Archive for May, 2010
House Crashing: DIY Done Right
When Kara from Made 2 Create invited us to crash her Tulsa, Oklahoma house we decided that even though we couldn’t make the trek over there in person we needed to virtually cover her casa. Because it’s just that good. And to preface this amazing house tour we should mention that almost everything you’ll see in Kara’s gorgeous home came from a garage sale, Craigslist or she and her hubby Tim made it with their own four hands. Now let’s meet Kara the handy homeowner herself:
And now that we have the formalities out of the way, let’s poke around inside. Kara built a faux fireplace to create a focal point and put her favorite saying on the mantle (do what you love) along with bringing in a lot of spendy looking pieces that she hunted down on the cheap. She even made those billowy and dramatic curtains from affordable Lowe’s drop cloths.
But our hands down favorite part of the dining room is Kara’s homemade mason jar chandelier. Stunning, no?
There used to be two walls cutting the kitchen and the dining room off from the living room so Kara decided to get rid of both of them to open up the space and make for easy entertaining. She even built the media console from the old kitchen cabinets that were torn out during the big expansion. Gotta love that use-whatcha-got spirit.
Sadly Kara’s kitchen cabinets weren’t salvageable (although we love that some of them got a second life as the green media console), so she opted for assemble-it-yourself cabinetry to save money. You’d never guess that it’s not custom though, right? We love everything from the glass fronted cabinets that flank the window above the sink to the concrete countertops that she and Tim poured themselves. Kara even made the pot rack from her home’s own reclaimed copper plumbing. And she turned a garage sale table into an island.
Bear in mind when you look at this stunning guest bathroom that this space actually had wallpaper in the shower! Insane. But it was nothing that Kara couldn’t handle. She brought in beautiful hardwood floors (and put marine grade poly on them, so water won’t be a problem), added custom built-ins, and even turned an old desk into a vanity (again topping it with a chic DIY concrete counter). And of course we love that she and her hubby did all the work themselves to keep down the cost.
Again, in the interest of saving money (we love this girl), Kara repainted her original bedroom dresser with a flower motif that mimics the flower pattern in her curtains. She also gussied up her old headboard by tufting and upholstering it.
And one of the most major changes in the space was adding this gorgeous glass door in the place of an old window, which now leads to a lovely private outdoor area. Life is good when you’re Kara.
We also love that she was able to increase the square footage of her master bathroom by about 25 feet, but she visually expanded it by a lot more when she got rid of an old bulky vanity, brought in reflective white tile and added a glass shower screen for that open and airy feeling.
Here’s Kara’s “reading room” where she went for an exotic and worldly feeling with a bed nook for enjoying a book (or a nap) and a formerly black dresser that she amped up with colorful paint (love that Moroccan feel).
Everything from the padded pouf to the map on the wall of the reading nook adds to the worldly and well traveled feel. Which is perfectly appropriate for Kara since she actually lived in Lithuania for a while. Yes, yet another reason to be green with envy.
Kara wanted the guest room to have a rustic-yet-glamorous effect. And the corrugated tin headboard is the perfect combo of those two elements (she was inspired to whip it up herself after a trip to Lowe’s!). Touches of metallics, pops of yellow, and tons of texture really add to the space. And Kara figured why stop at making that amazing headboard when you can make the overhead light as well? So she did. We love the giant glowing orb, especially when it’s paired with those warm pops of yellow and the rustic wood wall.
And because we know you guys love a source list, here you go:
Dining Room- paint: Earl Gray (Lowe’s), chandelier: DIYed, table & bench & reupholstered chairs: garage sale, cowhide rug: side of the road stand, curtains: Lowe’s drop cloths, faux fireplace: built by Tim, mirror: DIYed frame + old bathroom mirror, purple pillows: Target, artwork: DIYed (she sells the Eye Charts). Living Room- paint: custom mix from leftover paint, roman shades: Home Depot, curtains: Target, armchairs: Target, media console: DIYed from old kitchen cabinets, sofa table: suitcases, coffee table/bench & sofa with slipcover: garage sale. Kitchen- cabinets: Home Depot’s self-assembled, beadboard color: Contemplation (Behr), kitchen island: garage sale, pot rack: made from copper plumbing (she also sells these), desk by the fridge: estate sale. Guest Bathroom- sconces: Habitat for Humanity ReStore, rug: Target, vanity: Craigslist desk, vessel sink: Craigslist, chevron towels: Ross, vanity shelf & bathtub caddy: IKEA. Reading Room- repainted dresser: Craigslist, rug & valance: garage sale, round pendant: Sam’s Club, red pouf: Pier 1. Master Bedroom- paint: Moonlite “something” (Glidden), flowery curtains: Target, yellow fabric: Walmart, chandelier: Habitat for Humanity Restore, nightstands: garage sales, concrete table: built by Tim. Master Bathroom- paint: “custom mix”, vanities: Lowe’s (painted & added glass inserts), glass shelves: Walmart, mirrors: Ross, vanity lights: Lowe’s. Guest Bedroom- paint: Prusian Cadet (Valspar), headboard: DIYed, bedding: Target, blanket: Walmart, stumps/side tables: mother nature.
So there you have Kara’s DIY palace. Doesn’t it look posh and expensive, even though it was anything but? We love that it’s full of doable DIY ideas that never look the least bit tacky or crafty. Thanks so much for inviting us into your lovely home Kara! And don’t forget to drop in on her blog for a lot more delectable DIY ideas. Now let’s play a little game we like to call what’s-your-favorite-thing? We’re totally torn between that amazing mason jar chandelier, the poured concrete counters or that brilliant tin headboard.
Psst- We’re always on the hunt for a mouthwatering house (or ten) to crash, so if you or anyone you know has a casa that’s feature-ready just shoot us an email along with some photos of the space and if we’re ever in the neighborhood we’ll be sure to drop in.
Reader Redesign: Mobile Magic
When Isabel and Thomas sent over some photos of their DIY mobile project (which was reminiscent of the one that we featured in this nursery makeover of yore) we had to share the eye candy. Here’s their letter:
You’ve inspired yet another project, and since you’ve recently completed your nursery I thought this was timely. I learned how to make folded Moravian Stars from a tutorial online (in three different sizes, all in a variety of patterns I printed myself). I used this site and this site for reference, although the former is better. My husband invented the actual “hangers” for the mobile. He’s amazing! So with nothing more than paper, scissors, Mod Podge, a sponge brush, needle nose pliers, wire cutters, floral wire, a needle, and fishing wire… we ended up with this mobile! And the grand total was less than $10. Plus my husband and I had a great time making it for our son. Enjoy! -Isabel and Thomas
Isn’t that a fun way to add some personalized interest to any nursery? We love that by making their own mobile, Isabel and Thomas were able to dictate everything from the color scheme to the size and the shape of their creation- and the fact that it was less than ten dollars to whip up is truly amazing. Thanks so much for the photos guys! And for including the links that you used so others can follow along at home. What do you guys think? Is anyone out there planning to make one of their own? If so, what color scheme will you be going with? Gray and yellow? Navy and turquoise? Orange and eggplant? Pink and lime?
Burning Question: Take It Off?
When it comes to shoes in your house, what’s the deal? Do you have an always-off-at-the-door policy? Do you wear them inside and out without a second thought? Do you encourage kids to remove their shoes while adults may leave them on if you’re hosting a party? Or do you have that pile of adult shoes near the door with guests walking around in their socks or stockings when you have people over for dinner?
We’re itching to hear where you stand on the issue. In fact, we whipped up this handy little poll to keep everything tabulated:
[poll id="10"]
And we’d love to hear more about why you voted the way you did, so feel free to comment away with more details.
Psst- Sherry’s cheap-o flats are from Target, just in case you shoe-loving ladies are wondering.
He Said, She Said… Something In Ukrainian?
This post actually has two parts, the first of which is referenced in the pre-ellipses part of the title above. Our latest “He Said, She Said” column in Do It Yourself Magazine is out! Which means we’re permasmiling and pinching each other over here. Dorky? Yes. We admit it. But we still can’t believe we somehow tricked the editors into giving us our own little advice column.
Like our previous two installments (check out Winter ’09 and Spring ’10 here) we’ve once again rounded up reader questions from both sides of the gender line. And this time we helped Amanda come to terms with her husband’s request for a recliner and brainstormed an approach for Janelle to get the striped bathroom walls that she wants (but her husband doesn’t). Click the image below to enlarge it.
This issue of Do It Yourself has actually been on newsstands for a little while already, so you might want to grab a copy before it makes like Burger when it’s bath time (and disappears). As usual it has lots of other fun and useful content – including a great “Summer School” section with dozens of projects that are clearly illustrated and outlined for you to tackle. We’re always amazed at how much they can squeeze into each issue. And speaking of squeezed in, next time they’ve promised to devote at least two full pages to our column (and even plan to work in some large and in charge photos) so we can’t wait for that.
Of course you can always opt to peruse it at your local Barnes & Noble instead of shelling out loot to take it home (we love flipping through stacks of magazines there in an attempt to absorb as much inspiration as possible on a lazy weekend). But when it comes to this next magazine, you probably won’t see it at your local bookstore (that’s my segue to the post-ellipses part of the title). Heck, I can’t even tell you what the magazine is called – just that it has lots of pretty homes in it.
However it’s pronounced, this Ukrainian publication showed up in our PO Box a few weeks ago with pictures of our very own house inside! And those photos were surrounded by a lot of text that we’ve been too intimidated to even attempt to translate. But feel free to click the image below to see it larger and take a stab at it.
Sherry actually corresponded with the magazine’s editor a while back to provide the photos, but it was still a surprise to see all of those unfamiliar characters telling our home makeover story (well, at least we assume that’s what it’s about). And we learned our lesson with this Greek website that we shouldn’t trust online translators. So we’re not going to even go there (even though we did get a few good laughs last time).
So now that you know what’s on our coffee table these days, what magazines are you guys loving right now? Are there any that stand out to you as particularly helpful or especially beautiful as of late? Are you into the online magazines that are popping up these days (like Lonny and Southern Flourish)? Let’s talk about deliciously glossy magazines (as Sherry would say, with a gleam in her eye).
A Wilder Watercolor: Freebie Winner!
We’re impressed that so many of you were able to narrow it down to just one photo that you’d want rendered as a watercolor in this week’s giveaway from Gadora Wilder. We would have had the hardest time choosing a favorite photo of Burger (good thing Gadora picked such a good one for us!).
And speaking of good things, Gadora will be donating $5 from every sale over the next two weeks to her local ASPCA, so while you’re helping your pet look more artsy, you’re also helping other pets who are looking for a home. Everybody wins! Well, I guess we only have one real winner this week, and according to random.org it’s… Angela, who wants to get a portrait of her guinea pigs done. That might be a first for Gadora.
Congrats Angela! Have fun getting your custom work of art from Gadora. Of course we’d love to see what photo you’re submitting and even check it out once it’s hanging in your home.
But don’t fret if you didn’t win this week. On Monday we’ve got another giveaway rolling your way, though these puppies are a bit too plush to roll anywhere (yes, that’s a clue). Stay tuned…
Find more freebie info on our Giveaway FAQs page. Pics courtesy of Gadora Wilder.
