{Master Bedroom: The Reveal}

Early last week I shared our fabulous new headboard with you here! And might I say, Thank you so much for your sweet comments and excitement about how it turned out! That project must have really got our juices flowing because that following weekend we managed to find and refinish new nightstands we found on craigslist, upgrade from our old queen mattress to a new cal-king AND build a new platform bed! Our Master bedroom is finally done (well, for now..) and we are absolutely LOVING it!

My husband would really love to share a tutorial for the platform bed he built, as he really couldn't find anything similar to how he built ours. So I'm going to give him the spotlight on Monday to give you a nice, detailed tutorial. But for the rest of you who are just here to see pictures, stay in your seats because that's exactly what I've got for you today!

 So without further ado, our Master makeover...

{Custom Headboard: A Labor of Love}

The last time we chatted about our Master bedroom, it looked a little something like this:

And our list of to-dos still looked like this:

• Replace ceiling fan
• Purchase and possibly refinish nightstands
• Upgrade to a Cal King bed
• Get a full size mirror (like this one)
• Eventually put up crown molding
• Build a headboard

 I'm so excited to share that a good chunk of that list has been checked off! This weekend my awesome hubby completed our headboard, which means that our to-do list now looks like this:

• Replace ceiling fan
• Purchase and possibly refinish nightstands (Found what we want and ready to purchase)
• Upgrade to a Cal King bed (Currently in the market)
• Get a full size mirror (like this one)
• Eventually put up crown molding
• Build a headboard
• Build/purchase closet organizer

Obviously we have made other small changes here and there over the course of a year, but this project has definitely been the most drastic improvement to our room so far! We're quite smitten with the turn out and amazed at what a big difference it makes in the overall feel of our bedroom.  But before I go on with the details and a brief tutorial, here she is in all her glory:

You might be wondering why we made it so wide and the answer is that we made it to fit a Cal-King bed that we are currently in the market to purchase - Yay!!! With that upgrade, there will be about a foot of headboard on each side. Of course that is our personal preference, but you could certainly cut it down to your desired width.

We really wanted the headboard to be a dominant element in our bedroom as we've chosen to keep our room simple with minimal furniture. I really love the rich tones and masculine/rustic balance this addition gives our space!

All-in-all, this was a fairly simple and inexpensive project. More than anything it required time, which these days is quite precious around here, so I consider this a labor of love from my husband!

I have put together a short step-by-step for this project below if you are interested (I apologize that I don't have any pictures of the process so please feel free to ask if anything is unclear or you have questions!)

Materials:
Eight 8 ft. Pine boards cut to the size you desire $4/each
Three 6 ft support boards  $3/each
Sand Paper: 80 & 150 grit Already had
Steel wool: 000 (an alternative would be 220 grit sand paper) $2
Stain: Minwax Wood Finish in Red Oak 215 $7.50 for 1 Qt.
Polyurethane:Satin finish (You could also use a Polycrylic) $15
Pack of disposable sponge brushes $4
3/4 in. brad nails and 2 1/2 in. finish nails Already had

Tools Used:
Palm sander
Nail gun

Step 1: Distressing For multiple reasons, we opted to start with new pine boards and distress them ourselves. Starting with eight 8 ft. boards, my husband went to town using various methods to stress the boards. Some of which included: pounding the boards with a double-thick bag of nails and screws, creating marks with drill bits, burn marks, making grooves with a chisel and screw driver etc. This process requires a lot of experimentation so don't be afraid of a little trial & error. Our goal was for each board to be unique so there was no right or wrong method. Once you have distressed the boards to your liking, you want to sand down all of the corners and any rough edges, first with the 80 grit and then the 150 grit sand paper.

Step 2: Staining Once you have sanded the boards, you will need to wipe them down with a damp cloth to remove any dust and particles. Also make sure that your work space is cleaned up well. You probably want to test a small area that has been sanded down first to make sure you like the stain. After you are sure about the stain color and you have mixed it well, apply one coat to the boards. Because we wanted some variation to our boards, we wiped the stain after applying for a lighter effect on a few boards, while leaving the stain on the other for a darker look. This is really up to you and how dark you want your finish. Allow the stain at least 24 hours to dry.

Step 3: Durability Once the stain is completely dry you are going to apply the polyurethane coats, allowing at least 24 hours in between for each coat to dry. You will want to apply a minimum of 2 coats for durability. Once each coat is dry and before reapplying, sand down the boards with your steel wool or 220 grit sand paper.

Step 4: Assembly After you have decided the order you want to boards to be assembled, you are ready to attach them to your three support boards. You will want to place two of the support boards so they are a few inches smaller than the width of your bed and place the third board in the center of them. When your stained boards are laid out evenly cross-ways on the support boards, begin nailing each board in place using the shorter brad nails. Once they are all attached, position your headboard in place and attach to the wall with the longer finish nails in the bottom of each support board. We also placed a few at the top of the headboard for additional support, using a small spacer board in the gap to account for the baseboard.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check back soon for the finishing touches on our Master bedroom makeover!

Backyard Chronicles {Part 1}

This post has been a long time coming! And the truth is, because this project will be quite a lengthy one, I didn't want to share any before shots of our backyard until we were ready to begin the transformation. And friends, the time has finally come and we're ready to get this show on the road!

Living in the area we do, outdoor living is essential. When we bought our home, having a good sized yard was high on our list of priorities. Even one that needed some TLC (as our definitely does!), because if nothing else, we are able see past things in their current state to what we want them to be. We have so many ideas and inspiration for this space!

What I am about to show you is our backyard today from two vantage points. We have done nothing besides normal maintenance since moving here. As you will see, it's got a ton of potential but our goal is to transform that potential into a beautiful outdoor oasis!

It's a little rough, super plain and in need of some serious landscaping, but we have some awesome ideas! Some will take more time than others, so our expectations are that it will evolve somewhat slowly and probably not be totally complete for a few years. But with that said, we hope to start enjoying our yard soon as we start to make some big improvements!  

Here is our long-term project list:

• get rid of the spa
• pressure wash the patio to remove the yellow paint
• purchase a large table (hopefully to accommodate 8)
• build an overhang to cover the patio area
• remove most of the rocks around the pool area and fully landscape that area
• plant some greenery that will grow up the retaining wall (possibly jasmine)
• plant something that will create some privacy along the back fence
• landscape large (left) side yard
  
• build a shed on the small (right) side yard to store pool and lawn equipment
• build a structure around both the AC unit and the pool equipment
• replace the entire fence
• re-surface the pool
• level and cement a partial area of the large side yard

As you can see it's a hefty list, but one we're very excited about starting to check off!!  Stick around because I will be updating our progress all summer long!

Master Bedroom: Closet Progress & A Tour

So much for accountability, huh? Remember when I said we were going to finish our closet in September? Yeah, that didn't happen. We started strong and then the hassle of deciding to build a closet organizer or purchase one got the better of us and we moved on, putting the disaster we call our closet on the back burner-again!

Luckily, with some nudging from my friend who was curious if we had ever finished, we started back up and I am happy to say it is almost complete! I know, I know, it's about time!

Here's where we are today:

• Our clothes have been purged and a large trip to Goodwill was made.
• We took down the wooden rod that was admittedly bowing from the weight of my clothes and two metal rods were added to accommodate both mine and Chris' clothes. Not only does that make them more sturdy, but it's a far more efficient use of the space!
• And finally, after pricing out materials, we decided it was actually cheaper to purchase the 5x5 Expedit shelving unit from Ikea (which we scored for $179 with the Ikea family discount this month!). It fits like a glove, making the most of our closet space.

We are so happy with the progress so far! Now I just need to find the perfect fabric to cover both closets and this project will be closed-thank heavens!

Click here for a glimpse at the before.

And while we're on the Master Bedroom, I thought I would give you a little tour of its current state (something I realized I have never done!).

On our list to complete the bedroom:

• Replace ceiling fan
• Purchase and possibly refinish nightstands
• Upgrade to a Cal King bed
• Get a full size mirror (like this one)
• Eventually put up crown molding
• And I'm still playing with the idea of building a headboard

I'll keep you updated! Happy Monday!!

Let There Be Light: Kitchen Update

Leave it to us to get sidetracked from a project (ahem, the closet), but when my husband sets his mind to something, it's getting done! And honestly, I'm really glad this particular project is out of the way! Don't worry, the master closet revamp is still in full swing-an update to come soon.

Since day one, we have hated, and I mean HATED the old light box in our kitchen. In fact, it was on our list of "to-do immediately" upon moving in. But just like things do, it got postponed for other, more important projects and has just driven us crazy these past nine months.

Notice the over spray around the box. Yeah, that's because when we initially painted the ceilings, we didn't bother covering it since it was suppose to be replaced soon..

Ahh, light box removed, holes patched and ready for some texture and fresh paint...

And finally, the new spot lights installed!

The pictures may not do a good job at conveying this, but we LOVE how open and spacious this small change made our kitchen feel! And not to mention the modern touch and crisp, white light it gives off (thanks to the daylight compact florescent bulbs).

It's coming along, one project at a time. Now to just find a reasonable bid on new counter tops...

{Inspired} Dreamy Closet

 Now that I am officially obsessed with our next home makeover (the master closet), I am looking everywhere for the perfect inspiration! Obviously I don't have an entire room to dedicate to our clothes, but how dreamy is this dressing room?!

Oh, to be able to see all of our clothes! And to have functional space for accessories and shoes-be still my heart.

This project kicks off this weekend-wish us luck!

all images via IHeart Organizing

The Nursery: Revealed!

It's been two months in the making and our Girl's bedroom is finally complete! So without further ado, allow me to present our Sweet Pea's Nursery!

Most items in our nursery were either refinished by my husband or crafted by me, including the crib skirt, window treatments, fabric banner, nursing pillow cover, hair pretty holder, dresser and side table. It was so worth our time and effort as Baby Girl's room is EXACTLY how I envisioned it!

Of course, there are a few more things we would like to do, but they are certainly not necessities, such as: 

• Install proper tie backs for the closet curtains {maybe some pretty glass ones that match the dresser pulls?)
• Cut out and applique fabric letters to the banner so "Sweet Dreams" really pops
• Build a simple closet organizer to maximize the floor space in that big ole' closet
• Install crown molding (but we would eventually like to do that in all the bedrooms)

All in all, we are in LOVE! Hope you enjoyed!

Next Up: Master Closet Redo

Now that the nursery is complete (post coming tomorrow!), we can finally refocus our efforts on the project we started back in March-the master bedroom!! While we were able to get a good chunk completed, there is still some work to be done. And our first major task at hand: doing a total overhaul on our closet(s). Because the truth is, we have a ton of closet space, but it's not the most functional and that drives us both insane!

The goal: To maximize our space and avoid the need for a dresser

I suppose I should show you what we are working with first. But be warned, it's not pretty and I am embarrassed to say that this is what we see when we're in bed...romantic, I know. Obviously we would like to change that to create a calm, relaxing atmosphere.

How's that for keepin' it real?! As you can see, we've got our work cut out for us! We've got smashed clothes, bowing brackets, piles of who knows what-basically, in need of some serious TLC. Here's how we're breaking down this project:

1. Sort through our clothes and make a trip to Goodwill (maybe I should also mention that half of the guest room closet is full of Chris' clothes)

2. Draw up a blueprint

3. Build/install closet organizer

4. Fashion pretty closet coverings (since one of the very first things we did upon moving in was rip out the unsightly closet doors). I'm hoping to add drape-like covering that create a flowy and romantic feel to the room.

Since we have plenty of other things going on, we're giving ourselves the entire month to complete this project. I'll do my best to post updates of our progress!