End of Summer Balcony Makeover

This post is going to feel a bit out of season, when everyone is looking ahead to Fall. But, thanks to end-of-season sales, my outdoor balcony - which I have worked on in pieces all summer - finally feels complete.

I love spending time our balcony, which is always nicely shaded and very private. But, the design wasn't exactly inviting. In the beginning of the summer, it looked like this:

One by one, I started buying some accessories and spray-painted the tired table and chairs a fresh white. What I kept waiting for in order to pull the whole space together, was a rug. Patience paid off, though, as last week I found an awesome Greek key rug in the right size for only $25! Finally, this is how the space looks:

The bench, which we bought last year, came with the green cushion, so that set the color scheme. I already had the chair cushions, which are green and blue, so those were staying as well. I needed something brighter though, so I was excited when I found the long pillow at Home Goods, which brought all of the colors together.

Next, I spray-painted the table and chairs, which also helped to brighten up the space.

Bring in a couple of accessories and the rug, and I am finally really excited to spend time out here!

Talk about delayed gratification, huh? Luckily the weather will still feel warm for a few more weeks, so I can definitely enjoy the space for a little while longer. Plus, for less than $50 for the whole makeover, I am way ahead of the game for next spring :)

Inspiring Ikea Dresser Makeovers

Lately I have been seeing some great IKEA dresser makeovers all over the place! I love how creative one can be with a simple, inexpensive piece. Check out some of these great transformations:

House and Home (scanned by me) 

Canadian House & Home added simple strips of wood and hardware to create a chevron type pattern (above.)

Livet Hemma

At IKEA's blog, Livet Hemma, they painted the Rast dresser and added numbers with stencil. The look could be so cute for a kid's room! Here are a couple more great ideas they had for this dresser:

 Livet Hemma

Livet Hemma

The same dresser was transformed into a Dorothy Draper look-alike by Nancy at Marcus Design! So chic!

Marcus Design

Here is another amazing transformation by Bri from Me, You and a Wiener. I love the greek key!

Me, You and a Wiener

And finally, who could forget this "classic" IKEA dresser makeover. I still plan on trying this one sometime!

Aubrey and Lindsay

Are you inspired yet?? Have you seen any other great dresser makeovers? Please share in the comments!

Happy Holiday Weekend!

Finally, a long weekend ahead of us. Even though I don't have any big, exciting plans, I am so happy to have an extra day to sleep in and hopefully dip in the pool for the first time this year! Can't wait!

I just wanted to share this image I just added to my inspiration folder from this month's Canadian House and Home. It was on their cover, and also in a story about using ceiling medallions as wall decor. I think that is a great idea! They posted a how-to video here.

Enjoy your weekend! What are you up to?

The Desk is Complete! Before and After

Good morning! How was your weekend? I was so excited to finish up the details on my desk/cabinet makeover and finally get all of my office and design supplies organized. And I am even more excited to finally be able to share the pictures with you!
This project has been ongoing for more months than I care to admit. Taking a plywood piece of furniture from black to white seemed to be an impossible task at times, but with many (many!) layers of primer, paint, poly and hard work, and I was finally able to accomplish it. You may remember what it looked like before - so dark and sad:

Now here it is all white! (sadly my photos aren't great...)

Not much from the outside, but inside it's where it shines:

The reason the hard work was worth it is because this piece is truly a multi-tasker. Not only does it store all of my art supplies, inspiration folders, sewing machine, printer and other office supplies, but it actually serves as a computer desk as well.

I added a piece of foam core to the inside groove of each door to create a space to put up inspirational images, so now the desk feels much more welcoming.

I'm so happy that this piece finally blends in with the rest of the room (it sits in our bedroom), so it is one step closer to becoming the soothing space I've been craving.

 

So there you have it! I would still love to do more with the exterior - I'm thinking of stenciling the doors with a fun geometric design just a couple of shades darker, and also getting some interesting door handles. But that won't be for a while. For the time being, I consider this project complete and can finally move on to something else - like sewing the bedroom curtains!

Work in Progress

Hello! Hope you had a good weekend. Mine was very laid back, and while I was not able to finish some of the projects I had hoped to, I have definitely made some progress.

One of the main projects I am working on right now is painting a piece of furniture. It is actually a cabinet that opens up to a desk. I've had it for a few years now, and it is a very useful piece. However, its color black no longer works for me.

 cabinet "before"

So it will soon become white! I actually started this project a while back - longer ago than I care to admit - but it's since had to receive extra coats of paint, and I had yet to paint the shelves and doors. Finally this weekend I've started to tackle the remainder:

So far each side has received three coats of primer. Sounds like a lot, but not only is the piece going from black to white, but the furniture is made of cheap laminate, so paint does not adhere to it very well. I will share all of my steps with you when I finally have this piece finished. It's already starting to look so much better!

What about you, do you have any projects that have taken longer than you'd like?

DIY's Around the House - Part 2

I can't believe it's already Thursday and I'm just now writing! This week has been so hectic, I can't wait till the weekend! Anyway, as promised, here are a couple of additional projects that I've worked on around the house. Again, they are minor (I don't consider myself much of a crafter) but have helped to bring some "life" into my condo.

Up first is my newest "entryway" table. I put that under quotations because the table is not quite at the entrance. When you first come inside, you see a coat closet to your left and the kitchen to your right... The kitchen countertop became our drop off area for keys and mail, but it was driving me crazy! We finally added a small shelf right as you come into the living room that is now serving this purpose. A simple letter holder and basket for keys did all the trick. But of course, I had to personalize it a bit.

This is the mail holder before:

And take a look at it now:

Old habits die hard though, as we still find ourselves throwing the mail on the counter... but at least now the important correspondence has a place to go.

The second mini project is in the kitchen. We hope to do a lot to the kitchen one day, but until that day comes, I'm improvising. There is plenty of white wall space in the middle of the kitchen that is just screaming for some patterned wallpaper or at least some color. Here is my for-now solution:

A simple sheet of foam core covered in some fun wrapping paper, with ribbon trim. I'm still working on adding pictures but I love having our friends and family displayed!

So tell me, what DIY, low-cost solutions have you implemented in your home?

DIY's Around The House - Part 1

I have been mentioning a few scattered projects around the house, and I finally got my act together and finished a few of them (and took photos!) They were all very simple, affordable touches that are slowly making my condo look more like home. The two I am showing today, barstools and a pillow, were both using the Carla Miller for Rowan Fabrics that I mentioned in a previous post. The fabric actually inspired my living/dining room color scheme of turquoise, green and a few purple accents.

Virginia Quilter

Too bad my husband hates it! Whenever he looks at it, he starts singing "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant, haha. Still, he was sweet enough to help me re-upholster the barstools. I have had these for a few years and don't feel ready to replace them, as there is nothing "technically" wrong with them. But they looked a little too traditional and I thought I could easily change that. Here is the before:

And here is their "Electric Avenue" makeover:

Yes, they really are a bit "out there," but against the blue walls, I like them. Definitely better than the boring beige! This was a very inexpensive and easy fix.

Next up, the pillow. This old chair was the entire reason for the fabric selection. It has a weird greenish-gray tone (because it's so old), and it just stuck out. Now, the colors all sort of blend together and it makes me feel much better about not being able to replace this chair for a while.

So there you have it, super easy fixes to make your old furniture feel like new again! Or, at least more bearable! Soon I'll show you the other pillows (for the bedroom), a couple more small projects, and the dining room, FINALLY! The barstools were the final step to finishing up that room (well, for now...are we really ever done decorating?)