The Best Seat in the House

My favorite part about giving a gift is seeing the surprise/excitement on the other person's face.  This gift got me just that exact reaction.  And I love that!

This past year the family decided we would have a nothing-new Christmas.  Not including the gifts for all the kids, any presents we gave had to be recycled, handmade, previously used or vintage.  Every year we each draw a name of another family member and have a $50 budget.  I drew my sister-in-law Laura's name.  She wanted anything for the house, specifically a bench for the entry way or front porch if I could find one.  She also said she would like to have something with their last name on it, if possible.

Challenge accepted.

I came across this cute little storage bench at an antique mall and it was quite a steal at $20.  All it needed was a little personalization and it would be exactly what she was looking for.

Luckily, I just learned how to do a Citrasolv transfer and had the perfect solution...

I printed their last name in a variety of different fonts on my handy dandy laser printer (in reverse of course) and transferred them onto the thick comfy cushion I made.  These transfers took under an hour!  How can you beat that???

Plus, I already had a piece of 4" foam that was the perfect size for this bench!  The whole thing ended up costing less than $30!  The only problem is now I am a little jealous...secretly I thought about keeping it and coming up with a different gift.  But, after seeing how much she liked it...I was glad I didn't.

From Coffee Table to Ottoman

I have had this coffee table for years and never really loved it or hated it.  It was just there.  So, I decided it was time to turn it into something I love.

One thing I really love to do while sitting on the couch is put my feet up on the table.  However, the table is an extremely uncomfortable place to rest your feet.  So, the obvious solutions was turn it into an ottoman.

But, I couldn't just leave it a boring stained wood color.  It needed a new life and that means a new color.

So, I painted the legs turquoise...

...added a foam cushion to the top...

...covered the foam with a layer of batting....

...and covered that with a chic textured black fabric.

I love how it transformed the living room.  I am no longer apathetic about this table.  Now I love it!!  Plus it is such a comfortable place to put my feet up after a long day.  Why didn't I do this sooner?

 

A New Slipcover, Phase Two

It's finally finished!!

This slipcover took so much longer than my last one...not really sure why.  Could have a been a bit of procrastination (wink, wink), but it did seem like there were a lot more trips back and forth between pinning the pieces together while on the couch and the sewing room.

I'm just so excited to have a couch I am proud of now.

I know the side tables and the coffee table are pretty boring, but they have actually changed since I took these pictures.  More on that later....

Here is a little sneak peek at the next piece of furniture that is getting a slip cover.

This is an Ethan Allen chair I found while out thrifting one day and the only thing wrong with it is a missing cover on the seat cushion.  I thought it was a steal at $24.  I am thinking a bold print on the seat cushion and perhaps a bit of painting (but not the way you are thinking).  Check back soon to see how I transform this piece.

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A few great finds...

I have been tossing around several ideas for a headboard for a few years now.  Should I use a door or shutters?  Maybe I should make my own fabric covered headboard...or perhaps I will find just the right headboard while browsing through thrift stores and garage sales.   But, so far...no such luck.

Instead I decided to create a gallery wall with several ornate picture frames that I have collected over the past few months.  A few coats of white spray paint on each one and now I have a cohesive collection...

I love how it turned out, but I have discovered that in a very strong thunderstorm there is a bit of a safety hazard involved.  Around 2 am one morning, a very strong burst of thunder knocked two of the frames off the wall.  Luckily they didn't hit me in the head, but it was close.

Did you notice the adorable chenille blanket?  I just happened to find that at an antique mall one day and fell in love.  When I bought it, I thought it was a twin or double and it would be perfect for my guest room.  But, as it turns out, it is a queen and fits perfectly on my bed.  Lucky me!

And just in time too...it has been so hot here, last week we reached 112 degrees and the heat index was in the 120s.  AAAHHHH!!!!  I needed to get the comforter off my bed because it was too much.

Here is another one of my favorite finds...

An adorable TV cabinet/armoire from Pier 1 (I think) that I found on Craigslist for $75.  It is in such great shape and is the perfect fit for my family room!

Isn't it fabulous?

The perfect place to hide the TV and all the obnoxious boxes and cords that go with it.  Plus, I gained two drawers to keep movies & board games in.  (And by movies & board games, I mean all the junk that is laying around the room and I want to hide before someone comes over!)

Notice the picture sitting on the floor next to it?  I will definitely be showing that off later.

A New Slipcover, Phase One

I bought this couch 6 years ago at a consignment shop.  It's nothing too exciting, but it is a great couch. Unfortunately, over the years, my dogs have really done a number on it's appearance.

{...and these are the clean sides of the cushions}

So, it is time to change things up a bit...

Yes, a white slipcover.  I know, I know, you have seen hundreds of these.  Even though it's nothing new and exciting, I just had to share a bit of this journey.  The cushion covers aren't finished yet and the skirt needs to be hemmed, but I am so excited about the direction this is headed.  Less than half way done and it already changes the feel of the room.

I can't wait to get this finished and finally have a couch that I like again.

Check back for phase two very soon!!



All dressed up and no place to go...

Like I mentioned in the last post, my mom and I found this great desk at Goodwill for $15 and couldn't pass it by (even though we had grounded ourselves from buying furniture for a month).

I had the perfect spot for it too.  I had a desk in my office/guest room that was just a bit too big.  It overwhelmed the room and didn't leave a lot of extra space for a twin bed.  So, this was going to be my new desk.  It is petite and feminine with plenty of storage space. 

The biggest problem was that gold is my least favorite color.  I couldn't put a gold trim desk in my office.  I just couldn't...but that's why they make paint, right?  So, a few coats of white paint and this was a new desk.

I intended on changing all the hardware, but the handles were not removable.  So, I just painted them white along with everything else.  Some new crystal knobs and I think it's safe to say this no longer looks like a $15 desk.

I was so excited to get it situated in my office and start filling up the drawers.  The only problem was that I didn't have a chair that worked well with this desk.  All the chairs that I have (and there are a lot, mostly projects to come) had a seat that was much larger than the opening.  I looked and looked for a new chair and found the ideal chair during a shopping trip at First Fridays in Kansas City.  Unfortunately it wasn't ideal for this desk.  But, it was ideal for me...which is why this beautiful white desk is now sitting in my hallway and soon will be for sale at Lone Elm Antiques in Olathe, KS. 

I hate to see it go, but it just wasn't the perfect fit.  I did find the perfect fit for my office and for my new desk chair, but both the chair and the desk need some paint.  Check back to see what I found.