Apartment Therapy Feature!!

It was pretty fun today to see some traffic from Apartment Therapy, who featured our desk restoration!  For those of you with questions, I've replied in the comments section... thanks for stopping by!

Curio Progress

It’s been a while, so I thought I’d update you on the progress of the curio transformation…

I’m up to my elbows in this:

Chicken wire.  Yup.  I’ve started installing the chicken wire panels where the glass used to be and so far I’m liking the look.  I’m not liking my el-cheapo upholstery stapler from the Hob Lob.  Nothing against HL… I just bought this cheap stapler to redo my chairs a long time ago and while it worked great for that, it’s not that wonderful when dealing with a nice, sturdy piece of wood.  Mr. home.made. has a much better staple gun, but the staples are too long and I, well, I just couldn’t wait!

I tried a different technique with my chalk paint this time around.  I used a watered down mixture of the Paris Grey and it left a nice, smooth topcoat with very few brush marks.  Then, after using advice from Jami from Freckled Laundry, I worked in the clear wax with a soft cloth, really working it into the paint as I went.  This technique of waxing left a soft sheen right away, but I did go back and buff a little more in some areas for more shine.

I did not distress this piece this time around as I plan on going back later with some dark wax for more patina.

Not bad so far, right?  Only four more chicken wire panels to go… and lots of diet coke breaks in between!

Hope to finish this up soon and show it off to ya!

{Saturday Spotlight} Eclectically Vintage Kitchen

You're in for a real treat today, because the kitchen I'm featuring is going to knock your socks off!  (Yes, another kitchen... think I'm looking for ideas?  :))

This gorgeous renovated kitchen is from Kelly at Eclectically Vintage.

Wouldn't you just love to stay in this space forever?

The honed carrera marble countertops shine beautifully next to the white cabinetry and under these amazing lights:

The light fixtures are extraordinary - like suspended wine bottles.  And do you see what I'm drooling over in the background?

Hello lover.  Look at that farmhouse sink and commercial dish sprayer!  *sigh*  I'm in heaven.  And I didn't even mention the herringbone backsplash or vintage scale... or her red stove.

Wow.  That is one lucky girl...

Do you think she'd mind if I moved in?

Hope you're having a great Saturday - head on over to Kelly's and say hi!

Pantry Pinspiration

When we decided to buy our current home, there were things we loved about it and things we'd have to learn to live with.  One of these things was the kitchen pantry.  We built our prior home and it had a fantastic walk-in pantry, complete with automatic light when you opened the door.  *sniffle*  I miss that pantry.

This home has a tall cabinet that is intended for pantry use, which wouldn't be so bad if not for the depth of the cabinet.  Sometimes I feel like I'm reaching into a black hole when all I wanted is a can of beans!  (And I have long arms, people!)  I've made do for the past year with an assortment of organizers and baskets, but at best, this pantry is just organized chaos that DOES NOT WORK for our needs.

Did I mention that I miss my old pantry?

*sigh*

We're planning on a kitchen remodel to include fixing the pantry situation, but seeing as that's in the very distant future, I'm looking for ways to make our current pantry more functional.  Here are some of my fave ideas from my Pinterest pin board...

Source: shelving-ideas.com via rhonda on Pinterest

This is pretty close to my current pantry size, although they obviously live on much less food than I do!  Love the pull-out drawers, door storage, and planked interior.

Source: helpful-kitchen-tips.com via rhonda on Pinterest

Again, pull-out drawers and door storage - such smart use of space.  And those pull-out baskets?  Incredible.

Source: bhg.com via rhonda on Pinterest

Great use of space with the stackable containers, and the colorful background and labels add a great punch of color.  The organization makes my OCD very happy.

Source: flickr.com via rhonda on Pinterest

Pinned this simply for the color combo... aqua, red, and pink!  What's not love?

Source: Uploaded by user via rhonda on Pinterest

And a door storage solution that I found... love the idea of taking storage to other areas than the shelves!

What about you?  Any pantry dilemmas or is it just me?

Seven

This weekend was a pretty exciting one, cause one particular little girl turned the big

7!

 

I can not even express the amount of love I have for my daughter… she fills my heart with joy until it is overflowing.  I am one lucky mama.

I couldn’t leave you without some pictures of THE CAKE, right?!  My super talented sister put her decorating skills to work creating all of these pink rosettes… but the pièce de résistance??

The zebra hiding inside!

My daughter was so excited about this… an idea I found on Pinterest from My Cake School.  Having never done this before, I admit I was holding my breath until that first slice revealed that the zebra stripes worked!  So cool…

Just perfect for my not so little anymore girl!

Antique Imperial Desk Restoration

The phrase “One man’s trash is another’s treasure” is the perfect introduction for the piece I’m going to show you today.  I found this desk via a Facebook acquaintance, who was giving it away… for FREE!

I was more than happy to take if off her hands, because I could tell this was a diamond in the rough.

The veneer was badly damaged, the feet were in need of repair, and the wood was screaming for moisture… but structurally the desk was in great condition, ALL of the original hardware was still with the piece (the ones missing in the above photo were tucked away safely in the drawer), and the desk even came with a custom-fit glass topper!

I would love to take credit for the amazing restoration you’re about to see, but the props all go to my hubby… Mr. Home.Made.  This was his baby, all the way.   (Seriously, he begged to have this one all to himself… so I let him.  Am I a good wife, or what?!)

He meticulously removed all of the old chipping veneer, sanded the wood until it was soft as a baby’s bum, stained  and sealed it, and cleaned off years of grime from the hardware.  All of his hard work turned this old, neglected desk into this gorgeous piece of furniture:

Is that not the most beautiful desk you’ve ever seen?!

My hubby really enhanced the beauty of the wood grain by doing a darker stain on the larger wood fronts and a lighter stain on the framework.  Does that hardware make you as giddy as it makes me?  And yes, there are even pull-out writing ledges… on each side.  *swoon*

The desk was made by the Imperial Desk Company, which is no longer in business.  We aren’t quite sure of the exact age of this piece, but our best guess dates it to the early 40s.  The locking mechanism is quite brilliant – when you push in the middle drawer and lock it, it locks all of the desk drawers.  Crazy.

 

I love the custom-cut glass – that alone would’ve cost over a hundred dollars!

I could not be more proud of my hubby and the beautiful job he did with this desk.  It was so much fun working side-by-side in our garage – sanding, painting, staining, and transforming – giving new life to a piece that was on its way to the dumpster and stirring up ideas for a home-based business.

Even better though?  Seeing this piece of furniture shine as it was originally intended… isn’t that why we all do this anyway?

Linking up!

Primitive and Proper
Savvy Southern Style
The 36th Avenue
House of Hepworths
Miss Mustard Seed
Tatertots & Jello
Be Different Act Normal
Under the Table and Dreaming
Home Stories A to Z
How to Nest for Less

{Saturday Spotlight} The Family Room's Kitchen!

Hi friends! It's time for another edition of Saturday Spotlight, where I feature amazing spaces from some amazing bloggers... This week I bring you a fantastic kitchen from Sita at The Family Room. I actually discovered Sita's kitchen on Pinterest, but it wasn't tagged properly... Boo! I persisted, however, until I finally found where this kitchen lived, and now I'm sharing it with you ~ enjoy!

Sita completely transformed her kitchen when she painted her dark wooden cabinets a bright white.  

Isn't the difference incredible?  I am always amazed at what the addition of white cabinetry can do for a space.  This kitchen was essentially the same... but so much better!

Ahhh... wouldn't you just love to cook, eat, and live in here?

I love the pops of aqua and pale green that she's added in as accents... the utensil container, towels, dining chairs, and her drapery all add a special pop of color.

One last parting shot... just look at all the sunshine pouring in!

If you get a chance, please stop over and visit Sita - and tell her I sent ya!  She has more gorgeous spaces in her home for you to enjoy as well as design inspiration, fabulous finds, and more!

*** All images courtesy of Sita at The Family Room ***