Family room decorating updates

One of my favorite things to do is check out decorating books from the library. Since most good decorating books run between $30-$50, free from the library works better for my budget.

One of my reads earlier this year was "The Imperfectly Perfect Home"

A couple of the areas that stuck out to me that I wanted to improve on from this book is my lighting and area rug in the family room.

First for the area rug, I really went back and forth on colored pattern or more natural. I ended up with a natural looking jute/wool blend because quite frankly I didn't want to commit to a color and pattern. I like pattern to be in smaller pieces (like pillows) because I change so much. I ended up finding a great deal for about $200 for an 8x10 area rug.

  At first I wasn't sure because it was such a subtle difference from the carpet, but it really does define the space without adding too much distraction, just some texture. I went with the jute/wool blend because I wanted it to stand up to the traffic but not be too rough because the kids play around on the floor in the family room. Overall I am pretty pleased. My only complaint is some of the wool loops have have come loose.

Below you can see why I decided on more of a natural look, the slipper chair on the right and the covered ottoman on the left have enough pattern.

(I will take a picture of the whole room soon as both the chair and ottoman cover are new, just didn't want to clean everything up)

This little girl kept trying to get in the pictures.

The second area was the lamps. I have had floor lamps that shot the light up towards the ceiling ever since we got married. I think my mom get them from a garage sale for $10. The book was talking about how terrible these lights were because they really didn't light much, just the ceiling. So I was on the hunt for some table lamps and a floor lamp. I have had the table lamps for about 8 months, and got the floor lamp from a garage sale today and fixed it up this afternoon. Again, since I don't like commitment to expensive decorating items, the table lamps were a couple dollars from Goodwill and the floor lamp was $3 from a garage sale. I did have to purchase DIY shades from Hobby Lobby for the table lamps, but had all the supplies for the floor lamp.

Before
&
After

Here is sister bear trying out the lamp. The only problem I realized once the shade was recovered with the same linen I had recovered the table lamps with is that the original shade was very yellow in the inside. So instead of shining clean and white like the table lamps, it is yellow due to the interior lining. This is also a problem because the way the lamp shade is angled, you can see the yucky yellow interior, so I might be on the hunt for a new shade, but since the project only cost me $3, I have some wiggle room for a new shade.

DIY Artwork and Master bedroom updates

I am 4 days away from turning 30. I still have a goals on my 30 Before Thirty list that I haven't accomplished. Some of the crafty ones are just waiting to be done. I have had the supplies, just not the time. Well, I crossed one off this week. I did my "Paint an artistic piece."

Our master bedroom has had a large bare wall for a long time.  I have changed things since the post on our master bedroom makeover, you can see HERE, that the mirror was moved and I had a blank wall starting at me every morning when I woke up.

I bought a 36x48 canvas from Michael's awhile back for really cheap. I asked my neighbor Hil who is an actual artist some tips on technique and supplies. I looked for a long time online for inspiration. I knew I wanted circles and multiple colors, but wasn't sure what else. Long story short, I ended up using my a Martha Stewart stencil (from Michael's) because I didn't trust my free hand. I was so excited with the results. If you are a real artist, you might cringe and not call this artwork, but it is to me :)

I couldn't be happier with what it adds to my bedroom.

Speaking of my bedroom, I never posted pictures of changing from jewel tone colors to yellow as my accent in the grey room. I resisted yellow in my initial make-over because I felt like it was so overused, but after spending time with the other colors, I see why it is used so much, because it is so cute. Yes those are Dwell Studio pillows from Target that you see ALL over blogland. You will also notice I brought more beach decor (shells, coral reef and some weird thing on my bedside table). I accented the yellow/grey with sea green and light turquoise (colors I used in my painting).

These crosses got a spray painted face lift too. They were originally mossy green, have been white for a long time, and just got a little more punch. I am still considering what to put where the frame it, I threw that up there for the time being.

One more close up of my artwork. For fun I added pink in the top corner. It is a bright pink, the picture doesn't show the color well.

Thanks for checking my updates. I have so many other house projects in my mind right now. The big one is reupholstering my chair that will not be done before I turn 30 Monday, but I will be starting on that soon. 

Steve is hunting in Texas, so the kids are I are leaving for my in-laws in St. Louis today for the weekend. I am thankful we will be able to spend time with them. Sister can't wait to see Uncle Benny

Play room make-over

This post was created over a month ago but never got posted, hence the Christmas manager, but better late than never :)

Well the play room is finally done. It has pretty much been done for a few months, I just hadn't gotten pictures on the wall and didn't want to post without them. I tend to get projects 95% done, then not post about them because I want the final 5% complete. This room is the immediately on your right when you walk in our home. Most people have it as a formal dining, we always had it as a sitting room. I had resisted a play room, but finally came to the conclusion that we have little children who need room to play and an organized play room works and looks better that chaos all over the house. So here is the transformation of the room in the 3.5 years we have lived here.

When we first moved in with plain walls

After allowing paint to bring life to the room

The last look before the play room took over

The Play Room

The lighting still leaves something to be desired, but I am going to paint lamps once the weather warms and would love to get another overhead light once we actually own the house. 

My goal was organization, hence the wicker ottoman, the baskets and the cube system, all full of toys 

The kid's nativity made it to the top shelf for the holidays after finding it spread all over the house multiple times a day

The "couch" was my old crib that my brothers and I used. It was missing hardware and would cost a lot to be safe to use as a crib so I was ready to get rid of it until I saw an idea to use is as a couch. 

10 cans of spray paint later (it really needed more I had already gone to the store twice during the painting process and was over it, should have primed it first)

The table and chairs were a garage sale find for $20, a little clean-up and white paint, and we were good to go.

Another full view. I have already actually moved the furniture around to a few configurations. I loved having the table and chairs out in the middle of room (so you can use all 4 chairs) and I had the crib in the corner, allowing more access to 4 sides of the kitchen (another cheap garage sale find) but like having the room open for little man to crawl around and daddy to wrestle the kids. If we have more friends over, I just pull the table and chairs out.

Master Bedroom/Bathroom Make-over

Well, it has been a year and a half since I redid our bedroom, so I guess it is time to finally post about it. I have waited so long because quite frankly I haven't been completely satisfied with the outcome.  Steve and I have never purchased a large new furniture item. Almost everything we have is hand-me-down or bought second hand.

Steve had the dream for our bedroom to be a "getaway" an "oasis" for us as a couple. A place where we block out the world and we come together as husband and wife (in more ways that one hehehe). The room makeover started with the hunt for a new bed.

When we first got married we bought a queen size mattress. Steve wanted a king and I was the new wife who didn't want to sleep in a different zip code because we were so far away. I wanted to cuddle.  Well that desire last all of about 1 week. Then, the girl who has slept in a queen size bed alone her whole life, took up more space than her husband almost twice her size.

Fast forward 6 years and we decided to make this retreat for us, we wanted an amazingly comfy bed, that we loved getting into every night. So the hunt started.

We started with normal spring mattresses and somehow we ended up with a King size tempur-pedic bed. Now this is a huge for Steve to spend this kind of money on anything, I knew he was series when he made the decision to go big.  The mattress was so expensive, we ended up finding a really cheap price on a sleigh bed. I would have preferred another frame, but if in a few years we want to get something else, we probably could get out what we have in to this bed.  I have been so pleased with our bed, I love getting in bed every evening, it is so comfortable!

Steve also wanted our room to be "clean" and "simple." We went for gray walls and white bedding. I am all about clean and simple, but what has been keeping me from being satisfied with this room is that it is too crisp for me, I feel like I need more pop. I am such a bright colored person, that I can appreciate the muted tones, but I do like more. My favorite color in our house is our bright turquoise front room.  All that to say, here is our bedroom...

BEFORE

Looking at this picture I really miss the big mirror there. I did add a full length mirror on the wall at the end of the bed and I felt like it was too much square, large mirrors, hmmm it has me thinking though

IN PROGRESS...

New bed

Used the curtain hardware we already had to save money, just spray painted them black

Spray painted the crosses white (I am thinking about painting these again another color to bring some variety)

Since we spent so much on the bed and I wasn't sure what furniture I would want, I painted our hand-me-down dresser)

Amazing what some paint can do, I got new hardware as well

AFTER

Steve really wanted a wedding picture and our vows up as well. We wrote our own vows and it is a great reminder to what we have committed to each other.  ----- The dresser is one area I really want something more. I have tried different arraignments and haven't found one I like. 

I do feel like it is the room of mirrors --- I just made the mirror above the bed, look for the post tomorrow on it

There are the crosses painted white, thinking about pink or yellow for the future

My only pattern and fun color in the room - Target London of Liberty clearance

I did just add the towels for a little punch (they came from the 1/2 bath redo that I just pained navy and thought I would use that color as the accent. Didn't like it with the navy, but works alright here)

So that is the room for now.  I can't remember the breakdown, but we really didn't spend much money besides the bed, bedding and paint. Mostly everything else was somewhere in the house or in that room and repainted. We did move the tall dresser into our closet to open up the room a little.  With the large bed, we needed more space.

Any advice where to bring in more pattern and color I would love to hear it.

Free Bathroom Makeover

#15 on my "30 before Thirty" list was to Paint and decorate my 1/2 bathroom.  My budget for this project was $0. That means I could probably find $20 from my slush fund (Steve and I each have slush fund money each month for non essentials) to find a few things. I went back and forth on a few things, and when it was all said and done, I spent zero, zilch, nada, nothing.

Before

Almost all old decorations are free from my husbands dumpster diving days

I had decided to use the leftover paint from Colton's nursery

I had in mind to accent with a fuchsia or yellow. If money wasn't an issue, I would have gone with a bold yellow geometric pattern rug and new accessories. I would have also painted the vanity and cabinet white, but since we do not own the home yet, I didn't want to paint the wood.  I had found some fuchsia rugs and towels at Target months ago, but when I put them in the newly painted room, I didn't like the look at all. So I pretty much put all the same items back in, while switching up a few accessories from other parts of the home. 

After

 

 

 

It is amazing what paint by itself can do. I also removed the towel bar, since for a 1/2 bath, there is no need for a large towel to be hanging, and I felt like it opened up the room a little.

To be honest, I guess I did spend $2 on this makeover. My in-laws and I went to an estate sale last weekend and I picked up two pieces of coral reef for $2 each. Forget pottery barn's $40 coral reef! My apologies, this bathroom was a $2 makeover

Payton's New Room

Payton's "Big" Girl room is pretty much done.  The whole room cost me under $50!!!!  Most of the decorations came from Steve and my first bedroom. Yes we had a pink and green room when we first got married, which is completely different than now.

I originally had envisioned more of modern room with totally different colors, but when I scored the Pottery Barn bedding for $20 (Retailed over $400) at a garage sale, my whole idea changed quickly. I am easily swayed by a cheap, great deal! And since I like to redo things, I figured even if I kept this for a few years then changed, I wouldn't feel bad about my $20 spent.

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure, see the breakdown after each picture

Pottery Barn Queen Bedding (Quilt, Sheets, Sham, Throw Pillow, Valance) = $20
Head Board - Recovered a headboard that I had used with this bed in guest room - Fabric $12
Night Stand - already owned
Dresser - free from neighbor, had painted it awhile back with "oops" paint
Art Canvas (3) - already owned, purchased from Marshall's many years ago (from original master bedroom)
Piggy Bank - Gift
Green Decor Piece - Already owned
Wall Color - was already this color when we moved in

Up close of headboard, I love this fabric and under $6 a yard you can't go wrong. If you live in KC area, you have to check out Home Fabrics & Rugs on Metcalf and 119th! You can kinda see the sheets that came with the set, white with green polka dots.

My 20 minute project the other day. I wanted to spruce up my lamps (small one for nursery) and I never could decide on pictures for the frames, as Payton changes so quickly so I decided to add my own little touch. I went to town with the hot glue gun, and $2.40 later ...

Ribbon = $1 per roll = $2
Scrapbook Paper = $0.20 each = $0.40
Scrapbook letters - already owned
Lamp shades - already owned
Frames - already owned (were navy and white but sprayed them white awhile back for another room)

Flowers and vase = already owned (yes from original master bedroom)

Dresser - Free from neighbor, painted awhile ago
Mirror - Already owned, painted white awhile ago (Steve had bought these for his first office and I used to hate these mirrors until I spray painted them white when we first moved here)
Flowers, frames, basket with books - Already owned
Rocking Chair - Cracker Barrel rocker from Papa Southards (Steve's Dad)

I am very excited for the completed project, especially with the price tag, that makes a job a successful for me, cute and cheapo!

Here is a picture for the guest room now. The twin beds were moved in here, and since I had no budget for this room, I just used my old queen bedding and pillows for this room.  I have wanted to do something with this room for awhile, but with the rate that we add kids and move rooms around, it isn't worth putting money into this room until I know what it will be used for long term. So it stays simple and clean, which is nice for a guest room.

And progress is being made on the nursery, paint is done (yes it is dark navy and I love it), here is a teaser of the room with my new $0.60 artwork ...

Hope you all are having a great weekend!