As you can see, if have already changed some things around. I replaced the cherry blossom sprays that were on top of the side tables with my lovely new lamps.

The new lamps are in beautiful polished nickel and clamp to the back of the side tables. They swing in or out and direct the light just where I need it. They also have two light settings for mood lighting or high reading light! I really love the masculine/industrial feel they add to the space.

As you can see above I also added some pretty “street scene” prints simply leaning against the arm of the lamps.

Here’s a look from the other side of the sofa.

Here are two wider angles to give some perspective of the entire room. I saved the chaise from our previous sectional sofa (it was the best part of the sofa!!) I plan on slipcovering it but am still deciding on fabric. Behind the chaise you can see my DIY art. It is simply an old frame I have had for years with some discount fabric I picked up stapled to the back. It took me awhile to find something to fill the “hole” behind the chaise but my patience paid off! I didn’t have to spend much money and got the big impact I wanted. Sometimes I just pays to wait. I am also on the hunt for a tufted ottoman for the center of the room. Again I am waiting for the right deal at the right time!

Here is my favorite part of the room, the white chairs in front of my huge window! The area of the living room really makes the space feel crisp and fresh while also being inviting! Haha, don’t you just love my shabby rug! Some people (like my husband, who is more of a clean and simple kinda guy but I love him for letting me have my way with the decor) don’t really “get it” but I do! I love the worn shabby look to death!! I have also temporarily thrown a salvage architectural find behind the chairs against the wall for now till I find it a home. I fell in love with this piece of old cornice from a porch and had to have it! I am thinking I will use it for a “crown canopy” above my bed soon but for now it rest happily in my living room adding character to the space!

Here is where my cherry blossom sprays landed. They flank the fireplace now. You thought I had gotten rid of them huh?!? Nope just a quick move to a new home freshened the space up! I am constantly tweaking and revising.

Here is my fireplace and “butterfly art” as you have seen before but now I have added the cherry blossom sprays and the vintage suit case table beside. I picked this old suitcase up at a local antique shop for $12. I simply put it on table I already had.

Now I know what you are wondering, “where is the TV?” Why it is where are the furniture is facing of course!

Do I want it to be the center of attention? Not really. Is it ok for now? Yeah because I get to watch Big Brother from the comfort of my chaise! Again I am waiting patiently for the right housing for this monster.

So to refresh, here is the living room before.

and after…

Before below, yuck! As you can see from the chandelier hanging, this room was meant to be a living room/dining room combo. What could have been a large room is cut into two too-small spaces that are not really functional. So I pulled up my handy-dandy Ikea planner and reconfigured the kitchen to fit a dining nook and turned a poorly designed floor plan into a beautiful space. 

After…

Much more to come, so stay tuned to see kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom makeovers.

Until next time!

The room before was a plan blank canvas, white walls, beige carpet, etc… Your typical builder grade small bedroom. I don’t seem to have a before picture which saddens me but here is a picture I snapped with my phone right after painting.

Of course from this pictures lighting and without anything else in the room the walls felt a little bit neon. I knew that it would all come together in the end though.

I had a simple white desk from Ikea already so I added 2 Expedit bookcases to the mix.

One I put on its side on casters for a sewing table with storage. I can pull this out to the middle of the room when sewing so the fabric has somewhere to spread out. I picked up these fabulous new vintage “linen-look” file boxes from Ikea as well to store “do-dads” and stored all my fabric swatches, remnants, etc below.

Then there was artwork. I used remnants of Thibaut wallpaper inside Ikea frames. They were the perfect color combo of Apricot, Aqua, and Green all softened by the yellow background. I loved the Pagoda lanterns in this wallpaper which is why I picked it.

Then not to be left out, the other side of the room I framed some typography art and added some accessories to the top of the bookcase. I also picked up a fabulous pinboard framed in gray (seen below again) from Home Goods for just $24.

Then some finishing touches from things I already owned (always a good thing!).

First my favorite Thrift find chair.

My fav chair, shown here in true “Glamour Shot” style with a cute pillow made by yours truly, has bits of coral and aqua throughout this traditional needlepoint toile fabric. I heart this chair for real and it only cost $25!

Then finally one of my favorite lamps, one because it is fabulous and two because it was free, pulls the color scheme together.

I will be adding curtains soon in this Thibaut plaid.

I will show you the curtains when they are up. Until then I hope you liked my inspiration space and were inspired yourself.

Until next time!

This DIY tutorial on how to create your own silhouette art is fun and easy on your wallet.

Click here to see how these adorable silhouettes are made via Tater Tots and Jello

I commented on another blogs post about how much I love wallpaper and I do! However, after reading this tutorial and after messing up wallpaper in almost every way possible in my guest bathroom, I wanna try my hand at painting wallpaper in my next bath. There is nothing else that gives a bathroom spark like patterned walls and this tutorial may save you some money and heartache.

This tutorial via Jones Design Company is thorough as all her many tutorials are.

I want to recreate this wallpaper by Schumacher in my master bath.

Not all these patterns of course, the dotted stripe called the Gabrielle stripe is simple, clean and I think will be easy to recreate. This will save me a ton of money, probably about $500, and will give my bathroom a designer look.

I am not an advocate for all DIY projects. I think some things should be left to the Pros to give a professional look but I think I can make little dots on the wall. I am thinking to keep them uniform I will use the eraser of a pencil dipped in paint to make the dots. Stayed tuned to see how my DIY wallpaper project turns out and how I remedied my wallpaper goofs in my guest bath.

The before from The Lettered Cottage looks vaguely familiar, hmm!?!

Now the after that is really spectacular.

Click here to see the step by step tutorial and look forward to the money you will be saving and the fantastic kitchen you will have after tackling this DIY project.

So here is my first Tutorial Tuesday:

How to clean out a bulb to make vases or candle holders…

Here are examples of fabulous things made from the empty bulbs:

A totally cute mini terrarium!

A vase for single flowers or modern blades of grass!

Light bulb candle holders, so cute!

Do you have anymore “light bulb” ideas? Send them to me so we can all share!

(click images to link to sources)

A fabulous mirror. I am thinking I will most certainly have to try this project out myself. I think I will gold-leaf it though to match my decor. Click here to see more about this project as well as the rest of the  fabulous porch redo at “The Lettered Cottage”.

I recently paid a visit to a fabulous local “scratch and dent” store and landed some incredible deals including my new dining table and bistro chairs. Scored the table for $100 and the chairs for $25 each. I am in love with the grayed wood color of the table as well as the carved details! I am going to do a white wash on the bistro chairs to make them blend more with the table. It is starting to actually look like my kitchen now!

I also scored two of these solid wood Pembrooke tables for $75 each. The rustic wood and dark walnut finish matches the floors and adds a masculine touch to the space. I love that they look like antique tables, caster feet and all!

I have started carefully editing my decor selections for my Pembrooke tables and this is what I have come up with so far. A pretty tulip arrangement which I made myself with my favorite silver bowl purchased at an antique store along with a silver candle snuffer, a few decor books, some pretty aqua candles for color, and a picture of my sweetie and I make the first table very “me”. The second table has more of the aqua candles, a few books I picked up at the antique store (I ripped off the covers to give them a vintage look) and two Fleur De Lis bookends finish it off.

Then finally last but not least, I have a corner of my living room 99% finished! I love to sit on the other side of the living room and just look at this spot to imagine the whole place finished My two white linen chairs flank my Shaker style nesting tables (a handmade gift from my dad!). I bought a new burlap shade for a $5 goodwill lamp to give it a new life here in this space. An orchid in a mercury glass vase and a silver plated clock, a silver bowl, and two candles finish the table top. My favorite gray and white damask pillows pull in the wall color and “VOILA”, my pretty corner.

That’s all the progress I have to share for now. Until next time!

I love roman blinds, but having them custom made is just too expensive!! The idea of making them myself is terrifying. I would never get them the right size. However, I found a post about making roman blinds out of mini-blinds on one of my favorite blogs “A Penny Saved“, and I must admit it sounds like something I can do! The idea is to use the hardware from your exciting mini-blinds (you know, the ones that already fit your window) and using it to make the roman blinds. A sewing machine is optional!! Click on this link (A Penny Saved) to read the instructions on how to do this great DIY project. I am really excited to try this myself and I will show you the results when I’m done.