Reader Redesigns
Reader Redesign: She’s Got Game
Kate’s playroom makeover is nothing short of a miracle! Here’s her letter:
You two are the best, and I read your blog everyday. I just redid the bonus room in our house and wanted to pass it along. Thanks for being such an inspiration! -Grateful, Kate
Here’s the chaotic and cluttered before:
And the amazingly organized after:
Can you believe that gorgeous oversized map on the wall (trimmed out of course)? And those cute orange letters above the window (spray painted by Kate herself!)? We love all the creative DIY touches that make the room so personal and memorable, and we have a feeling you guys are gonna love it too. To learn more about the makeover, you can pop in on Kate’s cute blog. Long live affordable DIY deliciousness!
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!
Reader Redesign: Lighten Up
Julie’s kitchen makeover is nothing short of miraculous. Here’s her letter:
I found your blog through a Real Simple blog I subscribe to and look forward to the evenings after I put my one & two year old toddlers to bed so I can soak up some of your swank. We just sold our house and had some great photos of our kitchen and I realized we’d done a lot to improve it over the last few years so I thought I’d share the before & afters. We had a grease fire so we replaced the counters, microwave and oven. We also discovered a leak in our dishwasher so we replaced the floors & dishwasher. We got the counters from Home Depot- they’re formica that looks like granite (called Jamocha Granite, sparkle finish, waterfall edge). The tile backsplash is also from Home Depot (one of the less expensive porcelain tiles they sell). The wall color is Sand Dollar and the cabinet color is Antique Lace (Porter Paint). We bought Mohawk wide plank floors and did the kitchen, dining room, 2 bathrooms and the foyer for $2000. BTW we sold our house within 48 hours after we put it on the market and had four offers! Yipee! I’m saving my money so I can contact you all after we’re in our new house. I’d love to have you help us spice up the new pad! – Julie
Here’s the budget breakdown:
- Cabinet and wall painting $700
- Kitchen Floors $500
- Counters $2000
- Appliances $2000
- Backsplash $300
- Curtains $50
- Faucet $80
- New pulls $100
- Grand total = $5730
Isn’t that an insane transformation? We love that some paint on the cabinets along with a new counter, backsplash and appliances took this room to a whole new level. Thanks a million for the fabulous eye candy Julie! So inspiring.
Reader Redesign: Another Bathing Beauty
Back when Anneliese sent over her first bathroom makeover we couldn’t wait to share the goods with you guys. Now she’s gone and sent us her second… and it’s just as lovely as the first! Here’s her letter:
Many elements of this redo are similar to our previous master bath renovation: the wall color, the espresso elements, the love of IKEA, the orange accents. However, for this tiny, tiny room (5′ by 7′), we managed to squeeze in a full-sized Jacuzzi tub, some cool porcelain floor tiles that look like wood planks, and a mongo vintage storefront sign- because I love a good antique. Hope you enjoy the before and afters! – Anneliese
Here’s the dated before:
And the oh so chic afters:
Everything from the soothing wall color and the complementary hits of orange to the vintage sign and those amazing faux-wood ceramic floor tiles totally floats our boat. Serious swooning going on over here. Thanks so much for the pics Anneliese! You have two gorgeous bathrooms and I’m sure more than a few people (us included) are green with envy…
