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Tour: Boho Vintage Eclectic Bedroom

August 24, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey Guys!

Today I’m happy to be sharing the second space I’ve designed in my home- the “Master” Bedroom. It’s a pretty tiny space, but I’ve managed to fit a dresser, two nightstands, a queen bed and plant life. I’ve used some vintage pieces and I’ve used store bought pieces that I’ve DIYed a little magic into. I get so happy when I see pictures of this space because it came together so well. And while there’s things I could change, I’m actually really happy and feel “complete” with this room.

I like to call the style of the space “Bohemian with order.” Because I lean both way with my personality, this design appeases both the type A and type B in me. I love fun patterns with a clean pallet. A moroccan wedding blanket wall hanging structured by a square painted frame (but still messy with it’s paint technique). Whimsical cacti tapered candles paired with refined vintage brass candleware. Crystal drawer knobs with clean copper frames. There’s a strict and intentional balance to keep the room feeling fresh and playful.

As I like to do with a “room reveal” kind of post, I’m going to keep chit chat to a minimum. I’ll have several week’s worth of tutorials, “crushing on” posts for elements within the room, source list, and tips. If you’d like to catch any of those posts, become an email subscriber. It’s the easiest way for me to ensure you receive notification of a new post when it’s posted. You can sign up here.

Let’s dive into le tour:

And that’s the end of the tour! I’d be so appreciative if you’d give this room reveal a share. Thank you for being here and stay tuned for DIY’s, tutorial, helpful tips, and more!

11 Reasons to Buy an Older Home

August 21, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey Guys!

If you’re also a fan of Melissa Michaels of The Inspired Room, you have probably seen her “10 Reasons to Buy A New House” post on her blog. 10 very compelling arguments for why you should buy a new construction home. Naturally I can’t be sold on that concept. There are few things I think are better buying new versus old; Underwear and vegetables would fit in the new category. Homes fall into the “must buy old” category for me though. Which is why I’ve decided to put together not just 10 compelling arguments for buying an old home, but 11 good reasons why you ought to consider buying an older home.

I should preface this list with my own definition of an “older” home- not new construction. So even something that’s a mere 10 years old fully suffices as an older home.

1. “Necessary Repairs” Increase Home Value– Generally you can expect to see a rise in the value of your home when you do things like replace the air conditioning unit, furnace, or roof. You will get a higher offer on your house with these things than with out. So while the idea of buying a home with an old hot water heater that you’ll need to replace seems like a buzz kill, you’ll pay less than if they had upgraded it for you (always use this as negotiating power! either request they do it, or factor it in to what the house is worth). This combined with #4 can be a great way to buy a nice house for a great deal.

2. “No Regret” Design Changes– That parquet floor has been there long enough to push aside any regret for ripping it out and replacing it. Those 80’s tile, feel free to rip them out. Trends expire and it’s better to rip out tile that’s past it’s prime than brand new tile that’s hardly seen use. And you’re free to replace it with whatever you want, whereas builders normally have a selection you have to choose from.

3. “Old House” Charm– It’s more expensive to buy “charming” details new. Much like the old tile and parquet flooring, the crown molding and carved wood details you’ll oftentimes find in older homes has “paid it’s dues” and is cheaper to buy in that older home. You’ll find decorating with these details to be a treat as they’re visually interesting and beautiful.

4. Cheaper To Buy Upfront– Older homes can be cheaper to buy up front for the same square footage in the same area. This has a lot to do with the labor costs that go into a new construction. You’re paying people’s wages when you buy those homes whereas you’re just buying the value of the property from a seller of an older home.

5. Established Neighborhoods– Older homes are in older neighborhoods and this can mean beautiful shade providing mature trees, grass covered yards, parks and more. Drive through an older neighborhood and you’ll see the benefits with mature landscaping and variety of people living there.

6. Remodeling Potential– Because the homes are often cheaper, the lots normally bigger, and the homes not as close together, there’s normally a lot of room to remodel an older home. Go ahead and pair that with #2 and you’re in it to win it, right?

7. Energy Efficiency– Yes! Shockingly, I’m going to tell you that buying an older home can benefit your bank account. Smaller homes are less expensive to heat and cool. As long as you have or upgrade existing insulating features, the smaller rooms and lower ceilings are going to be noticeably cheaper to keep comfortable. And on the other end of things, older homes were not equipped with modern cooling and heating so they were built with features that kept it cooler (without electricity, yay lower electricity bills!)

8. Problems already Discovered & Addressed– Provided previous owners weren’t total D-bags, any problems that have risen from the homes construction will have already been addressed. Things like settling have likely already occurred (true story– my parent’s bought new construction and they have huge patches around the doorways of one side of their house from where they had cracks fixed from the new house settling).

9. Variety in Choices/Styles/Designs/Layouts– When you buy from a builder, you get options. These options are uniform in choice with all the other homes the builder is selling. When you buy in an older neighborhood, you get variety in styles, choices, and finishes to choose from.

10. Location– Older homes are normally located closer to desirable parts of the city. My older home is located near the beach, other older homes in our city are located in beautiful neighborhoods right next to downtown. The newer construction homes are normally built on old acreage full of trees and are pretty out of the way (and if you want to be out of the way, charming old farmhouses are normally out there!)

11. Quicker Move In– It makes sense that a house already built would be quicker to move into than one that doesn’t exist yet, right?

So there you have it! I’m not an expert outside of pure passion for this subject (and I own a “used” house). But, I think these reasons are pretty clear! If you’re house searching, you’ve got a lot to think about. I hope this list has helped.

What reason do you find to be the most appealing about buying an older home?

Future Plans for the Living Room

August 14, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey Guys!

I’m sure it’s a feeling you’ve felt before. Perhaps you even feel it all the time. You’ve decorated a space, announced it as done, but know there are a ton more things you want to do with it. Or maybe you don’t ever declare it done because you have all those other things running through your mind. That was me up until recently. Over the course of the past month I’ve taken you through my living room. I’ve shown you the furniture in there, the things I’ve made, and some tips and ideas along the way. But the space has been far from done. And, if I’m going to be completely honest, I’ve already been switching things up. I’m not going to spend eternity talking about and focused on one room though. Especially since we’ve begun a bathroom renovation that I hope to be sharing with you in the Fall.

The next finished space I want to share with you in our main bedroom. There is no master bedroom in the space so it’s the “biggest bedroom,” but before I get there I wanted to talk a little about my future plans for my own living room. I don’t know about you, but I personally feel a bit relieved when I write or type down my ideas. It gets them out of my head and into a place I can reference back to later. This is that space and that’s what I’m doing.

One thing I’ve already done is flip the layout. So if you see picture on Instagram of Facebook and you’re wondering why it looks different than what I’ve “revealed” here, that’s why. But, like I said, let’s not beat a dead horse and just know that the couch and TV has switched spots.

Behind the sofa I really want a console table. I’ve played around with the idea of using a simple system with a plank of wood and shelf brackets. What I really want to do, and what I’m aiming for, is to line that bit of wall with short bookcases so I can style the top, have seasonal decor storage behind the sofa, and have space for more books and toys on the shelves that hang out on either side of the sofa.

Just Imagine: Bohemian Decor

I also really want a tall campaign style lingerie chest/tall dresser. I’m obsessed with storage and ages ago when I saw my idol, Emily Henderson, put one in her living room, I knew I had to do the same.

Emily Henderson’s Living Room

I’ve probably mentioned it before, but my dream is to take down or open up the wall between the living room and kitchen. My gallery wall would have to go (not nearly as sad about that as that may have come off), but I think a nice island or peninsula here would make a really great family interaction flow.

Southern Living: Designer Amie Corley

Underneath the large wall of windows I have a gold bar cart. I think it looks a little silly in size in this spot and I’d like to pick up something more scale appropriate for the wall. Maybe even adding in more seating with a loveseat or sofa (vintage, of course, and awesome, of course). Or a trunk for more toys?

Sneak Peek: Julia Okun of Rennes on Design*Sponge

I’ve been stuck on the fence over my sofa situation. I LOVE my sofa. Like, a lot. But I also really love the look of a plush sofa covered with drop cloth or loose fabric or a coverlet. I picked up a coverlet a while back for this purpose but I can’t do what I want with my current living room sofa. But I could with the one I’ve banished to the garage (it’s mint in color and absolutely destroyed with stains from the little one, irrelevant if I’m covering it up though). I find both to be comfortable, it’s really just the aesthetic I’m struggling with.

Apartment Therapy: Rohde’s “Opportunistic” Design Laboratory

Do you own a vittsjo shelf? I’m obsessed with their simplicity. I had always planned on putting one in our only bathroom, but it’s a tight squeeze in there already. So I’m thinking of flanking our credenza with two of the skinny units. More space to decorate, more storage, and it fills up blank wall? Where’s my credit card… I think I’d want to give them a finish like the shelves below have.

Irene Neuwirth’s home via Mix and Chic blog.

And one final idea for the space: Right now I have the bentwood rocker in the corner of the living room. I never wanted it in the first place but had to buy it for the bentwood foot stool I actually wanted. So I’m going to clean it up and put it on craigslist (email me if you’re interested!). I’ve got a rattan armchair I’m going to pull in that I had banished because I didn’t like it’s cushions until I threw a Mexican blanket over it. Thank God I hoard things I sporadically love and hate, amiright?

So that’s where I’m going to wrap things up with the Living Room. The only other space I’ve decorated is the “main” bedroom, so I’ll start sharing that next! And then we will hopefully be ready to start chatting bathrooms! We’ve already started demo but it’s going very slowly… Have a great day!

How I Made It: Gold Arc Lamp

August 12, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey Guys!

One of the hardest pieces for me to decide on in a room is lighting. There aren’t many lighting options out there that I like, and even fewer than what I can afford. Short of living in complete darkness until I could stumble onto the perfect floor lamp for the perfect price to pop up and not sell within minutes on Craigslist, I had to put something in the room.

The style I’m particularly coveting at the moment are arch lamps. They’re not especially hard to come by on a budget. But the lamp shades turned me off on a lot of them. The ones I found through Walmart, Target (though Target & Walmart have gotten in better models than what was available back when I first made over my particular lamp), and IKEA all has fabric shades and it wasn’t the style I wanted. The one I ended up settling on was this one from Amazon.

I wasn’t thinking a whole lot about the brushed nickle finish of the lamp. Once the lamp had lived in my living room for a while, though, I realized the finish wasn’t going to work for my decor. I needed a warm leaning metal, and who doesn’t love gold at the moment? Nobody, that’s who.

So I toyed around with the idea of spray painting it, but I’m a lazy spray painter and didn’t want to live with the paint drips and flaking because I didn’t prep properly and I didn’t want to take the lamp apart either. Then just a few months into this dilemma I came across a View Along The Way’s tutorial for saving a garage sale lamp with rub n buff. I’d never used the product but if it worked for her, I was going to make it work for me.

I was aiming for a finish similar to either this Alto Sconce from Cedar and Moss,

Or this Modo Table Lamp form Matter Matters.

I ended up going for the rub n buff method for a lot of reasons- spray paint inherently hates me, things I spray paint normally don’t wear well, and the finish from the View Along The Way inspiration post looked exactly like what I’d hoped for.

Here’s How I Made It:

Supplies:

Rub ‘n Buff

Inexpensive Lamp

Small Sock

So if you’re familiar with how to use Rub ‘n Buff, you probably won’t need me to go on any more. Just be sure to leave me a nice comment before you leave 😉 If you aren’t familiar with the product, like I wasn’t familiar with the product, then keep on reading for my process.

I actually snatched one of my 3 year old’s sock since I knew it would hug my hand better than a larger sock. That and my husband is tired of me stealing his socks for staining wood, so I figured I’d give his socks a rest this time. I focused the product onto one fingertip and massaged the product onto the surface.

I found it best to be easy with the amount of pressure otherwise I was simply wiping the product away. Work in thin coats, allowing the wax to harden in between applying more. Again, I found I just wiped the product off the lamp if the layer beneath wasn’t hard yet.

I think getting opacity was the most frustrating part of this process. It’s not difficult, so don’t let me deter you from attempting this. But the tutorials I’d read using this product before gave me the impression that the stuff lied down more opaque than it did. So keep that in mind as you work and apply the product in layers.

The finish is perfect, but the color is way more yellow than the swatch made it look. I wasn’t sure at first if I hated it or loved it, but now that it’s been in my home for a while, I love it.

The gold suits the space so much better now though, and feels more luxurious than the cheap lamp that it once was. I’m really diggin’ how the gold plays against the white walls and wood tones in this space.

Industrial Rustic Boho Shelves

August 10, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey guys!

My favorite DIY’s always involve wood. I love the look and what it adds to a space. But sometimes wood needs balance and that’s why industrial style is so fantastic. Pairing wood with metal elements is a harmonious blend between cold and warmth. But the typical metal pairings are just a bit too industrial for my taste. So I found these very cool shaped white brackets from IKEA. Their geometric shaped paired with the softer white metal paired with a rustic wood finish really lend themselves well to a boho styled space. But really, they’d look pretty darn great anywhere.

The look I was going for involved having to use the brackets on top of the shelf versus below as traditionally used. These brackets are designed to be used traditionally. We’re going to “hack” them in a sense to work the way we want.

Here’s How I Made It:

I picked up my lumbar from Home Depot and asked to have my 10 foot piece cut into thirds and they did all the measuring for me and ensured it was even. I brought the wood home, dusted them off and stained them. I used a very light layer of a wood stain in “special walnut.”

While those dried, I started marking out where holes for the brackets need to be made on your wall. I like to use painter’s tape for this so that any mistakes won’t be written on my walls. The design of these brackets works by using a smaller headed screw that the larger hole fits over, then sliding the groove of the bracket onto the neck of the screw and then you’d just tighten the screw down. I wasn’t planning on using them this way so I made sure to mark the larger circle of the holes in the bracket that went against the wall.

I predrilled holes into the wall where I marked and put in wall anchors since where I wanted my shelves didn’t line up with studs. I knew I had to predrill the holes because I wouldn’t be able to use the power drill for the final install step.

Then I lined up the brackets onto the lumber and marked where the screws need to be screwed into the wood. These holes will line up with the end of the groove. Unlike the wall, we are using the sliding into place feature with this side. I noticed, on my brackets at least, that there were some imperfections in the holes and grooves, so I numbered the brackets just in case it caused variances in how they fit.

With the holes marked, I went in and drilled the screws partially into the wood, making sure to leave room for the bracket to slid into place.

The only way I could get into the bracket to tighten the screws was with a socket wrench. Because I wasn’t using the bracket as intended, I couldn’t start the wall screws until I had the bracket up against the wall. So hubby and I took turns hand cranking the screws into place.

When all of the brackets were secured to the wall, I took a piece of lumbar, lined up the screws with the holes and slid it into place. Either be the person holding the lumber in place or have someone else do it while tightening the screws. This lumber has some weight so be careful.

And then It’s time to have fun with them. I kept them pretty high up off the ground because my 3 year old would love to turn them into a ladder.

Shelves are so practical and a great place for parents to have fun with decor. I’ve collected a lot of old and new items here that make me happy. I played around with the arrangement until my eyes were happy.

Supplies:

Quantities will vary based on the number of shelves and how long your shelves will be.

10x8x2 Piece of lumber
Heavy duty walls screws and anchors (with a head larger than the holes for the brackets)
1.5 inch Wood Screws
Power drill and phillips head and general purpose twist bits
Socket wrench and phillips head bit
IKEA Ekby Lerberg shelf brackets
Optional: Wood Stain and Sealer

Are you a total IKEA lover? I love how easy it is to mix in IKEA pieces with vintage pieces. I also love how easily they can be hacked into something unique. Have you ever hacked an IKEA piece before? What’s your favorite IKEA hack?

How to fit Lots of Storage in a Small Living Room

August 5, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey Guys!

I LOVE finding ways of stretching the space in our small home. I’m a borderline hoarder and I have a 3 year old son who loves to shop (yes! really!). So I’ve got to find ways of hiding my growing collection of glass bottles and my son’s growing collection of Matchbox cars. I like to toot my own horn a little bit on this subject because I think I’ve done a pretty darn good job of fitting in lots of storage while still having a cute space to hang out in! Let me share what I’ve done to capitalize on our small space as well as some fabulous ideas from the blogosphere!

First and foremost, I love baskets. I think every self proclaimed decorator loves baskets because they really are an amazing piece to add to a room. Big baskets sit fine on the floor and small ones fit nicely atop shelves and under tables. I use baskets to store train sets, matchbox cars, legos, decorative items not in use at the moment and media “junk.” But you know, anything can go into a basket.

The second piece that’s a must in a space with good storage is furniture with cabinets/drawers. You’ll see it everywhere right now, people are turning credenzas and dressers into media cabinets. And it’s seriously so smart. Even if you don’t need storage space for traditional media cabinet things, those cabinets and drawers are perfect for hiding away extra candles, seasonal items, or a dangerously big glass bottle collection. 😉

If you’ve got a spare closet in your living room space you can convert it to a totally functional mudroom space. Even if you don’t have school age children, having a mudroom space is super practical. Books, backpacks, jackets- basically anything you may need before leaving you home can be stored neatly and out of sight here. And then at the end of the day, it’s a neat place to hide away those things, too. Kim from Hunt & Host shared how she converted her spare closet into a mudroom space. It’s so functional and organized. Hooks in a closet is much more practical for me. I do not like battling with a hanger at the end of a cold day.

Another really fabulous idea for families with students is this door organizer. It corrals all those related items into one central location. But obviously is makes a really great utensil station, too! Jamie shares a really great school organization post covering how to use a simple door as a fun way to get organized. All you need is a small section of wall and you’ve got a great spot for storage in the living room.

A really great idea is to use interesting accent furniture with drawers and/or doors. Like this apothecary cabinet in Mandi of Vintage Revivals’ Lofty living room. You could store all sorts of amazing craft supplies in those drawers. Or kitchen utensils. Or DVDs/pictures/etc.

Maximize an empty wall by making custom built ins. Not only will you maximize all that vertical space, but holy hidden storage! You don’t have to clean under it and it’s custom to fit your needs. Check out all the cabinets in this built in Entertainment Center from Danielle of DIY Danielle.

I think we can all agree that taking an idea from Emily Henderson is probably the best move. This campaign dresser is stunning, but it’s also totally practical. Again, taking a beautiful accent piece that doubles as a hideaway for all the unsightly things is a great way to go. This also frees up possibly needed end table storage so she could use this swanky metal wire one. The combination is perfection. Check out all the beautifulness from her Living Room Reveal.

I love Jen’s idea for making over a dresser and using it for non clothing storage. The drawers conceal the art supplies but they aren’t so deep that art supplies get lost in the depth of the drawer. Jen shared the transformation for this dresser on her blog Fresh Crush.

Michael from Inspired by Charm always has a plethora of good ideas. But I was especially inspired by the built in bookcase shown here in the living room. Even open storage is great storage- for pretty things and unsightly things within baskets and boxes. The whole space can be seen in his post about changing the wall color of this space.

Lory from Designthusiam recently shared a post highlighting 4 reasons you should use your living room. She mentioned that the piece below serves well for holding thank you notes and stationary. That’s such a good idea! And a piece like this would work really well for those of use who move from space to space trying to find the right inspiration for our work. The drawers also function to hold gift wrap amongst other things. And it folds up to be out of sight when not in use.

Naturally I can’t avoid finding reasons to share beautiful spaces. Here’s another one shared by A Cup of Jo- Brooklyn Home Tour. I’ve always been infatuated with the idea of lining a wall with bookcases. If you can afford to bump out your couch about a foot, why not place some bookcases behind it? The hidden shelves can hold seasonal items and the visible shelves can hold pretty things and more in boxes and baskets. The whole home is absolutely stunning and full of really great ideas.

And last but not leave, wall mounted shelves are a great way to have full control over every element. From style to function to little things like, “how low can I go before my little kid can use this as a ladder?” kind of control. I created these shelves for my living room by “hacking” the IKEA Ekby Lerberg brackets. I’ll have the tutorial for them up next week!

I hope you’ve found this post helpful and interesting. If you have anything to add to the list, please leave it in the comments below! Leave a link if you have one if you want the tip to be included in Part 2!