One Room Challenge Week 1 | Breakfast Nook | Spring 2016

Ok here is my plan for my second One Room Challenge space! Yes, you read that right - I'm taking on 2 spaces for this six-week guest participation run because these spaces desperately need completing in order for my family to function in our new home. The first space is the baby nursery you can read about here.

The second space is the breakfast nook - if we have to eat our meals juggling a baby and dinner plate on our laps on the couch for very much longer I may just pull my hair out! This space is a "box" ready to be decorated - flooring is in, light is up, French doors were swapped out, and everything is painted BM Chantilly Lace. It feels fresh and ready to be lived in! A reminder, and a glimpse to any new readers, of what the space started out like when we purchased the home:

Wowzers. Truth is we have already come a long way! wallpaper down, and perhaps the biggest change - raising the floor in the adjoining step down space so we could get rid of that divisive railing!! You can see the curved bank of windows in this photo I captured with my iPhone yesterday:

And yes, the baby carseat is part of the décor now, haha. But yay for no more step down and no more railing by the  French doors! What a lovely sun filled and open space it is now. So this is officially my starting point today. Sounds easy right? Well, here's what I have in mind, including a couple of DIYs:

I'd like to use removable frosted glass coverings on the French doors because 1) we are too close to our lovely neighbours behind us, 2) it'll help preserve our oak floors from the sun but still let light in, 3) it isn't permanent should we change our minds!

 

If you've been following along in the last couple of weeks you know I've been debating what to do with these Craigslist rattan chairs. My heart is saying don't paint them, and attempt to reupholster in a faux white (wipe-able) leather all by myself, which I've never tried before! Let's see, I may change my mind half-way through and paint them! I'm going to source and hang art to liven the space up (this one is already purchased and I'm awaiting it's arrival), select the table, these killer cushions to add softness, and we should have the makings of a simple, bright and light breakfast nook! The list sounds very doable but considering it's taken me this long to get started, I figure the ORC will be just the kick in the pants I need to get the space officially done!!

 

Here we go! Hop over to Calling it Home blog to view all the other fabulous guest participants.

 

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One Room Challenge Week 1 | Nursery | Spring 2016

Well, call me crazy, but even with a 3 month old baby in tow I've decided to jump in on the One Room Challenge as a guest participant. Call me even CRAZIER, but I've decided to complete the One Room Challenge x 2!!! The reasons really are that I have the "shell" of these rooms ready to go - walls painted/papered, flooring and lighting in. I'm on to the fun décor part and honestly I have to get these rooms done ASAP for my family's sanity.

We've been moved in for several weeks and as many of you know doing any thing as a new parent just seems to take about 5x the amount of time it used to! First up is the nursery, many of you who have been following along know where I am basically at (see the photo above). Wallpaper is up, and this empty room has pretty much been sitting ever since. I've been putting it off (even though baby Marcus is 14 weeks!) because he is sleeping in our bedroom all this time - but he's getting to the point where he (and all of his darling clothes/toys) will need a space of his own. Just a little reminder, and for those of you visiting for the first time, this is where we started when we purchased the home:

And this is where we are literally yesterday (snapped with my iPhone!), it's become a dumping ground because it's an empty room, NOT good.

 



The one single piece of furniture I managed to pick up last week was this campaign-style dresser off of Craigslist:

So now it's time to kick this plan into high-gear and I'm hoping that this six-week long blogging challenge is going to be just the kick-in-the-pants this new and overwhelmed mama needs! Here's a peek at the plans:

Chandelier | Clouds wallpaper | Roadster | BM Revere Pewter | Crib | Pillows | Book shelves | Daybed | Brass hardware | Rug | HBC Blanket

 

So it's going to be a matter of purchasing furniture, décor items, a couple of simple DIYs with artwork and changing up the hardware on an IKEA daybed. Sounds easy right? Well I'm shaking in my boots just trying to imagine having the time to BUILD the IKEA daybed, let alone style it with the perfect textiles! Here goes nothing ;)

 

Be sure to check out my next post for my second One Room Challenge space! And head to Calling it Home for a look at all the other guest participants.

 

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Reno Project Update | Upcycling Rattan Chairs

So it turns out rattan and bamboo 'au natural' is making a come-back, and after my embarrassingly cheap find I showed you in my last post, I can't seem to make up my mind whether to paint or not! Here are the 4 chairs in the original Craigslist ad:

And here is our breakfast nook that they will be going in to:

Right underneath that pretty polished nickel Darlana, I'm going to be looking for a round table to keep the traffic flow easy. On the large bare wall on the right I'll be placing an oversized print from Ashley Goodwin - so I definitely need to consider the white walls and the airy artwork in my chair choice!

So first option is leave them bare, with either a white or light grey faux leather upholstery, here are some pretty inspiring examples:

Studio McGee

Amy Berry

The second option I like is a glossy black, every space needs something black as an anchor:

Lauren Ranes

Susan Chango

Last option I'm pondering is the classic white, easy choice and always looks good (not sure if I'd do light or dark upholstery):

Studio McGee

Here are some of my table options, all from one of my all-time favorite online resources O.co (and yay for Canadian shipping!). I'll need round, and relatively small (about 40") to fit our space, the possibilities are endless, but I imagine a white(ish) table if the chairs are left natural, rustic/wood if I paint them white, and maybe something totally different (like glass or metal!) if glossy black:

1 / 2

3 / 4

5 / 6

7 / 8

9 / 10

 11 / 12

So what do you think? Which table catches your eye right off the bat? And please weigh in on the chair options as well! I can't wait to get this spot pieced together!

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8 Tips & Tricks For Shopping On Craigslist

I've been scouring and totally scoring on Craigslist these days! Mainly because with our home reno coming to a close, our budget is SPENT. So it's time to get clever & crafty and I've even got a few DIY's up my sleeves for you in the coming weeks. Today I thought I'd share some of my Craigslist tips with you if you happen to be in the same 'budget boat' I am, or perhaps if you simply enjoy the thrill of the chase!

1. Start your search right: I typically like to start by setting my search parameters to “newest” and “gallery”; meaning I’m going to see the most recently added items listed at the top – this is good because you know you have a greater chance the item is still available if it was more recently added. And ‘gallery’ allows you to see the largest sized picture icon for quick scrolling and easy viewing.

2. Check frequently: When you are looking for a particular item, frequency is key. There are hundreds of items in each area that go up on Craigslist every single day, and sometimes the good stuff is gone in less than a day. I remember finding a perfect dresser, seeing that it had been listed 44 minutes ago, panicked and emailed the seller immediately, and sure enough the item was already gone! If I am really hunting something down, I’ll check the site at least once a day. With a little persistence, I can usually find exactly what I am looking for.

 

Both sofas and the x benches were all scores from Craigslist - I can't wait to finish this space!

3. Use many keywords and synonyms: The idea is, you never know how people will describe their item, so you may have to use several variations of your keywords. Try different terms, different spellings, and synonyms. For example, “grey couch, grey sofa, gray couch, or gray sofa” may all give you different results. And perhaps no one else in your city thought to check ‘gray sofa’ and a hot item may have gone unnoticed for weeks! Entryway table may also be a buffet, console table, sideboard, wooden table, or desk. Another tip I read elsewhere explained that if you type: ‘sofa |couch |sectional |settee’ it searches for sofa OR couch OR sectional OR settee. "sofa table |console" searches for sofa table OR sofa console. This trick could definitely save a lot of time.

Other favorite keywords I like to use include things like: Chaise, Bamboo, Rattan, Brass, Gold, Dresser, Tufted, Mid-century Modern, Deco, Burl, Settee, Upholstered, Campaign … the list could go on!

4. Act fast: As mentioned above, many good items will go fast. Sellers will move on quickly if they don’t get a sense that you are serious. Ask yourself, will you regret if you don’t ‘win’ it? Do any of you have a Craigslist regret, the one that got away?

5. Negotiate by email: Once you've actually found an item you're interested in, it's time to contact the seller. I usually prefer to email a seller first and negotiate the price to determine if they are flexible. You can often have bargaining power if you let the seller know that you could pick up the item that same day.

 

A set of 4 rattan chairs I purchased, soon to get a little makeover.

6. Don’t be afraid to ask: When I didn’t have a vehicle or the time to pick up, I’ve asked sellers if there was any way they’d be willing to deliver for an additional cost, and was surprised when they said yes! I’ve asked sellers if they were willing to take a small deposit to hold an item for me (only after meeting them in person), and I’ve even asked seller to email me back if a buyer they’ve already secured falls through and an item I wanted becomes available again. I really never hurts to ask.

7. Don’t be afraid to say no: If you show up to get the item, and it just isn't what you expected, say no thank you. Try your best to ask about measurements or anything else not in the listing so that you can avoid an awkward situation and avoid inconveniencing the seller.

8. Stay safe: I like to give a quick phone call & hear the person’s voice before heading out just to put myself at ease. I honestly think this is a smart idea whether you are the buyer or the seller! I never go to anyone’s home alone, and I tell other family members or friends where we are off to.

 

I hope you find some tips & tricks to take away from this list! Happy Craigslist shopping :)

 

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Nursery Inspiration & Updates

Ok, ok ... I had to sneak a picture of the cute little guy in here to entice you over :) Am I turning into one of those parents that just wants to show off photos of their child at every waking chance? Well, I am happy to report that his nursery is finally being pulled together!

  

Here's a little reminder of the space I have planned, we've so far installed the gorgeous Bamboo Lantern in brilliant gold from Shades of Light, and the stunning Fornasetti Nuvolette wallcovering that I had been drooling over from DecoratorsBest!

It's finally time for furnishings! Follow along with the progress sneak peeks on instagram, much more to come soon. Truth though? He's so little I'm almost afraid to put him in the giant room all by himself! Funny how becoming a mom will do those things to you! :)

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Renovation Project Update | Powder Room Part 2

Here we go, another reno update for you! If you've been following along on Instagram you've seen my sneak peek already :) Here's a reminder of where we started and where we are at now:

Total gut of everything in the space!

We put in this amazing Metrie recessed paneling in the entryway (full post on that space soon!), you can see the powder room from here, and I love the way the oak floor meets so flush with the marble tile (thank you to floor-guy-Phil)! We also added simple board and batten with flat stock from Metrie to dress up the lower half of the wall:

And as you can see from my mood board  the zebras were finally coming to live with me, I've loved them from a distance for a very long time :) I purchased Scalamandre zebras in the Black and Silver colorway from DecoratorsBest and it is quite magical. I am so grateful for a source of designer papers at a great price, however I still did splurge to have it professionally installed as I wanted it to be perfect!

Another view from the entry way:

We picked the smallest cutest toilet we could find (as cute as toilets can be, that is!), as this is a really small space and we needed to conserve:

Once the lighting was in it started looking legit. Dark, moody and lovely:

Now we just have to finish up the space with our Brizo Tresa faucet and accessories (so excited!), and the gramercy glass wash stand. I also have to commit to a mirror, which scares me a little (any recommendations?). We are finally on our way to a finished space!!
 

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My Birth Story

I'm back and ready to give you more reno updates and design inspiration! But first, I'm here to fill you in on what's been happening in my life over the past weeks - I feel like I've documented so much of my life story on this blog that I may as well include one of the most eventful experiences I've had. So today's post isn't really 'design' themed per se, but I've so enjoyed reading other new mom's stories that I am hoping you won't mind it either :)

Exactly 2 weeks ago today little baby Marcus was born - a healthy 6 pounds 8 ounces! We chose to give him my maiden name as his first name, which is quite special as it makes me feel like I'm passing on my family name in a way. Getting to the birth was quite the experience, as you know from this previous post, Marcus was breech and we were told it was likely going to have to be a booked C-section. Truth was that I struggled with disappointment when I first heard that news, as it just wasn't what I had pictured! I went off to explore exercises and chiropractic techniques that could get baby to turn, and after all sorts of crazy stunts like sitting off the edge of the sofa upside down with my head on the ground, I came to realize this little guy was too big and he was lodged in that position for good. Now in hindsight, I'm so glad I had been able to be pre-screened and warned that this would likely be the outcome - I was ready to book and accept that C-section.

On the night before Marcus was set to be born, we went to bed as per usual, I was nervous but excited and all my bags were packed (a definite plus to actually knowing the date and time). Low and behold, there was a 4.8 earthquake around 11:30pm that jolted us awake out of bed! What are the odds? We were totally freaked out and took a moment to calm down and get back to sleep - that C-section was booked for 9am and I knew I needed my rest so I tried my best to ignore everything. Fat chance. I woke up to a whole different kind of explosion at 1:30am - my water broke! I just remember thinking, "Seriously? This is happening now?" So we rushed to the hospital as fast as we could and everything unfolded from there. Deep inside I was so happy that Marcus chose his own birthday and it wasn't just a date selected as convenient for the surgeons :)

Once in hospital I was told I was already 4cm dilated, things were happening fast, and the pain of contractions was pretty fierce. I just remember thinking, "how do so many women do this for like 20 hours??" Luckily they sped me off to an emergency C-section, after only 2.5 hours of sucking back the nitrous oxide. The procedure was so fast, and we welcomed our sweet baby boy into the world.

(Believe it or not they are actually cutting me open as this picture was being taken, that's how amazingly well spinal anesthesia works!)

 

(NYE spending time together in the hospital, we actually watched fireworks from the hospital room window!)

 

And now the three of us are back home, getting adjusted to our new schedule and finishing off our home reno in this next month. Plenty of updates and posts to come soon! It's been overwhelming to say the least (hence the lack of posts), but it's been a pretty magical experience at the same time. Thank you for sharing in this journey with me!

 

 



 

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