A Bedroom Fit for a Superhero

When we moved Matt into his "big boy" room almost 3 years ago (wait, what?!) we were going for a hockey theme. Somehow it didn't all pan out as I imagined. The one cool thing we did was take dad's broken hockey sticks and made drawer pulls out of them for his built-in dresser. And besides a few framed prints of hockey apparel and some pucks he got from a Griffin's game, that was all...

So fast forward now 2 years later, and he has this Spiderman birthday party (he's never seen any movies, and just got a book for his birthday), because it seems like at some point, every little boy thinks superheros are the coolest! Well I never imagined I would encourage a Spiderman bedroom, but this boy's in love with the web-slinger, and his walls are already painted with a red, white and blue stripe that would kinda go with this theme.

As I mentioned last week, we're getting ready to move Ty into his big boy bedroom, and we need Matt's twin bed. Well, not really, but we need a queen bed somewhere in our house to sleep guests. So we're doing a switcheroo and giving Matt the queen bed, and Ty will have Matt's twin for now with a trundle underneath for Matt when guests are sleeping in his room.

Since this switch meant that Matt would need bigger bedding, I decided to lock down a theme for his room, and we landed on Spiderman, after consulting with the dweller of the space. He's pretty pumped, and thinks that this inspiration board is fantastic! I mean, who wouldn't want to sleep on Spiderman sheets??

 It kinda looks like a hot mess with all of the Spiderman paraphernalia, but those signs are small in comparison to the space, so it will be just fine! Like I said, his room is already painted with a tri-colored stripe running around it as pictured above, and the colors work. I won't be painted over those. They were truly a nesting moment, while I was pregnant with Ty and feeling the need to give Matt a really cool room! They were a labor (see that?) of love that took me longer than birthing a child. ;)

Of course he needed some cool new Spiderman sheets, courtesy of Pottery Barn Kids to kick start this process. As much as I sort of wanted the coordinating quilt they offer, I just felt that $230 was a bit too much to spend on something that he will surely outgrow before the quilt unravels. Instead I picked up this less expensive option that can transition with him forever from Target:

There's no giant Spiderman crawling on it, but it reminded me of webs, and Matt likes it, so it's all good! It's quite thin, but the boy sweats when he sleeps, so I'm not concerned. If he complains he's cold in the winter, we'll throw another blanket under this quilt for warmth. I'm thinking a red bed skirt would work well here, but I need to see what we do with the bed frame and headboard before I go ahead and order that.

On either side of the bed, I would love to make these sconces. I already have two of the cage lights by Threshold from Target, so I just need a couple of IKEA brackets to hold them up. And speaking of IKEA, this rug and these curtains are the pop of red this room needs. I love that the curtains are block-out! They'll go well with his block-out shade. Yup, my kids sleep in dark caves... but they sleep well! ;)

Somewhere I would like a cityscape in his room, and it looks like something I could paint myself. There's a small wall under his name that might be the spot, or possibly on his cork board. Either way the cork board needs some love.

As for artwork: the 4 decorative pieces are actually vintage tin signs I ordered from Amazon, and they're about 12x16, so not annoyingly large. The poster pictured by the curtains is a little larger (16X32), but it was $2, so I couldn't pass it up, and I like its simple Art Deco styling. I'll be making a sign or two for his room. I love the big brother signs, and of course we'll have to incorporate Spiderman's phrase: "With great power comes great responsibility".

He has a chair in his room that we brought up from the living room a few years ago. It's comfortable, but needs a slipcover, if you ask me. That might be a winter project. I suggested bringing his anywhere chair upstairs, but he said he likes to sit in it to watch movies in the basement. Funny... he's always on the couch next to me when we watch movies...

We're excited to get started! I told him as soon as his sheets are delivered, we can move the bed in and get it set up, so that might be as early as this weekend. This won't require much work, just hanging the signs and once I find time to run to IKEA (let's be honest, I need at least a day!), then I'll be able to unroll the rug and hang the curtains.

Until next time... whenever that may be. yesiknowimaninconsistantblogger

A Big Boy Room for My Little Man

In a little over a month, Ty will be 2 and a half. He still loves his crib, but I know the time will come quickly when he'll be ready for a bed, just like his big brother, and we're sort of hoping to make the transition before Thanksgiving guests arrive.

We have three bedrooms upstairs in our house - one is Matt's room, one is the guest bedroom/office, and one is the nursery, or Ty's room. We have a few things to switch around upstairs to make it all make sense.

First of all, there is a queen size bed in the guest bedroom that we'll be moving to Matt's bedroom. Then we'll need to move Matt's twin bed into the guest bedroom, or Ty's future room! The plan is to build (well, my husband would prefer I buy, for time's sake) a trundle bed so that when we do have guests, Matt can sleep on the trundle bed in Ty's room, and the guests can take Matt's room.

I've been working my tail off trying to clear out the excess clutter that we all seem to acquire once we have children. I took last Wednesday morning and cleaned out all of the closets upstairs - Matt's, Ty's, the guest bedroom and the closet that leads to our attic. We were going back to school shopping the next day, so it needed to be done, I just didn't actually think I could do it!

And while Matt went to the cabin with my husband, Ty and I tackled the attic. He was actually very helpful, although he did pull out some old toys that I had stashed away.  I was sweating like a pig while he was happily playing with a bike he found and a car that he loved last year! But after a couple of hours, the attic was somewhat organized, and I had 3 big bags of stuff to donate. I have to go back in again to really situate everything, but I'll wait for fall weather, so it's a little more bearable.

So now that the guest bedroom closet is not full of outgrown clothes, I think I can start planning this big boy room. One of my favorite parts of the design process is making inspiration boards! You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. ;) Ok, sorry... check this out!

If there's something this boy loves, it's animals! Big or small he wants to pet them all, and talk to them, and play with them, and just be buddies. So I thought it would be fun to incorporate that into his new room, but in a style that can grow with him.

When I saw the Otomi stencil from Royal Design Studio, I knew I had a starting point. I love the deer, the birds, the bunnies, and the fish, as well as the leaves, acorns, and bugs in this pattern. It's playful, but in the right colors, it can be subtle, and not too theme-y. The walls in the room are already painted Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore, and I think they'll stay. I'm planning to paint the stencil on just the wall behind the bed (above) in White Down, a white with a slight warm gray undertone that I've used on all the trim and built-ins throughout our house I've painted so far. It will look similar to the sample I created above on the inspiration board. *Please ignore the pile of stuff I still need to sort through on the left. This is real life, folks!*

Right now we have our desk in this room, which serves no real purpose, other than as a place to hold the printer and some files. A new home shall be found for it all! In it's place will be a cozy spot to read before bed, and to snuggle when he's sick at night. I have loved the Poang chair from IKEA in this colorful pattern since they first introduced it a few years ago. For under $100 it's the perfect addition, and it's surprisingly comfortable! The bedding I chose is also from IKEA, again for $10, I'm sold. And the curtains, too. Great color, great price. Although I might have to add some fabric to the back to make them block-outs. ;)

We already have the owl rug in the nursery. The colors work until I can find something else. I would love to make this barn door headboard from Shanty 2 Chic, but I'm not sure if my hubby will be on board, since it's taken me months to make a farmhouse table, mainly because I haven't had time, and it's so big that I can't build it in our basement. But school's starting soon, and this headboard could make it up the stairs safely... we'll see!

These honeycomb hexagon shelves on the other hand will be constructed and hung on the wall above! And if I get awesome at faux taxidermy (har har), he'll have some white resin animals heads on his walls as a nod to his dad's hunting obsession. I wish these puppies weren't $50-$100, but I'll see what I can find at TJ Maxx & Homegoods. The arrows are a find from One Kings Lane, but I'm pretty sure I can use one of the tutorials that I've seen floating around other blogs to make a few.  I might have to add some framed feathers, because we have quite a few chicken, turkey and blue jay feathers around our house from adventures!

I'm excited to get started, but before I can do that, I need to finish up Matt's room. We've switched ideas in there, and that's okay since he's getting a different sized bed now anyway, and the accessories just never came together before. Check out that inspiration board next week. It's a little more themed, but I promise I won't go overboard. ;)

Linking Up To:
Dimples & Tangles - Summer Style Soiree Link Party

My Family Cottage & A Dining Plan

I hope you all had as fun of a 4th as we did! We spent the whole weekend with family and friends at my family's cottage - just a short walk from the beach on Lake Michigan - swimming in the lake, playing in the sand, eating ice cream, and of course watching fireworks over the channel.

  

My parents bought our cottage when I was 4 & we practically lived out there during the summers. Between the trolley rides, walks to get ice cream, spending countless hours at the beach, and climbing sand dunes, my childhood was filled with adventure. I'm so excited that my boys are now at the ages where they can enjoy these activities as much as I did.

About 5 years ago major water damage all but ruined this wonderful place. During the winter there was an electrical surge that shut off the boiler, causing the pipes to freeze and burst leaving the floors covered in inches of water, frost on every window, and drywall bubbling. There wasn't much we could do to fix it other than gut the inside and remodel, keeping the shell of the house.

I wish I had before photos to share, because we were able to move rooms around creating a more open space that functions better for our family. We lost a bedroom upstairs, but gained one in the basement by removing the second kitchen that was original to the house. We kept the bathroom upstairs, but added in a stackable washer and dryer opposite of the custom vanity to conserve space.

The kitchen and a bedroom swapped spots allowing the kitchen to be up front by the deck. Now we're able to see the channel from the new dining room. When I stand in the "new bedroom" I can't believe a kitchen and dining room used to fit in that space.

Speaking of the dining room, it is in major need of a new table and chairs. Currently the table out there is... old. It's been there since I was a kid, and it's seen better days. We're down to 5 chairs, and more often than not there are more than 5 people at the cottage. Most of the time we eat dinner outside on the deck, but when it's raining or we just need a space to hang out at night, it's nice to have seating for everyone.

 

My mom has been hesitant, because she didn't want to buy an expensive wood dining set and have it get ruined. Understandable. I mean, we all want the Pottery Barn table, but we don't want anyone to eat at it. Am I right?!

Insert Ana White's DIY Farmhouse Table.

So lovely, and so similar to this table from Pottery Barn, but built at a fraction of the price.

 

 After having made the vanity for our half-bathroom, I really think this is something I can handle. I shared my design idea and plans with my mom, then ordered the legs from Osborne Wood right away. They'll be here this afternoon -- super fast shipping if you ever need some legs. ;)

I'm planning to paint the legs and apron Linen White by Benjamin Moore to coordinate with the cabinets. They'll be distressed and sealed with a clear wax. The top will also be distressed to hide any abuse it may be put through, but I promised my mom we would lacquer the heck out of it in an attempt to protect it. I'm thinking a darker gray driftwood stain would look nice. The floors are natural hickory and have subtle gray tones in them, and the ceiling is a pine tongue and groove, so I'm not looking to match that.

As for the chairs, I picked up a set of 2 wicker parsons chairs that I'm planning to paint. I'm looking for 4 or 6 more chairs on Craig's List and in thrift shops that I can paint as well. There isn't much color in this space, so my plan is to paint 2 chairs one color, 2 chairs another color, etc. to liven up the room. Something like this:

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 We have the cutest built in bench in the entry that's painted Caliente by Benjamin Moore, so that will be the red I use for 2 of the chairs to keep a bit of consistency throughout the cottage.

That's also the same color we used on the vanity in the basement bathroom, so it only makes sense to continue it. 

Speaking of that entry bench, did you notice the fantastic paisley fabric on the cushion? I'll be pulling the rest of the colors from that fabric. I'm thinking two red chairs, two yellow chairs, two blue chairs, and possibly two green (if we have room). Or maybe I'll paint each chair a different color; 1 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow, 1 green, 1 blue and... maybe 2 blue? I really depends on the chairs I find, and how big the table ends up being.

I'm excited to get started, and I can't wait until it's all done! I know it will really add character to the dining room and help with color flow throughout the whole cottage.

And in case you think I forgot, I don't have any major updates on my mom's kitchen renovation. The coffee bar is almost complete, and the cup pulls have been installed, but the knobs I ordered look a lot more minty in person than the aqua we are going for. I'm working on returning those now, and either exchanging for a new color, or looking at an entirely different knob.  I also received the fabric for the window valance late last week. I hope to get started on that soon, with a tutorial on how to make a simple and modern valance. Stay tuned! ;)

Linking Up To:
Everyday Enchanting - Enchanting Inspiration Link Party No. 6

Half-Bathroom Sconces -- a quick fix!

After a quick & impromptu project, we've decided not to replace our sconces, but to renew them!

I've received a lot of compliments on our $20 Home Depot sonces, and I really liked them too, but the original chrome finish just wasn't working in this new rustic setting. 

Enter: Rustoleum Aged Copper Spray Paint & a mini tutorial!

 Step One: Remove the fixture from the wall.

 Step Two: Lightly sand all exposed metal with a fine sanding block or sand paper. I used a 120 grit sanding block.

 Notice the scuffed up surface. This will allow the spray paint to adhere to the sconce.

 Step Three: Cover sockets with painters tape. Spray away, according to the instructions on your can of course!

 Step Four: Spray additional coats as you see fit. I only had to do two, about an hour apart. I let the sconces dry completely for 48 hours.

Step Five: Re-install your fixtures, step back, and enjoy the beautiful and cheap "new" lights!

This option is way more economical than the $100 I would have spent on new sconces. I've seen other bloggers who have sprayed door knobs with this same product, and they didn't have much luck with it staying, mainly because you're constantly touching knobs. I figure I will probably only have contact with these lights once every couple of years to change a bulb, because let's be honest - the first time I cleaned these was before I sprayed them... yep... that's 3 years of dust. ;)

Sconces Before:

 And after:

The bathroom is really starting to come together now!

Linking Up To:
 Just A Girl And Her Blog - Hit Me With Your Best Shot #10
 I Heart Nap Time - Link Party Palooza #32

Kitchen Renovation {Before}

It's been almost 3 years since we renovated our kitchen, and today I thought I'd show you some of the before pictures, and some reasons why we decided to gut and start over.

 

Above is a view of our old kitchen standing in our dining room. Just to note, I had already removed the fruit and ivy wall paper that was on the bulkhead when we moved in. I planned on painting the bulkhead (one thing I didn't like... why not take the cabinets to the ceiling?)  a deep brick red to coordinate with the floor and small tiles in the back splash, but I ended up just painting it white, in hopes that we would demolish it all and start over in the near future.

But there it sat in this state for about a year and a half. The fridge on the end also bugged me. It felt like it was waiting for you to walk into it. The location of the double ovens (and the fact that we HAD double ovens) was one of the few reasons I liked this kitchen. On to some more reasons we didn't like it.

You see those dark green counter tops? In this picture they're quite clean, but since they are a solid color, they showed every spec of dust that landed on them... and it drove me crazy! The cast iron sink was also a pain to clean and keep clean. Can you tell I'm a fan of low-maintenance materials?

While the cabinets were solid wood, and custom built in home originally, the hardware was not really my style, nor were the exposed hinges. I know those are easy to change, but that was about the only easy thing. That huge fluorescent light in the middle of the kitchen being one more of the difficulties. And while I know they're more Earth friendly, I despise the light that fluorescents give off (ice, ice baby, too cold, too cold!).

Across from the end of the peninsula (sorry, I don't have a before picture) was a pantry. We kept our trash in there, small appliances, place mats... random stuff. It was only about 15" deep, and split into two upper cabinets, one of which was on the receiving end of the laundry shoot from upstairs, and two taller lower cabinets. It didn't work well at all.

We waffled over removing the quarry stone floor. There was not a crack or chip in any tile. That's impressive since it was over 50 years old! But it was so hard to work with, and went through the kitchen, dining room, living room, entry, half bath, and laundry. Much like the green counter tops, it was also difficult to make it look clean - everything showed.

Before we even decided to completely start over, I had drawn up some plans. These were 3 years in the making! I'm still happy with everything, so we definitely looked at our options.

I still love to look at those technical drawings. They're almost identical to what we're living with today. Watching my drawings and dreams turn into reality was so much fun! And being a part of all of the designing and building was so interesting and exciting. I can't wait to show you the after photos.

Beefin' Up the Built-Ins

In our house we have two fireplaces and a set of built-ins on either side of both fireplaces. We spend a lot of time in our living room, especially after the boys go to sleep, and I've spent a lot of time staring at the built-ins in this room pondering how I can make them a little more substantial.

If you can remember waaaay back in October, I wrote about how I wanted to make some changes to this room. One thing I mentioned was some new doors on the built-ins. They are currently in progress, and I'm excited to share them with you, just as soon as they're finished.

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This is the door style I'm going with. I was going to go with a simple Shaker style, but decided to add a vertical lattice strip down the middle for a little more character. They'll be painted Benjamin Moore's White Down, and the shelves will get a fresh coat of paint as well. I might add some quarter round at the bottom and crown at the top, only time will tell!

I've put a little pressure on myself to get these puppies done before the weekend. My in-laws are coming down to visit, as well as my brother-in-law and his family. I always have something going, and I'm sure they think I'm crazy (nothing like making assumptions, right?). Hey, at least I'm not painting the entry for the 5th time... literally...

Our Half-Bathroom - Before

Almost 3 years ago, when we remodeled our kitchen, we decided to remove the red quarry stone floor that was original to our home. It was a difficult color to work with, and no matter how often I cleaned it, it always looked dirty. It ran all the way from our laundry room, half-bathroom and entry, through our living room and dining room, and ended in our kitchen. Quite the span of red!

In our kitchen, dining room and living room we chose a natural hickory hardwood floor that we're still very happy with. In the laundry room, half-bath, and entry we had a 12x12 ceramic installed in an offset pattern. We love the look of it, but about a year after it was installed the grout started coming loose, and tiles were popping. I tried to re-grout them myself, and I even put gorilla glue down as a quick fix, but within days the tiles were loose again. 

We've been told by a couple of tile installers that the installer who put the tile in did not properly prepare the floor underneath, therefore it's bouncing slightly when anyone walks on it, making the grout crack and the tiles pop. Not what we wanted to hear... so we threw a rug over it!

After trying to fix it, and waiting a few years, we're ready to bite the bullet and replace this tile. It is the first thing you see when you come into our house.

But along with replacing it, we've decided it's time to renovate our half-bathroom. As with most half-bathrooms, it probably gets the most traffic in our house. Here's how it currently looks:

I decided to remove the green stripe wall paper about 4 years ago and paint it a purpleish-gray. We also replaced the ornate brass sconces with an economical chrome set from Home Depot. The vanity used to be green to match the wall paper, so I painted it White Down (a Benjamin Moore color) like the rest of our house. Oh, I wish I had a before before picture!

 I'm so excited to begin this renovation, mainly because I'm going to try my hand at some woodworking. A "simple" vanity... don't quote me on that simple. I just received the legs for it today, and while I'm giddy, I'm a bit nervous I might ruin these beautiful stems! Here's a sneak peak:

I'll be back with a design board to check out!