A Long Time Coming. Or, How Mel Became Room Inspiration.

About two trillion years ago, I decided that I wanted my studio (or whatever you want to call it) to be the next space that I tackled in the house.

So I bought a huge comfy chair (that could easily fit two people) and the ottoman (that you could lie flat on for a nap, it's huge) at Salvation Army. It was a great brand and I got the chair/ottoman set (nearly new) fifty percent off the Salvation Army price. We loaded it onto and into Old Red and brought it home.

That was last summer.

For about six months I was stuck deciding on a color. Then, over winter break, I decided on blue.

But I couldn't choose a blue. None of them looked right. And I bought probably six different samples:

This is not even all the blues. More blue crimes were committed after this photo.

 I seriously hated them all. Plus, Jeremiah had gotten me two prints - one as a graduation present and one for Christmas. And I didn't like the way either of them looked in my room against those blue samples. So I decided that blue was out.

And then Mel walked in the room. In case you have forgotten, Mel looks like this:

I swear, she poses. This is her thoughtful pose.

Anyway, I was like, brown. Hmmm...and then I remembered how much I love the brown room at my parents' house. And I was like, brown...some more.

So I found one sample, just as a trysies.

I was sold. I didn't even need to try any other browns. This one was PERFECT. It was a darker brown with some greyish/purple-y tones.

 After one coat I was loving it, but I was also frightened. I did NOT want to have to do ten coats of paint, and with the horrible textured walls that exist throughout the Southwest, I thought there was a good possibility of ten coats coming true. All those raised bumps make it really difficult to get the low-lying spots.

After two coats, however, I was good. I will need to do some light touch-ups in some extra-textured areas, but other than that, all is golden.

 

And I love it. It's not a large room, and I know some people are into the whole "Small rooms + Dark colors = No" but I don't think it makes it feel any smaller. The high arched ceilings probably help with that.  Also, the room gets constant light, from sunrise to sunset. So it never feels cave-like.

I went back and forth on whether or not to paint the ceiling and trim white. You might remember that EVERYTHING in the house is a horrible creamy color. Everything. Even door hinges, vents, and outlet covers. Finally I sucked it up and Jeremiah painted the ceiling my go-to white (Delicate White, Olympic Paint) and I tackled the trim. It looks SO much better. I'm glad we did it. It makes the brown pop and feels clean and fresh in the room.

I am also happy because the cats love coming in and sitting in the window and watching/scaring the pigeons. Now that the room is finished, they can actually do that again. Plus, we rigged little doggy gates so the cats can have free range upstairs but the dogs can't. Which is good.

What can I ruin in this empty room? The blinds, meow.

Since the pictures were taken, we've cleaned all the carpet in the house with a rented carpet cleaner and then transferred most items into their respective rooms. Two of the rooms (my studio & one guest room) look quite messy right now. So no more pictures for a bit.

I can tell you, however, that I already have spent numerous evenings sitting in my cozy chair with a cat or dog, covering myself with a handmade quilt from a dear friend (Sara!) and read. Oh, how I love it.

Oh, and for the rest of the colors, I'm thinking of more creams, tans, whites, and browns. Like Mel in Siberia.  I might switch out some accent colors seasonally. Not like Mel.

What's still to come in the studio?

• Curtains/blinds
• shelving (I already know what shelving I am getting. For free. Under the cover of darkness. Shh...)
• Art (Already have it all. Just waiting for the shelving so I know where the art will go.)
• Bookshelves. Oh, I love the bookshelves. They need to be sanded, primed, and painted. We got them from Borders when they went out of business. 
• A rug (already have it, taking it to the laundromat to clean it in one of their large washers).

That's what's up in our house. I'm hoping that as we wait for the studio to come together, I can get Jeremiah to help finish painting the walls along the stairs.

Anyone else doing any painting? Anyone else take their inspiration from their cat?

P.S. This weekend Jeremiah and I volunteered for Odyssey of the Mind. It was a really fun time and it was great to see students challenging themselves and getting excited about doing it. I didn't see Jeremiah all day, but afterward he said he had a great time and would judge again next year. You don't have to be in education to assist/judge/coach, so check it out! Or get your child involved! Next year, because you've missed this year.  So sad for you.

Sur La Table

Hey.

Remember when I used to post? Those were good times, weren't they?

Well, I am still in the midst of my travels. I'm cooking up some stories to share, complete with pictures.

For now, though, I have a table to share with you. For the life of me I can't find a before shot, so picture a table with this color wood:

Ooh, I just got the shivers. That's some ugly lighting. The table looked the exact same, wood-wise. Jeremiah bought it from the neighbor's yard sale for a couple bucks. I was so excited that I clapped. I clapped. I clap a lot. Because I knew that the table would start to look like this when I stained it:

That's after several coats. It started out looking really red and I was a bit nervous, but all is well.

Here's the finished product:

Not too shabby for a couple bucks and some Minwax. The dish was a buck from Salvation Army, and I love it.

What do you think? Anyone else traveling? Woodworking?

DIY Framed Board - Or, Hey, What Else Can I Do With This Gorgeous Frame?

This frame was originally silver and housed a very cool (but not fitting exactly with our decor) bird print.  The print came out. We kept it, just in case we wanted to switch things up.

Anyway, Jeremiah spray-painted the frame white (I might be spray painting challenged. But that is a whole different story.).

I bought some super-cheap fabric at Jo-Anne's, as well as some cork board. We did three layers: Cardboard, cork, and then the fabric. Put everything back together, hung it on the wall, and voila! a super chic place to post stuff. It is hanging directly above the desk, sort of tying together our little work area.

I won't be putting up any ugly shtuff like bills and stuff, but nice things, like this calendar that I picked up in Jerome (that I will repurpose by cutting out the images and framing them.). Other things will surely make their way up to that beautiful frame...slowly, orderly, and one at a time.

p.s. The fabric looks like it might have a pinkish hue, but it is a solid brown. It appears to be lost in translation.

p.p.s. The Fixx. That's what we're listening to at this moment.

$2.50 Tables

Remember a looooong time ago when I mentioned that I bought two tables at Salvation Army and I only paid $2.50 total? Hence the title of this post. The tables started out looking like this: Ugly. For suresies. And I am pretty sure that Jeremiah scoffed at my tables and thought they were unsalvageable. He humored me, the tables came home with us. Lucky bastards.

Then when we he sanded the cabinets he also sanded my tables. Still darn ugly.

When he finished, I primed. Oil based primer. It covers just about anything and sticks to the crap that didn't get sanded off.

Then I painted. White. Several coats. The gnome made his way into this picture, too, so I cropped his happy little face right out. Here's a close-up of the table.

And here they are, finished. With my cheap $5.00 lamp.

We like.

Another success!

So much prettier than before, and at only $1.25 each, quite the steal. Anybody else love to bargain shop? Get any great deals lately?

Bathroom Remodel, Part 2...Now With Pictures!

Hi.

How ya doin'?

I thought I would provide you with an all-access pass into our master bath. I know, it's what you've always wanted. Just don't make a mess (insert hysterical laughter here). I'd be more nervous about it if it wasn't already better than it was before. I hate the master bath. Like I hate squash. Seriously gross.

Here is Jeremiah choosing which tool to use next on his mission destroy bathroom. Using some of my tools. That's right. I have tools. And a hammer. Which I may or may not have stolen from work accidentally. And which I just realized could probably be grouped in with the tools and need not be mentioned separately.

Here's where my new tub will go! Please ignore the dog, scale, and boxes of contact lenses. And there is a HUGE window above the tub. Jeremiah is going to be tearing out the cheap-ass blinds and I'll be frosting the window like I did here: Part 1 and Part 2. I'm excited to get the light and not worry about having people see me tinkle. Or bathe.

Below is the shower. Taken apart. Because we found mold. That we sort of knew was there. So Jer is taking it apart, re-sealing & caulking everything. How fun for him.

I figure that the yellowed strips are probably a sign that they are old, cracked, and not keeping the water where it should be. And that's my hammer.

Some of the damage caused by the leaking shower. Stupid shower. Side note: How do people shower in those stalls? Even the one I had in college was bigger than this. Every time I have to use this I get claustrophobic.

More damage...and a nose-y dog. He's all, "Holy Sheet, thees eeees a mess!"

Seriously, damage. And a question to the previous homeowners: Did you not see the damage? Did you not care enough about your house to FIX THE FACIN' PROBLEM? Okay, so two questions, really.

We're going to be tearing out the floor, too. And all the funky damage underneath, too. This makes me giddy because I DESPISE the linoleum. In the whole house we've torn up linoleum in a bathroom, kitchen, entry, and laundry room. This is the ugliest by far (p.s. If you have this, I'm sorry. It's really not so bad.). And I honestly don't have anything against linoleum. As long as it looks nice.

We're going to put in tile. Ideally I could put in tile planks that look like these: Love you forever, dear wood-like tiles. Unfortunately, I am but a poor school teacher and it isn't in the budget. So we'll do regular tiles in the bathroom - much cheaper. Let me promise you this. Those planks (maybe not that color, but the style) will show up SOMEWHERE in our house. I'd love to have them downstairs or in the other bathroom. Fingers crossed.

Anyhoo, all this is worth it because here is my new tub. In the bedroom. Next to my books and dresser. I haven't been able to wear anything from the dresser or put my undies away for two weeks now.

Here's that sticker price that Jeremiah got knocked down to an even $300. Saved seven hundred dollars off the original $992.00 Whatta man. Whatta man. Whatta mighty good man.

And to top it off, we're trying to decide on paint colors for both the bathroom and bedroom. I'm leaning towards a greyish-blueish-purple. Much more grey than blue. For the bedroom. The bathroom will be lighter. Almost white, but not.

So how are you? You never did say. Working on any big projects at your casa?

p.s. What I'm listening to? Beyonce's Halo. Over and over and over again.

p.p.s. I also want to mention that ideally the bathroom door will be playing a disappearing act and something much better will replace it, as it now smacks into the tub area when it opens and takes up a lot of our bathroom space when it is opened. And blocks the light from the window. The cabinets will be re-finished. The lighting will be changed. Holy Remodel, Batman, that's a lot of crap to do!

Finally! White Cabinets!!

Here's how it looked before:

When you look at the picture below, please ignore the messy countertop. That's not what it will look like when we're done. Keep in mind - mess is a part of a work in progress. But here are the cabinets! What a huge amount of work. I can honestly say that it was one of the biggest pains. Yeah, not my favorite DIY project. The garage was so hot, the cabinets took so many layers...Pain.In.The.Butt.
But now:

I know the picture quality isn't great (I've yet to master indoor shots.), but...I.Love.Forever.And I even got to pick out these handles for Jeremiah to put on the cabinets. Nice, right?

We still have a lot to do with regards to the kitchen. New island to be put up, old one to tear out, tile backsplash, diy light over the island, curtains/blinds on the window...so much fun!

P.S. The new island has been put together. Jeremiah is talking about pulling out the old island this weekend. Exciting! And scary! Maybe Halloween weekend isn't the best time to do electric work. Last Halloween weekend he fell and broke a rib...Maybe we should rethink this?

Salvation finds find salvation

A while back (as in, nothing was painted, nothing was finished, we'd just moved in...so actually, a year ago.) I got this mirror at SalArmy. You can tell it was supposed to be on a dresser or something.

But I knew it had potential. If only we could turn it sideways and paint it, too!

So we did. And I also had Jeremiah hang little hooks so I could get these CUTE little letters (our first initials of our last names).
Here's what it looks like finished. The table was also from SalArmy. I paid about fifteen for the table. The mirror was five.
Please ignore the fact that there are two different types of knobs. I'm still deciding. And I'm not sure if I want the top of the table to be black or left as is.
Anyway, here is the setup for a grand total of about fifteen dollars!


P.S. I would like to introduce a little something I call, "What I'm listening to now."
What I'm listening to now: T Rex - Electric Warrior
It's Jeremiah's vinyl and it is one of my favorites. My favorite song on there is "Cosmic Dancer".

Cabinet Redo, Part 1

Step One: Find a happy guy to pose with his toy after he has already removed all the cabinets, drawers, and hardware.
Step Two: Have said guy sand all the stuff. All of it. Front and back.

Step Three: Have him sand (I mean, he's out there sweating in 110 degree heat anyways, you know?) the two tables that you got at Salvation Army for $2.50 (Total.For TWO tables. Yeah, I know I'm awesome.).
Step Four: Send the guy away so you can prime in peace.
And that is currently where we are with the cabinets. Things take us a bit longer than we'd like sometimes. Ooh, and the tables? They will rock, I promise you that.

Sneak Peek

There's been some updating going on at the casa. Check it:
First we have the gigantic frames with some fun prints inside. They decorate an entire wall.
Next, the fireplace transformation is complete. Primed, painted, and decorated. Bam! I haven't yet found a suitable mirror for above the mantel, so I'm not going to show the 'place in all of its glory. Just yet. Soon, I hope.
OOh. Trim. Ohmygosh. How we love the trim. This is what it looked like just set against the wall. Can you imagine the beauty when it is finished? Wowza.

We painted the front room a color called Ashen, but I prefer to call it Frappe. Oh la la. We love the color. Trim to be added this week. Also watch for the UGLY chandelier to be replaced with something much more Emilie. She's the Euro snob, remember?
Another fireplace picture. These glass whatevers came from SalArmy. I heart them. They sit atop the mantel.
Oh, the windows. How I love the windows. The roman shades I got super cheap on clearance at Lowe's. The sheer curtains are from Ikea. Super cheap, super chic. Can I get another Oh La La? No?
Look how cozy this little area is! I usually work on lesson plans in this little nook. Love. It.

So these are just some of the updates. Still to be finished: Rug for the back room, sanded and refinished tables, mirror, and lots of stuff in the front room. Be patient, my Russian friends, be patient.

Oh, Yes. It's Time.

After months of looking at paint colors (I started collecting the little cards they have at Lowe's in May) and after months of trying to choose colors (once I finally knew I got the house) and after months of delays, final paint colors are being painted on the walls! Not primer! Not ceiling white! Actual paint! Take a look:

The fireplace wall is going to be an accent wall. The color is...babbling brook? I don't remember and I'm too tired to get up and check. Yesterday was the day that CLH (Common Law Husband) & I finally finished the ceiling with the new white color. Remember that previously the entire house, including doors, hinges, ceilings, etc. was bellow (beige-yellow).
So I know the color doesn't show up perfectly on camera, but it is truly beautiful. Makes me almost feel like it isn't my house. Even CLH has commented that he "REALLY likes" the color.
The next step was to paint the other walls the regular color, which I know is Morning Fog. Again, I know it isn't easy to see the color, but it is a shade lighter than the accent wall.
This last picture I included because it shows the hallway (which is painted with the accent color) the arch is painted the regular color, the ceiling has been painted a pretty white and there is a tiny sneak of the bellow paint and primer on the closet door because I stopped at the archway.

Halted Progress

I thought I would provide an update on the home improvements. That have come to a screeching stop, due to some ugly. More on that later. For now, let's just enjoy the pictures.
I decided to paint the fireplace. I know that some might consider it...wrong. I went back and forth on this and I decided I didn't give a flip. I think it will lighten the room. Right now, it is just primed. The wall surrounding it will be a silvery blueish greenish color.
I popped this picture in because it shows the different colors that I was considering. It also shows how open the staircase is and I truly love that I can sit downstairs and see all the way up (or vice versa).
Ceiling. Primed. And then priming halted.
Here is the hallway to the laundry room, garage, and the bathroom. It has already been painted. This will be the same color as the fireplace wall, and it is a touch darker than the rest of the walls will be. If the rest of the walls ever get finished. Because of...
THIS! I told you it would be ugly. It's like the story There's a Monster at the End of This Book. You kept looking at the pictures, knowing something bad was coming. Well, here's the bad. A leaky pipe. I had two plumbing companies that I didn't like. The second one gave me a $1200 estimate. I called my home warranty people and they'd had it with me. Imagine a lot of hands waving in the air, fingers being flipped at me through the phone, tongues sticking out, muting me and swearing. They were done with me. They let me choose my own plumber instead of one of their corrupt, well-researched, lying plumbing companies. I picked a guy that is the son of one of boyfriend's coworkers. He came out, showed us the leakiness, and will fix it for a fraction of the cost. 1/6 of the cost, to be exact.
So that is the progress and the reason the work stopped. I told you it was ugly, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel, don't you think?