Iron Bed Completed!

I finally completed my project for the iron bed. 

This was the inspiration:

The expensive Laura Ashley bed:

 

The even prettier antique version:

And after a meeting with a can of spray paint, this:

 

 

Became this!

 

 

I think it turned out very well.  : )

 

The refinished floors look pretty great, too.  The room finally looks like it is coming together.  I need to find something to hang above the bed, I think.  

 

Jess

Extra dining room chairs from Craigslist

My dining room table came with 4 chairs - two are perfect, one needs to be reglued, and one needs to be reglued and repaired.

I reupholtered them early on (except for the one that needs to be repaired) with some pretty blue fabric from JoAnn's.  I bought several yards, because I knew I would eventually want more chairs, and wanted to be able to reupholster them so they matched. 

I have had trouble finding other chairs with the circle design on the back (which I love), so when I saw some flowered Duncan Phyfe style chairs on Craigslist I picked them up. 

They are a bit looser than I would have liked, but I think they will be fine without regluing for occassional chairs.    I think they fit in fairly well, with the matching seats.  Hopefully, one day I can find some that match my original chairs exactly. 

 

 

Jess

An Iron Bed

I found these pictures on pinterest - this one is a vintage iron bed, and the other is a Laura Ashley, only available in Britain.  The "Somerset Cream Bed" is listed on Apartment Therapy as "Beds We'd Love to Own", and selling for about 2000 pounds. 

Then I found this:

Notice any similarities?

I bought it from Sears, in US dollars, for a fraction of the cost of the Laura Ashely.  I am going to spray paint it bright white. 

It shipped in four days, and is now set up on my bed.  I only got the headboard, as the room is not huge and I like having the bottom of the bed open to collapse on after work. 

I will paint it as soon as it warms up outside.  I usually don't find great bargains, but I am pretty impressed with this one.

Jess

Closet problems...

Whoever built in all the closets in the house loved, loved, loved louvered doors. 

I do not.

I do really love this look:

You would not believe how difficult it is to find Shaker style 5 panel bifold doors.  They used to sell them in standard sizes at Home Depot around 2 years ago, but now Home Depot does not have anything similar.  Just ugly raised panels. 


Jess

Grown up Furniture

Our red sofas have lived a good life - both were hand me downs when Shawn and I recieved them, and we have lived with them for over a decade each.  With the red slipcovers, they were a fun way to put more color in the boring beige apartments.  Of course, I never took a formal 'before', but this is a sample of the couch in action:

 

 

And here is the 'after', with the new couches from Crate & Barrel.  (You can also see the new roman shades I made in the background). 

 

I was worried I would miss the color, but it turns out the white really blends into the room and makes it seem a lot more cohesive - especially since it picks up the white from the dining room. 

 

 

 

Between the curtains and the couches, the living room has made a big change over the past year.  I made the curtains by piecing together a few do-it-yourself instructions on my great-aunt's antique Singer sewing machine. 

 

 

 

Max, of course, was a big help testing out both curtains and couch.

 

 

 

Jess

 



Dining Room Update

A dining room update...

We found a dining table early March, and a china cabinet early April.  After a little reupholstering, the dining room looks like this...

Still some plans in the works for the right corner...

One of the original labels was still on the bottom of a chair.  The set was purchased from the Black Furniture Company, 2600 North Broadway, St. Louis, MO.   I love the local touch.  The table and chairs was a Craigslist find; the china cabinet came from Elder's on Cherokee. 

Jess

A small update...

I have been making a few more updates that I will show soon, but here is a small one that turned out very well. 

Here is the bathroom vanity we inherited:

The vanity itself is staying for now, but the grungy modern knobs on the traditional vanity had to go. 

Here it is again after a quick trip to Target:

Much better.  Now if only someone would clean off the collection of makeup and hair things on the top...

An (Overdue) Update on the Little Bedroom

Here is how it started:

And here is how it ended up, after a good coat of Behr Polar Drift (Flat) and several hours taking up carpet:

I love this color of blue.

Next up: The little bedroom

The next painting project is the littlest bedroom.  This is one of my favorite rooms, since it has two leaded glass windows to complement the downstairs window in the door.  I have not been great with capturing the before, but here are some before/in progress pictures of the bright turquoise paint:

 

Max considered himself a big help in the painting process.  I got sick of taping, and decided to try to cut nearly everything in by hand.  I think this first coat went fairly well - we will see about the next!  Next step is to buy the color today, and wrap this up!

Before's and afters

The dining room before.... (not our furniture)...

The diningroom with a new coat of blue and white.   Currently our little kitchen table is bravely trying to fill up the space with it's two little chairs, so I am searching for a dinging room table.  I can't decide what style set to get - any ideas?

The master bedroom before (again, not our furniture...)

And after with a coat of Behr's Silver Charm in flat finish...



Quick Shine

My cousin told me about this for wood floors, and it is amazing.  It took our great, but I-wish-it-was-a-little-shinier floors and gave them a nice, medium gloss.  The cat is the only one who doesn't like it - he is hanging out in the bathroom until it dries.  : )

Jess

Upstairs bedroom walls are finished...

After a false start that left me with some lavendar walls, I repainted with Behr's Silver Charm (Flat Finish).  Much better - just as pretty against the white woodwork, but brighter, more gender nuetral, and more adult.

After the carpet comes up, this room will be finished.  Hopefully I will be able to get the carpet up later this week.  The worst part is pulling up the staples one by one - those things were meant to stay!

Eventually, the woodwork needs a new coat of white gloss enamel - the last people tried to get by with one coat in a semi-gloss, but it did not go well.  For now, though, the room is finished as soon as the carpet is out. 

Jess

Painting in progress

Some "durings"...