{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!

{Before & After} A Functional Landing

Last week concluded a home project which has been in the works for quite some time. Not only was it a necessary fix due to our ever-growing family and therefore, changing needs, but it was somewhat of a safety concern for us with a little one running around.

One of the most appealing qualities of our home is its open and spacious feel, which really lends to extra spaces that can be transformed as our needs for our home change.  In this particular case, what we needed was more storage space for things like my craft/sewing supplies due to my husband now needing a dedicated home office and a little more space for Claire's toys.

Our upstairs landing previously looked like this:

From the upstairs

And from downstairs:

We didn't all-together hate how it looked (with the exception of that awful rolled carpet above!), but it certainly lent itself to a lack of privacy due to the high windows in our family room that come up to the second story. But it also made it near impossible to hide anything (aka:the vacuum you see in the picture above). As for safety, the slats were much too wide for curious little ones.

So we talked through what we could do with Chris' Dad, as he is the family guru for projects such as this. As a Christmas present, he offered his labor and the materials to build what we wanted! Sweet!! For the past two weeks he has been here transforming the above into this!:

We are completely and totally in love with the transformation! And while it certainly added the desired function of more storage, we love how open, yet intimate it made the space feel! We now have the privacy we wanted, a ton of storage space and a bonus, an added space for Claire to play! I didn't capture it very well here, but the far left set of shelves that house my sewing and craft supplies are actually the longest of the three, giving me plenty of needed space:

We moved my desk back into the office and made space for another play area. I especially love this because we now have a designated space for the play kitchen we plan on building for Claire later this year :) And in the future, when our kids are school-aged, we would love to add a built-in desk in the corner.

My father-in-law does superior work (much like my awesome husband!) and really gave us a beautiful gift!

{The Nursery: Closet Makeover}

One of my favorite aspects of Claire's nursery is the massive closet. I mean, how many 9-month old's do you know with their very own walk-in? Not only does it easily accommodate her generous wardrobe, but since we first transformed the room, I've pictured her own little space in there. I've had all sorts of ideas, from a reading nook, to a play area, to a place to play dress-up! I also envision her making forts in there with her siblings one day :) The possibilities are endless and I really wanted to maximize the space.

A few weeks ago as I was packing away the clothes she's outgrown, I decided it was time to make the upgrade. Ultimately, we decided that our biggest need right now was a place to put Claire's toys and a cozy nook to read with her. So we popped on over to Ikea and grabbed a few bins for her smaller toys, a small carpet square for texture and a pop of color, a reading chair (for when she gets older) and of course, these toys I talked about!

And then there was the matter of book shelves I wanted to build to easily store most of her book collection. I found a quick and easy tutorial and my hubby went out and purchased the materials. But then something happened...we made another quick trip to Ikea last weekend and discovered they had basically the exact same ledge-like shelves he was going to make. For only $10 each! (check them out!) Now friends, we are diy-ers all the way, but when you can find, for all functioning purposes, the same thing pre-made for cheaper than you can build it, sometimes it's just worth it! And since we knew our time was limited, we decided that Ikea's shelves were the route to go.

I feel like the shelves really made the most of our space and provided much-needed storage without taking up precious floor space. And the best part, the whole transformation was pretty inexpensive and will easily accommodate any updates as she gets bigger!

Come and take a peek inside Claire's new reading nook/playroom!

 

Her toys now have a home that isn't the living room or hallway- Yay!!

I've been storing these pillows for a while, knowing they would come in handy at some point! In the future I may sew some new pillow covers, but for now they are perfect for snuggling up and reading to my girl!

I was a little concerned about the height of the bottom shelf as Claire will pull herself up on anything within reach. So hubby made sure to install the extra heavy duty anchors so they wouldn't come out if she used them for standing support (which she already has!).

I love how easily accessible and visible her books are now!

This is where we spend a lot of our indoor playtime these days!

She seems to love her new space :)

Wouldn't you want to play and read here?!

 

{Island Fever...}

Unfortunately, this is not a post telling you that we're flitting off last minute to a tropical paradise. But the next best thing, we made a little house update that's been on our list for a few months. Introducing, our newest addition to the breakfast nook!

But first, what it looked like before:

And now!:

Chris and I were very fond of and quite proud of our black pedestal kitchen table. It was a true labor of love from my husband to me two years ago when he sanded it down from many layers of paint to give me my dream table. I thought we would have that table forever. But after living in our home for about a year, we noticed that it is actually our dining room that gets the most use.

Sometime last Fall, Chris brought up the possibility of putting an island in the breakfast nook instead, something that, ironically, I had been thinking, too! Right away we found the Stenstorp kitchen island from Ikea. We fell immediately in love. We were first drawn to its sturdy, solid construction and additionally, the two stainless shelves that would tie in our stainless appliances, serve as extra storage and add a bit of the modern touch that my husband loves so much. We also appreciated that it provides some seating on the back side if we still want to have coffee or breakfast in that sunny little nook. What's not to love?

Like many ideas/projects at the moment, this one got put on our 'something to save for' list. And then last week I had a wild hair to have an impromptu garage sale in an attempt to purge some closets and maybe earn a little extra cash for those little projects we've been itching to finish.  At the prompting of my genius husband we brought out our kitchen table hoping maybe it would sell and the money could go toward our island. Within the first hour it was gone - score! 

And then as luck would have it, I decided to do a little browing on craigslist Monday morning and there it was, our island, in mint condition selling for $100 less then the original price! You should know that Chris has a search set up for this very piece on the craigslist app on his phone and we've never seen it listed, but this particular seller had spelled it incorrectly so it never showed up on his search. So basically, me finding it was pure luck! I wasted no time calling the seller and picking it up. I am certain I looked like a five-year old on Christmas morning:)

And now, this is what I get to look at every day while I'm in the kitchen! I am so happy with how clean and crisp it looks, especially next to our white cabinets!

Ahh...I LOVE it and seriously can't help smiling every time I see it!

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!

House Tour!

Happy Monday, friends! I wanted to let you know of a little update I made to the links above. I have finally added our house tour to Our Nest! There you will find pictures of our humble abode in its current state. Keep in mind that it will be constantly changing as we continue updating rooms. We've got awesome projects on the horizon this year, so stay tuned!

Entryway {Re-Done}

For several months now I've been plagued with the dilemma of how to control the pile of shoes at our front door. Since our entryway isn't very big, I didn't want anything that would be too obtrusive and possibly be a tripping hazard, but I knew I wanted it to look like a designated entryway.

After finding what I believe to be the perfect solution, I am entirely convinced that this piece was made for our space! We went with this shoe organizer from Ikea's Hemnes collection. Once Chris finished putting it together we both stepped back and fell completely in love. It couldn't be a more perfect fit! I've got to hand it to Ikea, they sure do have a knack for making the most of small spaces!

It fits up to 8 pairs of shoes (and more if they're flip flops or flats!). Amazing for such a slim design!

I'm so excited to have another thing crossed off of our list! Next up: the laundry room!

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!!

Ruffled

I am a girly-girl to the core. And as such, have a soft spot for anything and everything with ruffles! So when I saw this super simple tutorial for a ruffled lamp shade, I was ALL over it! Especially since this particular lamp needed a little love. And a little love it got! It is now officially my favorite lamp in the house (at least until I fix up the two we just snagged at a garage sale)!

And the icing on the cake-I had all the materials necessary, so this little lampshade makeover was 100% F-R-E-E!

Just as a reference point, here's what it looked like before..

Happy Tuesday!

Gearing Up for Fall

This weekend our humble abode got a sprucing up for Fall! There is still more I would like to do (like glitter some pumpkins), but I did get to a few crafts I've been eying on Pinterest!

Here's the mantle, still needing some height, but it's getting there!

I first crafted a burlap wreath, inspired by this lovely version,

A simple burlap banner declaring, "Happy Fall"

And finally, my attempt at these pumpkin candle holders.

And it just wouldn't be Fall without my pumpkin spice candle (with my own touch, of course)!

Are you ready for the new season?