Archive for April, 2009
Fab Freebie: Collar Me Bad
***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries***
We know that many of you, like us, have a trusty canine companion by your side during your various DIY projects. So this week’s giveaway is all about making sure your hound is as stylish as your home. And who do we have to thanks for that? Jon Wye and his specialty line of Dog Collars by FredFred.
Jon is a Washington, DC based designer who’s got a pretty sweet line of belts and t-shirts for us humans, but it was his collection of dog collars (named after Jon’s dog Fred) that caught our eye. The designs are dynamic (from the fun Dogs in Space scene to the intricate India print) and they’re all 100% leather with specially made stainless steel accents. Jon, er, Fred was even kind enough to send Burger a specially sized (1/2″ wide, instead of 1″ standard) Black and Tan Polka Dot collar and he LOVES it. Brings out his eyes, eh?
Want one? Then just comment on this post with the words “COLLAR ME” by Wednesday, April 22nd at 8pm EST. Three randomly selected winners will get their pick of any style and size from the full Fred Fred line (including the soon-to-be-added 1/2″ varieties for smaller breeds). And while you’re commenting with the words “collar me”, we’d also love to know if there’s something you currently do or buy to go that extra mile for your pup… a special treat? a doggie massage? a stylish collar perhaps? These three prizes can be shipped anywhere in the USA and, as always, only one entry per e-mail address is allowed. Winners will be announced on Thursday. Good luck!
Learn all about our freebies on our Giveaway FAQs page. Images courtesy of Jon Wye.
How Ya Bin
After so many people demanded to know more about the way we organize everything from our bills to our receipts, we realized that our recent post about seven simple things that make our lives easier just scratched the surface. So we’re back to share more peeks into the systems and habits that we rely on to keep everything in its place (so we can find things at a moment’s notice, and keep our house tidy pretty much on auto-pilot). So without further ado, here’s how we store, stash and stockpile just about everything in our house:
We’ve mentioned our little DIY mudroom in the corner of our den (a padded storage bench and coat rack from Target instantly create a convenient spot to hang jackets, bags, and leashes so they don’t pile up elsewhere). But we haven’t revealed what we store inside the bench. Why our paperwork of course! From medical records to tax info and even momentos from our childhood (old drawings and report cards), it’s all filed away in different folders labeled for easy identification (we use two of those tiered upright folder stands so everything is easy to see and nothing can slip out and get lost). No one would ever guess that seemingly spare corner of the room is really a huge paper hub. We also have a safety deposit box at our local bank where we securely store all of our important paperwork and info (a small safe can just be carried off in a break in). Can’t be too careful these days!
And once we learned about the virtues of storage ottomans, we couldn’t help but introduce a padded bench to our dining area too. In there we store all of the paper statements and bills that we’ve paid (in folders labeled with each company’s name- again corralled in tiered upright folder holders) so we can easily find whatever we need for taxes or to prove that we paid something (we pay bills online, but we write our confirmation number and the date that we paid ‘em on all of our paper invoices for easy reference).
As for receipts, I’ve worked for a while to come up with a system that really works for me. I used to try to store them by category in an expandable plastic accordion folder, but they seemed to multiply and I felt like I was devoting ten hours a week to putting them in their designated spots (plus certain categories were bulging while others were virtually empty). Then I picked up two white boxes from Ikea for my desk (they were so affordable and I knew I could use them for something). I decided I would just try slipping receipts into one of them. No more sorting by about ten categories, and no more pile of receipts hanging over me. I just empty my purse when I get home each night and toss them into the box. Easy as pie. And finding an old receipt isn’t too hard since they’re pretty much stacked chronologically, so I spend way less time sorting them up front, and can still find something in in a few minutes when I need to on the back end. Update: check out how we use the other box and hide all the wires in our office right here.
Meanwhile, the white metal tins (also from Ikea) are where we store Burger’s food and his t-r-e-a-t-s (can’t say the word or he goes crazy). They’re cheap little airtight containers, but they still look clean and neat on my white desk. We even have a mini measuring cup in the larger bin which stores the food for easy scoopage. Oh and many people think it’s funny that we store our pooch stuff in the den, but it’s actually where his food and water bowls are (we trained him in the den back when the floor was linoleum and he’s been eating and drinking in there ever since) so it really works well for us.
Oh and as for mail, we sort/pay/file everything right away so there’s not “spot” devoted to storing the mail (for fear that it will pile up and create a super huge job down the line). We highly recommend the do it now approach to mail as it seems to really keep the clutter to a minimum.
As for the garbage/recycling/compost situation, we took the opportunity to majorly organize everything after the kitchen reno and we’re so happy that our sink cabinet is almost exclusively devoted to those three functions (recyclables in a plastic bin on the left, compost in an air-tight container that we empty out back into our compost bins every few days, and garbage in a small pail on the right). It’s so simple and efficient that even our little niece and nephew know where to put their banana peels!
But if there aren’t many cleaning products under the sink (just some Ecover dishwasher tablets, a bottle of Veggie-Wash, and a few old Swiffer dusters), where do we keep the cleaning goods you ask? Why in our rolling caddy in our DIY laundry nook of course! Our wonderful wheely friend from Target (for $17!) ensures that there’s plenty of room for dishtowels (folded neatly in a basket) and a few green cleaning products (many of them multitask which means we no longer need to store a million bottles of glass cleaner, granite spray, stainless steel scrub, etc). Hooray for extra storage space instead of a slew of rarely-used products and potions!
We walk the line between adoring open storage (our linen closet is doorless, we have a glass cabinet in the kitchen, we have open shelving in the dining area) and coveting concealed storage (ottomans, bins and baskets abound!) but when it comes to toilet paper we’re all about showing our guests where to find it (TP anxiety shouldn’t carry over from public restrooms to our house). For our half bathroom we actually took a roll of toilet paper into Target to find a tall glass cylinder vase to store a few rolls out in the open…
… and in the master bathroom we have a little TP pyramid in plain sight thanks to the fact that we removed the door to the linen closet for more of that crisp open storage that we crave.
We also decided to make use of the weird old towel bar in the bathtub with a little construction project. So we snagged a shower caddy that’s meant to be slipped over the shower head and two metal closet hooks from Target and used them to hook the caddy over the bar. Presto, a place for all of our shower stuff (and our razors no longer get all rusty like they did when they hung right under the shower nozzle).
Spare change is like poison ivy. Before you know it, it’s everywhere. In the couch, on the counter, in the junk drawer, in the laundry basket. That’s why we have one single solitary place for pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and the occasional Sacajawea dollar coin. Right in this cute little metallic bird piggy bank that we picked up from West Elm a while back. It’s located out in the open in our living room so it’s easy to drop things in when we’re coming or going. And whenever we notice that it’s getting full we roll those babies, slide through the bank, and go out to dinner and a movie (with moolah to spare). Gotta love free date night! It’s the ultimate reward for keeping our change in check.
A while back I shared my little jewelry sorting secret: a ceramic egg crate that I snagged at the container store about five years ago (it can even be seen in my old NYC apartment video). It’s the perfect way to keep everything visible yet organized behind our curtain closet doors, which is key for a grab and go girl like me.
And we can’t talk about our boxes and bins without mentioning the other storage systems that we have going on in our kitchen. There’s a lot more than meets the eye (which is also the case in our den, and even our guest bedroom). Like this metal filing cabinet that I picked up for $5 at a thrift store. In the kitchen it became a great place to stash spoons and spices (check out the details here), and we love the moody color and the vintage appeal that it adds to the room.
Of course we also have our cheap-o glass jars for cereal storage, which totally come in handy for for easy access and extra room in the cabinets (they free up some major space where two boxes of cereal would otherwise live). Plus they’re great visual reminders to restock when we’re running low on corn flakes or granola.
We also use our kitchen for more than just food-related storage. After the renovation we added tons of space that came in handy for a little cabinet devoted to all of my decorative accessories (which we dubbed The Decor Store- read more about it here). Nothing beats shopping your own house to freshen up a bookcase or dining table (and keeping every candlestick, vase, and other accessory on hand in the same spot is super convenient).
Oh yeah and we also keep all of our tools in the kitchen. Betcha didn’t see that one coming. Even our installer thought we were crazy when I told him the cabinet base to the left of the stove would be solely devoted to screwdrivers, paint rollers, nails, anchors, sandpaper and other home improvement essentials. But it really works for us and everything is super organized thanks to four whole drawers of deliciously organized gadgets and gizmos. Yummy.
And even with our tools in the kitch, we still have some empty space (which we’ve heard is a good thing in Feng Shui- something about allowing room for great things to come into your life). Whatever it may mean, we really appreciate the fact that we still have room to grow, and we don’t feel like we’re bursting at the seams like we did before our kitchen reno. Here’s our corner lazy susan with absolutely nothing on the bottom. And the top shelf is where we store a bowl that’s too big for our cabinets and a basket full of light bulbs (removing the packaging and stashing them in a basket or bowl is so much more space efficient- and they still say the wattage on the bulb or the base so they’re easy to sift through).
I like to trade out the things in the center of our dining table from time to time, but lately I’ve been digging a tray full of stuff that we actually use to set the table. We keep the plates in the kitchen since they get loaded up with food in there, but having a few utensils, cups, bowls, and even some nice fabric napkins out on the table reminds us to take our time and have a nice meal whenever we sit down (even if it’s just frozen pizza night).
And where do we keep the remotes? In this white shell box ($8 at TJ Maxx) right in front of the tube. It’s roomy enough to accomodate all three remotes and it makes finding them a snap (and cleaning up for company no longer means stuffing them into the couch cushions or under the sofa). We also slipped two woven baskets into the bottom shelves of our media stand for Netflix movies, lotion, pads pens, and other things that are nice to have on hand in the TV room. Just by adding those two baskets we have a lot more storage space that makes cleaning up and finding things super easy (which is always a plus when you’re trying to watch 24).
But there’s even more hidden storage in the den. The two square leather ottomans that we use in lieu of a coffee table also serve as a place to stash board games and paint decks. You might wonder why an entire cube is devoted to color swatches. Well, lets just say I can’t get enough, and it certainly comes in handy when our clients say that their adjoining kitchen is Pistachio by Benjamin Moore or White Feather by Behr (since we have almost every paint deck known to man, it’s easy to track down almost any color). And look how pretty they are!
In the third bedroom we also have another storage ottoman secretly housing all the extra linens for the daybed in that room (plus a nice cozy blanket). Keeping the bedding that correlates to that bed right in the room really makes things easy (and it frees up more space in the linen closet to boot).
When it comes to our cards and gift wrap, I actually created a little wrapping paper/card writing station in our third bedroom a while back. John thought it was sort of a silly thing that I’d never use but I’m in there all the time! It’s so nice to know that I have a plethora of pretty cards to choose from, and they’re all organized by occasion in one big box so I’m never caught empty handed at the last minute.
Keeping all of our wrapping paper, tissue paper, gift bags and ribbons at the ready not only makes gift giving easy, it actually makes it fun (and it saves us money since it encourages us to use what we have instead of constantly losing and replacing things). Sticking some gift wrap in a personalized planter is an easy way to keep it handy (and it’s easy on the eyes too).
But although we love to stash things in benches, baskets, ottomans, boxes, glass canisters, metal tins, planters and even egg crates… we still think some things look lovely naked. Like this pretty stack of magazines that we keep on the hearth with a metal bull on top for a bit of a fun. Sometimes embracing what you have (and grouping like objects) is a great way to visually integrate and organize things that you just don’t have a place to hide.
So there you have it. Our house in a nutshell… or a bin/box/basket. How do you guys organize you receipts? Your jewelry? Your spices? Your bills? Your toilet paper? Do tell!
Note: For anyone wondering why we’re revealing all this info about our house, not only do we have an alarm, we also have a safety deposit box at the bank with all of our important info, so we’re super sure that our house is super secure! Can’t be too careful these days!
Reader Redesign: Upholstered Elegance
We’re over the moon for this fantastic chair makeover. Here’s Vanessa’s letter:
I read your blog daily and just wanted to send you a link to a project I just completed. It was inspired by your recommendation of this Target chair during their Home Design Event…
… a few months later I came across a chair at my FAVORITE second hand store, Second Thyme Around in Manhattan, KS. I liked the lines and thought, maybe this could be my first foray into reupholstery. I read about reupholstering on the internet and then I bought the chair for $25. Using multiple coupons for Hobby Lobby and Joann’s, I bought all the supplies I needed. Every single thing on this chair was at least 40% off, except the staples and spray paint, which I had to buy full price at the hardware store.
So here is the chair before…
Then I let the deconstruction begin! I took a lot of pictures so I wouldn’t forget how everything went together at the end.
I must have pulled several hundred staples out. I have a nice little abrasion on my thumb from my needle nose pliers, so if you try this, I highly recommend gloves!
I discovered that the backing ‘pillow’ was actually faux, so I ended up leaving that piece on, though I did remove the buttons. The frame, however, was a gorgeous hardwood, and very sturdy.
Here’s where I started to attach new fabric. I used the old fabric pieces as templates to cut the new fabric. The old fabric had some decomposing latex foam on it which turned to a fine yellow dust that coated everything. I replaced the foam rubber where it was too far gone.
Here the fabric attachment is nearly complete. I hadn’t done the button tufting yet…
The legs were pretty beat up so they got a fresh coat of paint. Krylon spray paint attaches to anything!
Here it is with the button tufting on the back complete. Reese seems to like this chair. He actually sat in it while I did the tufting and played with the waxed twine. Never got out of the chair.
And finally…. The finished project! Yeah, it’s far from perfect. Also, the pillow cover needs some ironing, but that will come later.
Due to coupon use, the entire chair redo including the cost of the chair, was $73. And I had fun for 5 days worth of evenings. So I thought you might enjoy seeing the results. I wanted you to see the spirit of do-it-yourself your blog has encouraged in my life. Thanks again for the terrific blog! Best Regards, Vanessa
Seriously, could this made-it-myself story be more inspiring? We’re so excited that Vanessa’s foray into reupholstery was a positive one. Love that DIY spirit! Thanks so much for the pics, Vanessa… and we sincerely hope that your kitty gives you some much deserved chill time in that chair too!
Porch Pimping In Progress
We’ve been dashing in and out of Home Depot like it’s our job and doing our best to stretch our $500 porch makeover budget for Better Homes & Gardens’ 48-Hour Challenge. The goal? A lighter and brighter porch that looks more like the interior of our totally overhauled home. Because nothing’s more depressing than a house that looks all airy and soft on the inside but dark and dated from the curb. To refresh your memory, here’s more info about the challenge and a before shot of the porch before we started the project. Total snore, right? Not for long…
We’ve picked up a slew of fabulous finds, like this wooden glider bench to create a cozy seating area. John put the whole thing together in about ten minutes with an allen wrench- and I only had to help a little (always a plus) so for the most part I was in charge of taking pictures.
We also grabbed a bunch of punchy green planters to add life to our previously bare porch. We went with varied colors, sizes and styles for layered interest and plan to pop in a bunch of different plants for even more of that mixed and matched look that we love (note: finding plants that are cool with partial shade is always a good tip when they’ll be living on a covered porch). Oh and remember we promised that we’d create a two minute side table on the cheap? We grabbed this extra large planter and a terra cotta saucer that we’ll seal, paint and use as a tabletop. Easy peasy. Of course you’ll have to stay tuned for the big reveal and the step-by-step tutorial…
Then, in a bold and totally transformative move (cue the dramatic music) we also snagged two gallons of porch and floor paint…
…to create subtle stripes that lighten up our seen-better-days porch. Here it is halfway done. The difference is almost unbelievable! Talk about bang for your buck. And it only took a few hours and one coat of paint. Whew.
What about the puppy food & water station that we previously mentioned? We grabbed a piece of wood and four pre-cut corner molding pieces (for a dollar each) and used wood glue to turn them into a small feeding pedestal for the dog days of summer. Gotta love a construction project that doesn’t even call for screws or nails!
Painting it glossy green and setting Burger’s food and water dishes on top will finish it off nicely. It turned out to be one of those fast and easy projects with a major payoff- in fact it only set us back about $9, and it really adds infinite charm (and function) to the porch. And of course Burger sincerely appreciates the effort.
But the shopping spree didn’t end there. Do you know us at all? We can’t resist soft, serene pillows and cushions, so we stuffed a bunch of fresh green outdoor ones in our cart and hit the checkout. We were drawn to some patterned and solid pillows along with a paisley lounge cushion that we cut in half to make two floor pillows for our lazy dog. Here it is before surgery…
We knew Project Lighten Up The Porch was working when our old black planter boxes (already purchased from Home Depot about a month ago) looked dark and imposing on the freshly painted cream and tan floor. So we gave them a soft and airy look thanks to two coats of our leftover cream porch and floor paint:
And since we still had a bit of budget burning a hole in our pocket ($14 to be exact) we grabbed some twine to create a couple of cool hanging mobiles. It really is amazing how far you can stretch your moolah if you’re using things in unexpected ways (four pieces of molding become pedestal legs, a planter becomes a side table, a lounge cushion becomes two floor pillows, a ball of twine becomes a mobile, etc). In short: we are absolutely LOVING this fun little challenge, and we can hardly wait to show you how everything turns out! We’ll be pulling the whole thing together this weekend (and weather.com says it’ll be sunny and nice- score). Wish us luck!
To check out our weekly blog post about the porch project and see what the other four challengers are doing, just drop in on BHG’s 48-Hour Challenge.
Corinne’s Design Dilemma
Corinne’s blank slate of a den is chock full of potential. Here’s her letter:
I’ve been reading your blog for months and have been waiting to redo my den. We moved into our 60′s split level in July and just finished remodeling the kitchen/dining room/living room and master bedroom. We had some help from a designer picking out colors etc, but the budget is really tight now so I thought it would be a great idea to work with you. We definitely like modern, but comfortable. This will be a room where we primarily hang out and watch TV. We like things with classic modern lines and zero clutter. We currently have a sofa that can be replaced and a Le Corbusier chaise we could incorporate. There’s also a coffee table but it may be too big, so that’s optional. I was thinking of a comfortable sectional but open to ideas. The 42″ TV is definitely staying. When it comes to the walls I’d like something neutral to work with the rest of the house. The room leads to the backyard so we’d like to incorporate the outdoors. It’s important that we have storage for books, board games and video games. We have a 5 year old at home and any furniture should be kid friendly since he will have friends over. Looking forward to working with you. Kind regards, Corinne
This space is primed for a major makeover. Here’s the plan:
And now for the mood board breakdown.
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