Polka Dot Robot

Apartment Inspiration

When I first moved into my apartment with Kevin, I put some real effort into making it feel like a home, and then life got crazy. For a while I couldn't tell what it was that didn't feel homey about the place, until it hit me in one giant, frustrating, and overwhelming epiphany- everything in the apartment was his or mine. Nothing was really ours. So, I am now on an unstoppable push to not only turn this apartment into our apartment, but I am on the track to really design it.

So first thing's first- the living room. It's the biggest room in the apartment, the most likely space for a group of friends to gather, and, personally, the heart of the home. Growing up, it was where my family truly bonded, and I think that will be true for Kevin and I, too.

So, I dove head-first into an idea and I'm sticking to it!

Inspiration: Orange and Teal

I was originally inspired by the winebar near by apartment

And now I see this is the color scheme of the wedding season!

(Above photo by NicoleBDesigns)

And InspireInspire posted a few years back about this color scheme in the home (so I'm bringing it back!)

And you may remember I like to create my own art for my apartments (DIY post here) and I have found another AMAZING art project which I plan to start soon, using colors inspired above:

Thanks, Apartment Therapy.

Any color schemes you're inspired by, lately?

Love, MegPie

DIY: Inspiration Piece

 
The other night I worked on a project I have had in my head since the end of February. As you may or may not know, I recently moved into a charming 1920's apartment, with it's ups and it's downs. We have a few challenge rooms - mainly a very small kitchen and bathroom. And while Apartment Therapy is rocking the small spaces, my tiny bathroom (4x6 foot) was pretty hard to make a plan for. 

One thing I know is that I love peacocks, and for some reason, the baby blue tile in the bathroom whispered to me: "Make me a bird..."

So I made an Inspiration Piece to tie the room together. Step 1: Chai? Check. Cat? Check.

Step 2: Gather supplies (distressed wood frame, gold tissue paper and two peacock feathers)

Step 3: I tried out a two different looks: smooth and crinkled

Step 4: Cut tissue to fit frame (as you can see, I went with the crinkled look...)

Step 5: Cut feathers to fit frame (these I plan to make into a cat toy for aforementioned cat)

Step 6: Put it all together!!

I put it in the bathroom, to see how it looked. It being such a small space, I could only get the top of the toilet into the pic...:

Many of these steps are no-brainers, but I wanted to share how easy and cheap this project was. It took me about 45 minutes and though I spent $20 on my supplies (I splurged on the frame...) this could have been a $10 or less project. The bathroom is far from over, but having the Inspiration Piece makes the room feel more vibrant and lived in, as well as gives me something to do while I floss...

Love, MegPie

MegPie's Wheelin' and Dealin'!

One of the perks about moving is that you get house warming gifts! My latest was a certificate to Cost Plus World Market, which I’m looking forward to spending! But, when you get a certificate to a large store, like Cost Plus or Ikea, it’s hard to approach shopping there. How do you know you’ll get the most bang for your buck? 

SALES!

I just scoured the World Market’s site, and have made:

MegPie’s Top 5 Sales Items Under $50!

At #5:

 
Casserole Baker with Chicken Handle Lid (mainly made the list for the chicken, but I digress)

#4:

 

Connoisseur Stemware Collection (six glasses with a schmancy name for 40 bucks? Not bad in my book)

#3:

 

Madeline Round Table, Pompeian Red (In case you need a lil chic in your back yard...)

#2:

 
Madeline Arm Chair, Pompeian Red (Or, if you need a lil chic for your cheeks) ;)

And the #1 item on sale under $50 (in my humble opinion!) is:

 
Soiree Wine Bar (Classy, much? Just look at that Martini glass!)

Really, for me, this was an exercise in reminding myself to always check out the sales sections of stores, and that we can all live in sophistication on a budget!

Love, MegPie

DIY: Restoring Glass and Brass (and class)

As I ran around from extra-curricular to extra-curricular, or laid in bed nursing a fever that has yet to go away (bleh), my boyfriend took on the first of what will be many restoration projects!

Moving into an old building in San Francisco has many perks. In the case of our apartment, we've got beautiful molding, hardwood floors, and glass door knobs...which, when we moved in, looked like this:

 
Clearly, this was a speed-paint job from long ago. Really, I think the hinges bore the brunt of it:

Lucky for me, my boyfriend is pretty good at tearing things apart and putting them back together easily, but this is something anybody can do with the right tools and some help from the internet...and that cure-all we've all come to know and love: Baking Soda.

The BF removed the knob, hinges, screws, and mechanisms from the door. He set them aside, and made his concoction. In a medium sized sauce pan (you may need a bigger pan, depending on how much you intend to restore) he filled it half way with water, and poured in the baking soda until the liquid was opaque. He put it on a burner and waited for it to boil. Once it started boiling, he added the door accessories. They sat in the boiling Soda-Water for two hours, though I don't think it needs that much. After two hours, he removed the pan from the heat and let it cool, so he could handle the metal. After rinsing and rubbing with a sponge, this was the outcome!!!:

We're excited to get the newly exposed brass back on the door, and see it pop. One door down, five more to go!

I'm also looking forward to this event coming up in my new 'hood:

Lower Haight April Fools' Scavenger Hunt

They're mixing in an art walk with some competition. Love it! (Though it will be impossible to rival Erin's B-Day hunt...)

Off to take some Sudafed! Wish me luck!

Love, MegPie

Erin's Doily Obsession

I've been wanting to do wardrobe remix for a long time, so when Vivianna offered to help me get started, I said yes please! Not only was our girly photo shoot fun; it was a great opportunity to show off my new doily dress and platform wedges.

Dress: Corey Lynn Calter, from Macy's
Tights: H&M
Shoes: Moxsie.com
Earrings: Bloomingdale's

I have been really into doilies lately. They seem to make everything better: crafts, home decor, clothing, design. I created a Doily Fabulous Pinterest board to keep track of all the cute lace and crochet-inspired items I've seen.

(For links to the individual items, visit the set on Pinterest.)

What are your favorite doily-inspired items and crafts?

<3 Erin

Erin's Home Improvements: Part 1

Ever since I moved into my San Francisco studio in June 2010, I've been complaining about my yellowed, broken blinds and my plain white walls. Well, Robots, I'm proud to announce that I finally took action! Thanks to good planning, Laurel and her trusty drill, and an impending visit from my parents, I have succeeded in making my pretty apartment prettier. Hurrah!

Witness my progress below, and be amazed. (Can you tell I'm excited about this?) The photos aren't the greatest, but you'll get the idea.

(Side note: if you rotate the above photo clockwise 90 degrees, you get....Super Erin!)

Ta da!!! I am so pleased.

In my last post, I mentioned that I purchased these decals from Etsy.

I wanted them to look like wallpaper, so I carefully measured and installed each flower.

The result is really beautiful!

Unfortunately it was dark by the time I finished, so I couldn't capture the entire wall. Stay tuned for Home Improvements: Part 2 next week. Things are finally moving along! :)

<3 Erin

A Tribute to the Fox

It's no secret that the ladies of Polka Dot Robot are fond of adorable creatures. We'll find any excuse to add ears, horns, claws, and tails to our hats and hoodies.

And although I love them all, there is one critter that has gained much popularity in the last couple of years -- and has inspired filmmakers, musicians, artists, bloggers, and the handmade community to create wonderful things: THE FOX!

This majestic creature has become the subject of fantastic wearables...

(click image to link to item)

and charming decor...

and wonderful prints and illustrations...

Amazing stuff! Lastly, just for entertainment, here's a video of two foxes playing on a trampoline. :-)

Happy Foxy Friday! <3 Erin

Dare to dream: Staircases

I've always dreamed of having the most amazing unique home. I wanted to be an architect when I was a little girl and would sketch out houses or interior designs.  I wrote my own "book" when I was 9 about the architecture of my hometown: I walked around town, took pictures with my pink camera, glued the pictures to paper and wrote something like "this is a Victorian house" and "this is an Old Victorian house" under each one! I don't think I knew any other architecture words, haha.

Even though I ended up not pursuing architecture (waaaaay too much school!) I sill love home design and dreaming about having an "Old Victorian house" that I can decorate like crazy - it's probably why I live in San Francisco!

My dad sent me an email the other day with some AMAZING staircase designs that I had to share with you guys!

This one is Perfect if you have a small apartment with not much room for storage (like my place!)

And this is just beautiful:

This reminds me of the Lord of the Rings:

But this one, Robots, this is my DREAM:

I would never make it down the stairs! I'd always get half way and say "oh i remember that book! i love that book!" and then get stuck reading!  Maybe I'd put a cushion there somewhere.....

We should probably do a favorite book post sometime!

<3

Laurel

MegPie's Swing at Interior Design...

I am the resident crochet-er for Polka Dot Robot (Viv crochets too, but I’ve sort of claimed it as my thing and there are no take backs) so it is no surprise that I am really into the Granny Chic thing.

Photo from Dottie Angel

I am not going to say I have a knack for interior design (in fact, I might have the opposite of a knack) but I do find that the whole Granny Chic that has been around for the past few years is a fun and simple way to warm up an apartment/house/room.

I also have an obsession with granny squares, flowers, and doilies, and am LOVING what Emmalamb is up to.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Love, MegPie 

 
 

Dress Up Your Walls

I recently moved to a cute little studio in the Mission District of San Francisco. (Huge thanks to the robots and friends who helped me move! <3) Although it was sad to say goodbye to my tree house bedroom, I'm very excited to start the decorating process all over again. :)

First decorating mission: to dress up my plain white walls with a pretty, not-too-busy, renter-friendly wall application. Tempaper offers some terrific options...

If you're interested in the Tempaper application process, check out this Apartment Therapy post. I recently ordered a sample of the Edie wallpaper, and it was very easy to apply and remove.

Of course, decals are another option. Etsy seller byrdiegraphics makes beautiful decals that can be applied individually to resemble wallpaper. Are these gorgeous or what?

And then there are those miscellaneous projects that I've bookmarked over the years. Does anyone remember this Design*Sponge post on decorating with paint strips?

A while back, Apartment Therapy posted about framing wallpaper samples -- another lovely option which offers lots of variety...

Sigh...how will I ever choose? ;)

Do you know of any other renter-friendly wallpaper or wall applications? Please share in the comments.

<3 Erin-bot