Archive for January, 2009
Reader Redesign: Sleeping In Style
When Molly sent her bedroom makeover pics our way, we couldn’t wait to share her fabulous transformation inspired by the Ikea “built-ins” that we created in our own master bedroom. Here’s her letter:
My husband and I live in a tiny 800 square foot condo, that has pretty much no storage. For the past two years we’ve been sharing one closet. We’ve finally become motivated to do some revamping/remodeling changes. After seeing your fabulous bedroom wardrobes and doing some Ikea research we decided wardrobes in our bedroom were the perfect solution to our clothing storage needs. The project was super easy and we are so happy with the results! I finally have enough room for all of my clothing & shoes! Thanks for being our inspiration & all of your other great ideas. -Molly
Such a transformation, right? And the fact that there’s oodles of storage behind those fabulous striped curtains is the icing on the cake. Thanks so much for sending your little closet project our way, Molly. Happy shoe shopping!
Megan & Drew’s Design Dilemma
When these two newlyweds called on us for help with their living room we got right down to business. Here’s their letter:
My husband Drew and I are so excited for you to help us out! We were just married in October so most of the stuff we own are hand me downs from family. The kitchen and living room are connected but we really need help with the living room so feel free to focus on that space. We like the somewhat casual comfy look of Pottery Barn and West Elm. We like the black and darker wood furniture the best. The TV has to stay and the speakers can be replaced with another color but Drew won’t get rid of them. Everything else can go! As for the wall color, it can stay if it works but we can do something else also. The current color is Gobi Desert by Behr. Colors we like are browns, blues, greens anything but pink or purple. Patterns we really like paisley, and toile but any pattern is fine. Thank you and we can’t wait to see what you put together!! – Megan & Drew
This open floorplan is primed for a major makeover. Here’s a mood board full of ideas to take this room of hand-me-down furnishings to the next level.
And now for the mood board breakdown.
Read the rest of this entry »
How To Paint A Brick Fireplace
After mucho requests for a fireplace tutorial, we’re here to deliver the goods. As you can see, we’re no strangers to a painted brick fireplace…
…or two.
In fact, painting the fireplace in the living room and the den was one of the first things we did when we moved in. Dingy brick can really suck the life out of a room if you’re not careful. Especially the ugly dark red kind that we had when we moved in- and especially when paired with lighter furnishings and wall colors (which just happen to be things that we adore).
Natural brick certainly has a place in many homes (and also in our hearts, it just didn’t work for our light and airy aesthetic- and our brick was especially maroon). So here’s what we did to bring some soft beauty to both of our brick fireplaces in a flash and on the cheap. Gotta love a makeover you can accomplish in an afternoon (no power tools required).
Step 1- Wipe down your bricks with a moist (not sopping wet!) rag to remove any cobwebs or soot.
Step 2- If your bricks are especially soot stained, you’ll want to prime them with oil based primer to ensure that no soot stains bleed through your paint job. Neither of our fireplaces had this problem so we skipped right to step three.
Step 3- Use a nappy roller meant for textured surfaces to apply two to three coats of flat or semi-gloss latex paint (the finish is up to you). You also may need to rely on a paint brush to get into those deep grout crevices. Brick is an especially porous material (which explains why your fireplace may call for three coats) so be sure to have more paint on hand than you’d usually rely on for such a small surface area (our den fireplace took over a gallon of paint, and the one in our living room took nearly half a gallon).
Step 4- Do the happy dance cause you’re done. Easy, right? If you can paint a wall you can definitely paint a brick fireplace.
Good luck with your big fireplace transformation! Oh and why not take before and after pictures for us while you’re at it? Don’t be surprised if your newly painted fireplace inspires you to continue the makeover with new art above the mantel or a few fresh accessories. Homes are never really finished anyway, are they?
Looking for more ways to spruce up your fireplace? A woven basket full of firewood (we love birch for its crisp look) will add even more inviting ambaince.
