Thursday's Thought

Kensie Kate

$2000 worth of love

 I had been looking for something to put behind my dining table. I wanted something tall because my ceilings are tall and of my furniture feels like it's all the same height. I came across this picture on Apartment Therapy. I loved the etagere and how they were using it at a bar/bookshelf/display case. Thus it became my dining room inspiration!

Apartment Therapy

And then I saw this one. And I knew I had to have this EXACT one. I did an image search on Google and found that it was made by Milo Baughman and can run from $500-$2000 online!

Emily Henderson

I ended up finding one on Craigslist up in LA. It was brass and I had chrome accents already in the dining room chairs and lamps. So I thought I would spray it chrome. Fortunately for me the woman sold it before I could get there to pick it up. I spent the next several hours kicking myself for not offering her more money, not being quick enough to email her, etc. It was a deep sadness for missing out on the PERFECT piece of furniture.

Thank goodness for the Craigslist App. I was laying on the couch wallowing in despair and decided to tweak my search criteria. It was listed as a "trophy case". And it was chrome. I emailed them immediately. It was the best fifty dollars I have ever spent. Granted it was in horrible condition. I spent 3 hours lovingly restoring it to it shiny chromeness. And here she is...

 I love, love, love it! The accessories are just the in the initial stages, I just threw what I had laying around. So far so good!

Thursday's Thought

All That Inspires Me

Dad came for a visit and was put to work

My dad flew down for a few days to help me with house stuff. Poor guy ended up spending most of the time on a ladder hanging and re-handing draperies and art. First up was the draperies. I have been obsessed with this pattern for years. I am so excited that I finally got to buy these curtains. My friend Summer has an amazing online store for pillows and curtains. I purchased them from her website www.etsy.com/shop/nenavon.

Next up was picture hanging. I have these four pictures that I had taken in Italy years ago. I hung them with the starburst mirror, but ultimately I would like to do a gallery wall above the sofa. For now, I am using what I have and saving $$.

My dad finally hung my quadrille mirror. So glad it's not still leaning against the wall, I can finally use it to check my hair before leaving the house:)

And lastly my dad convinced me to buy a TV! I had not owned a TV for three years and never really missed having one. Something switched in me after buying my home. I wanted to hang out in the living room, but there was no reason to. It needed an anchor, and it has become my new beloved TV. I am happy to say my evenings are now filled with all shows BravoTV. My dad would be less than proud:)

Thanks Dad for the great visit and help with the house, it's coming along!

Thursday's Thought

Good Things Are Wild And Free

Bargain Hunting

The first lesson in home ownership for me was surrendering to the fact that I couldn't do everything at once. Of course being a designer I want it to look "finished" NOW, but my bank account said "wait, take some time, ouch you are hurting me!" So I am learning to be ok with the rooms looking 1/2 done all the time.

I have also made a very conscious decision to bargain hunt, wait for sales and use coupons whenever I am going to make a purchase. Example, the picture below. I knew I wanted to purchase both items and instead of going out and buying them STAT, I waited. I got the mirror on clearance at Lowe's and saved $20. I also got the table on clearance from Cost Plus. I think the original price was around $150, I snagged it on sale for $99, with an additional 10% off coupon! woo hoo, a bargain shopper was born:)

 

 Next up, the fridge. It was something I obviously needed in the kitchen and wanted Stainless to match the other appliances. I scoured Craigslist for days. Most of them were running $250-$350. I kept waiting for just the right one and ended up finding someone that had only used it in their garage for drinks. It was in pristine condition and I got it for $200.

And then there is this beauty! I had been wanting to get an ottoman that I could use at a cocktail table. I started looking and was shocked at how expensive they were. $300-$450!!! and none of the fabrics were all that great. I went to a store near my house that re-sells model home furniture. This sad ottoman had obviously been around for quite some time, the fabric is an awful denim, that had faded from where a tray sat on it for years. I asked for a discount and was told no. So I waited. I went back a few weeks later and talked to someone else. She said the ottoman had been in their store for over a year and a half. I again asked for a discount and she said yes. Originally $145, I paid $85! Of course now I have to pay for fabric to recover it. But all said it will still be less than a new $300 ottoman.

 This is the fabric I have chosen from Calico Corners. $29.95/yard plus a 20% off coupon.

 

Then I headed back to Craigslist for some dining room chairs. I have the Ikea Docksta table, however the top is in horrible condition due to sitting outside for a year. I was kind of at a loss of what to do with it when I found a great deal. I got a table and chair set for $40. I put the glass on top of the Docksta and will use it until I find something better. I love the chairs, they are the same style as chairs by Marcel Breuer(1928). I looked online for Breuer chairs, and they usually run around $150 each. So four for $40 was a deal in my book. Again, I need to recover them. I am still trying to find the perfect fabric...

As for the table base, I may put it back on Craigslist with the smoked glass when I find a new dining table

Thursday's Thought

Pinterest

Can we begin again?

I am excited to share my newest adventure with everyone. A few months ago I became a homeowner! It has been exciting, scary, fun and a bit overwhelming at times. I have found some amazing pieces on Craigslist, sales, etc and it has given me the desire to start documenting every step of my design process. So follow along with me from the beginning...

This is the white box I started out with

Excited new homeowner!

Overwhelmed new homeowner!

After moving in I was completely overwhelmed with the responsibility of having to EVERYTHING on my own. I definitely had buyers remorse and shed more that few tears. My friends were amazing during this time and came over and unpacked boxes for me while I was out of town. I came home from my trip to find my house looking like this!

I lived with the blank white walls for sometime until I came across this picture on Pinterest. I fell in love with the color and decided I would go bold and daring and paint my living room teal!

And then came time to find the "right teal".

too dark

still too dark, so I dumped some "Swiss Coffee" that I had laying around into the bucket

Just right!

This picture is the best representation of the color.

Drapestyle / Pinterest

Drapestyle / Pinterest

Handmade Light Green/ Chocolate Dhurrie Wool Rug (3' x 5

Handmade Light Green/ Chocolate Dhurrie Wool Rug (3' x 5

Summer Lovin'

Time is moving soo fast these days! Summer is practically over (although we are having a major heat wave). I have been loving these fun summer images on my computer desktop this month, so I thought I'd share. Enjoy:)

Source: smpblog.com

Source: pinterest

Source: prestige builders

Source: viceroy

Source: Dwellers Without Decorators

Source: contemporist.com

Source: pinterest

Can't Fight Progress

This week was very exciting... My living room is now a beautiful blue gray and the "poop brown" is long gone. Why did I live with that horrible color for so long?!  Anyway, here is a quick shot to show you some progress. I ended up canceling my online light order and purchasing the almost, exact lamp from Z Gallerie for just $20.00 more. I just couldn't wait another month for this beauty.  Now I need a "Handy Man" to come install it!

Hello... is this thing on?

Wow, I am embarrassed by how long it's been since I've posted anything. And it's amazing to me how fast time flew by. So here it is Spring, and in celebration I thought I'd show you what I ate for dinner tonight!

Source: www.weheartit.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And in other news... Painting of my living room starts tomorrow. Many, many samples went up on the walls. And Benjamin Moore's Woodlawn Blue was the winner. I also ordered this fun light for my bedroom and I've been waiting patiently for a month for it to arrive on my doorstep. Fingers crossed, this is the week.

 

Anyway, it's nice to be back and I'll post some new pics of my living room next week.

Another year wiser

This past year has been a whirlwind. I took a minute today to sit down and think of everything that has changed for me in my 33rd year of life:

Charbeck.net

~I became a Registered Nurse

~I lost my beloved dog Jasco whom I had for 13 wonderful years

~I moved out of a 1700sq ft. house that I lived in for 9 years in Huntington Beach

~I moved into a 1000 sq ft. house in Sacramento down the street from my two beautiful nieces

~I job hunted like nobodies business!

~I faced a lot of rejection in my job hunting

~I got the job of my dreams (it just didn't look like what I thought I wanted)

~I moved into a 500 sq ft. apartment in Huntington Beach

~I made great new friends

~I caught up with great old friends

~I went to Napa for winetasting several times

~I rocked my niece to sleep at night

~I started this blog
~I sold most of the furniture that I had collected over the past 10 years.
~I realized that selling my furniture was a good thing because my style has changed and now I have a clean slate.
~I developed a new passion for cupcake decorating
~I am sure I am missing some major milestones with this list, but it's what came to me when I sat down at the computer. 

So, now I am off to work at the hospital and ring in my 34th year but I thought I'd leave you with a bit of my birthday wish list!

McCoy Designs

Hermes

Doggy Heaven

Jonathon Adler

 

Lamps Plus