wallpaper removal

Paper mache deer head

Yesterday was an odd day. For those of you who did not grow up on this planet, it was April Fools' Day, where the tradition is hoaxes and practical jokes. This year I decided to combine April Fools' Day with social commentary on the awful trend of using dead animals in interior design. Most of you got it, a few did not.

Here is a favorite comment -

"Thanks for a great April Fool's joke used to bring attention to an important topic. This isn't, IMO, a "design" or "taste" issue - it's a humanity issue. Animals killed purely for sport, sewn together at their hind quarters and bedazzled with fabric is just horrifying. There is no redeeming factor here - these aren't animals killed for food humanely by people who used animals as food; these were animals killed by people who thought it was funny to shoot and kill and then stuff them and ship them home and laugh about them while they hung on their walls. Sorry to get so worked up, but thanks CC - I adore you for sticking up for pink, Palm Beach Chic, and animal welfare."

One follower had a meltdown -

"This is the most surprising and horrific post I've ever seen related to fashion design. You are help creating a demand for animals that will decimate populations already endangered and also employ suffering and an untimely death for "decorations." What's worse is that you dress the bodies up in costume as some sort of humorous attempt at clever decor -- when you know full well that these majestic animals were in fact, killed for this purpose. It's not only creepy, but immoral. These animals are a part of our natural world; They are important part of the web of life and stand as symbols of majesty and beauty -- in their own living world. Wild animals such as you portray are currently suffering and endangered by the mass slaughter by poachers for their coats, plumage and ivory, For shame that you would project such a oblivious attitude towards these animals all for the sake of superficial show. I hope that you will revise your thinking -- borrow from nature, yes -- but do not kill the precious few we have left! Manmade textiles and materials are a much better choice than Dead Animals. Your cynicism is so hard to take. There is nothing Chic about this. Please write an apology to your readers and make a donation to the World Wildlife Fund to actively support the preservation of these animals.

I hope I don't have to release myself from your blog because I've enjoyed it -- until now."

After emailing her and explaining that I was trying to shine a light on this horrible trend, she got even more livid that she had been duped -

"You know, it's really a stupid joke Beth because it's not funny and because clearly so many of your readers also believed it to be true. I wouldn't do a piece on jewelry from Holocaust victims' fillings for April Fools -- this is in the same vein of horrendously bad taste and poor judgment on your part as Dead Animals. That you could take up my time for a post and "fool" a busy educated journalist and mother shows an incredible lack of judgment on your part, it's beyond the pale. I subscribe only for design, not tasteless jokes at my expense.

I'm unsubscribing."
Yikes!!!!! She sounds like lots of fun.

Update - a great email I received just now -

"I am sorry the other person did not get it and chose to make a horrifying Holocaust reference; she needs to push a faux bamboo gilded bar cart over to her sofa, pour herself a frosty cocktail, lie down on a Scalamandre pillow, don a Lilly P eye mask, open an enameled pill box, remove a Xanax, swallow it, and get over it. "

Well, back to interior design and Chinoiserie. This week I am focusing on a DIY version of the juju shown below from the apartment of Lonny editor Michelle Adams since I can't find it anywhere. There are lots of DIY tutorials.


I will also be working on styling my bookshelves for my home office makeover. I have a Pinterest board on bookshelf styling here.


I am awaiting one more piece of art for the gallery wall for my office and I will begin the framing. I have a Pinterest board on gallery walls including some with Chinoiserie and some with pink walls for inspiration here since many gallery walls are more modern or monochromatic than mine will be.

These are the pieces I have so far for my planned gallery wall in my home office -
A vintage Vera scarf from eBay - arrived.
A nude sketch from Furbish - arrived.
An abstract by artist Kerry Steele
A 24K gold and pink flamingo from Etsy - arrived.

I have decided to play around with a DIY project on the framing. Here is the gallery wall below that I did for my kitchen One Room Challenge. I used a mix of unframed canvases, ready made frames, and custom frames and love the result. I smile every time I look at it and yes, I love pink!

Yesterday, I posted that I wanted to do a gallery wall or at least a grouping of art in my home office, anchored by a framed vintage scarf. I found this wonderful vintage Vera scarf on eBay minutes after my post for under twenty dollars with shipping. I also ordered this 24K gold and pink flamingo piece and a nude sketch. Once I receive them all, I'll decide if I need any more pieces and on framing.

The Vera scarf has hot pink and acid green polka dot Peruvian pottery animals (llamas, men on horseback, bulls, and roosters) on a chrome yellow ground. Isn't it darling?

My daughter and I are going to run and play today including a stop at JCPenney to check out the Jonathan Adler Happy Chic collection. I have never been in a JCPenney, so this should be fun???  I'll report back on what we think about the collection in person.

Now that the One Room Challenge is over, I am turning my attention back to my home office makeover. One project I have planned is a gallery wall. I have in mind framing a vintage scarf as the largest piece and focal point. Perhaps you already have a lovely vintage scarf you would like to frame - Hermes and Pucci are classics. A very well priced and readily available alternative on Etsy and eBay are vintage Vera scarves. You can find these in hundreds of beautiful designs and every color. I will be on the hunt for one this week, and will post my progress as well as a tutorial on DIY framing. For more inspiration, check out my new Pinterest board here on "Framing Vintage Scarves." You can follow all my Pinterest boards here.

I also have a guest post today on The Glam Pad where I am continuing my virtual makeover of The Chinese Village House. Today I redo the home office.

These framed scarves are examples to inspire me and perhaps you.

I made some progress this week on my office makeover and I thought I'd give you a peek. I love the Benjamin Moore Poppy on the walls. I shopped my house for accessories and am really liking the navy with the deep coral walls. My only purchase so far was a sheepskin rug from Ikea for my desk chair for $30.00. I think it looks great and it feels even better. This next week my goal is to work on styling the bookshelves.

As you know, I am in the middle of a little home office makeover. Now that the painting is done, the fun can begin! Next up is styling my desk. In looking through my files for inspiration, I pulled together this group. These are the elements from them I would like to include in my own desk styling -

*Chinoiserie
*Feminine
*Eclectic
*Functional
*Chic
*Stylish
*Fun
*Creative

I hope to give you a peek at what I've done this week.

Charlotte Moss

Lonny

Lonny

The Everygirl

Mary McDonald

Mary McDonald

Lonny

This has been a great week. We got no snow at my house whatsoever after the idiot weather people had forecast Armageddon. No snow to speak of in over two years here - fabulous!

I completed this fun and crazy little stool after seeing it as a DIY on several blogs. The others I saw used white mongolian lamb pillow covers and I have an aversion to the color white, so I found a pretty beige one at Marshall's that I used on this $6 Ikea Marius stool. My daughter did one too for her apartment in a different color that she will reveal soon. I love the color with all my black and gold.

Below you will see how the color BM Poppy looks in my office makeover. What a great red. Much more to come on my office makeover, but I wanted you to see the color. Below that is a little painting I picked up from Kerry Steele yesterday for my office, since every room needs a piece of abstract modern art.

Next week is my birthday week and, after several reader requests, I decided it would be a good week to do a little house tour of my Casa Chinoiserie Chic. I'll start on Monday. On tap so far - the living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, my dressing room, an update on my office makeover, and a One Room Challenge powder room update.