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Review: Loloi II Layla Rug

November 19, 2020 by jessica Leave a Comment

I thought I’d update you on my search for a new living room rug that I mentioned back in September! In a perfect world, I would have sourced a high quality, vintage number. But in a COVID world, going to antique and vintage stores to shop for rugs didn’t seem like the most responsible decision. Plus, my budget didn’t allow for an investment rug at the time. So, we went in a different direction and purchased a vintage-inspired rug from Loloi.

You probably recognize the brand name since they’re an Instagram darling as of late with influencers touting gifted rugs fairly regularly. So, I thought I’d give you some honest insight into the rug I purchased to guide your decision if you have your eye on one of the brand’s affordable rugs.

Loloi II Layla Oriental Blue / Spice Printed Area Rug

Let’s start with the pros:

  • Clearly, the main selling point of these rugs is that they have a vintage look for an incredibly affordable price point. I purchased the 7.5′ x 9.5′ size and it’s currently selling for $161. It’s an absolute steal for a rug at this size. I bought mine from Walmart due to the ease of making in-town returns. It’s also available on Amazon. Both have free shipping.
  • The design has variation in the vibrancy and saturation, giving it a more authentic worn-in look.
  • There’s a lot of colors in the rug and an interesting design, which you don’t always get with a cheaper rug. The colors are muted, too, so I think this rug would play nicely with actual vintage rugs in your home.
  • I really love the whipstitch edging.
  • It has a flat weave instead of a tufted construction. I prefer it since a traditional rug would be flatter than those with a dense fabrication.
  • It feels smooth underfoot.
  • It’s incredibly easy to vacuum and clean. Our cat, Oliver, threw up on it and it completely came off and didn’t leave a stain. The busier pattern also hides pet hair well.
Loloi II Layla Oriental Blue / Spice Printed Area Rug

And, the cons:

  • The design is screen printed rather than being woven like a traditional rug would be. It’s hard to tell how well it’ll hold up, but so far so good. As per the label, I don’t use the beater bar when I vacuum it.
  • It’s on the thinner side. Not so thin as it feels flimsy, but you might want to consider a rug pad underneath it. We didn’t opt for one because our coffee table is heavy enough to anchor it and we don’t have children who would be playing on the floor.
  • Since it doesn’t have a thick, tufted construction with deep piles, you might want to vacuum more regularly as you’ll see any crumbs on top. (Which is also a pro, as far as I’m concerned. I’d hate to know what got stuck in our previous rug!)
Loloi II Layla Oriental Blue / Spice Printed Area Rug

All in all, I’m really happy with this. It satisfies my desire for a traditional rug, but at a fraction of the price. And while I’ll still keep an eye out for a vintage one that’s an actual investment piece and heirloom-quality, this is the next best thing.

Loloi II Layla Oriental Blue / Spice Printed Area Rug
This photo is unedited right from my iPhone, so you can get the most true-to-life look at the colors.

SOURCES

Paint Color: Extra White by Sherwin-Williams
West Elm curtains
Pottery Barn curtain rod
Target pillows (sold out; other plaid pillow options here)
Schoolhouse sconces
EQ3 leather chair
Younger Furniture sofa
Loloi rug (also here)
West Elm coffee table (will probably replace it next year)
Ekais credenza (no longer available)
U-Turn record player
Sony TV
TV stand
Sonos soundbar
IKEA planter
The Elements of a Home book (would make a great holiday gift)
Schoolhouse brass coasters
marble coasters (similar)
duck bottle opener (vintage; similar)
Tramp Ceramics bowl
Tory Burch flats

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This post contains affiliate links.

Filed Under: Home, Interiors Tagged With: House, living room, Rugs

15 Festive Finds for Early Christmas Decorating

November 17, 2020 by jessica Leave a Comment

15 Festive Finds for Early Christmas Decor
image source

With how difficult this year has been, I think we all deserve carte blanche to start decorating for the holidays on the early side! I typically wait until after Thanksgiving to deck the halls and I’ll probably follow suit this year, but that doesn’t mean I can’t add a few things to my cart this year in anticipation of the merriest season of all. Here are fifteen festive finds I love:

  1. This tiny faux pine is the sweetest addition to a bar cart.
  2. A sweet enamel ornament.
  3. Glass trees for a modern mantle.
  4. I’m a sucker for German smoker decorations.
  5. While not specifically Christmas decor, a buffalo plaid throw is a must.
  6. I have and love this mini tree.
  7. Such a charming doormat!
  8. Add a faux pine spray to your favorite vase. This one with pinecones is great, too.
  9. A set of dessert plates adorned with little trees.
  10. No room for a tree? Fill this bowl with your favorite vintage ornaments.
  11. If we didn’t already have stockings we like, I’d be opting for these.
  12. This colorful candy dish reminds me of old-fashioned ribbon candy.
  13. I have a similar set of glass icicle ornaments. They’re perfect for filling in space on the tree.
  14. It’ll take some patience, but a vintage brass reindeer or stag is well worth sifting through listings.
  15. I already purchased this little bunch of faux mistletoe.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: christmas, holiday season

15 Finds for Thanksgiving

November 11, 2020 by jessica Leave a Comment

15 Fun Finds for Thanksgiving
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Thanksgiving is going to look a bit different this year with families opting to forgo large celebrations in favor of small gatherings with just those in their own households. While you may be sad about missing out on cherished traditions, it doesn’t mean you can’t make the day special. I rounded up 15 fun finds for Thanksgiving, below, to make this year’s holiday memorable. (And be sure to order early since shipping is expected to take longer this holiday season!)

  1. If you’ve wanted to try gold flatware, now’s the time! Especially when there’s an affordable set with service for four.
  2. Vintage-inspired glasses in a great autumnal hue.
  3. I just purchased this linen tablecloth for our Thanksgiving table. It comes in at under $30 no matter what size you need!
  4. This inexpensive gravy boat has a beautiful shape.
  5. I love the black rim on these classic appetizer plates.
  6. A set of small, versatile bowls. Use them to serve appetizer-sized portions of soup, set out dips, or to corral nuts and jams accompanying your cheese board.
  7. Save yourself the trouble of making your own turkey brine and pick up a jarred one.
  8. This sweater is a perennial favorite of mine. It’s incredibly soft with a flattering relaxed fit, making it perfect for Thanksgiving. There’s a striped version, too!
  9. A set of taper holders in various heights makes decorating the table a breeze.
  10. I have this platter and it’s great because its simple design coordinates with just about any decor.
  11. Clearly these earrings aren’t just for the holiday, but their chunky shape would look beautiful with sweaters all season long and they’re not too fussy to wear while you’re cooking.
  12. Cloth napkins in a striking, yet classic windowpane design.
  13. My favorite coasters continue to get better with age. I’m probably going to order a second set.
  14. An elegant, heirloom-quality carving set.
  15. Finish the meal with a slice of pie, presented with a vintage server.

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This post contains affiliate links.

Filed Under: Home Tagged With: thanksgiving

How to Remove Paint from Original Antique Hardware

October 20, 2020 by jessica Leave a Comment

How to Remove Paint from Brass Hardware

As far as I’m concerned, people who paint over hardware are the worst kind of people. (Well, no, but they’re up there.) I know that taking hardware off of the door and frame is a pain. It’s difficult to rehang a door. It’s annoying to take precious time away from painting in order to do the prep work. However, please, please, please just do it for people like me who have spent literal hours removing paint and polishing the original brass hardware in her 1920s home. That said, removing old paint (be it latex or lead-based) is an easy one, even if it can be time consuming.

How to Remove Paint from Brass Hardware

All of the hardware in our home was painted over to various degrees. (I mean, look at that green hinge from our guest room.) For the most part, the door hinges and mortise locksets were in the worst shape and only a few splatters were on the door knobs and rosettes. After doing some research, I found the following to being the most efficient process to removing the paint and bringing back luster to the brass.

Materials:

  • Old stock pot – You’re going to be boiling water and your hardware in this, so use an old one that you never plan to use for food again. If you don’t have one that you can dedicate to house projects, check Goodwill. Alternatively, here’s the cheapest one I found on Amazon with Prime shipping. You can also use an old Crock-Pot. This can be on the smaller side, but a lot of water will evaporate depending on how much hardware you’re cleaning at once.
  • Tongs – The cheaper the better for the same reasons as above.
  • Heat-resistant rubber gloves – For handling hot hardware when it’s done boiling.
  • Nylon bristle brush – You’ll need it to loosen some of the paint. If your hardware is already scratched and you don’t mind a few more scuffs, you can use a brass bristle brush. Keep in mind, though, it’s much more abrasive and you’ll be leaving scratches in its wake.
  • Utility knife – Useful for getting bits of paint out of small crevices.
  • Flitz polish – This metal polish has rave reviews on This Old House and it works really well. I used it for this project, but also on other vintage brass pieces.
  • Citristrip paint remover – You’re using boiling water for the majority of your paint removal, but as you’ll see below, there are a few times you’ll want to avoid dunking your piece in water: namely glass door knobs and mortise locksets. More info is in the “tips” section below.
  • Latex gloves – Between the metal polish, paint remover, and old flecks of paint, I promise you’ll want to keep your skin protected.
  • Old rags or paper towels – You’ll use these for polishing the hardware. I opted for paper towels to make cleanup easier, even if it’s not the most eco-friendly of choices.
How to Remove Paint from Antique Hardware

Steps:

  1. This step is crucial to making your life easier: Take each hinge off and slip them into plastic baggies labeled with the location of each component. I had labels such as “main bedroom door frame top” and “main bedroom door frame bottom” to keep everything as organized as possible. While the hinges all look the same, I didn’t want to risk swapping anything around if there had been imperceptible warping over the past 90 years. To that end, if there are shims behind your hinges, keep and label those, too. They’re there for a reason.
  2. Bring water to a boil in an old pot. You can also use an old Crock-Pot and let it simmer overnight. I prefer using a pot on the stovetop so I could move through the process in an afternoon for each set of hardware rather than waiting until the next day.
  3. Drop your hardware in and bring it to a boil. (Again, I did this section by section to avoid mixing up any hinges.) It takes about 20 to 30 minutes at a boil for the paint to loosen from the hardware, so be patient. And, please do this in a well-ventilated area. Theoretically, the latex paint will peel off in sheets and lead-based paint flakes off. Apparently in this situation, the lead isn’t as much of a concern compared to sanding it because the wetness is keeping it from being airborne. (Don’t hold me to this, though, it’s what I read on This Old House and I trust those folks. We’ll see how my lungs fare in a few decades.)
  4. Once the paint is starting to come off the hardware, remove it from the boiling water with a pair of tongs. This is where your heat-resistant rubber gloves come into play, too. You’ll need to hold the hardware and use your brush to scrub the remaining bits of paint off — and the hardware is extremely hot. Some of the paint might be stubborn. In those instances, I used a utility knife to gently scrape away the paint. This was also useful for getting into the crevice of screwheads. If that doesn’t work, put it back in the boiling water for a bit longer.
  5. At this point, you’ll need to let your hardware cool. It’ll look similar to the photo below. If you have bits of paint leftover after cleaning it, you can use the utility knife to get at the little bits before going to the next step: polishing.
  6. Polishing your hardware is incredibly satisfying. I prefer using Flitz polish. It’s non-toxic, but you might want to crack a window as it doesn’t smell the best. Donning a pair of latex gloves, smear polish on your hardware and give it a minute to start reacting. Then, using either a clean rag or paper towels, rub the polish over the hardware. You’ll need to keep finding a new area of your rag or paper towel as you remove more and more of the black tarnish from your hardware. A rag will be less abrasive, but I found that I preferred using paper towels as I went through quite a few of them.
  7. Rinse your hardware under running water, dry it, mount it!
How to Remove Paint from Brass Hardware

Tips:

  • Do not boil glass doorknobs. Water can get stuck in the knob itself and take awhile to evaporate. In this instance, use Citristrip, a chemical-based paint remover that’s safe for indoor use, to remove the paint. You’ll need to protect your hands with a pair of gloves and smear on the chemical remover and wait a half hour or so. The paint will start to pull away from the hardware and you can wipe it off. I then rinsed it well under running water to remove the chemical and stop the reaction.
  • Paint on the glass portion of the doorknob can often be scraped off with a utility knife without scratching the glass.
  • I also did not boil the mortise lockset to avoid any accidental rust of the interior components.
  • When remounting the hardware, I put a fresh pair of latex gloves on. If you weren’t careful about removing every last bit of patina when polishing your hardware, it’s easy to transfer some of that black grime to your fingers and inadvertently get it on your door and frame. It didn’t clean off particularly well when the smudges happened to me, but a bit of touch-up paint did the trick.

Pin It for Later:

How to Remove Paint from Antique Hardware

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Filed Under: DIY, Home, Interiors Tagged With: diy, Doors, Hardware, House Projects

The Best $0.79 to Spend on Your Home

September 23, 2020 by jessica Leave a Comment

Ikea Tekla Dish Towel

IKEA’s Tekla dish towels are a cult favorite for their low price and durability, but what makes them even better is that they can double as cloth napkins. I don’t know if you’ve looked at the price of cloth napkins lately, but they’re surprisingly expensive for a swath of fabric that’s inevitably going to be stained with red wine. With these, however, you can afford to stock up. They’re generously sized with a charming red border that reminds me of a French bistro, and I love the idea of pairing them with a linen tablecloth for casual dinners this fall. Plus, let’s face it, Thanksgiving is likely going to be a low key affair this year, so you may as well take it a step further with a selection of brass candlesticks (preferably vintage and cleaned up with Flitz polish) for a farm-to-table-inspired look.

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Filed Under: Home Tagged With: dining room, Ikea, Kitchen, Table Settings

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Hello!


Jessica Hamm
Hello there! I'm a first-time homeowner updating a 1920s house in Madison, Wisconsin. I have a penchant for travel and a love of costume jewelry. Follow along for personal style, travel, and lifestyle content.

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The perfect use-all-summer straw tote.

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I don’t have a spot for it, but I love Schoolhouse’s latest addition to their lighting collection.

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I can get on board with this “photo dump” tren I can get on board with this “photo dump” trend. While these aren’t disparate photos for a true devil-may-care post (I’m far too Type A for that), it *is* a random selection of snapshots from our 48 hours in Chicago last week.

#chicago #immersivevangogh #vangoghchicago #visitchicago
Buying tickets to the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit l Buying tickets to the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit last November seemed both reckless and naively hopeful. I’m so glad I went for it though, as our first fully vaccinated adventure has been the breath of fresh air we needed. (I’m also happy to report that most people are masked up walking outside, and there are plenty of social-distanced dining options in Chicago.)
Now that we’re fully vaccinated, I'm sure Dave i Now that we’re fully vaccinated, I'm sure Dave is thrilled to be an Instagram Boyfriend again when we're out for our coffee runs. ☕️ 😉 (Don’t worry, we haven’t stopped wearing our masks yet!)

I’d also like to point out that I’m embracing the middle part as not to let my Millennial show. 😉

#garverfeedmill #ootd #outfit #dress #anthropologie #nike #springdress #dresseswithsneakers
I'm so excited for longer days and warm evenings o I'm so excited for longer days and warm evenings on the patio -- and this subscription to @winc couldn't haven't come at a better time to usher in the new season with wine in hand! 

If you're unfamiliar with Winc, the California-based winery was founded in 2012 with the belief that wine should be more accessible. So, they've introduced an online membership experience that suggests wines based on your taste preferences making it a really fun way to try wine if you’re at all intimidated by an expansive wine aisle!

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#wincambassador
I know everyone loves wick trimmers for their cand I know everyone loves wick trimmers for their candles, but you're missing out if you don't have a taper shaver, too! It's an inexpensive gadget that can save you from forcing a candle into a holder and risking breakage — of either the holder or the candle itself. I linked to some options in today's blog post! (URL in bio.)
When we moved into our home three-and-a-half years When we moved into our home three-and-a-half years ago, Dave added an indoor security camera to our living room. I’ll be the first to admit that the option for 24/7 surveillance (which can, thankfully, be shut off automatically when you arrive home) was a little strange, but it’s absolutely worth the peace of mind that comes with a smart camera. When we’ve been away, we’ve checked in on the cat to see what he’s been up to and we’ve been able to verify that the person detected in our house was someone we lent a key to! We’ve since decided to relocate that one outdoors and were delighted to have the opportunity to partner with @ecobeehome to try out their SmartCamera as an indoor replacement. It was a natural fit as we already have – and love – an ecobee thermostat and this camera integrates seamlessly into the brand’s app. The camera has a 180-degree field of view that lets you track activity in your home, giving us a much wider view of the main floor than the other camera allowed. Privacy is still paramount as the camera uses WiFi and GPS to detect when family members are home, which shuts off the recording option. It’s also equipped with voice controls and Alexa, allowing you to connect with the technology you need for your household. And, while it’s not the most important aspect of a smart camera, the design of this one is *really* good.

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