House Tour | Lower Level

Thanks so much for your kind words on yesterday's post. You all are seriously the best!!

We bought a house! Here's the details!

1. It was built in '81 and is a post and beam construction. 
2. It has a geothermal heating and cooling system. We're still learning about it, but the entire home was built with the intent to be energy efficient, it's situated on the lot so that the majority of the windows are on a southern exposure (great for sunshine all day) you'll notice that almost all of the windows are on one side of the house. I won't go into the entire heating/cooling system, but it's located in a chimney stack that runs from the foundation to the roof. There is a wood stove in the basement, but no fireplace. 
3. We also, know that there has been a history of designers and artists that have lived here, the first owner was an engineer, there was also a photography dark room and pottery room at some point too. Neat, huh?  

Want to take a tour of our new home?
  
Come on in!

The front door is on the deck and enters into a mud room.


There's a large coat closet to the left.


And a second exterior door (the mud room isn't climate controlled) before you enter the house.


The mud room opens to large a living / dining room and the kitchen.


We're thinking, the living room by the windows and the dining room by the kitchen. The amazing windows will be a little tricky with furniture, but I'm thinking maybe a clear lucite console table behind anything that it's in front of a window?? Maybe, I haven't drawn a floorplan or space planned yet.

Moving into the kitchen ..



The kitchen is a little small and awkward. I'm not a fan of the wood/tile cut at a 45 and it's closed in. We'd love to open it up, turn the island and make it larger and extend the hardwood into the kitchen. The hardwood is beautiful but faded from the sun in spots and would look best refinished (still need to research the best option ..) Hardwood can be tricky in kitchens because of potential water damage, but the floorplan is so open that a break in the flooring would look awkward. 


To the right of the kitchen, looking down the hallway, there is a bathroom to the right, two bedrooms at the end of the hall and a closet.

There is a sink at the front of the bath. 


and then a second door with a toilet


and shower.


The bedroom to the right has great natural light. Look at those windows!! We'll probably use this as a guest room.


Looking from the window wall ..


The closet is a little odd - opening into the bathroom too.


The bedroom to the left has one smaller window, and is a good bit darker. We'll probably use this for a second office.


Moving back into the main room, you see the tall chimney stack (part of the heating/cooling system), I think it's screaming for a lower mantel and faux fireplace.


The photo below is a good example of the sun damage on the floors. You can see where a table and/or rug was and a bookcase was against the chimney.


To the right of the chimney. Annabelle loves looking through the bottom of the stairs so that should be covered somehow- we might put the TV there, but it will be tight, so maybe not. 


and looking up the stairs. Annabelle will easily go up the stairs but is scared going down .. Maybe because she has less control going down and she knows there are openings?


I'll pick up tomorrow with the upstairs tour!!

Adding Legs to a Mid Century Modern Dresser | How To

It was a great weekend!! We closed on our house (pics soon!), moved some of our things in (the rest is in our Ohio rental) and I took pictures of our dresser that we finished over the Christmas break.

We took a beaten up Mid Century Modern dresser, painted it and lifted it off the ground with legs! Here's how we did it.


A few months ago, my Mom sent me pics from a furniture sale at her work (isn't she the best!?) I think I definitely get my thriftiness and love for taking trash to treasure from her.

My Mom works at a retirement community, and every year the resident's donate unwanted items to be auctioned off (if you're interested, sorry it's employees only:( It's silent bid style, so there's a starting bid and then you write your bid on the paper - at the end of the day, the highest bid wins.

The starting bid for the dresser below was $8, I guess we were the only ones who saw the potential because we got it for $8!! Mom's good at under playing the amazingness in a piece ;) Probably saying, Oh, it's so short, where are the legs? or It's pretty beaten up not sure if that can be fixed or I'm not sure why my daughter wants this ...


The dresser originally had legs (had the supports and mounts underneath) but they were removed .. maybe to fit under a window or act as a bench? It was pretty short, ~20". So my first thought was that it needed legs!

I saw these legs and thought they'd be perfect (with a little modification) for our dresser. So we created a similar style with a little more of a curve.

This is how we David made the legs .. I helped, but David did most of it.

We started with a piece of wood (~1x8) from a tree my Granddad had milled after a hurricane went through. We aren't sure of the type of wood, but it was from South Carolina and Granddad remembers that it has an unusual name, any guesses?

To get the curve, we started with a ridged piece of string, we didn't want one that would flex a lot. We measured the dresser and determined the total length for the curved piece (the legs are attached separately). Then we measured the midpoint of the board (where we wanted the top of the curve) and then the end point of the curve (where we wanted the top of end of the curve). To make sure that the curve was equal, one held the pencil and string tight at the top and touched the midpoint and both of the ends and the other adjusted the string at the bottom. Then we repeated for the bottom curve (about 2" thick). This step took a lot of adjusting to get just right, but once we did, I held it tight at the bottom (taped for photo) and David drew the curve at the top.


Next, with the jigsaw, David cut out the curve. There are two curved pieces (front and back of dresser) So David traced the existing board and cut out a second piece.


Next, David cut out the legs. We determined the measurements and then free handed the design within those guidelines. Then he cut it out with the jigsaw, traced and repeated three more times.

David glued and clamped the curved piece to the leg. After it dried, he drilled through both at an angle with a 3/8" bit, put some wood glue in the hole and inserted a dowel rod and cut off the excess.

Once dry, we used a router (sorry no picture, but examples of routers here) with an 1/8" bit to make the edges slightly round. For the tight corners, we used sandpaper to soften the edge.


Then we used 120, 220, then 400 grit sandpaper (lower number means coarser and higher means finer - good for finishing) to give a smooth finish.

We repeated the steps (but a screw instead of a dowel rod) for the side supports.

To seal the legs, we applied Briwax furniture wax in clear.


Finally, we removed the existing support for the legs and mounted the legs to the supports (using screws from underneath) Then, we reattached the support to the dresser.

I'm not going to lie .. the legs took forever, but SO worth it because I love how they turned out!



I decided to make the top white so it wouldn't compete with the legs (Plus it had a good bit of damage so needed some wood filler). Also, I love how it doesn't need hardware since it has built in pulls. It draws all of the attention to those beautiful legs!!

For the paint, I sanded the entire dresser to remove the gloss (removing all of the dust with a micro fiber cloth) and used Zinsser Cover Stain Primer. It is oil based, so a pain to clean up. I'll typically wrap my roller in plastic and throw away once it is unusable.

I ended up doing three coats, allowing it to dry in between. I've found that if you don't cover all of the stain, it seeps through the top coat once it sets. However, you can spot treat the spots that show through if you want to avoid multiple coats. I decided to do three so that it was extra durable.

I lightly sanded the primer once dry and then applied two coats of Sherwin William Pro Classic Semi Gloss in Alabaster.  I used a smooth 6" foam roller to apply both and a small foam brush to reach the tight spots.

Finally, here it is in our new house!! We closed on Friday and I quickly snapped a few pics on Sunday. This will be our bedroom, but the bed will go on this wall instead. I'm planning on moving the dresser next to the closet.


Rug was found at Home Goods about a month ago.

And a few more close ups of the legs since I love them so much :)



One last before .. 


and after!



SUCH a transformation!!

I'm planning on full house tour tomorrow so make sure to come back for that!!

--
P.S. Don't forget to enter Delta Faucet's New Year, New Room - Bathroom Transformation, if you had issues yesterday, it's been fixed so make sure to upload the best (aka ugliest) photo of your bathroom because the room with the most votes wins!! More info HERE




Delta Faucet New Year, New Room - Bathroom Makeover Giveaway | Valued at over $5,500!!


  • Happy Monday! Yes, it is definitely a happy Monday because I have an amazing giveaway from Delta Faucet and Lowes Home Improvement to share with you today!! 



    Do you have a bathroom in desperate need of a makeover? Enter @Delta Faucet’s New Year, New Room Bathroom Makeover Photo contest. 

    Upload a picture of your bathroom that needs a new look for a chance to win a ton of great prizes. The bathroom with the highest number of votes will win a prize package including:

    1. a Delta Faucet showerhead, lavatory faucet and bath accessories,
    2. a $3,500 @Lowe’s Home Improvement gift card,
    3. a consultation from Delta Faucet's Industrial Designer Seth Fritz, 
    4. and a consultation and a custom mood board created by ME! 

    So find the ugliest photo of your bathroom, enter and spread the word to your family and friends because the bathroom with the most votes wins! Contest will run from January 13th - February 9th.

    Get the details and enter HERE

    Good Luck!! 

    I visited Delta Faucet's headquarters about a year ago and was so impressed with their passion and commitment to their product (more info here). I also have a Delta Touch20 faucet and LOVE it! I'm so excited to be partnering with them again! 

    More information on Delta Faucet available on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest

    More information on Lowes Home Improvement available on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest




Project Sneaks | Chairs + Woodworking

Hi! I'm stopping in quickly to share a little peak of what we've been working on! We have SO many projects in process right now .. I just counted 5. I blame it on not having all of our tools in one place and the weather (ok, maybe I'm just excited about too many things as well :)

Here's a little update through my Instagram.

Mom's been helping me with this chair .. photo was taken at night, so the colors are a little off, it's more teal.


Sunday, I found an amazing deal at Joann Fabrics (in store) for this gray chenille upholstery fabric. With the store sale and an extra coupon, I got it for about $3.40 a yard. Love when I find deals like this - it doesn't happen very often, but when they do, I get giddy :) I bought 10 yards, so I'll probably have a little extra.

I was originally planning a blue for these chairs (I actually bought this, but it was more of a medium blue than a turquoise, so it won't work .. if you're interested let me know, I can send more pics - I have 8 yards.)

Side note: the upholstery on the original chairs was in great shape, so I was hoping to reuse the foam .. when we put the cushions in the truck, we realized that they smelled like smoke, so I had to buy new foam .. grr. Oh well, the price was still reeeaaally good!! (I researched removing the smoke smell, but I couldn't find a good solution, and I didn't want to waste time or money or chance having the smell come back once done .. )


Love after Christmas 70% off shopping! We invested in a tall tree for our new house (1 more day!!!) it will look great with the high ceilings!! (we're making lamps too, so that's what the shades are for :)


And, I've been going traditional and neutral for too long .. I'm thinking COLOR next year!


Finally, the project below is now done! Hopefully pics and post on Monday (I haven't photographed it, so it may be complicated by moving).

This wood came from South Carolina - my grandfather got lots of wood milled after a hurricane went through years ago. It has such a pretty grain (this photo does them no justice).


Wish me luck signing TONS of papers (twice) tomorrow. David has to work, so I'm signing for him too.. hope my hand doesn't cramp up :)

Hope you have a great weekend!!

Contributing Article At Houzz | Ikea Frames to Chevron Cork Board

If you missed my latest ideabook at Houzz, make sure to stop by and check it out! You also get a peak at our new console table!

A lot of our projects involve power tools, but these custom cork boards can easily be accomplished in any space.


Architecture, interior design, and more ∨

Home improvement can start with something as minor as installing track lighting or a unique ceiling fan.
Collect and share photos of tiling, bath vanities, designer shower curtains and washroom mirrors to create your perfect home decorating style.

Coral Desk + Tip for Reusing Old Hardware

I spotted and ran towards this desk as soon as I walked into Goodwill (kind of like how Cassie lunged for these brass deer while we were thrifting :) Guess I have a thing for Mid Century Modern furniture. I love the clean lines!

BEFORE


(sorry for the messy wires, we threw the tv on top prior to painting - we have plans for a new tv stand!)

I was originally thinking white and wood, but it did have a good bit of damage (occurred after purchase when they stored it grr), so wood filler and paint was a great solution.

AFTER


First, I sanded to remove all of the glossy surfaces (medium grit, then fine grit sandpaper), wiped down with a microfiber cloth and applied two coats of Zinsser Cover Stain Primer, letting it dry about an hour between coats.

Oil based primer is stinky and a pain to clean up - I typically store my roller (smooth 6" foam) in a plastic bag and throw it out once it's unusable. BUT it leaves a super hard and durable base, so I think worth it!


I've been obsessed with Brittany's coral dresser since I first saw it, so I decided to get the same color (Behr Cool Lava) matched at Sherwin Williams in Pro Classic semi gloss.


After lightly sanding (with fine grit) the primer I applied three light top coats.


I was going to spray paint the original hardware gold, but when sanding, I found that it was gold underneath. Such a nice surprise! The top coat was removed easily with a little sanding.


I let it cure a few days before setting anything on it, but wanted to wait to move my big computer since it's SO heavy. I'm still undecided if I'll keep it here, I love the color .. but I like the length of my x leg desk.


I found this porcelain elephant at Goodwill - it's missing the top, but perfect for holding paperclips!





I don't think I'll every tire of coral - I keep coming back to it :)

We have TONS of projects in process (most almost done!) So I'll have a lot more to share soon.

p.s. you may want to check out the fabric at Joanns, I was able to find an amazing deal yesterday ($3.40 a yard for gray chenille upholstery fabric!) in the clearance section!! I'll probably be sewing all week :)

Recap 2013 | Changes 2014

Happy New Year!!

2013 was awesome! ... a little late, but here are your favorite posts as well as a few highlights of 2013.

At the end, I'll talk about about a few of my goals and what you can expect to find here in 2014 :)

Highlights .. lots of small ones and a few larger ones. Here's my top two.

Early in 2013, our own March madness began - participating in Creating with the Stars and then WINNING!!

and 2013 ended with a bang, a magazine feature and cover of Make It Over!!! Definitely a dream come true to be in a magazine and surreal to see my bedroom on the cover!



Top Posts from 2013 (based on page views)

10. How to build a campaign style desk

I sold most furniture from California when we moved, but this one came with. Glad you like it too!!


9. Offset Striped Rug

I love this project because we only had to buy painter's tape .. we used the other side of my Moroccan rug (I wish Ikea still sold the white Erslev rug!) AND it only took a few hours!


 8. Custom Shelving for $35 

I love that it divided my long room (office/dining/living) into two sections while still feeling open. The price is pretty amazing too.


7. Grasscloth + Nailhead Feature Wall  One of my favorite and most time consuming projects to date.

This was a part of our final project for CWTS .. we worked non stop for two days. Yes, those are over 2,000 individual nails. (yes, we are crazy) Would I do it again? Yes, but not in a two day period, broken up over a few weeks :)


























6. Tripod Lamp 

We did this right after we moved to Ohio with limited supplies, so I was super happy with how it turned out! It was also featured as one of Apartment Therapy's homemade Christmas gifts!


























5. Tufted Headboard with Nailhead Trim

We made this one for friends and while the deep tufts weren't easy, we definitely learned a few things! Love the bedding combo too :)


4. Schumacher Zimba Inspired Draperies 

Obsessed with this print, so happy I was able to find a diy option!!


3. Fluorescent Diffuser to Statement Pendant 

Yep, this one came with us to Ohio too ... YES the movers did break it ;( .. The movers originally told me that it wouldn't fit in a box, so I couldn't ship it (me contemplating how to fit it in the already packed car with us to drive across the country) Then getting them to reluctantly build a custom box .. box arrive intact, but the top piece was loose in the box and from it banging around it broke one of the arms off (grr for them not wrapping it up) but good news - it is fixable with a little work :)


2. Coral Headboard with Arms 

The other half of our CWTS final project .. I was originally planning a more neutral headboard, but I'm so glad that I didn't, coral is definitely more me :)


1. Driftwood Herringbone Table

Our most time consuming project to date, but definitely one of my favorites!! The movers didn't break this one .. we took the top off and it was carefully wrapped separately!! Thank goodness!!


























2013 was great, full of DIY projects and making our rental our own ... 2014 will bring LOTS of change some known and a lot unknown! Closing on a house (1 week away!) Can't wait! But, we won't be living there full time for at least a few months. We still have to finish up in Ohio .. So what does this mean for the blog? In Ohio, we're currently in a partially furnished house (kitchy nautical theme). YIKES (more info why we're there here) So there won't be an Ohio house tour since there are lots of things that I can't change .. more like here's the wall that our sofa is on, not the whole room with an ugly fireplace and a table that had to stay .. Is that OK? I'm writing for Houzz and Infarrantly Creative, and my projects and photos have be something I'd sign my name on .. but I'll gladly share it all here if you'd like to see. Let me know your thoughts.

BUT photos of our new house will share the complete process (good, bad, and ugly) in real time as we do them .. I'm excited :)

So in the next few months I'll be sharing more staged shots from Ohio, and real time photos of our new house in Maryland. We're not exactly sure how everything will work out in the next few months, but I'll be sure to share as we find things out!

Bring on 2014!! :)

We've been busy working on lots of projects over the break, so look for those posts next week!!

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