Pepper Design Blog

Favorite Trend: Black & Chalkboard Accent Walls

What are your thoughts on black walls? I think they’re kinda cool. An accent wall here or there in a strong color can really make a room pop, and an entirely black room can give the illusion of a larger, open space (it doesn’t really make a room smaller as most people assume) while still exuding that intimate atmosphere.

My favorite technique is painting your accent wall with chalkboard paint for instant creativity! Now the grocery list, kid’s artwork and favorite quotes can be displayed for all to see (and erased as quickly as it went up).

What do you think? Would you ever paint a wall or room black?

A black wall helps artwork and wall collages to prominently stand out:

And can bring a sophisticated coziness to a small den:

Chalkboard walls are my favorite in the kitchen and bedroom. Choosing a pop of color (like turquoise) helps balance the darker background.

Keep in mind there are many different types of black so before you grab the nearest pitch black gallon of paint, determine if your room would benefit from a blue-black, deep midnight color or dark gray. You’re best bet is a matte – avoid the glossies.

If you’re not a black-wall-type-of-person, not to worry – but if you are, there are four more delicious examples after the jump! Plus credits for all of the images. Read more »

DIY Tutorial: Turning a Coffee Table into an Ottoman

The living room redecorating project is slowly coming along… and this week I had the chance to finish one of my big diy refashions. Using one of my favorite fabrics I turned a vintage coffee table into a tufted ottoman.

Here’s a quick recap of the inspiration board for the room (to see the before photos and painting project, check out this post):

I love the soft colors and the cozy-yet-modern feel each of these rooms exude (for image credits, check out this link). To bring that same warmth and coziness to our new living room, I wanted to introduce strong textiles to play up favorite colors and add pattern to the space. A big, soft ottoman fit the bill.

And so the search began… my mission was to find a coffee table that would allow for the finished ottoman to meet the following requirements (images from DecorPad):

*Storage space for coffee table books, photo albums and the like
*Tufting along the top of the cushion
*Unique/vintage-y legs
*And most importantly, the length had to be shorter than the max width of my fabric (most fabric bolts are somewhere around 54″ and it sure was tough to meet this criteria)

I searched and searched and searched… and found the perfect coffee table in the most unlikely of places! While at a friend’s house, I happened to notice an in-the-process-of-refinishing table sitting out on the patio. Would they mind if I took a stab at making it over? When they said yes I was beyond thrilled.

It’s a beautiful vintage table that’s made of solid wood and is incredibly sturdy – the craftsmanship definitely dates it back a few decades.

Here are my step-by-step directions just in case you decide to tackle something similar in the future. I used this very helpful guide from Little Green Notebook as my start but modified and built on to it as I went.

*********************************************************************************************

{Coffee Table to Ottoman Refashion}

a
Materials:
*Older coffee table
*Sanding paper and power sander
*Drill
*Staple gun
*Brown paint (I like a foam brush for the crevices)
*Sealant (bristle, everyday painting brush for a clean finish)
*2″ foam/cushion material
*Quilt batting
*Strong thread and needle
*Upholstery fabric (my table required a 36×54″ cutting – or just one yard of fabric)
*Lining (optional): additional fabric, spray glue

{Step 1} My ‘before’ piece had plenty of varnish and sealant on it and needed a thorough sanding to rough up the surface enough to hold paint. I used a power sander for the majority of this step but broke out the individual sanding sheets to really get around the details. I don’t have a picture of how sanded the table was before moving on, but really spend time here and you won’t regret it.

{Step 2} I chose to use a dark brown paint on the base of the table (remember that the top will get fabric and so no need to paint here) instead of staining the piece again – but that’s always an option. I applied two coats of paint and one layer of sealant, letting each layer dry completely between applications. I tested each of these products (they were leftovers from the garage, actually) before beginning to be sure that the look was what I was aiming for.

I hate to chop up this post… but it’s so darn big! In an effort to keep the home page loading quickly and from really dragging on… follow the jump to find detailed directions for adding cushion, batting, tufted buttons, fabric and upholstering it all together with nothing more than a staple gun.

I do hope you come check it out! Read more »

Rooms Inspired by the Month of April

I can’t believe it’s already the end of April! This month as flown by so quickly.

April inspires me with bright colors, bold patterns and PASTELS! What’s the best way to incorporate a bit of pastel? In beautiful accessories (like muted lampshades, funky upholstered headboards, throw pillows and even wallpaper) that add a hint of soft, sunny color to lighten up an entire room.

Oh I adore the above room from BHG, it very much reminds me of dyed Easter eggs and spring. Sigh.

My mind has been in many bright places recently and April seams the fitting month to honor the spring mentality! I love the look of gentle pastels contrasted with bold colors like the living room at the top of this post by Tobi Fairley and these bedrooms from DecorPad:

The orange hints peeking through in this House to Home room are subtle but lovely against the shades of soft blue in the wallpaper.

Two pastel rooms that really take on the meaning of bright and beautiful:

There are too many great examples! Here’s a quick link to the rest of the Rooms Inspired by the Month series. Five more reasons to love spring right after the jump. Read more »