Project Alert!

I've done it again! I was searching Craigslist today and found a headboard that peeked my interest. It is reminiscent of one I was thinking about making from Ana's site and one that can be purchased at West Elm. The lines are curvy, but the feel is the same... open and airy.  

Here's the one from Ana-White's site that could be made for $20. It's lines are great too, and painted white against the peacock colored walls I want to paint in the room, it would really pop.

The one I got is from Thomasville, circa 1984, so I know that it is made really well. When I was going to check it out, I was thinking maybe it had some damage to it, but no, I was in luck!

Anyways, without further ado, here it is:

Isn't it fantastic!

Oh, and guess how much I paid for this beauty? $30! That's right, and no sweat labor. I am planning on priming and painting it, but if I built it myself, I would have to do that anyways. I was talking with Bets and she suggested a light gray color... ooohhh! Yeah, you can do white any old day. So, now to find a good gray that will go well with the peacock blue. I can't wait to get everything done, but it takes time, so bear with me.

Aren't you excited! I sure am.

The chair... it's done!

So, you know how I thought I would spend $12-$15 on fabric for the chair, well, I found a fabric that I liked that wasn't stripes, and was on sale for $12 a yard; I needed 2 yards. I thought about it a bit and thought that the extra money was worth it since I saved so much on everything else. I got it home and found that I didn't like how it went with the chair, and it was just the wrong shade for the room (a little too turquoise). I was trying to get it done before I went on my trip back east, so with not liking it, I left the chair undone and went to Boston. I had a FANTASTIC trip by-the-way! Got to drive the Porsche, and eat and drink and be merry! While I was there, I thought about the stripes some more and thought they were just what I wanted. I knew that I couldn't find just what I wanted for a decent price. Sure, I could probably find it in a nice silk or something, but that would probably be $50+ a yard. I was talking about it with my aunts and Betsy and that's when she said, "why don't you paint the stripes on white fabric?" Genius! I also thought about an idea I saw on Ana-White's site about using canvas drop cloths from the hardware store for curtains. Why couldn't I do that for the chair too? 

So, after I got home and, well, found that the mini-blinds in my room where broken and now needed something to cover my windows again I thought of those drop-cloths. So, off to the hardware store I went (after measuring my window) and off to Tar-jay for cheap curtain rods. I got them home and began cutting the drop-cloth in half to cover the window. I realized (with help from my mom) that the new curtains would look better in the dining room, so I moved all the curtains around the house. Sorry, tangent.

Anyways, off to the hardware store I went again, this time for one more smaller drop-cloth for the chair. For $5 and a few squirts of fabric paint I got just the perfect stripe for the chair. But now the curtain in the dining room (which connects to the living room) matches the chair just enough to pull the rooms together that much more. The pop of yellow in the chair frame and the pillows on the couch make it it's own room... if that makes sense.

So without further ado,

Here it is with and without the new pillow. Kinda fun, eh?

And one more of the whole sha-bang!

Voila! 

I think I need a picture of the whole room now, but I need to clean it up a bit... you know, kids' toys.

The entertainment center is FINISHED!

Finis! Finito! For the love of all that is holy! I'M DONE!!!! 

I wanted a new entertainment center/desk to house the new computer set-up. While I was browsing Crate and Barrel on a girl day with Bets, I saw the Sloane Desk and fell in love, just not with the price. Then I was searching Ana-White's site and saw the Leaning Wall Shelf and knew I could reconfigure it to what I needed. 

So... it took me about a month, only because I wasn't working on it at my home. I had to travel to my dad's so I could use his garage and tools. He helped with the use of his truck and cutting the wood for me. He also helped me get started on the first upright, getting it to my house and getting the shelves put on and level. But all-in-all this was my project. Measuring, screwing, piecing it together, sanding, priming and painting. I think total, I worked on it for less than a week. I wanted it done, but there was this little thing called snow that put a damper on the project. I couldn't leave my house and then I had to be patient enough for the weather to warm up just a bit to paint. 

Here are my helpers, helping me sand and take pictures of Mama. All you need is a flat surface to drive your trucks on.

(Really, you shouldn't sand indoors, but I wanted to get done and I had that window behind me open, and it was COLD outside!)

I also found this great chair on Craigslist for $25! With a little bit of elbow grease and $10 for paint and primer, this thing is almost done. I just need to find a good fabric for the upholstery. I'm hoping I can find something for about $12-$15 (or less!) a yard and use a 40% off coupon. I only need 2 yards to cover it; I'm thinking wide porcelain blue and cream stripes. 

The progression of the chair.

My Dad delivering the goods, and working together to get it done.

The finished product! Woo Hoo!!!

(Doesn't the chair look good with the new leafy pillows?)

Breakdown of the cost:

Lumber and screws: $114

Paint, primer and painting supplies: $40

Chair: $25

Minus the cost I sold my bookcases for: -$80

Total cost: $99

Not too shabby for everything! (I still need to get that fabric, but hopefully that will only be another $15 or less.)

Re-Design

Well, some of you know, but I've been working on a project. I am building (yes, BUILDING!!!) a media center/desk to house our computer configuration. I found this one at Crate and Barrel, but even though it's reasonably priced, it was still out of our price range. So while I was browsing Ana-White's site I found this  and thought that I could easily reconfigure it to be what I needed. So, I sold the bookcases that went to my entertainment center and with that moola I bought some wood!

                             Sloane Grey Leaning Wall Desk                                                                                   Ana-White Leaning Wall Shelf

I started on it almost 2 weeks ago, but have only actually had 3+ days to work on it. You see, it's such a big project and I don't have the big tools (you know, a table saw and such) to work on it in my 940 sq. ft. condo. So I've been going to my dad's to work on it (when it's not snowing, and semi-warm enough).  Yesterday I finished up the sanding and wood filling part and then primed the sucker. Now I just have to find the time to paint it. Let's hope it's soon, because I want it done already! I got pictures on my phone, but can't download them yet. As soon as I do I'll post pictures of the process. 

Well, this post is called "Re-Design", so I guess some re-design should be involved. This new "desk", if you will, brought me to wanting to re-do my living room and bedroom. I know, bedroom? what does that have to do with your media center? Well, the old media cabinet is being moved into my bedroom, so I need to re-figure that room too. Now I want to paint and go with a new color scheme. Since we moved into this place the walls have been the color the previous owners painted them, a pale turquoise. You know I like turquoise, but the walls are dingy now (five people, small space, need I say more) and I just need an adult room, not something that's put together with mis-matchy pieces, and a hollywood bed frame. 

I've been searching blogs for things I like and I think I've finally got it. I'm going bold for the wall color! John and Sherry, at Young House Love, just did a re-do on their guest room and I LOVE the color they picked! It's a Martha Stewart color called Plumage. I have a bit of yellow in my room and I think it will go great with this color and I'm going to paint all the furniture white to stand out against the wall. Just today I was searching the web and found this site and she has a paint color scheme that is just what I'm looking for  (Trend 4). I'm going to make new decor pillows for the bed and see where I'm at. I'm hoping to re-use things that I have to make it work. 

For the desk, I've been looking for a new chair to use. ALL of the chairs at our place are bar height, so they won't work. Again, I have to work on a budget, so it's been hard to find just what I want. I wanted something that was cushioned, but also had wood parts too. Either that, a rattan or something of that sort. Ikea has this one, but it's $80 and even though that's pretty good for a chair, it's still more than I wanted to spend. I've been searching Craigslist and most of the things I wanted in the under $50 range were not right or I was too late. Today I found two chairs for under !!$25!! that will work and I've been contacted about both of them. I'm going to look at this one Friday morning, and if it isn't smelly, I'm taking it home. Sure the fabric isn't great, but look at those lines! And for $25, you can't beat it.  

I was thinking of painting it yellow, but wasn't sure until I saw this:

Isn't that chair fabulous! I can't wait to pair it (or the colors) with my dark gray desk/media center. It will tie in the colors of the room and the new pillows I made for the sofa.  

Well I guess that's enough for now. The kids are getting on each other's nerves (and mine). I'll leave you with this shot I took today. (Check out the new pillow!)

My little butler, tux and all!