Makeover Monday

Do you have one of those rooms in your house?  You know, the room where all of the unwanted items in your life go to die.  The room that just doesn’t feel right to you
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That was my office.  Here’s a refresher…



Everyone else told me that they thought the room looked just fine.  I just wasn’t feeling it though.  Probably because it normally looked like this…



Embarrassing.  I really shouldn’t post photos like this on the interweb.

I spent the past two week-ends cleaning up the pit.  I even went through all of the cupboards and drawers.  You wouldn’t believe how much storage space I have now that I rid the room of junk.  It’s refreshing.

Cleaning the room just wasn’t enough.  I also decided that the space needed a little style.  I wanted it to feel like a cozy library.

Here’s how I ended the week-end…



We added beadboard and trim behind the computer monitor.  This is something that we had been meaning to do for the past three years and just now got around to it. Time flies.  I tried painting the beadboard with magnetic paint but that was a DIY fail.  One of my employees gave me her left over magnetic paint.  One of us didn’t stir it well enough because no magnet will cling on the beadboard.  Oh well, it still looks pretty.  I’m afraid the area may end up looking cluttered if we were able to hang things on it anyways.  That’s my story.



I “wallpapered” with burlap behind the shelving areas.  Nate was certain this was going to be a DIY disaster but we both like how it turned out.  It gives the area a little color and texture.  And it’s non-committal.  My favorite type of project.  I’ll share this how-to tomorrow.



Lastly, I attempted to style the bookshelves with old books and thrifting finds.  The book hunt is a ton of fun.  I can’t wait to keep adding to the collection.  Who doesn’t like a book titled “Lines about Wines” or “How Never to Be Tired”?  I might need to read that one.  Most of these books were purchased for less than a dollar from thrift stores.






I fell in love with these book-ends while thrifting with the parents.



They were even approved by my dad. Weird.  He was for sure that I was going to paint them.  Brass is back Daddy-o.  My mom did remind me that I would have hurled at the thought of brass in my house a year ago.  She may be right on that one.  It’s good for moms to be right on occasion.

And look, baby Nate and Michelle.  Our engagement photo in a brassy gold frame from the Salvation Army.  What is this world coming to?



I love how this room seems to fit in better with the rest of our house.  It feels a little more like us.  I’m also enjoying the new air freshener…the smell of old books.  Mmmm.  Nate thinks the room needs a good airing out.  Someday he’ll get my obsession with old.  At least he puts up with it. And installs beadboard.



It may have taken us three years but we now have an organized office with a little style.



Any make-overs happening over at your place?  What’s holding you back from tackling that dumping ground room?  Who thinks I’m crazy with the burlap?  Anyone else love that delicious old book smell?

I was compensated for this Winter Home Projects post by BlogHer but all opinions expressed are my own.

Do You Collect?

Do you collect things?  I had a stamp collection and a music box collection as a kid.  (I was one of the cool kids.  Can you tell?)  As an adult, I didn’t really have the desire to collect anything.  Until I saw a collection of globes in an issue of Better Homes and Gardens.  I NEEDED a globe collection.  (Still one of the cool kids.  Can you tell?)

I started looking.  Globes slowly started popping up in thrift stores.  I refused to pay more than $10 for a globe.  Slowly but surely, I have completed my globe collection in our office.

I found my final globe this week-end while thrifting with the lovely Kim.



The globe on the left was the last globe in my quest.  I found the one on the right a couple of months back.  I just hadn’t added added it to it’s home.  Lazy much?

I’m a little sad that the globe hunting adventure is over but I do like how the completed grouping looks…




And for those of you that e-mail wanting to know how I balance working, blogging, and having a tidy home….I don’t.  This is the cleanest our office has been in months.  It is the dumping ground for all things that we don’t feel like putting in their proper homes.  I cleaned it right before snapping these photos.  It previously looked like this…




Feel better?

This room is my next decorating victim.  New curtains, new couch, new wall hangings, styled shelves.  Now if only the vision would come to me! 

At least it’s cleaner now.  And full of globes.  And cleaner.

Do you collect anything?  How do you organize all of those important papers, papers, etc that pile up in the office?  How do you feel about this wall color?  (I’m torn on the whole painting thing.)

Powder Room Reveal

Our powder room is done-ish.  We still need to add crown molding and wall art. I might also switch out the mirror and window treatment.  I’ll count it done-ish enough until next week-end.  Why? Because I finally finished stenciling and painting moldings.  Can I get a high five?!

This room is a little bolder than my usual conservative style but I’m digging it…

I used the Nova Trellis supplied to me by the wonderful Royal Design Studio.  (I’ll do a full stencil review and giveaway later this week!)  The white is Ultra White by Valspar.  The black is Black Leather by Dutch Boy.

I was originally inspired by the moldings and use of stencil in this room that I found on Pinterest via Apartment Therapy…

Drool worthy.

I’m extremely happy with my copycat.

It’s hard to believe this is even the same room…

Gosh. I love moldings.  Nate wants me to blog that I hate painting them in hopes that I will remember that I do not want him to install more.  He’s such a trooper.

Have you stenciled before?  Do you think the term “powder room” is funny?  My family and friends laugh at me.  Who’s a fan of moldings?  Who’s a fan of moldings but not of painting them?