Current House – Page 85

Etsy Favs: March

Published on March 25, 2013March 25, 2013 by Our Humble AbodeLeave a comment

Happy Monday, all! Did you have a great weekend? How was your weather? Were you one of the areas to get a mountain of snow? We didn’t, but our temps were cold. Raise your hand if you’re ready for spring. I’m completely ready. Judging by my most recent Etsy favs, even my subconscious is ready for spring. Lots of bright, springy colors and flowers in the group.

Seattle 1 (Ferris Wheel) print from Yellow Brick Home:

Emerald Green Air Plant Pod by Bird and Feather Co.:

Armadillo Art Print at Rove Studio:

Running Flamingos by Vivian and Beverly:

Sun Mobile from Me and She:

Diamond Hanging Planter at Raw Dezign:

Tiny Gem Studs at Eleanor Joseph:

Golden Gate Bridge Pillow from Nesta Home:

Modern Ceramic Cup by Studio Lorier:

reBeam Planter from Busch Design:

Love Mumford and Sons Quote by First Snowfall:

Do you have a favorite?

Tray Chic

Published on March 22, 2013March 22, 2013 by Our Humble Abode14 Comments

I’m sure you’re getting sick of posts about the guest room, but I’m so excited to have a room to decorate. And tweak and perfect. New green accents are a great burst of color, but I wanted more. For handy storage, I made another storage box, this time green with navy accents and an octagon tray.

For $2.49 from Hobby Lobby, I think this little two-tone tray is down right cheerful. Navy diagonal stripes on the box lid are youthful (perfect for a 19-year-old boy) and tie into the other navy elements.

Even more greenery in the form of a fake succulent (perfect for a room with little natural light) nestled in a spray painted glass jar. Here’s a tip, get a glossy outside by painting the inside of glass vessels.

Fingers crossed we’ll install trim in here this weekend. After painting it, we can finally paint the walls. I’m almost positive we’ve settled on Safari by Benjamin Moore (the top, light sample).

It is more pale than I originally planned for, but I think it should work well. There’s enough orange to keep it from turning lime green under the bluish CFL lighting, but still looks yellow. Although I should admit I’m still yearning for a darker warm gold like Honeymoon. A chip close to the light switch nearly blends in with the color I originally wanted. I’m apprehensive to go with the darker color because I’ve struck out my last four attempts.

Which would you choose? The lighter, safer option or the darker that is close to the original vision?

Rope and Ribbon Pendant

Published on March 21, 2013March 21, 2013 by Our Humble Abode12 Comments

Well, the guest room has a new light fixture. Surprise, it’s not on this list, though I was leaning toward numbers two and five. But I remembered I had a lamp shade I kept when our lamps broke. I unscrewed the glass cover and hung the shade from the old light, just to get an idea of how it looked.

Too small, and I didn’t like the slightly tapered shape. I took a drum shade off a lamp in the basement, replacing it with the tapered shade. Whaddya know, they were perfect for each other.

Knowing I liked the look and size, I started working on the wiring and hanging. Inspired by this cord cover up, I got out an Ikea cord kit (I had on hand) and cotton/poly rope from Home Depot (for 3 bucks).

A knot at the bottom, close to the socket to start. Then I wrapped the cord like a friendship bracelet. Behind the cord, then through the hole from the front. Not only does this wrap cover the cord, it makes a neat swirl knot design.

Ben hung the light last night using a basic ceiling canopy. The plain shade was boring, so I taped two pieces of wood veneer around the top and bottom.

Everything looked too monotone, so I stole pillows from other rooms to test accent colors. I loved the punch of green this one added. Imagine yellow walls with the dark blue headboard and shots of bright green. Yes, please!

Which prompted me to dig in my ribbon box, coming out with kelly green.

Exactly what I want. Fun, colorful, and lively. Green has a way of perking up any space. To evenly distribute the lively green I want to make another storage box. Luckily the navy set will work perfectly in the main bathroom.

Because I had most of the supplies already, the light cost me $3 for the rope. Score. And you know I can’t resist a DIY. Double score. What do you think of the changes?

Loaded & Headed

Published on March 20, 2013March 26, 2013 by Our Humble Abode25 Comments

Progress has been made in the guest/Handy Sammy’s room. The shelves have been reconfigured, curtains sewn, storage boxes made, storage needs assessed, and mini dresser refinished. Taking the room from dark:

To this brighter space:

Now to an almost finished room:

After clearing off the shelves, I edited the accessories, keeping only favorites and books. Last week the shelves fully dried and I loaded everything back on.

Organizing books into genres, then arranged by color (ROYGBIV with white, gray and black at the end) makes it easy to find what we’re looking for.

Magazines organized by month in files at the bottom.

On the other side, Handy Sammy has four shelves (the vase, frame, and plant can easily be cleared) to store school books and papers, chargers, and his laptop. A shelf at bed height also doubles as a night stand.

I’m guessing you noticed the blue headboard, too. We thought about upholstering with a fun fabric, but the books and accessories on the shelves are already kind of busy for the small room. And we didn’t want to lose precious space, even if it is only a few inches. In this room, every inch counts.

Solid color seemed the best fit for the room. I bought two yards of navy linen, brought it home and didn’t like it. Too blue. Then I heard our local Ace Hardware stores were giving free quarts of Clark + Kensington paint away one day only. I chose a dark blue-green color (King’s Canyon), not knowing what I’d use it for. Once I held the swatch up in the room, it seemed perfect for the headboard. 1/4 inch MDF is light weight and super thin, so I painted a few coats. Ben hung it last night, covering the edges with pre-painted quarter round trim.

And he installed the second sconce we had ordered.

Making this little nook inviting and useful.

Next up, hang a light fixture. Surprise, it’s a DIY creation I discovered yesterday. Soon we will install crown molding, baseboard, and door trim. Paint on the trim, ceiling, and walls (I’m STILL looking for the perfect color), we can call this room done. Wow, this room is actually going quickly.

Replacement Rug

Published on March 19, 2013March 19, 2013 by Our Humble Abode4 Comments

Our laundry room isn’t very pretty. At all. Orange counters, plain white walls, fluorescent lights, and oak cabinets. And floor-less.

Literally right after closing, Ben pulled out the pet stained (and smelly) carpet that was in the laundry room, hall, and bathroom (eww). But I don’t like the feel of walking on old carpet glue. For a while, we used extra Flor tiles.

Then we swapped rugs and the chevron painted rug sat in storage. Until I measured the laundry room and realized the rug was almost the perfect size to cover the floor. Or most of it.

Ben and Handy Sammy lifted the washer and dryer while I shimmied the rug under. It is a few inches too long for the room, so it curls against the back wall. But hey, it covers the floor, gets the rug out of storage, and works until we get to work in here.

The natural jute color definitely isn’t doing the orange counter tops or orange-y stained cabinets any favors.

But we have storage space (and a utility sink!) and that’s what matters.

More than anything, the new rug makes me want a fun patterned floor when we get around to changing this space. I’d really love to paint or replace the counters, too, but that’s not a priority. Heck, the whole room isn’t a priority. Ben doesn’t see the value in touching the laundry room because we’ll have to add insulation to the back wall (where there’s nothing but concrete). Which means the size of the cabinets will change. Oh well, a girl can dream, right?