I knew I was going to be getting myself into a pickle when I started with the whole coral color scheme. To be clear, I wanted a pinkish coral (as opposed to a more orange coral which is also lovely but not what I imagined) and that is proving to be quite a challenge. Let's just call my target accent color Pinky Coral tm
After lots of swatches, I've narrowed it down a bit to the few above. I'm really digging the muted color in the chevron pattern but wouldn't mind that same shade in another less ubitiqious pattern (altho it does look awesome in chezerbey's nursery). I like the mix of colors in the abstract floral pattern on the right but there really isnt any coral in it and Im not big of a floral person. I love the mix of pinks and reds and oranges in the key pattern but the fabric is too thin to make panels or shades with. So what is a girl to do?
Then on to the rug. I thought this striped number would do the trick but if I match it with the chevron, I think that might be stripe overload. This pinky "crow's feet" is cool looking but the color might not be right. I'm really digging this mosaic rug but the price is a little steep.
Then again I could get my DIY on with a stencil just like Christi of Charm Home Design did but I'm not sure if I can stomach the thought of hours hunched over right now.
Pinky Coral is a hot color right now so Im 100% positive there will be loads more choices come this time next year but I'm sort of on a biologically imposed deadline here. I don't have time to wait.
I love the keys fabric (too bad its too thin) and the mosaic rug! I'm not sure if this is pinky enough coral, it may be more orangey ... but check out this pink coral blanket @ Kate Quinn Organic (http://www.katequinnorganics.com/brands/plum-bunny/sweater-blanket-coral-pink/); and African Violet by Glidden paint - http://sara-another100yearoldhousereno.blogspot.com/2010/11/nursery.html.
ReplyDeleteI would make sure to check out Caitlin Wilson textilesS. he has some darling coral pink pillows and fabric- lots of lovely coral pink and navy options.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the typos'.... I meant "she"
ReplyDeleteHow about creating your own fabric on Spoonflower? You've got the creative talent and you can order the weight of fabric you need. I love the striped carpet and would use that as a jumping off point - then add details with the chevron and the key pattern (cushions, crib skirt, framed fabric, garland, wrapped storage box, etc.)
ReplyDeleteI like the choice of colour a lot, especially with your planned dark walls.
Kate at Centsational Girl just did a Navy and Coral room--I love this color combo almost as much as I love navy and green and green and coral pink. http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2012/09/navy-coral-bedroom/#more-31132
ReplyDeletel love what she did but its more orange than pink which is part of the problem. I guess my target color is somewhere between salmon and coral. :)
ReplyDeleteI love where you're going with your nursery, pinky coral is perfection!!! I recently bought some pillows in that shade for my oldest daughter, check out this shop for some options and fabric inspiration! xo Kate
ReplyDeletehttp://www.etsy.com/shop/FestiveHomeDecor
I searched for coral at hawthornethreads.com (which has a lot of great fabrics) and came up with some pretty options, including the key fabric you found. I wouldn't worry too much about using quilting weight fabric for window treatments - you can line them. That's what my mom's doing for the roman shades in my daughter's nursery with blackout liner from JoAnn. There are so many more options for patterns and color with quilting fabric than home dec weight fabric it seems.
ReplyDeleteI kind of like this fabric for a little girl's nursery - the solid color would work with the striped rug and the ruffles add a bit of whimsy and girliness: http://www.hartsfabric.com/salmon-ruffle-fabric-67162.html
ReplyDeleteI love the key fabric! could you add a backing to it - some sort of muslin or cambric to give it a little more oomph? If you use blackout roman shades or something on the windows, a more sheer drape over it might be OK ...I'm not a window expert though so I don't know for sure :)
ReplyDeletealso - this rug is pretty cute and on sale: http://www.shadesoflight.com/go-anywhere-aynsley-rug-3-colors-available.html not sure if it's your taste but the color may be close
ReplyDeleteI was also going to suggest Caitlin Wilson textiles! I have used the Berry Fleur Chinoise fabric for pillows and it has a beautiful pinky coral mixed with a subtle lavender and gray. And it sparkles! Would be gorgeous for nursery pillows/bedding. Also, the Coral Fretwork fabric would coordinate for lovely curtains. Both are nice sturdy fabrics.
ReplyDeleteAnd another great thing about hawthornethreads.com is for each fabric they have "Find coordinates by color in this print" so if you particularly like a color (like in the lock & key fabric) you can click on the color and they'll show you other fabrics that contain that shade (or similar to it).
ReplyDeleteThanks! Ill check them out.
ReplyDeleteThat is cute! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThat might work for the shade but I also need drapes. Im assuming I need something with a little weight for those.
ReplyDeleteCute! Im trying to add some white into ther patterns here since I dont want it to feel too heavy. (Its a small room with dark walls so it can use the white)
ReplyDeleteIm not much of a sewing expert. Can you make drapes using quilting fabric and lining? I know that might work for a shade but I just assumed you need some weight for hanging panels.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kate. You did a great job with that room. I thought it looked a little more orange than pink - but maybe its my monitor.
ReplyDeleteIt should work if you sew the lining into the quilting fabric to add weight. This tutorial might help: http://midwestmagnolia.com/2011/06/sew-lined-panel-drapes/
ReplyDeleteYou absolutely can make drapes with quilt weight fabric if you use good lining (see comment by Heather), don't make them too skimpy, and weight the hems. However, an easier use for quilting fabric is crib sheets. Easy peasy sewing and just two yards. Remember to wash the fabric before you cut. Also useful for crib skirt and changing pad cover (but no bumpers please).
ReplyDeleteHere is another choice from Shades of Light. It looks more pink than orange. It also has a similar feel as the crow's feet rug.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.shadesoflight.com/grecian-maze-dhurrie-rug-9-colors.html
i LOVE that striped rug, and I think with the navy walls it will look spectacular. I'd get that and then build the rest of the room from there :-)
ReplyDeleteI love that land of nod crow's feet rug...so cool.
ReplyDeleteOT, I haven't seen you mention this on the blog but I just saw a spread of you and your husband in a mag...I don't want to comment too much about it in case you were going to blog about it...unless I've already missed it. Either way, it was great!
That rug on the right is gorgeous! Love it. And I'm with Giulia - why not create some of your own fabric and then mix with one of the ones you have here? That way you'd have at least one that you truly love. I also really like the key fabric and think it would work well with your theme. Any way you can line it, or is it really super thin?
ReplyDeleteHave you checked out Benjamin Moore's tomato cream sauce? I think that is what it is called!
ReplyDeleteHey all! Yes you can line the lighter quilting weight fabric for sure.
ReplyDeleteIt's been done and we'll continue to do so, it's more a matter of
preference from an asesthic point of view as it's thinner and without
the extra texture that you get with drapery fabric. Having said that
when it comes to some of these prints it's not about texture it's about
the pop! Especially for roman blinds it can work quite well.
I can't wait to see what you choose! Here's my opinion...With what you chosen so far I like the floral fabric with the striped rug. I think they go together so well, and wouldn't be too crazy together. I LOVE the chevrons, but your right, it would be too much with the striped rug.
ReplyDeleteIf you like a pattern but the coral is wrong try overdyeing or bleaching the fabric to get the shade you want. Mmartha stewart has a great tutorial!
ReplyDeleteOh thats good to know! But still leaves the question with the drapes. None of the corals match each other.
ReplyDeleteChecked it for what?
ReplyDeleteI love Spoonflower but you need to do a lot of color samples if you make your own fabric. So its a lot more time consuming (and expensive) than buying. Im not ruling out the option but Id rather find something premade so I dont add more to my to-do list here.
ReplyDeleteThanks T. Yes, that was us. I'll be blogging about it later this month. Since it was Halloween related, I figured it might be too early now.
ReplyDeleteThat was the plan but now that Im having trouble with the fabrics, I dont want to back myself into a corner.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty although more expensive than the crows feet one which I think I like more. But its a good alternative. Thanks
ReplyDeletewhat about finding the same background creamy/white colour for the drapes and adding a navy banding to them to tie in with the paint?
ReplyDeleteThanks Pamela. Ive never made anything with elastic before and my crib is round/oval. Is it easy even if the shape is odd?
ReplyDeletesorry in my ADDness i just saw you are painting the room navy. Sorry!
ReplyDeleteSince this is one of the few spots of color in the room, I want to keep it in the coral and white tones so it pops. White with coral banding could work but it doesmt have the same whimsy as a pattern. The problem being none of the corals match each other. And yes I realize I am completely over thinking this! ;)
ReplyDeletei get the lack of whimsy with banding however just to be sure... i was suggesting a navy banding not coral? (which at least solves the no corals matching each other part?)
ReplyDeleteOh no worries! Just wanted to make sure I understood.
ReplyDeleteNo I understood - I just don't think the blue banding on the blue wall will look right.
ReplyDeleteYou could probably line the too-thin keys fabric if that's one you love. I do adore the striped rug the best. Well that and the very expensive Garnet Hill option (which would pair so nicely with the chevron).
ReplyDeleteI like all the fabrics you've picked but since you asked for more ideas, here's a few options that you may or may not like...
http://etsy.me/TnlDsb
http://etsy.me/Q2qGMk
http://etsy.me/OXS4Yn
http://bit.ly/RGQlLi
http://bit.ly/TnkVv9
http://etsy.me/Ts4ooh
Of course the Caitlin Wilson Navy Fleur Chinoise fabric I linked in an earlier post is still my favorite, but at $60 a yard might be a bit of a painful price. http://bit.ly/Snx7gh
You could also search "coral" on sites like Spoonflower and see what other people have already come up with (as opposed to having to create your own).
I'm sure whatever you pick will be very beautiful. You have great taste!
Thanks kimmy! Off to check these out.
ReplyDeleteSpoonflower has some good options but because their color printing can be off (based on what their own site says), it would require lots of expensive swatches on top of the already pricey cost of custom printing so I dont think its a great option for me for drapes (since I need a lot of fabric). I might use it for smaller projects like a blanket or sheets but I haven't gotten that far.
I love the lock and key fabric. If its thin you could have it lined and interlined to thicken it up. Coral is a tricky color but it will look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYes, you can. Drapery lining fabric should work just fine for panels, or if you don't want to bother lining them, you could sew some pennies into the hem at the corners for extra weight. Blackout lining is quite heavy. The main difference between home dec fabric and quilting fabric is typically the width - home dec is usually 53-54" wide, whereas most quilting fabric seems to be 44" wide. So, you may need to double-up for fuller curtains if your window isn't narrow.
ReplyDeleteI just googled "how to make and oval crib sheet" and found instructions on Apartment Therapy. I'm not enchanted with them and would be willing to discuss my ideas if you are interested. As for the elastic, I wouldn't sew it on, just make a channel all the way round the bottom and thread through a really long piece. At about 25 cents a yard it's not worth the hassle of trying to sew on shorter pieces.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pamela. I just googled it and see the post but Im not clear on how that would work - would those instructions create a flat look on top? Im imagining it would just be kind of loose and wrinkly.
ReplyDeleteI see someone posted an alternate idea but I cant figure out what they are describing at all.
Good point Laura. My windows aren't that wide but I want a full look.
ReplyDeleteI understand that. Monitors look different and we are currently looking for the perfect green for our living room. I keep painting swatches on the wall and nothing looks the same as the chip. Good luck and I CAN"T wait to see the finished project!
ReplyDeleteHave you seen this lamp? http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=25478314&parentid=A_FURN_LIGHTING I just bought it for my desk at work and it's a great pinky coral color!
ReplyDeleteFabric option, and it's on sale!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ballarddesigns.com/bd/195203?SourceCode=FROG07&cm_mmc=mer-_-cse-_-google-_-prod-feed&mr:trackingCode=20A3DBD2-6AD9-E011-AC9E-001B2163195C&mr:referralID=NA
also this rug has some pink in it, and it would really broaden the color palette http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-tufted-Genesis-Collection-Wool-Rug-33-x-53/3668872/product.html
ReplyDeleteMy idea is to measure an oval the size of your mattress, make it larger all the way around the size of the depth of your mattress, then make that larger all the way around by about 4 inches. Does this make sense? This is what is described in the AT tutorial.
ReplyDeleteIf so, lay the cut fabric right side down, centered, over your mattress. Now, pinch off darts in your fabric, starting at the top edge of the mattress and extending out to the perimeter of your fabric. I think four should do it. The darts are like making the mitered corners of a regualr fitted sheet. (Imagine a rectangle on top of your oval and use each corner as the point of your dart.) You should have a smooth flat top and the rest of the fabric hanging vertically down the sides of the mattress. If four darts don't do it, add more in pairs around the circumference until you like the fit. Sew the darts and trim off the excess.
Sew a channel for the elastic around the bottom edge of the fabric. Thread the elastic through and pull it tight enough to tuck the edge under the mattress but loose enough to stretch over the mattress when putting on the sheet.
I just read my instructions for making the fitted oval sheet. If they make you head spin I can easily draw an explanatory diagram, but I don't know how to do in on the computer.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pamela. I think I understand what you are describing in theory but I'm not clear on how to see a channel on something round. There is probably an obvious technique for this but I'm not clear. Also how do I secure the darts? And how do I secure the elastic once it's in the channel? I've made a small boxed pillow for my cat bed project but that is about as fancy I've gotten.
ReplyDeleteI think this is going to look amazing. Can't wait to see more.
ReplyDeleteI found this really cute fabric combination that you might like. Navy and pink....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.etsy.com/listing/99910436/custom-crib-bedding-navy-pink-and-beige