Completed Gallery Wall

The gallery wall in my living room is finally complete! I collected art prints, photographic prints and pieces of interesting fabric to create a diverse picture wall. I used frames in various sizes that are black, off-white and silver in color (purchased from Pottery Barn and Ikea).

1. Watercolor print purchased in Soho, NYC (artist unknown)
2. Day to Night art print by artist Leigh Viner
3. Lake Herringbone fabric by Joel Dewberry
4. Brooklyn Bridge print by photographer Elizabeth Ray
5. Photograph of the skyline taken in Gdansk, Poland (by my husband)
6. Eclectic Garden fabric by Jason Yenter
7. Urban Angel fabric by Studio e (no longer available)
8. Absolut Brooklyn Vodka advertisement from a local magazine

Gallery Wall in Progress

It's taken me about 6 months to commit but I finally have a plan for the gallery wall in my living room. Here's a peek at some of the art and photography that I will include. I would love to hear any ideas and suggestions. I'm hoping to have the wall completed this weekend. More photos to follow. Happy Friday!

the possible arrangement



the blank canvas

(all images via Lifestyle Bohemia)

Blogger Vanity Series

One of my favorite bloggers, Jackie of Sweetie Pie Pumpkin Noodle, is running a fun series this week in which she shows us the home vanities of fellow bloggers. I love seeing how others decorate and organize their homes and I'm happy to be a part of Jackie's series. You can see my vanity, as well as many others, at Jackie's blog.

(all images via Lifestyle Bohemia)

Give-Away Winner & Historical Home Print

Congratulations to Krystal - you are the winner of a BrooklynThread Turquoise & Wood Bead Bracelet! (I used random.org to select the give-away winner). I'll be contacting you shortly.

A while back I blogged about historical home prints available for purchase in New York City. If your home is located in any of the 5 boroughs, the City has an archive of home photos for purchase that were taken in the late 1930's/early 1940's and then again in the 1980's. I ordered a large black and white print of my Brooklyn home (built in 1909) and it finally arrived. Other than putting in new windows, I haven't done any work to the front of the house (yet) so it currently looks very similar to this photo. The photo is currently propped up on one of the vintage radiators I restored. The photo will eventually be a part of the picture wall I am planning for my living room, which I will share very soon!

Ribba Picture Frame in Black by Ikea
Philipsburg Blue Paint by Benjamin Moore

Picture Wall

It's been decided. One of the walls in my new living room will be a "picture wall." I have a few Gallery Frames from Pottery Barn that I've collected over the last few years, so the frames will be my starting point. Southern Living offers a Guide on Hanging Wall Art which looks like it will be very helpful. I am looking forward to finding the perfect artwork and photos and then arranging them. This will definitely be a fun project. Stay tuned!

Artwork imitating a picture wall at MOMA in NYC (via Attic Mag)

Renovation Update - Master Bathroom

My husband and I made a lot of progress this month with the finishes in our master bathroom. After searching for an over-sized mirror for months, we ended up purchasing the Kensington Mirror by Pottery Barn. I love how it hangs and gives the effect that it's floating. It also makes the space look so much larger.


In this photo of the mirror, you can see the brick wall that we exposed on the opposite side of the bathroom. A lot of scraping, power washing, re-pointing and time was invested in making this wall look perfect. I love how it turned out.


All of the bathroom fixtures are from Signature Hardware. Signature has an amazing selection of vintage-look faucets in an array of finishes.


We restored the original doors in the entire house. This is a sample of the mortise lock that we will use throughout the house. I love that it has a skeleton key lock! I found this at House of Antique Hardware, a dream shop for anyone looking for replica vintage hardware.


I wanted a fun shower curtain in solid white that would help cozy up the bathroom and contrast the brick wall. This morning I ordered the Waves of Ruffles Shower Curtain by Anthropologie. I think it's a perfect match for the claw foot tub, which I blogged about here.


The last item needed to cozy up the bathroom is an over sized bathmat. I ended up purchasing the Damask Bathmat by Anthropologie. It's the perfect size and so soft.


I will share final photos of the finished bathroom once the shower curtain and bath mat arrive. Have a lovely day!

Brought Back to Life

My brother gave me this little vintage table that he was able to salvage from one of his renovation projects. My husband was then able to bring it back to life. It came out even better than I had imagined. He used off-white paint, a lot of sand paper, and a beautiful glass knob that I purchased at House of Antique Hardware. The table now stands in my office. Before & after photos are below.

Renovation Update - Living Room

Everyone's been asking to see photos of the house since we moved in. I can't begin to tell you how long it's taking to get all of our furniture. I was told by several stores that the bad economy is to blame - stores are not stocking much inventory since there isn't much demand so many items are back-ordered. Our couch finally arrived after waiting 3 months! Here's a peek at the completed corner of the living room. More photos to come as furniture arrives.
(P.S. - My husband bought me a new Canon Rebel xsi. This is my first SLR ever and this is one of my first photos. Not bad, right?!)

Renovation Update - Lighting

I've never paid attention to light fixtures until it came time to purchase my own. Last summer I blogged about various wall sconces that I was considering for my home. After much searching, I wanted to share some of the light fixtures that I ended up purchasing:

Olivia Star Pendant by Pottery Barn for the Foyer/Entryway.
I love how the stained glass looks at night when the light is on behind it.

Vintage Hurricane Chandelier purchased at Find Home Furnishings in downtown Brooklyn.
I bought a pair of these so I have one in the downstairs hallway and one in the upstairs hallway. If you are in Brooklyn, you must visit Find. They have amazing vintage and one of a kind furniture and home accessories.

Midtown Double Wall Sconce by Capital Lighting for the Living Room.
I searched for the perfect wall sconces for months. I needed something that would compliment the tin ceiling. As soon as I saw these, I knew they would be perfect.
I love how they illuminate the tin ceiling at night.

Midtown Single Wall Sconce by Capital Lighting for the Dining Room/Kitchen.
Matches the Living Room sconces perfectly.

Iron Chandelier by Hampton Bay for the master bedroom.
I love the elegance of the chandelier and the cream linen shades.

Belle Chandelier by Pottery Barn Teen for the home office/studio.
I wanted a light fixture lighter in color since the walls in this room are a dark color.
Pottery Barn Teen is a budget-friendly alternative for Pottery Barn lovers.

Renovation Update

I haven't blogged this past week because I've been too busy packing the old apartment and cleaning the new house. It's been about 7 months since we started our renovation and we are finally moving! Many thanks to everyone for their well wishes, ideas and inspiration along the way.

This photo is a glimpse of our bedroom. There are still many small projects left, but looking forward to revealing all of the rooms. Also looking forward to re-opening BrooklynThread next week with lots of new designs!

I'll be off-line until next week. Have a great weekend! xo

Renovation Update - Bathroom

A few weeks ago I blogged about the clawfoot tub we are restoring in our new home. Thanks so much to everyone for providing ideas, suggestions and opinions as to whether we should paint the outside of the tub a color or keep it white. Our final decision was to paint the outside body of the tub the same color as the walls - a warm gray, while painting the feet of the tub white. The bathroom isn't finished yet, but here is a photo of the freshly painted tub against the new tiles and exposed brick wall. We are so happy with how it's coming along! More photos to follow soon!

First Snowfall of the Season in New York City

Today marks the first snowfall of the winter season here in New York, as well as the first snowfall since buying my house! (My house is the first one on the right.) Happy weekend!

Brooklyn Carriage House Renovation Update

So everyone knows I am in the middle of restoring an old carriage house in Brooklyn, NY. I don't blog about it much because the renovation is stressing me out, so I like to use the blog as a distraction and blog about all things that make me happy & stress-free :)

Well, it looks like the renovation is at the half-way mark & things are finally coming together. I'll start posting photos soon (once it looks less scary). New windows were put in today. They look SICK (in a good way)! So pleased & giddy today, which is evident by my excessive use of smiley faces :)

Home and Studio Tour