Cartouche Green Desk

If I show you a really great desk, will you guys ignore that fact that I haven't done a post in over a month?
Great, thanks. 

The color is Amy Howard's Cartouche Green. I am obsessed with it when paired with a dark finish. 

It's so good.

Here is the BEFORE

 

And some more "AFTERS"

You know I love a great detail shot

Now Available!

More of my latest work before the month is up, promise.

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Kitchen Island Make-Over / Styling my own Painted Furniture

Yesterday I searched, purchased, sanded, stripped, painted, re-placed knobs, added fabric, photographed, transported, priced and staged this Kitchen Island. Can you tell I was excited about it? 

 

I can only hope this piece was used in a garage. Preferably a dimly lit one at that.

Here is how it looks today:

I added burlap to the front panels with a jute rope trim. 

The classy football knobs were replaced with glass ones.

The top was a labor of love.

 I used minwax's gray stain once I had all the orange removed.

This piece is full of great features. Room for bar stools, pegs for hanging pot holders, a towel bar and the obvious drawers and cabinet (the interior even has a shelf) for storage.

It would look great in my Kitchen, so someone better run to the flea to purchase it before I change my mind about selling it..  The metal bar stools are available too

And in the event that I don't keep it, I found some fun accessories that would be cute with it.. 

better known as:

 "styling my own painted furniture" 

I've limited my Kitchen finds to products on etsy this time-

because there's nothing better than supporting small business and creative artists!

1. branchhandmade 

2.1100treasures 

3.juliapaulpottery 

4.premiumolivewood 

5. susannewberrydesigns

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A Vanity Without a Mirror

Hello Friends!

I hope you're enjoying your weekend. We've had a taste of Fall here, which has been great for working outside. 

The piece I wanted to share today is this jewelry vanity I picked up at a local thrift store.

BEFORE

 

And AFTER some paint, distressing and one new knob

I used the same blue as my easel to rack project.

BEFORE

So much storage!

I considered re placing the liner but ultimately just cleaned it and painted over the liner in the drawer. 

I just think the bold pop of color is really fun.

It had a mirror attached to the back that didn't make it through the hard life it previously experienced. 

It would look better with a non attached mirror hanging above it anyway, so that works out :)


In fact, here are 5 mirrors under $100 that would work above it:

1. Threshold Clover Mirror from Target ($19.99)

 2.  Crisanto Hexagon Mirror from Pier1 ($79.99)

 3. Roberto Mirror from Home Decorators ($49.00)

 4. Threshold Starburst Mirror from Target ($39.99)

5. Or you could go with something more casual and fun like this Woodstripe Beauty Mirror from Overstock.com ($68.99)

Which one would use choose for above the new, light blue vanity?

From Crap to Cute

I must say, I'm proud of myself for taking so many "before" pictures of all my recent projects. 

It does make it easier though, when I get a group of items at once.

Look at all that broken junk. Does it make you excited just thinking about the possibilities of it all? No?

 How about if it were all FREE broken junk? 

Still not so much, huh?

Well, what if this emerged from the pile...

Now you see a little of what was happening in my head when I was given all that junk.

For one, broken easel = fun coat/accesories rack

I used hooks I had on hand. The colored ones are from world market.

I can see scarves or necklaces hanging from here.

I painted the whole thing light blue and distressed it.

Side by Side..

So before tossing whatever broken junk is in your garage (or already next to someone's garbage can) try to think of another use for it!

Re-Purpose. Recycle. Re-Use.

 

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My Kitchen!

My post yesterday gave you a glimpse into my Kitchen, so today I'm going to give you the tour. But in order to appreciate it for what it is today, let me show you where it started two years ago.

BEFORE

MLS Picures

The next pictures are a month or two after closing

PROGRESS

New appliances and some blue paint were pretty much all that was done, but it made a big difference.

BEFORE

This corner area was pretty awkward. It was intended for a table/eat-in Kitchen area but with the island it would have been too crowded. And with out the island there would be a big, dance- floor- style, open space.


Fast forward to today..

More Progress

I loveee the new floors. I bought the bar height table and chairs from a friend rather than an island because my daughter and I aren't exactly going to have our meals in a Dining Room. The height still allows for the extra prep/work space like an island would.

 I really want to remove the piece of wood that's above the sink, "connecting" the two cabinets, but there is a light up there and I don't know how to go about removing all that... I will figure it one day soon though and hopefully add a small pendant light instead.


 It would also have been nice if the upper cabinets extended to the ceiling, but I don't think it's worth replacing them (even if that were an option financially.)

Since the right corner is "supposed" to be where a table goes, there was a light fixture there that I replaced with a lantern.

As for the rest of that area, it is now the perfect spot for my "pantry."

The Kitchen does have a small closet, but I quickly found it to be too cramped for constant use. 

Plus I needed a place for the garbage can to hide. Food + Garbage does NOT = Roommates.

See how little the door is? Ok, so maybe I'm just showing you so I can show the cute apple artwork done by my daughter. Oh, and the worlds best maid-of -honer gift from my sister's wedding.. the bottle opener/ cap catcher hanging on the wall. 

I put it to good use.

 

Other improvements I'd like to make = new counter tops and a back splash. 

 And can't you just see a big, white farm house sink? I do love my Kitchen in its current state though. 

 Light, pretty and just the right size for what I need.

Tomorrow I'll show some more thrifty details floating around the room.

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