Human Lifestyle

I started by lightly sanding the top of the dresser with my electric sander and then used my sprayer to apply 2 coats of Kilz primer, following it up with 3 coats of white hi-gloss latex enamel. For the last few months, my go-to white paint has been Royal Interior/Exterior, which is the house brand sold by Ace Hardware. I've found that the Ultra White is the perfect crisp white that holds up very well at a great price (I also like the high-gloss Black).


Whenever possible, I like to allow my furniture to cure for a minimum of 3 days to ensure that the paint doesn't lift, peel, or scratch once it comes in contact with lamps, cups, trays, etc.  After a few days of drying in the garage it was ready to go--and quite the transformation for a $40 find.

So 25 hours of hard labor, about $800 dollars, and 8 volunteers turned my view-less room at the Nicholas House into this:

                                                                         ugh--that darn shade...
And I have a secret--I didn't actually come up with this plan until the Saturday before the install began, which was really pushing it. My first plan to have duvets made by my seamstress didn't work out (even though I'd already purchased the fabric!), so I hatched my next one in the aisles of Target's home section. Here's what I used:

paint: SW Proper Grey
duvets: Ikea
sheets: Target
toss pillows: Target & Ikea
desk chair: Ikea
shelving: Ikea
baskets: ikea
storage boxes: Ikea
dresser: Craigslist
headboard: Goodwill
desk: mine (via Goodwill)
rug: Ikea
toy basket: Home Goods
mirror: mine (via Goodwill)
hooks: Ikea
overdoor storage: Lowe's
underbed storage: Ross & Walmart
chandelier: Ikea
bamboo blinds: Overstock
throw blanket: Target


As with all of the rooms, there was a serious storage problem, so the bulk of my money went to solving that problem. I bought 5 soft plastic underbed storage bags from places like Ross & Walmart and used those to store shoes, out of season items, and old comforters. The family also had some of their own storage bags, so I packed as much as I could into them and stored everything away under the beds. Wall baskets were reserved for daily items, pajamas, & underwear. 10 Hooks behind the door and 4 on the wall (next to the beds) now hold book bags, hanging clothes & towels, and the white storage boxes above the bed hold cleaning products, laundry items, bedding & towels. To brighten up the grey, I painted the bunkbed white (with the help of my fabulous volunteers) and did the same with the dresser, desk and headboard. The final result is rather simple, clean & relaxing and I'm really, really pleased with the way with my room turned out (especially given the spatial & financial constraints).


I know this is a long post--I have to say, I'm so proud of this group that Erika & I have put together and felt so inspired by the work that all of the designers came together to accomplish! We've had an incredible amount of positive feedback about our efforts and so many designers have already asked to sign on for our next project which we're already brainstorming about! We're happy to announce that Room Service Atlanta will be a twice per year venture and we're shooting for the stars. I left the shelter Friday feeling very emotionally overwhelmed after hearing the feedback from some of the residents and reading a beautiful note that Sherry's residents left for her. This project really helped to put things into perspective for  me, but I think I speak for everyone else here, too.  It's easy to forget that some people really do have it worse--like living 6 (or in Julie & Anisa's case, 10!) to a room that's about the size of a shoebox with a lot of personal items in a small space (or in some cases, very few personal items at all). So many people are really struggling right now, and it's really been fulfilling to be able to give back of a gift we've all been blessed with. There were definitely some challenges along the way, but everyone carried themselves with grace & humility throughout it. Julie & Anisa probably got it the worst--they arrived at the shelter Monday expecting to makeover a room for 3, only to find that the resident didn't want her room touched. They immediately signed on to do the largest room (housing a family of 10!!) on the spot, returning the new bed they'd purchased (for the other resident) and used that money for new bedding in the larger room. Now THAT's the perfect illustration of the type of team we had on board!


I know I've said it before, but thank you so much to those of you who donated to these efforts, whether it was specially to me or another designer involved with RSA. We ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT have done it without the financial contribution and hands-on volunteer support, and every little bit truly helped. By donating an hour of your time or $25 from your wallet, you helped us let 12 families know that they're important & valued by their community. Sincerely, thank you for everything.

I'm lucky enough to not only know Brian Patrick Flynn of Decor Demon, but I get to call him boss too.  To all of you who love his work, yes--he is as fabulous in real life as he is in print!

A few months back Brian, generous heart that he is, volunteered his time to partner with TeachersCount, a nonprofit organization that serves to create a culture of appreciation for teachers throughout the US.  TeachersCount was awarded a grant by the Staples Foundation, and Brian volunteered to make over a Rhode Island teacher's lounge on only $7,000.  You might think that's a lot of dough, but wait until you see the space he was working with. His design was so stunning, it was even featured in this New York Times article a few days ago.  He took one of the lounges from this . . . .


to this

                                                                              Sarah Dorio


on that tiny budget, with a whole lotta goodness in-between. And oh yeah, I forgot to mention that he did it all via TEXT MESSAGE with the teachers--he never set foot in the space until install day!  I would be surprised, but then again, this is the same guy that thinks of stuff like this

and doesn't even have to put the concept down on paper.  Brian also recently joined the HGTV Design Happens team, which means you'll get to read his insightful & beautiful posts featuring gender-balanced designs on a weekly basis.  He has an amazing (and super sweet) photographer named Sarah Dorio, which means that all of his photos are newsstand (and not to mention drool) worthy.  Brian is brilliant, funny, kind, easy on the eyes, and trust me, you need to see his portfolio.  I'm so proud to know this guy!!

Click here to read his first HGTV blog post.
Click here to see one of my favorite BPF designs.

Every time I complete a piece I swear I love it the most, and this one is no different.  I'm so happy with the way these turned out!



To refresh your memory, here's the before and some info about how I found them:


These nightstands perfectly prove the point that classically constructed furniture never goes out of style, especially when you're handy with paint!

Details to come soon with my refinishing tips!

I've been planning on organizing my office for quite awhile, but the last few months of school made it nearly impossible to get anything of substance done.  I have a laundry list of projects/goals that I need to get done including adding shelving to the closet (to hold the majority of my books & magazines), painting the top 1.5 inches of the wall (thought I would be installing crown moulding, but it doesn't look like it . . . ), and sourcing and refinishing a new (to me) desk & chair. Well I found and finished the desk, and recently finished a dining chair I've repurposed as an office chair.  Here's the before:


I chose this chair because it was in excellent condition and had just the lines I was looking for!  I wanted something with a straighter back (to provide support while I'm toiling away at my desk) and yet still have classically feminine lines.


My favorite details are the fluted legs and the scalloped back, and if I had to guess, I would say this chair is what I imagine a modern Sheraton chair to look like (if you added leg stretchers), but unfortunately I have no clue where/who it's from!    Regardless of  its origin, for only $12, this fit the bill perfectly.


After a quick application of primer, I sprayed the chair a bright, glossy white and decided to use Kravet's Sommers fabric in the Atlantic colorway.





I love the modern print, and the variations of blue in the fabric are the perfect complement to my wall color (think Benjamin Moore's Brittany Blue).  After adding additional batting and reattaching the cushion, here's a look at my completed chair.




After allowing it to cure and off-gass for a few days, my office chair is finally ready to go, and it's the perfect complement to my campaign desk.  My next project is making (or sourcing) a large bulletin board for the area above my desk--stay tuned!

This has been done so long and I never shared it!  I loved this desk the first moment I laid eyes on it.

Can I toot my own horn a bit?


I am absolutely thrilled with the way these lamps turned out, and that's not a word I use often.  I would have to venture to say that these lamps are probably one of my best finds & makeovers hands down (so far, of course).  I loved the size and texture to begin with, and the refinishing just took it up another level.  




I decided to keep the wood base since I think it definitely makes them look unique, and I like the fact that there are variations in the wood grain on each lamp (the one on the right is not quite as dark in person).




I think the texture really makes the gold finish stand out, too.  





Remember the before?







Unfortunately, these will not be in my Etsy store, because I'm keeping them for my bedroom, whose plan I hope to share with you in the coming weeks (once it's done).  I'm taking this as a sign that I'm headed in the right direction . . .  




I'm linking this to:


DIY Day @ A Soft Place To Land
Trash to Treasure @ Reinvented
Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed

If you missed seeing it before, check out my kitchen renovation featured at Better After.  Matter of fact, even if you've seen it before, go look again because there are tons of great before and and afters all over this blog!  Thanks for the feature, Lindsey!  If you'd like to see more photos of my kitchen "upgrade", click here. 


I have a double feature of "Before and After" today!


 Remember that scary owl lamp I bought a few weeks ago?