Side Table Makeover

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Roeshel

Spring cleaning always inspires a bit of decorating and freshening up around the house. Today, an old side table gets a fun new look and a pop of color for the reading nook. Side table makeover:

What I used:

side table
FrogTape® Multi-Surface
spray paint

What I did:

I cleaned an old side table with a damp cloth and let it dry.

Then using my FrogTape, I taped off a design onto the table top.

Using my thumbnail, I burned the edges of the tape in order to get crisp clean lines.

Next, I toted it outside and applied a couple of even light coats of spray paint.

Before the paint dried, I removed the FrogTape then let the paint dry.

The side table adds a pop of color to our reading nook and will sit between two chairs.

Do you have an old piece of furniture that needs an update?

*This post is sponsored by FrogTape.

Jazz up baby’s crib for under $10

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Roeshel

Need a splash of color in the nursery? Jazz up the crib with vinyl decals for less than $10!

Crib before:

Materials I used: Happy Crafters adhesive vinyl x 2 colors

Tools Needed: Scissors

The Oracle brand adhesive vinyl from Happy Crafters has a grid on the back side. Using scissors, simply cut strips of adhesive vinyl to size. No vinyl cutting machine required.

Remove backing and place onto crib like stickers. You choose the color or colors that coordinate with your space. Best part? They’re removable! Get a fresh new look temporarily without ruining the crib’s finish.

After:

Can’t go wrong with easy, affordable, temporary and cute crib decorating!

*Please note that you should make safety your first priority. If you find that your vinyl decals are peeling up, remove vinyl immediately. We do not have any issues, I’m only sharing a decorating project that works for us. Attempt this project at your own risk.

**This post is sponsored by Happy Crafters. Tutorial, experience and opinion is my own. I love the products and the prices are affordable. Check out all the supplies at Happy Crafters for great prices, products and inspiration for your next project.

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Creating a Reading Nook

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Roeshel

There’s a section of our living room near the built in shelving that I like to call our reading nook. It’s a place for displaying my DIY, decorating, home improvement book collection. A place where I enjoy curling up and flipping through the pages of the latest issue of my favorite home magazines.

Things to consider when creating a reading nook:

Bookshelves or bookcases are a must-have for display and organization. In our home, I use a section of built-ins in the living room.

Comfortable seating. I chose two Nico Accent Chairs by Sauder. I love the sturdiness, traditional design, durable linen fabric and fun print in neutral colors with nailhead trim for completing the look and function in this space.

Lighting: Everyone knows that reading in the dark was bad for our eyes, right? You’ll want to make sure there’s some sort of adequate lighting to provide a bright atmosphere for reading. I currently use a pole lamp but would love to incorporate some wall mounting lighting.

Accessories: A collection of books (and/or magazines) of course,

a warm comfy throw,

a foot stool (I’m still scouring estate and yard sales), coordinating accent pillows

and a few decorative accents that reflect your style.

Everything needed to inspire quiet time and reading. It’s my favorite spot in our living room, a little library corner.

For more design inspiration, check out the Sauder Look Book.

Do you have a designated reading space in your home? Do you have any tips to add for creating a quiet comfortable space?

*This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sauder. The opinions and text are all mine.

Outdoor Bistro Set Before and After

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Roeshel

With summer right around the corner, it’s time to spruce up outdoor seating areas. The oil rubbed bronze of this bistro set matched everything nicely but it’s just so brown and tired.

Before:

Originally it was a $15 yard sale score, ivory and rusty.

Wayyyyy before…

Here it is better staged in our grape arbor/gazebo recycled brick patio/pathway reveal, but it gets lost…

Here’s what I did:

Remove the glass top. A little sanding of the rusty spots, a good wipe down (Yes! That’s Young Living Thieves household cleaner)…

and one can of Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover 2X in navy (don’t forget your mask)!, a day of dry time….

…then re-insert glass, top with a couple of homemade cushions and I’m loving the new pop of color.

After:

Much happier, isn’t it? Do you have some tired old boring outdoor furniture ready for a re-freshening?

DIY Freestanding Mobile Pipe Coat Rack

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Roeshel

Holiday season! That means some entertaining in our home, get-togethers with families, dinner parties (having a holiday open house today, in fact). Time to get holiday guest ready! Did you ever notice that your own family fills up the coat closet (sometimes to the point of “avalanche!” when opening the door? Or is that just us?!)…and when guests arrive in colder months, coats are stored in the guest bedroom in a pile on a bed? Our solution:

A DIY moveable, mobile coat rack. I am so over the utility types that teeter, lean or fall over when filled up. Know what I mean? This industrial looking DIY coat rack is sturdy, not to mention adds a touch of rustic industrial style.

Materials I used:

(1) 48 inch stair tread (I used red oak but for a more budget friendly option, there was also pine)
Rust-Oleum Ultimate Wood Stain (color is kona and ebony)
foam brush for applying stain, gloves & rags, paint brush for applying polyurethane
Rust-Oleum Polyurethane sealer (finish is satin)
(4) heavy duty casters
(2) 3/4″ flanges
(2) 24″ galvanized steel pipes
(2) 30″ galvanized pipes
(2) 3/4″ tee connectors
(2) 3/4″ nipple connectors
(2) 3/4″ 90 degree elbows
(2) 3/4″ 90 degree street elbows
(2) 3/4″ caps
(1) 36″ galvanized pipe
#12 1 inch hexagon washers (screws)

What I did:

Soak the sticker parts of the galvanized pipes in hot soapy water. (It doesn’t take long.) Remove stickers. Dry pipes and set aside.

Finish the wood. Using the foam brush, I applied the wood stain (brush on in the same direction as the wood grain). Let sit for a few minutes then wipe away the excess with old rags. Unlike pine, the red oak wasn’t absorbing my favorite kona colored stain in as rich of a color so I also applied two coats of ebony in the same way to achieve a darker color. Stain then dries in about an hour.

After the stain was dry, I sealed the wood using a coat of polyurethane. Simply brush on (looks a bit milky when wet but dries clear). I let that dry overnight.

I attached the four casters to the under (unfinished) side using the hexagon screws. Be careful with the screws on the cut side of the wood. Going too close to the edge may cause the wood to crack.

Flip right side up. Set aside the nipple connectors, two street elbows and the caps.

Next I assembled my pipe pieces. Starting with the flanges. Screw 30″ pipes into flanges.

Then add tees to the other end of each 30″ pipe.

Then add the other 30″ pipe sections (one to each tee – you’ll have two poles at this point).

Add a 90 degree elbow to the top of one pole.

Connect the 36″ galvanized pipe (center) piece. Add a 90 degree elbow to the end of the center pipe piece then add the other pole.

Place the pole-contraption onto the wood stair riser (I found the center by using a yard stick). Attach flanges to the wood using the hex screws.

Add nipple connectors to the center tees, then elbows then caps. This creates a space for hanging purses, hats or scarves.

Now when we’re expecting guests, we can simply roll the coat rack near the door for hanging coats. Or use it as extra hanging space in a room without a closet (or one with a packed closet). Handy to have in the laundry room too!

Store it in the basement, a closet, the laundry room, an office or guest room and then move near the door for parties and gatherings. Or if you have room, display near the front door entryway or mudroom area.

I received a Lowe’s gift card to put towards this challenge. Opinion and above idea is 100% my own. More DIY ideas at Lowe’s Creative Ideas or follow Lowe’s on Instagram, Pinterest and sign up for the Creative Ideas magazine and app.

Multi-functional Furniture: Dresser

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Roeshel

One of my favorite pieces of furniture is a dresser because of it’s function and storage. Remember the beautiful Shoal Creek Collection dresser that I had in the guest room? It started off with it’s traditional function in our guest room.

It also served a brief stint as a console/sofa table in our family room. Keeping board games, junk, photo albums, etc. neatly organized.

An extra surface for displaying books and decorative accents.

Then it was located in our dining room. I love it’s function has a buffet and extra storage for linens and serving pieces that we don’t use every day. And of course having a clean surface means an opportunity to create a festive seasonal vignette too. When I recently co-hosted a baby shower in our home, the dresser top was perfect for displaying the woodland themed cupcake buffet (and a big hit too).

And finally, the dresser has been moved to it’s final resting place…a nursery for the new little grandson who will soon be here to serve as his dresser and a changing table (add a non slip material to the bottom of the changing pad). We’re still working on the small apartment nursery but here’s a sneak peek.

Do you use dressers in non-traditional and unexpected ways? Could you use more storage in your dining room? Don’t have a kitchen island or have room for a little extra storage for serving trays, small appliances or kitchen odds and ends? Need extra linen storage in a wide hallway? Take a look around your home. Sometimes just moving furniture around inspires a fresh new look. Have any other creative ideas? See more about Sauder here. And more styled furniture on my Fabulous Furniture Pinterest board.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sauder. The opinions and text are all mine.

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