measure between the tape, and for the other sections, measure including the tape.

Pro Tip: Place a small piece of tape inside the stripes that you are not going to paint so you can clearly see the difference. 

Pro Tip: Seal down the edges of your tape with paint the same color as the wall/not-to-be-painted stripes. This ensures that any tiny bleed through or wicking of paint will blend right in, giving you a crisp, clean line. 

Tools for this project:

• Tape measure
• Chalk line
• 3M brand painters tape (don't skimp and go generic brand here, you want a good seal for crisp, clean lines)
• A good trim brush--this one is my favorite
• 1 Quart of Sherwin Williams sample paint (This paint is less than $4 for a quart! It is actually meant for trying out a color on a wall before committing to a larger qty and is only available in an eggshell finish.)
   

Fall Napkin Rings

A quick, easy, DIY project to get you in the fall mood! 

These vintage wooden napkins were an amazing find on Etsy. Aren't they gorgeous!? I was tempted to abandon my plan of painting the facets because they were so beautiful but I'm glad I followed through because I love the finished product and I think you will too! 

Here are the before pictures:

I love the lighter lines between the facets and the wood tone is so rich and warm!

To get started, I used a small piece of 220 grit sandpaper to gently scuff the surfaces I wanted to paint. After a good wipe-down I started painting the first side of the napkin rings. I chose a light peach and darker coral and did 4 of each color. When those were all dry I flipped them over and did the opposite side of all 8 in gold metallic. These colors are great for fall and will pair beautifully with the other pieces we are making to use for our fall dinner party. (Stay tuned for those posts!) When purchasing or re-making items I really strive to get multi-season use out of things. I'm excited that these will also look great paired with pastels for spring or bright colors for summer picnics. 

All of the paints were acrylic craft paints, but of the three, I had the hardest time with the light peach. This may have been because it was the lightest and, as you can see, the wood is quite dark, but I also think it may have been because it was a satin finish. It showed brush strokes, left ridges even with suuuuper light coats, and it took more coats overall to cover. I think next time I would stick to a more matte finish and add gloss overtop if needed.

Ok, friends--light a fall-scented candle, pour some pumpkin spice coffee, jump over to Etsy to pick out some wooden napkin rings, then choose your colors and get painting! When you're done, pin your pictures to Pinterest and tag 5 O'Clock Design in the comment so we can see your masterpieces!