how to create an organized - and attractive - playroom

clock July 29, 2010 16:20 by author Traci Zeller

Another lesson learned:  I should never promise a post on Thursdays.  Charlie has occupational therapy and physical therapy on the other side of town, so it is always a hectic day.  For that reason, it's the one day of the week that I try to never take client appointments.

But ... it's only 10 pm EST so technically I'm still posting on Thursday.  Whew! So, without further adieu, here's the new and improved playroom.

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To my great chagrin (at the effort required, that is), I repainted the IKEA Trofast frames using Valspar Spray Paint in flat Velvet Brown ... and followed that with the Miniwax Polyurethane Spray in Gloss (which was WAY easier than the Wipe-On Poly). I also had cushions made for the top -- out of Spirodots from Premier Prints -- so that the frames function as (comfortable) extra seating ... or a nice spot for an impromptu nap!

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Can you tell that there's a train table between the two "banks" of IKEA Trofast frames?  When the boys outgrow Thomas, I'll replace the train table with bean bags or something to make that space a fun area to just hang out and play.  The cable outlet is also behind these Trofast frames -- so, if I ever break down and decide to let them have a TV or video games in their playroom (don't hold your breath, boys), I should be able to use the frames to hold the components.

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My favorite part of the playroom, however, is the Polaroid on the outside of each storage box.  I simply photographed a sampling of the box's contents and wrote a description of the contents on the bottom of the Polaroid.  I know it's not pretty -- but my twin boys can't read yet.  Now, however, they can visually see exactly what belongs in each storage box.  In other words, there are no excuses for not picking up after themselves!  Now, they know exactly where everything belongs.

I also wrote the description in hopes of encouraging their association of written words with objects.  Once my twins learn to read, I will replace the Polaroids with vinyl lettering.

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Books live in these bins, which you can also see in the original photos.

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Here's the bulletin board in action -- keep in mind that it's not "styled" at all, but just how it looks every day.  Right now, I'm using it for their responsibility charts (at the bottom), their Monster Truck flags (awesome, right?) and photos of  family and friends.  Once school starts in the fall, I'm sure the top will start to fill up with artwork.

So what do you think?  You know I love the saying, "a place for everything and everything in its place."  I think that totally worked in the playroom!

PS - This is my first post using MarsEdit.  It's not Windows Live Writer, but I think I like it!  It is soooo much better than Blogo.  Please forgive any funky formatting while I get used to it.

Wondering how to make your home elegant and practical?  Call me at 704.953.6096 or send me an email at traci@tracizeller.com to discuss how I can help!

Like this post?  Be sure to subscribe to my RSS Feeds!  Or, to view this blog through Facebook, click "Follow this Blog" in the NetworkedBlogs box.  You can also find me on Twitter, @tracizeller, and on Facebook, where my fan page is www.facebook.com/TraciZellerDesigns.  Thanks for reading!

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tzd spotlight: visiting mrs. howard

clock March 15, 2010 17:53 by author Traci Zeller

Another one of my posts for the Remote Stylist went out on Monday via their daily Style Library email; click here to view the email on the web … or just read on!  Also take a quick minute to sign up for the Remote Stylist newsletters.  Not only will you get to read what I have to say about the latest in Charlotte, but you’ll also get the hometown scoop from some of my favorite bloggers, including Shay at the Designer Detective and Paloma at La Dolce Vita.  And now for the tzd spotlight on Mrs. Howard …

Whether you live in Charlotte or just happen to be in the area, you absolutely must pay a visit to the Mrs. Howard and Max and Company showrooms, located together in the fully restored former Charlotte Women’s Club building on Morehead Street near downtown Charlotte. Phoebe and Jim Howard purchased the building – designed by Charlotte architect Charles Hook, completed in 1925 and awarded historical landmark designation in 1978 – in mid-2008 and completed the extensive renovation in time for the store’s opening in January 2009. As Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams commented during their recent visit, Mrs. Howard is truly the most beautiful furniture store in the country. Think I’m exaggerating? Just take a peek at these pictures.

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Not only are the furnishings – by some of my favorite manufacturers including  Hickory Chair, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams and Oly Studio, as well as custom pieces – and accessories exquisite, but the architecture of the building is absolutely stunning. You don’t find millwork like that in new construction! In fact, the feeling you get from the store is as though you have walked into the most remarkable private home … and you wish you could move right in! Of course, Phoebe Howard is a renowned designer, who has been featured in magazines including House Beautiful, Elle Décor and Southern Accents – so it is no surprise that everything, from the window treatments to the floor coverings to the tablescapes, reflects her signature aesthetic. Mrs. Howard is also a great source for unique gifts, ranging from the latest design books, candles or interesting tabletop items like a bone-handled magnifying glass or the glass salt-and-pepper shaker sets that I couldn’t resist buying for two friends.

Unable to visit in person? You can keep up with the latest arrivals – and live vicariously – through Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper, a blog written by Leah Kennelly. The Howards also have stores in Atlanta, Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach, so you can add those to your “must visit” list as well!

Need help selecting furniture for your home?  I’d love to help!  Email me at traci@tracizeller.com

Like this post?  Be sure to subscribe to my RSS Feeds!  Or, to view this blog through Facebook, click "Follow this Blog" in the NetworkedBlogs box.  You can also find me on Twitter, @tracizeller, and on Facebook, where my fan page is www.facebook.com/TraciZellerDesigns.  Thanks for reading!

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tzd diy: constructing a cornice board

clock March 14, 2010 18:14 by author Traci Zeller

Before I share the finished photos of Darling Boy’s precious nursery, I just have to rave about Jenny’s pelmet box tutorial!  (By the way, I call them cornice boards.  Six of one, half-dozen of the other!  You say toe-may-to and I say toe-mah-to!) 

Initially, I was a little bit – ok, more than a little bit – hesitant.  Foam core board?  Seriously?  Plus, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m really rather picky – so I just wasn’t sure that I could make something “perfect” enough to make me happy.  But the photos that Jenny and other Little Green Notebook readers shared convinced me that the tutorial was worth a try – especially, as here, when you want something easy and inexpensive. 

Of course, this is a great solution for renters.  But what I’ve decided, however, is that cornice boards out of foam core board are an especially brilliant idea in children’s rooms.  First, their rooms tend to change every few years as they grow – in other words, a lot more frequently than a master bedroom or guest room.  So it makes sense that you might not want to invest much in a custom window treatment, especially if you want something “fun” that won’t be versatile for the long term.  [I digress to offer bad news to my toddler twins:  Mommy invested in custom window treatments for your nursery, so you won’t be getting anything else any time soon!] 

Second, are you familiar with the song “Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed?”   Well, most of the little monkeys I know do a lot more than jumping on the bed.  My monkeys haven’t climbed the window treatments – probably because they know that I would have a heart attack – but some of their other twin friends have … including The Darlings!  The Darlings pulled their (wooden) cornice boards down while playing, and it’s minor miracle that they weren’t injured in the process!  Point being, I think a cornice board made out of foam core board is a fabulous idea from the safety perspective – because it’s not heavy enough to hurt anyone if it is somehow (ahem!!) pulled down. 

That all being said, Mommy Darling and I still had to make the cornice boards.  So we whipped out our supplies – the Exacto knife, duct tape, staple gun, foam core board and batting – and got to work. 

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At this point, I’m still thinking that they look a little bit slapdash. 

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But as the batting comes on, it starts to look better, and I’m feeling hopeful! 

Of course, as the cornice boards were finished, the problem became how to hang them.  Daddy Darling was a little baffled by Jenny’s instructions (really, isn’t hanging them the easy part???), so I trolled through the comments looking for suggestions or further clarification.  What stuck out was this suggestion from Cara:

I was perplexed on the hanging instructions so I used a safety pin that I fastened vertically to the top inside of each end. Then I hung the "ring" part of the safety pin on a nail head.

That’s what Daddy Darling ended up doing – and it worked just great!  Stay tuned for the reveal! 

Need design help?  Email me at traci@tracizeller.com to talk about how I can help!

Like this post?  Be sure to subscribe to my RSS Feeds!  Or, to view this blog through Facebook, click "Follow this Blog" in the NetworkedBlogs box.  You can also find me on Twitter, @tracizeller, and on Facebook, where my fan page is www.facebook.com/TraciZellerDesigns.  Thanks for reading!

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it’s friday; i’m in love – the finial company

clock January 29, 2010 08:14 by author Traci Zeller

I’ve been on a quest for drapery hardware for my dining room.  I mean, I am finally getting curtains made – you know what they say about the cobbler’s children have no shoes, right? – and it just won’t do that I can’t put them up.  But it’s been a tougher search than I expected.  So many companies either don’t offer any finials that I like – too fussy!  too ornate! – or don’t have the finish that I need.  Until now.  Enter The Finial Company!  Seriously, with a name like The Finial Company, how could they not carry something that fits my clean and modern, yet classic aesthetic??  The Finial Company also offers an amazing array of finishes – really, I don’t know any other line at its price point that has such a great selection – so I knew I’d be able to find the finish I needed. 

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What do you think?  It’s part of the Neo-Classics collection, which I think describes it perfectly.  I love how the finial is almost the “typical” crystal ball … but not quite.  I think the little “bubbles” are fabulous.  I’m still waiting on the finish samples – pewter is shown in the photo - but I will likely go with silver patina or platinum.  Now my drapery hardware really will be the jewelry my windows “deserve!”

Where did you find your drapery hardware?  Are you interested in drapery hardware from The Finial Company?  It’s sold to the design trade only, but I’d be glad to help you!       

Photo from Read Window

Like this post?  Be sure to subscribe to my RSS Feeds!  Or, to view this blog through Facebook, click "Follow this Blog" in the NetworkedBlogs box.  You can also find me on Twitter, @tracizeller, and on Facebook, where my fan page is www.facebook.com/TraciZellerDesigns.  Thanks for reading!

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the foremost imponderables of all time

clock January 7, 2010 10:30 by author Traci Zeller

I have been trying hard to answer a question emailed by Molly M. from Charlotte, but it has proven more difficult than I expected!  I’ll fill you in more later, but basically we are trying to match a paint color that I am fairly certain was custom-mixed … perhaps by Duron, which – now that Duron was purchased by Sherwin-Williams – no longer uses the same paint colorants that it used to use.  I’ve gotten sooooo very close  … but what I have needs a tweak.  So today’s post is unfortunately brief and tomorrow I’ll be headed to visit Frank at Eastway Paint for some of his expert mixing.  I look forward to giving Molly M. – and you – the answer in the near future, but – until then – I’ll let you contemplate “the foremost imponderables of all time.”  Ha ha! 

Miscellaneous 046  Sign at Eastway Paint – because yes, everyone always wants to know where Frank is … and when will he be back!

Like this post?  Be sure to subscribe to my RSS Feeds!  Or, to view this blog through Facebook, click "Follow this Blog" in the NetworkedBlogs box.  You can also find me on Twitter, @tracizeller, and on Facebook, where my fan page is www.facebook.com/TraciZellerDesigns.  Thanks for reading!

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picture perfect

clock November 14, 2009 17:18 by author Traci Zeller

picturewall mix

Hanging pictures can be a total pain!  I can definitely do it, but it’s far from my favorite task.  If I have a lot to hang, or am working on a complicated arrangement, I will often call Eric Olson.  Eric is an artist in his own right (who happens to be represented by my favorite gallery in Charlotte) but also a professional picture hanger.  It makes my life easier, and – because he is so good at what he does - it’s cost-effective as well.  He just hung some pictures for The Bachelorette (finally!), and it made a world of difference in the rooms.  Measure this, measure that, tap the nail, check to make sure it’s level … and it’s perfect every time.  Three cheers for Eric!

If paying a professional picture hanger is not in the budget, however, let me share an amazing DIY option for creating a photo gallery - The Picturewall Company and its signature product, the Perfectpicturewall.  With the Perfectpicturewall, you get 10 picture frames – in either one or two inch widths, with your choice of finish – and corresponding archival mats, hanging hardware, and fabulous templates for hanging the frames in a large rectangle (your choice of four different positions) or up a staircase (your choice of two directions).  To create larger arrangements, just add another set … or two … or three.  The easy guidelines will show you how to combine the templates.

Don’t have enough photos to fill the frames?  No worries!  The Picturewall Company also gives you access to their image gallery, so you can choose images that fit your style.  Replace them later … or maybe not if you like them that much!  I think they’ve got some really cool choices.  Wouldn’t this set be perfect in a modern nursery or playroom?   

Now this DIY is just my speed – the work has already been done for you!  Thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, Maria with Colour me Happy, for cluing me in on this product! 

Photo from The Picturewall Company

Like this post?  Be sure to subscribe to my RSS Feeds!  Or, to view this blog through Facebook, click "Follow this Blog" in the NetworkedBlogs box.  You can also find me on Twitter, @tracizeller, and on Facebook, where my fan page is www.facebook.com/TraciZellerDesigns.  Thanks for reading!  

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tzd alert: boyles ultimate furniture clearance sale

clock September 29, 2009 15:37 by author Traci Zeller

Ooooooohhhhh, I just got word about Boyles Ultimate Furniture Clearance Sale!  They're advertising 60,000 square feet full of manufacturer-authorized markdowns on samples, overstocks, discontinued product and lightly damaged furniture from all of my favorite brands - Baker, Hickory Chair, Henredon, Ralph Lauren, Hancock & Moore and more.  The sale is Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Boyles Corporate Facility in Conover, North Carolina.  Download the flyer for all of the details, including a map. 

I'm heading up there on Thursday for a private preview.  Fingers crossed that I come home with something fun.  Let me know if you are looking for anything in particular, and I'll keep an eye out! 

warehouse sale ad.pdf (208.12 kb)

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stark on sale

clock September 3, 2009 16:24 by author Traci Zeller

Charlotte is really lucky to be home to some fabulous high-end showrooms - Walker Zanger, Stark CarpetKaren Saks, Brunschwig & Fils, and so on.  With the exception of Walker Zanger, however, all of these showrooms are "to the trade only" - meaning that you have to be with a designer in order to shop.  But here's something you might not know about the Stark Carpet showroom.  It also has a fantastic outlet, where you can find broadloom (wall to wall) carpet and area rugs ... and the outlet is open to the public!   Susan, my very knowledgeable sales associate at Stark, emailed me today to let me know that they are having a sale on everything in the outlet.  I'm hoping I might find something for The Bachelorette's living room.  Maybe then you'll get some "after" photos! 

Stark is conveniently located off I-77.  The address is 11415 Granite Street, Suite A - don't worry; you can't miss it - and they are open Monday through Friday from 9 to 6 and Saturday from 10 to 6.   So head over there and check it out ... and don't forget to ask for Susan.  Let me know what you find!  

Photo from Stark Carpet

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tzd alert: more sales!

clock August 28, 2009 16:02 by author Traci Zeller

Remember this post?  Well, Graham & Brown is offering 20% off the "Frames" wallpaper, now through August 31, with the code "SummerSale."  So act fast!

In the mood for more than wallpaper?  Baker Furniture (you know I love them so!) is having their Fall Sale through October 19, with special discounts on Baker, Milling Road and McGuire furniture, lighting and accessories.  For an even better deal on Baker, head to Boyles Distinctive Furniture ASAP!  Boyles - probably Charlotte's largest Baker dealer - is offering a special "tax break sale" through August 31, during which they'll give you a discount equal to the sales tax amount on your furniture, bedding or accessory purchase. 

Happy shopping!   specistorewide discount equal to the
sales tax amount on your furniture, bedding or accessory purchase

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happy housewarming!

clock August 28, 2009 15:51 by author Traci Zeller

I may have stumbled across the perfect housewarming gift.  (Well, technically speaking, Daily Candy turned me on to it.  Whatever.) 

But how cute is this?  What a fun way to always know which key is your house key ... among all of those others that you aren't sure what they belong to any longer!  You just buy the blank and take it to your local locksmith to cut to fit your door locks.  Love it!   

Photo from Stat Key Company

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Traci Zeller

Traci Zeller is best known for her clean, sophisticated mix of classic and modern pieces, which results in luxurious and elegant, yet livable, rooms. As a busy wife, mother and volunteer, Traci understands her clients' desire to have beautiful rooms that are also functional for today's active lifestyles. Traci's clients are well-served by her passion for style, appreciation of art and practical perspective. Traci found herself pulled into design after spending significant time helping friends and neighbors with their own homes. Traci founded her firm in 2003. Traci is an associate member of the Interior Design Society.  Traci's email address is traci@tracizeller.com.  

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