Rubbed brass is the new oil rubbed bronze!

BrassRoom07

This season brass is everywhere.  And it still scares the heck out of people. Seriously…..people are still ripping it out of their houses like it’s mold.  I really can’t say that I blame them either, because that shiny golden color, along with the shapes and styles of the 80s just screams OUTDATED.  But the new, warmer looking, rubbed and aged versions of this blast from the past is showing up in high end homes, magazines, and decor stores around the country.  It brings a much warmer feel to rooms, than the old standard – nickel.  Pair it with any color of the rainbow, try it with wood, or glass.  You can’t go wrong with this metal.

These new tones, along with more modern shapes and styles mean this old friend might be back to stay for a while.  Now, I’m not quite ready to rip out all my oil rubbed bronze hardware and replace it yet, but it’ll definitely be popping up in some of my furniture re-dos.  For sure!
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Crate wall storage

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Crate-Wall-Storage
Such a simple idea, yet so darn cute. This is a project anyone could do on their own. I see these crates at yardsales all the time. I can’t wait to snag a few and make these for myself! They’re perfect for the bathroom, to fit towels, TP, toiletries, etc. Or how about in the nursery, for a chic way to contain all the diapers and lotions? The mudroom would be another great spot. Give each child his/her own crate to throw their lunchbox or paraphernalia in each day after school.

Crate tables

cokedresser cokecratetables
I’ve always had a thing for old crates. Especially Coke crates since I’m a Diet Coke addict (my name is Kristen and I’m a Diet Coke addict). But I never really had a great use for crates. Maybe if my house were a bit larger, I’d store rolled up bath towels in them and leave them next to the clawfoot tub….or perhaps they’d store dry goods in my extra large walk-in pantry….or how about organizing the kids toys on the built-in shelves in the bonus room. All those ideas are fantastic but unfortunately for me, I don’t have any of those spaces in my current house. Boo.

So when I ran across these pics when googling something the other day I thought AHA!, that’s it. That’s a use for crates that I could work with now, in my tiny, cramped house. Now I just need to hunt some down. And you know, now that I’m looking for them I’ll never find them!

What, no white?

French Provincial end tables

French Provincial end tables

I’m just loving having that bright pop of color on and end table, or a nightstand these days. It can really take a bland, vanilla room and turn it into a WOW room.  Check out these pics, so you can get an idea of how great a bright pop of color can look in your living room, or bedroom.

Orange end tables

Orange end tables

Light blue end table

Light blue end table

Aqua blue nightstand

Aqua blue nightstand

Bright blue nightstands

Bright blue nightstands

Light blue nightstands

Light blue nightstands

Yellow nightands

Yellow nightands

Campaign furniture

Campaign dresser

Campaign dresser

I first saw a campaign dresser when I was looking for a hack for my Ikea nightstands. Campaign furniture was initially made for travel, by military personnel, to be used on military campaigns. Hence the name. I just loved the slightly industrial, vintage vibe it has. It looks great with the natural, stained wood, or painted. Right now, I’ve got my sights set on something that I can turn into a great, stained, campaign piece! So stay tuned.

Olive green stained coffee table with copper legs

Coffee table - green stain & copper legs
How gorgeous is this coffee table? Slightly industrial, slightly rustic.  Two of my favorite design styles.

No, the legs aren’t real copper…they appear to be painted. But that makes it all the more easy to imitate – and at a fraction of the price. This bad boy was a whopping $199 at Homegoods! I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes open for a nice quality wood coffee table with some sexy legs so I can try to duplicate this look.
Coffee table - green stain & copper legs Coffee table - green stain & copper legs

Bamboo side table

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You can’t even imagine how much I love this table. But at $199, say what?! For an end table? Craziness. I don’t even charge that much for refinished vintage, real, bamboo tables. So why go for fake when you can have the real deal for less?

Kilim rug ottoman bench

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I saw this fantastic bench slash ottoman on a recent excursion to Homegoods. I’ve been seeing kilim rug covered things everywhere these days. Pillows, ottomans, etc. Now I just need to get my hands on a bench with some pretty, turned legs like these. And then there’s the problem of finding a vintage rug….