Eclectic Tastes

I think I may be maturing. Why do I think that you ask? I’m starting to see my tastes change. As we grow older and take on more of life’s experiences obviously we are going to perceive things differently and bring that experience into other areas of our life. Well, I’ve been married for almost four years. Have a precious “baby” Bailey and have lived in our house for close to 3 years. I’m settled into my career and really enjoy what I do. I’m content with my life. And that’s a great thing!

 

So what am I getting at? My comfort in my life is translating into my home décor style. When I first got out of my parents place I brought all new things at a local furniture store. It had to be new and it had to match. After all, this was my first adult-like purchases. We’ve moved several times since then and we’re settled into our home. Now, however, I look at my home and think of ways to personalize it to match our style (that is a perk to home ownership)! Case in point is the Fireplace Reno. We took an unused fireplace and made it useable space by mounting our television on the wall. Adding an accent color to the space and gave functionality to the room. 

    

In my attempt to give New Life to Old Frames I made a collage on my wall. It’s a mix match of frame styles and colors as well as other art pieces arranged in an off-centered manner. The old me would have measured and make sure it was asymmetrical; whereas, the new me loves the eclectic mix. That same diverse mentality has focused on a new television unit. With the television mounted on the wall, I want a new TV stand to sit higher and offer more storage. And no box furniture store unit is going to do! Instead I took to Craigslist (a new found love which I will write more on later) and found this amazing piece…

Ryan is keen on the gold, but we'll see how it works.
Maybe pick up flex from our picture frames!

Yes, it is a dresser but I'm re-purposing it!

Debating on painting the handles to a pewter color. May look sharp!

Look at the amazing detail. Seriously...

Not that great of a picture, but I'm thinking it'll look
perfect in the living room!

I pick it up tomorrow and I am super pumped about it! I love the movement and curves and the antique nature is exactly what I wanted. This piece will give the room character! And for the price, even if the paint is badly chipped and in need of repair I can certainly do that & come well under any entertainment stand I’ve seen in department stores! This is definitely a score for me. 

If I decide to change it up, I'll be sure to post the before & after photos! :)

Calling all Design Peeps!

In my attempt to give New Life to Old Frames I took two picture frames that I had and painted them a color I thought would look great for my NEW living room space (see Fireplace Reno blog).  So I gave the frames new life and arranged them, with other items, on my wall. I have to say, I’m pretty pleased with the results. But I feel like it’s not done! HELP!

A future DIY project is going to be gluing shells to the glass of some frames, got it from this blog. But do I need something on the right side above my painted frame? I kinda like the off-balanced look, but don’t know if I need to tie into the golden frames on the other side….Thoughts?

Fireplace Reno Complete

As I’ve mentioned in my previous blog “Bye-Bye Fireplace” Ryan and I were having work done to our house to get the ugly old fireplace out and finally be able to use that wall! After a week of renovations, the work is complete! Take a look at the changes…

Old Fireplace

NO fireplace! :)

With the placement of the television on the wall, we were able to rearrange the living room and really separate the two spaces (living and dinning areas). I am absolutely in love with the color (thank you Ryan) and am so happy with the results.

 

Next up? We are going to iKea this weekend to see about an entertainment unit. If we can’t locate anything, we’ll (I mean I’ll) be exploring the possibility of built-ins. :) Isn’t being a homeowner grand!

New Life to Old Frames

So, I've been into this kick of DIY projects. I'm desperate to try and reinvent something new from something old. I like the fact that it's me doing the decision making, picking out colors and all that jazz. I also even like the "green" aspect with reusing something versus buying something new. I am literally applying that mind-set to various items we need around the house. Case in point....

In my living room are these four picture frames. I stare at them often and lately I have been looking at them and realizing they no longer fit my personality or style. So as Ryan was watching a movie on the couch, I take them off the wall. Pop the pictures and glass out and with a brush and spare can of paint start going to town! You should have seen my husband, he was like "what are you doing NOW?" :) Poor guy, didn't get a say in what I did. I sanded them and committed to changing the look of these frames.

This is me sanding the frames, prep for painting

The before and after

I am even creating a collage of frames that I'm going to partner these "new" frames with. Haven't hung them yet, but will show pictures when I reveal my brand new living room....

Yup, that's right. Tomorrow we'll be breaking ground to a new and improved living room. We are getting the fireplace removed, mounting the television, rearranging furniture and adding an awesome entertainment unit/built-ins! Can't wait to show off the new space. YAY!

Bathroom Reno Update

I posted previously on our Bathroom Renovation, which happens to be from my 30 Before 30 List, that we were remodeling our downstairs bathroom. It's been a project on our mind since we bought the house in 2008, but we just received the finances to make it possible. I am pleased to report that this can be checked off my list....

Completed Bathroom

As of this past weekend, our bathroom has been completed! After a LONG week, the work has been completed and we couldn't be happier with the results. The tile work on the floor and the walls is amazing. The Travertine tile is exquisite and the mosaic border adds so much elegance to the room. We decided on a Twilight Mauve paint color to complement the purple/brown mosaic tile which really brings out the purple color. Ryan and I's favorite, dark wood, was present in the vanity and mirror. The space feels HUGE compared to the previous bathroom. I am shocked at how much room we have in there. I literally could not stop looking in the bathroom and find myself opening the door just to gaze at it!

We've made a great decision, increasing the value of our house through a bathroom renovation, which will prove beneficial when we get our home appraised for selling in the future. For now.....we get to enjoy! :)