Chair Dress Up

ow I love craigslist! I got this cute vintage chair for only $10 off craigslist and hoped to reupholster it. Today was the day I got it done. I was able to use some of my favorite fabric from my studio curtains, left over foam from a window seat cushion I made, some left over wood for the back, upholstery tacks from our very first couch and batting. I think it's so darn pretty and cushy too. I love projects like this one that are affordable and easy. Let me know if you have restyled something from craigslist. I'd love to see what you have done too.

Getting it Organized

The studio is actually clean-SHOCK! I can walk in without tripping over stuff and it's great. I can find stuff and the surfaces are CLEAN! Now it's time to get back to work.

My desk. It used to be dark laminate but I painted it country cream and painted the hutch a teal color.
I made the hutch look older by layering colors over the base coat. I was surprised how well it has held up. Paint is such a cheap and easy solution. I love how fresh it looks.

This old suitcase holds envelopes and mailing material. It's easy to access under my desk.

My work area is covered with pictures of my family. My favorite wedding picture sits in a handmade mosaic frame right by my monitor while pictures of my kiddos are held by a metal frog that I found at a yard sale.
I like to stay organized with dollar wire bins that are decorated with ribbons.
My 30th Birthday invitation. What a great day we had!

Ribbon Corner


My sweet little bunny friend. It was so easy to make. Check out instructions on Martha's website.

Some of my jewelry supplies. Also next to the spool of chain is a four sided-soldered shaker box with images from my family members. For a jewelry display I painted a frame cream, distressed it, silver gilded it, and added muslin covered foam core. It became a great display.

I converted the closet into a work station. First I took the doors off and replaced it with curtains I made. I found the fabric on Fabicguru.com. And LOVE it. I added a simple folding table that I had and then added extra lighting, shelves and cubbies to keep all my goodies in order.

Here's a close up of my canning jars organizers. I drilled a hole in the top of the lid, drilled a hole in the shelf above and simply screwed the lid onto the shelf holding it with a bolt. It is so easy and this system really takes advantage of wasted vertical space.

Yes, I do LOVE paper. Can you tell? I know, a bit of a paper overload here. To stay organized, I made my own 12X12 paper holder by using grids I've had since high school. It's the perfect size.

Freshly Painted Bedroom

When we bought our house this last December the only color on the walls was found in our bedroom. It was an icy blue which worked with our bedding but never felt like us. After tackling all of our first floor with gallons of paint, I headed upstairs and decided to create a more inviting bedroom. Our bedroom suite has a very odd shape and it takes up the whole second floor. It consists of our bedroom which is long and skinny and has many angled ceiling due to our two dormer windows. There is also a little annex room off of our bedroom that is a step up from the main bedroom which has a closet and access to the attic with a little gnome door. We also have a bathroom up there but I won't go into details since I have another project I'll share with you regarding that. Anyway, since our bedroom is a retreat from everything kid related (it seems like our kids have claimed every other room in our home) I wanted to make it feel more adult and relaxing.

Before & After


















Before
Before our bedroom looked cut off. With light blue paint used only up to the angled ceilings, the odd angles drew your attention. The room also felt icy and cool. I knew I wanted to warm up the space but I didn't want it to feel closed in.

After
My solution? I used a warm cream color for both the walls and ceiling. The color acts as a neutral and blends the awkward angles into the walls, making them much less noticeable. My bedroom now feels warm and inviting. Plus the nice thing is that I can change the bedding colors anytime I want to get a new feel without being tied to any one color.


The paint I used was Kilz, a brand that I've trusted for my entire house. I love the coverage of this paint and in the bedroom I only needed to paint one coat--even over the blue. It is a bit more pricey than the generic paint out there, however I know it holds up to kid messes and I like the fact I don't have to spend time painting a series of coats on the wall.