Patrician Court Welcomes You!

Alright y’all, I KNOW, it’s way janky that I haven’t shared any sass since May…some folks are no doubt malnourished, having hijinks withdrawals… But, in addition to moving into a fabulous apartment in none other than the esteemed Patrician Court building —think Melrose Place of Lefferts Gardens Brooklyn, minus the pool!

And because moving apartments wasn’t enough, I also got married, went on an incredible honeymoon in Costa Rica and even went back to my natural color, blonde. (Dying it brown just became too much for me with everything on my plate—y’all know how it is! Shut the... **ck you!)

Our new apt is 2 bedrooms, with good bones: parquet floors, cool black & white tiled bath, amazing light and nicely sized, box-shaped rooms. The best part? We have 5 closets up in here, y’all! Yes, I wrote 5!!! For those not living in NYC, closets here are virtually nonexistent. To have 5 in one apt, is like discovering that the $20 thrift store Saarinen rip off you almost didn't buy, is 100%-sticker-intact-authentic! Damn! There’s so many closets, y’all, I’ve turned one of them into my own prop closet-- A prop stylists dream! (A dream that I’ll be sharing right here, with y’all! That’s right, folks! Stay tuned for dreams!) In fact, I’ll be sharing A TON of Patrician Projects with y’all, b/c the punch list for this new apt. is full-on insane! Until then, chew on some of these ‘before’ shots, I can’t have none of y’all getting’ hangry (angry + hungry) while you wait for more style nourishment:

Oh, and of course, I’m still working on Disa’s Maplewood manse…so, in addition to dreams, expect to see some Disaronno glam goodness. Wallpaper, Chandeliers, Roman Shades and area rugs are runnin’ rampant in NJ! Y’all, you’re gonna be backslapped!

Y'all need REHAB!

Y’all, there’s been a lot of glamour going on in my world recently, so please forgive my lapse in posts. The biggest is that we’ve moved into a new apartment, which y’all will be learning a lot more about right here... holla, new decorating hijinks!!! The other is the completion of our first episode in a new web-series I’ve developed called, Style Rehab. If the title doesn’t convey it enough, it’s a show about stylish ways to rehab, or rehabilitate, one’s space. Our first episode features Andrea, who’s in dire need of some craft corner style love. Watch and enjoy and of course, I welcome your comments! And if any of y’all are in need of a serious intervention, Style Rehab is taking on new patients! Send me an email of your ailments, we’ll get you good and fixed-up!

Locker of Love

One of the best dumpster dives I ever had was when I still lived on Status Island, NY (a.k.a. Staten Island)…yes, y’all, I called the oft-forgot borough home for three years! And what a sweet home it was… top floor a an old grain warehouse, at least 3500 sq feet of space... and my bedroom, which doubled as my rehearsal space was complete with ballet bars and a wall of mirrors! Strictly for rehearsals, ahem, of course! Oh shiot! Me and my creative partner, Alane, dubbed the place Chateau Monroe. She's still rockin' it there, click here for a peek at the fabulous pics she's taken of the Chateau!

Chateau is directly across the street from an elementary school, which provided more street side bounty than y'all can shake a stick at! One dive unearthed the locker pictured here. In perfect condition, aside from the random sticker & used stick of deodorant, this was a major score! Lockers (or any metal cabinets for that matter) always get me at “hello” for their industrial hotness and versatility as storage workhorses. The repurposing possibilities are endless! So, hello to my new DVD cabinet! This find was also extraordinary b/c almost a year earlier, Alane and I had found an identical locker at the same school! Now I had double locker love, y’all! Who doesn’t adore a twin?!

After a thorough scrub out I stripped the green paint using paint remover. Now, this is labor intensive beyond belief, y’all, but I love the look of unfinished steel and I’d already done the same treatment to the matching locker. Follow the included instructions on your paint remover can. You can also make the process as fast as possible with some power tool help. I used an electric sander and a sander drill attachment. Note: when using any kind of sand paper, you’ll get scratch marks in the steel or whatever metal you’re uncovering. But, to keep the marks at a minimum, remember that the finer the grade of sandpaper, the smaller the marks. Also, stripping the paint in the same direction and with the same amount of pressure to the power tool will keep the marks consistent and much less noticeable. If y’all are totally OCD and just can’t stand marks, then there’s always scraping the whole piece with a hand scraper. But y’all will definitely need to have some alcohol on hand for that process! Stripping paint is no joke, so to save the remainder of my sanity, I just kept the institutional green finish on the inside of the locker. No one cares what's going on inside when the outside looks so damn good, as witnessed in the glam opening shot!

Once stripped, I sealed the locker with Butcher’s Bowling Alley Wax. This amazing product seals the piece to prevent oxidization, or rust. It also leaves a really nice matte finish. If you don’t want to use wax, you can also use a polyurethane, but y’all can’t skip this step or you’ll RUSTgret it! Get it?! Oh genius!

Finally, I measured and prepped the locker for wood shelving, (which I had cut at Lowe’s). This involved drilling what seemed to be about 500 holes into both sides of the locker. These holes would accommodate the L brackets that would support my wood shelves. Make sure y’all measure twice on this part, b/c once you’ve drilled into metal, you can’t really patch it! Five shelves later, I’ve got industrial storage chic-ness that houses a massive movie collection, with growing room too!

Y'all, won't you fulfill my destiny by sharing some of your repurposed furniture goodness with me? Send an email to blog@pjmehaffey.com and I'll share in a future post.  Take us there!

Top photo by Hector Sanchez

My space gets *sponged!

Y’all, it’s official, my style destiny has been fulfilled! Our apartment is going to be featured in the upcoming design*sponge book!!! I love design*sponge blog, so it was a complete thrill to learn our apartment had been chosen for inclusion in their first book on stylish spaces.

The amazingly talented Hector Sanchez shot our apartment back in October…it was a whirlwind photo shoot, but a labor of love since it so beautifully captures all of the hard work Dylan and I have put into our space over the past three years. Can’t wait to see the book in Fall 2010!

A Lamp and a Beagle

New York City is pretty amazing in a lot of ways, but a stand-out for me, is the TRASH. Uh-huh, that’s right. Any given sidewalk can be a treasure trove of all kinds of things- furniture, art, lighting...if you can think of it, it’s probably been found on a sidewalk here. (Now don't go there... you dirty boys and girls!) It makes sense too, b/c the sidewalk is where our trash collection happens.  But it’s also just easy for most folks who are getting rid of unwanted items to put them out on the sidewalk. Once you’ve struggled down five flights of stairs with a dresser on your back, you’re pretty much done with the thing at that point. And that’s when someone else’s backache becomes my sidewalk salvation, y’all!  And trust that I’m not alone in this revelry. Discovering some completely unexpected find is not only exciting, but outright joyful for a lot of people like me.

So it was the other morning when I was out walking our newest family member, Brandon!  Adopted from the ASPCA, he's a little over a year old and a total love. He's been with us now for about a month and we adore him!  Just look at those dancing skills... Having to walk a dog at the most insane hours takes some getting used to, but on the plus side, it's another amazing opportunity for some incredible sidewalk shopping, let me tell y'all! And this lamp I found the other day is no exception. Now, I guess some people would be deterred by the missing shade, or harp (that bit that holds the shade up from the bulb), or just can’t be bothered with lighting b/c you never know if it works until you get it home. But, with all my years of experience and expertise with all things trashy (remember I grew up in Goose Creek, SC), these are just minor inconveniences. Besides, part of the joy involved in finding treasure, for me, is the rehabilitation and reinvention process.  A great sidewalk score is wonderful, but bringing it back to life with your own unique flourishes is what gets me going.  Sure, it can pricey, laborious, sometimes even toxic (if we’re talking about stripping paint or some such) but y’all gotta give to get glamour!  Lookin’ good is hard work, Damn!

Once I’d tested that the lamp worked by saying a prayer and then plugging it in (hooray, it did), I gave it a good cleaning. I just used a damp rag with diluted Murphy’s Oil Soap, since the neck and base of the lamp are wood.  When it was dry, I applied Linseed Oil to the wooden bits.  Linseed oil is a terrific conditioner for all types of wood. You can find it at hardware stores. I often use it in lieu of having to refinish an entire piece.

I got a new harp and shade for the lamp at Just Shades.  They have an almost dizzying array of shades, but their staff is friendly, knowledgeable and patient. Bless staffer Bonnie Engelson’s heart, who graciously helped me during the two visits I made in order to get exactly what I wanted.

Lampshade breakdown, y’all:  like the perfect accessory to an outfit, the right shade can take your lamp to a "whole 'notha level"!  They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes as well as various materials, like silk, linen or parchment.  They’re available ready made or can be custom, for all those out there where money is no object. Prices can be just as varied as the styles available. Home decorating magazines or catalogs are great sources to find shades and lamp styles that you like.  I prefer paper drum shades. I find that by using the same type of shade on all the different styles of lamps in my space, it ties them all together for a more cohesive look.  But, again, like accessories to your outfit, pick a style, or silhouette that you like (some of us like bow ties, ahem) or that you feel is the strongest pairing for the individual lamp. There are some other factors, aside from the silhouette, to consider, such as the size/scale of the shade and the intended function of your lamp. Is this a reading lamp or just a glam drama light moment in your space?  All these things need to be considered when choosing the shade. I encourage y’all to spend some time on the Just Shades website where you can find out more detailed info like how to measure a shade, take a peek at different silhouettes, materials, etc.

Alright onto the reveal! Ohhhh, ahhhhh! I’m thrilled with the way it turned out and even more excited by the fact that with a little $$ and some elbow grease, I now have a stylish one of a kind lamp (and dog) to illuminate my life beyond belief...

Do y'all have any street finds that you'd want to share? Send them to me and I'll post them: blog@pjmehaffey.com