The Look for Less: Manhattan Style Sitting Area by Horchow

Hola!

I am a big fan of Horchow furnishings since I first started oohing and aahing over their ads in high end decorating magazines more than 30 years ago.  I have long loved the classic and elegant looks that Horchow features.  This morning, I visited Horchow online and fell in love with this room:

Horchow furnishings (shipping charges are additional):

Helena tufted wing chair in pearl white, $1199.00 (x 2)
John-Richard Collection carousel table lamp in white, 30" tall, $995
Global Views black granite side table, 30" tall and 30" diameter, $1899.00
Aerin Clarkson floor lamp, $750.00
Glencrest sofa in grey/brown (82" long), feather down seats and pillows, special value $1199.00
Bernhardt Heath coffee table, walnut veneers and rubberwood in raven black finish, with nickel finish ferules, 18" high, 53 3/4" long, 24" deep, $699.00

Total:  $7940.00

The look for less:

I found several chairs of a similar style in a wide price range, starting around $300 and up; most of the chairs did not have a tufted back or if they did, they weren't available in a color comparable to the original.  So, I tried to find chairs that had a similar shape/profile, accented by nailhead trim, in a light cream or white upholstery.  Here are my picks:

(1) Moore wingback chair in ivory bonded leather (no tufted back) via Amazon.com, $549.00 (available in more colors at homedecorators.com; similar chair in different colors available at grandinroad.com):

(2) Paige Mandarin Wheat Upholstered Wingback Chair at Lamps Plus, $399.99:

I found the John-Richard Collection Carousel table lamp online for $110.00 less at The Classy Cottage.  I could not find a comparable size lamp of the same shape, so I shopped for size, color and shape:

(1)  At Kirklands.com, on sale for $29.98, regularly $49.99, this 27.5" tall Mid-Century glass table lamp in gold finish, love its classic yet sleek lines and the gold finish - a classic mid-century modern look with an updated shade:

(2) At Amazon, for $128.99, this 27" tall Safavieh Paris Ceramic Table Lamp in white, with gold finished metal neck and base and white cotton drum shade, classic and elegant:

(1) Greek Key Accent Table at Homedecorators.com, $179.00.  Although this end table is not black granite and brass, it has two different metallic finishes with a glass top, three legs (one could add a granite round at the bottom), looks sturdy and stable, and the size (height and diameter) is comparable to the Global Views side table:

(2) For an option with casters (the Global Views table has casters), I went in a totally different direction and found the Deco 79 Metal Marble Cart (top is black onyx), black iron and antiqued brass finish, 30" tall, 34" x 16" wide (an oval, not round), with four locking casters, $275.76 (unfortunately, out of stock at the time I'm writing this, and I could not find it anywhere else online):

Holtkoetter Brushed Brass Narrow White Shade Floor Lamp at Lamps Plus, solid brass, brushed brass finish, hand washable white satin shade, foot dimmer, adjustable height from 53" to 68.5", $398.00 (I chose this lamp for its superb lines and beautiful brass finish):

Camden linen sofa in grey (90" long), offered by TOV Furniture at Amazon, $750.49:

I found the Bernhardt coffee table on sale at mathisbrothers.com for $529.95 (compared to Horchow's price of $699.00, a savings of $130.00).  Note: at Mathis Brothers, it is called the Bernhardt Interiors Haven coffee table, but otherwise it is the identical table.  Here is my pick, chosen for its finish and modern but classic lines (and love the leather inserts on the top), the Magnussen Micah wood rectangular coffee table at Amazon, $279.77:

Look for less total cost Option 1 selections only:  $2207.00.
Look for less total cost Option 2 selections only:  $2234.00.
Look for less mix and match least expensive options:  $2058.00.
Look for less mix and match most expensive options:  $3389.00 (includes Carousel lamp and Bernhardt coffee table at the lower prices I found online).

Compared to $7940.00.

The Look for Less -- Copy the Cover: HGTV Magazine April 2014

Hola darlings!

Did you see the cover?  So cute!  I was immediately drawn to the color. It looks so fresh and spring-like, and just what I want to see after the long hard bitterly cold and icy winter we endured in southeastern Wisconsin, and so many others of you did in your own home towns, too! 


The magazine at Barnes & Noble online. 

The "Copy our cover!" article in the print edition focused on (1) the fabric Roman shade; (2) the yellow pouf; and (3) the pillows.  The window seat in the cover is built-in, but the article made a point of noting a "built-in storage bench look" could be achieved by using a pre-made storage bench the width (or wider) of the window, flanked on either side with ready-made bookcases.  So, I threw that into the mix for good measure :)

The Roman Shade

The fabric used in the cover shade is "China Seas Nitik Grande in  French Blue," by Quadrille.  It is a light blue on white with darker blue centers (looks like a navy blue).  HGTV hired a seamstress to create the Roman shade used in its cover (and I assume, the cover for the bench cushion, too, since it is made out of the same material).  The magazine recommended either doing so or hiring an online producer of such shades.  Cha ching! 

I checked out some of the larger producers of such shades online.  I didn't see anything I could afford in the kind of print I was looking for!  I gave up and focused, instead, on Etsy.

Here is one Etsy option I found:

I like the addition of the yellow because it ties in so beautifully with the throw pillows and pouf.  This pattern, Bluebird, is one of many offered by Mallory's Home Decor (if you are in the market for a ready made Roman shade, I recommend you take a few hours and view all of the lovely patterns).  This shade measures 30" wide by 66" long, priced at $180.  Mallory Home Decor offers this fabric pattern in many different color ways, some featuring primarily blue. 

I was also drawn to this particular fabric, offered by Ideal Window Fashions,  It is called Pom Pom Play:

It measures 24" wide by 60" long, priced at $178.49.  This is very narrow and would not fit a standard window.  This Etsy shop owner does custom widths/lengths in the same fabric.  It is a somewhat different take on the design aesthetic of the magazine cover, with lovely blues and a sunny yellow/gold color, and I like the more expansive background of white; there is a bit of what looks like an olive green, too, and those grey swirls or tendrils -- I love them! 

HGTV's feature article offered three different fabric options for a "make your own" faux-Roman shade, aside from the fabric used in the unpriced cover photo:  (1) Bonnie Phantasm Fan Linens in blue, from $17.50 per yard, at spoonflower; (2) Rosella Monaco in blue, $21.00 a yard, at warehousefabricsinc; and (3) Tibet Monaco in blue, $18 a yard, also at warehousefabricsinc (see image, right, for the sample fabrics chosen by HGTV Magazine). 

To save some money, I would make my own faux Roman style shade and cover for the cushion on the storage bench that would go underneath the window.  I can sew, but I know there are tutorials online that show you how to use iron on heat-activated glue-tape to create flawless hems and seams, and rod pockets, etc. I would forego using a Roman shade kit to raise/lower the shade and opt for hand sewn-on ties to roll-up the shade during the day and lower it down to whatever length I wanted to at night.  When rolled up during the day, the excess fabric from the ties could be tied into a bow and/or pinned up to minimize bulk. 

In the "old" days (back in the 1970s-1990s) I relied upon sheets purchased at Marshall Fields to give me great looking washable fabrics at a fraction of the cost I would pay for it in a fabric store.  I used sheets to make simple rod-pocket top curtains and table cloths.  That was well before the internet.  These days, pattern selection in sheets has become rather - blah, to put it bluntly.  That leaves shopping at your favorite fabric store in person or shopping on line to fine something that rings your chimes.  I did visit a few discount fabric websites but did not find a pattern I thought suitable at a modest price.  Maybe I was putting in the wrong search parameters, though.

So, I had a brain storm and made a quick visit to Ikea, as I know Ikea offers fabrics as well as kitchen cabinets, lighting, bedding, rugs, and lots of other home furnishings, odds and ends.  Ikea's website continues to amaze me. 

That visit revealed some interesting fabric possibilities.  The one below, for instance, is a lot darker blue than the cover shade, and has a lot less white in it (so it is opposite, featuring primarily dark blue with white accent, rather than primarily white with blue accent), but it is so pretty:

This is Ikea's Blavinge blue and white fabric, at a price of $5.99 a yard.  Did you get that price -- $5.99 PER YARD!  It is 59" wide, 100% cotton, and machine washable.  What's not to love???

Sadly, it is NOT available for sale online, for this is surely one of the most interesting fabrics I've seen in a long time.  Using the close-up feature at Ikea's website revealed that it a botanical and biological print, combined together.  Absolutely lovely.  The advantage of using this type of print in a Roman shade is that, as it is laid out flat, one can fully appreciate the intracacy of the print and its pattern.  At a whopping 59" 2-1/2 yards would be more than enough to make a sufficiently long roll-up Roman shade and more than enough to cover a 48" wide window; the extra material on either side of the length once hems were put in could be used to make the tie-up strips.

Then, there is Ikea's Angsruta white and blue fabric:

It is also 100% cotton, 59" wide, and machine washable.  Not available online, must be purchased at an Ikea store.  Angsruta's pattern looks delicate and tiny in this image (above) but when seen on some throw pillows at the Ikea website, it has a large scale.  It could be just the thing, made into a basic faux Roman shade, with ties tacked on to roll the shade up/lower it down.

Here's a different idea.  What about buying an Emmie roll-up shade from Ikea ($19.99 for a generous 39" wide by 70" long, in white, and doing some stencilling in the colors of your choice?  Or stamping with stamps made from materials of your choice?  With a ready-made roll-up blind, the time spent on the artistic side putting in the perfect geometric print and colors would be up to you!  Best of all, it would be totally - and hand - custom-made, giving you 100% bragging rights.

 

The Look for Less: Traditional Home Visits Designer Joseph Abboud Part 4

Hola darlings!

Take a look at this beautiful chair featured in the Joseph Abboud living room, the 18th Century French Burlap Chair from Restoration Hardware:

Full price is $1,295, on special for $1,100.  Inspired by an 18th-century Louis XIII highback armchair, ours is a faithful reproduction. Employing the same craftsman techniques used 350 years ago, its burnished solid oak legs, arms and stretchers are hand-turned on a lathe while it bears the hallmark of mortise-and-tenon construction. Country of origin not given.  Joseph Abboud used material of his own design to upholster his chair. 

So, where to look, where to look...

I stopped at Ballard Designs and found this chair that I really like - but it doesn't have arms!  This is (are) the Capistrano dining chair (comes only in pairs), two for $849:

 

Overall: 42 3/4"H X 18 3/4"W X 26 1/2"D
Seat: 18 3/4"H X 18 3/4"W @ Front & 16"W @ Back X 17"D
Constructed of birch frame with form & webbed seat and brass nailheads.
Made in China
The Capistrano dining chair, despite being armless, presents possibilities -- buy the pair (for less than one RH chair) and put a cool table in-between and voila! I like the French country look of the turned wood more than the sort of Jacobean feel of the wood turning on the RH chair. 

I next stopped at Home Decorators but I did not find anything remotely similar.

I went to Wayfair, always a craps shoot because so much depends on the search criteria you use!  I went simple and looked for "wood arm chair."  Found lots of possibilities -- in pairs!  Here are my favorites:

Above is the A&B Home Group, Inc. Side Chair that only comes in pairs, $833.  The turned legs and cross-bars on these chair are remarkably similar (identical?) to the RH chair.  Features:  Beige upholstery; Back burlap Paris motif; Brass nail heads; Cross bar support base; Cushioned seat.  Overall Depth - Front to Back: 21.7 inches, Overall Height - Top to Bottom: 42.9 inches, .Overall Width - Side to Side: 24.8 inches.

Above is the A.R.T. Coronado Arm Chair, $860 for a pair!  I was too fast to copy it -- it also comes upholstered in a creamy linen and looks great.  Oh crap -- I see now it's already out of stock, and no restocking date is listed.  This chair has an exposed wood back and soft linen upholstery with individual nail head trim that work together to create a refined but elegant look. Scrolled French Provincial-style feet, arms and posts add to the chairs' overall sophistication. With no detail overlooked, the elegantly shaped stretchers complete the look.  Coronado collection, Rustic Walnut finish, crafted from sturdy Radiate solids and beautiful veneer with hand rubbed "Barcelona" finish.  45.5" H x 25" W x 28" D.

Check out this lovely chair -- the Hooker Furniture Waverly Place Upholstered Back Arm Chair -- again, in a pair, $1,196.  The upholstery is "sporty Cognac" and I've no idea what kind of material it is -- I found that description at the Specifications page:

 

I believe this is available in other upholstery.  Description: A romantic European Country distinction achieved through a cherry veneer with an uneven texture and a random width plank effect that approximates the look and feel of an authentic solid cherry antique.  Overall Dimensions: 49'' H x 25.38'' W x 28.88'' D. 

I find it really irritating that in order to get any of the chairs featured above I would have to buy TWO!  That's not necessarily a bad thing.  A nice arm chair can always be fit into another room if there is no room for two chairs in the room in which you're creating this look for less.  I did find a solo chair at Wayfair -- but -- well, take a look:

This chair is the Stein World Dark Toffee Arm Chair and it is $400.  I like the styling of this chair a lot.  It's not identical to the RH chair, particularly in the legs and base, but has the same overall heft and dimensions.  But the upholstery doesn't look remotely like the RH chair.  The chair seat is black faux leather and the back, in a close-up it looks like a mini-leopard print!  Not my cup of tea at all.  Would one buy a new chair and then have it recovered in a neutral burlap or linen fabric???  If you couldn't do it yourself (I would not attempt it myself), there would go your price savings right out the door.  But, for those of a handy nature or willing to try reupholstering a brand new chair themselves, this might be the best deal overall.  Description:  Faux leather seat; Upholstered back; Scroll arms; Nail head detailing; ISTA 1A certified (I have no idea what this means); Solid wood construction; Dark Toffee finish.  Dimensions: 51'' H x 29'' W x 35'' D; Overall Depth - Front to Back: 35 inches; Overall Height - Top to Bottom: 51 inches; Overall Width - Side to Side: 29 inches.

The Look for Less: Sophisticated Living Room Vignette Part 2

Good morning!  I was up at the crack of dawn and it is beautiful outside today!  There is a cool breeze that kicked in sometime during the night off of Lake Michigan.  I hurred outside to move the sprinkler around out front.  Yep, I broke down.  I couldn't stand looking at the dried straw out there anymore or lugging gallons of water every evening out to the two trees in the front yard, so I let loose with the sprinkler.  I ran it for hours last night and am trying to get all the "corners" this morning -- you know how hard it is to get those with a sprinkler -- especially the edges and corners along the curb and driveway!  The weatherman came through!  The humidity and dew point are MUCH lower today, so even though it's over 80 now, it feels wonderful!  Best of all, despite turning off the central AC and running around like a maniac most of the morning, I'm not sweating!  Not a drop!  No wet eyebrows! 

I'm shopping this morning to finish up the lovely Trad Home inspiration for this version of the "look for less:"

Last night I offered my selections for a facsimile sofa, side table, coffee table and four-panel screen.  Today the hard part: throw pillows and the candlesticks!  While trying to stay true to the inspiration photo, I am also keeping in mind my budget-conscious selections in the prior post and thinking about what might work with them. 

Throw Pillows

Shopping for throw pillows is difficult because there are soooo many different patterns and kinds available now, so selection comes down to price and personal preferences, unless I'm lucky enough to find a pillow that looks nearly identical to the inspiration pillows.  I looked for an animal print, a pale chartreuse or celedon in a silky material, and a watery pastel floral or abstract print.  I found this pillow at Target online:

Home® Decorative Pleated Silk Toss Pillow - Green (20x20")

• Includes: Decorative Pillow, Toss Pillow
• Features: Removable Insert, Zipper Closure, Knife Edge
• Decorative Accents: Pleating
• Textile Material: Polyester ( 100 %)
• Fill Material: Feather ( 100 %)
• Care and Cleaning: Spot Clean Only
• Dimensions: 20.0 " L x 20.0 " W

Priced at $22.39.  This pillow lacks the luxurious fringe of the inspiration pillow (the one on the left of the inspiration sofa) but fringe could be added, if desired.  I think this pillow has just the right lux look and silky smoothness at a good price.

I visited Bed, Bath & Beyond online and found this faux bur cheetah print pillow at a large 26" square for just $19.99.  I couldn't pass it up!

Faux Fur Cheetah 26" Square Toss Pillow

The most difficult pillow to try to match was the watery floral or abstract print.  It looks kind of pale yellow or cream with a pale blue pattern, but I'm not really sure of the color.  What I'm showing on my computer screen is somewhat different than the picture I printed out for easy reference while I was shopping. 

I finally settled on the Roman pillows from Overstock.com. There is a pair for $35.99, 18" square, and I thought the Federal Blue would look good with my other "look for less" selections:

The taupe would also be a neutral choice, perhaps blending better with the green Target and cheetah print Bed Bath and Beyond pillows I selected.

Candlesticks

The candlesticks were a real challenge!  They are vintage/antique, probably made of cast bronze or brass, footed, and while I'm not sure of the material that comprises the layered square base (marble? and two layers), it is definitely ebony-colored.  In addition, the candlesticks are very tall and are human figures!  Cha ching! 

I hunted around for awhile, doing various searches, but I couldn't find anything remotely similar to the inspiration candlesticks for a reasonable price.  Time to go in a different direction.

I looked at metal candlesticks; I looked at glass and crystal candlesticks; I looked at composite candlesticks.  Epic fail!  I admit ignominious defeat!  I did not find anything close to the originals for a reasonable price.  Sigh. 

That being said, I absolutely fell in love with these Fifth Avenue Zermat Set of 2 Candleholders -- notice the black crystal accent, and thought they would look superb on the glass/acrylic coffee table, while picking up the glitter and shine of the glass and the black in the lamp (which is not featured) and the color of the smoked glass in the side table (not mentioned in the article, but I do believe it is smoked glass and not clear glass):

They are priced according to height.  I found these at Bon-Ton (Boston Store in Wisconsin) online:

6" - $80
8" - $90
10" - $100
12" - $120

I found the same candlesticks at Wayfair for about $20 less for the 12" size.  Expensive!  I love them, but cannot afford them. 

Looking for something with some marble, I stumbled across these Kathy Ireland candle pillars (they won't hold a conventional taper) on sale at Lamps Plus for $29.95:

Set of 2 Kathy Ireland Amor Marble Pillar Candle Holders

Style # U9147

Set of 2.

Antique bronze finish.

Decorative marble accents.              

Small is 14" high and 4 1/2" wide.

Large is 16" high and 4 1/2" wide.

Now that's a bargain!  I would buy these, not only because of the price but because I think they would go very well with the "look" -- excellent height and color, and the metal accents would compliment the metal frame of the side table.  Actually, these would go with many "looks," hmmm...

Pretty Ad for Ballard Designs: The Look for Less - Gourd Lamp

Continuing the quest of producing the Ballard Designs look for less, there was a French blue gourd lamp in the magazine spread that I found at its website.  Here, I'm looking for a less expensive lamp that still gives the look.

(4) Substitute for Suzanne Kasler large gourd lamp at $169.00 in French blue, 29" tall. 

From Penney's, double gourd ceramic table lamp in light blue, 25" tall, 13" wide shade (bottom measurement), $40.00 everyday price:

From Wayfair.com, ORE ceramic gourd-shaped table lamp in blue, 28" tall, 16" wide shade (bottom measurement), $120.99 and free shipping:

This identical lamp can be found at Amazon.com for $91.27. 

From lumens.com, Continuum table lamp in light blue with pale blue shade, 27" tall with 16" diamater (lower measure) shade, $117.00: