The Look for Less: Ballard Design's Calais Bedroom 7

The race to the finish line, pant pant pant...  The final pieces are the mirror and the demilune table.  Here we go --

Shopping for a mirror.  The inspiration is a beauty - it's the Bellesol Mirror at a large 31.5" diameter and a small price of $169.00.  It's roundish with an antique gold colored rim and an interesting cut/beveled feature around the outer "layer."  Not sure how else to describe it.  The inspiration photo shows two of them, one on either side of the bed:

I was not able to find anything near the size or the price of the inspiration mirror despite hunting online off and on for several days.  Honestly, this is not a cop-out.  Ballard Design had the best price by-far and the best mirror, too, from what I saw.  Here are a few mirrors that I found that are wannabes, each with definite draw-backs.

I found the Brennan Framless Wall Mirror online at Kohls:

It's on sale right now at Kohls plus an extra 15% off today and tomorrow are the last days for that -- the current price (not including the additional 15%) is $168.99.  The size is disappointing, well, it wouldn't be if I wasn't comparing it to the Bellesol mirror!  It's 23.5" diameter and, as you can see, the outer "layer" isn't nearly as intricately cut and pieced as on the Bellesol mirror.  The Brennan is definitely an octagon, whereas the Bellesol's outer "layer", is 16-segments and its shape much closer to a circle.

I checked Home Decorators online, but the two beautiful segmented round mirrors it offers were $269 for the 32" diameter Amberly mirror ($100 more than the Bellesol mirror), and the even larger (34" diameter) Fortune mirror at $349.

The prices were much more to my liking at Target online.  Here is Threshold's Starburst Mirror:

Of all the mirrors I looked at online, this one was closest in the look of the Bellesol mirror.  It has 16 outer segments but it has an antique gold inner frame.  The size is 24" diameter, so it's 7.5" smaller in diameter than the Bellesol mirror.  But the price is an unbelievable $40.  Yes, $40.   This makes me wonder about the mirror quality.  Is it actually glass, or is it spray-painted plastic with a distorted reflection?  Well, it would be behind a lamp on a wall and not used for putting on make-up, so it would work, ignoring the size differential.  For the price, maybe one could...

I also found some possibilities at Wayfair.com, but the closer those mirrors were in design and size to the inspiration mirror, the farther and farther away from $169 they got!  So I'm not posting any of them here, but if you are curious you can do a search for "round mirror" at Wayfair.

Shopping for the demilune table.  Here's the inspiration table:

It's the Torino demilune side table for $399.  It comes in three finishes including the above (Tuscan brown), distressed black and distressed green.  It has two drawers, is 32 1/4" tall, 38" wide, and 14.5" deep. 

A plainer and somewhat less expensive option, in a beautiful mahogany finish, is also offered by Ballard Designs:

This is the Newport demilune for $329.  It comes in three other finishes: rubbed black, rubbed white, and distressed light ash.  It has two drawers, an ogee top, and measures 32" tall, 38" wide, and 11 3/8" deep. 

An honorable mention to this very similar table by Powell, found at Wayfair:

This is the Antique Black Demilune Console Table - 502-515, priced at $266.49 with free 2-day delivery.  It has a distressed finish with terra cotta color underneath.  Dimensions 32" tall x 38" W x 14.5" D.  It's lines are very similar to Ballard Design's Newport demilune, but it's measurements are nearly identical to the inspiration table.  Also, I noted that the two Ballard Design tables come in a distressed black finish, and given that the Calais bedding itself is black on creamy white, black tables would not look out of place.  This is a very good price for a lovely table.

Here is another alternative found at Wayfair:

This lovely demilune table is by the Bridgeport accent table in brown by Wildon Home.  It does not have two drawers; it has storage behind the doors.  I fell in love with the beautiful finish and the details -- the carving underneath the top above the doors; the balls on the legs and their sleek rounded tapered shape.  The overall dimensions are very similar to the inspiration table:  31.625" tall x 38" W x 14.5" D.  It is priced at $222.12 with free 2-day shipping.  Hmmmm, from $399 for the inspiration  to $222 with free shipping (sacrificing 2 drawers but still has storage; same size, prettier finish and detailing...) what's not to love?

I hope you enjoyed this challenge along with me.  It is always my goal to present various price points lower than the inspiration looks, while sticking as close to the looks and dimensions of the originals as possible.  Sometimes, hmmmm, it's not as possible.  LOL! 

The Look for Less: Ballard Design's Calais Bedroom 6

Shopping for a lamp!

I didn't think it would be this hard, but it is, oh my, it is.  A reminder of the beautiful inspiration lamp from Ballard Designs:

This is the Salerno Urn Table Lamp, 26" high, with a 16" round drum shade in cream, for $139.  The lamp alone (which is a wood lamp) is $99.

I have not come up with many alternatives.  Here is one I found that I really like.  It does have a drum shade (although not in cream) and it is an urn-shaped lamp (but not in wood).  From Home Decorators online:

She sure is pretty, though -- I love her curvy base :)  This is the Rhea Table Lamp for $99.  It is 24" tall in a brown (distressed) finish and I believe the shade is 13" in diameter, so it is smaller than Salerno's 26" and 16" round shade.  The shade appears to have a texture like burlap.  I don't know exactly what the lamp base is made of -- I did not see it listed at the website, but I assume it is some kind of composite material.  I like the look just as it is, but for a lighter base one could try some watered-down homemade chalk paint perhaps... 

Does this lamp look familiar:

This is the Aline Table Lamp also from Home Decorators online.  It's much larger than the inspiration lamph, but very similar.  Aline measures in at a whopping 34" tall, with an 18" drum shade.  The price: $179.  The base is wood.  A 34" tall lamp on a bedside table, probably not...

I also found the Ottsman Table Lamp at Home Decorators online:

"This table lamp is expertly crafted of resin in an antique balluster finish for old world charm. The off-white linen shade includes decorative printed images of French monuments and cursive writing."  I'd say that shade ties in with the Calais look... The Ottsman is 27.5" tall and has a 15" round shade, for $119.00.  The base finish is "antique wood."

That didn't seem so difficult, did it... but when I tried finding similar lamps for the same or a lower price ($139) of the inspiration lamp at other venues, I just didn't have luck at all.  I saw plenty of lamps I really liked, but they were, in many cases, pretty far removed from the look of the inspiration lamp. I was stretching it as it was, although the lamps could, as I noted, have their bases lightened with chalk paint (or your other finish of choice) for the white-washed look of the inspiration lamp; or, they were ridiculously expensive!  Who would pay $500 for a lamp?  But - some people must, otherwise the lamps would never be listed at that price!  Guess I'm just a cheapskate.

I looked at Wayfair and didn't find a single choice!  I looked at Sears online and didn't find anything, either.  I looked at Target online.  Bellecor (forget that idea!)  Straight google searches.  Ach!  I checked out Kirkland's online.  I found a lamp I really like -- but it has nothing to do with urn shape, darlings :)  I tried Boston Store - nope. 

And so, I give up.  Hopefully you will like one of my suggested alternatives; but if you find something that's a good match for a good price, would appreciate you letting me know :)

The Look for Less: Ballard Design's Calais Bedroom 5

Hola darlings!  Well, I couldn't stand it.  I just HAD to see what was out there on the internet in a black and white or black and cream Jacobean print since I realized my mistake last night (had been looking for dark blue tones, not black!!!!).    See prior post with my picks in blue and white!

A reminder of the inspiration bedding pattern -- close up:

Lo and behold, I found some black/white Jacobean printed comforters or duvet covers right away.

First:

The Cordoba Comforter
Found at Sears online but from a third party seller

This is called a queen size mini-comforter set, offered by Divatex Home Fashions. It is a comforter and two standard pillow shams.  It comes in grey/cream print and black/cream print - but nowhere did I see on the order page where you can select one color or the other, so perhaps the descriptions means that it is a grey, black and cream print?  The opposite side is striped and that appears to have black/cream/grey in it.  It's very pretty, although not as richly detailed as the inspiration duvet cover because of the lack of the tan/taupe tones (but a whopping $249.00 for duvet alone).  The price for the Cordoba Comforter mini-set is right: $80.34:

Duvet sets are also offered and the queen size is an absolute steal at $24.57 -- AT HOME by O Cordoba Black Full/ Queen-size 3-Piece Duvet Cover Set: 

The Cordoba pattern is cotton and machine washable. 

The Chestnut Hill Comforter Set
Found at Touch of Class

The Jacobean floral pattern is definitely there, with a large does of country cottage in the form of grosgrain ribbon trim with a wide white on black swiss dot border.  It introduces an entirely different feeling to the room:

Check it out!  I can definitely see the family resemblance in the Jacobean floral pattern, but the Chestnut Hill set has a smaller more delicate print overall.  Combined with the white grosgrain ribbon trim and the white on black swiss polka dot, I'd say it goes from French country to American country with hardly a wink :)

This set has eight pieces and for the queen size it is priced at $210.00:  Jacobean floral comforter, bedskirt, 2 standard shams, 2 European shams, and 2 decorative pillows.  Everything in the set except the two decorative pillows is machine washable. 

Cynthia Rowley Jacobean Floral
at e-Bay

And then, LOVE!  I love it so much, I'm thinking about buying it, although I do not need another comforter set!  Of course, this isn't a comforter!  It's a comforter cover with shams... I am already imagining the possibilities...

I found this Cynthia Rowley unopened queen size duvet cover set at e-bay, CYNTHIA ROWLEY JACOBEAN/FLORAL FULL/QUEEN DUVET W/2 SHAMS GRAY/BLUE/TAUPE/IVORY:

Ach, this snipped image does not do this duvet cover justice!  It is just drop-dead gorgeous - and a large print -- looks even larger than the pattern used in the inspiration bedding from Ballard Designs (scroll up to the top of this post to see that design/colors again).  But -- not a lick of black in it.  It's got blue instead!  Now what would this look like with any of those blue upholstered headboards and benches I picked out and the rich wood finishes of the wood components and case goods???  WOW, BE STILL MY HEART!  There are more photographs of the packaged bedding at the e-Bay website featuring this set. 

At present, one can "buy it now" for $99.95 plus shipping at ebay.  It is 100% cotton, machine washable, has the following colors:  GRAY/SILVER/TAUPE/MIDNIGHT (BLACK-BLUE)/DARK BLUE/kakhi & BEIGE on ivory (off white) background.

So, as you can see, I've got price points all over the place, and a fairly wide selection, depending upon your own preferences. I think any of the sets I presented in this post and the post last night would look beautiful and work well with the other elements of Ballard Design's Calais bedroom!


Just a side note:  I was dreaming last night about how I could tie a quilt or comforter into a duvet cover by stitching ribbons long enough to tie inside a duvet cover and on the outside of a quilt or comforter in 8 places. 

It's just like the classical pattern from ancient Egypt and India constructs that were later incorporated into gameboards.  The same count (9 and 8; or if you prefer, 8 and 9) was also a feature of the Chinese gameboards and the extremely ancient Lo Shu pattern which is, as far as I am aware, the oldest known 3x3 magic square.  For instance, the graphic above shows an ancient Chinese liubo board, a game that was popular during the Han Dynasty (c. 220 BCE to 200 CE) but slowly died out in favor of Xiang Qi (Chinese chess) in subsequent dynasties, which was actually played on an 8x8 board, just like Western chess.  Okay, I'm a-sometimes amateur gameboard historian in my other life.  LOL!  Darlings, it all works together!  One cannot decorate anything in anything near a coherent manner unless one has an inner sense of rhythm and movement -- which comes from an inherent understanding (although you may not realize it) of the underlying mathematical principles that rule our entire Universe.  This is how interior decorators are taught; not all of them are born  with the innate recognition of rhythm and number (math) to do it! 

Those ties I dreamt of would go on the four corners of a comforter or quilt and in the middle of each side.  Total number of ties:  8.  Ditto for the inside of a duvet cover, for another 8 ties.  Total number of ties:  16.  Sixteen is the number of chess pieces on each side of the chess board:  1 King, 1 Queen, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights, 2 Rooks/Castles, 8 pawns, each for black and white...

Just a little bit of stitching (easier for me to do it by hand). 

The Look for Less: Ballard Designs Calais Bedroom 4

Here are the posts thus far:

The  Challenge (Introduction) October 23, 2012.
Shopping for the Ottoman - October 31, 2012. 
Shopping for the Headboard - October 24, 2012.

Shopping for the bedding!

I spent many hours looking for a similar pattern to Ballard Design's drop-dead gorgeous Calais bedding in creamy white and shades of navy to lighter blue.  With mixed success, I confess, darlings!
 

I've mentioned this before -- I'm not the most patient shopper, either on-site or online!  When I find something that is good enough I usually buy it, and generally I've been very happy.  But for these challenges, I've tried to step up my game a little.  Hmmm...

Tonight, whatever possessed me - when I looked at the actual description of the Calais bedding at Ballard Designs, I NEARLY HAD A FRIGGING HEART ATTACK!

I've been shopping now for over a week thinking I was looking for something in NAVY BLUE or SHADES OF BLUE.  And - guess what - THERE IS NO BLUE IN THIS DUVET. 

Also was shocked that this is a DUVET COVER - not a comforter!  For $249 for a queen size?  With faux wood buttons?  ARE THEY KIDDING? 

Close-up of the Ballard Designs Calais pattern.  Does the dark
color look like black to you???  I thought it was navy blue!

Shock and horror, darlings!  Do I start over and toss out everything I'd done before, focusing on smokey to dark blue tones (with mixed success)?  Or do I just chuck it up to one of those things and continue onward, adjusting from this point but sticking with what I've found thus far.

I opted for the easy way.  I stuck with what I've found thus far - which is shades of blue.  Geez Louise!

So, without further ado, here is what I found while shopping for the bedding -- NOW keeping in mind that the actual colors are BLACK, CHARCOAL, TAUPE AND BROWN ON CREAM BACKGROUND.  The original look included a duvet cover (which I actually thought was a comforter and was, therefore, shopping for a comforter with one exception I found - you'll see it below) - $249.00, Euro shams (2) -- $49 each ($98.00 total), standard shams (2) -- $39 each ($78.00 total), and a bedskirt -- $199.  Ballard Designs prices are noted. Total for the look is $624.00.

Here is the opposite of dark-colored design on pale background:  it's a light-colored design on a dark background:

This is from J. C. Penney, the Linden Street Marlon Comforter SET, currently on clearance for $70 (for real) for Queen Size.  Yes, you read that correctly.  And, darlings, it is actually a comforter, not a duvet cover!  And yes, it is a SET -- the only thing not included are the Euro pillow covers!!!  Particulars:

all-over floral Jacobean pattern

blend of blue, cream and chocolate

soft chenille, microfiber and faux linen

Comforter set includes:

comforter with neutral microfiber back

pleated linen-like shams with button accents

bedskirt has 15" drop; fits footboard

Full and queen sets have two standard shams. Euro pillow, accent pillows and window coverings sold separately.

Linden Street Marlon bedding is polyester with polyester fill. Washable. Imported.

I liked the pillow shams of the Chaps Allistair Bedding Coordinates, Kohls online.  I thought both the Euro paisely-printed shams and the dark blue-on-blue striped shams would go beautifully with the Linden Street Marlon Comforter (above), but I could be wrong because the blues might clash; I thought, however, that the relative pattern size of the paisley to the floral print was a good match-up:

Kohls' Chaps Allistair Euro pillow sham, regularly
price $49.99, sale price $34.99.

Alas, the blue on blue stripped standard pillow sham only comes with a duvet set (again, a duvet cover, not a comforter -- how naive I've been!). So, I've not included it here since it cannot be purchased separately.

Another Chaps set at Kohls Online caught my eye.  The queen-size Camellia set is a duvet cover and two shams, on sale at the time I found it for $153.99 (regular price $219.99):

Chaps bedding is budding with beauty. Featuring a romantic floral print, this duvet cover set conveys undeniable charm. Add breathtaking elegance to your bedroom with this enchanting duvet cover. In blue/white.

• Durable cotton construction ensures lasting quality.
• Details:
  • Includes: duvet cover & 2 shams
  • Cotton
  • Machine wash

Keeping in mind that I was shopping for blue and white or blue and cream, and not black/charcoal as the primary dark colors, I saw this set and thought it was so beautiful and ethereal, but definitely NOT a Jacobean print.  Nonetheless, I selected it because of its colorways and overall pattern.  I think it would take a long time before I ever got tired of looking at this set:

Pyranees Bedding Coordinates, found at Kohls online:

Queen size set description:

Vermicelli stitching lends a luxurious touch.

Details:

• Includes: Queen comforter, bedskirt & 2 standard shams
• Comforter cover/shams: cotton
• Comforter fill: polyester
• Bedskirt: cotton/polyester
• Machine wash

Regular price is $369.99, sale price was $258.99.  While the color description was not given, I think it's light blue, dark blue, some turquoise blue in there, some charcoal, maybe some black, some lighter brown to tan or taupe tones, on a gorgeously quilted creamy background.  Soooo beautiful!  This set rang my chimes :)

Oh yes, woman, you've strayed a long way away from that inspiration bedding! 

I found a very expensive set at Wayfair, the queen size Jardin Bedding Ensemble, for $949.00 - which I would not pay even if I was rich, but it sort of has a Jacobean feel to it, although not as deep, dark or rich a print as Ballard Design's Calais bedding:

Features:

• Queen size includes comforter, 2 euro shams, 2 standard shams, 2 pillow shams, 3 bed skirt with 21" drop, 6 fiber and feather filled accent pillows
• Face and back material: 100% Polyester
• Color: Navy
• Reversible comforter
• Dimensions: 92"-110" Width x 100" Depth  

How adventurous are you?  I found this set at Aliexpress (an offshoot of Alibaba, I believe) that is a duvet cover (I think), or perhaps it is just a sheet set?  The description of the set is inadequate, not to mention you'd be ordering from mainland China, but if it IS a duvet cover with two shams the price (which includes free slow shipping), is modest at $79.99, and for a blue and white floral comforter in the Jacobean style I thought it was very nice -- but -- who knows for sure???  Here it is, for your inspection:

100% cotton dark blue flower white background floral pattern queen bedding set 4 pieces with sheets bed linen.  Huh?

Scrolling down the website page I came across this description:

This set includes(1- 2cm error is permitted):
1 * Duvet/Quilt Cover * 79 x 91 * Inch = 200 x 230 cm
(Reversible Pattern, the cover comes with zipper closer, you can put your own duvet or quilt into it)
1 * Flat Sheet * 91 x 98 * Inch = 230 x 250 cm
2 * Pillow Shams * 20 x 30 * Inch = 50 x 76 cm (Due to the pillow shams fabric cuts from the full duvet cover, so maybe is not same with the pic, but always same with the whole bedding sets)

That last part -- I think that means that pattern on the cut-out pillow shams may not match-up exactly with the pattern in the duvet cover, but it will be the same pattern and color (???)  Or it means something entirely different...  LOL! 

I don't know - maybe I missed the boat entirely on this one.  Well, I've still got shopping to do for the lamp, the mirror and that gorgeous demilune table.  Whew!

The Look for Less: Ballard Design's Calais Bedroom 3

Shopping for the ottoman.

The inspiration ottoman (image above) is the Louis XVI ottoman, and I selected one in queens velvet teal with a walnut brown finish, price: $534.00.  It is a generous size: 19" tall by 43 1/4" long by 22 1/2" deep.  It has turned legs and a tufted top.

It took me a little while shopping to find something I thought was similar enough yet reasonably priced!  First I went to Home Decorators, then I went to Wayfair, com.  I did not find what I was looking for at either place!

Next, I stopped at Target online, where I found what I think is a great match for a great price:

Button Tufted Upholstered Bench in Navy Linen
Dimensions: 18.0 " H x 49.5 " W x 20.0 " D
Price:  $299.99 (not including shipping)

The Target ottoman is 1 inch shorter and about 6 inches wider than the inspiration ottoman, and 2 inches less deep.  I love the color and the size, and the look is very similar to the Inspiration ottoman, but it does not have wood trim around the bottom of the cushion and these legs are chunkier, more rounded in appearance and shorter than the legs on the inspiration ottoman.

I stopped at this ottoman.  The size is close.  Many of the tufted ottomans I saw are too short, or are square, more like for usage as a cocktail table or footstool rather than a "bench" at the foot of a bed.  Don't think I'm going to find any better for this price :)  I couple ottomans were nearly the right size, but were covered in faux leather and/or had straight legs.

I do want to post this honorable mention from Grandinroad.com:

This is the Chesterfield Tufted Ottoman in Sea Glass.  It did not come in a darker blue, but it does come in "Neutral," which might be a safer choice than this image which appears pale blue but might tend toward green-blue -- one can never really be sure exactly what the color unless ordering a material swatch ahead of time or sticking with a pale neutral.  The size is generous:  Chesterfield Tufted Ottoman (61016): 48"W x 28"D x 18"H, 29 lbs.  So, it is about 4 inches longer and a whopping 5 1/2" wider than the inspiration ottoman, and one inch shorter.  I fell in love with all of that tufting on the top, as well as the wonderful upholster's tacked finish.  Best of all is the price: $249.00, not including shipping.

The Look for Less: Ballard Design's Calais Bedroom 2

The Calais Bedroom:

I started my hunt at the top of my list:  looking for a slightly curved top queen-size tufted headboard in a reasonable facsimile for less money (preferably a lot less) than $614.00 (plus shipping).

I looked at Target first, but they didn't have any tufted headboards in anything resembling a suitable blue. There were neutrals galore, and neutrals galore at Home Decorators, too, which was my next online shopping stop. 

I fell in love with the shape of this queen size headboard that comes in Carribean Blue velvet for $399.00 plus $45.00 shipping for a queen size, Tufted Arch Headboard, Item 04686.  What's not to love? It is not the shape of the Calais Bedroom headboard but really makes a statement. 

 

I think it's just drop-dead gorgeous!  The color, though, is lighter than the blue in the Calais Bedroom headboard.

For the same price, also at Home Decorators, you could get this Tufted Princess Headboard, Item 04684, also in Carribean Blue velvet:

This next style headboard more closely resembles the Calais Bedroom headboard in shape, but the color is several shades different.

I found this headboard at Wayfair.com, it's the Skyline Furniture Linen Curved Tufted Headboard, SKU #: SKY2924 | Part #: 340TLINNVY, and it is $342 for a queen size (same price for twin, full and queen) plus free shipping -- at least right now (30 are in stock):

This headboard is in Navy linen -- not the velvety look of the Calais Bedroom headboard but the color is deeper than the Mediterranean Blue of the two Home Decorators headboards (above).  The lines of this headboard are in-between the lines of proposed headboard 1 and proposed headboard 2.  I like it a lot.  This headboard would be about $100 less than headboard 1 and headboard 2.

I choose.....headboard 3!  Now, on to shopping for the ottoman.

The Look for Less: Ballard Design's Calais Bedroom

Hola!

It seems there are a lot of bedroom redos and revamps out on the blogosphere the past month or so; or maybe I'm just noticing them more now.  Tonight I went to one of my favorite online inspiration places, Ballard Designs, and lo and behold, they have NINE different bedrooms they are featuring at the present time.

My eye went immediately to the Calais bedroom:

Love at first sight!

Of course, I cannot afford the price-tag of wholesale replacing everything, and even 34 plus years of owning my faux-wood French Provincial bedroom suite hasn't weened me away from loving every line of it - still!  But a girl can always import just a few things to improve her overall look...

I'm a full-size bed girl myself, but for this challenge I chose the popular Queen size and priced things accordingly.  I will be shopping for some (but not all) of the room components:

Camden Tufted Headboard
I chose the Queen's velvet teal in Queen size: $614.00
It's not actually velvet but has the look.  I thought the Queen's velvet teal was the closest color to the color and texture shown in the photograph above

Louis XVI Ottoman
Also in Queen's velvet teal, and I liked the walnut brown finish: $534.00

Calais Duvet
It looks a creamy white and a deep blue, and I love the floral toile pattern that also reminds me of beautiful patterns from the Far East
Queen size: $249.00

Calais Pillow Shams
Euro size: $49.00 (x2)
Standard size:  $39.00 (x2)

Calais Bedskirt
Queen size:  $199.00

Salerno Urn Table Lamp
26" tall, 16" cream shade included: $139 (x2)

Bellesor Mirror
31.5" diameter, antique gold trim: $169.00 (x2)

Torino Demilune
Has 2 drawers, I chose the Tuscan brown finish.  32 1/4" tall, 38" wide, 14.5" deep: $399.00 (x 2)


Total:  $3,086.00.  CHA CHING!

I times two'ed the lamps, mirrors and demilune tables because although the photograph above doesn't show it, the room hints at having the classically matched sides arrangement on either side of the bedstead.

So my challenge is to see if I can get the look for less.  Let's see what I can do without sacrificing too much in terms of quality and style! 

Not included in the challenge: Accessories, rug, white footstool, chandelier.