A Secret Garden Shed in Wales

Dear Chicago House,

Who knew that jet lag would have me out working in the garden at 7.30 am. By 9.30 this morning I had completed an entire dead head, hedge trim and general tidy up of my whole garden.

I have just returned from a holiday in Wales - a surprise visit to my Mum and Dad's, to celebrate a big birthday.

They have the most fantastic garden and anyone following on Facebook will have seen a few teaser photos last week.

Their garden is like a series of "green rooms" lush and intresting.

I especially love the secret garden sheds

look at the living mossy roof

And who says you can't dress up shed windows with a pair of pretty curtains.

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: Garden, Photography, Windows

Something on the walls! Office decor progress

Dear Chicago House,

Let me start off saying a big thank you to all the birthday wishes last Friday. In that post you did have a little teaser to the progress I am making in my office, it seems to take me ages to get anything done around here but at last I am making headway. I have already shared  the paint job which took years off you, going from drab brown to a fresh "aqua breeze"

Now I have got around to  hanging some art on your walls, this takes me a little longer than the "normal human" because I am a self confessed art snob wanting pieces that are completely unique and insisting on creating everything myself.

Tadaaa!

I got handy,dandy with the drill and installed an Ikea Lack shelf then came my creations, the Sea and Sand string art (it was destined for the St Louis town house but I just love it here!), some gorgeous sea glass, a box frame of simple polished pebbles and some rope vases for some arty supplies.

And pulling back a little here is my desk
 

And lets take a little flash back in time to see what was.

Arrgghgh

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: Beachy, Before and After Magic, Brown Makes Me Frown, Decor, decorating, On the Wall, wall art, Windows

How to make a roman blind from a cellular blind

Dear Chicago House,

You remember the horror of your window treatments when we moved in right? They quickly got ripped down but I did leave in place a few of those cellular blinds. They are functional but rather bland so I thought I'd try a spice one up and make a custom roman blind with NO DESTRUCTION to the cellular blind. How great is that, particularly if you are in rented accommodation and want to make the place more "your own". Or if you are a decorator and you tire of a fabric..you know how that goes.

So we have gone from this...

 to this

So how do you make a roman blind from a cellular blind? Here is how

What you need

Tape measure
Scissors
Light weight fabric
Scrap fabric strips
Thin wooden dowels (Jo-Anns)
Saw
Velcro tape
Hot glue gun
Light weight thread or string
Two magnets

Sewing the blind

1. Measure your blind
2. Add 5" to the width and 10" to the height. Cut out a piece of fabric to these dimensions.
3. Hem all sides so that you final fabric is 2" wider than the cellular blind and sew a strip of velcro across the top of the fabric.
   
   
   
4. Using a hot glue to stick the other half of the velcro to the top of your cellular blind.
5. Cut your dowels so they are about 1" less than the width of your fabric.
6. Wrap them in strips of scrap fabric (I used old curtain lining) and sew the sleeve into place using a zipper foot. The dowel should extend past the end of the sleeve by about 1"
   
   
7. Work out how many fold you'd like your blind to have and measure position the dowels on the back of your fabric so they are evenly spaced. Pin into place then sew, again using a zipper foot ...this is the trickiest part of the whole project.Snip any excess fabric away from the dowel sleeves.
   
   

Congratulations you now have a roman blind ...now to hang it!

Hanging the blind

1. Attach the fabric to the top of the cellular blind using the velcro you have already glued up there.
2. Take a look at the side of the blind and see which cells lie closest to your dowels. Mark these cells with pins and then pin the fabric out of the way to give you space to work.
3. Cut lengths of lightweight string about 15" wider than your cellular blind. Tie one piece around a small magnet. Insert into one of your marked cells then use the other magnet to pull the thread through the blind until it pops out of the other side. Repeat for all your marked cells.
   
   
   
4. Unpin the fabric and tie the thread you have just threaded to the dowels.
   
   
   

And you are done!
The blind is fully operational using the mechanism from the cellular blind.

Love from

Creative in Chicago

XX

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Categories: DIY, How to, Tutorials, Windows

Decorating: A dining room before and after

Dear Chicago House,

I thought it was about time I shared another decorating before and after with you. This time it is the dining room, I am very slow at getting things ship shape and with all of your rooms this is "in progress" but worthy of a share.

Lets start with the before and hey guess what color you were? That's right, another brown/beige room complete with hideous curtains.

And by the wave of my internet wand here we have the room as it is today, and oh so fresh after years of brown. Behold the magic of paint!

Out with

• Dark brown trim
• A chair rail that was too low
• 1980's window treatments
• Beige walls and yikes,wallpaper

In with

• White painted trim
• A better placement of the chair rail
• Cream walls with a fresh pop of turquoise (Behr Maiden Voyage) for a contemporary feel
• Lots of natural light
• Simple gromet curtains(Henley Rand from Ikea)
• Furniture!
• Some greenery - no silk plants for me

To Do

• Wall art ...I have something in progress
• Removal of that funky chandelier
• Purchase of a new light

This is such a cheerful room to come into


Love from


Creative in Chicago

XX

Categories: Before and After Magic, Brown Makes Me Frown, Decor, decorating, Paint it baby, Windows

Decorating a Sun room: progress

Dear Chicago House,

Forgive me if I am mistaken but isn't a sun room for a little light therapy", painting it a yucky dark color and filling it will heavy furniture sort of defeats the object don't you think. I mean look at yourself, you should be ashamed

But that was during the reign of your previous owners and this is now.

Bye bye to

• Weird ceiling beams ( they were decorative ??? anyway)
• Gross green walls...this was the only room in the house where the walls were not brown
• Wood stained trim
• A valance that extended the whole perimeter of the room

Hello to

• White woodwork
• Simple ceiling
• Fresh neutral walls
• Light

The room is not finished yet, I need a coffee table of sorts and some lamps, but it is a fabulous place to lounge.


Love from

Creative in Chicago

XXX

linking with

notjustahousewife | homestoriesa2z | addicted2decorating |  flamingotoes.com/ homemakeronadime.com | .iheartnaptime.net | sistersofthewildwest

Categories: Before and After Magic, Brown Makes Me Frown, Paint it baby, Windows

Guest Room Makeover: Before and After Reveal

Dear Chicago House,

Are you excited? Over the next few months you have lots of family members visting you ...all the way from the UK.

Now, do you think they will feel welcome in a guest room which is dark and dreary with shag pile carpet and "oh my god look at those drapes"  ?

I think not. So lets fast forward and see how your guest bedroom looks now.

I think this light airy room will be much more their cup of tea, don't you?

Out with

• Shag pile carpet
• Brown Trim
• Brown walls
• Heavy drapes
• The necessity to have two lights on in broad day light

In with

• Fresh soft green walls
• New light carpet
• Simple gromet curtains
• Loads of natural light
• A comfy bed ready to dive into
• An empty dresser, ready for your guests to fill.

I know which version of the room I would rather lay down my head in!

Love from

Creative in Chicago

xx

HandymanCrafywoman | Home stories A2Z | homemakeronadime | sistersofthewild | notjustahousewife | adiamondinthestuff | bunnyjeans | livelaughandcraaft | addicted2decorating |

Categories: Before and After Magic, Brown Makes Me Frown, Paint it baby, Windows

Master Bedroom Curtains: makeover update

Dear Chicago House,

Hurray, I can dance naked in my bedroom... at last you have curtains on the windows! I debated long and hard about what to do for window treatments. I wanted privacy but maintain the lovely light that fills you. The last thing I wanted to do was go overboard as your previous owners had and make the room a dark and drab chamber.( see photo of master bedroom progress)

Roman blinds, mini blinds, curtains, double pole, single pole, lights and airy , patterned?...choices, choice, choices!

Good old IKEA came to the rescue and I was so please with the way the curtains I had hung in the master bedroom of the sibling house had turned out, I decided that was the way to go for you too.

With a total of six windows I thought something plain yet elegant would work best and the grommet tops add a contemporary touch.

This master bedroom is well on its way to recovery after years in darkness! ( see horrible window treatments here)

Love From

Creative in Chicago

XX

Linking with

Addicted 2 Decorating | Home Stories A 2 Z | blog.addicted2decorating.com

Categories: Before and After Magic, Pretty, Windows

Let there be Light

Dear Chicago House,

You have such lovely windows, and so many of them. Why do you cover them in horrible window treatments? Swags, valances, blinds, heavy drapes. I am sorry they have to go.

Love from

Creative in Chicago
XXX

Categories: Windows