Beachy Bar Stools

Here is what I have decided:  the more I have to actually blog about, the LESS time I have to blog it.  But then, doing anything in a timely manner has never been my strong suit.

Take these bar stools, for instance.  I bought them last summer, before House of White was born.  They were originally a blond wood.  I actually took before pictures, but they are still on my broken hard drive. . . irretrievable.  I painted one right after I got it, so conceivably I could have taken a picture of the other two, which just got painted last week.  But no.

They aren't that old, but I thought they would look cute and beachy all painted up, with numbers on the back.   I liked the rush seats and thought I could clean them up.

 Rob, of course, reminded me that we didn't have a beach house to put them in, but I bought them anyway--for my house.  Then we decided something more nondescript would be better for the space since the table was so close.

I might have made a bad decision. . .

Lisa and I finally got around to finishing the chairs this week.  I discovered that the spots on the seats were wax. . . meant to hold the seat together where it was suffering from some wear and tear.  It was staying.

So I decided to sew little covers for them.

I think they turned out super cute.  I added a little blue ticking stripe trim to the seat, and ties to the back (along with little ties under the front to secure it to the front legs).

They blend in so well with my kitchen that I think I should have kept them!

And even though I screwed up when I painted the first number, and did it off centered, I think the added dot just makes it cuter.

But alas, Lisa wouldn't let me keep them.  So we packed them off to the shop, along with a few other things.  And there they sit, in case they are calling your name--you can go rescue them and take them home with you.

Nothing says summer like a little beachy decor and a pitcher of lilacs.

Laundry Room: Before and (Almost) After

I have a dream of one day being the kind of blog that chronicles the steady progress of one project at a time until it reaches completion--giving you all a fabulous before and after transition.  However, I clearly have design ADD.  My laundry list of half finished projects is lengthy.  But I can claim to be slowing ticking small steps off each list.  So while I have promised great progress pictures of Signe's room--which I have been working on--I am going to share the most recent progress in my laundry room saga.

When we bought our house, three and half years ago, my laundry room looked like this:

About a year ago I painted it a pale blue gray. I had reservations about doing too much to the room because we have toyed with the idea of doing an addition which would create a very large and lovely new laundry room.  When/if we do the addition, this room would become the mudroom, as it is the pass-through room between the garage and the entryway. 

Last May, as I was graduating from college (at long last) and dreaming of new patio furniture as my graduation gift to myself, our washing machine went out.  So my present became a new washer and dryer--which I found an ironic gift that sort of said: "Congratulations! Now get back to the house work." At this point I figured addition or no addition this ugly little room was in direct sight of the front door, and as long as the washer and dryer were out, I was going to at least do something about he ugly stained and torn linoleum.  So we ripped it out.

When I saw the pine tongue and groove subfloor I had visions of sanding it and painting it--maybe light gray, or even a white and gray harlequin pattern.  

I even had Rob convinced for about 12 hours. . . but after a good night's sleep he decided it wasn't practical for a laundry room--not to mention a few of the spaces between the boards were big enough for spiders to climb through out of the crawl space below.  So we tiled it.

Then there it sat.  For six or seven months.  Until Rob finally built the cabinet to replace the cheap-o sink and ugly shelving that we ripped out.  Remember a  month or so ago when I mentioned I had a project that I hoped to wrap up and blog about by the end of the week?  This was it. . . I didn't get it done.  We only got the counter and sink installed.

Once I started working on Signe's room last week, I realized that for the first time in a very long time we had two whole days with nowhere to go and Rob at home.  So I quit sewing curtains and bedding and started tiling and painting in the laundry room.  Because while I do all the actual tiling and painting, I am not a fan of things with blades, so Rob cuts the tiles where I mark them.  

And while I (once again) had high hopes that I would whip this room out and dazzle you all with the after, I didn't.  So here is a picture of the now tiled backsplash and partially painted cabinet (it needs a second coat, and the door installed under the sink. 

And just to remind you how far we have come, here is a before and (almost) after side-by-side:

For a very small room, it is taking me a very long time. . . but it's coming along.  Next we need to:

- finish painting the cabinet & hang the cabinet door

- order a new light fixture (I'm thinking a schoolhouse fixture)

- build a shelf above the washer and dryer

- install new hook boards along one wall (for coats and backpacks)

- attach the towel hook

- hang something above the sink. . . maybe a chalkboard with key hooks.  

- get baskets for the shelves

THEN I can show you the before and after pictures. . . instead of just the during pictures.  

In the meantime, I sort of got distracted making myself a new duvet for my bed.  I will post it when I finish--whenever that may be.

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The cabinet is constructed of furniture grade plywood

Counter top is Ikea Numerar butcher block in solid beech: $89.00

Subway tile is from Lowes--Daltile .23 ea; trim tile was $4.17 each

Cabinet paint: Miller Paint, Rhino 05k0847 (I am working on getting all my paint colors matched to Sherwin Williams colors)
Floor tile is called Avila Al 12 X 24 by Roca  (a couple people asked and I forgot to add it) It is a porcelain tile with color all the way through so if it chips you won't see it.  

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Happy Valentine's Day!  

A Softer Shade of Sunny

Living in the northwest, I appreciate a sunny shade of yellow.  My house is, in fact, painted a pale yellow.  In all the right places, yellow makes me smile. . .

But somehow, these dining chairs weren't making me smile.  And really, are they yellow? Are they gold?

I snagged them at the Goodwill.  I actually had to ask a lady sitting on one if she intended to purchase it, because I wanted it.  Turns out she was just waiting for her husband.  And judging by the look on her face, the brightness of these chairs blinded her to their potential.  But not me.

One thing was certain--they needed a little help before they could really shine.

A coat of white paint, antique glaze, and a new outfit went a long way to brightening this pair up. . . or toning them down. . .

Now they are all kinds of lovely.  Their new, but economical, upholstery gives the pair a more casual style than the gold velvet.

Bleached drop cloth never looked so good. . . unless you count the hundred and one other people who are creating great pieces with the aid of inexpensive canvas and a little craft paint.

As usual, now that the transformation is complete I realize how great they look in my house.  Too bad they are not long for this room.

They are headed to the shop, along with the pillow and cute little drop top table. . .

. . . which used to look like this:

Although I originally purchased it for my daughter's room, I think it needs to sit between these chairs and look adorable.  And in case it isn't small enough, the top has a release knob that lets the top drop to the side and store away in small spaces.

Luckily I took lots of pictures to remind myself how cute they all are.

One of these days I will purchase furniture I can actually leave in my house.  You might have noticed this room is lacking a little somthin' somthin'. . . like a sofa, or a chair or two, or tables.  But the rug? That's staying!

Catch 22. . .

It is always good advice to find a job doing something you love.  My dilemma was/is always narrowing it down to one thing.  I am still dealing with the desire to be a writer/photographer/decorator/shop owner/party planner/bakery owner///. . .  you get the idea.  In the same vein of thought, with regards to our shop, I think it is important to always sell things that we love.  I love that while working on items for the shop, Lisa will occasionally burst out with, "I love this.  I would totally buy this for my house!"

That's sort of the point, of course.  We choose/create things to sell, BECAUSE we love them.

It does, however, create a minor issue.  I often want to keep things meant for the shop.  In fact, a few things I bought before setting up shop, with intentions of making over for my house, have made their way into the sale pile.  For instance, I bought an ugly little stool for my daughter's room.  It had medium brown wooden legs and a hideous brown print vinyl cover with a pleated ruffle trim--also out of the ugly brown print vinyl.  It was, in fact, so ugly my husband thought it would be funny to spray paint the word "poop" on the top of it. . . BEFORE I took a before picture.

This is where I would normally show you a before picture.  I LOVE before and afters, don't you?  But that picture is one of the many lost on my crashed hard drive, so you can't really appreciate the transformation this little stool has undergone.  So without further ado, the after:

I wanted something simple and clean, yet girly and fresh. . . and different.

Can I just say mission accomplished?! Now the only dilemma is I want to keep it.  I can almost justify it by reminding Lisa that I did originally purchase it for Hannah's room.  Or at least I can try. . . which I did.

 (That Windsor chair? Another thing I am having trouble deciding to part with. . .and that pillow. . .? It's unhealthy really.)

That is where having a partner comes in handy.  We keep each other on track.  Otherwise the two of us might just have a house full of really cute stuff and a shop full of. . . nothing (not to mention our wallets!).

But for now, this little number is my favorite. . . until something else I almost can't resist comes along.

The Best Things. . .

. . . come to those who wait.  (But once you see it coming, jump quick or you'll miss it!)

It may also be true that the best things in life aren't free. . . but some really great stuff is!

And Craig will tell you how to find it.  On a nearly nightly basis I take a quick gander at what there is to be had on craigslist, and my first stop is the "free stuff" section.  Now, you might be thinking one of two things--

If it's free, there's a reason.

OR,

If it's free it will be gone before I get there.

And you will most likely be right on both counts.

But sometimes that reason is merely that someone doesn't want to be bothered with trying to sell it, or they are in a hurry to get rid of it (due to a move or something). . . or they don't realize their junk is REALLY a fabulous treasure!

Usually I look at the location and figure it has been posted too long to still be there or is too far from my house.  Often the poster doesn't want to be bothered and won't respond to emails asking if it is still there.

But one night I hoped on around 8:30 to see a free post with a couch, a chair, two desks, a dresser, and a nightstand.  I liked three things she was offering, it was ten minutes from my house (or less) and it had been posted 30 minutes before I looked at it.  It was an "it's on the porch, come get it" sort of post.

So I did.

Only, by the time I got there the only things left were the two desks--luckily one was super cute.  It went home with me, of course.

And while she may have needed a little help, it was just the kind of help I was willing and able to give.

A little paint and a couple new screws later. . .

And she was perfect.

Sometimes great stuff really is free. . . plus a mad scramble, a little paint and some elbow grease!

The only issue here (which may not actually be such a bad thing) is that once I realized how cheap (or free) you could find things, it's become a challenge to see how little I have to pay for something.  And it makes it easier to splurge when I find something I REALLY have to have, but isn't cheap.  I consider that balance.

Circuitous Stories and Shades of White

A couple months ago I spied an adorable dresser at the Good Will that I decided I needed for my guest room, which lacked a dresser.  My husband thought I was crazy and dragged me from the store to high tail it to piano lessons with the girls.  Their lessons were across the parking lot and it was quickly becoming tradition that we stop by before or after lessons.

After lessons I decided I REALLY needed to go back and buy it. I had visions of painting it and maybe adding lovely new knobs.

Then it sat in my guest room for a month or so until I rearranged my daughter's room and decided it really would fit in her room better.  So I swapped dressers. . . and continued to talk of painting it--but never actually got around to it.

Fast forward a couple months.  Lisa and I have embarked upon House of White and I find myself at the Good Will looking at yet another cute little dresser, also with a mirror above it.  By this time, my husband is all on board and actually finds it before me and calls me over. I love the shape, the turned detail on the mirror supports and legs, even the aging on the edges of the mirror.  So, of course it goes home with me, even if its stay will not be permanent.

It took some time, and two trips to the paint store to decide on a color (though really it is only ever a choice between some shade of white/cream-white/gray-white/blue-white we're talking about here).  In the end I picked two colors.  This is were I am going to be phenomenally unhelpful, because I don't remember the cream color name, BUT it was a lovely creamy white and Sanibel Gray, a pale slightly blueish gray. Sanibel Gray is a Valspar "Seaside Retreat" color, but I had my favorite local paint store mix it up in a satin acrinamel paint.

After sanding and priming it, I gave it a coat in the cream, then topped it with the gray.  Then I took the hand sander to it and gave it bit of an aged look, thinning it in a few places so the cream paint showed through in spots and the wood in spots. I had planned on buying cute knobs, but after seeing  Layla  (of The Lettered Cottge) paint her knobs, I decided to give it a try. I like the subtle contrast of the cream knobs and gray/blue finish.

So what does this cute dresser have to do with my daughter's dresser?  Three months later and I think I have found a color to paint it. Hopefully three months won't pass before I actually get around to doing it!