Night Stands (Part 3)

The moment we have all been waiting for is finally here! Or at least the moment I’ve been waiting for since I took on this project about five days ago! I’d say all in all they really worked out, the sharp lines give it a really modern look.

No design break downs! And at a total cost for both (with paint) at a little under 90$ I think we did quiet well! Let’s take a look at some of the before and after pictures shall we?

BEFORE:

AFTER:

It’s at the end of the project that we can take a deep breath, inhale the sweet smell of STARBUCKS coffee and pat ourselves on the back for a job well done!

Night Stands (Part 2)

This morning as I wake up and bite into my apple I think one of two things, the night stands are really coming together... and I think I may have misplaced my roommate. After a 24 hour dry period (recommended by both paint can and guru alike) I took a stab at adding more lively good to these two little pieces of heaven.

I did make the mistake of using a roller again, I don’t think this is a place where the saying “try, try, try again” will be set in place... in painting furniture I do believe the saying might be something like “please not the roller!”

As I look at these night stands half way completed I want to start searching for the perfect lamps... or perhaps search for a set of perfect frames to decorate with, but that being said I do believe I may have just as much trouble finding the perfect lamp that I had trying to find the perfect throw pillows which so far seems non-existant.

So before I go (off to work again!) Here are some great pictures of inspiration to keep your mind limber and beautiful.

Night Stands (Part 1)

This morning when I woke up I had decided that it was time to tackle another project! The night stands (although beautiful in their own colour) were outdated and needed a little bit of... lets say... inspiration. After a few steady days of research, I had come up with a list of the things that would be needed to make these vintage finds shine! If you plan on doing something similar you’ll need the following handy tools:

Oil based primer

Latex paint

Paint brush

Roller

400 grit sand paper

Paint floor cover (just in case you’re as messy as I am)

So off I went with my boyfriend, searching for these important tools! Home Depot, is the place I went (at least it always seems to have everything I need under one roof this far) I gathered my supplies and came right home to start off this new exciting challenge.

Step One: Sand it down baby!

One of the most important steps, you want to take extra care to do a good job so that the paint adheres to the surface! That way a few months from now after it’s painted you don’t notice it all falling apart before your eyes.

Step Two: Prime, Prime, Prime

As not fun as this sounds, it was actually pretty relaxing! Although, I made the mistake of using a roller to paint the primer... or well any part for that matter which to my disappointment left little fuzzies all over the table (talk about an angry face when I found out) so I recommend instead to use a paint brush with the simple rule my mother always taught me “less is more”. Now to let these babies dry! 24 hours and counting!

Is it really that baaaahhhh'd?

I’ve been feeling a little guilty lately after one of my thrifty finds at a local department store. But before I start at that we have to start with my love for Sherpa (the wool lining on boots and jackets) so it was only natural when I first glanced at this wool rug I fell in love.

I’ve been since then having guilt about the process that takes place to get such a beautiful run. It never even occurred to me till after I purchased it (and had some harassment at work) that this might have been a bad experience for the animal. So I Michael, being in love with all things furry and cute promise never to purchase another sheepskin rug! Of course now that I have it... and I’ve got that off my chest so I’m feeling a little less guilty, let’s take a look at some inspiration pictures shall we?

It’s amazing how much texture a sheep skin rug can add to a room, or the warmth it can create. While in ways it is probably cruel, I think nothing says home like a faux sheepskin rug! Till next time!

A nightstand to remember

What a great weekend! I hope you all had an amazing weekend. Rhys and I once again put our noses to the grind stone and shopped till we dropped (well, that's not overly true- we shopped until we took mini hydration breaks at Starbucks) Surprisingly this weekend our great finds were not at garage sales, or stores alike they were actually local kijiji finds!

Look at these beauties:

Of course they house a pretty great sense of 1970's vintage. However it is my desire to unfold an even awesomer (which is obviously not a word... but it should be) to transform these modern looking end tables into a french inspired masterpiece!

So after getting home and thinking of all the wonderful things I could do with the night stands I decided to have a romantic evening with just us three.

So all in all I'm pretty excited with my find, the pair came to a grand total of 70$ cash. Not exactly as thrifty as I had wanted, but a price that I could live with. A few obstacles came up after the purchase though (it's sad when it's not 100% perfect) the core is compressed wood... which means some trouble shooting on my part. The plan was to paint the night stands and add suitable hardware so hopefully after much researching live will be grand once more!

And yes that is my hideous router hiding so secretly underneath! Problem number .... well a problem yet to solve! Not to worry my fellow readers and blogger alike! I have one thing that will transform the way these shelves are viewed! Inspiration; Karen and glue (Karen's my fabulous roommate!) And so we are off for another evening... searching for the perfect way to re-beautify these great night stands.

Progress

After much shopping, coupon clipping and garage sale’ing I’m finally starting to feel like I have a grasp on the completion date. I’ve been looking at before and after pictures even from the beginning of this month when I had taken on the challenge to be frugal and thrifty. I wanted to share some of these amazing before and after shots with you!

Before:

Progress:



Wow! It’s so hard to see the progress on the room, especially with all the blood, sweat and discount shopping! So far there are only minor things left to find, alas I do still need to locate 2 perfect night stands, as well as some art. We will be making a slipcover for the head board to provide a seamless cozy feeling for the bedroom.

It’s with great gratitude I mention my amazing boyfriend, who so far has accompanied me on ever shopping trip and continues to be patient with my frugal ways. This past weekend he gave me the perfect gift! Two euro styled pillows to almost make my perfect bed (amazing discounts included) even more perfect and luxurious.

Just perfect. Now it’s about searching for the perfect side tables, and we’ll have finished the one side of the bedroom! Emotional break downs: just one. Dollars spent: 110$, which leaves us with a whopping 210 left to spend to get this room in tip top shape! Let’s go find some sales!

RESTORATION

In Alberta right now, the leaves are falling, the sky is getting darker and once more all of us Canadians set in to what I like to call "hibernation". The last few weekends I've been trolling every yard sale, discount mall and shopping center hoping to find something that I can add to my room.

After reading some other articles of home renovation and the length that some people wait for there night stands (check out www.younghouselove.com) I can't help but feel that I myself am a little stressed at the end date (which is odd because usually I'm stressed about money at this time of year) so with a firm grasp on reality and a tight budget I went for some "inspiration" shopping: where all people go when they have no money and want to oogle nice things. RESTORATION HARDWARE.

Somehow discount shopping seems a lot like Christmas morning to me, lots of things are happening and there is an end result but through the chaos you have no idea whats happening at all at the best of times. I love this picture of the bathroom, who doesn't want a chaise lounge in the bathroom? I mean at best of times sometimes I'd like to take a nap while in there so I bring to this picture the "why not" wording....if you have the money ________ <- well you can fill that in

This little lamp was by far one of my favorite pieces in the store (investment piece?) Although I must admit it's a bit out of my budget (or a few thousand out of my budget) at a whopping 1399.00 I can imagine the owner of this beautiful lamp that houses a unique nautical nostalgia as well as a classic look (my heart will go on?)

.... and finally the beautiful dining room. Of course leaving the store didn't so much give me a feeling of being inspired as much as it gave me a feeling of being poor. But fear not dear readers! I stick my hands in the air (much like super man... or your local crazy hobo on the street) and I say! "it is in times of budget we truly find ourselves" or at least... a balance between what we need, and what we want!