Slipcovers For Dummies

Remember when the leather cube was popular?  No?  Maybe just in our house.  I haven't known what to do with them since our move.  So, they sat, not matching anything, in a corner.

I got a creative bug this weekend and decided to try to cover them.  I always thought you couldn't cover leather because it is slippery.  Well, I decided an ottoman is an exception to that rule (is it a rule?).  I found THE EASIEST guide here.  I even surprised myself when they came out so well.  I should have done this a long time ago.

The fabric is Annie Selke's Link Slate.  I may have to make pillows with the leftover fabric.  Try it folks.  You will impress your friends.

Before And After: Patio

BEFORE: Dirt area between our house and the carriage house 

I can't even call it a "patio:before".  This photo was taken right when we bought the place.  Imagine all the construction debris that piled there and wasn't quite hauled off as promised.....

The hardscapers cleared and leveled it:

And started in with the herringbone pattern:

We still need to paint the fence, buy a grill, sew a new cushion and pillows for the couch, plant things in the built-in flower bed, and style the area, but we're happy relaxing out here.  And, thankfully, the neighbors can no longer see into the yard from their deck :)

AFTER:

Sidenote: That is a rinnai on the side of our house (left).  Environmentally friendly doesn't always mean pretty (or fast), but it does the job.  The beast of an HVAC is hidden behind the fence, along with myriad beach chairs and perhaps my future bike :)

Before And After: Driveway

I think 90% of home renovation budgets eat up the little portion set aside for landscaping.  And it is a HUGE mistake.  You spend all your time/money/patience making the inside look great, but no one can tell the difference unless they are invited inside.

Every time I walked up to our house it felt kind of depressing.  We were still stuck with this:

This picture doesn't even do it justice.  Gravel is not fun for strollers or anyone who likes nature.  It is good for hoarding cigarette butts (from old tenants) and little bits of trash.  Yuck.

There were a lot of variables to consider with this area.  Do we need a permit? How do we pitch the yard to help with flooding (the city of Charleston is below sea level). Do we remove the gravel or use it as a layer?  It all seemed so complicated. 

Now that the weather is consistently beautiful (I'll kick myself for jinxing it) we knew we just had to bite the bullet and call in the experts.  This took place over 3 hours yesterday morning:

I can't wait to watch the boxwoods grow and smell the fragrant tea olive trees as they bloom.  A fence will be constructed tomorrow to separate the yard from the parking area (in front of car in 2nd pic).  Picture the grass green and luscious and insert puppy :)

Oy!  Now we have to worry about watering and cutting the grass!

I'm calling in early this week.  My parents are visiting this weekend.  I can't wait!

Before And After: Cane Back Chairs

I bought these chairs at Brimfield Antique Market 2 summers ago (mark your calendar: 2011 dates are May 10-15, July 12-17, Sept 6-11).  I didn't know it at the time, but they are a great match to my cane back dining chairs.  I got a 2 for 1 deal since they double as living room chairs and host chairs at the dining table.

BEFORE

AFTER

I'm loving the gray faux ostrich skin fabric.  Kid friendly, renter friendly, and still chic.  And I can officially report that I love the white slip cover couch I got a few months ago.  I switch out the slipcovers every few weeks and just throw them in the wash.  So easy.  Do you have any kid-proof/life-proof decor ideas to pass on? any kid-proof/life-proof decor ideas to pass on?

Before And After (After): Living Room 2.0

I already posted the renovation before and afters of the living room, but thought I'd show you the work in progress of furniture placement.  This is the latest set up, but it changes monthly.

The ottoman looks gigantic in that picture.  It kind of is, actually, but I suppose the room is kind of small, too. Do you ever wish you could take your thumb and index finger and enlarge your room like you enlarge a website or photo on your smart phone?  Ugh, technology plays too much into our brains  these days.  Sometimes, after a particular lengthy go at Mario Cart, my husband will see an odd looking car on the road and think he is still in a race.  True story.

The fireplace is proving to be a problem.  We didn't make it functional because it was very expensive.  But now we are left with a gaping hole that collects lots of debris and crumbling brick.  Not so sure what we'll do once Quinn starts crawling.

Those ikat chairs were supposed to be the office chairs in the study.  That's a whole other project to stress about before our first guests of 2011 arrive in a month.

This side board is a new addition to the room.  We love it, but it really doesn't have a purpose in this house.  We thought about selling it, but Craigslist is not great for selling expensive things here and I like it too much to let it go for cheap.  I guess you can never have too much storage, right?  The wood is too nice to paint or I'd have it in a pretty rubbed gray color. (Notice the freshly painted chairs ready to go to the upholsterer this weekend?)

This is where the burlap drapes (or the new striped fabric?) are supposed to go.  The navy panels were left over from the nursery and are just too dark for the space.

Which do you like better?  

This?

picture this steamed and hemmed

Or this?

Lucky for me, the fabric is on sale this weekend for only $14 a yard!  I'll definitely be picking up a few yards for something.

Before And After: Master Bathroom

I finally feel pretty confident to show you the master bathroom "after".  You'll recall that I mentioned buying a new bath mat and window shade to complete the project.  It really only took those 2 things to make it pretty.  I'm not sure why it took so long to get those things.  Maybe I'm blind when I go in there in the wee hours of the morning and don't think about decorating.

This is what it looked like before the renovation:

BEFORE

We decided to switch the bathroom and the walk in closet because the closet had nice hardwood floors.  Husband was against wood floors in a bathroom at first, but then I pointed out to him that we wouldn't have to spend any money on materials for the floor.  He was sold after that :)

This enormous pink bra makes me laugh every time I look at it.  Ah, to be a 19 year old college student again.

DURING

Living in the city, we haven't had a window in our bathroom in years.  I always feel especially claustrophobic in bathrooms without windows.  Disgustingly stuffy.

This is what it looked like pre bath mat and window shade.  You may not be able to tell that the window hanging is comprised of an old sheer white panel and a blue sarong I bought in Costa Rica in 2000.  It really brought us back to our college days.  The prints leaning against the wall are a great representation of the procrastinators who still live here :)

AFTER

If anyone is interested in NOT spending upwards of $100 on an over-sized bath mat (60"), Walmart is your friend.

Dining Chairs: Before And After

Remember these?

Well look at them now:

A few months ago I scored some Christopher Farr fabric in "Ravenna" (Julie - I don't remember the seller, sorry!) and FINALLY used it on my dining room chairs  (also an ebay score).  Sadly (and more frustratingly), I did not end up upholstering them myself.  I attempted one, and I found myself and the living room knee deep in foam, staples, and very sharp upholstery tools.  NOT a great environment for a 3 month old.  Will I EVER get my own workshop?? (Now I feel like I need to go read Virginia Woolf)

Do you like my new table from World Market?  You'll see a better view soon.  Promise. Maybe even tomorrow.

Before and After: Green Monstah

Remember this beauty picked up on Ebay?

Well, I should go away more often because look what greeted me when I got home last week:

It now serves as a changing table and houses Quinn's growing wardrobe.  I L-U-V it!

I am pretty sure husband used a plain old roller.  It came out awesome!

Before And After: Nursery

This room is by no means finished but I thought I'd give you a preview of at least one furnished room in the house.  I'm still contemplating furniture placement since the room kind of evolved from wherever the movers set the chair and bookshelf.  

BEFORE

We added a bathroom where a closet used to be

AFTER

We still have to hang art and drapes, too.  A home is always a work in progress isn't it?

Happy Friday!

Before And After: Living Room

BEFORE

DURING

We knocked down the wall between the living room and kitchen

AFTER

We eliminated the creepy closet, added built ins on either side of the fireplace, exposed and 

re-pointed the brick

We exposed the original beams in the ceiling

The beams are still my favorite feature.  The only problem with it is that you can't have recessed lighting.  Tracks are one of the only options and I don't think they look so bad.  We butted up dark tracks against the dark beam and they blend very well.

We're still deciding on furniture placement and unpacking boxes. Hopefully I can show you a lived in look in a few weeks/months :)