Monday, August 8, 2011

What I'm Working On #1




A few days ago, our neighbor was throwing away this perfectly fine and adorable wicker bench. We rescued it (which, I might add, my husband wasn't exactly thrilled about, but hey, it was free) and it's been sitting uselessly in my yard ever since, looking a little like this:

Except it had cushions that I took off before I realized I wanted a picture. My bad.

Tonight, I was feeling a little bit swamped, a lot of frustrated and pretty much unhappy. I needed a craft fix in the worst way. However, my sewing room is a dangerous place to be right now, so I decided to go outside (basically as far away from that mess as I could get).

I took the necessary supplies with me - two cans of red spray paint.

(What? Don't YOU always have them on hand for emergencies? If not, take it from me - you should.)

The first unsuspecting victim I came across was that wicker bench. Twenty minutes later, I had this result:



Now, since this is just a temporary fix, I wasn't too worried about how splotchy the paint job was at this point. I just shook up my other can and went back to work.

When I was done, I turned the cushions that came with it (again, for free!) over to their brighter side and this is what I had:


I swear it's not blotchy anymore. It's a little...wavy?....from being outside in the rain unprotected, so that's why the color still looks off.

And, this is only temporary because I didn't want to have to buy anything to finish it, and everything I had was in my stash. Eventually I'll put one more coat of paint on it so it's a really bright, cherry red.

To match my new sewing room.

Which will be in my new house.

But more on all of that later!

So, to sum it all up:

one rescued wicker bench (with cushions)
+
two cans of red spray paint
+
one bad night =

A cute new bench and a much better mood!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Daydreaming about our future perfect rooms

I've been daydreaming about our perfect rooms. The one thing I've decided on for the kidlet is that she's going to have a seriously amazing bed. Pinterest has been helping me narrow my likes and dislikes down to a manageable list. I thought I'd share some of my top favorite inspiration pictures here!

#1
I love this option because it looks so built in. Check out the molding all around the top - it's more proof that it's all in the tiny details, right? Also, I absolutely love the way the railing is built in and looks like so much more than a railing. We don't need bunk beds though, so we'd modify the bottom to be a desk area and/or reading nook.



#2
Now, this whole entire room is perfect and amazing, but what I'm intensely drawn to are those amazing rain-gutters. Yep, I said rain-gutters. Can you spot them? I'll give you a hint: This beyond ingenius blogger is using them to help hold her boys' books!


#3
This is a double decker type bed without being actual bunk beds. I love multi levels. Also, don't forget to gawk at that gorgeous ceiling, it's stunning.

Source: houzz.com via Beth on Pinterest



#4
I don't think my ceilings will ever be high enough to do this exact setup, but that doesn't stop me from daydreaming about it! And the colors are just amazing. And, again - it's all built in, sigh.


#5
There isn't one thing I don't love about this picture. The curving lines, the green curtains, book shelves and what looks like a closet area...even a piano!


#6
This one isn't a bunk bed and isn't as built-in looking as some of the others. But, I am in lover with all the colors, the softness of the fabrics, and the little light and book cranny. Loving it!


One thing I've noticed is that you have to be careful with beds with the open spaces below them - make the space underneath look as comfy and cozy and sturdy as the bed itself. I'm going to plan big, chunky corners on our bed to avoid that spindly-leg look that can happen too easily.

All of these images are credited beneath them and are pinned on my Favorite Spaces and Places board on Pinterest. You can follow my boards here:

Follow Me on Pinterest

What about you? Do you kill time daydreaming about your future perfect rooms? Wanna share with us? Give us your ideas and/or links in the comments!