one room challenge - family room week 4

Before I jump in on Week 4 progress, I want to thank everyone for your sweet comments on the HGTV Magazine feature. It wasn't totally real until I could share it with y'all and I'm still on cloud nine. Actually I'm kind of hoping that euphoria will carry me through the next few weeks because I feel like this project is growing. The list should be getting smaller at this point right? My design ADD is killing me. (catch up on previous weeks here.)

Now that the painting is done and I'm ready to get going on the meat and potatoes of the room I wanted to take this week to share some details on what will be sitting on those newly painted floors.

If you are new to LBD then I should let you know; I like a good bargain. And I love things that have a story to tell. (my furniture likes to talk almost as much as me) So when I can marry those two things and satisfy my 'thrill of the hunt' fix, then I am a happy girl.

For those that follow me on Instagram, these might look familiar but let's take a tour, shall we?

The couch. I found this beauty at Goodwill and loved it right away. Then the 'do I or don't I' debate started and I decided I would walk away and check back tomorrow. If it was still there it was meant to be. I thought about it all night and couldn't wait for the store to open the next morning. I rushed in and paid the $30. That's right. $30. I picked it up the next day in a surprise (and severe) snow storm with it hanging out of the back of my car for the 2 miles home. Zero visibility on the roads but 100% happy with my find.

The chairs. My friend and I go to an annual high school garage sale every spring and we usually come away with something great. The lines are long, we have to go super early and it is pure madness when we get in. We love it. This past spring we went and came up with a big fat nothing until we headed toward the exits. I saw these chairs and said to her that I had no more room for armchairs in my house (I have 4 extras in my basement), but don't they have great lines? And then she said the best thing a friend could say - "They are $8. Get them!" (thanks Becca). And so I did. They won't look like this the next time you see them, but they are again in excellent condition and I love their shape. And that's $8 for the PAIR by the way.

The lamps. Both were from Goodwill. Separate trips but equally ugly. :) Big plans for these. They were $8 for both.

The table. I knew I wanted something for the girls to draw and create on, but I didn't want to spend a lot since...they wold be drawing and creating on it. I saw this one at, wait for it, Goodwill, and emailed my lovely Linda to see what she thought. She assured me I could find some way to paint over that veneer and I pulled the trigger. $20. The dust was free.

The chairs. The green one was my dad's 'homework chair' growing up and the other chair has sat in my parents basement for 30 years. I come by my furniture hoarding honestly. Best part - FREE.

The coffee table. Snatched it up while at a retirement home sale with a client (they had great stuff). My monkeys girls' broke the glass top during an illegal dance party so it needs to be fixed and spruced up. She is the perfect length though and I love her height. $15.

So now the plan is take this motley crew and make them look cohesive and fresh. Less junky, more funky. Some of them have already been made over, some are still in process and some I still need to start (ugh!). Will I make it?!

- Rip up gross carpet (floor and stairs) and replace flooring
- Paint and plank walls and bookshelves
- Recover estate sale chairs - at the upholsterers 
- Create some sort of art station for the girls
- Paint chairs and table
- Repair and paint coffee table
- Create toy storage that doesn't involve the words 'pink' or 'plastic'
- Get some art on those walls
- Find rugs
- New Lighting

Be sure to check out how everyone else is progressing:

Calling it Home 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Classic Casual Home 

Cottage and Vine 

Design Addict Mom 

Design Crisis 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

The English Room 

The Green Room Interiors 

Henhurst Interiors  

Maddie's Nest 

Mix And Chic 

My Notting Hill 

Pawleys Island Posh 

The Pink Pagoda 

Shelter 

Simple Details 

The Vault Files 

Do you like the thrill of the hunt? Find any cool pieces lately? Be sure to come back on Monday for the greatest lighting story ever told! (no lie)

kitchen updates thanks to lamps.com

It is only Monday morning and I already feel behind. How is that for the start of the week? Aces. I hope your weekends were delightful though. And thanks so much for all of your comments on Fess Up Friday. I now have quite a shopping list started for myself.

Today I wanted to share a recent experience I had with the good folks at Lamps.com. As I've eluded to in crazy code like ways (I promise I'll divulge more soon) I've been working feverishly to get a laundry list of items done to our little cottage and addressing the light over our kitchen window has been on that list for a while.

Our old light was a bit large for that small window and those that are blessed with long, tall legs (I don't have this problem) would often knock their heads on it. Not the best memory for guests to leave with. So when the team at Lamps.com offered to have me try something out I screamed "sign me up!" Actually, I think I typed it, but you get the point.

The decision was not an easy one and I even started plotting all of the other places I could add pendants just so that I wouldn't have to choose just one. But after a lot of back and forth, I landed on this hot little number - the Feiss Brushed Steel Urban Renewal Mini Pendant.

Lamps.com

As soon as it arrived I ripped open the box to find it looked even better in person (wahoo) and I cleared the hubs schedule so he could put it up for me right away. He's such a good sport.

Everything was laid out and easy to follow and as someone who has ordered a lot of lights in her day, I was thrilled that we didn't have to make a trip to Home Depot for any parts. Everything was included - hallelujah!

And in no time flat, I had a new light. She is so light and pretty. I just love her.

Her shape is so sculptural and I think adds just the right amount of fun to my kitchen window. Now if only my view was of the ocean rather than my neighbors. One thing at a time I guess.

Sometimes the little details make the biggest difference.

Have you made any little changes around the house lately? Do you have a pretty view out of your kitchen window? Have any wish list lighting items?

This post was sponsored by Lamps.com. All opinions are my own.

this little light of mine

So, I got a new chandelier for the dining room.

Would this be the dining room that just got a new chandelier last year? Yep, that's the one.

Now, before you go putting me in the loony bin for buying yet another lighting fixture for the dining room (this makes #3), let me state my case. It is a vintage bamboo chandelier at a wicked good price. I couldn't very well leave it behind once I saw it. What if someone bought it who wouldn't have taken care of it? There was a lady with a bedazzled purse and a scrunchie eyeing it at the same time my mom and I were fawning. I couldn't let this light go home with Mrs. Scrunchie, that's just mean. So really I rescued this light from certain doom. I'm a humanitarian. Me and Angelina.

The only problem I had with it was the color. I am a card-carrying member of the black fan club but I've already got a lot of black in the dining room and the walls are darker so adding this big and wonderful black light was just sucking the remaining light out of the room. And the black was hiding all of the great detail that made me love the light in the first place.

I wavered between something sparkly and something with more pop. But while I wavered, I made myself useful and primed.

Sparkle took over and I went with gold. I think I had spent a few hours play dress up with the girls before hand, so that might have influenced my decision. But the subtle, glam, vintagey gold I was looking for didn't happen.

Bust.

It was a little too Golden Girls for my taste. I suppose I could have taken some rub n' buff to the thing to tone it done a bit, but have you taken a close look at this thing? It has no fewer than 47 sides. It's a mathematical anomaly. It was hard enough to spray it, I wasn't about to hand rub the sucker.

I decided to go with what my gut had told me originally and go with my color pop. Why I ever tried to ignore you gut I don't know. My apologies. After something red, with a bit of orange in it, I went to Michaels to look thru the hard core arty spray paint and landed on Cadmium Red by Liquitex.

The color was perfect and the paint goes on wonderfully. It dries super fast and the odor is almost non-existant.

I will warn you though this stuff chips like a... it chips really bad. I wouldn't use this on anything that would get any sort of day to day use, but since people rarely touch my chandelier, I figure it will be safe.

So up she went, looking beautiful. All of her pretty details showing up so much better now in her bright red. But she was missing one last detail. This was the perfect piece to try out one of my favorite blogger 'I want to try that one day' DIYs.

Yep, I followed Emily's lead and added some polka dot fabric to my plain little candle sleeves. You can go to Recently for the full DIY but I will tell you this was easy as can be. All you need is some fabric, scissors and Mod Podge and you'll be done in 10 minutes.

I love my little lady. She is bringing it. 

So the moral of the story is this - ignore trends and always go with your gut. Your gut will never lie to you. And never pass up a good light because you already have one. There is always room for one more chandelier in your life.

What about you? Have you added something to your house only to replace it with something else a year later? Painted anything with 47 sides? Watched Golden Girls lately?

you had to be there

It's warm, sunny and Monday. Two out of three, not bad. How was your weekend? Did you wake up confused as to what day it might be? I did. Bummer when you think for a split second that it is Sunday.

Anyway, as those of you that are long time readers know, I can't go very long without changing things around these parts. It is chronic and there is no end in sight (sorry hubs). But often the changes are small enough that they aren't meaty enough for their very own post. (see, I now remember the word meat)

So I thought I'd gather them up and every once in a while do a little show and share - thus, the birth of 'you had to be there'.

Let's go into the living room, shall we? Don't look at the Barbie's on the floor but turn your eye up. I decided that keeping blue and white platters in a closet is just as bad as putting Baby in a corner. So I've added them above my favorite Pink Pagoda couple.

Since you are already looking up, you may also notice this.

Yes, I'm changing my dining room chandelier again.

We finally have a rug in our bedroom.

The hubs got it for me for Christmas. Which is in December. And it is now April. I know, I know.

This is happening in the entry hall (if you can call it that).

And finally, my ongoing battle with my mantel continues and I've changed it yet again. I pulled out some old sconces that I got at an estate sale way back when and slapped those suckers up. I had always thought I might spray them but I think I like the patina on the brass. And I love my pink candles.

Why yes, that is one of my lovely Indie Mats on the mantel. Good eye! Let it serve as a reminder - this is the last day you can enter to win these lovelies for your own home! Make sure you enter to win!

What about you? Do you move things around your house often? Made any small updates lately?

how did i do - 2012 goal review

Happy New Year to you! I hope you enjoyed a great holiday with family, friends or the remote. I enjoyed all of the above and truly had a relaxing and enjoyable time off. But the Christmas decorations are put away and the tree is at the curb, so its time to get to work.

Before I share my goals for 2013 I thought I'd see how I did with my 2012 goals.

1. Redo the master bedroom. Woop Woop. Check this sucker off. The big bedroom reveal was back in May but I've kept making updates as recently as last week (more on that later). I'm happy with the room but you know it's gonna keep evolving.

2. Repair and redo deck and stairs. I'm on a roll. This one was wrapped up in June and talk about a pandora's box of crazy. It was dirty, sweaty and a hell of a lot longer than planned, but we are digging it now and use it more than we ever did.

3. Plant a herb garden. Big fat goose egg on this one. I must have been drunk when I thought of this because the idea that my children would give me enough time to dedicate to a herb garden is laughable. We barely are able to get raking and mowing done. Maybe in a few years. Until then I'll just continue to watch Barefoot Contessa and pretend that's my herb garden.

4. Lighting. Well...sort of. I did get a new chandelier for the dining room, (which will be moving again soon - stay tuned) but I never got around to the hallway light and the deck got candle sconces rather than electric ones. So maybe 75% complete? I completed the 'light' but not the 'ing'.

5. Reupholster couch. It wasn't quick, and often not a pretty process, but I'm giving myself a gold star on this one. And on top of it all I discovered a new talent that led me to tackle this and this.

So there you have it. 4 out of 5. I gotta say, this is the best I've ever done sticking to a list. Will I be able to do as well this year? I'll post the list tomorrow and let you be the judge.

How about you? Do you make any goals? Have any new year traditions?

you light up my elephant

That is the one and only time I will ever reference Debby Boone. Promise.

As I discussed the other day, my youngest has quite a love for elephants. She's so in style these days, I know. So of course when I saw this Shirley Fintz lamp I thought of my daughter's infinite happiness.

via West Elm

Oh how she would love that in her room. But I could never seem to pull the trigger on the $250 for someone who isn't yet 2 and has a habit of breaking pretty much everything in her path.

The goddess of restraint rewarded me though when my mom and I found this little dude out on the town.

Clearly not exactly the same. He's more of a lone wolf than the West Elm clique but as my 5-year-old would say, "same difference". And he was $18 so wahoo!

He did come without a shade. This one is just a temporary fix from the basement, so clearly he needs something more...fitting.

He's got the cutest little face.

I also think I want to do something to spruce up his pole thingy... whatever you call that part between the lamp base and the light bulb. It's too long and plain. OK, this is going in the wrong direction.

The point is - cute lamp. Cheap lamp. Blue and White. Good times. Expect to see this little dude spruced up soon.

Score any good finds lately? Doing anything exciting for the weekend? Want me to come over for dinner? I always bring my sparkling wit and usually some good liquor.

got a light?

Happy Monday everyone! I hope your weekend was a good one. We all survived spring break but I will say I was happy for a return to 'normal' this morning.

I was at Lowe's yesterday (surprise, surprise) and once again I couldn't pull the trigger and buy energy efficient bulbs.

Recycling, eating organic, buying locally, low VOC - I'll help mother earth out as much as the next girl. But when it comes to lighting, I'm a bit hardheaded. (ok, I'm really hardheaded about a lot of things, but I won't go there. not without drinks.)

via Restoration Hardware

I like mood lighting. I don't have a bulb in my house that's over 40 watts. We have recessed lighting (halogen) in a few rooms and we have dimmers everywhere we can. But with the government starting to shake me down, and phasing out regular bulbs over the next few years (yes, I am hoarding my 25 and 40 watt bulbs like I'm preparing for nuclear war), I'm realizing that I need to adapt to this wether I like it or not.

So Halogen, CFL, LED. What do you know? What do you use? What do you like?

no, you're a knob and tube

Progress made!!

I can cross #4 off my 2012 goal list! That blasted crooked, crappy, creaky (and any other c adjectives you can think of) chandelier is gone.

You may remember it was a lovely 80's brass when we moved in.

I sprayed it black immediately and it stayed that way for a few years.

Until its most recent life in white.

Its had shades, no shades, round bulbs, candle bulbs. You named it, I've tried it. I should say here that this is a classic chandelier shape, and in many cases I really do like it. However in this instance it always felt like putting lipstick on a pig.

It had also been hung way too high and, the cherry on top, several of the arms were loose and crooked and all tightening attempts would fail. Usually resulting in a shade popping off and landing in your salad. True story.

So after years and years of hearing me complain about it, my parents were kind enough to give me a new chandelier for Christmas. WAHOO!

Now normally this would be an hour project on Saturday as my husband has hung many a light in his day.

However, since the table is off center, I wanted the light centered over the table, rather than centered in the room. We've had many guests bang their head on that chandelier, so it was really for the safety of those I love. I know, I know, I'm a giver.

Luke, being the wonderful husband he is, said no problem (while rolling his eyes) and headed up to the attic. Not a problem was the verdict. We measured, figured out where the new hole needed to be and he got to cutting. A perfect hole for a plaster ceiling I would say.

Now all he needed to do was move the wiring over a few inches, drop it thru the new hole, install and enjoy.

It was all going just too well.

Enter knob and tube wiring. For those not familiar with it, its kind of like asbestos - best not bother it if you don't have to. And really, comparing something in your home to asbestos? Never a good sign.

Apparently the wire was just a few inches short of reaching the new hole. And my husband's many attempts at getting a new wire to connect to the old wire were just not working. Something about the grounding of the wire blah blah blah. All I heard was 'electrician needed'.

Damn.

So while we waited for the electrician, we patched the old hole and painted the ceiling. And when I say we I mean Luke did the work and I said "looks great babe."

A week later the electrician finally arrives and after a lot of grumbling and several "You sure you want me to do this lady? You know that whole ain't in the center of the room?" I had my new wired and ready hole.

And now....

tahdah!

I love it! Its warm, more to scale for the room, and it gives off a really great glow.

It also gives off a saucy reflection in the mirror.

But of course, nothing is ever 'done'. Now I've got to fix the curtains. But that's another story for another day.

For now, I'll just enjoy my new lovely lady. Have you had any electrical projects lately? Been able to cross anything off your resolution list yet? Ever had an electrician tell you "whatever lady, I guess its your house."?

gold metallic glow

C'mon ride the train. Woo Hoo. The gold train. Sorry, I'll stop. But I'm seeing it everywhere, and I'm joining in the fun.

I've seen several people use the new metallic spray paint from Rust-oleum recently, but after I saw Julia's table over at Pawleys Island Posh I knew I had to give it a try.

Enter this sad little shade.

I picked up this piece of damaged goods, along with its brother Darrel and its other brother Darrel, at a high school rummage sale (remember these Becca?). I have a feeling that the owner of these shades work up that morning and thought, 'Crap! I was supposed to bring something for the rummage sale!' And then proceeded to go down into her basement and pick up the first thing she found.

Although the outside is a nice black satin-ish type fabric, the inside is paper. Paper that has suffered some type of water damage. (not a statement you often make about a lamp shade)

Who in their right mind would buy these things? That would be me.

Luckily I only paid $2 for all 3. Since they were already in such poor condition and they were just gathering dust in my basement, I figured why not spray some gold up in here!

I was thinking moody, library lampshade. Man smoking a pipe in the corner in a big leather chair type lampshade. Like this.

via SFGirlByBay.com

Or this.

via Pinterest

And I'm happy to report...

these suckers look good! 100% improvement.

They still have a few little dents here and there, but you can't tell (unless you are taking close up pictures of them). And you've got to give these guys a break. They were obviously involved in some sort of flood that had left them for dead.

I'm loving the glow they cast.

So pretty. Saucy really. I feel like I need some candles and wine.

I'm in love. Especially after only spending under $10 for the whole thing - shades and paint. I think they will live in my entryway. I'll spend some time this weekend styling these bad boys up.

But I'm not so sure they should go on these silver lamps. What do you think?

Should I paint the lamps too? (trust me, they aren't precious) I don't want blow my $10 margin with some crazy expensive lamps. Maybe Goodwill? Any ideas?

In other news, I'm staring at an electrician's crack as I speak type so we can finally wrap up this living room project. So what do you think? Do I have more gold painting in my future?

Linking up to Emily Clark's Working With What You Have.