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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Closet Makeover & Organization - Part 3

This project has really taken on a life of its own.  I'm not sure how many "parts" need to happen before it's complete....
Before
Jewelry Organization

Here are a few "Before" pictures as a refresher....or visual odor actually.  Nothing refreshing about these.


Here is what I've been up to...

First, I added this "pressed tin" wallpaper behind my shoe shelving.

(Imperial VP131600 Architectural Tin Ceiling Paintable Wallpaper on Amazon for $14.99)





Then, after the wallpaper had dried, I added some Valspar metallic silver glaze (that I already had from another project) to the wallpaper




I despised the light in my closet.  It held one puny little bulb to illuminate my entire closet, and it didn't do anything for me.  We changed that.  I will say that I had an incredibly difficult time getting this light.  (First, a box of organic diapers was shipped to me instead.  Then, they had to refund my $, which took a week.  Then, it wasn't available.  When it finally was, and I did order it, it looked like it had fallen off of the back of a truck and had some missing/broken pieces.  It was a booger to put together, too.)  It's intended to hang a little lower as a chandelier, but my doll of a husband worked with feathers and crystals in his face to install this for me.  The result?  swoon.

It's intended to hang lower like this one....I'm in love with it anyway.


Monday, January 23, 2012

Kitchen Update: Wine bottle chandelier

You may have heard murmurings about my light fixture in our kitchen.  I wanted something that would give me more light and have less visual weight in the middle of the kitchen.  I've looked for over a year for *the* perfect light.
Here is what we had...


Recently, I stumbled across Glo828's Etsy shop.  I started talking to her about what I wanted, and she custom made our new light...that I ❤.  5 clear wine bottles and a custom-built "beam" at the ceiling.


Now, I'm anxious to have the one for over our breakfast table complete!  (She did yellow chardonnay bottles for us, but we are doing a wine barrel base.)

Friday, January 20, 2012

Closet Makeover & Organization - Part 2

I've run into some road blocks in this process, so my closet makeover is not yet complete.  (Thanks to a specific online retailer and the many frustrations that they've caused.  I STILL don't have everything that was in my original order.)
So, I decided I would share a few things that I have done!
This is on the side of my shoe storage.  I added knobs (from Hobby Lobby and Ikea) and pulls (from Target.)  I found the mirror at Hobby Lobby on clearance.
I took down the old pocket jewelry organizer that was hanging in this space that had become a mess. This is a short towel rod (about $6 at Target) and shower curtain hooks (about $11 for the set.)


 I had an old wooden shelf that I spray painted black and added beneath the towel rod of necklaces.  This is just inside the door of my closet and a perfect landing spot for jewelry (wedding ring and watch) as I change.
 Since I'm unable to show you the rest of the closet, here's a sneak peak of a few of the things to come.  I'm so excited that I can hardly stand it!



Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Closet Makeover & Organization - Part 1

Do you want to see something AWesomeFUL?   I have a dark secret that I think I'm ready to share.
This is was my closet as of the beginning of the year.  Over the past week, I've spent a few hours in there cleaning it out and reorganizing.  I have some amazing things to share with you, and I really don't know if I can wait until it's complete for the reveal.  I may have to share it in stages.  It's in progress (more items will be arrive today), but so far the new jewelry organization is my Fave.  *swoon*
Take a look at the atrociousness.

From the door looking in....


The back "wall"....(Yes, this is 6 different images that are somewhat pieced together to give you a better understanding.)

The far side wall and the wall with the door....(Again, multiple pictures)

Stay tuned for the AFTER!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Boy's Room Makeover 2

I shared that I've been working on our son's room.  I'm still working....but I just had to share the progress.

Out with the standard "tan" walls that the builder painted every wall in our home!  Gray and black add sophistication and a hint at his love of all things "Spy."  I painted the top 2/3 of the walls and the ceiling gray.  I painted the bottom 1/3 black, and then I added the New York skyline all the way around the room.  I added chalkboard vinyl in the spy office, by the Brooklyn Bridge, and under the Statue of Liberty for him to leave secret messages for his spy friends.  I bought glow in the dark paint that I was so excited to use.  Fail. It doesn't glow much when it's painted on.  (It glows great in large amounts...ie. in the tube.)  I intended to make it so that many of the buildings' windows were lit up when the lights were out like a true city.  I'm still trying to find something that will work.  The curtains have been replaced with some that I picked up on sale at Ikea, and they're perfect.  (Black Sarita and gray Ritva)

Because neither my son or I could fully separate with all of the pieces that I had so lovingly made for his nursery, the bear I made from his baby bedding rests on his bed here.
This angle is deceiving; the Empire State building is taller than the Chrysler building which is also taller than the building to the left of the Chrysler building.
The framed pictures on the wall came from a trip my husband and I took to NYC in 2010.  We were there for the 9/11 anniversary and were able to see the pillars of light.  The picture on the shelf is of the women in our family at Top of the Rock; we went for the 10th anniversary of 9/11 in 2011.
I hope to have my father in law build a custom shelving unit with a reading bench for the space where the crane and lamb chair are in the picture below.
The table lamp next to the bed is also from Ikea and has an adjustable height.

 I created a "Secret Spy Office" with a piece of fabric, some snaps, paint, bricks, and some pockets.  The pockets are on the inside and can be used for storing an mp3 player for use in bed and "mail" in the office.


Friday, January 13, 2012

Boy's Room Makeover

For Christmas this year, we limited the amount of "stuff" we were going to buy / add to our home.  For our almost-seven-year-old son, we gave him a paint can with paint chips that said I would paint his room before his birthday.

His room before the makeover was filled with many of the things that we had used in his nursery in the old house.

Here was the nursery in our old house.
Yes, that's a red Model-T pedal car on the bottom right.  We had it below a chair rail height shelf.  Below the chair rail was chalkboard paint all the way around the room.  It really did cut down on the unwanted drawing in "off-limits" places.

Here was his room for the past two years.  When we moved into our new home, he was at an age where he wasn't sure what he really wanted, and I wasn't going to make the financial and time investment of making over a room that he would want changed in a matter of a year or two.




The makeover is coming along very nicely!  I'll share progress soon!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Girl's Room Makeover 2

An embarassingly long time ago, I posted about a girl's room makeover.  I personally am not a fan of lavender or purple (I don't care for Dora and all of her purple either), so I was thrilled to help change this room into a more sophisticated chocolate and silvery blue palette.
I finally went back up there to take some "After" pictures.  There are a few items that are not hanging on the wall, a chandelier over the bed needs to be hung, and the sheer curtains are not complete, BUT here is the progress.
 This personalized vinyl wall applique came from Etsy.
 The poms above the window are also from Etsy.  The bedding was found at a truly great price online from AnnasLinens.com.
 This was an existing table that I repainted.  The framed corkboard is from Hobby Lobby and matches perfectly.
This was an existing dresser that we repainted.  The "vase" for the hydrangeas also came from Hobby Lobby.  There is a mirror that we repainted that needs to be re-hung above the dresser.