Shabby to Chic

Have you ever had something in your house that you didn't just love, but it was free & useful, so you kept it? Even though it was U-G-L-Y {"You ain't got no alibi!"}? That was the predicament that I was in with these practical baskets under our coffee table. The one on the left is a very nice rattan one from my dorm room days that currently houses our growing board game collection. The little beauty on the right {ugh} is something that ended up in my apartment after my grandmother's open heart surgery a couple of years ago. It served its purpose as a snack basket for my family at the hospital then wound up with me. Its a great basket, don't get me wrong & perfect for DVD storage, just not the prettiest. And I was not loving the way it looked when paired with the other. So what is a DIYing girl to do? Spray paint it of course!!

I perused the very limited spray paint aisle at Walmart & decided on Krylon's Global Blue in a glossy finish. {Disclaimer: While I love the way it turned out, I don't love the color with the rest of my living room. I'm planning on repainting it in a red, I just haven't found the time yet!}

I made sure to wipe the basket down with a damp cloth to remove dust & pet hair {thanks Zinga}. Then I took it outside, laid down some newspaper, & went to town. I used the entire can just to make sure that I had good coverage. I sprayed the inside of the basket, as well. I let it dry a full day, since the humidity down here in Florida is worse than Hades. 

To make it coordinate better with the other rattan basket, I added burlap to the handles. I doubled up a piece & cut it down to size. Using my hot glue gun I kept burning the you-know-what out of my fingers carefully wrapped & glued the burlap. To help keep it attached {because it was kind of refusing to lay down in some areas} I tied thin strips on each edge. 

At first, I liked the bows.  

Then, decided to cut off the tails to make it a little more streamlined & not so "country-ish". 

And there ya go! A totally new looking basket for only $3!! Plus it brings a pop of color to the space. As soon as I find the time {& the rain lays off down here} I'm going to repaint it to match my vision a little better. And, of course, I'll post an update!!

Coffee Table Overhaul

Today, I thought I'd give y'all a little sneak peak at our living room via the coffee table that I painted for it! 

Micah ended up being able to move out of barracks while he was at Fort Bragg last year, so when I went for a visit during my summer break, I helped him get some furniture. Knowing that anything he bought had the potential to end up in our 1st place together, I wasn't going to let him buy just anything! I found a matching coffee & end table {& a couch} listed on Craigslist all for $100. What a steal, huh?! We have since then gifted the couch away, but the tables made the trip to Florida. They originally caught my eye because of the shape & style. I wanted something with a slatted top & a bit decorative on the legs that would lend itself to shabby chic style. The oak color wasn't ideal, but I knew that was an easy fix. 

Once we got all of our stuff down here & the house set up, this was my first project to tackle. This pieces are both very solid. We aren't entirely sure what they are made of, though. The top had a thick layer of some sort of laminate on it, but it looks like real wood underneath. It's a mystery. 

My plan at 1st was to use Micah's palm sander to take off the top layer of whatever & then stain it with a satin Walnut stain/poly I purchased at Wal Mart. To say that didn't work would be a huge understatement. It took me 45 minutes to get one little board sanded. My plan changed quickly. I went back to Wally World & got some dark brown paint in a satin finish {just the cheapest interior kind they had}. 

I dragged the heavy beasts outside on top of an old sheet & gave them both a light hand sanding. I flipped them over on their tops & 1st painted the bases with Krylon Cream spray paint in a satin finish. It took 3-4 cans to get both evenly coated. After I was satisfied with the legs, I turned them right side up. Using a wide sponge brush, I painted the tops with my brown paint. 3 coats was perfect. I probably could have gotten away with 2 because the paint covered really well, but I wanted to be safe. Once that was dry, Micah & I used the stain that I had bought for the tables over the paint to deepen the color a bit & to provide a bit of protection for the paint since it had poly in it as well.

As a centerpiece, I've displayed our wedding photo book {which I made on Shutterfly}, 'K' coasters from Bed Bath & Beyond {which were a wedding gift}, & a Bean Pod candle {They are soy candles & clean burning! This was also a gift. Plus they smell ah-mazing!}. I've been looking for a tray as well, but haven't been able to find the perfect one yet. 

We use the baskets underneath the coffee table as storage for our board games {Scrabble is our FAVE.} & for movies & Micah's Xbox games. I've been toying with the idea of painting them since they don't match at all. What do y'all think about that?

The piece of pottery that hold our wedding book was also a wedding gift from my dad's cousin & was made by her daughter, Lee. Not only is is exceptionally beautiful, you can use it like a casserole dish as well! How awesome is that?! All of her pieces are handmade. Check out her Facebook page for more pictures of her work!

This was just the facelift these tables needed! I'm all about two tone furniture & contemporary shabby chic right now. The end table looks just like this, as well, but I didn't want to give too much of my big living room reveal away! The best part is this project cost under $30 & only took a few hours! Can't beat that. 

After: Our Foyer

Hey y'all! I feel like its been too long since I've posted another installment of the "after" of our little place. I know my parents are dying to see more! So, I thought I'd post a few pictures of our small entryway. It might be tiny, but I think it gives a great 1st impression & also works double duty as a bit of storage. 

There was a very slight alcove right by the stairs, & it was just asking for something to be put there! I was keeping my eye out for something on Craigslist. One night, I came home & there was a solid wood {albeit, slightly dirty} bookcase there! Turns out, Micah scouted it on the side of the road, just like he did with the nightstand for our guest room. Another "dumpster chic" piece. And totally FREE!! After a good cloroxing & wipe down with some Pledge, it was good to go. 

Most of the decor items are things that were previously in my college apartment. The exceptions are the 'Good Friends, Good Times' sign & the decorative plate. Both were wedding gifts & came from a boutique called Half Moon Bay in my hometown. 

This candelabra is super special to me. We used this & other similar candelabras as centerpieces for our wedding reception.

This area also functions as storage for Ella & Zinga's toys {in the cream basket}, our shoes, rain jackets, Micah's very worn Atlanta Braves hat, keys, wallets, my purse {that's from TJ Maxx, if anyone was wondering}, & my 'Indiana Jones satchel' {as Micah calls it} for when we ride his Harley. You can also see a glimpse of our 'Harry Potter door'. Yes, that is right. We actually have a cupboard under our stairs. Although, no, we do not have a wizard nephew that we stash there. 

So there is it! I'm really pleased with the arrangement. The wood finish works great right now, but I'm itching to paint it eventually. We will see how that turns out. What do y'all think?!

The Sparest of Spare Rooms

Hello, all! I know I promised after pictures of our place & now I am delivering! Instead of showing you thing whole thing in one huge post... I thought it might be better {& a little less overwhelming for us all} to go room by room & show you that way. So here is my first complete {ish} room.... our upstairs guest room, or as I like to call it, the spare room! 

If you are an Anne of Green Gables fan like me, then you will understand the importance of a spare room. Mrs. Barry told Diana that we might sleep in the spare-room bed.  Think of the honour of your little Anne being put in the spare room bed. Anne idealized spare rooms & after accidentally jumping on Diana's rich old aunt, Aunt Josephine promises to put Anne in her very sparest spare-room bed to sleep. So when I had the chance to decorate my own spare room, I knew it had to be special. 

I wanted a cozy & fresh space that made people feel welcome. And, I have to say.... I think I've accomplished it. 

Pretty much everything that is in there is from my college apartment, my room at my parents', or things that I DIY- ed. The bedding is the only new thing in the room. I am very happy with how it looks so far, but there are a few things that I am still looking to add {like a head board}. And, I am not completely, entirely happy with the arrangement over the bed.... but it works for now. I recently had a few friends visit for a night, & I got the best compliment on this room... She said it was Southern casual... Perfect.