All in the details…

May 30, 2012 6 Comments

Source

Today’s “All in the details” features the office space of one my most admired bloggers – Danielle Moss of Breakfast at Toast and The Everygirl. If you haven’t become a daily reader of The Everygirl, you are selling yourself short. This fairly new blog is FULL of priceless advice, inspiration and resources for women of all ages aching for success. Whether you want to be a successful boutique owner or a world-renowned author, this site just might give you the kick in the pants you need to go for your goals. Definitely give it a shot…

But I digress.

Danielle’s office space is one of those spaces heaped in style, yet manages to make the most of a fairly small nook. Let’s take a closer look:

SHELF STYLING

When decorating empty wall space, you can often go one of two ways – Either the 2D variety (i.e. prints, paintings, drawings, etc.), or go 3D. Here, Danielle chooses to dress up the wall above her computer desk with a set of two thin shelves. The white color and non-obtrusive hanging hardware make them blend seamlessly with the wall, but offer a great landing place for whimsical, personal momentos such as a stack of books, an old camera and a sea urchin figurine. Brass highlights throughout make the collection cohesive without seeming forced.

THE FURNITURE

It seems that every girl ought to have herself a glossy white parsons desk. This beautiful, sleek piece of furniture is, again, non-obtrusive and allows the accessories and decor to really pop. Although a little short on storage (the main reason why I’m not craving one for my own home), the designer of this table managed to squeeze in a couple of long drawers, perfect for dainty office supplies. And the crisp white (I’m sensing a theme here) and chrome desk chair is feminine yet modern.

DESKTOP

Danielle makes the most of the lack of storage space by topping her desk with nick knacks that don’t scream “office” – Instead, she uses a white lacquer tray to coral her papers, a nondescript black box with white trim to hide the clutter (although with such a beautiful space, I can’t even imagine she owns any clutter) and pretty vases to hold fresh flowers and pens. Even her acrylic tape dispenser exudes style. Sure, you might end up spending a bit more upfront for these types of high-end office supplies, but if you want to capture a put-together look it might be time to ditch the Office Max black stapler and metal filing cabinet.

INSPIRATION BOARD

I love inspiration boards because they do double duty as both extra wall art and a place to organize what moves you. The simple cream painted frame of this board and canvas background don’t overpower and let the pinned pieces make the real statement. I love to imagine what made her decide to showcase the individual items – The note cards, the signed box top from Louboutin (although I’m sure that was an easy decision), the Henri Bendel shopping bag, the photos and “I <3 NY” pin. No two inspiration boards will ever be the same – compare it to mine, for example – and I adore that…

So what are your favorite details?

For all of my top inspirational spaces, click here. 

Filed Under: Inspiring, All in the details, Office Tagged With: , , , , ,

We’re back!!!

May 7, 2012 16 Comments

Good morning! It’s so great to be home and getting back into a normal routine…

I am happy to report that the wedding went off without any major hitches (the downpour stopped just in time for photos and our outdoor ceremony) and the honeymoon was a fantastic adventure. John and I enjoyed a blissful week of delicious island food, plenty of fruity beverages beach- and pool-side and even went on a zip line excursion up in the tropical mountains. I wish I could tell you every single detail, but it would take several posts and I always think that photos speak louder than words…So I’m going to cut myself a tiny break this morning as I get back into the swing of things at work and share some of my favorite photos from our honeymoon (in no particular order). Enjoy!

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For those of you who are curious about the hotel, we stayed at the Excellence Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic. We L-O-V-E-D it and would definitely go back if given the opportunity. We booked through VIP and were treated like king and queen. The staff was super friendly, the room was gorgeous and the grounds were very well maintained and spread out enough so that you didn’t feel trapped. We both felt very safe on the plantation too. The only complaint we had was the noise through the door – It was a bit loud, but we had a ground floor room so we heard everyone walking by. If we could do it again, I think I’d ask for one of the upper level rooms for a little more peace and quiet. We highly recommend checking it out and have already discussed going back for our ten year anniversary…

P.S. A HUGE “Thank you!” to my fabulous guest bloggers last week, Amanda, Lisa and Jessi. Knowing they had things covered here on DG-DIY helped me to relax completely while away. If you missed their posts, check them out here, here and here.

Filed Under: Our Wedding, Seasonal/Holiday, Take a break!, The Big Reveal Tagged With: , ,

Behind the scenes look

April 13, 2012 8 Comments

When I think on what makes me like certain blogs over others, it usually has to do with (1) the quality of photography (I’m a sucker for crisp, colorful, well-composed photos) and also (2) a good balance of “the personal stuff.” By that, I mean that my go-to bloggers get real with their readers and spill ALL of the beans. They share photos of themselves every now and then and are willing to chat about daily family life rather than simply their blogging niche (ex. styling, DIY projects, graphic design). I want to know the person behind the words – When I get to know the life behind a blogger I respect, it makes me feel almost like a friend instead of just an audience.

So, I am going to do my best to share a little bit more about my life with you all – I think the majority of you know my hands more so than my face, since photos like these are about as close as you get to seeing me in action:

So here’s to getting to know the girl behind the hand!

As you may know (or at least understand), the most pressing personal topic on my mind has to do with wedding bells, white dresses and an hors d’œuvre menu. Only 15 days to go until the big day!! So, even though is happened back in February, I’ve been itching to share photos from my bridal shower. It was a lovely event with friends and family and I had so much fun celebrating with the main ladies in my life.

My best friend’s younger sister Marlee (who also happens to be our oh-so talented cupcake baker for the wedding reception, as gushed about here), was kind enough to take photos throughout the party and they are such a great testament to the memory.

You can’t really see here, but the glass I’m holding is painted with sweet wedding words like “bride,” “wedding bells” and “love.” Cute as can be – I took it home after the party and John served me a chocolate milkshake in it the other night. Was a nice little pick-me-up to remember the shower.

This is me and my little sister, Kat. I’ve talked about her on the blog a good bit as well, but she’s someone nearly impossible to catch on film. She avoids cameras like the plague, but we set up an agreement in advance that she would be open to picture-taking during the months leading up to my wedding. So far so good. You’ll even see her in one more photo in this post – It’s a miracle…

P.S. Can you believe that that’s our natural hair texture? Mine is sleek and straight and Kat’s is a wild mane of curly goodness.

This is me with two of my best friends, Savannah and Erica. We’ve known each other pretty much since birth – In fact, Erica and I joke that we truly have known each other since birth as we share the same birthday (which happens to be next week!). I am so lucky to have kept the same friends for all these years…26 years and counting!

I should mention that the hosts of this shower are more ladies whom I have known for my entire life. They are all mothers of my good friends (Savannah and Erica’s included) and have been there for my mom all these years. They are each so special to me in their own way and, again, I’m so lucky to have had them support me throughout my life.

They worked so hard on the party to make it special, complete with games and little tokens for me to take home – Including this little table, which featured a glass bowl and precut hearts. Guests would take a heart and write a little word of wisdom for me to share with John throughout our marriage. Some were silly (“Never fart in front of your spouse”) and others were more serious (“remember to laugh”). When we get our photos back from the wedding, I think I’ll use them to decorate scrapbook pages.

Although you can’t tell from these happy warm photos, the day happened to be the moment our town was hit with a massive snow storm. For our sleepy little town of Lynchburg, Virginia, it was almost like a blizzard – So I was super impressed and surprised when everyone made it to the party. As guest after lovely guest arrived, Marlee offered to take some portraits.

This is me with John’s mom and sister:

And this is me with my mom’s best friend, Kim:

And me with my best friend, Bethany (who I’ve chatted about here):

After playing a few games, like “Guess the Seasoning” where Miss Barbara came around with a tray of powdered seasoning in mini cups for us to identify by smell and looks only…

…it was time for gifts – I will never be able to thank my friends and family enough for all of the amazing things I was given that day! The shower was kitchen themed so I received things like a white porcelain punch bowl, an owl measuring cup set (seen also here), a food chopper and cupcake tupperware.

Even though we are not having a rehearsal dinner (we opted for a private ceremony with just us and immediate family members), my friends still wanted to follow the tradition of making me a bouquet from all the ribbons and bows taken from the gift boxes. Another fun memento from the afternoon.

It was an awesome day and I felt more special than I think I ever have in my whole life. It was so much fun to have all of my favorite women in one room – Can’t wait until the reception when I get to see EVERYONE important to me in one big space.

Has anyone else thrown, been thrown or heard of some fun bridal shower themes? I’ve seen outdoor themed ones, dessert-only themed ones and even a “Stock the Bar” theme! I love hearing all of the creative ideas out there…

Hope you have a great weekend!

Filed Under: Gifts, Our Wedding, Take a break! Tagged With: ,

Pinspiration Monday: DIY Chalkboard Menu (Part 2)

March 26, 2012 4 Comments

Good morning and welcome back from the weekend! Just wanted to thank you all so much for your kind words and continued support from last week’s one year blogiversary! It was so nice to hear from everyone and to get your opinion via poll and comments. Based on your feedback, I will be continuing my “Pinspiration Monday” feature on a weekly basis. Also, I’ll be bringing back the “Thrift Store SCORE!” feature on a monthly basis based on readership consensus. Lastly, you all voted and I’ll do my best to focus posts more on DIY projects with a little bit of organization and family life on the side.

For poll results, feel free to click on over to last week’s post, find the polls and click on “View results” at the bottom-left of each. Thanks again for your feedback and I look forward to implementing some changes that I think will keep things interesting and that I hope will keep you guys coming back for more!

Now for today’s topic – I’m back with a little “to be continued” post to finish up the DIY chalkboard menu I’ve been crafting for our wedding next month. To remind you, here are my Pinspiration images:

Source: This is Glamorous

Source: Style Me Pretty

The frame I used came from a close friend, who offered it to us from her grandfather’s home – We’ve since transformed the crumbling and stained antique into a clean and bright, “like-new” frame perfect for a wedding reception menu.

Next up, we needed to create the inner chalkboard section. To do this, John and I went out to Lowes with frame in hand and picked up a piece of thin wood. We had a lumber department employee cut it to size for us (for free!) and then brought it home for painting.

I used the same can of Valspar chalkboard paint that I’ve used for this project and this one – I think I still have over half the can left. It has served me well…

Using a 3 inch foam roller, I rolled on five thin and even coats of the paint, giving it about 30 minutes of dry time between coats. “Why five?” you might ask – Well I forgot to check the paint can for instructions on painting raw wood and only did so after the first coat. It was then that I found out I needed to prime the wood beforehand. To compensate for skipping that step, I doubled the recommended amount of chalkboard paint coats to make sure the wood was GOOD and covered. Luckily, after giving it a week of dry time, there was no staining or bleeding through the paint so I think we are safe.

If you would rather do fewer coats, by all means prime first and then you’ll probably only need two or three coats of the chalkboard paint.

Here it is after a week’s-worth of dry time:

For the final step, I carted the frame and newly-painted chalkboard over to my dad’s shop. As I’ve mentioned before, he’s a woodworker and is my trusted go-to for finishing touches like this. I wasn’t sure where to start with attaching the chalkboard to the frame, thinking maybe we would need to somehow attach two long and thin pieces of wood across the back. As per usual, dad had a much easier solution.

Instead of using large pieces of wood to secure the chalkboard, he pulled out these tiny metal tabs with holes for screws. Once attached, they would give just enough tension to hold the chalkboard in place.

He started by pre-drilling four holes for the screws, one in each corner. Then he took a pair of pliers and gently bent down the edge of each tab so that, when screwed into the frame, it would put tension on the back of the chalkboard and hold it steadily in place.

Last step – Screwing each firmly into place:

In no time, we were all finished (or technically DAD was all finished since I really didn’t contribute much other than moral support)…

(Yes, that’s a bottle opener on the side of the island in my parent’s house – We are beer connoisseurs in our family, haha. In fact, John installed his own on the island at our house last weekend!)

I know this post is already photo-laden, but I couldn’t help going a little photo crazy in dad’s shop while he worked on the frame. I wandered around aimlessly snapping the things in the shop that I’ve seen and been around for my entire life – As I was editing the photos later, it really occurred to me just how much he’s built over the years and how EPIC his workshop is. He has long since outgrown big box store jigs, etc, choosing instead to design and build his own. Looking around his collection of tools and wood, it’s just so overwhelming and really kind of magnificent. I just had to share.

Can’t be in the shop without a chilled glass of beer to sip on between cuts and drilling…I wasn’t kidding about the “beer connoisseur” thing – In fact now that I think about it, while I was at my parents working on this John was over at his friend’s house working on a home brewing kit!

During my wandering and photo-taking, I stumbled upon this beautiful tool box that he had built for himself. Check out the dove-tail finish…

And lastly, I have to brag about his involvement with the historic home of Thomas Jefferson - Poplar Forest is about five minutes away from my parents’ house (and our house too). Dad has been commissioned to build collectible boxes for the estate shop, crafted using antique wood from the property. You can check out his boxes here (it’s the fourth item from the bottom of the page). Here’s the description from the website to give you a more eloquent synopsis:

Historic Wood Boxes 
Made from historic Tulip Poplar wood from Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest plantation, these boxes and trivets are a beautiful addition to one’s home. Hand-made in Virginia by Patrick Williams.

I can’t get over just how COOL it is to visit my parents house and venture to the basement to see incredibly valuable and historic wood piled on tables ready to be made into boxes. Some of the pieces are even spotted with worm holes. It may seem silly, but I just think it’s so interesting…Maybe all of you other history buffs can understand.

Cool, huh?! The local paper even ran a story on him and another local woodworker – Check that out here.

Anyway, I’m lucky to have a dad who can help with these types of things and I can’t wait to show off our finished chalkboard framed menu at the wedding reception. Only 33 days to go!!!

Filed Under: DIY Projects, House Tour, How-To, Inspiring, Our Influences, Our Wedding, Weekly Pinspiration Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Here and there: Another studio switcheroo

February 29, 2012 4 Comments

You guys might be sick and tired of hearing about the studio – Believe me, I kind of am too. It’s that ONE SPACE that continues to foil me time and time again. I painted it my boldest color to-date (“Teal Zeal”) and, after months of pretending that I loved it, I finally admitted it to myself and to you that it just wasn’t working. Therefore, I painted a wall black! I know, I know…Everyone thought I was crazy. But in the end, it did the trick in sucking at least some of the attention away from those crazy teal walls.

I thought that I was all done after I painted that wall black, but the satisfaction soon shriveled away and I continued to feel like things weren’t quite “right.” Truth be told yet again, I feel like this room is far from being done (I’m thinking new curtains, a new bed frame, etc.) – But one recent change I made had to do with the furniture arrangement.

I’m all about aesthetics and, despite now having finally convinced John to move the elliptical to the basement so that I could move in a guest bed, the layout I ended with just wasn’t the best it could be. You see, this was the view that welcomed you:

(and no I am not referring to my sweet kitty – She’s a lovely welcome to the space. Alas, she’s not our consistent studio greeter)

While I adore the custom oak cabinet that my dad built (originally for a television but later converted to a shelving unit for my printmaking paper), it’s not a very soft and welcoming piece to greet you when you walk towards the door. So one evening, I made a few quick changes to remedy the effect.

This is now the new first-look-view of the room as you enter through the doorway:

I went ahead and put the bed front and center, pushing the large, heavy cabinet to the inside corner of the space. Everything seems a bit more balanced now. In the same vein, I switched my slender vintage desk with the bulky drafting table so that we, again, get better balance in the space.

By having all of the bulky, heavy furniture along the back wall, it allows you to focus more on the decorative aspects of the room – Namely, the bed and desk.

Speaking of the desk…One other thing I added new to the space was an inspiration board. My computer monitor forced the display shelves to sit pretty high on the wall above the desk, leaving a large blank space. Luckily, a small bulletin board that I picked up at Goodwill several years ago for $5 fit perfectly in the space. I styled it up with swatches from my fabric basket, an article published about me in the local paper and cuttings from furniture and spaces that inspire me.

Having all of that color, pattern and texture greet me when I sit down at my computer in the morning is a great pick-me-up. And it’s wonderful to have found a way to keep samples of all the fabric I have in my possession out in the open. When my next upholstery project turns up, all I need to do is check out my inventory via my inspiration board for decision-making.

I also spent a little extra time working on my display shelves to get them looking put together and intentional. I think that I am slowly-but-surely becoming more comfortable with shelf styling – Who knew it could be so hard to group some books and decorative figurines together in a pleasing way. How DO you do it, Emily??

All I can really say about this room is that “it’s getting there”…

What do you guys think? Please tell me that I’m not the only one with a problem space! Any words of encouragement?

P.S. I just had to share this…My cousin, Cathy, was inspired to create her own felt floral wreath after seeing the one I created last week. Instead of going with a hay wreath form and wrapping it with fabric like I did, she chose a grapevine wreath and added her felt flower blooms on top using needle, thread and some hot glue. She also went the extra mile on the flowers, sewing them together and adding wooden beads for the “stamen.” Although she admitted that the sewing was a bit labor intensive, I think the finished product is well worth the effort – I am so jealous of how hers turned out! I guess she got all of the patience in the family…Isn’t it lovely??

Filed Under: How-To, Inspiring, Moving!, Simple Fixes, Studio, The Big Reveal Tagged With: , , , ,

My brand spankin’ new chair

February 24, 2012 10 Comments

You probably know better than anyone that I am all about the thriftiest purchases. It’s rare that I hit up a big box store for the things we need in our home. Instead, I comb local thrift and estate stores until I find just the right piece to compliment our style. For instance, I am currently on the hunt for a brass and glass bar cart and an authentic midcentury chair, both for the living room. It might take more time, but the sense of satisfaction I get when I stumble upon it amongst piles of dusty second-hand furniture is priceless.

That being said, I have completely gone against my own grain. Instead of waiting for the perfect find, I was so drawn to a brand new piece, that I went for it. Nearly $400 later, our sunny teal living room was united with the perfect arm-chair.

I first caught sight of my latest furniture infatuation via Pinterest (of course). After seeing a pin featuring this gorgeous cream and yellow upholstered chair, I was hooked. I immediately followed along to the original link and was even further obsessed. The chair was featured in the home tour of Jess Constable, Jess LC. Do yourself a favor and click both of those links – Her space is lovely, full of affordable accessories and do-it-yourself projects, and her blog is a new daily read for me. I was incredibly inspired, so much so that I went ahead and bought my own version of her yellow statement chair, originating from none other than Target.com (P.S. It’s now close to $50 cheaper then when I bought it, so step on it if you’re interested…). I knew the warm yellow would be a perfect complement to our stencil wall, plus the midcentury vibe of the wooden legs and button detail in the cushions would perfectly match our home’s style.

Click went my mouse after a few moments of hesitant anxiety over the cost – In the end I’m so glad that I did. Several weeks later, we found a rather large package at our front door – On Valentine’s Day, no less! I actually wasn’t around for the assembly of this piece – My sweet and thoughtful fiance put it together for me as a V-Day gift. Since I wasn’t around, I couldn’t document the assembly, but John took some progress photos of the process to keep you guys in-the-know.

Here she is all done!

And here are the photos I took once I got home and had a chance to style the room.

I’m positive at this point that the lot of you have noticed the issue…Where’s Waldo? Or, in this case, where’s the bright yellow patterned chair against the bright yellow patterned wall?? As much as I wanted the new chair to sit against the feature wall and be the first thing you see when you walk in the front door, there was no way it could stay there with all the camouflaged blending going on.

I had two options:

  1. Repaint my beloved stencil wall with a neutral color and keep the chair front and center where I wanted her.
  2. Leave my beloved stencil wall as is and put the chair in a less conspicuous corner of the room.
In the end, I just couldn’t touch my stencil wall – I love it way too much to get rid of it. So instead, I switched the location of my mod office chairs with the new upholstered chair. Unfortunately, I wasn’t digging the look of both office chairs against the stencil wall, so one got the boot (any interested locals want a VERY comfortable leather office chair?? Hit me up). Here’s what we were left with in the end – Although not ideal, I am so in love with the extra pattern, color and softness the chair brings the living room.
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(See the displaced office chair in the left-hand edge of the photo below?)

The room is really starting to feel finished…Just a few more tweeks to go before we can focus on finishing the rest of the house.

  • New accessory pillows to match the mod vibe that has emerged since we bought them (I am crushing on these from Etsy)
  • Something to cover those awful exposed wires by the record shelf (seen 7 photos up)
  • Addition of the thrift store items I mentioned at the beginning of this post
  • I’d really like a larger rug – Contemplating a neutral, inexpensive rug with a wider square footage layered underneath our shag rug to create a visual illusion

So what do you think?

P.S. It’s my mommy’s birthday today!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM! Can’t wait to celebrate tonight :)

Filed Under: DIY Projects, The Big Reveal, Our Influences, Product Search, Inspiring, Living Room Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Home through the lens of a pro

February 3, 2012 4 Comments

As you are probably well aware at this point given the amount of giddy posts I’ve published, I am very excited about our wedding photography. Our photographer is an absolute DREAM, both in the personality department and talent. When she recently came to the house to do our engagement photo shoot (gushed about by me here, and by her on her own website here), she also happened to snap a few quick shots of our house – Namely the living room and dining room.

While you may be no stranger to these spaces in our home as readers of DG-DIY, you haven’t seen it through a professional lens before. After getting these photos back, I am dying to have her come back and photograph the rest of the house.

Without further adieu, please enjoy the lovely work of Katie Stoops – Location: home.

For more on the details, click on the links below to be directed to individual posts (and my unprofessional photography to go along with it).

Living room:

Dining Room: 

Have a great weekend!

P.S. Check out my latest blog post for Breathe Magazine by clicking here - You might recognize a few of the pieces I chat about…

(Photo credit for all images: Katie Stoops)

Filed Under: House Tour, Take a break!, Thrift Store Tell All Tagged With: , , , ,

Kitchen Overhaul Day 9: Finishing Touches/Final Reveal

January 18, 2012 16 Comments

Remember when our kitchen was a light peach color? Not just any peach color…A color that clashed badly with our nice, warm tan walls and white appliances. Well that is NO MORE!!!

Behold our new kitchen…

Warm, rich brown paint now coats the kitchen cabinets in a swanky semi-gloss finish. Brand new brushed nickel hardware in a modern style bring boring doors and drawers into the 21st century.

And our to-do list? CONQUERED!! Ahead of schedule to boot.

But let’s go back to Sunday afternoon…We had finished both topcoats on the kitchen cabinet doors and were able to wash that roller and brush for the very last time for this project.

The last step? New hardware.

Enter my dad. He is a professional wood craftsman so I knew I was going to beg him for a little help and expertise. As always, he came through like the hero he is and he and John knocked out the hardware install in no more than an hour. For 19 doors and 6 drawers, that is no small feat!

The process is a bit beyond me since I had little to do with it (mom and I sat in the living room and played with Rocky while the boys worked in the kitchen). But I did help with set up. Fist, I dumped out the bag of metal hardware that had been sitting in our pantry since April waiting for this moment. After spreading everything out on the counters for easy grabbing, we were ready for drilling.

Dad made this handy template from scrap wood to help with the measuring.

Since we already had one vacant hole to begin with where the original single “arm” hardware used to be, Dad was able to slip a screw through one hole in his template and then slip the end of said screw through the hole in the door. Then lining up the edge of the wooden template with the edge of the door, he drilled through the second hole in the template and then kept going, drilling through the door.

Here are the doors before drilling with the one hole exposed:

And here they are after drilling – It was just a matter of screwing the metal pulls into the door from the back and then it was all done.

If you haven’t already noticed, we had to do some quick problem solving when it came to the drawers…

As you can see in the photo above the drawer pulls are centered horizontally, but not vertically. The reason was the set up of the drawer construction. You can see below how the drawer front is attached to a box to create the front section of the drawer. If we were to center the pulls both horizontally and vertically, the thickness of the wood to drill through would have been too long for the hardware’s screws. So we simply moved the pull up until we would only be drilling through the thin drawer front.

See how it is twice as thick when you factor in the drawer box with the drawer front when looking at it from above?

But honestly, I sort of like the unique look of the high drawer pull placement! It is consistent with the cabinet door pulls being pushed to the edge, and it just looks a little more modern. Oh and remember the poll I put up a few months ago about going “all horizontal” or “both horizontal and vertical” with the hardware? Simplicity won the competition and we went with “both horizontal and vertical” so that we wouldn’t have to redrill all new holes in the doors. Good thing, because that was the dominant opinion of our readers too – By almost 83%!

Now for more “After” photos…

Did you happen to notice our new kitchen window “curtains”?

I hate to sew (don’t have a machine to call my own anyway), so I was hoping to find some kind of no-sew solution. John and I went to Target over the weekend to pick up a few things and, after finding nothing worth buying in the premade curtain aisle, it suddenly hit me that a pretty kitchen towel could be just the ticket. I needed something about 18 inches long and these two 16-inch clearance towels coupled with once inch curtain rings were my perfect alternative to sewing or hemming something up.

Bonus: They are super durable and easily-washable – What could possibly be better to hang in a kitchen window above a sink than a pair of towels? I’m in love. Now to keep John from using them as actual hand towels after washing the dishes…

This project has been a doozy to say the least. But we are both so in love with the finished product that I think we’d consider doing it again if our next home calls for it. Since we grossly overbought when it came to paint, we’ll certainly have enough to paint another kitchen on down the line.

Speaking of buying…Here’s a quick breakdown of the cost for our kitchen cabinet overhaul:

  • 30 contemporary brushed nickel drawer/door pulls: $45.99
  • 4 packages of tack cloths (2 pack each): $1.99 each
  • 3 mini plastic paint roller trays: $2.82 each
  • 1 mini paint roller handle + 1 4-inch roller: $4.73
  • 1 4-inch paint roller refill (2 pack): $4.45
  • 2 1-gallon cans of Kilz2 Latex primer: $15.18 each
  • 2 1-gallon cans of Valspar paint in “Mudslide”: $31.33 each
  • 2 tubes of woodfiller: $2.83 each
  • Mouse hand sander: $0 (already had it)
  • 2 packages of Mouse sanding pads in 120 grit (4 pack each): $4.73 each
  • Angled paint brush: $0 (already had)
  • TOTAL: $179.73

But hold the presses before you take in that number. Since we ended up returning or not using a few items from the list, we can deduct some of those digits from the final total:

  • 30 25 contemporary brushed nickel drawer/door pulls: $38.33
  • 4 packages 1 package of tack cloths (2 pack): $1.99
  • 3 2 mini plastic paint roller trays: $2.82 each
  • 1 mini paint roller handle + 1 4-inch roller: $4.73
  • 1 4-inch paint roller refill (2 pack): $4.45
  • 2 gallons 1/4 gallon of Kilz2 Latex primer: $3.80
  • 2 gallons 1/2 gallon of Valspar paint in “Mudslide”: $15.65
  • 2 tubes about a tablespoon of woodfiller: approx. 28 cents-worth
  • Mouse hand sander: $0 (already had it)
  • 2 packages of Mouse sanding pads in 120 grit (4 pack each): $4.73 each
  • Angled paint brush: $0 (already had)
  • FINAL TOTAL: $79.88

Woa. That’s about $100 from what I thought that total was going to be!!! Especially when you think that it would have cost at the very least $600 to have it done professionally…I have stumped even myself today, folks.

Next on the list: new modern bar stools, a faux backsplash treatment and wallpapering the inside of the open shelving to make it look more intentional. Stay tuned for those updates this spring!!!

For now, we are going to go do our happy dance in the new kitchen…

(If you want to tackle this project but missed the lead-up posts on how to sand, prime and paint topcoats, check those out here, here and here. And always feel free to email us if you have questions at DreamGreenDIY@gmail.com)

Filed Under: DIY Projects, The Big Reveal, Simple Fixes, Kitchen Overhaul Tagged With: , , , , ,

Furniture crawl

December 21, 2011 6 Comments

So you know how sometimes you arrange a room, but if just doesn’t feel quite right (it happened in the studio a few months ago)? Well I was struck with this very conundrum over the weekend with our master bedroom. Last month, I took a leap and switched the bed to a different wall – I thought I liked it, but after living with the arrangement for several weeks things just weren’t working.

Here was the original original placement of the bed:

Then the next arrangement from the same camera angle:

And now, here’s the latest changeroo from, yet again, the same angle:

All I did was move the bed to the opposite wall beneath the window. Usually I don’t like putting a bed in front of a window, but our bed is a very low platform frame so it hardly blocks any of the view (not that the curtains are ever open to show said view – I prefer the soft white light shining through the linen rather than seeing the row of townhouses behind our house).

The biggest improvement was in the flow of the space. Both positions of the bed chop the room in half, but its the placement of that little cut through by the foot of the frame that counts. Before, I had to swing around the bed to get to the closet and the bathroom. But now, I just flow right and then left with easy movement and no sudden shifting. I know it seems like a few harsh turns wouldn’t make much of a difference, but when you’re in a hurry and need to grab a sweater or brush your teeth as you’re rushing to get out of the house, that extra moment really counts.

For a bird’s-eye-view to help you picture things, here’s a top level floor plan – The bedroom is at the back of the house:

Here’s the view from the bedroom door (all previous shots were taken from the closet door frame):

And since we are at it and the afternoon was so shiny and warm, perfect for a good photo shoot, here are several more details of the master bedroom as it stands today. We are loving the grey walls and pops of color and pattern throughout. It’s really a dream space for me and I think John adores it just as much as I do.

I think it’s kind of neat how the bright light streaming through the white textured linen almost gives the bed this hugely regal and angelic head-board.

For more photos of rooms as they stand today, check out our recently updated  house tour!

Filed Under: DIY Projects, House Tour, Moving!, Simple Fixes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Dream Green Bathroom Revealed

December 7, 2011 12 Comments

It’s time to unveil the finished product of a weekend’s-worth of work in our master bathroom! As I explained on Monday, I spent Saturday and Sunday slapping up three coats of Olympic paint in our bathroom (“Aloe Vera” in case you want the paint name) and then I spent the next ensuing days styling the place up with a few simple DIY tricks. I’ll explain as I go – Beware, this post is photo-heavy…But then again, when are we NOT photo heavy?

Here’s our shiny new green gem:

We officially graduated to a plain waffle texture shower curtain in crisp white – As much as I like pattern, I’m glad we decided on this simple look. It reads “fancy hotel” to me and I’m a-okay with that. I’d like to replace the plastic shower curtain rings with pretty brushed silver ones, but I’ll have to wait until next month’s paycheck for that – Stupid budgeting… ;)

For the art above the toilet, I picked up an inexpensive metallic frame with a white mat that I filled with a sheet of patterned scrapbooking paper. The whole piece of art cost less than $10! And the basket-turned-towel-holder you may recognize from way back when – I just added some green hand towels to coordinate with the wall color.

Instead of leaving the window sill unused, I went ahead and made the most of the fairly wide ledge to hold my perfume bottles. I could easily place some more toiletries here or a framed photo if I wanted to. Even though our bathroom is pretty big by most standards, I’m glad I was able to utilize every square inch.

I put a matching metallic frame on this side of the bathroom with the same patterned scrapbook paper, just turned in the “landscape” position. The twin artwork sort of bookends the sink/countertop area and brings it all together.

For the countertop, I wanted to add a touch of style so I placed a stainless steel toothbrush/toothpaste holder between the sinks along with a new tiled soap dispenser – I recently grabbed the tip from Yellow Brick Home to use a reusable soap dispenser to gain back those minutes loitering in the plastic soap pump aisle trying to find one that looks okay but also has sweet-smelling soap to boot. I’m pretty sure I’ve wasted enough time on that decision…I’ve taken the guess work out with this pretty green dispenser (that was on super clearance at the store and cost about as much as the ugly plastic guys you’ll end up throwing away – WOO to the WOOT!).

You may be wondering about the tea cup…Well whenever I have a headache and need to gulp down a pill (happens more often then I’d like) or just need a drink of water in the middle of the night, why not have a pretty decorative vessel to swig from?? This one was a gift from my grandmother and looks sweet as ever sitting in the matching green room.

The only other things on the counter are my ring organizer (a wooden box with drawers I picked up from a craft store a couple of years ago and painted green) and a little framed photo of John when he was a kid. His mom sent the picture to me in the Spring and I’ve been looking for a place to display it – This was JUST the spot! The frame was also a gift from his mom, so it seemed doubly fitting.

The last update was the hardware – Before, the drawer and cabinet door pulls were a little traditional for our tastes…Luckily we are gearing up for a big kitchen overhaul and already have new hardware to replace what’s in there now. The current cabinet pulls in the kitchen are a PERFECT update for the bathroom though, so I grabbed a few and brought them upstairs to bring the bathroom into the 21st century.

Here are the pulls before:

And now “After!”

Well there you have it! Our bathroom is feeling much brighter, more invigorating and definitely more stylish…And you won’t believe the final breakdown:

  • Paint: $18
  • Hardware: free (already had)
  • New light fixture globes: $60 for 6
  • Scrapbook paper for the artwork: $2
  • Accessories (soap dispenser, 2 frames and toothbrush/toothpaste holder): $28
  • TOTAL: $108

I’m still blown away myself that it cost that little to totally transform the bathroom. Here are a couple of “Before” shots to remind you of how far we’ve come:

And now today…

MUCH better. Now only one more bathroom in the house to revamp!!! I think we’ll wait until the Spring for that one though…

Filed Under: DIY Projects, The Big Reveal, Simple Fixes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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