This is part of my series about how
I’m decorating my apartment.
You can check out other rooms here.
I’ve always loved the look of old-timey smoking lounges. You know the style: tartan everywhere, dark green walls, floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with antique books, wood panelled walls and ceilings, brass tables, and leather chairs. Although I’d never buy anything made of animal leather, I am seriously in love with everything tartan. This is my inspiration:
The room I had to work with wasn’t a perfect fit for this style of decorating, since its wood panels and ceiling were already painted white (and I wasn’t about to strip and stain them — not in a rental, anyway!) so I did the best I could with what I had. While the light fixtures, drapery, rugs, and some of the furniture was gifted for these articles, I nabbed several great vintage finds off of the local version of Craigslist and DIY’d.
This was before we moved in (that’s the previous tenant’s furniture):
And this is now…
This brownish-green velvet sofa is Flamant’s Sofia Sofa. I put a herringbone throw blanket over the top to give it a more casual look, and to protect the velvet:
I got these gorgeous, soft, tartan curtains from Curtains2Go, made for my apartments’ extra-tall ceilings. I was very pleasantly surprised by how high-quality they are. They feel and look like a wool-cashmere mix, but they’re vegan (and won’t attract moths into your home!)
Here’s the sofa I bought for €50 before I painted the wood gold (using a semi-transparent gold paint that shows the wood underneath). I plan on reupholstering the seat cushions using tartan fabric matching the drapes, and making several throw pillows from the same fabric. I’ll update this article once I’m done!
And here it is after I painted the wood gold. I got all the furniture you see in this shot used. It’s all vintage. The globe opens up into a bar (I scored it for €40) and the chairs are antiques (for only €25 each!) #TotalSteal!
And, of course, a gratuitous kitty photo (if you want to see more, follow our kitties on Instagram):
The candles are electric and I love this stag head candle holder:
This gorgeous aged iron pendant chandelier is from the Fredrick Ramond Collection at Hinkley Lighting. I love the antiqued glass and the vintage look of it:
The carpet is from CarpetVista… I love the pattern!
The red bookshelf is from Grange. They let me choose the colors and finishes, so it matched perfectly with the look I was going for. Inside are decorative tins from my favorite tea brand, remote-controlled electric candles (since real ones are a hazard when you have cats), and I found the horse sculpture in the gift shop of the lesser-known castle that inspired Versailles.
The dining table is from French Heritage. It’s the only piece of furniture we brought with us when we left NYC for our year in France (we donated everything else!) I picked it up at ABC Home in NYC and I absolutely love it. It’s made from reclaimed wood. The green chairs are from Flamant and the brown ones are vintage — I picked them up on LeBonCoin for €8 each, then painted the ribbon detail on them gold.
Mike inherited this sculptural wall art from his grandmother, and the rest we bought on eBay or used for about €15 to €40 each:
I painted the gold on the stag head, and although it was quick to do, it really made the sculpture pop:
The monkey lamp is by Zara Home (I painted it, and I plan on re-doing the shade with tartan fabric), and can you believe I found this horse statue thrown out with the trash on the street??
This was an old (dark brown) and empty grandfather clock that someone was throwing out, so I nabbed it. With Manon’s help, we painted it red, then used black wax on the edges to give it an antiqued finish. The back panel has paper (featuring vintage European travel ads) decoupaged onto it. Decoupage (which is basically using a special glue to affix decorative paper onto a surface and make it water-resistant) is a great way to quickly change the look of furniture for very little effort or cost. To turn the empty clock into a lamp, I bought these rope lights and some Edison-style (but eco-friendly) bulbs for the inside.
We distressed, sanded, re-stained and added dark wax accents to the coffee table so that it would match the dining table, and then I stocked the bottom shelf with board games. We bought the table (for –yup, you guessed it– €20) from a woman who had the most beautiful cat I’d ever seen — a rescue. Mike and I carried it across the city to get it home, but it was worth it, because it turned out beautifully:
The woman who sold us this vintage brass bar cart (for €15) delivered it to us and we had a nice chat about the best villages in France. I love buying used because it’s eco-friendly, because a penny saved is a penny donated when we die (since we’re not having kids, 100% of what we die with is going to charities like Mercy for Animals), but also because I get to meet so many nice people!
In the end, I got close to the look I was going for, but not exactly… Since my dining room has a white ceiling, white doors, and white wainscoting, so I’m hesitant to paint the walls dark, since the contrast might look too intense, and the room still too light. But I’m very happy with how it turned out, and if you have any suggestions about things to change, or any DIY tips, please let me know below, in the comments discussion.
Just a reminder to those who love re-painting their furniture, make sure to prep it properly before re-painting them. It makes a whole lot of difference and the quality is almost as good a s a brand new furniture. Don’t just jump into DIY without learning the basics. Google them and it wouldn’t hurt to know which materials goes with what, and what shouldn’t go with what. It’s a precaution too so you won’t end up wasting a good antique piece just because you messed up a paint job. Since you’re already willing to get through the process of recreating your home, go through the prepping process too. Saves time, effort and money.
Another tip: One yard of fabric is all you need to make two adorable decorative pillow covers. Adding a fresh pattern or color to your living room or bed will elevate the design and you can buy designer fabrics on sale for an inexpensive price.
LeBonCoin looks a lot like Craigslist — it has a lot of vintage home decorations. It’s like a one-stop vintage-palooza! I enjoy shopping a lot of my decorations there and it never ceases to amaze me on the things I can find.
I recently saw this online and found the idea very lovely and creative: Aside from the photographs and art you have on that one wall, you can frame fabrics or scarves for an added color to your wall. Not only that… Do you have a gorgeous set of china sitting in the cabinet? Pull out those dishes and mount them on your wall. You’ll transform an empty wall and display an otherwise hidden collection. It can be other memoirs too, even souvenirs from your travels. Since you love travelling. You can also update tired shelves by covering the edges with ribbon, fabric or paper. Use a fun pattern or bold color to turn the unit into a fun, statement piece.
These ideas are awesome. I’ll try some of them soon especially the China plates. My grandmother has a lot of them but keep them hidden.
A vase full of fresh flowers instantly brings life to any space, especially in the dreary winter months when everything outside is cold and pretty lackluster. You don’t need to get fancy! A bouquet of supermarket roses in a happy hue is enough to make a difference.
Zara home usually has a lot of awesome decorations for your home. Ranging from metallic rose gold mirrors to crate boxes adorned with random prints, you can get it there.
Stocks are very limited though so it’s better to buy it as soon as you see it.
Why not try decoupaging pretty patterned paper to furniture for a nice pop of color? Your friends will thank you and a little touch of color will liven up any space. It may be a little tedious compared to just painting it, but the outcome is really worth it. This can work better with smaller pieces of furniture of course. The bigger the furniture the bigger the work is. But if you hate tedious things, then don’t do DIY at all. When you do DIY, get ready to work a lot and spend a lot of time doing the crafting and decorating. That’s how it is! It’s a passion and a hobby that you simply can’t just say you’re tired of!
Oh, this is a great idea. I could try this on one of our candelabras that are too old and not suited for re-painting.
That grandfather clock is groovy. Not only does it look cool and retro, it doesn’t look creepy at all. I can’t believe how lucky you are in finding steals like that! Please please tell me how you spot those cool finds!
I always check articles from Urbanette about DIY home decorations. It’s an art I can’t get enough of but not talented on. It’s great to have reliable sources like you guys!
Great apartment and furniture choices. They’re classics and won’t get out of style.