BEFORE & AFTER

I lurve a good furniture make over. I should. It's my business. Why we haven't posted our own before & afters yet is beyond me?? Well, I tend to forget to take a pic before the paint is sprayed or I deliver a custom piece and drive away only to realize that I didn't document the change. I've turned the corner though. Today I pulled over and took a chair out of the trunk so I could capture the 'after' before I dropped it off. Close call.

Before: a client's hand me down chair.

After: Hey! Our custom fabric looks great! This occasional chair is now sitting in the entry way of a beautiful home.


Why, hello? Would you look at what we have here? We happen to have two very similar chairs and this is how they turned out.  Dear chair lover: we only have one left, xoxo.

fake wood, aka faux bois

This rug is really expensive, as any rug worth having is...

This one is actually many little floor tiles put together and is much more affordable.

Alas, we have a 3 year old who eats cereal in our living room, a beautiful cream rug isn't gonna happen....maybe when he moves out I'll be able to afford the expensive one....

curtains

I'm trying to decide on the curtains for my living room. If only I liked the swag look. How easy would that be?? But I don't.

Ruiner

If you think it sounds like a nice idea to get your toddler out of bed to see a beautiful, complete rainbow: THINK AGAIN. This is probably the universes' way of telling you that it's also not a nice idea to take your kids out of school on a cross country trip to show them the world. Because before you hit the interstate, you realize that you're stuck in a metal cage with nowhere to go and nowhere to sneak off to smoke. I read you, Universe. Loud and clear. I won't be doing anything stupid by trying anymore fancy parenting ideas.

hidden rooms

I want a secret, hidden room! I have a big mouth though and would probably tell everyone about it, so it wouldn't be much of a secret. If I managed to keep it to myself, I'd probably mostly use it hide my dirty laundry when guests came over. Literally. I mean my dirty laundry and not crimes I've committed in the past. Here are some of my favorite hidden rooms that I've found and intend to bring to my architect whenever we build a house and I get an architect.

 This looks like a secret bathroom. I would love to have a secret bathroom that my husband didn't know about. I'd also love that light fixture...

 That looks like one hell of a secret room. It has pillars!

This is the most dramatic entrance to a hidden room that I've come across. No one ever thinks to try and move the stairs! I could keep all my diaries from junior high and high school safe forever in there.

 Harry Potter's boudoir.

 I saved my favorite for last. Some genius cut the back off of an old armoire and had it fixed to the doorway of his kid's playroom. I would have loved this/I would love this! (apartment therapy)

Free(ish) Fridays! Paper!

This week's Free(ish) Friday! is inspired by paper. Here are some fun/cute/free(ish) ideas that you can do this week end! And then your next task is to send us the pictures of your finished product. We have faith in you.

Pretty. I don't think mobiles are just for babies. But maybe don't hang it over your bed, low enough to bat around. Or, maybe you should do that? Check out the Origami Club for how-to help.

 

 Click here to get free origami paper downloads in nice prints like these ones!

 Pinwheels are right up there with cup cakes as cute and whimsical favorites. We came across this DIY on Once Wed. You don't need to have a wedding to enjoy them though (there's no ring on my finger). I want one in my window box.

Cute. This would be great for a party. Like, for a dynamo who happens to be turning thirty this summer? Anyway... we found this idea on Lora Jean's Magazine- here's how to make your own. Feel free(ish) to use those origami prints for your banner flag.

This last one promises (according to Apartment Therapy) to be quick, easy and free(ish).  Here's how! I love the variations too. Or, check out these free silhouettes.

Glassy crystal sparkly shine

Melissa is in the process of redecorating her room. Or, decorating it, rather. She moved into her first house a while ago but the bedroom wasn't decorated as much as their hand me downs were placed in the room. I thought the room was lovely but now it's really great. She told her fiance that the accent colour for the room was sparkle and she wasn't kidding. Here's some sparkly inspiration for you:

 I love this Round Glass Knob in polished nickel by Restoration Hardware. We love topping off a redesign with some glassy sparkly shine.

Mmm... mercury glass. Anything that bounces the light around is good in my books. These antique mercury glass tie backs do that and add a lustrous patina. (Country Living)

I mean, it's called a 'sun burst' mirror. There's light, there's mirror, there's sparkle... (Elle Decor)

Ooh! A sparkly picture! A Sort Of Dream by Integrity Studio.

Why, hello. It's our own blue storage cabinet with sparkly knobs. What a coincidence...