Salvage Scores for the Master Bedroom!

What a weekend!  I'm happy to report that I got a lot of rest Friday night and was able to get some necessary shopping and other to-do's finished for the Master Bedroom Project.  The highlight was going out to a couple of my favorite local salvage stores where I found exactly what we needed!  Luck was totally on my side thankfully!

My first stop was Bauer Brothers Salvage. 

Even though we discovered the original door in our basement was too rotted/ brittle to use for our headboard idea, I knew I still had my heart set on that look (and most of you agreed with that too!).  I knew I wouldn't have a problem finding one at Bauer Brothers, and boy I was totally right... 

After sifting through a sea of salvaged doors, I started finding my way according to type of door.  They had just about every style you can imagine.  The old door in our basement (along with all of the doors in our house) is a single panel style.  I was going to get the exact same thing, but I ended up falling in love with this horizontal five panel style door.  I thought once it is flipped on it's side it would make a perfect and more formal looking headboard.

I was able to bargain a little with them and got the door for only $40! I was happy with that considering we sold our other bedframe for $90, so still under budget! With that, I mentioned in our last post how we had our mattress + boxspring "chilling on the floor" after we were able to sell our metal bedframe.  My good friend Betsy immediately emailed me and offered up a brand new in the box metal frame (holds the boxspring under the bed). 

Alex and I actually had that type of frame from when we bought our mattress set, but got rid of it when we got that other bedframe (stupid!). I thought we would have to buy that kind of frame from a mattress store so of course I was very happy and thankful she offered this up!  Betsy, major Hammers and High Fives :)

My next salvage score had to do with our Hemnes dresser from Ikea along with...

... the coordinating Hemnes nightstands.  I had already mentioned this in our inspiration post, but I wanted to take off the hardware and update it with something a bit more antique looking in a gold finish.

I know some of you might think I am crazy, and no, I am not going to replace all the hardware in our house with gold & brass... that would be yucky.  But I am totally loving that formal/ antique feel you get when you use little touches of gold.  (Check out this link if you need to see what I am talking about).

Now, I was pretty sure I wouldn't find anything gold/ brass finish hardware that I liked at a basic home improvement store, it is pretty clear that everyone has moved away from that look.  So my next salvage stop was to head to Guilded Salvage where they have an amazing assortment of antique cabinet hardware.

The hard part was that I needed 12 or 14 of the same cabinet knob.  Not an easy task when the assortment comes in limited numbers, but I found what I needed in the "miscellaneous" bin!  I dug through and found 12 matching distressed gold knobs for the dresser and then another set of 2 for the nightstands! 

(Sorry the photo is a bit blurry)
Since I dug them out of the "miscellaneous" bin, they were only 50 cents each!  So, for the 14 knobs I spent just over $9 with tax. Woo-hoo!

With those errands complete we are moving ahead with all the redo to-do's!
What do you think of my salvage scores? 
Liking the new door style for the headboard?

Hope everyone has a lovely Valentine's Day tomorrow! 
The hubby planned out something special for the day and I still have no idea what we are doing. I love surprises but they kind of drive me nuts because I hate secrets.  I just hope there is food involved, especially cheese and chocolate :) Cheers!

Head Over Heels Friday: SR Harris Fabric Outlet & A Fabric Find for the Master Bedroom

I am so happy the weekend is here!  To be totally honest, this past week made me feel completely worn out.  Between work, the house projects, and thinking about the house projects, I may have finally hit a wall.  I told the hubby that I plan to sleep somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 to 14 hours (yep 14 hours) tonight to gather back my sanity. Hopefully my energy will be restored tomorrow so I can attack more to-do's for the Master Bedroom redo.  Thank you everyone who left suggestions for the headboard! It was so nice and helpful for me to read through them since it's been a tougher week.  Definitely made me smile!

Okay, now let's get to what I am Head Over Heels for this week!  Drumroll...

It's

SR Harris Fabric Outlet 

Now, I am sorry to those of you that aren't local because you are going to be so jealous!  SR Harris is a fabric outlet in Brooklyn Park that sells exceptional fabrics at HUGELY discounted prices.  Everything you find is 50% off the tagged price and you can find just about any kind of fabric (seriously, check their list here).

I heard about SR Harris from a couple friends and they all said it was worth checking out.  I wanted to make my own window treatments for the Master Bedroom so I headed there in hopes of finding something fabulous.  When I walked in, this is what I saw...

 OMG!!!! The place is HUGE!  I almost turned right around because I thought I would never find anything when there is so much to look through.  Sure enough, their website does say "30,000 sq ft warehouse".... guess I missed that part?

Anyway sorry the photos are bad, I took them on my cell phone. It didn't occur to me that a trip to a fabric store would end up photo-worthy but it was!  I know I have never seen a fabric store that large before.

After taking my dorky cell phone pictures as people gave me strange looks, I decided to go forward with this "treasure hunt" for the perfect curtain fabric for the Master Bedroom. 

Surprise! I found it!

(I'm sure you already knew since I am writing this post) I did indeed find something great, perfect, amazing for our Master Bedroom!  Take a close look...

It is a dark khaki/ camel color that has streaks/distressed gold metallic paint on it. It was totally unique and something I haven't seen in any store before.  I loved that it mixed a formal feel with a little bit of an edge.  Alex even totally loved it's fun unconventional look... but I think he liked the discounted price I got even better!  The original price was $10 per yard, with the 50% discount that brought it to just $5 per yard.  I needed 10 yards of fabric for the window treatments which totalled just $50.00!  That's the same cost of just 2 window panels from a store, and those would have only been able to cover 1 window.  Holla!!!

What do you think of the fabric for the Master Bedroom?

Anyone else get worn out by thinking about projects too much?

Well, I feel a bit more energized after writing up this post!  Or maybe I am just slap happy?!?  Either way I better rest up so I can get some work done and start sharing it! 

The Door From Beneath the Stairs....

It lurked beneath the stairs in our basement.  The space was cold and dark, and echoed an empty feeling from the 1920's. The last true sighting of it was June 5th, 2010 when this photo was taken...

It's..... THE DOOR! 'Dun, dun, duuuuuunnnnn'!!!!!!!

Okay, that's enough of the silly door drama.  As we mentioned in our plan for the Master Bedroom, we discovered an old door in our basement that is original to our house.  We thought it would be cool to turn into a headboard for our bed.  However, our plan was foiled last night after a sad discovery.

I had asked Alex to get that old door up from the basement so we could look at the work we needed to do on it. Alex's response was "Where is the door anyway?" That's when I realized it had really been a long time since either of us had laid eyes on it. At least I remembered it was still there under the stairs.

Alex crawled into the dark space behind the stairs and turned the door on it's side to get it out.  Once he got it into the light he yelled, "Nope, there's no way we are using this door for anything."

I thought 'oh he is just being picky or difficult'.  But once I got a good look at it I knew he was right.
"YUCK!"

It was sad. It really made me wonder how long the door was sitting down there under the stairs decaying?  10 years? 20? Maybe 40?  It was pretty gross and I bet it is covered in lead paint from the 1920's.  There is no way I would want to sleep near that.

With that dream dashed, we don't have a headboard idea ready to go anymore, booo!  Also, we sold our metal bedframe on Craigslist over the weekend so our mattress and boxspring (shown below) are just chilling on the floor. Rocco is the only one happy about that, the little pup can finally jump up onto the bed!

 The bright side is we wanted to get rid of that bedframe anyway so that part isn't a bummer, but I thought we would have had the headboard ready to go.

Now that our options are open, what should we do for the headboard?    

  I would like to stick to something wood that is painted white.  We sold the metal bedframe for $90, so I can't justify spending more than that or I will feel foolish. And, as much as I would love to do one of those cute DIY tufted upholstered headboards, I'm not thinking that would look right with the fluffy white bedding we have in mind.

Do you still like the door repurposed as a headboard idea?
Should we hit up one of our favorite local architectural salvage spots for a similar door?
Or do you have a fun idea/ DIY suggestion?
We're all ears, please let us know!

A Tale of Two Two-Tier End Tables

Yep, you read that title right, no typos... We're talking two tier end tables today!

First, I'm sorry I don't have an update on our Master Bedroom, we actually didn't get to it at all over the weekend (but we did sell the bed frame on Craigslist, yay!).  Like most people, we were busy watching the Superbowl on Sunday and on Saturday I made plans to tackle a little DIY project with my blog buddy Lauren.  So I apologize for my Project ADD right now, and I know I still haven't finished the Hutch/ Nook :( nobody's perfect right (and who would want to be anyway?).  But thanks for still sticking with me :)

Now back to the project!

I found out last week that Lauren and I both picked up two-tier end tables while out thifting on our own.  How random right?!?   Hers is on the left and mine is on the right in this photo.

 I picked up mine because it reminded me of the end tables my grandma had and it was only $12 so I had to get it.  I wasn't totally sure where it would end up, but I thought with some sanding and white paint it would clean up nicely! 

We both got started on our tables by sanding, which is not the fun part.  I hate sanding!

After that we headed back in for the fun part, painting!  I painted mine white (I know, kind of boring) and Lauren used Martha Stewart's Terra Cotta Specialty Finish paint to give hers some texture and a fun look!

 Here's some more painting action, but you get the idea...

During our two coats of paint and drying time we got to chat about married life and of course blogging.  It was great to talk about our blogging experiences and share some advice or things we learned while in the blog world.  I loved that part of our project!

Once the paint was dry I moved it into our Living Room.  It ended up being perfect next to our not-so-much sectional couch.  The sectional fit great in the condo we lived in previously but we had to split it up to fit in the living room in our house.

We will get new furniture someday but I know we don't need it now (at least that is what I keep telling myself, might get a new lamp though).   I must say the two-tier table compliments the strange end of the couch well.  The couch sort of 'flows' into a table instead of just the floor :) I was also happy to place one of my favorite wedding day photos on top...

Awwww

As for Lauren's end table 'after', you will have to pop over to her blog to see!

So, what do you think of my $12 two-tier end table redo? 

Do you have a similar table, or remember one that a grandma or grandpa had?

I hope to get moving on the Master Bedroom project this week.  On my to-do list...

1. Install curtain rods

2. Sew new window treatments from some fabric I picked up

3. Make to-do list of the 'man' tasks for the hubby (hehe) 

Have a great week everybody! 

Head Over Heels Friday: Bold Style with Blocks of Color

The weekend is nearly upon us!  Hooray!!!

 My mind has been pretty absorbed with our Master Bedroom redo lately, but my mind shifted from decor a little bit and back into the fashion world.  I have been seeing it EVERYWHERE and I am totally Head Over Heels for it... Bold, Bright, Colorblock Style!

It's a trend for Spring that I don't think anyone can avoid (and yes, I'm a Minnesotan so I am already eager for Spring). You can take simple items in bold colors and mix and match them so simply for a statement ensemble!  Here's a look at a few favorite ensembles I put together...

(Retailer list not in complete order)

Neon pop linen wedge sandal: Charlotte Russe $40.00  Mossimo Supply Co. Skinny Denim: Target $17.99    Pleated button-up skirt: Target $17.99   Women's Charmeuse Tab Sleeve Dress: Old Navy $34.94   Fine Knit Sweater: H&M $24.95   Editor Ankle Pant: Express $69.90   Neck tie top: Forever 21 $19.80    Pop-up bow velvet pump: Charlotte Russe $32.50   Sun Block Clutch: Francesca's $34.00   Color Blocked Media Tote: Express $39.90   Tie Hem Drape Shirt: Old Navy $27.00   Colorblocked Tank: Forever 21 $9.50   Slim Cropped Pant: Gap $49.95   Black and White Colorblocked Tote: Forever 21 $34.80   Patent Green Stripe Clutch Bag: H&M $17.95

I've already purchased the Charmeuse Tab Sleeve Dress from Old Navy along with a pair of those Velvet Bow Pumps from Charlotte Russe (in the orange/ pink colorway) and I am LOVING them!  I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can start sporting them, too bad Puxatony Phil saw his shadow yesterday :( Boo!!!!

Are you Head Over Heels for Bold Bright Colorblocking too???

I'm looking forward to a fun Superbowl weekend along with...

Working on our Master Bedroom redo (just a little bit, it's a busy weekend) and meeting up with my blog buddies Lauren & Megan for some sewing and DIY-ing!    

Hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoy the Superbowl junk food :)

Red + Navy + Gold + Bitter Chocolate = Master Bedroom (x 1,000 More Fabulous)

Now that we've shared our new Master Bedroom paint color, it's time to clue you in to our design scheme!

 Ready for... Bitter Chocolate with gold, bright red, and navy blue!?! 

It does sound crazy, BUT, how cute does this look?

It is funny, if anyone said to me "How about a dark brown with gold, bright red, and navy blue accents?" I would have thought it sounded awful.  But I can't think of anything more different and perfect for the room my husband and I share!

Here's our blank slate...

The whole idea started from an article in House Beautiful. They used the "simplicity of blues" with dark brown paneled walls. The image that struck me the most was the brown + geranium red photo at the bottom right.

House Beautiful

After seeing that, I found more images of dark browns with pops of red or navy blue...

Auction Decorating

Lonny Magazine

Fun and different right???

 After reviewing everything together, Alex and I sorted out our to-do's for our room...

 New Items We Need:

Light Fixture/ Chandelier

Hardware for Dressers & Nightstands

Vintage French/ Formal Styled Chair (Hope to find one at a thrift store I can rehab on the cheap!)

Floor Rug

Decorative Framed Mirror

Pillow Covers

Throw Blanket

Ottoman/ Bench

Pendant lights to hang

Items We are Ditching:

Our bed frame (we're sick of it, and Rocco licks the metal foot board at night...super annoying!)

Lamps on our nightstands

The hardware on our dresser & nightstands

Small black leather storage ottoman

DIY Projects (tentative- pending what we find):

Making a headboard out of an old door in our basement

Find and redo a french/ formal styled chair

Sew window curtains

Remove hardware from dresser & nightstands and replace

Hanging lights above our nightstands

What do you think of our design inspiration?

Do you have any tips for us?

Obviously, we have A LOT to do!  Hope you will stick with us through this big project, wish us luck!

The Sweet Look of Bitter Chocolate... Paint Afters!

The master bedroom has finally been painted!!!  Goodbye forever green! 

Here are a couple 'before' and 'after' photos of our paint selection.  Sorry the 'afters' are a little dark, we finished up yesterday as the sun went down (in case you are worried, just know we didn't paint it black).

The color we chose was Behr's Bitter Chocolate from Home Depot. It is a very dark brown with a hint of a warm redish tone when light hits it.  I'm so much happier with our room in this color, it is just more "us" than that pale green ever was. I have to give my hubby props for sticking to his guns about the color.  I was leaning toward a dark gray (similar to three other rooms in the house) and he kept pushing for something that was more brown based.  Once we got a sample up on the wall, I was sold... Here you go Alex, "You were right honey, Bitter Chocolate is perfect."

 Oddly enough, the prep time took longer than actually painting.  Does that happen to anyone else?  Our project started on Saturday night. We had a whole lot of patching to do on the walls.  The worst was the wall shown below.  It had some terrible plaster wall repair done by a previous owner at some point.  The repair consisted of some dry wall tape and a MOUND of plaster covering a giant settlement crack that Alex needed to correct.  He just kept sanding, and sanding, and sanding.  That small spot just kept getting bigger and bigger.

After working on that wall, Alex hopped over to a very long settlement crack that hadn't been patched previously.  He opened the crack with a hammer and screw driver and then....

Added on some Dap Dry Dex patch. 

Once the patch dried and hardened, Alex sanded them to a smooth even finish.  Then we were ready to paint!!!!  Woo-hoo!!!

That took us to the next morning. 

We got up bright and early, did a bit of cleaning and poured the paint!  Alex captured my excitement as the first bit of Bitter Chocolate went up on the walls.

Then, the rest of the paint project went pretty fast...

We ended up painting this little archway Behr's Polar Bear (white) to add some dimension.  I think it was a good choice to enhance the architectural detail of our room.

Again, here are some 'afters', but I think you can get a better idea of the color from the daytime photos above (and yes, the blue painters tape is still up in these photos).

I'm totally LOVING it!!!! 
I can't wait to start decorating.  I've been eager to attack this room redo for soooo long!  I mentioned it on May 8th, 2011 when it was supposed to be our next project... then the tornado happened and ruined that plan.  I have a lot of fabulous plans for this room (since I've been thinking about it for a year) and I can't wait to share my design plan/ vision soon! That Bitter Chocolate is going to be a fab back drop for what we have in store!
  Stay tuned...