Family Room Makeover in Progress

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Roeshel

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I have been working on my family room for years. It keeps getting pushed to the back burner. Ever have one of those rooms?

When we first moved in, we removed carpet. Then lived with plywood subfloors for a few years before finally installing bamboo flooring.

I painted the French doors a beautiful Benjamin Moore Pacific Ocean blue with glazing when I created a door pediment from an old headboard…

And the old hunter green striped LaZBoy sofa was great quality but I was thrilled when it got slipcovered…

before

after

And then I saved my money to order the Waverly Santa Maria Desert Flower fabric I had to have to make curtains. That fabric sat untouched for a year. I finally got the curtains sewn but not hemmed although you couldn’t tell in photos.

It’s a room that I tend to decorate here and there, one we rarely use so it gets cluttered up, but it’s never really been finished.

Until now. With the help of Overstock.com, this room is getting “polished”… i.e. “completed”. I also want it to function more as a studio/work space too since it has great lighting. It’s finally happening!

If you’ve ever shopped at Overstock, you know there’s a great selection of all things home related at great prices. And I love shopping the WorldStock section for beautiful handmade home decor and furniture. 60-70% of the purchase price goes back to the artisan and suppliers!

Here’s a sneak peek at my Overstock order. Definitely eclectic…just the way I like it! Some things will have a bit of a DIY spin.

SEE THE FULL REVEAL HERE.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Update: Winners are MINDY Y. who tweeted about the giveaway and BRANDY with this comment: Something I would add to my wish list is paint for every room in my house, including all the little things like tape, items to remove wallpaper, etc… Wallpaper…..the reason I have not painted before now!

CONGRATULATIONS, LADIES! Please respond to the email I’ve sent to claim your prize within 24 hours (updated due to previous winner not responding/new winner chosen).

$100 OverStock Gift Card Giveaway

But wait! There’s more! Overstock is generously donating a $100 gift card to TWO DIYShowOff readers! Two ways to enter to win:

FIRST: Visit OverStock.com. Come back here and leave a comment below sharing what you’d add to your wish list. One comment per visitor. One winner will be chosen at random from the comments on 11/14/13.

THEN: For more chances to win, stay up-to-date with DIYShowOff and share the giveaway via the entries on the Rafflecopter form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Disclosure: I was provided OverStock store credit to makeover an area in my home and to host an OverStock giveaway. All opinions are in my own words and my own experience. OverStock has been one of my go-to online shopping sources for years…just one of those places I check out when searching for home decor or gifts. 🙂

DIY luggage rack and sprucing up the Guest Room

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Roeshel

Lowe’s Creative Ideas challenge for November is sprucing up the guest room. So, it’s all ready for your visit! Pack a suitcase because I whipped up a pretty DIY luggage rack:

Materials I used:

Three poplar 1in x 2in x 6 ft (they really measure 3/4 x 1-1/2 inch)
One 3/4 x 36 inch square dowel
24″ by 16″ fabric
Twelve 1-1/4 inch pocket hole screws
Two 3-1/2 inch machine screws with washers/nuts
Valspar Spray Paint + Primer

Tools I used:

Kreg Pocket Hole Jig
Saw
Sanding block
Iron
Sewing machine
Stapler

I cut the poplar and dowel as follows:

Two 25″ long pieces of poplar (tops)
Four 20″ long pieces of poplar (legs)
One 19″ dowel (cross beam)
One 16″ dowel (cross beam)

Next, I painted my wood pieces. (You may want to wait until you have frames assembled. I had to do paint touch ups after assembly because of pocket holes.)

Using my Kreg Jig I drilled pocket holes into each of the four legs on the 2″ end (2 holes each) and each end of both dowel rods.

Drill a hole into the each leg piece in the center on the short side (10″ down).

Outside frame: Attach one 20″ leg to the 25″ top using two screws as shown measuring in 1 1/2 inch. Repeat with the other side.

Then the dowel as shown.

* My pocket holes are facing out. They’re more noticeable if they’re on the inside when the luggage rack is unfolded.

Repeat the above steps for the inside frame piece EXCEPT attach legs 3 inches in on the 25″ top piece (or lay out on top of inside frame and make sure one set of frame legs fits inside the other for folding).

*This is where I’d paint the frames instead of beforehand like I did.

Now, cross (sort of tuck) the smaller frame into the larger frame above the dowel. You may need to loosen the larger frame’s dowel a little to get it to fit properly.

Insert the 3 1/2 inch machine screw into the pre-drilled hole through both frame legs on each side. Secure with a nut on the inside.

Cut fabric rectangle measuring 24 x 16 inches. Fold, iron and hem all borders. (My seam allowance is 1 inch on the short ends, 1/2 inch on the long ends.)

Staple short ends to under side of top frame pieces (between legs).

All done!

Open and guest ready:

Folded and easily stored:

More ideas to be guest room ready:

Add…

a variety of magazines to the night stand
freshly laundered sheets and towels
a comfy throw blanket
tissues
fresh flowers
alarm clock
easy access to outlet for chargers
extra toiletries

See more fun DIY ideas at Lowe’s Creative Ideas, follow Lowe’s on Instagram, Pinterest and sign up for the Creative Ideas magazine and app! I’m SUPER EXCITED that THIS PROJECT will be featured in the Lowe’s Creative Ideas digital magazine! Be sure to get the app and check it out!

*Disclaimer: As a member of the Lowe’s Creative Ideas Creators and Influencers network, I received a Lowe’s gift card to complete this project challenge, however the tutorial images, instructions and opinions are my own.

Holiday Ready Home

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Roeshel

It’s too early to start decorating but it’s not too early to think about getting our homes ready for the holidays by finishing up projects, painting, organizing and cleaning and prepping the outdoors for winter so that when the time does come for holiday decorating, it’ll be much more stress-free.

Last week Lowe’s hosted a Holiday Ready Home Showcase. Surrounded by family and friends, we “tagged along” (via live stream in my living room tv) hosted by the Kitchen Cousins (John & Anthony) sharing home design bloggers’ room makeovers for some great tips on having a holiday ready home. Talk about inspiration for getting into the holiday spirit! So.many.ideas!

Here is how I get my home ready for the holidays:

1. Project completion. We seem to be in a constant state of construction so my first step is to finish up the projects that I’m working on. For me that means finishing up the DIY details in a room, sweeping up the sawdust, then putting away the materials and tools. So I’ll be finishing up a laundry room makeover, family room “polishing” and hopefully fitting in that pantry makeover I’ve been meaning to get to before getting serious about my holiday decorating. I better get busy!

2. Clean and declutter. I can’t get started with holiday decorating unless I have a clean slate. This means cleaning the rooms I decorate then decluttering by removing all-year-around decorative accents to make room for Christmas accents.

3. Re-arrange furniture. Sometimes that means simply changing the orientation of our dining room table. Just that small thing gives the room a fresh look. I also re-arrange the living room and family room furniture to make space for the Christmas trees. It’s always a challenge and I try different spots but always go back to the same usual Christmas tree location.

4. Outdoors. Winter is sneaking up on us. Time to winterize the patio by putting away decorative accents, patio furniture and cushions. I also watch the weather for a warmer day to get holiday lighting up and installed so that when it is cold, wintery, snowy December, all I have to do is plug in the lights and hang the wreaths.

5. Decorate. After digging out the boxes marked “Christmas” from the basement (it’s like hunting for buried treasure except not as fun. ha!), I like to organize my seasonal decor by room and laying out what I have before decorating, especially since I may have items I purchased on clearance after the holidays the previous year. It gives me an idea if there’s anything I need to add to my holiday decorating stash too. Tips for decorating a Christmas tree.

6. Scents. Since we use artificial trees, a subtle pine scented candle is a must buy every year.

I may have been humming a little “Winter Wonderland” while decorating the dining room early for my holiday ready home viewing party using some beautiful holiday accents from the Allen + Roth collection at Lowe’s – beautiful LED mercury glass trees, ornaments, white script leaf garland with silver glitter bling and gold feathers accents.

More great tips for a holiday ready home:

Holiday lighting is an affordable way to add a big statement to holiday decorate. Holiday lighting and candles add a special touch – that glow! so warm and welcoming! – especially with darkness arriving earlier these days. Don’t forget the outdoors…luminaries are an easy budget-friendly way to lighten the path to the front door.
Need something fresh and new? Paint makes a big statement! It’s by far the easiest and quickest way to brighten up a room.
Accessorize a neutral room with color in holiday decorating. Add accent pillows and throws for extra color, warmth and comfort.
Mixed metallics are a great way to add some sparkle and shine!
Mix old and new and look for fun non-traditional ways to use existing things, thinking outside of the box.
Try bringing in living/natural elements (succulents, sticks, twigs, birch branches/logs).
Don’t forget to incorporate family traditions or start a new one!

Looking for some fun holiday DIY projects? Check out these Lowe’s Creative Ideas. One of these inspired a DIY Show Off project I’ll be sharing sometime next month.

o Kitchen: http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/decorate-and-entertain/terra-cotta-serving-tray/project or http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/kitchen-and-dining/apple-butter-party-favors/project#noop

o Living Room: http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/decorate-and-entertain/frosted-glass-mirror/project#noop

o Outdoor/Curb Appeal: http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/porch-deck-and-patio/twine-star-decoration/project or http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/woodworking-and-crafts/shining-dowel-star/project or http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/other-activities/vinyl-luminaries/project

o Bath/Guest Bath: http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/bed-and-bath/update-your-bathroom-for-the-holidays/article

o Entryway: http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/woodworking-and-crafts/make-your-own-holiday-wreaths/article

o Guest Room: http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/woodworking-and-crafts/nuts-and-bolts-christmas-tree/project

o Dining Room: http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/woodworking-and-crafts/how-to-make-mini-chalkboards/project

See more fun DIY ideas at Lowe’s Creative Ideas, follow Lowe’s on Instagram, Pinterest and sign up for the Creative Ideas magazine and app!