new home. new chapter.

i haven't posted in quite some time, but i wanted to share a sneak peek into my new home.  after living in a dark apartment in short north (tinted windows get old), i have moved into a light-filled apartment in the suburbs of good ole' new albany.  after walking into my new place, my first thought was that of carrie's when she walked into "heaven on fifth" and exclaimed, "so THIS is where they keep the light!"  needless to say, i'm pretty darn happy.  after two long days, my apartment is situated and all of my old pieces look new in the bright light of sunshine (kitchen and living room to come).

gramma's beautiful secretary.

reading nook.

time to sleep.

childhood dresser, reinvented at least five times.

new table and chairs.

gramma and grampa's beautiful china cabinet in hot pink.

time to dine.

in a little over a month, i will be moving here.  yes, i am officially moving to the 'burbs and i couldn't be more excited.  this is the first home that i have lived in that will have a dining area (also doubling as my craft space), so a dining set was definitely in order.  i have dreamed of owning a farmhouse table but knew it was way out of my budget.  thankfully, this amazing woman, second to martha stewart in my book, saved the day with her free plans for any size farmhouse table a gal could possibly want.  her step by step instructions were easier than easy.  with the help of my super handy neighbor, jason, we built my dream table in a matter of hours.

naturally, i couldn't have my dream table without a set of equally dreamy chairs.  hence, the hunt began.  for those who don't know me that well, when i want something, i obsess until i find it.  ugliness doesn't scare me... i'm up for any challenge and am convinced that paint and fabric (and a staple gun) can save the world.  after scouring through many a thrift and consignment shop, i found my perfect chairs at a hole in the wall antique shop in columbus ($100 for four chairs? please and thank you).

yesterday morning, my chairs looked like the above (i must say, something about walnut stained wood makes me want to vomit).  yesterday afternoon, a few coats of spray paint brought these babies to life! turquoise dining chairs? why not!

today, i went to the fabric store in hopes of finding a colorful floral or traditional ikat.  of course, i instantly fell in love with this fabulous navy and off-white chevron.  i tried to erase it from my memory as i searched for something different, but my heart had decided.  chevron it is.  predictable? maybe. boring? absolutely not.

 i was feeling a bit of a disconnect between the fabric and the brightly painted chairs, so why not paint an accent chevron?  does that make me slightly less predictable? probably not.

at the end of the day, i am thrilled with my new dining set.  now, i have to patiently wait to put it to use in my new home.  lets hope this next month goes fast or i may planting a dining set in the middle of my current, 590 square foot apartment. 

hand made chevron shades (and a little peak into my old room)

handmade roman shades were a bit trickier than i imagined, but they turned out fabulous in the end.  the white and yellow chevron brightened up my room and popped against the dark woodwork.  i am now living in columbus, but, at the time of these photos, i was living in my tiny bedroom in dayton (many closets are larger than my room). the roman shades made it homier and blended in nicely with my eclectic array of furniture and decor.

chevroned wall

my little sister's room was in dire need of a makeover, so, a little over a year ago, i took my first journey into chevron-dom and never turned back.  this wall was the bane of my existence, with all of the measuring, leveling and taping.  in the end, i am extremely jealous that it is in her room and not mine.

new life to an old desk

 up-cycling is one of my favorite hobbies.  it is so fun to take an old, worn down piece of furniture and make it new again.  i do not refinish/refurbish furniture, nor do i claim to know how, but i do know how to add a bold, unexpected color to an old desk and turn it into a kitchen island (complete with casters and a butcher block counter top).  living in a 550 square foot apartment with the tiniest of tiny kitchens, being resourceful is a must! my 1 square foot of counter space just wasn't going to cut it, so my kitchen island came to life and i love it dearly.

namesake

as you have probably gathered from my blog name, i have an unhealthy obsession with chevron.  chevron fabric, chevron furniture, chevron decor, chevron clothing... chevrons are essentially taking over my home.  they are so chic, simple and bold.  why not add them to my walls? 

my life, 9-5

a little over a year ago, i began my professional career at Justice, designing girlcare and footwear.  i now "own" the footwear department and have been giving the ultimate gift in the corporate world... design freedom (to a certain extent) as an assistant designer.  i rarely show what i do in my 9-5 life, so thought i would spotlight some of my most recent designs that just hit stores.  <3 Justice