Dresser Renovation - Prep

Found this great old dresser is good condition.

It was exactly the shape I have been looking for, and a good price, so I snapped it up. The plan? Paint it a happy yellow and update the hardware.

Started out with filling holes with wood filler and sanding down the all the pieces. My kitties were very good little helpers, of course.

Once everything was filled and sanded, new holes need to be drilled, so I broke out some paper and a tape measure. Held the paper against the new hardware and used a nail to poke through where the screws will go. Figured out where it would be centered and measured from the outside left edge to the left hole. Checked that it would be the same from right edge to right hole, and then marked that spot on the tape measure. You can see the pencil mark (just short of 8.5 inches) in the image below.

Then I picked a distance from the top edge of the drawer (in this case 3 inches) so that the pulls would be evenly placed on all the drawers. The paper was only used for the figuring out the distances. After that it was all measuring tape and a pencil to mark the spots to drill.

I then used a nail to tap a starter hole where the pencil marks were and then drilled the holes. Sounds like a lot of work, but it was worth it to get the holes perfectly placed and not have to redo anything due to miss-measuring. I did this prior to painting so that if I did mess up, I could fill the holes and redo it without destroying my paint job.

Speaking of paint, the first coat of primer is now on the front of the drawers and drying in my home office. The key to priming/painting is thin, even layers of paint. For this project I used oil-based primer. It will ensure that nothing underneath it will leak through and it sticks super well. It's also perfectly okay to use as base for latex paint.

And because I'm a bit of a perfectionist, I used painters tape to mark off the edges where I want the paint to stop.

It's too cold in the garage to paint - it needs to be at least 40° F for my primer and 50° F for my paint. Too cold temperatures can affect the adherence of the paint, so always check your paint cans for that info. After I finish the drawers, the frame can be brought in and primed and painted. It's already been sanded. There just isn't room for everything to be done at once. Ideally I'd prefer to be painting in the dining room, but as earlier pictures have proved, my super involved kitties would likely be a problem.

Pinterest Challenge

So Emily Henderson, Young House Love, Bower Power, and Making a House a Home put out a Pinterest Challenge and since I have been needing curtains for my dining room, I decided to give it a go.

I did not, however, technically finish my project. Why? Well, I have a 50% coupon that isn't good for another few days that I'd like to utilize to buy the lining with. I decided being financially conscious was more important than meeting the deadline. But I'll post what I got so far. I thought about taking pictures through the process, but alas, I was feeling anxious to get through it all and did not bother to take the time.

What you see here are finished fully sewn stripes with unfinished hemming/side seams. (And a Mochi cat checking it all out.) Everything is just pinned in place at the moment. Once I add the lining, the edges will look more cleanly finished and they should have a little more weight to them. I will edit this post with a finished image once I get the rest of my fabric. For now, they are neatly folded up (pins and all) and sitting in my home office out of reach of curious meows.

My pinspiration?

Except this person actually adhered stripes to existing curtains as a temporary option. Mine are fully measured and cut and sewn by me. Hopefully they look more awesome when complete.

Dining Room Mood Board

I would like this for a dining room, please.

Linear Strand Crystal Chandelier $349
Basque Java 65" Table $599
Java 48" Bench $299
Patterson Dining Chair (Set of Two) (for side of table) $329
Tufted Back Dining Chair in Clarice Dove (for ends) $219
Hand-Tufted Bridgeport Blue Geometric Rug $219.99
Dandelion Greens Flatware $24/setting
Lenox French Perle Ice Blue ($53.97/setting - without cups, which don't interest me)

Living Room Mood Board

My current thoughts on potential living room decor...

Keifer Stationary Sofa $849
Mission Oak Cabinet Table $143.50
Divine Ivory Wool Rug $645
Rising Atoll Curtain $99 (per panel)
Monet "Le Repos Sous les Lilas" Canvas Print $109.19
Spheres Arc Lamp $127.97
The Boxwood Pillow $120
Abstract Branches in Spring Green $29

Hmmm... Things sure add up quick...

Mirror on Mirror Action

Rolling along the same mirror and frame vein that I've been on more than once, I somehow just discovered this interesting design method of layering mirrors.

I love teal an unreasonable amount. Just saying.

The ornate mirrors and the patterned wallpaper in these first two images are just a killer combination.

Mirrors AND picture collages! Be still my heart!

This isn't exactly mirror-on-mirror, but I like the idea here just as much. I think I'd rather have a slightly larger base mirror in this instance. Also, I adore that light fixture. Incredible.

Another mirror layering that is just as much about the fixture as the style of layering.

I suppose a less weighty alternative to mirror layering would be to use an empty frame attached to the front of a larger mirror instead of an actual mirror. Would have to depend on the types of glass the mirrors have, I suppose.

Photo Credits: Living Etc, Unknown, House Beautiful, Style Curator, Robert Passal, Jax Does Design (in order of appearance)

Frames and Mirrors

I've posted before about using mirrors as a decorating tool, but I want to revisit it again, since I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Eventually these thoughts are going to make it to a wall in my house.

I saw the birdcage mirrors in this picture and went !!! OMG DO WANT !!!

The closest thing I could find to what I see there is this bidrcage mirror from Rain Collection.

Since collages were already on my brain, that got me Googling mirrors and frames.

Anthropologie has this great way of making something look both worn and fabulously chic all at the time.

The use of white on white here adds interest and texture without making an already small space feel smaller. Makes that black chair really pop as well.

Love the old, worn windows. They add so much texture to the wall without being overbearing or distracting.

I have mixed feeling about vinyl wall art, but it's really working for me here.

Easy way to fill an empty space and instantly beautiful. With so many variations on how to approach the subject, it keeps it from getting boring.

Chalkboard Dining

I love everything about this space.

Especially the magnetic chalkboard wall. Fabulous.