Sunday, January 1, 2006

Projects!

Here's a sample of projects to inspire. Some turned out decent, most are done on a dime, all are done on a whim.

CURTAINS
Anyone can make custom curtains -- and using bold fabric is an easy way to jazz up an entire room, while unifying awkward spaces. My dining room/office was completely undefined until we created these easy, peesy panels.

I should have taken before pics...but that would have required a lot of forethought.

It's easy...just buy cheap 84" panels -- keep it under $10 a panel.

Find coordinating fabric at your local fabric store. I added a yard to each panel because I hung them at the ceiling and really wanted them to still puddle at the floor.

Hot glue the coordinating fabric (yep...hot glue!) to the panels, starting at the hemline of the panel.

Cover the seam with coordinating trim.



Find cheap drawer pulls. I found them for 50 cents and spray painted them black.


Screw drawer pulls into the wall. Hang curtains with drapery hooks.

Now...for some dining room furniture...

Voila!





MAJOR RENO - OH NO!

Think you can't handle tile work? Major renovation not in the budget? There are little things you can do to make a space your own. Here's how we conquered the kitchen.

Here's our kitchen when we first bought the house. Check out the fab light fixtures above the table and island! Whew!
And, the after...with task lighting courtesy of Dan-o...plus paint, new fixtures and the backsplash. We did everything ourselves. The new fixture over the dining table is courtesy of Craigslist. Troll the site and I know you can find something fabulous to fit your space at half price or less! The backsplash was done on whim...the actual work, that is. But, since the day we bought our house -- really even before we signed the final papers, we knew we wanted to put in a backsplash. What we didn't want was to pay a premium for the builder to put it in -- and then pay that premium over 30 years in a mortgage! So...we saved, we researched and we did the work ourselves. For about $300. That's not super cheap, but the research we did estimated the project as a $2,000 upgrade to the home value. If that's true, that's some serious ROI. If not, well, at least it looks pretty!That kitchen table? Free. From my amazing in-laws. A little TLC, a lot of sanding and repainting -- and it's perfect for us! I don't know if you can see it, but there's a metal trash can down there. You know, the kind that's like a $100 at Bed, Bath and Beyond. We paid $2. At a ritzy neighborhood's garage sale! I'm not above purchasing a used trash can! I'm not suggesting you lower your standards -- but if you're working with a limited budget, there's no reason your home can't still be fabulous. Get creative!

COLOR YOUR WORLD

Paint changes a room...that is, if you use the right color.

Many of you read about my paint debaucle HERE.The long story short version is -- even after painting the room three times over, the whole process was worth it. So, don't be afraid to color your world.



Check out the progress on making our bedroom a haven. It's taken a couple of years -- and we're still tweaking. Hopefully, you'll find inspiration to create the space you deserve!


We recently revamped our bedroom...which is still a work in progress...but I thought I would share some pics of the new paint and curtains. We started and finished the paint in one day...and making the stripe was easy using a laser level as the guide. Only the big wall behind our bed has the stripe...the rest are plain. I am totally not loving the curtain rod...but it was something I already had...so until I find something better...this is what it looks like!

TEN MINUTE CRAFTS

When you see something you like at a price that fits your budget, don't be afraid to take your treasure home -- even if it's not the right color or you don't know exactly where you'll use it. If you love something, there is always a place it work in your home, regardless of size, shape or style. Your home should be a representation of you. Which might mean I'm a bit cliche, given the popularity of barn stars and the amount I have on display in my home. But -- I love barn stars. I picked these up even though they were all hideous colors that wouldn't match a thing in my house. Then I repainted them with inspiration from The Nester - and found just the place for a constellation of sorts. All for about $10.

No comments:

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin