January 22nd, 2012
Images from: Stadshem
You can probably guess why I love this space… The loft bed is amazing! This swedish apartment is around 550 SF and is beautifully set up. The wall shelving unit and work space is very clean and simple, even with the ginormous amount of books. Displaying what you love, whether it be books or gifts or whatever, can make a minimalist home way more personal. I love the white and natural wood through out the space and that the main source of color comes from the books! Very fun and unique little home. I want that bed and am still trying to figure out if those little knobs on the side of the wardrobe are meant to be used for climbing up there…? Or maybe there’s ladder stored away during the day. Either way, very creative sleeping nook.
Posted in small space | No Comments »
January 21st, 2012
My loft is almost complete finally. Found the perfect table for behind my sofa to serve as my dining table and working table. It’s a beautiful solid wood table thats about 20″ x 72″ and I’m sure you can all guess where I found it for the bargain price of $80… Craigslist! I just wanted to show my recent additions to the space including the table, my new tv stand, and my vintage chair. My friends have convinced me that it would be okay to not reupholster the chair quite yet so the awesomely ugly yellow chair will just chill in the corner. My next project is building a coffee table and bedframe using wood pallets and refinishing my mom’s old mirror for my dresser. Now, as I said I am not an extreme minimalist, which is obvious by looking at my loft. If I was, it’d be empty besides a bed and table I’m sure. But this is my idea of minimalism and it guides the direction I have taken with my home…
read more »
Posted in design, minimalist life, small space | 4 Comments »
January 17th, 2012
Alright I have a project for you guys. I need some insight from any antique experts out there. I found this beautiful antique dresser on craigslist for a fire sale at $150. Thankfully I was the first to respond and now it’s mine, all mine. What originally caught my eye about this dresser was the fact that the top is detachable and I am currently on the hunt for a free standing mirror for my white dresser. But then as I thought about it more, I was noticing that this dresser is in pretty dang good shape and seems like a legit refinshed antique or at least a really nice reproduction. I am not a fan of painting antiques that are in good shape, for obvious reasons… it diminishes their value and ruins some beautiful wood grain. I don’t know if this piece is an original or reproduction but the drawers do have dovetail joints, but they look machine-made, not hand-made due to their preciseness and symmetry. Also, it has wood inlays or veneers on all the drawers. It has brass pieces topping the mirror section which are in the shape of vases/urns. Based on these observations and the tapered legs, I’m thinking it’s style is from the georgian hepplewhite furniture era or the federal era…
read more »
Posted in furniture, save money | No Comments »
January 15th, 2012
Remember my black lowboy dresser from last week? The makeover is complete! I think the white really goes well in contrast to my dark wood floor and brick wall. Here is what I did to transform this dresser into my new entertainment unit!
read more »
Posted in do it yourself, furniture | 8 Comments »
January 9th, 2012
My second project for January (along with reupholstering a chair) is turning this old dresser I found into a television stand. I can’t decide whether to repaint it or not. The person I bought it from on craigslist painted it black, but I think it’s too dark… maybe? If I paint it, I’m going to go with an antique white. I’m also going to change out the knobs and take out the top two drawers and replace them with wooden inserts so that cable boxes can go in those slots. I may keep it or I may sell it depending on how it turns out! Any suggestions or opinions on it? I’m torn about the color! Part of me wants to practice painting on it as I’ve never painted a furniture piece before…
Update: I am going to paint it. It’s too dark, I’ve decided!
Here are some examples of dressers turned television stands:
Dresser #1
Lowboy Dresser #2
Dresser #3
This last dresser has a neat idea for using magnets to attach the top drawer fronts so that they can hide your electronics when not in use, but then can easily come off when you need access!
Dresser #4
Posted in do it yourself | 4 Comments »
January 9th, 2012
Image and idea from: IKEA Hackers
Just came across this neat IKEA hack, and I love it! Looks very sharp in my opinion and is quite simple. All it takes is some cover stain, new paint of your choosing, and some raised surface wallpaper/covering… the final touch is some skinny molding. I think it definitely adds something unique to the Hemnes dresser!
Posted in do it yourself | No Comments »
January 8th, 2012
For this design, I was asked by Joanna to provide some ideas for their living room in their new condo with a budget of $2000. She loves blues, white chairs/sofas, dark wood furniture, and the contemporary style in general. Her husband prefers a masculine style (of course). They also wanted easy viewing access to their large balcony windows as well as access to their TV, without it taking center stage in their home. She currently has a blue sofa and two dark brown IKEA billy bookcases and is happy with IKEA’s style and budget.
read more »
Posted in design, small space | 2 Comments »
January 7th, 2012
I really wanted a neat accent chair for my new place, without paying an arm and a leg. So I decided I’d probably have to re-upholster an ugly chair in order to get something decent for my price range. Well today we went snooping around at some antique thrift stores and found this! The fabric is terrible obviously, which I’m guessing is why it was so cheap… gold/yellow velvet, I will never understand this trend. But, the chair itself has potential! And it looks simple enough to try upholstering for the first time ever. And best part is it was only $80! I don’t think it’s a real antique piece or anything but as I said, I think it will be perfect for learning how to upholster without the risk of ruining a real nice chair. I’m excited to see what becomes of it! It will be difficult deciding what fabric to use but I’m excited for this little thrifty project!
Have any of you ever tried reupholstering a furniture piece? Google will be my guide unless anyone has any advice!
Posted in do it yourself, furniture, save money | 5 Comments »
January 3rd, 2012
Here are pictures of my loft! It is still a work in progress and I am waiting to find a few more pieces and get rid of a few old ones. Here’s a rundown of my design and why I went with this layout…
read more »
Posted in design, minimalist life, small space | 12 Comments »
January 1st, 2012
I have moved into my new loft and it is amazing! I’ll be somewhat MIA for a little longer as I do not have internet until next weekend. I’ll post some pictures soon though and hopefully will have my loft looking how I want it within a month or so! It is definitely still a work in progress, and I’m loving it!! Hope everyone has a great 2012, I think it’s going to be a great year!
Posted in minimalist life | 2 Comments »
