Nursery Progress 6: the dresser

Again, we are working with limited space so we need furniture to pull double duty. Our dresser will also function as the changing table.

To work with the crib's clean white lines, we were looking for something white with straight lines.

While I liked this one from West Elm, I struggled with the idea if spending that much dough in a white dresser that was going in a child's room. I mean, let's be practical.

After some antique shopping, I found a potential score. The height was dead-on perfect for minimizing any hunching over during diaper changes. The width & depth were just enough to hold a changing pad and fit in our space. (The top even had a ledge to keep the pad in place.) The drawers could open with a single hand when holding a babe on the table. The dresser could also be repurposed in another room in the future. And the price was about half of the retail option.

We had a friend refinish & lacquer it to match the crib, and it looks awesome! It took some time for the lacquer smell to diffuse enough so I could move the babe's stuff into it, so be sure to allow ample time if going a similar route.

The actual paint "color" is simply white primer. We determined it matched the crib best without being too yellow, pink, gray, blue, etc.

Nursery Progress 1: the closet

With Thanksgiving around the corner, the future nursery was overwhelmed with baby stuff and my sister's sleeping space was quickly disappearing. We had to contain the clutter in time for her to have room for the blow-up bed.

We knew we'd need plenty of storage for all the stuff, and since the closet was formerly a built-in desk, we had some configuring to do. (I'm sure you're wondering...well, where are you going to work now? Why, thanks for your concern. Do not fret. A new desk was a big project for Cricket...which we've since installed and changed our mind about for space reasons and are in the midst of a replacement replacement desk project. Stay tuned for that reveal.)

After ripping out the desk stuff, we had to patch the wall. Which opened the door for painting the wall a fun color! Enter turquoise to brighten up the space. (Disregard the chaos...it WILL be contained!)

A closet kit from Home Depot plus a drawer kit and we're in good shape.We went with the shelf-track system so that we can easily adjust the shelves without tearing up the wall as the kid grows & needs different configurations. I'm sure we'll adjust the set-up once we know what stuff we have and get everything organized. For now, this works to at least hold all the generous goodies we're receiving as the baby bump grows!

necklace hanger tutorial

for christmas, my sister gave me an adorable earring holder to hold my hook-backed jewels that i'm guilty of leaving to be forgotten in my jewelry box. unfortunately, i left it at my mom's house and had to wait for it to be shipped to me. it was a DIY project from a backless frame + hardware cloth. GENIUS, right?

[sister's christmas gift to me]

while i waited for the hanger to arrive, i decided i needed to figure out something to better manage my longer necklaces. i was inspired by this ballard design hooks + i figured it'd be the perfect use for some hooks i already had, and it'd be much cheaper than the $70-90 retail. OUCH!

i'd planned to stop by a local salvage place for some reclaimed trim, but they were closed. and i wanted to get my project on. i picked up a few pieces of lumber + trim and was on my way.

supplies:
trim [as decorative as you'd like] the length of your wall space; i used 2 pieces
1x6 the length of your wall space
wood glue
clamps
paint - base color, darker glaze, metallic finish
hooks
hanger


1. Apply thin bead of wood glue along bottom edge. Attach bottom trip to 1x6 and clamp. Let dry for at least 30 minutes.

2.  Run a squiggle [yes, it's a technical term] of wood glue along top edge of 1x6. Attach trim + clamp. Let dry for at least 30 minutes. [If you have enough clamps, you could theoretically do steps #1 + #2 simultaneously to cut down your drying time.]

3. With all trim attached to the 1x6, cut the board to desired length. I opted for a 45-degree angle. Sand rough edges until smooth.

4. Apply 2-3 coats of base color paint, being sure to cover all edges. I used Martha Stewart's Hosta matched to Glidden satin. [I bought a tester-sized bottle, and it was more than plenty.]

5. Once base color coats have dried, mix water with a dark brown acrylic for your glaze. I used Delta Ceramcoat Burnt Umber. Lightly brush onto the boards, highlighting knots + crevices as desired. Use a dry paper towel to lighten any spots. Continue to add glaze until you have the aged effect you desire.

6. Once the glaze has dried, use a dry brush apply metallic finish paint. I used Martha Stewart Thundercloud metallic. Add as many LIGHT coats of the metallic finish as you'd like. Be sure to let it dry between coats so you can see the actual glisten, as it appears much more metallic when wet.

7. Now that you've achieved the desired finish, attach your hooks.

8. Attach small hangers to the back of your boards and hang on the wall. The trim I used created a little ledge - perfect for my cuffs, bangles + brooches.

[the accessory center: smaller necklaces in the pouches, more delicate ones on the hooks]

chippy door coat rack

i introduced you to my chippy door in november, remember her? she was $40 (which was a little more than i'd hoped to originally pay for an old door, but given the odd size constraints my project required, i succumbed, and she was worth it.) poor thing was sitting outside at Scott's Antique Market, wasting away growing character in the elements just waiting to find a home.

[door awaiting her new lease on life]

 well, her time has come for a second life.

our hallway is host to our electrical panel, which, as we all know is an eyesore. but you can't completely block the panel because you'll inevitably be fumbling around in the dark to flip the breakers. our house doesn't have much of a foyer, mudroom, or entryway. this leaves our guests without much place to hang their coats + purses during their visits.

no more...

after bringing home the oddly-shaped door (i wonder where it was originally used...it's too short for a real doorway), we let it air out on the patio for a few days until we were able to gently sandblast it to remove the loose paint. be gentle--the chippy paint is part of the charm. the cobwebs are not.

once dried out, we applied a few coats of polyurethane to the door to make sure the charming paint chips wouldn't transfer to any guest's coats or handbags. let it dry overnight.

attach the hooks (mine were from anthro, on sale for $5 each).

to attach the door to the wall, it needs to be easily removable yet sturdy to handle the weight of purses (ahem...anyone else relate to Chief Brenda Lee Johnson of the LAPD?). we used simple bolts screwed into the wall's studs. it was most important to find the studs, then we adjusted the hangers on the back of the door to match. we had to be sure to cover the electrical panel while keeping it evenly spaced between the adjacent door frames. the height should be comfortable for those who will hang items here (or if things need to be out of reach of pets or kids). you don't need it to protrude from the wall too far, maybe 1/4-1/2 inch?

once you've installed the bolts into the wall, measure the distance between them. transfer those measurements to the back of your door. attach the hangers into place.

hang the door. voila!

i may add a few knobs to the center section of the door to hang smaller items, but i haven't gotten to that yet. we're pretty happy with our solution, and it looks SO much better when you walk in the front door. it hangs directly across the hall from the hall closet, so this is a super functional place for those pieces we wear daily--especially this time of year.

yeah, a piece of art would've worked, but this is also incredibly functional. design + function = win.

project cost:
reclaimed door: $40
hooks: $5 x 3 = $15
poly: already had
bolts & hangers: $5

total: $60

closet office via ikea

the first time we toured our home, i knew i wanted to turn the back closet into a workspace. finally, the vision is complete!

our back bedroom was pretty much a catch-all when we moved in. extra furniture, boxes, random lamps--they all conspired together in the back room. it's the smallest bedroom + located at the back of the house. it will make a great nursery SOMEDAY. [i emphasize SOMEDAY because of the apparent raised eyebrows at my previous use of the word "crib."] but until baby v joins the family, the back room has become the office. 

the adjacent guest room has double closets, so we could actually spare the closet space. we have a coat closet next door, a linen closet in the guest bath, and a pantry in the hall. i realize not everyone can spare a closet, but it worked for us.

we drew up some tentative plans for the closet. the criteria:

1. functional workspace. i telecommute 1x/week so it must be functional.
2. shelves. hubs is taking classes, so he needs to store his books and such. also, cannot be too girly.
3. craft storage. with the wedding biz comes lots of diy projects. though not necessary within arm's reach, they need to be accessible.
4. light. it's in the back of the house and gets morning sun. by the evening, it's pretty dark back there.

hubs removed the sliding wood doors + i measured what was left. there's a weird little notch in the corner, thanks to the coat closet from the hallway. but, turns out, that worked in our favor. armed with my measurements, i headed off to ikea. i'd seen some countertops there that we'd be able to cut to size, so that's what i had in mind. i was somewhat dreading the task of finding the pieces to put my puzzle together.

closet width [to the funky notch]: 47.25"
closet depth [to door molding]: 25"

low and behold, ikea to the rescue. i stood in an flourescent blur amid desk legs, tabletops, chairs, staring at the dimensions of the countertops. could it be? double-check the measurements. no, can't be. really? you've got to be kidding. 47 1/4"w x 23 5/8"deep? am i reading this correctly. i looked around, i guess to make sure i wasn't being punk'd.

i wasn't. they had a countertop in my precise dimensions: the vika amon tabletop in white @ $19.99. SCORE #1.

i proceeded to the shelving section to be overwhelmed with brackets. i'd pre-shopped online a little, but i'm not sure it helped. hello indecisiveness! i knew i wanted to continue with the white + natural color scheme. i went with the ekby stilig brackets in white + ekby trygvve shelf in natural.

small shelf brackets: 4 x 6 3/4" size @ $4 each = $16 SCORE #2.
lg shelf brackets: 3 x 10 1/4" size @ $6 each = $18 SCORE #3.
short shelves: 2 x 7 1/2" depth @ $3 each = $6 SCORE #4.
deep shelf: 1 x 11" depth @ $7 each = $7 [this shelf was only 5/8" shorter than the tabletop] SCORE #5.

so, the shelves, brackets, + tabletop in-hand, i was feeling good. plus, no need to cut a darn thing so far. SCORE #6. so, i drifted to the accessories department where i found a bulletin board. she's pretty plain, but she fits perfectly between the short shelves + the weird wall nook. besides, a whopping $5.99 includes the pins. SCORE #7. i also picked up a pair of magazine files + a desktop organizer in a natural wood. SCORE #8.

a few weeks later, we returned to ikea for lighting. this pendant light spoke to me + she was installed the next day for a whopping $20.

not long after that, i picked up this wall-mounted magazine rack for $10 to help us sort our papers. work, school, tax docs, bills, etc were piling up + this was a great solution!

the printer lives on a pair of filing cabinets from ballard designs outlet that i scored for $40 a pop.

here's how we put it all together:

step #1. [pic 3] used some 1x4 scrap to build a ledge. we simply screwed the 1x4 into the studs around the perimeter of the desk area. once the ledge was in, we set the tabletop on top of it. we found we didn't need to screw it in, as it was secure. we also didn't need a leg in the front corner. our walls weren't terribly straight, so this sucker was wedged into the corner--not budging.

step #2. [pic 4 + 5] installed the brackets to the existing studs. the bottom shelf is about 23" from the desktop. the next shelf is about 11 1/2" above that one. the top shelf is about 15" above the middle one. if doing it over, i may have given myself 15" between the bottom + middle shelves too, but that would've given me less clearance for the top shelf. so it works, but it doesn't fit magazine files, binders, etc.

step #3. [no pic, sorry] installed the light. by installed, i mean screwing a cup hook into the bottom of the top shelf. this isn't hard-wired, so it's just a plug-in light. it came with some hanging kit that we didn't end up needing. we simply threaded the cord through one of the openings in the top shelf bracket.

step #4. installed the bulletin board, then the magazine rack [pic 6] to the notched wall. it's magnetic, so it's a second memo board, too!

step #5. [pic 2] hang the curtain. i sewed the curtain from premier prints' kimono fabric in chartreuse that i bought from fabric.com. we used ikea's dignitet [shocker, i know] so that the curtain would hang inside the closet + have the right amoung of clearance to glide freely. i'm not crazy about the curtain, so i may re-do that in the future.

step #6. enjoy the clutter-free organized space!!


total costs:
tabletop: $20
shelves + brackets: $47
pendant light: $20
curtain + wire: $30
bulletin board: $6
magazine file: $10
accessories: $10
file cabinets: $80
TOTAL: $193

contrary to the way it appears, ikea did not sponsor this post. hah! i don't always love ikea's style or quality, but for this project it was the way to go. the measurements were spot-on for our space, + the neutral white/natural scheme was easily carried throughout, with a touch of industrial chic from the metals. but, if any ikea execs are reading and want to throw me an endorsement, have your people call my people.

in the meantime, check out other great organization tricks at thrifty decor chick's organize it party

!

a little order to the bedroom

we moved into our house in june 2010 + still had some un-packed boxes by the holidays. that's normal, right? our dilemma was that the boxes were full of books, accessories, + photos that we simply had nowhere to put. yes, we gained TONS of space in the new house, but we were missing any shelving/display space for our wares.

i think i've already gabbed about how we were bitten by the motivation bug when we visited our west coast bro + sis in laws over Christmas. so, in the days that followed during my work vacation, i headed to the ballard designs outlet. oh yes, that's a major perk of living in atlanta. we have not one, but two.

low and behold they were having a sale on bookcases. and by sale, i mean S.A.L.E. picture a car lot banner waving in the wind, the hot air balloon flying overhead, light show beckoning you to be tempted.

these tuscan bookcases were basically being given away. the narrow bookcases = $99 [retail: $499 each] and the larger one = $199 [retail: $799 each]. that means i could get this entire set for $400. retail is $1,797. fireworks.we'd been talking about doing floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, but weren't sure how we'd work with the vaulted ceilings. for the price, this might solve our problems.

mind you, these weren't in perfect shape. there were a few dings + scratches, but i planned to paint them anyway. i was sure the "tuscan cream" would be too creamy to match our trim. the biggest problem with these was that there were some major holes in the back panel. this was just the cardboard-esque backing that could easily be replaced with a sheet of beadboard. i was thinking i'd paint the back a contrasting color anyway, so it wasn't a dealbreaker.

i called the hubs to make sure the dimensions would work on our bedroom wall. he gave the thumbs up, so i scoured the aisles to pick out the three best-looking pieces i could find. knowing where we were putting these, i could work with certain imperfections that would be covered. finally, found the pieces and purchased. yay!!!

on new year's day, hubs rented a uhaul to go pick up the bookcases. we got them home + a friend helped get them up the staircase.

UH-OH.

the big one isn't going to fit. no way, no how. it just won't make the tight turn of the stairs. CURSES. all sales final. DOUBLE CURSES.

okay fellas, surely you can take it apart and re-assemble it upstairs. right? nope. ugh.

i remembered seeing another option that was actually two pieces: the tuscan media console and hutch. the prices were a little higher [outlet price: hutch = $60, console = $290; set retail: $1,598], and the width was bigger than the center bookcase, BUT it came in two pieces and would actually fit up our staircase. so, i called the wonderful folks at ballard + they graciously allowed me to exchange it.

so, cricket, lu-dog, and i headed back to the outlet. why take the dog? well, she'd had foot surgery the day prior + we hadn't tested her temperment with the infamous cone yet. so, she got to tag along.

again, not perfect. the top shelf was missing and there was no hardware. easy fixes in my book. knobs from hobby lobby @$3 each.

we finally got the pieces upstairs + i got to decorate. after the 6-hour task of getting the stupid shelves, i had no energy to tackle painting them. save that for another day. surprisingly, the "tuscan cream" matches splendidly + i was able to disguise some of the bigger imperfections with a little styling. we also need to add the center shelf so the TV doesn't look so miniscule, but it works for now. check it out...

the bedroom is cream, taupe, mushroom, + robin's egg blue. the window shades are "eaton blue" and "kelp" from premier prints:

i was thinking painting the shelves the darker taupe/mushroom color, with a robin's egg blue backing. any paint color suggestions???

total cost:
2 x small tuscan bookcases @ $99 each
1 x media console @ $287
1 x media hutch @ $60
1 uhaul rental @ $150 [that extra trip to the store really killed us. stupid mileage]
2 x knobs @ $3 each
TOTAL w/ taxes: $750
RETAIL: $2,596 + tax & delivery

SAVINGS = OVER TWO THOUSAND BUCKAROOS!!

jewelry pocket organizer

as a girl, one of our  most important challenges is what to do with our collection of jewels. right? i mean, there are really only a few options out there.

• you can tuck it away in a pretty jewelry box, but i'm of the outta-sight, outta-mind persuasion.
• you can display your baubles on a pretty necklace tree, but it never fails that i want the one at the very back of the row + i make a huge mess tangling them to get the one i want.
• hang them on the wall, but i don't have enough wall space

so, a while back i came up with this clever solution. it's worked for me for over a year now, so it has some sticking power. that's a lifetime in my world of organization! i'm known to organize, reorganize, and reorganize the reorg. so, when i find something that works, it's pretty substantial.

it's pretty simple: simply re-purpose a hanging shoe organizer to store your necklaces + bracelets. an organizer with clear pockets makes it easy to see your options, yet stores each necklace individually so it doesn't tangle.

i hang the more intricate necklaces from the top hook, + i use the larger top pockets for bracelets. i can clip any corsages, flowers, etc to the pockets as needed.

the trick: use a STURDY hanger + hook to hang the organizer on the back of the door.

cost: $5