Downstairs Project Tour

Here goes the downstairs tour!   Welcome to Our Home!!!

Some of this is a bit rough, but, I think you've been fairly warned.
I'm going to start at the front door and make notes about what we've done and what we hope to do as I go. 

If you stick with me through this you deserve a glass of wine in the hot tub tonight!  (That's going to be my reward to myself for getting this done!)

I apologize to those of you who have been hanging around for a bit.  Sorry if some of this is repetitive.

We are so glad you came to visit.  You have just entered our front door...

I love the deep color of this wood and the black iron scroll work mimics the dining chandelier and the wine rack ;)

On the wall directly to the right is my plain ole cork board with our friends and family photo display. Eventually I will figure out how I want to cover this board. I wanted to wait until I had a clear picture of what the downstairs color scheme would be. (Ahem, that cork board would be project #2. Sorry if I've confused you but #1 comes later).

***Note to Builders that care...it is not attractive or convenient to walk directly into a stairwell when you enter the front door.***

Once inside the front door you take a left and you will be "in" our mudroom.  This feature was created when we put two tall vertical shelves along the wall and connected them with a board as a bench and added hooks.  There are also pull out bins at the bottom for our shoes.  Love this!!!

Because who wants to see everybodies shoes all over the floor?

Click on the photo above if you want to see the original post.

Do you see the open door to the left?  That's our downstairs half bath...we'll go there next...

These are white painted, oak shelves.  I have added four banana leaf baskets from Ikea ~ so each of us has a place for our miscellaneous belongings.

Not that we all put our things where we're supposed to!  Ha, that would be a dream...

The mirror leaning there came from an antique mall in Oregon City.  I don't believe it's actually antique, but it appears to be hand made.  I purchased it just for this spot but haven't hung it yet (project #3) because I'm not convinced it is "right" here.  Maybe it's just the predominance of white in this space.  Or the mirror might be too busy.  Maybe the color is just slightly off from the other white.  I still need to put wainscot wall paper on the back of those shelves (project #4) and maybe add some color via paint (project #5).  Once I have that done I can sew a cushion for the bench (project #6) and possibly those two little Ikea footstools that fit perfectly underneath (project #7).

When we have company there are plenty of seats!

Okay, off to check out the half bath...we've done a couple of updates in there already, but it's not easy to get a nice picture of such a tiny little room with no windows ~ don't expect a lot!

Let's see...
We replaced the builders' mirror with this beauty that we got from some friends.  Thanks Andrew and Gina, you are so awesome!  It came unfinished so I was able to stain it with the same stain I used on the lower sink cabinet.  I stained the builder grade oak cabinets a rich brown.  I didn't bother to take a before photo.  I wasn't blogging about DIY then, so it didn't seem so important.  ;)   Scott added the granite counter top.  It was a scrap piece that came from his boss.  We installed the wall shelves so we could add a few accessories.   We haven't really taken the time to do anything more in here.  It's used for my preschool during the day so it takes a lot of abuse.  You can't see in the picture, but we added some pale gray Italian ceramic tiles to the floor...the same tiles as in the laundry room and the upstairs bathrooms.  The tiles were donated to us very generously by Scott's Sister and Brother-In-Law when they had leftover from their remodel. It just needs a new light fixture and maybe more colorful accessories...that's it!  (project #8)

When you exit this bathroom you can take a left back into the main part of the house or a right into the laundry room.

We just finished redoing the laundry room too!  I love this space.  I haven't gotten backed up on the laundry yet.  Just click on the photo below if you want to read more about it:

I almost forgot to mention, Scott wants to replace the window with a glass door...this would lead right to the poolside :)
(That makes project #9)

Now let's go back past the "mudroom" and I'll show you where we put the new pantry...right under the stairs!  If you want to see more details on that pantry you can see that post by clicking on the photo below. 

(Oh holler!  I need to go shopping!)

This pantry is on the opposite wall from the "mudroom" space.

It took us about a month to completely finish this space.  Scott did the built in shelving really quickly, but I wanted to make sure we planned enough space and ORGANIZED everything well, so it wouldn't just end up another huge mess.  It's such a useful, organized space.  It really has simplified our lives.  We love the chalkboard grocery list and menu planner.  All the kids know right where to go to grab a snack.  I can check what ingredients I have with just a glance and know what I have to eat.  What a dream!!!  I hadn't realized how messed up our "pantry" space and storage situation had become.  I still want to do something more interesting with the door and maybe make a fun "Corner Market" sign.  (project #10)

Let's shut this door and just turn around...you'll find yourself in my craft room slash workspace.  This room is my baby.  (If you're getting tired ~ feel free to take a break.  After all this blogging I feel like I need one too.  Come back when you are ready...we'll still be here!

This room's been stripped down to bare bones.  Tomorrow I'm going to be pushing that HUGE cabinet around.  I want to play with the layout in here before doing anything else.  Once I'm sure that cabinet is exactly where we want it ~ we will be doing some fun things to the wall above it (project #11). 

But I'm not spilling the beans!

Oh, check out the floor!  We scored this wood flooring when a family member was ripping it out of their home to be replaced with wide, dark, rough hewn plank.  Jealous!  We still had wall to wall carpeting from the front door to in here, so we jumped at the chance to bring this wood flooring home (nails and all) and install it.  Scott helped with their demo and installation so they were more than happy to pass it on.  We put it in ourselves using a pneumatic nail gun.  Scott is so good about doing these projects with me.  We started out removing the old nails.  Eventually we grew weary and ended up just pounding them flush into the bottoms. Needless to say,  it's a little bit squeaky.  At least we know when Sadie is being sneaky...

To the left you can see back to the front door from here. 
Oh, and Scott's temporary chalkboard wall is right there!

 See my Ikea espresso leather sofa?  I saved for that  puppy for so long!    I like that it's easily wiped down.  There are so many sticky little fingers around here.   I just wish the pillows didn't slip all over the place.  Haha.   And that little wooden end table, I have plans for that ~ it needs to be stained.  (Project # 12)

This cabinet is the coolest ever. It houses all of my crafting and home office supplies. It still needs some trim work at the bottom (project # 13) and I'm hoping someday we can put a stained wooden countertop...if not metal (project # 14)
If you are interested in reading about this cabinet makeover just click on the photo above.

You can see one of the chalkboards we are working on above.  You can special order these personalized from our ETSY SHOP.

And those lamps were a fun little project...I'll be putting some of those in our Etsy shop as well.  If you want to see how easy they are to make, so you can do it yourself, just go HERE.

That bare window in the corner is (project # 15) and the bench beneath is waiting for some new upholstery (project # 16)

Two of my favorite things:  White paint and the color green.

This is where the 1930's Vintage Radio Cabinet Mini Bar lives.  Plllllllfffth.  That was a mouth full. 
It still needs casters attached to the bottom (project #17)

Click the photo above if you are interested in seeing what Scott did to turn this cabinet into a mini bar.

I made these fully lined curtains (in ivory burlap) to hang in front of the sliding glass door. 
Otherwise, you can't see a thing if the sun is shining full force.  These windows face south so the craft room and kitchen get an abundance of sunshine (if the sun makes an appearance, that is). 
And the little green pie shelf can be found HERE. 

In my kitchen I want to add: back splash (project #18), and some form of color to the backs of these open cabinets (project #19)

We painted the cabinets white over a year ago. It's something I had wanted to do since moving in. One day, right before Thanksgiving at our place, Scott said,

"Are you ready to paint the cabinets white?"

Can you guess what I said?

"Heck, YES!"

 Now they need some touch up (project #20).

I seriously can hear the wine and hot tub calling my name now...

Also in this room we (read as I) want to paint over that "horrendous excuse for the color green" that is on the walls (project #21),

Refinish the counter tops (project # 22),

And add some type of decorative window treatment over the rolling blind (project #23).

Now pass through this opening into our little dining room.  It really is quite small.  Oh, the flooring in the kitchen and the dining room is peel and stick tiles.  These are very dimensional and realistic looking and can even be grouted.  We chose not to grout and just installed them flush with each other.  They have held up quite nicely for as inexpensive as they were. 

Our dining room:

The Chandelier was a hand me down and the shades were one of my favorite thrifty knockoff projects. 

Click the photo below if you want to read more about them!

Hmmm, lets see....

The table and chairs were free and became a family project.  We sanded, we sprayed, we painted we glazed, we poly'd and finally slip covered! 

Click the photo below if you want to see more about this fun filled project!

That huge mirror on the wall actually came from our dresser upstairs. I dare say it might be a later project. I'm not counting it!!!

Those curtains aren't really curtains...yet.  If you look closely you can see the raw edges and (sigh) strings.  Kristi from A2D taught me about a well dressed window, so I decided that my white, wood-look blinds needed some dressing up.  This is just a piece of fabric cut in half and clipped up there on some curtain rings.  I wanted to live with it for a bit before doing anything more.  I think I'll find a piece of coordinating fabric to make a wide band at the top or bottom so they run all the way to the floor?  Tell me what you think!  I haven't committed to anything yet and this fabric can be used for something else...say those ottomans under the bench in the entryway.  :)  (Oh yeah, that's project # 24)

Okay, turn around...we're almost done! 

Through the arch is our living room.  This is where we HANG OUT.  Watch movies, play video games, do our homework and read.  This room is really just comfortable and can use many improvements.

(See those semi-naked windows back there?  They need some decorative treatments also.  They are project # 25)

See that tripod lamp in the front left of the photo?  If you want to see how it came to be, just click HERE.

That little camel sofa came from Craigslist...it's a sleeper.  (That's project #26)  It will be getting a new slipcover!  Just as soon as I get up the nerve!!!  Sheesh people...this stuff is nerve wracking!  Why do you think I'm always drinking coffee, eating chocolate and dreaming about wine in the hot tub?

That adorable young man, he's actually project #1.  He comes first!  He's so cool and so fun.  You'd love him!  But don't challenge him to soccer, basketball or football. 

  

(The carpet in this room is project # 27).  I cannot stand wall to wall carpet.  I can't be the only one.  I run a preschool in our home.  It gets a lot of traffic. 

That black wire thingy there between the sofa and orange chair is project # 28).  We found it on the side of the road.  It won't stay here in this spot though.  I'm going to spray it a fun color and use it for something...you'll have to wait.  (We have two end tables for this room but they are refinishing project # 29)!!!  Sheesh, I'm tired!

We hope you've had fun looking around Our Place.  Nothing fancy.  Just our home.  We're really very thrifty.  I'd say over 75% of our furnishings, and accessories come by way of Craigslist, thrifting, yard sales, hand-me-downs, curbside finds, or re-purposing.  This was helped define how far we have come and how far we still have to go.  It will always be a work in progress.  That I know!

We'd love to hear what you think.  Don't feel like you need to mention how many projects are on our ToDo list!  We're getting to them...one by one...

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs, Sherry 

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Tripod Lamp ~ Restoration Hardware & Pottery Barn Beware!

Have any of you seen the Restoration Hardware Source Book?  It has some really provocative home furnishing photos...I highly recommend it.

The minute I heard they were coming out with their own furniture line I went to their website and ordered the catalog.  This catalog is 600+ pages of vintage inspired, rustic, neutral, dreamy goodness...all shot in a moody, masculine and yet somewhat ethereal fashion. 

Oh the power of staging, lighting and good photography.

I have to admit ~ there aren't too many items in this catalog that I would turn down.  I would definitely have to pair them with some light and bright walls, textiles and accessories though.  I'm just not totally sold on the dark, somewhat gloomy, altogether masculine look they have going on. 

Here is one of the pieces that caught my eye:

"A REPRODUCTION OF A BRITISH SURVEYOR'S TRIPOD , CRAFTED OF WOOD WITH SOLID CAST BRASS ACCENTS."

TABLE LAMP $350
FLOOR LAMP $1175


I don't know about you, but that's waaaaaaay out of my budget.  Ha.  I have not paid $1000 for ANY piece of furniture...not one thing. 

Then, we found a Spotlight Floor Lamp in Pottery Barn's January catalog, priced at a mere $599.

Okay, I know that I'm giving myself away as a cheapskate  seriously thrifty person now.

You probably already know we like to shop thrift stores, yard sales, junk stores and flea markets.  Every so often we head out with a mental list of things we are hoping to come across.  I had my chandelier shades on my mental list for months before I finally found 6 matching shades for 99 cents each.  Wasn't really confident I would ever find them.  That's how I felt about finding a wooden tripod also.  So, I just about fainted when Scott casually walked up with a wooden tripod in his hands and said, "Hey, look what I found...".

 YEP.  Serious.

He found an old, wooden, tripod easel with extendable legs for a whopping $3.99 at our local GW store.  Sometimes it seems like the stars align in our favor!  At this point our fellow GW shoppers were gawking at us...I do believe I might have let out a little squeal.  I actually grabbed Scott and hugged him (he didn't complain) and told him how completely fabulous he was.  I'm pretty sure he was thinking, "Wow, I guess Sherry really wanted an old, wooden, tripod easel."  Sometimes Scott just doesn't share my vision.  It's not his fault...he's a visual person...I just needed to show him. 

When we got home, I grabbed my 20 pound Restoration Hardware catalog and flipped through until I found the picture of the tripod lamp (see the pictures above).  Scott was impressed.  Well, actually he said the price on those lamps was "ridiculous"!  But he quickly ran down to a place in town that has a bunch of "junk" for sale ~ for next to nothing ~ and picked up this beauty for a buck:

It was dismantled in a flash so he could use the parts for our tripod lamp.  Once he's got it, he's unstoppable.

Alex helping drill the hole for the lamp workings.

Scott getting it all put together.

It's not as "chunky" or fitted with "solid cast brass" but it definitely has the right vibe about it.

The lampshade came from GW also...it was $2.99.  It appears brand new...it had a small smudge on it.  It isn't quite the right size or shape but it will do until we can get the perfect one.

The new lamp fixtures are a rusty brass and the tripod metal is a matte nickel color...also slightly rusty.  Hey, I heard it's okay to mix your metals now...if you do it correctly.  I wonder if rusty brass and rusty nickel can go together?  I might have to put a darker stain finish on the wood to get it looking just the way I want.  We decided to live with it for a couple of days to see what we thought would look the best.  Should we spray all the metal pieces a uniform metallic finish?  What would you do?

Turned out pretty nice for a $3.99 lamp, $2.99 shade, approximately $3.00 in miscellaneous hardware, and a $1 junk lamp.



Looks pretty smashing here in my craft room...  ;)
1.

 What outlandishly expensive item would you recreate if you could?

Sherry

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