home office makeover - before and after reveal

The time has come. I can put it off no longer. I cleaned off my desk, took some pictures and had a few G&T's because the office is done people! Let's rip the curtain off this sucker.

The goal was to turn a corner of my unfinished basement into an office that I wouldn't mind spending a few hours a day in using ONLY things I already had. How did I do?

Remember, this space has some pretty humble beginnings. I needed an office space, I live in a small house, and this was the best unused corner available. Cue the before and after pictures.

Everything was hosed down and then covered with bright white paint on the walls and ceiling. The floors were painted Bermuda Turquoise (Benjamin Moore) and gave a great base of color. To be honest, I could have just left it with the new paint and been thrilled. But you know I can't leave well enough alone.

The metal desk was a hand me down from my dad's old office (aka FREE). I sprayed it down with hot pink spray paint and stuck that beauty right in the middle of the room. The perfect spot for my lovely lady lamps, which are the only thing that I bought specifically for the office.

The chair is one of those, 'I have nowhere for it but I really like it' purchases last fall. I believe it was $15. It was stained the most horrible shade of yuck so I stripped it off with the intent to paint it. But I like the unfinished wood and it brings some nice warmth into the space. So it stayed. Underneath the desk is an old dhurrie rug I got several years back at an annual thrift sale for $2.

Remember Elmer? I found him at an estate sale in a few dozen pieces. Well he is all fixed and standing watch under my desk. He's my trusty butler who holds my drinks so they stay off of the desk and away from the computer. (I've been known to spill things.)

When the overhead pendant didn't end up working out, I decided to leave the ceiling alone and go with lamps instead. However, I did add a swing arm library sconce over the inspiration board. I'd gotten it several months back at Home Depot with the intent of putting it upstairs but never got around to it. I'm sensing a 'putting off projects pays off' theme here.

The inspiration board serves a great purpose as...inspiration. (duh) But, it also solved the issue of having a vast white wall behind me and not being able to use a single nail (nails in my foundation don't sound like a good idea to me) as well as falling into that whole already owned theme.  I mimicked the shape of the bamboo mirror to create the shape of the board with gold glittery tape. Because if you have a hot pink desk and lady lamps, you need gold glitter somewhere.

I didn't fill it up all the way as I think that is something that should happen over time but it was a fun experience that took me back to my Teen Beat days for sure. And although Johnny Depp circa 21 Jumpstreet didn't make it onto the wall, I did pay homage to my never ending love for Moonlighting with my handmade art from way back when. Oh Bruce, you were so funny back then.

And on that note, let's move on.

Before...

After.

The paint and whatever other crap was under the stairs was removed and I put in some of the metal storage shelves we have for a bit of, well, storage. Now all my fabrics are in one place and I've got a whiteboard to keep me organized (in theory). And I'm going to have to remove all those pillows because the hubs came in and said "you have too many pillows" which just isn't true at all. What does he know.

The other rack of metal shelves (we got a few sets of these a long while back at Costco) now stores books, magazines etc.

The mirror was a CL purchase a while back thanks to my friend Charmaine who posted the mirror when she did a St Louis search. Yet another purchase I had no spot for when I bought it that has come in handy now. It was also another piece I had originally planned to paint but once I got it into the room decided I loved it as is.

On the other side of the room, the new window is a tie for 'best decision ever' with the paint for this space. That window has made a huge difference and it even opens and has a screen. Super fancy. I have it open a lot and get a nice breeze and a breath of fresh air. I'm in the basement, so any fresh air is welcome.

The curtains are leftover ticking fabric. Fabric hoarding to the rescue. The bamboo frame was a score at the estate sale trifecta.

Next to the window is the old wicker demilune table that you all helped me with. I went black and I love it. The armchair also came from the estate sale trifecta, I just removed her slipcover. The cushions need recovered at some point, but until then, a little fabric does the trick. The mats are from an Indie Mats warehouse sale last winter and they are a great solution for walls that can't take nails.

Pictures are a challenge in this room because as that sun moves at a rapid pace, so does my light. But on non picture taking days that is one of my favorite things about the space, there is always light moving thru this room so I can spend a lot of the day without lights on. A true surprise in a basement. Anyone else feel like sining This Little Light of Mine with me?

So there she blows. And I have pictures to prove that at one time, this room was clean.

Have you ever made a 'room' out of corner before? Do you keep a stock of items on hand for those 'just in case' times? You should. I'll testify that it is worth it.

do you flip a switch: overhead lights vs lamps

Happy Monday y'all. Did everyone have some rest and relaxation over the past 48 hours? I did it up right and feel like I've had several days off rather than just two. Summer is slipping away, you've gotta fit it in while you can people!

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So today I've got light planning on the brain. I had a conversation with a friend not long ago who said she hates to walk into a her living room without being able to just flip the switch. She doesn't want to walk halfway across the room to turn on a lamp.

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I get what she's saying, but especially in older homes it is common to have to walk into a room and turning on a lamp for a little bit of light.

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Without being able to see the entire room, it looks as though the overhead light is used most in this space as there is only one library light in the whole room.

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Where this room has plenty of both - a textbook example of light planning - overhead lighting, sconces and table and floor lamps spread through out the room at varying heights and sizes. The ideal is always the best of both worlds.

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So which do you prefer? The ease of overhead lighting or the 'character' of a room full of lamps? How much light do you need in a space to feel comfortable? Just promise me you aren't using a bulb over 40 watts.

home office makeover - best laid plans

A trait that is at the top of the list when designing anything is flexibility. Things will always come up that you couldn't have planned for (without a crystal ball) and you've got to be able to bend and revise your plan. And almost always this works out for the best.

Case in point - the lighting for my office.

I had long imagined that I would use a huge black and gold lampshade as my 'chandelier' over my desk. I'd gotten the shade at an estate sale long ago and was waiting for just the right thing to use it for and my office was that thing. I even used it in my design plan.

So once I had the space cleaned out, and the paint was down, I started to play around with my lighting scheme. The space only had one sad little lightbulb hanging and the plan was to center a new light over the desk as well as add some other lights around the space and a few outlets for plugs, lamps (more lighting) etc.

But standing in the space I began to notice two things:
1. I don't have soaring ceilings down here so the light would either have to hang pretty close to the ceiling or it would hang down so low it would obstruct the view and act as one big blocker in the room. Kind of like that girl who's bangs are too long but she still lets them hang in her eyes. Clean it up girl!
2. I was planning enough lighting for a room twice the size of my office. I am all in favor of good mood lighting, but this was getting a bit crazy, even for me.

My perfectly planned lighting scheme was not going to work and I was feeling deflated. Damn it I love that black lamp shade! As I sulked in a G&T I remembered these beauties at a favorite local shop. They (the pair) are old, heavy as hell and beautiful. Very feminine and perfect for my office. They have since come to be known as the 'lady lamps' around this house and I'm madly in love with them.

And even though I said I would work to use only what I already had in this office project, they were my one treat.

And speaking of things I already had, my parents said I could use this old metal desk that sat in the back of my dad's shop for the past 20+ years.

Aside from a good cleaning, the desk was in perfect condition and just the vast workspace I was looking for. I used Amy Howard's Lacquer Spray Paint in Begonia (a full review of my experience coming soon)

and in an afternoon, had one very pink, very lady like desk. Perfect for my lady lamps.

The rug is one I got at a local annual sale. It is the same sale I got this stool, and these chairs (before and after). The rug was an impulse purchase because it was huge and TWO DOLLARS. At the time I had no idea when or where I would ever use it, but come on, TWO DOLLARS. It isn't my first choice but without intending to, the colors work really well with the floor and desk and did I mention it was two dollars? See hubs, eventually all that stuff I keep in our basement pays off.

So plans changed, things got lady like and I made lemonade out of two dollar lemons. That sounds like progress to me. Next up, curtains, fabrics and books, oh my.

Do you shop your own house when starting a new project? Do you buy things without really knowing where they will end up? Did you play a drinking game with my over usage of 'two dollars'? (You should have, I said it a lot)

one room challenge - the bathroom edition week 3

We are already at the half way point of the One Room Challenge people. (You can catch up on week 1 here and week 2 here) Let's say it all together - where does the time go?!

Progress is happening at a good clip in my sister's little guest bathroom

and we've gone from this

to this. Tiling is in progress and the hall is being painted as we speak/type/read.

So this week I thought I'd share some scores and a major bomb. Namely what is happening on this wall. As I had said before, a bathroom is a hard place to have much originality, so I was on the hunt to add some sort of...something to make this little spot shine. Great idea, in theory.

One area I thought I could do this was with the sink. This bathroom is so petite that there were hardly any vanities that would fit. Also, have you looked at vanities lately? Not very exciting unless you want to spend the earth. Since this is a guest bathroom, storage wasn't a must so I was able to convince my sister to ditch the vanity idea and go for a stand alone sink. I envisioned a sexy wall mount number but those can also be a pretty penny, and without an IKEA near by my options were limited.

So I went to the best place for unique bathroom supplies, ReStore, and was thrilled to find this little number. She was very cool, very shallow (which meant she wouldn't swallow a lot of space) and she was $19. Ding Ding. Yes, she was yellow, but that was nothing a bit of reglazing wouldn't take care of.

Wall mount faucets are a bit more than regular ones but I quickly found one I liked, got that ordered and started calling reglazing people. Crickets. I couldn't get anyone to call back. After finally cornering one guy on the phone he flipped out that the sink wasn't already attached to something and said it would be about $275 to reglaze. Really? I love a good deal as much as the next person, but the faucet and reglazing were blowing my margin and this deal of a sink was fast becoming not much of a deal.

To make me feel better I took the sink over to dry fit it and see how fab it would look...and it was 1.5" too wide. Who measured this damn thing anyway? Or right, that would be me. Strike #3.

The cherry on top was when the faucet came and the spout stuck out too far, meaning the water would have gone over the sink rather than in it. It was time to call this sink a bust. I hate busts. So frustrating.

Luckily I've had the lighting to make me feel better.

I found this lantern for a steal at my favorite antique store a while back. I don't know about you but vaulted ceilings in a bathroom mean one thing - wonderful overhead lighting. This lantern wasn't electrified but we took it to a local lighting shop who was able to do the job, make the new pieces look as old as the rest and all in it was still cheaper than a new lantern. Now that's a deal. (If you need a good lighting shop in St. Louis let me know and I'll pass on their name.)

The patina of the lantern reminded me so much of the great gooseneck light I got at this sale. At the time I had no idea where it would go, just that it was too cool and too cheap to pass up. I love it when the lighting stars align. With more scores than bombs I think we are headed in the right direction (knock on wood).

Be sure to check in with all of the other great ladies to see how things are moving.

Abby M. Interiors 

Because it’s Awesome 

Bijou & Boheme 

Calling It Home 

Chez V 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Copy Cat Chic 

The Decorista 

Design Crisis 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

The English Room

The Glam Pad 

Mimosa Lane 

My Notting Hill 

The Pink Pagoda 

Simple Details 

My Sweet Savannah 

Verandah House

stock pile those lightbulbs people

Today is a holiday so the girls are home and I am playing hooky but I did want to throw something out there. I think I missed the memo. I knew that the end was near for normal lightbulbs (I even talked about it here), but I thought I had more time to build up my stock pile. Now I learned that this is the year 40 and 60 watt lightbulbs are being phased out. Why mean government are you trying to deprive us of good lighting?!

So in anticipation of the day when my stockpile will run dry, I need to know - what kind of lightbulbs do you use? Have you found a CFL or whatever they are called, that you like? And one that doesn't make you look like a corpse?

Help a girl out!

fess up friday - chez v

Have I got a yarn to weave for you today. I've got my partner in crime Emily from Chez V over for Fess Up Friday today and we've got a good one for you. Freshen up your drink and enjoy. And Zuck, if you want to use us for a Facebook commercial, we're open to offers. Emily, fess up with Part 1...

Is there anything better than the thrill of the chase?  Well here is a little ditty for you about a desperate chase, the power of social media, and the
kindness of strangers.  As a linking participant of the One Room Challenge, I was on a frenzied search to locate a pair of affordable sconces for my bedroom plan aka Project Chinoisy Safari Chic.

With little time, I knew my search would be a lot like trying to avoid bread and cheese.  Not gonna happen.  On a Wednesday, mid-challenge, I headed to IKEA in search of some drapes to hack.  Imagine my glee when I stumbled across the Ranarp clamp spotlights.  I was completely smitten upon first sight considering all the other sconces I was contemplating for my ORC room carried hefty price tags and long lead times.
The Ranarp - $19.99.  Say what?!  Done and done.

But like all too-good-to-be-true dreams, I awoke from my design euphoric nirvana state only to realize that they were sold out.  Of course you are, little gorgy industrial glam thingy, you!  Immediately, I sent out a request on Instagram asking if anyone knew of any in stock anywhere.  Like the shot heard round the world, my fellow design soldiers started rallying to the call, one of which was one of my favorite gals in all of blogland, Elizabeth.  It seems she too was on the hunt for the coveted Ranarps.

  

In the meantime, while my little was busy hopping herself up on a cinnamon roll, I sweet talked a very accommodating IKEA customer service guy into doing a country wide inventory search (which I do not necessarily suggest as it took forever and garnered a lot of evil side eye from the long customer svc queue) only to discover that the lamps were indeed, sold out everywhere with the exception of 17 in Paramus, NJ and 3 in Houston, TX.  I shared this info with Elizabeth and thus began a dual mission to score these lamps through one of our varied networks.

We schemed, we commiserated, we called, emailed, blogged, IG’d and FB’d in an attempt to reach anyone who had peeps near Paramus, NJ or Houston all to no avail.  I even contacted my master finder-of-all-things bestie in Berlin, Germany.
This is the kinda gal who has a vast network of contacts willing and ready to do her bidding.  She said, yes, she could probably pull it off but to keep checking with other sources as it would take a few to orchestrate.
Meanwhile, on Friday evening of that same week, at 7pm, my sister’s father-in-law, who lives in NJ, happened to be near the Paramus store, and agreed to go pick some up, but would I mind calling to verify stock first.  Hoo-ray!!!!  No problem!!!! Except when I called IKEA another very nice customer svc lady informed me that no, in fact, Paramus did not have ANY in stock.  Is it possible that all 17 sold out in 2 days?!  No, turns out that when my customer svc dude did the country wide search, the 17 he ‘found’ in the Paramus, NJ store where actually in the Elizabeth, NJ store.  Which was no where near where my sister’s father-in-law happened to be at said moment.  Wha wha wha.

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Are you still with me?
I know, me neither.
I am exhausted just retelling it. 
Clearly it was time for wine and more commiseration.  Off went another email to Elizabeth detailing how the Holy Grail had slipped through our fingers, yet again.  At which point, I hand off the story baton to her which involves that Friday evening spent feverishly exchanging updates via email over many glasses of wine on my side and probably many G &Ts on hers while my much ignored and frustrated husband could not understand even a little bit about what all the fuss was about.  Thankfully, Elizabeth’s hubster could!

kisses,  mrs. V

Part 2...

It was not a good night for Emily and me. As y'all may have gathered, I can get myself a wicked case of tunnel vision when I want something. I am like Miley Cyrus when she sees a foam finger - I cannot be stopped.
After days of back and forth, and a Friday night spent emailing at a rapid pace, we were left empty handed. Damn that IKEA customer service rep and his lack of New Jersey geographic knowledge. My New Jersey adjacent sources were tapped as well and worst of all I was running out of gin.

Luckily this happened just as the hubs was finishing his movie. "Are you two still talking about those dumb lights?" he said (in an ultra supportive voice). I updated him on the latest and he said, "let's just put this on Facebook". And like that he sent out an SOS on his feed.

Just an hour and a half later he had a response from a friend from high school (which was in Chicago) who now lives in Dallas. Yes, Dallas is not Houston, but she has a friend who lives in Houston who would probably be up for it. "She loves to shop."

Good lord, we might have a winner. I told Emily right away and we both held our breath as my husband texted Dallas and Dallas texted Houston and back again. Houston was in, we just needed to confirm in the AM that the IKEA store did in fact have the lights in stock and she would be there as soon as they opened.

So a perfect stranger agreed to go to IKEA on the worst IKEA day of the week a Saturday to pick up three lights, the LAST three lights in stock in the lower 48, for two crazy ladies in two different states that she had never met. Emily and I squealed and lit a candle that some early bird Texan wouldn't get our lights before our shopping angel arrived.

I had already committed to go to an auction that morning with a client so I called IKEA on my way and they were as (un)helpful as ever, telling me that it 'looks like there are 3 available' but they couldn't be sure. Awesome.

So we waited, and waited, and just as I lost a bid on some fab ginger jars this popped up on my phone.

Three left and they were all ours. I cheered silently and forwarded the picture to Emily. IKEA, I love you again.

As if this woman couldn't get any better, she sent a few more texts asking if there were any other forms of the RANARP we wanted while she was there (the desk lamp is especially lovely). Can this wonderful person please move to St. Louis so I can hug her?!

She shipped them out first thing Monday and on Wednesday morning I had the best package on my doorstep along with the sweetest note (on fab monogramed stationary I might add). Not only did this woman make this trip for people she doesn't even know to a store that is crazy on a quite day but she did it all while sick. And my favorite part - "I took it upon myself to also buy the lightbulbs that were recommended for the light, just in case." I love her.

So in the end this

and this

would not have been possible without our little slice of heaven in Texas. Thank you Marnie and Ann for your kindness. Emily and I would like to buy you ladies a drink.

Have you ever been desperate to get your hands on something? Ever need something and then when you find out it is hard to get it becomes an obsession? Ever want to kiss a stranger?