Monday, December 17, 2012

Fun Look Back at the Upholstered Couch

When going through thousands of old photos, one thing stood out...the couch always seemed to be the center of family and friend gatherings. So I thought it would be fun to look at it's many "looks".
This picture below is from the 50's or early 60's...not sure...Oma and a friend having a fun laugh on what I think was the original upholstery on the couch. Also notice that is the same coffee table we are using in front of it today!
 Next is the 60's...this is the couch in it's newly upholstered gold pattern. Oma, her mother, and her brother.
 Below is a few years later with my mother, her grandmother, her aunt and cousin. Something was really exciting just off camera apparently.
 Now we have moved to the 70's (why were all of the pictures orange then?). A Christmas where mom looks thrilled to receive a fishing rod...and Opa trying hard not to put in his two cents I assume. What is also funny about this pic: The lamp and side table...the same ones we are using with the couch today. Ha!
 We have now entered the 80's...that's me playing in front of the couch in it's new floral upholstery. Aren't those throw pillows fabulous? Ha.
 More of the 80's, but this time it's my brother...it's like you weren't part of the family until you had your picture taken in front of the couch or something.
 More 80's...but this is another picture of...yes...the same lamp and side table!
 And now we are into the 90's, in the current house. The previous pics were all from their house in Jackson, MS. This is once again a Christmas gathering...my brother, mom, her cousin, my aunt, my cousin (who's bridal shower you might have seen here), and me.
 So this is where she sits today...I can't wait to see the next round of pictures that come from her latest incarnation!
 We will just have to wait and see...

Friday, December 14, 2012

DIY Jewelry/Handbag/Scarf Hanger

Opa was a collector of anything that you could think of that would fit in a giant work shop. And so it has been fun to see what little treasures he held on to. When I found a collection of old knobs that I assume he had rescued from old pieces of furniture, I couldn't wait to use them. I had an idea, so I went back to the work shop (behind the house) to look for some scrap wood. I found this, which I think is part of an old cabinet door.
 I measured out equal distances and then drilled holes where I had marked. I made sure to use a drill-bit that matched the screws that were on the back of the knobs so that they would fit easily through the wood.
 Here is how my holes looked after drilling.
 This is the view from the back...testing out my screws.
 This is the collection of knobs that I decided to use. I thought a bunch of different ones together would be fun. If you didn't have any on-hand, Hobby Lobby and Anthropologie both have a good (but not free) selection.
 Then I used more of "old faithful", the same paint used on the rocker and the dresser. I did a really dry and rough coat to give it a more rustic feel.
 Then I just screwed my knobs back through and that was that! A hanger for whatever you may need to hang.
 I also attached some hanging teeth to the back (I am awful at this, they are crooked, but no one sees that part). You can also see how the screws look from the back.
 I love the unique knobs...I wish Opa was around to tell me their stories. I can guarantee he would remember.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Rocking chair re-do

The rocker in the den has been around for, well, no one is really sure. But it definitely needed some TLC...here it is to the right of my brother and my grandmother, apparently dressed as some version of a soldier from the War of Independence? Who knows...just a guess. She was always a good sport. Regardless, this was very early 90's.

 And here it was last week. Notice the changes? Right, because there aren't any. It looks exactly the same!
First I took off the cushions. I decided to ditch the droopy back cushion but kept the bottom one and re-covered it. Then I painted it with some left over paint from this dresser project.

 I then measured the ruffle and made a new one by using the old one as a pattern. I safety pinned it to the cushion in a few places to keep it in place.
Hopefully this picture makes more sense. This was fabric that I already had on-hand. Then I sanded the paint down around the edges when dry.
 I also used one of my grandmother's old pillow forms and sewed an accent pillow in place of the back cushion with some fabric that I had on-hand. It definitely got a nice update!
Hopefully Oma would approve.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Kitchen: New Window Treatments

Here is a before kitchen reminder:
 Here it is today...such a big change. We recently added curtain panels to the window and they really give the room some personality! Every room should have a little fabric! It also helped to knock out the trim piece above the window and install a new pendant light. You can also see in this pic where we removed a cabinet and installed a dishwasher. A new cabinet and drawer had to be built to the right of it since there was a weird space left there.
Here is another before angle:
No more ugly vent and now the microwave is out of the way! The laminate backsplash over the stove was replaced with a new stainless one. Now it's hardly noticeable!
Here is a closer shot so you can see how nice the curtains look with the light fixture. They will probably stay open the majority of the time but it's nice to have an easy privacy option.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Man Cave Updates

This was the third bedroom that is slowly being turned into the man cave. We kept all of the paneling and pulled up the old carpet.
Here is the view so far. Lots of animals and a recliner. We used an old trunk that was my grandfather's actual travel trunk as a side table. It is sitting on a stool to create a side table.
Here is another angle before.
 Here it is now. Still some progress to be made but getting there! The rug is a plush off-white shag rug that I found at Pottery Barn outlet. It works perfectly in there.
 I used the same frame for the picture of my dad and his "man cave" custom art work that my friend Hillary designed. They work great in there!

We used the old den book shelf in between the windows to house some of my dad's books and his collection of ducks. It will probably be painted eventually to give some contrast from the wood walls. There will also eventually be some shades to replace the mini blinds currently in the space.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Hall Bath: Big Transformation!

This may be my favorite transformation.
It was kind of a hodge-podge of fixtures and a drab paint scheme that didn't help. Also the pink toilet and tub with the "peach" paint on everything was less than desireable.
Before:
 Now:
We took down the dark mini blinds and added a roll-up match stick blind instead. A new white pedestal sink and toilet help open up the space while the printed shower curtain helps hide the pink tub and the speckled tile.
We also painted all of the tile board and trim white and used the same green from throughout the house to provide continuity and really freshen up the space.
Before:
Another angle...so much peach!
Now:
Similar angle. The light fixture helps provide additional light and a new framed mirror gives a more custom look. We also moved the towel rack to above the toilet which helps when washing your hands. The new tile laid on a diagonal helps finish off this small and now pretty space!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Kitchen: A few updates

For some reason I didn't get a full shot of the kitchen, but here are a few updates to share.
Before:
Now:
I know it's not the same angle, but I wanted to show the difference in the microwave over the stove and the stainless backsplash. How great do the painted cabinets look? Also the black granite adds a nice contrast to all of the lighter finishes in the room and helps tie together the appliances.
 Here is a pic of the fun pendant that coordinates with the dining fixture. I am going to make some cafe curtains to add some color to the windows with a bright printed fabric.
 We used some of Oma's old pieces that were found in the cabinets to add some personality to the corner. This scale is in perfect shape as well as the mini bunt pan!
 Before:
This was the awkward space with the stand-alone dishwasher and mounted microwave. It was kind of a mess.
 Now:
The dishwasher has been moved to the right of the sink and mom bought an island that can be moved around the kitchen if needed. It also can house wine glasses and has 3 handy shelves. It even folds up if you need more space!

Before:
Now:
 We used some more of Oma's old baking pans to add a little something to this wall. They already have a loop for hanging so it literally took about 3 minutes to make a huge difference!