Stone Topped Furniture

Years ago I knew someone who had a gorgeous wooden coffee table with a marble top. Lately, I've started noticing some similar pieces such as the ones below.

1, 2, 3
The types of stone used are travertine, faux marble, and travertine, respectively.

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I love the curves on this antique looking dresser. The top is actually made of wood, but I think it would look great with a similarly colored slab of marble or travertine for a slightly more modern look.

DIY #2 - Done!

Remember a while back when I wrote about my coffee table refinishing project? At the time I was so frustrated with how much time and effort the whole thing took that I swore it'd be years before I took on another project like that! Well, that didn't happen!

First, some background... Three years ago, when moving into my first unfurnished apartment, I purchased a little table from Target for around $15 as a temporary nightstand. Buying the necessities, such as a bed and a desk, drained my wallet and I figured I would upgrade down the road. I didn't think I'd take three years, but I'm picky and cheap - not a good combo!

A few months ago I had the week off and took the opportunity to go shopping. I passed by an unfinished wood furniture store as I was driving around. I could hear it calling my name so I decided to pop in and see what they had to offer. It just so happened they were going out of business and everything was 60% off! Who can resist a deal like that? I picked up two new nightstands for $18 each, which were unfinished but already assembled.

This time I decided to do plenty of research ahead of time, not be so stubborn, and get the job done right! The first thing I did was go out and buy wood conditioner and more of those cheap foam brushes.

Since the wood was unfinished I only needed to do a light sanding to prep the tables. I applied the conditioner just like the directions specified and was able to stain one of the tables before I got too sore from all the bending over to get to the second table. Since I conditioned both tables the first day, but didn't stain the second one, I had to re-sand it to "open up the pores" and then apply conditioner again when I came back to work on it. Both tables came out fine, but I think it was this step that caused the two tables to be slightly different in color. One table has more of a reddish tint than the other.

  
I had a lamp on when I took the right photo so the color is slightly off, but still pretty accurate. I used the leftover red mahogany stain and semi-gloss polyurethane from my coffee table project on the nightstands.

The finished nightstands side by side.

I can't wait for the day when we have a garage or better yet a workshop where I can do these kinds of projects! 

Daybed Dreaming

After two years of talking about getting a new sofa, even going out shopping one once or twice, we still have the old worn out futon sitting in our living room. It's such an eyesore that I can't even bring myself to post a photo of it.

I recently visited our local Crate & Barrel store and fell in love with this oh so soft and plush daybed.

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In the evenings Andy and I like to sit facing each other with our legs intertwined as we read or work on our laptops. It's a great was to relax and spend time together after a long day and something this daybed would be perfect for! However, we need a sofa with a back to it and since we don't have room for it as an extra piece of furniture the search continues!

Dream Home Design

Back in elementary school I used to write my cousin Samantha who lives in another state. We would draw sketches of our house because one day we were going to live together on a horse farm! While the drawings were simple and we've since abandoned our horse farm dream (although she currently lives with her husband and baby on a real farm), I still remember how fun it was to put my dreams down on paper. 

If you have thought of building your own home someday, assuming you haven't already, have you ever sat down and actually tried to sketch up a floorplan? Recently, after telling Andy how I knew what I wanted in our future home, he encouraged me to draw it up and we might even be able to get a cost to build estimate. After multiple attempts I've come to realize that I need the help - it's so difficult!

My laundry list of wants: 

• 4 bed
• 3+ bath
• 2 story
• 2 car garage  
• Library/study
• Spanish/Mediterranean influence outside
• Lots of storage (large closets, pantry, linen closets...)
• Tons of light, relatively open floor plan
• Limited "wasted space" - No living room that's just for show or formal dining room that gets used 1-2 times a year 
• Moderately sized rooms - I don't need a sofa in the master bath or a whole living room in the bedroom! Cozy, but not cramped, is key!
• Bedroom closets accessible from the bedroom - I don't want to have to walk through the bathroom to get to the closet
• Master bath: separate toilet, single sink but plenty of counter space, jetted tub, doorless walk-in shower (Andy's wish)

Are there any must haves on your list? If so, what are they?

Spanish style home in L.A.

If you share my love of Spanish revival style houses then you should definitely head over to Cococozy and check out this gorgeous L.A. home. It is a little too much house for us, but I love how bright and airy it is.

Funny thing is I didn't show this to Andy because I figured he's probably sick of hearing me talk about houses. A few days later he came across the same house and showed it to me, saying that he really liked it!

DIY - Headboard Edition

I've been wanting a headboard for a while now and I've finally decided to try and make my own! The first time I looked at headboards I was hit with major sticker shock. So when my old roommate and friend Megan made her own I was inspired. I may not be quite as crafty as her, but I figured it's worth a shot, especially if it means saving a few hundred dollars!

I plan to keep it simple by making a rectangular headboard, no fancy sawing and upholstering involved. It's also important to me that it be a full length headboard, not just a small version that gets hung on the wall. First, I prefer the look when you can't tell that it ends right below the pillows and second, I like to avoid putting any extra holes in the wall whenever possible.

As far as the fabric, I was envisioning a neutral fabric color such as beige or light green that is likely go with whatever bedding we have. Something like the photos below:

However, during a recent trip to Jo-Ann fabrics to get an idea what our options are Andy rejected my neutral idea in favor of something bold with a cool pattern. My main concern is that if we have a bold headboard our bedding options will be limited to a solid that compliments the headboard and finding bedding is difficult enough without any color and pattern constraints.

Now, I will admit that Andy usually goes along with my decor choices so I'm trying to hear him out on this one. I turned to decorpad to see if I could find some bold headboards for inspiration. Here are a few I found:

Never one to jump into anything, I'm still mulling over all the options. (This is where Andy would jump in and tell you about some study that concludes that too many choices make people less happy because they continue to question their decision even after they've made their selection.) In the meantime I'm also drawing up plans for the headboard and making a list of all the supplies I will need.

DIY - Done!

I'm torn - I love to decorate and to have a home which truly reflect our style, but I can be incredibly frugal. So, what's a gal like me supposed to do when we have a perfectly good coffee table that just isn't working for me? Besides a few minor scratches my only real complaint was that the color was too light for my taste and it didn't seem to go with the rest of our darker, more contemporary furniture. I decided I would try to give it some new life with a little sanding and staining.

Before I get into all the details, here are the before and after photos:

{Before}

{After)

See our beige carpet in the second photo? Before, the light coffee table blended right in. Now, it pops!

I expected this to be a quick weekend project, but it ended up taking me a month or more, off and on. First I had to sand the table, removing all the old polyurethane. I bought an electric sander which I used for the top and some of the sides and sanded the edges by hand. I'm still not sure if it was the sander I bought or my technique (the more likely of the two), but I spent at least 2 hours sanding and except for a few spots I didn't get all the way down to the bare wood. I knew I needed to get it all off, but at a certain point I stopped caring and moved on to the staining process. 

For the stain I used Minwax wood finish in red mahogany. My first mistake here was going with the stain brush recommended to me by the guy at Home Depot. The brush was fine for the top, but too wide for the rest of the table so as I tried to paint one side of the leg the bristles would bend around the corner and some stain would get on the other side of the table leg. This resulted in the stain building up near the edges. My second mistake was not wiping the stain off soon enough so the whole thing became sticky and took forever to dry. And my third mistake (yes, I made a lot of mistakes) was not using a wood conditioner before I applied the stain. When I saw the wood conditioner at the store I figured it was a waste of money, but apparently it really does help, especially for a soft wood like pine. Live and learn!

The initial color was a beautiful lighter reddish color, but due to the splotches (from lack of conditioning) I knew I needed to apply a second coat. After letting it sit for a week I figured it was dry and with some cheap foam brushes of various sizes I set out for coat #2. The foam brushes worked much better than the fancy and more expensive stain brush. 

After letting the stain dry for another few days it was time for the polyurethane. I went with Minwax fast-drying semi-gloss polyurethane. After the first coat there seemed to be a whitish haze, possibly from not stirring the can enough. After sanding the top I realized that some of the stain at the edges came off so I applied the second coat of poly to the top, but left the rest with just one coat.

The final step was replacing the wooden knobs for some more modern looking brushed nickel ones. When all is said and done I think it turned out pretty good. It's not perfect, but it was a good start and I learned a lot along the way. In fact, Andy is so impressed with my work that he wants me to tackle the bedroom dresser next! However, I've got a totally different project in mind. 

So, have you ever tried your hand at refinishing a piece of furniture? If so, how did it turn out?

If money were no object...

These two mirrors are on my amazon wish list (aka my keep on dreaming list!)

What a statement piece! And with all the mirrors at different angles I bet it reflects a lot of light.

Andy really liked this mirror from Pottery Barn, which is saying a lot since he usually shrugs at anything having to do with home decor. One thing he didn't like: the $700 price tag!

So, if money were no object what home decor items would make their way off of your wish list and into your home?

Inspiration, part 2

I thought I'd share a few more photos of some gorgeous Spanish-Mediterranean homes, enjoy!



















This house has beautiful symmetry. I love the fireplace flanked by built in bookshelves. The three archways remind me of the Crosley (see below).

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I love those wooden doors! 

The Powel Crosley on our wedding day. A large house is a must to be able to pull off a fireplace of that size. Oh, and did I mention I love wood doors?

The Crosley was built in 1929 by Mr. Crosley for his wife Gwendolyn and served as their winter home. The house is 11,000 square feet with 21 rooms, 10 baths, and servant's quarters on the second floor. Mr. Crosley abandoned the house after his wife passed away. In 1982 it was bought by Manatee county and placed on the National Registry of Historic Places. It's amazing to see the photos hanging in the upstairs hallway of the house when it was abandoned. You'd never know it now, but it was falling apart. Click here to see the photos. For more information, visit the Crosley's website.

This is actually not a house, but a spa. I'm not sure what's on the 3rd floor, but that vaulted ceiling is amazing!

Dream Home Inspiration

I love thinking about the design of our dream home and all the features I'd like it to have. I've got a file on my computer in which I keep inspiration photos that I've found online, but the biggest design inspiration for our dream home, at least in terms of the exterior, is the house next door to my grandmother. I don't think I need to explain why, just take a look at it!

I love the Spanish-Mediterranean style, the rounded corners, the arched entryway, and the pretty green trim around the windows. It was built and sold a few years ago for over $2.5 million - slightly beyond our current means. For now I'll have to keep dreaming.

Is there a particular style that you're drawn to?