A DIY for The Books: {Gold Speckled Rug!}

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Disclaimer: We are getting con-fi-dent in this creative DIY world. It’s like a semi-addiction- once you successfully conquer one DIY, you can’t stop. We can’t lie, our latest project makes us a little giddy inside- we consider it our most genius DIY yet. Brace yourselves!

Even though the office isn’t quite complete yet, we decided to share one of our favorite makeover projects that we’ve tackled thus far. We’d been searching high and low for a gold-speckled rug for the office ever since we laid eyes on the one in Freda Salvador’s San Francsico boutique. Unfortunately, theirs was from Spain {no thanks, shipping costs!}. We bookmarked a couple of other options online that were ok, but finding the right color hide with the added gold accents we loved was a challenge and not to mention, they were running close to $800!

Determined to do this on the cheap, we dug a little deeper and found this DIY that inspired us to gold speckle our own rug. We bought a super affordable one {under $300!} on Amazon and put our skills to the test- woot!

Have no fear, we’re not pulling your leg when we say that this is the easiest DIY you’ll ever tackle- the results are ah-mazing! All you need is your favorite gold spray paint {we love Design Master’s in 24kt or 12kt gold!} and a cowhide {Amazon, Ikea, Overstock all have great, affordable options!}.

Step 1: In a well ventilated space, spray paint into side of cap, in a heavy, concentrated stream. You’ll want a small puddle of wet paint in the cap.

Step 2: From about 12 inches from the rug, drip paint quickly. You’ll start seeing a pretty even amount of big and small splatters.

Step 3: To achieve smaller drips and splatters, stand up and “throw” the paint onto the rug. This technique creates nice movement on the piece.

Step 4: Step back and take a look at your handy work! Go into areas that need specific gold spots and drop paint closer to rug, about 4-6 inches above. You should achieve bigger spots with this technique. Remember: the more paint in the cap, the bigger the gold spot.

We found the “drop” technique was our favorite in order to achieve the look we wanted. Take a few minutes prior to starting, practicing all three techniques on a scrap cloth to see which you like best!

And 10 minutes later {you move fast when working with wet paint!} you have your finished product! We LOVE the way the rug came out, but you’ll have to wait for the full reveal in the office to see it all. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, is there a spot in your house that could use a little update? You have to try this DIY for yourself- for less than $300 you can achieve a look of a high end rug that would have cost three times the price. It looks like we’re slowly leaving the “DI-buy” team for the DIY team!

original photography for apartment 34 by Aubrie Pick

Holiday DIY: {Ombre + Washi Tape Candlesticks}

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DIY’s don’t have to be humongous projects that require tons of planning and take even more time to execute. In fact, a small and quick DIY can prove to be that extra facelift needed to take something from good to gorgeous! Case in point: our 10-minute candle makeover perfect for the level one DIY’er {such as ourselves!}!

For the holiday scene we created for Martha Stewart Living, the fresh garland on the fireplace was really the centerpiece of the room. It is the focal point after all. We knew we wanted to keep the rest of the vignette relatively clean, so we decided to simply dot pillar candles along the mantel, just for that added dose of ambiance. We picked up super inexpensive gray and white tapers {sold individually as well!} from CB2. They looked nice at different heights due to the varying antique brass candlesticks and a couple of modern candleholders that we used, but the candles ended up feeling plain. Compared with the rest of the scene they fell a little short on the amazing scale.

So, we went into our {growing!} craft drawer and pulled out the two magic DIY makeover tools that can instantly upgrade what seems to be anything in the world: metallic craft paint and Washi tape.

Here’s how we created our look:

Step 1: For the sporty chic looking candles, apply washi tape to create stripes, reminiscent of baseball tees or varisty jackets. Wrap your tape towards the top of the candlestick about 1/2 inch to an inch down.

Step 2: For more holiday inspired candles, start your washi tape at an angle at the top of the candle and twirl all the way down, making candy cane like swirls.

Step 3: For the ombre effect, take a copper paint {we love this metallic paint that we also used here!} and apply a thick coat around the base of the candle.

Step 4: Paint upwards towards the wick until the brush has no more wet paint. Try not to continually add more paint. The key is to apply indiviual long strokes that achieve a really smooth and gradual fade effect. They dry in minutes! Simply start from the opposite end of the candle to create an ombre effect from the wick down.

And voila, you’re done!

This is a seriously quick makeover that you can create, even right before your holiday guests come over. It personalizes ordinary candles and just adds that extra layer of gorge to your holiday decor!

original photography for apartment 34 by Aubrie Pick, original concept & styling by team apartment 34

Gift Wrapping DIY: {Color-Block Presents}

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After we got our feet wet with our first DIY {remember my office closet makeover?}, we knew there was no stopping us! Sure, I’m light years away from becoming a mini-Martha, but I’m currently having a lot more fun perusing the craft aisle now. And since I’m package obsessed {yes, I’ll buy that $8 chocolate bar because it has a cute label!}, I thought why not try a more modern take on gift wrapping this Christmas!

While there are great shimmery gift wrap options at the stores, sometimes they feel a bit repetitive, right? We wanted something unique. A present that involves a little bit more love to put together, but is totally worth it. So get a-goin’ to the craft store because this year, we’re color-blocking our gifts and you should too!

We wanted to pick a singular color palette that had a nod to traditional Christmas colors but felt a little more sophisticated and that could be used all year round. So, we picked green as our starting point in the paper aisle. We chose a rich forest green, added in a light minty-green and mixed in slate grey and black to add a touch of glamour. You’ll want a palette that will compliment your tree or decor {this palette is a great neutral one!} but have fun with it- Christmas no longer has to be red, grass green and white!

Once you choose your paper, all you’ll need is pretty ribbon options {we went for a thin gold wire, black and white twine and a thick green ribbon with a metallic border}, scissors and tape! The easiest way to achieve the color block look is by wrapping the gift 50/50- one side one color, the other side another. But you can get creative- try using three colors or our favorite: setting colors on a diagonal line!

Your friends will seriously be impressed with your gift wrapping skills this giving season if you present them with a present that looks this good. But just be careful because you know when a package is too pretty to rip open? Yeah…that might happen!

Happy wrapping!!

original photography for apartment 34 by Emily Scott | art direction and styling by apartment 34

Idea to Steal {18}: Copper Tape Makeover

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We are obsessed with today’s Idea to Steal. You may remember our growing love for copper and this DIY just solidified it. Copper is the metal of the moment to work with and I love the almost rose gold tone it has. It’s a little bit flirty and looks gorgeous in this fabulously styled room!

Jeanette from BY FRYD has come up with a simple DIY to cover an ugly mirror frame with copper tape. I’ve never used copper tape myself, but from the image it looks like it has a lovely gold leaf quality and texture. It’s apparent we’ve been bit by the DIY bug and might have to just try this idea in the office! What about you?! Have a mirror or something that could use a beautiful copper tape transformation?

image via BY FRYD

Hey Ya’ll I Tried a DIY – and I Liked It!

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Sound the alarm. Alert the people! Apartment 34 dove head first into the realm of DIY this week!! This is a big deal for a self professed DI-buy girl. I’ve tended to take the “lazy” way out, convinced that my creations could never be as good as anything in a store. But with help from my team, I broke out of my comfort zone {and I hate to toot the ol’ horn but…}, we DIY’d something that turned out so many different forms of amazing, I can hardly believe it!

I must first start with a little confession: things haven’t been as organized around here as we may have led you to believe. From hopping on a plane every week to juggling meetings and projects, let’s just say it’s a miracle I’ve even remembered to eat. Things have been shoved behind closed bathroom doors, crammed into cabinets and buried at the bottom of closets – anything to hide the growing mess.

The office closet has suffered the most. You may remember seeing it here and here, always with the doors tightly closed!! I decided it was time to practice what I preach and get back to basics with a good ol’ clean out and DIY upgrade. Here’s how it went down:

We began with the purge. Everything was cleared out {and laid aside to be sorted. Hours of shredding and trips to Goodwill over the weekend and it’s like a breath of fresh air!}. We went so far as to take out the closet shelves in order to give it a fresh coat of white paint, immediately making her look a million times better. However, that was just the beginning. Your closet is actually a great place to have a little fun with design. We wanted to really bring some fun personality by adding pattern so we set out on Pinterest looking for inspiration.

We came across this and loved the bold statement a stripe makes. We just decided to take it a step or two further. We sketched out our plan of doing one big 4” stripe surrounded by asymmetrical smaller ones, one 2” and 1”, on either side for a little riff on a sporty look!

Once we had our supplies in hand: ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape, paint, a handful of brushes and measuring tools, we were set! We wanted a subtle color palette so we chose Chalkboard White as our base and Benjamin Moore’s Sail Cloth as our accent {with a little gold craft paint thrown in for a glam touch}!

We started by finding the middle of the cabinet and marked off every six inches from top to bottom, setting where our big stripe was going to be. Starting from the top, we followed our marks, taping off the middle section. We found it easiest to just use one big piece of ScotchBlue Painters Tape. Trust your eye, if you see your line going a little crooked, double check your measuring and just lift up the tape and rework it. It’s so easy! Then simply paint inside your ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape column.

When the paint is dry to the touch {about 30 mins for a single coat}, lift up the tape. You’ll have a perfect stripe!

A key to making asymmetrical patterns work is to make sure you’re working with the same spacing on both sides of the middle stripe for balance. So we taped off our most outward stripe of the pattern and worked our way back in towards the middle.

During the creative process we felt like challenging ourselves even more. DIY is all about improvisation, right? So, we strayed from our original sketch a little. Thinking another gold painted stripe would be too heavy, we called an audible and used gold striped Washi tape instead!

We also decided to paint the face of each shelf to give an often overlooked detail a touch of shine and glam! We used Martha Stewart’s Metallics line in gold and really liked the reflective quality it has.

Et voila! There you have it. The perfect backdrop for a beautiful cabinet, closet, wall, dresser…the possibilities of where this look can work are endless.

Here’s a little sneak peek of the finished office supply closet! We’re so excited how the entire project turned out. You’ll just have to stay tuned for the full reveal – we promise it’s coming soon!!

organizational items from The Container Store, Dwell Studio and Muji

And of course we had to do a little happy dance when we were done!!

This post is a collaboration with ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape. To join the creative community, visit www.facebook.com/ScotchBlue. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting posts that keep Apartment 34 doors open!

original photography for apartment 34 by aubrie pick // styling and art direction by erin hiemstra

Idea to Steal {12}: Tie One On

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There’s something fabulous about the casual ease of a disheveled light fixture. It gives a stylish yet unpretentious twist to a space. That’s why this DIY light is this week’s Idea to Steal.

I’d love to drop something like this from a high height over an end table as an alternative to a lamp or make one a focal point over my dining table. Sure, there’s some debate among electricians as to their safety, but no one can argue with their seriously cool style!

image for lamų slėnis via koolandkreativ

Idea to Steal {9}: Wonderful Washi Tape

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We all know about the marvels of Washi Tape. The once cult-followed and nearly impossible to find Japanese tape is now ubiquitous in the blogging world. It is the DIYer’s dream.

And while it’s been well-documented that I am not DIY friendly, this is an idea that I might actually steal: Washi Tape frames! We’ve all probably seen a version of washi tape frames floating around the blogosphere. But there are three specific things I love about this one.

First – the mix of colors. The peach is the perfect pop against the black & white photos. The second is the various sizes of the prints. It creates a perfectly balanced vignette.

That balance is further enhanced by the use of the washi tape to create geometric patterns. That’s way more interesting and fun than a regular old square! I’ve got those unframed pieces hanging in the Apartment 34 office.

Maybe I need to try to flex my mini-DIY muscle!

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