French Hamptons Inspired Palatial Pin & Memo Board...

 

 

An update from my last memo pin board 'Drab to Fab Gorgeous Office PinBoard', I needed a family memo/ pin board for our kitchen that was conducive to the colour palette of our open kitchen & living room plan.

Our walls are painted in 1/4 tint Dulux Hog Bristle and Doors/ Trims & Skirts are in Taubmans 'Natural White'. So what to do?

I found 2 over sized tea towels from our local  discount department & grocery store, in a similar colour to our walls with a little depth - sandy taupe and off white - the fabric - a cotton sateen French Wedgewood Ticking Stripe [this means that there is a large block stripe and smaller stripes to create a pattern - not just a regular stripe like that of a 'regular' ticking stripe'].

 

I sewed the tea towels together with creating an open 'French' seam.

Lining the front side of dowdy cork pin board with a layer of wadding and spray adhesive, I then used my trusty stapled gun pulling the joined tea towels tautly over the front of the board and securing each side with the staple gun.

Using a tonal &  complimentary grosgrain ribbon I wove  [under and over] the 'diamond' trellis ribbon. At each cross point you can then add a pearl pin or an upholstery nail head to secure the points to add your memos!

 

This is a super economic and chic way to update a boring old cork board. I am slightly addicted to stripes but a floral, or small chintz pattern could also work just as well. Using tea towels can be a fun way to fin different prints and patterns, more often they can be less expensive than buying by the metre, and if it's for a kitchen - like mine was - it's a little secret play-on for decorating!

 

Have fun with it - love to see your memo / pin board updates.

Email your pics to me sarah.verity@verandahhomeliving.biz I would love to post a blog on all your great Palatial Pin Boards!

Enjoy,

 

 

images via www.verandahhomeliving.biz , sarah verity

Just Boards...

image via house beautiful

I have been consumed with coming up with the right size, colour, maybe fabric covered & maybe not pinboard that will be my new mood- inspiration board area above my desk in our [shared - with my husband] home office. It has so much to deliver - ughhh the pressure to get it right - it needs to be stylish, and therefor coordinate with the colour scheme - accent any highlight colours, and of course functional - fulfilling the job of being my source of conglomerated inspiration & creativity! That's a hefty job description! So here are some images I have collected for ideas along the way, as well as a great set of instructions on the 'how to make one' from 'Real Living' magazine if you'd like to make your own inspiration board/s Enjoy.S x 

image via martha stewart living

image via martha stewart living

image via martha stewart living

image via martha stewart living

image via martha stewart living

image via real living magazine sept '10 issue

How to make a funky pinboard - from Real Living

The snazzy fabric pinboard in Shawn and Natalie Godwin's Brisbane home office (September real living issue - out now, page 97) has inspired our design guru Sarah de Lancelle. Here's how to make one.

1. The easy way - Cover an existing cork pinboard — you can pick one up for around $5-10 at Kmart, bargain stores and stationers. Make sure it has a stable backing you can staple the fabric onto. If it has a frame, see whether you can remove the cork section — you can wrap the fabric over the cork and slip it back into the frame.

When wrapping the fabric over the board, use a staple gun and secure it tightly at the back with lots of staples, as the fabric will be pulled whenever you "pin". If the pinboard does not have a stable backing, use a strong fabric glue to prevent movement. You can paint or stain the frame to suit your dé cor — but do this before you put the fabric on!

2. Do it from scratch!Cut a piece of MDF to size as backing (from hardware stores). Use a layer of either cork or rubber for the front. Cork tiles (from hardware stores, Kmart, Big W) come in packs and are easy to mount. If you opt for rubber, test it with pins before you buy to find one that suits. Polystyrene is another option, but it doesn't "spring back" the way cork or rubber does. If you are pinning a lot, it may lose its hold. Glue your chosen surface to the backing. Test first — some glue will eat away at rubber or polystyrene. Wrap your fabric as above.

Fabric choices

You may have a fabric in mind that's perfect for your colour scheme. But remember, a loose-weave fabric copes best with board pins. If you've fallen in love with a tight-weave fabric, buy some extra so you can re-cover the board when it starts to look shabby.

One final tip!Spray a fabric protector (eg. Scotchgard) on your pinboard before you use it — who wants dirty hands on their "work of art"?

 

Images via Martha Stewart Living, Real Living Magazine, & House Beautiful