Clean Walls!

It's pretty amazing how much better (I think) my walls look now that they are clean:





It took me five days at about five hours each to do the living room, kitchen, bath and hallway. It may have not been a new coat of paint but spring cleaning sure makes a difference in how you see your home!

About the only advantage to living in an apartment this size, you can actually clean walls. I would never do this in a house unless it was about the same size...

BTW, the two rust/copperish pillows on my futon are actually placemats that I purchased on sale from King Soopers - one of our Colorado flavors of Kroger...yeah, diggin' the idea you can shop your grocery for decor! I still need to sew the ends up but I already had fiber fill and some quilt batting. You can put quilt batting inside and put the fiber fill inbetween to eliminate lumps you can get from fiber fill fluffs.

Dang, looks like I'm moving...

...I wish. But no, prep for more spring cleaning:


(I caught Sonny mid yawn there in the bottom pic)



I'm wiping down all the walls in here. Thus far I have completed the kitchen (to include the ceiling), the entry, the hallway and the bathroom (also the ceiling in there).

It's cheaper than new paint. It's taking me forever to do because of my wrist, arm and shoulder but the places I have done it has been completely worth it.

I will have to wait till the cold weather is completely gone for the bedroom because of the double layers of curtains tacked up, which is fine. The front bedroom just isn't going to be done, that would be way too much to pull out the stuff in there since it's basically a storage room instead of a living space.

I've done this in two other apartments I lived in because the size is just right. Never to any house or place that had more than one level though.

Long Post, update

Just a few updates:

Old microwave, circa 1987 (that still works BTW):



New to me microwave, circa 2005 courtesy of my parents who decided to never use a microwave again because they deplete the nutrients in food:



If you notice, there are new additions to my sink's backsplash. You may (or may not) recall my post about injecting some blue. I wanted to go the route of talavera tiles because I really like the hand-crafted look of them. Well, that wasn't happening any time soon.

I had an item to return to Ross stores and while cruising through the dishware I saw those and remembering that I wanted the blue and while they aren't talavera tiles, it was just what the budget ordered...I got three for 1¢ less than the return so it was a wash. Major bonus is the three cost about $1 more than one talavera tile!

I hung them using this tutorial. Seriously, the plate hangers I have do not work on square plates. I've tried it on other square plates and they don't work. They've stayed on the wall and no mysterious crashing sounds have happened in the middle of the night, so right on. To help them to stay straight, I used vinyl bumper tabs (from the mirror section at Home Depot) which also helps them hang more level to the wall.

Also, I finally painted the trivets I have hanging above them to black (not in that pic though). Much better.

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Long story short, my parents (my dad and step-mom) have put their house on the market. It has some of the family heirloom antiques from both my mom (she died when I was 15) and my dad...well, they are having us "kids" take the things that are ours so I have the last piece of the family treasures I inherited (I think), which is a little chest of drawers in my bedroom.

Before (little wicker drawers from Hobby Lobby, 1996):



After:



I think that actually goes with the large secretary my brother has though. The finish doesn't have as many red tones as the other heirloom furniture. Plus the hardware on it doesn't match. I must talk to my bro about that so the pieces stay together.

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Simple paint update. We finally got some warmer days with little wind (not like today though) where I could spray paint. I got seriously paint happy and not all things I painted are photographed...they went from whatever to black so not too exciting. Buuuut, here's a dopey update to my monitor stand.

Before:



After:



I have since attached black fabric (leftover from my pelmet box/valance/cornice in the kitchen) to hide cords dangling from the monitor and speakers. Wish I could paint the speakers but that's just not a job I wish to tackle.

Last but not least, a new tissue box cover for my bath:







I had replaced the shower curtain in my bath a while back. It's lighter so it opens up the bath a tiny bit more. I really hate tissue boxes as I demonstrated back in Oct and based on this one in my living room, made one for the bath.

Hobby Lobby had their unfinished wood on sale so yay. I am not completely sold on the medallions yet though I do like the placement of the two on the top because it covers up the box underneath even more. Kroger recently changed the boxes so the opening at the top is smaller showing the box...which defeats the purpose of a tissue box cover.

Anyhow, I have them on there with standard white glue in case I get to hating the medallions, I can take them off, sand and repaint.

So that's my long update on a few things.

Hope everyone is enjoying early springtime. Not so much here today. Cloudy, drizzle, fog and only 42°.

Sometimes less is more

It's true:



EDIT A reminder of the forest green tab tops (from the house and my 90s decor when I lived in Denver) I had up there with push-pins and not wide enough to cover - from 01-21-10:



EDIT 03-16: Here's a daytime shot with the curtains pulled back to compare to the above. Much better than the tacked up version, at least they are out of the way mostly:



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I moved the vertical blind track back to the left and took down the fabrics (valances and napkins I had up for "visualization") and decided that because the length of the vertical blind track, to put a valance up there it would look horrible. So, I will keep the vanes out (I have all the worm gears, thankfully and one stem is properly installed so I know how to put everything back in as required) and just leave it as is.

I actually like it though I would rather have all the vertical blind hardware taken down, the holes filled and proper curtains and rods put up there. It's not going to happen without great expense so it is what it is.

The vertical blinds in my bedroom aren't nearly as imposing as they are here in the living room so I am not worried about messing with them. The treatment for the window in there helps soften the room up a lot. It also helps that the patio door isn't the first thing you see when you enter the room. The window and my bed overpower the ugly of the vertical blinds and I like that.

But yeah, for an apartment where you have limited ability to do as you please, the cheap-o tab tops work pretty well to add some softness and personality to an otherwise imposing feature.

Now that I have my place decorated to the best of my ability, this blog is going to be extremely sparse in updates. I use my Facebook for quick updates that don't amount to much and my journal is for my more intimate communication. Hopefully my work circumstances will change and I will be in a house by the end of summer. Until then, unless I find a fabulous something to update...this blog is all but put on the back burner for a while.

:-)

Oscar Night Dresses For Doors & Perfect Lighting

(No I didn't watch, I just looked up some galleries of what the women were wearing.)

I have an obsession with fabric. I become more obsessed when I see things like curtains so cheap and Tuesday Morning is my downfall:


An odd application to be sure and I am lucky that previous tenants here had painted all the doors and trim white because other apartments here (that I have seen) have the original stain (medium oak brown similar to the kitchen cabinets) but I am still hating the louvered door to the laundry room.

I shortened the valance that came with the 99¢ curtains by about 6 inches and I like it now. I don't see curtains used in this manner very often but it softens up the space tremendously.

Also, though I do have the overhead light on in the kitchen for this picture, I grabbed one of my canister uplights and placed it on the microwave temporarily so I can leave it on at night and reduce the need to turn the overhead light off and on.

I plan on getting the innerds for the other lamp I bought last August (the one on the left via the link) and putting that in there, painted black with either antique gold or bronze Rub N Buff. I already have a lamp shade I can use with it. I am totally loving the idea of putting a small lamp in a kitchen using only a 15 watt CFL bulb. Saves on energy and my eyes because that kitchen lighting is so institutional.

Anyhow, between projects that I show, I often go through a process before I decide what to do. The most recent project in the works is the awkward patio door in the living room:



Those are three curtain panels (identical fabric to the one in the kitchen), hung up on little rods that hang close to the wall because of that monster of a headrail for the vertical blinds.

Well, when the vanes (the vertical blind panels) are fully pulled back, you can see all kinds of nasty with the curtain tabs and the cheesy rods. So here I am in the process of deciding what type of valance to create. This is going to be a project that may not get done until next month but with the help of some fabric (black napkins from Target to cover pillows and the tan valances from Tues Morn I got several months back as a backdrop for the shelves to the right of my computer) I can start a process to see what my minds eye is thinking.

Thoughts:

Use the tan valances and put a black ribbon along the bottom. Tehe, I have electrical tape on it right now for the "feel".

Look for some basic black fabric.

Definately go from the 12" down to 9" in length. I can't raise anything because of the apartment's vertical blind hardware so doing much of anything else is out of the question. Move the blind rail back over to the left again so as to eliminate the overhang on the right side.

Note to anyone who decides to do something like take vertical blinds down from your rental, don't take the vanes out with the stem. You will find little plastic pieces called worm gears strewn about. Whoops.

Luckily I am very mechanically inclined but holy crap replacing each stem, vane along with the worm gears is going to be a tedious task. It's already an awkward project because the vertical blinds are meant for a 9' patio door and that door is 7' and some change. In all the years I sold windows and doors, being around the industry it's just a stupid, stupid door. They should have just put 6' doors in and called it a day. Anyhow, those vertical blinds are too wide for the stupid door making for a decor challenge.

The curtains truly soften the space and are much better than the 90s forest green panels I've been sporting. I've had them hung up for a while because I wasn't sure I was liking it because of the odd way it's set up to begin with. I had contemplated taking them back for a couple of reasons including financial but, I am going to attempt to stop smoking on the 15th or so. I don't have a choice unless I take those curtains back so...I am weighing my options here and I think having a cozy home is far better than (pardon me here) shitty lungs. I've done it before, let's hope I can do it again and I can look at my silly valance-in-progress to remind me why I am stopping.

I have other financial obligations I need to take care of too so the smoking's gotta go. I still need projects to do to keep me out of trouble but I do have friends that have helped me in the past that need to get repaid. The honeymoon is over with redecorating so the smoking needs to go and I can still repay debt yet keep myself from going insane. Besides, house stuff is much more fun than what I had been doing with my money in the past, drinking.

Okay then. Hope everyone has had a fine weekend.

If I were to paint

The living room would go from this:



To this:



My bedroom would go from this:



To this:




I had to use a combo of Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro because I don't know how to use masks and such but hey, that works for me. I've never claimed to be a master at Photoshop...perhaps I should take a class.

Just swatch me!

I was just cruising through some fabric sites so I could get an idea of what is available and hopefully what I can find locally. Came up with some samples of fabric designs I like for the office/computer chair.



I am pretty sure I will end up with something completely different but at least I now have a thought process going even though I am unable to afford to recover my chair right now.

I do like solid colors with heavy texture, tone on tone, but also like some that have two colors. I am not as inclined to go with multi colors though multi colors can open up a lot of possibilities. However, multiple colors tend to run in a much more defining style like "modern" or "rustic" or "traditional". Also, since this chair is used a great deal, it has to be able to withstand a lot of wear. Most of the multiple color options seemed to be for light duty upholstery oh and way, way out of my price range too.

Inspiration is not a bad thing, even for impatient people like me.

Textiles, How I Love Thee

Table runner on the dresser as you walk in the door:


"Not trying to be artsy" shot:


Ever since I started to work on my bedroom window, I've fallen in love with textiles more than I loved them prior. I've also begun to notice other elements of the home like baskets, pottery, woods and metals. I've always loved items for the home but I think I have found a new appreciation for them as of late.

It's like starting on a raw design for web design but you can touch, feel, smell and if you want, taste it. Of course there's the visual aspect. It doesn't have to be fancy though because you can use most all your senses which makes them have such an impact for our surroundings. I need to find a job that deals with home interiors. All home decor items be that from the architectural elements (windows, doors, walls) on through the interior design just make me happy.

I found the above table runner at Ross and it wasn't until I started looking at other blogs last spring that I didn't think of buying a table runner for anything but for a dining table. Now I can see there are more uses and will be on the look out for fun ideas to hang on the wall behind my futon.

Now I wish I could bannish all the mini blinds and the vertical blinds in this place and have nice window coverings throughout at a smart price. Granted I am hoping that my circumstances change with finding a house but I desire having pretty windows throughout.

Hope everyone is having/will have a nice Wednesday!

Apartment Tour Take 2

Ah, the power of home decor/interior design. I was doing my cruise through my usual home sites and blogs and this entry from Centsational Girl really struck a cord with me. To quote her:

"One thing strikes me quite often whenever I swoon over fabulous designer spaces. Yes, they’re gorgeous. Yes, they’re mesmerizing. Yes, they make me long for a cleaner, more pulled together design in my own home.

Yet one thing is absent from all of those images, regardless of how perfect they are on the pages of a glossy magazine. Those images, those spaces, and those houses are just not home. A house is just four walls and a roof, but a home is made up of everything else inside."

So I thought to myself how true that is. Often I feel bad about my own sense of style. I do, however, take a step back and think that while my sense of decor is unique, it is uniquely me and that folks is what makes my apartment my home, for now.

I welcome you to take a tour of my home as seen this morning:


This is as you walk in the door. One of the challenges of living in an apartment and one that you haven't planned to stay very long is to make it your own. My biggest challenge has been the windows and patio doors. Out of necessity I have put up the old tab tops for heat and privacy issues. Being on a tight budget also plays into this as well; sometimes function wins out over form or design.

Also the budget constrains you to resorting to things you normally wouldn't do in your long-term home (I was only going to be here three months but I've been here since the beginning of June) like the lovely humidifier on a Rubbermaid container with a towel on it. The dresser was pulled out of my second bedroom/storage room (which wont be shown here) for an open house I had at Christmas as a place to put food on but with a bum wrist/arm shoulder I just haven't put it back. It really messes with your feng shui, not that I practice it but you know...




Challenges other than finances are using what you have. Most of my furniture is from my 20s (I am in my early 40s) or family heirlooms

Also, I'm in the process of finding another part-time job so I can fund the move to a house again. Living in a 1400 sq ft house, landlord/friend wanting to sell said house that was about $30,000 more than I could afford. So the futon stays (the big one is in the second bedroom being stored) and the 90s (maroon/forest green/dark blue) decor was taken to Goodwill and the thrifty, frugal and creative side is having fun. A lot of my updates have been from Hobby Lobby (most at 66% off or more), Goodwill, Ross, Tuesday Morning, Target, Dollar Tree and such. Some things came from Wal*Mart from just before I moved in but the bones and classics are mine from before.





Perhaps one of my design faux pas (make that plural) is that I see something and I don't really think "This item will go on _______ (insert location in home)." I generally do have a thought process but some things meant for one place end up somewhere else not intended. I swap things around (often called shopping the house) as I see fit though as I like to shake things up often. Or I pick out things that have a specific use but I use them in other ways. Metal "garden bowls" purchased at Hobby Lobby were painted black and hung on walls. Placemats ended up on shelves as a backdrop because I had them and didn't want to put them away. Trivets meant to put your hot dishes/pots on end up on walls or leaned in a shelf. It's much more fun to use things in ways you may not have thought of.















One thing I am not thrilled with is this kitchen. The stove burners are tilted so if you try to fry eggs, the oil pools. There is no prep space. But I am making do. I am a luckier one than many in that most of the apartments in my complex have full size washer and dryers in our units. A time saver, money saver and of course you put your stuff in where your dirt was and not someone else's.

Only a few things were "found" like three antique looking chairs I found near the dumpsters. I had never really been much of a "used furniture" person and certainly not near a dumpster but living in an apartment complex of over 200 residents opens up that opportunity quite often. I am now addicted to CraigsList though I haven't purchased anything off it. That will wait until I have a home that will be my own again.







Tiny hallways make for challenging decorating. Also, another humidifier (the other one bit the dust a while back) needed a spot so I grabbed the little antique desk I bought in the early 90s and while it's a bit wide, it hosts my other humidifier just fine.

Then you have the tiny bathroom. This I am so not thrilled with but what are you going to do? Decorate with what you have, a cheap shower curtain from Wal*Mart and call it done. One really doesn't spend that much time in there anyway so it hasn't seen much of a change since the first month I moved in.





My bedroom is still a work in progress but I think everyone's home is always a work in progress, this just happens to be in constant progress. But after having been having just a blanket on my bed while using quilts for warmth and putting them away in the morning, I finally found something to have on my bed so it looks finished. Not bad for $20 and it's not my real vision; it's better than the plain blanket that was there previously.

Hehe, sometimes you also buy things you normally wouldn't. A leapord print (or any animal print) is not something I would normally buy. I needed a small lampshade for the $1 lamp base I got at Hobby Lobby and this one was right at $5 from Ross. I had found an all black shade (again at Ross for $4) that looked okay but when I put the gold curtain panel up, I just wasn't enjoying it. I liked that the background had gold in it so back it went.

But yeah, this is my home for now and I am proud of it. I definitely have a unique sense of style but, my friends, that's what makes our homes our home. Show off your home with pride. What may or may not be your taste may or may not be mine. Take some inspiration perhaps or learn what it is you don't want from other people's homes. But make your home a place of sanctuary that makes you proud when you walk in the door.

Thank you for stopping by and I can't wait to see more of your homes with your unique sense of style.