Etsy Milestone

Hirondelle Rustique has hit 100 sales on Etsy! (101 actually...) To some, that might not be very much but I'm so flattered and thankful for all of my wonderful customers! I've met the friendliest people along the way and found a lot of great sellers and blogs because of this adventure.

{My first Etsy sale - Grumpy Bird. If my dad bought it does that count? Hehe love you dad!}

I remember what it was like opening shop and anxiously awaiting for someone to buy something. It took me quite a while to get on my feet actually, but I still get the same heart-leaping-out-of-my-chest feelings I did with the first sale (err...second?) and it's a lot of fun. If you're thinking about selling on Etsy or are just starting up shop, post a comment and let me know! If you have any questions post those as well, I'd love to help out if I can!

Now I have a rather serious question for you: What do you think of my shop (and blog) name "Hirondelle Rustique?" Is it unique enough to withstand the test of time, or is it too hard to pronounce and spell? It will always be special to me, but I've been struggling for months trying to decide if I should open a new shop/blog with a name that's a bit easier to remember, so I'm turning it over to you. I'd love to hear your feedback!

Houses: What can you buy with 1 Million in the Seattle Area?

I love hopping over to the local real estate sites now and then just to see what kinds of swanky houses are up for sale in my area. It can be a great place to find inspiration photos for decorating ideas (as well as not so great ideas), plus it's fun to dream right?

Here's a magnificent house in Kirkland that's currently listed at $1,050,000.

I love those doors, and the hardwood floors are so pretty!

I've always wondered how it would be to have a fire going while you are taking a bath. Would it be too hot or cozy and romantic? I love the idea of having a fireplace in the bathroom for those cold winter days. What do you think?


Having a covered patio area with a fireplace would be so fun for BBQ's and other get-togethers.
I can just see billowy curtains and cushy dining chairs pulled up around a table full of delicious home cooked food out here.

This house even has separate living quarters with a full kitchen for friends and family visits or to rent out.

And for those of you who have an extra $250k to add to that million dollars lying around (couch change right?) here's a house in Redmond that has jaw-dropping craftsmanship throughout.

I love the old world effect of the glass doors on these built-ins!

Another covered patio with a fireplace! Love it!

{all images via zip realty}

Someday... someday...

Loving this Blog

I just stumbled upon the blog Studio Freas (the sister blog of Team Freas). It's one of those blogs where you just keep scrolling and scrolling through the pages because you can't get enough. Jennifer has posted so many wonderful inspiration photos and design ideas!

A few of my favorites:


And the best part? You should see her house! It's stunning.

Talk about curb appeal! I can't get enough of their front door/entry, it's so charming and inviting!


The house underwent an impressive remodel to get to where it's at today (love the added french doors and wall cutouts to make the room feel larger).


The tree branch bracket is such a cute touch.


And those are just a small amount of the beautiful photos she's posted. Definitely a blog to keep an eye on!

Floating Shelves

Living in an apartment definitely has its challenges when it comes to decorating. Here's a quick project we did a while ago that added some height and interest to the dining room (with a slightly scary before photo, I was in the process of moving in).


We measured the space and looked around online for some floating shelf options. Ikea turned out to be the clear winner price wise, with 3 1/2 ft shelves for only $19.99 each. So we made the trip down. The only catch? The color we wanted (Black-Brown) was sold out, and we were told all Lack shelves were being discontinued in that size as well (we actually went around and asked 3 different people about that since we couldn't believe our ears). Not wanting to miss out on a great deal, we purchased 3 shelves in Walnut and went home (actually I had to be dragged out of the store, there are too many fun accessories there!)

Once we got home we were debating how to darken the shelves to go with the tv console we were using as a sideboard, at which point we received an awesome tip from my boyfriend's sister about faux painting. She mentioned how she'd put paint on a sponge and wiped it onto a piece of wood and it darkened it without covering it completely, and the sponge gave a nice wood grain effect. So with a cheap tube of black acrylic craft paint, I got to work.

Here's a side by side of the old and the new, I love how the shelves turned out.

And here's the dining room wall all decked out:

Note: Our shelves have actually been up for a month or so now, and I just went and checked back at Ikea again and it appears they DO have the Lack shelves in the same size and in black-brown. *Sigh* Well at least you're in luck if you want to purchase those shelves, and at least I learned a cool painting technique in the process. Perhaps it'll help you out someday too!

Photo Consultation: Bathroom Before and After

Here's a photo consultation I did for my parents, whose bathroom is actually under construction. They wanted a space with a bit of drama, and Newburyport Blue by Benjamin Moore fit the bill. They also wanted to use glass tiles as a back splash along the vanity wall, which I thought was a wonderful idea considering this bathroom has no windows and the glass tiles will help reflect light. This bathroom is off of the mudroom in their garage, and it needed to not only be functional but practical since they plan on using it as their master bathroom while their house is being remodeled.

Before:

After:

The vanity will be built by my grandfather, and I love the extra shelf along the bottom with baskets for storing towels and other toiletries. A recessed medicine cabinet also offers extra storage as well.

The shower curtain is actually a regular curtain from Ikea (the Merete line) and at $19.99 for a pair, it is an extremely affordable option (they're wide enough to fit most standard tubs, plus they are super long and can be hung up at the ceiling to make a small bathroom look taller). White is always a great option because if it ever gets too dirty you can always use bleach or oxy clean to bring it back to normal. Extra long shower curtain liners can be found online, like the one at this store.

Here's another shot of the room from a different angle.

Before:

After:

Recessed lighting will also add a new layer of light to help brighten things up and keep the room from feeling too cave-like.

Although the toilet area isn't shown, my parents plan to add another recessed cabinet above the toilet for more storage, and we've also been playing around with the idea of getting a luggage rack towel bar for the wall to the left of the shower (not shown) similar to this one from Pottery Barn:

So there you have it! I'm currently working on another photo consultation that I hope to share soon!

New Prints!

I just added these fun lemon, lime and orange prints to my Etsy shop to celebrate the summer! They are each available as single 8x10 or 11x14 prints or as a set of three to make the biggest statement in your room (also available in 8x10 and 11x14).