Fireplace wall update

My first big project of the year is about done!  Which is NOT any easy thing to accomplish between momming, wifing, working and co-running Craftshop.  Some days I can barely make it into my bed before I am already falling asleep.  So why bother doing any house projects?  Well, why does anyone do anything?  Because they want/like to do it.  I love making my house comfortable and pretty!  And I actually do enjoy the whole process, from the idea phase to the planning phase to the implementing phase to the finishing and enjoying phase.  Now, many of my "projects" don't make it past the ideas or planning phases but I still enjoy that as well.  But every once in a while, it is nice to have someone else step in and help get the project done faster.  I thought I would be doing this wall myself but help came in the form of my dad, and the hubs and son jumped in to assist and before I knew it, it was done and I just had to do the painting!  

Here is what it looked like before...

 And here is what it looks like now...

 Makes a difference, right?  Here are some pics from the construction phase.  I gave my dad a drawing with measurements and he cut all the wood and brought it to my house to construct.

Putting together the frame with lots of "helpers";)

My dad cut the trim where the frame was going to go so the frame would be flat against the wall.  I then had to take the lights down.

And the frame was placed on the wall and screwed in.

Then the planks were nailed in.

 #putthementowork

And then the edge trim was nailed on and I applied 2 coats of paint.  I still may add some trim/moulding at the top but that is for another day.

I also added a set of shelves to the other side of my buffet because I loved the ones on the right so much.

Seriously the easiest project ever and adds so much to the room.

Open Shelving

Hey all!  Hope you had a great (and safe) 4th of July yesterday!  I am making some more changes in my dining room.

Previously, I had showed you some pics of the table and new room rearrangement.

This pic shows the back wall where I was not done making changes.  You can see the big coffee sack framed to the upper right.  I decided to take that down and put some open shelving up.  Open shelving is red hot and trending right now.  It is not always the best thing to jump on what is trending but I decided to go for it.  That area has always been a challenge for me for some reason.  Maybe it has something to do with the kid kitchen that lives just below it.  Or not.

Anyway, I picked up some small wooden corbels at Home Depot and painted them white.

Then I hung them on the wall.

Then I bought a pine board and had the Home Depot guy cut it down to give me 2 30" boards.  I stained them with my favorite stain mixture, 75% Minwax classic grey and 25% Minwax dark walnut.  I placed them centered over the corbels, predrilled some holed and screwed the boards to the corbels.  Done.  Then came the hard part, decorating/staging the shelves...

 I used all stuff I had on hand already, meat grinders, basket, baking ware, sifter, scale I got from an antiques mall, bird houses and the Craftshop orb.

Oh, and I got some chairs that I am in the process of painting white with chalk paint.  I have one coat on and I.just.can't.paint.them.again.right.now.  So that is how they will live for a bit.

Stay tuned for more changes to this wall!

Balance

It has been quiet on the blog lately.  Life is so full these days.  Which is awesome and great and wonderful.  And exhausting.  Like all parents out there, I find it hard to find perfect balance in my life.  A perfect balance that allows me to be efficient and effective at work, present at home and fulfilling to myself.  I am not perfect so at any given time, something usually suffers.  Lately, it has been the blogging.  Although, I have been quite busy on projects, makeovers and crafts.  I just have not shared them because I could not put the perfect words to the perfect pictures with the perfect lighting (or as perfect as I am capable of with my limited photography skills).

You see, I have this problem with perfection.  Sometimes it is crippling.  If I can't do it perfectly, why do it?  I don't want to put a product out there that was not put out there with my best efforts.  This problem with perfection has been with me ever since I was little.  If I could not be one of the best players on the team, why play (basketball, softball)?  It can make your life really small.  Until you are living in a tiny box, terrified of not being perfect.

I am old enough and know myself well enough now to see it for what it is.  After about 2 weeks, I realized where I was heading.  Instead of being disappointed I had to go back on my medication, I was relieved I had a solution.  Grateful to have something to pull me back to where I want to be.

So lets not waste anymore time and let me show you what I have been up to....

Here is a before pic of my dining room.  Lots of room for parties:)  We used it a lot when entertaining but not at all when not entertaining.  I wanted this to be a more useable space.  I mean, its huge and it was just sitting idle most of the time.  And my craft/sewing/toy/guest room was busting at the seams.  So I thought, why not move all my craft supplies to the dining room and get a nice, big table to craft (and dine) at?  And that was the purpose behind the change.

Also, I wanted to purge the laminate book shelves that I painted black 10 years ago.  It was time!  And I wanted to change up my gallery wall.

This the best before pic of where my fireplace was that was taken within the past 6 months.  Oops.

After selling my table, chairs and bar stools, I moved the fireplace to the area where the dining table was.  Between the patio door and window.  Immediately, the room felt different.  More cozy and it made sense.  I should have had it there all along!  Gah!

To fill the empty wall this move left behind, I searched thrift stores for a small dresser or cabinet and I was fortunate enough to find this guy.

I sanded it down (I LOATHE sanding).  Then I took a 50/50 mixture of white latex paint and water and painted sections then rubbed it off.  Like I was staining.  I put the knobs back on and it turned out PERFECT!  Double bonus, it is on wheels!

Now it houses all the craft supplies I could possibly cram into it (decorative paper, felt, scissors, writing utensils, cards, laminator, chalk, glue, stapler, ribbons, etc).  Next to it, I hauled up a wicker chair from my basement for some additional seating which can also be pulled up to the new table.

Speaking of the new table, I wanted to go with a big farmhouse, chunky table.  My parents came and I put my dad to work immediately building me one.  

Look at him!  What a guy!

Once done, we brought it in and placed it right in the middle of the room.  I bought a nice sisal rug off of Rugs USA (they had a 70% off sale + free shipping) to anchor the table.  (I got a good teasing about having 8 rugs on this floor of our house from the hubs.  He hates rugs.  I love them.  I win.)

See what I mean about the new fireplace placement?  Its perfect!

But the table was not done!  I stained it with a mix of Minwax Weathered Grey (75%) and Minwax Dark Walnut (25%).  It looked really pretty but it was not quite the style I was going for.  Too dark and competed with other elements in the room.  So I white washed if like I did the new cabinet.  

Pic during the white washing process.

The top white washed.

Then I sealed it with 3 coats of clear Polycrylic.

I painted the skirting and legs white and the table was done.  

Pay no attention to that back wall.  Still working on the details there.

I bought two of these mid century modern style chairs off Overstock for the ends of the table.  I am still working on what to do for the rest of the chairs.  I will figure it out but have a few options I am considering (lucite, wood, benches).

I embellished the chandelier with some wooden beads I strung on fishing line.  I have more and plan on adding to it at some point.  

It is certainly coming together.  From here you can get a glimpse of the new gallery wall.  

I wanted to get Syd's silhouette up and I wanted to extend the gallery wall to wrap around the corner. Everything else was worked in going away from that point.

The furniture in this area was also rearranged.  Feels good to change things up.  They had been the same for SOOOOOO long.

I mean, come on....

I am thinking it is time for the blinds to go.  They seem too reddish now.

And there you have it.  Still a work in progress.  But it is coming along nicely.  What do you think?  Suggestions for side chairs or benches?