Q+A | Sarah Lacquer + Linen

SOUP! I love love love making soup. It’s one of those things that’s really hard to screw up (a big plus for me) and it’s easy to freeze and pop out when you’re short on time. Plus, I love using my crockpot and having the house fill with yummy hearty smells all day. 

It’s a toss up between pillows and art. I have a serious pillow problem. At our house we have an entire closet devoted to my seasonal/holiday pillows. With so many great and affordable sources, it’s really easy to swap out your pillows for each season or even a themed party. A great way to save money is to purchase the pillow covers and just reuse the inserts. DIY art is always a great quick fix as well. I’m convinced anyone can create art. It’s in the eye of the beholder, right?? If you’re not artistically inclined, stick to abstract designs. You can’t go wrong with a few strategically placed paint splatters or brushstrokes in colors that match your space. I’ve also used spray painted plastic animals to create some unique specimen art and strips of paper to create a pretty woven paper design. 

My first (and last) upholstery project. I found this sweet little vintage vanity chair from an estate sale that I wanted to recover for my daughter’s flamingo inspired nursery. The seat was round and I figured it would be pretty easy to just wrap the fabric around the cushion and staple it to the bottom of the seat base. What I didn’t take into account was where the hardware was for the back of the seat and I didn’t correctly plan the direction of the pattern of the fabric. A pretty easy fix but still an annoying mistake. I also has a really hard time pulling the fabric in perfect pleats around the circular seat. I wish I could say I have perfected how to do this now that I failed the first time, but what I really learned is that for a non-sewing DIYer like myself, it’s best to stick to square-shaped seats. 

My favorite projects have been my Ikea hacks. I’m not great with power tools, so my furniture makeovers tend to be pretty simple and require minimal use of heavy duty equipment. The first hack I tried was my first ever furniture makeover. I took one of my husbands old dilapidated Lack side tables, added some paint, corbels and nailhead trim and turned it into a glammed up version of its former self. 

My second Ikea hack is definitely my favorite project to date. It was such a simple DIY but really made a world of difference. I used a Hemnes dresser and added some paint and gold hardware to the drawer fronts to make a lovely campaign inspired dresser for our daughter’s nursery. 

I am obsessed with the Delrey fabric from Pindler & Pindler. It’s a reversible upholstery weight fabric that I used to make a cornice box. The fabric is a stair stepped diamond pattern that has a fun tribal feel to it. 

I don’t really have one favorite designer, I have many that I love for different reasons. I’m inspired by the funky, eclectic style of Jamie Meares, I like the daring color schemes that Amanda Nisbet uses, I love the way Caitlin Wilson can mix and match patterns and I admire how Philip Gorrivan can infuse a heightened level of sophisticated glamour into any space. There are so many talented established and up and coming designers out there, I really could go on forever!!

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Totally agree about the frustration of upholstering!! Often times, it takes a lot of planning to make sure it goes as planned and then there is the actual process. I think the only way David and I get through it is taking turns trying ways to make those tricky corners work!

Also love her Ikea Hacks, we’ve hacked both pieces, but in completely different ways. Love Sarah’s take, I’d love to try them both soon!

Thanks so much for stopping by Sarah!!

If you’re new to Lacquer & Linen, make sure to check out her DIY page!!