I’m Loving This Reading Nook!

September 19, 2012 1 Comment

My best friend, Calley, and her sweet husband, Josh, have just purchased their first home. It’s an ADORABLE four bedroom, three bathroom home near a quaint park. She’s asked me to help decorate one of the bedrooms, and I think I’m going to go with a grey and white color palette. More details and ideas for that room to come!

I was walking around her home the other day, and I fell madly in love with this reading nook she created. It sits just off her kitchen and living room area, and it’s the perfect place to curl up and read a book! She’s thinking about staining wooden pallets to use as bookshelves above the chairs, and I can’t wait to help her. I am obsessed with how cheery and inviting this space looks.

The armchairs are such a great color and the rug makes everything pop. Her sisters suggested she accents the space with saffron-colored pillows, and it really makes everything come together. IN LOVE!

Reading Nook

Reading Nook, Look 2

 

 

Filed Under: Color, Decor, Furniture for Small Spaces Tagged With: , , , , ,

Midcentury Finds!

May 17, 2012 Leave a Comment

I’ve told y’all how much I like midcentury furniture in earlier posts, and I’m constantly on the lookout for midcentury pieces (think the furniture in Mad Men) when I shop thrift stores, garage sales, and antique shops.

I found these pieces at a local thrift store — a two-piece set for only $100.00! I don’t need them, but I sure do want them! I love the finish of the wood and the hardware.

Midcentury Dresser

Midcentury Bureau

Filed Under: Decor, Decorating Deals, Furniture for Small Spaces Tagged With: , ,

Apartment Tour, Part Three

May 3, 2012 Leave a Comment

It’s now time to show y’all my favorite part of my apartment…my bedroom! I think every bedroom should serve as a restful, calming place where one can escape the hustle and bustle of every day life. I had an idea of what I wanted my bedding to look like (sumptuous sheets, fluffy pillows) and I worked tirelessly to make my idea come to fruition!

My headboard was made by the same amazing upholsterer who re-upholstered my seat cushions and armchairs. This green fabric was used to make slipcovers for my couches in college, and I knew I wanted to have green and white as the main color scheme in my room.

Headboard and Bedding

The bedding was purchased from Pottery Barn and it was actually not at all as expensive as I thought it would be. I found the bedding in the clearance section on PB’s website, but I was having difficulty purchasing it online. I called the Customer Service number and spoke with a lovely woman who told me that bedding was a part of their “call in” specials, and I would get an additional 15% off my order for calling in! I had no idea that Pottery Barn did this…they do it every day on various items (furniture, bedding, wall decor, etc.). The duvet cover, two standard shams, and two European shams were all purchased for just under $200.00, including shipping.

My lamps were a Christmas gift from my mom. She found them at a funky thrift store in Tampa. The lampshades were purchased at Lowe’s (their selection of lamp shades is great!) The side tables were found in my grandfather’s storage unit and were carefully restored by a furniture restorer in Tampa.

Side table and Lamp

The trunk at the end of my bed served as my coffee table for three years of college and now holds all of my old issues of the New Yorker. The rug is very special to me because it was in my mom’s first apartment that she lived in after graduating from college. It was then used in my nursery when I was a baby, and has now become a part of my first apartment. Though my bedroom is carpeted, I think the rug adds great color and texture to the space.

Chair, Rug, and Trunk Area

The chair was a part of my patio set during college, but I wanted a chair on which I could place dresses and clothes when I was getting dressed. I spray painted the chair a soft lime green and had a yellow and white striped cushion made to fit. The painting above the chair is of women walking in high heels and it says, “Fashion.” It was purchased at Hobby Lobby.

Filed Under: Color, Decor, Do It Yourself, Furniture for Small Spaces, Room Tour Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Apartment Tour, Part One

May 1, 2012 Leave a Comment

Hi, y’all!

I promised you a tour of my apartment, so here it is! First, my living room. The space is somewhat small (it has cathedral ceilings, though, thus I’m okay with the smaller living area), so I had to be creative in my use of furniture.

The TV console was purchased at a local thrift store for $90.00. It originally had glass cabinet doors, but I removed those and had a glass shelf made to hold my picture frames. I left it its original color (off-white), but I think I might paint it a different color when I move next—maybe a robin’s egg blue or a Chinese lacquered red.

The mirror resting on top of the cabinet was bought at the Salvation Army thrift store for about $20.00. The best way to make a room look bigger is to reflect light, so I have mirrors everywhere in my apartment.

Living

Living Room

The armchair was found at an estate sale and purchased for about $12.00. The cane chair was free…I found it in my grandfather’s storage unit. I found this amazing blue fabric and had both chairs reupholstered. The reupholstering was pricey, but these pieces look amazing!

The sisal rug was purchased on Overstock.com for about $80.00…an amazing deal for a sisal rug! Shipping is only $2.95, no matter how many items you buy, so I’m now madly in love with Overstock.com. The three prints on the wall were in my grandmother’s home, and I love having them in my own apartment now.

I used an oversized ottoman as both a coffee table and a seating area because of the limited space in my apartment. The tray is the perfect place to set drinks or food and it allows me to show off part of my massive collection of coffee table books.

Coffee table ottoman

I wanted to show off my coffee table books around my living room, so I stacked them on both a small, mirrored glass table and behind my sofa to provide a place to put my bowl of potpurri. My obsession with coffee table books may be a bit extreme, but I love them! They’re such amazing conversation pieces and provide an awesome way to showcase your interests (you can tell I love home design and fashion just by looking at the titles of my books!)

Coffee Table Stack

Stack of Coffee Table Books behind Sofa

Since there’s limited space in my living room, I purchased a cafe table and recovered the cushions in a floral fabric to provide a small dining space. Whenever I have dinner, I just pull the table out from the wall and enjoy my meal!

Cafe table

Finally, my favorite part of my living room is my sofa. I found it at a consignment store for $300.00 and I plan to have it forever. The shape of it is so unique, and the color is so amazing! The lamps were purchased at an estate sale for $10.00 each and the sofa table (used instead of side tables to save space) was $60.00.

Sofa area

Filed Under: Apartment Makeover, Color, Decor, Decorating Deals, DIY, Furniture for Small Spaces, Room Tour, Small Space Decorating Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Presto Chango! Blue Cabinet Re-Do

February 8, 2012 4 Comments

A friend of mine so generously donated this cabinet, which I thought would fit perfectly in the narrow hallway area between the bedrooms. Its original design and color scheme didn’t really fit the look I had in mind, so I decided to use some spray paint I had on hand to give it a makeover. Two coats of navy blue spray paint and some new silver hardware (only $2.19 each at Lowe’s) later, and it looks like a completely new piece!

"Before" Image of the Cabinet

I hung an oval mirror I bought at Goodwill (pricey at $36.00, but I couldn’t resist) over it and it made the whole space come together. It’s amazing what a transformation can take place with just a bit of spray paint!

"After" Image of the Cabinet

Cabinet: Free

Spray Paint: $3.97

Hardware: $2.19 each (5 total): $10.95

Total Cost of Project: $14.92

Filed Under: Color, Decor, DIY, Do It Yourself, Furniture for Small Spaces, Painting Tagged With: , , , , ,

Four Things Friday

January 27, 2012 1 Comment

It’s been a whirlwind week, but it’s been a great one! I hope y’all had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend as much as I am. Here are some awesome posts I found from around the web…

1. This is a cool spin on chevron stripes. I like this look a lot! It definitely jazzes up this table.

2. It seems nailhead trim is everywhere…so exciting! Make sure to be on the lookout for a nailhead DIY tutorial from Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with, and I’ll be sure to make my own version of whatever she makes!

3. I think if everyone had a little nook like this to crawl into when they’re stressed out or having a bad day, the world would be a much calmer place!

4. I love libraries (I think y’all have realized this), and this amazing library in Barcelona is to die for! Can you imagine reading a great book while looking out at this lush greenery?

Photo from Dwell

Filed Under: DIY, Do It Yourself, Furniture for Small Spaces Tagged With: , , , , ,

Furniture Galore!

November 17, 2011 Leave a Comment

These are some of the awesome pieces I found at my local Goodwill. I’m thinking this painting will be placed above the mantle in the one bedroom. It’s bright enough and big enough to serve as the focal point in the sitting area that leads into the bedroom. It just needs a new frame!

These black tables (only $8.50 for both!) will serve as bedside tables. The bottom part of the table looks like a TV table. I’m not sure if I’m going to use matching lamps or different lamps on each side since the side tables already match and I like to the look of a room to be a bit eclectic.

These mirrors (12 of them, $3.50 for a group of 6) will either become wall art or will serve as a makeshift headboard if I can’t find an inexpensive, good-looking bed set. They’re so cool! I plan on setting them up as two rows of three across.

I can’t wait to get this stuff in the rooms and make it look like a home!

Filed Under: Decor, Decor Alphabet, Furniture for Small Spaces Tagged With: , , , ,

Footstool: From Fair to Fabulous!

November 16, 2011 1 Comment

I found this amazing footstool at a local thrift store and I knew I had to have it! My mom and I climbed over several rickety, dusty bookshelves and tables to get to it, and I think it was well worth the effort! Best of all, it was only $5.00!

I thought the legs could use a more modern look, so I used the Krylon Satin Nickel spray paint I used to spray paint my monogrammed pumpkin to give the legs a whole new appearance.

Just adding this new color made the footstool look like a completely different piece! Now, I just have to find a fun chair to go with it. Do y’all have any suggestions as to what color and style I should be looking for? I’d love feedback!

Filed Under: Decor, Furniture for Small Spaces, Painting, Project Progress Tagged With: , , ,

Finally, it’s time to begin!

November 15, 2011 Leave a Comment

First Bedroom in the Two-Bedroom Unit

Drum roll, please! I’ve FINALLY gotten the green light to start nailing, painting, and decorating my rooms at the veterans’ home. I’m so excited to begin this amazing project! For the past couple of months, I’ve been collecting furniture (my parents’ garage looks like it should be featured in an episode of TLC’s Hoarders TV show) to use for my veterans.

These are the two bedroom units I’ll be decorating. The wall colors will stay the same, but besides that, everything else is going to change! I want these veterans to walk into these rooms and feel instantly welcomed and comfortable. They have done so much for our country, so I’m determined to make their space the most beautiful, warm, and comforting place possible.

I think my favorite part of these spaces is the beautiful hardwood floors. I think I’m going to use a small area rug underneath the bed so that the vets have a warm place to put their feet on when they get out of bed, but I won’t cover up more than that.

Kitchenette Area Shared by the Two-Bedroom Unit

It’s going to be a challenge to find furniture that will be both aesthetically pleasing and functional. I’m on the hunt for a small circular table that can serve as a desk and dinner table.

I’ll also need an inexpensive way to provide coverage for these windows. Any ideas? I thought maybe using valances and then venetian blinds, but I hate to have anything that looks cheap and last minute. If y’all have any suggestions about inexpensive window coverings, I’d love to hear!

These pictures are to show you what I’m working with. This weekend I’m going to sketch out a rough floor plan so that I can get an idea of how much space I’m working with and where I should think about placing the furniture. Look for a post later this week about the furniture I’ve gotten so far and what I plan to do with it!

Filed Under: Color, Decor, Furniture for Small Spaces, Project Progress Tagged With: , , , , ,

Colorfully Striped Chairs

October 24, 2011 Leave a Comment

I am dying to get my hands on an old pair of chairs and paint them! I know painting upholstery sounds pretty weird, but since I’m not a trained professional upholster, I think I should try it out.

Photo from Home Workshop

I found this tutorial online, and I think I could do it! I want to find two chairs like the one pictured here and make them look like these colorful chairs below. The one bedroom unit that I’m decorating for the Veterans’ Village has a sitting area with a fireplace, and I think these chairs would be perfect to make the room cozy.

Photo from Home Workshop

Have you ever tried to paint upholstery? If so, were you successful? I’d love any tips and suggestions I can get! :)

Filed Under: Color, Decor, Do It Yourself, Furniture for Small Spaces, Small Space Decorating Tagged With: , , ,
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