Sunday, February 10, 2013

Our Take on a Makeshift Nursery

This little in-between area has served my little family well! It lies between our master bedroom and kitchen and is where our stairs are located. In the year that we have lived here, it has been white, lime, green and now tan and white striped. It's been a "catch-all", an office, a craft room, and is now turning into our make shift nursery. This is what the area looked like when we first moved in.


This is looking from the kitchen into the room and on into our bedroom. They had a huge curtain hung up over the stairs to keep the heat down stairs. It actually was really nice fabric and I was able to save it and use it for some other projects :)


There is a closet and a an under the stairs closet. I love all the storage this little rambling house has to offer!


This is the view from our bedroom looking through into the kitchen.


This is what it looked like as my craft room. I loved having a space all to myself for my crafts, scrap booking, and sewing. It's a bit messy in this picture (and usually was), but it was a great space! 



This is the process of turning it into a nursery. I used "oops" paint that I bought at Wal-Mart a long time ago. It was less than $6!! Couldn't pass up a lovely color like it and it did come in handy! 


Figuring out what was most important to put in the space was the hard part. Since the space is limited, I had to decide between the dresser/changing table, crib, nursing chair, etc. 


The boys helped me get ready for the next boy to become a part of our family :) It was very sweet how much they wanted to help!


I had wanted to do our living room in stripes, but since we didn't do it right as we moved it, I knew it would probably never get done. Thankfully, we did it here and now I know how much I {love} it and can't WAIT to do it when we own our own home one day! Maybe something a little more subtle, but getting off track now. Back to the nursery...


I settled on the crib (obviously the most important) and a chair so that I can nurse there in the middle of the night instead of bringing the baby back in bed and risk falling asleep. Been there, done that...and with three other kids during the day, I know I'm going to have to nurse quick and get back to sleep to get some energy! 


This is an old salvaged wooden shutter that I just love. I love the shabby, rough finish contrasted with the crisp, clean walls. Also, I didn't even have to paint it and it matches the blue in the rug perfectly! Once we settle on a name, I will probably paint it on :) But for now I love the simple look of just the shutter.


No flash..


And with a flash...I can't decide which picture I like better so I thought I would just add both! Also, the chair will be re-upholstered one day. But for now, I love the little sanctuary that awaits our little guy to be born! It is still a work in progress and I will add more as we do more :) Enjoy!








Thursday, February 7, 2013

Annie Sloan: My New Favorite Paint!

            I just recently fell in love with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I had been hearing so much about it, but not until I finally tried it did I really understand how much easier it makes my projects! Annie Sloan's goal was to be able to finish a "piece a day" and with the quick drying, forgiving paint, you really can! It really cut out the parts that I didn't quite enjoy about refinishing pieces (sanding, stripping, etc.). So here is a project (that with regular paint, I wasn't looking forward to) that took a couple hours one evening and helped transform my craft room!

           I have been putting off organizing my craft area...I wanted it done, but I didn't want to do it. Last night my husband took all the kids with him to the grocery store and I had the house to myself...what a beautiful thing! So I buckled down and thought, "chalk paint, no kids, and American Idol? I can totally knock out this craft room!" And so I did...and I am so thankful I did!

           My mom found these pieces of wood that were kind of "cheapy" looking and I wasn't really sure what the purpose of them were. But with some chalk paint, distressing, and a coat of clear wax they turned out to be awesome shelves! 



     
           I used AS's Aubusson Blue and finished it with Clear Soft Wax. I didn't have to sand or prime...just paint! I like the distressed look, so I did a quick couple quotes with a dry brush so that the wood would show through.  



           After I painted and waxed, I used a very fine grit sand paper to add the distress on the edges. Because I had waxed first, I was able to sand it right in my living room without making a mess.




           Here is what they look like all hung up! I keep my shipping and correspondence supplies in them as well as some decorative pieces. Always balance practicality with your decor. If it's easy, then you'll do it. Meaning, that if your organization is reachable, efficient, and easy to get to then you are more likely to stay organized. These are so easy and I love the way they look!  



I should have taken before pictures...but it would have just been embarrassing! I'm so thankful for nesting and energy to be able to finish some of my to-do-list before this baby comes in less than 5 weeks! I hope this inspires you to pick that one thing you've been meaning to organize and tackle it! Go for it! 


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