Blog - Page 18 of 52 - Linda Nelson

MORE THAN JUST A HOME OFFICE

February 28, 2017

The past three weeks of my life have been centered around giving my home office a facelift. And, though I repurposed stuff I had on hand to pull this project off, everything seemed to just fall into place without a hitch.

Here’s a before photo, just prior to the prepping/sanding/painting stage. The room had previously functioned as an office, but it was dingy, tired and not in any way pleasing to the eye. It was very makeshift. My “new” office, in a way, is still makeshift, but a pretty makeshift. And, it’s more than just an office. I’ve gained a mud room AND a breakfast nook, too!

©Linda Nelson 2017

Ta-da!

©Linda Nelson 2017

The concrete floor was restored to a pre-finish condition, a job which I contracted out. Oh my goodness! I had never seen so much masonry dust in my life. It took me two days to thoroughly clean every crevice and cranny in that room. I tackled every other aspect of the project, the exception being the work table base; my friend built that for me. The window trim still needs a few more brush strokes, but I had to step away from that type of tedious work for a while; it was driving me nuts. I whipped up the simple cabinet curtains this morning. I see no purpose in tossing out perfectly functional, but mismatched storage containers; however, I wanted a clean and cohesive look. Curtains solved that conflict.

The little bistro setup underneath the windows….. that’s my breakfast nook, former home of my old work table. It was nice to look out the window while working on something, but very inconvenient to open the windows. The room feels so much more airy and spacious with the new layout. I gave a plywood round “tabletop” I had on hand a chalk-paint-ish treatment and did some humble-style carving into the surface prior to painting it. Carved are the words ‘sprout’, ‘grow’ and ‘bloom’ . The cast aluminum patio chairs are still awaiting new cushions and seat bases, which I’ll address in the next week or so.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Isn’t this a neat “squird”seed(short for squirrels and birds) storage container? My garage is full of repurpose-able crap.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Now, on to my “mudroom”.

My sister gave me this adorable coat hook many years ago; only, I had it mounted directly into the wall, and that was the extent of my mudroom.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Now, it accompanies a curious little collection of hooks mounted onto a board I made last week.

©Linda Nelson 2017

This folding stand is another treasure that previously lived in my garage, perfect for stowing snow boots and such. The (roadside find)drawer underneath stores my garden gear accessories, such as gloves, bandanas and knee pads.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Are you familiar with those vintage looking vinyl floor mats on the market? The patterns to choose from are so lovely, but their price tags just make me do an about face. But, I still wanted a waterproof “something” underfoot upon entering my office. I settled for a remnant of economy vinyl, which I purchased from a local carpet/flooring store, and cut it to fit as a runner. It does just as good a job as a pricey floor mat.

©Linda Nelson 2017

The pendant lamp is original to the house, but it has seen its day. I’ve obtained a replacement, a door to door delivery which I will have to hold out for until early April. Until then, this one will do the job as it has for many, many years.

And finally, a little “spur” of the moment repurpose I threw together last night.

©Linda Nelson 2017

No pun here; just a “bit” of horsing around to “stirrup” and un-“bridle” your imagination 🙂

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed this post about my “new” makeshift-mud room-breakfast nook-home office.

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A THRIFTY ROMANTIC DISSECTION

February 8, 2017

A few weeks ago, and with Valentine’s Day in mind, I purchased a woman’s dated, boxy, dolman sleeved, three quarter length bright red leather coat at a local thrift store. Doesn’t that sound romantic? Just kidding.

No, I purchased it so that I could dissect it. Now, doesn’t that sound romantic?

©Linda Nelson 2017

Actually, here’s the Saint Valentine worthy reason I bought it.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Not only was this a dissection and a repurpose, it was a fashion faux-pas intervention, too. No woman should be walking the streets in a dated, boxy, three quarter length bright red leather coat with dolman sleeves. Really.

Okay, moving along with St. Valentine and Cupid……

Who says you can’t repurpose leftover candy canes? Sweet and silly, ha?

©Linda Nelson 2017

I perused the internet for free-to-use vintage images and printed them onto quality watercolor paper. Placed about, I think they’ll add just the right amount of sweetness to my home. I’m partial to the framed one. It’s just so adorable.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Here’s a twiggy little craft idea for you. Clip some branch tips from a dead shrub, slap on a few coats of paint and bundle them up with fabric scraps and ribbon.

©Linda Nelson 2017

And, nothing makes a loving statement like a partially rusty scouring scrubby. No, I didn’t use it on my pots and pans. I stretched apart a new one, let it sit outside for a few weeks, then weaved a piece of floral wire throughout it so that it would hold a shape/form. A little found bead attached as an embellishment, and another decorative bauble was born.

©Linda Nelson 2017

And, last but not least, the headboard is up! The guest room makeover is officially crossed off the list. In my last post, I stated that I would share a bit of history about this headboard…… Long ago, before I was even born, it was a sliding closet door. My dad(still before I was born) altered it to serve as a drafting table in his office. Many years later it sat propped against a wall in my basement. A few years ago it was dragged upstairs, and served as a tabletop in my office. And, just yesterday it was dragged outside, lightly sanded, dry-brushed with some paint, lightly sanded (again), rubbed down with hemp seed oil and mounted onto the guest room wall. I believe this door may have finally found a permanent residence.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Next re-do victim, my home office.

Stay tuned……………

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NOT SO CRABBY ANYMORE

February 5, 2017

I am so excited to share with you the progress I have made with my guest room makeover project. My “crab apple-ness” has subsided (update yourself about that here). While dabbles of disarray still linger, I can finally cross one major project off my to-do list, and that feels really, really good.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Yes, a headboard is missing. I will be enlisting the help of a friend to construct me a French cleat, as the headboard will be mounted on the wall. There’s a little history behind this headboard; when it’s up, I will show it to you and share the story of its past.

The inspiration for the room was all about this bedspread that occupied the summer cottage of my late aunt for many, many years. I am in love with the colors, the pattern and its authentic vintage self. My aunt crocheted the afghan for me a few years before she passed away. The two pieces pair together very nicely, don’t you think?

©Linda Nelson 2017

What delights me so about pulling this room together is that almost every piece is either a yard sale/thrift store find, a hand-me-down, a “handmade by Linda” or a gift. The only items I actually purchased from a store, and not initially for this room, are the two pillows on the bed.

The framed watercolor piece is an exercise I did many years ago while taking an interior design course. And, a little ephemera placed about never hurts.

Say, what do you think about my tabletop mirror? The mirror itself was a find of mine; it must have come off an old car. How convenient that it has a little threaded stem!

I reorganized the closet to make room for accommodating an overnight guest’s personal belongings.

Aren’t these hangers darling? They were a fabulous find from many years ago.

I’m on the hunt for a small, chrome gooseneck lamp (my vision) for this nightstand. A search at local home decor stores proved unsuccessful. At some point, I will find the “perfect” one.

Redoing my home office is next, and I am more than motivated to get it done. Can’t wait to show that to you, though it may be a while before I publish the reveal.

Until then, happy crafting, decorating and creating.

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CRAB APPLE LINDA

January 27, 2017

I give much credit to all of you motivated home improvement DIYers, because there is nothing I loathe more than those types of projects. I can garden and craft until the cows come home, and often do; but, put me in a situation where my home is in disarray, and I am one miserable crab apple. And, that has been the status “at the createaerie” for the past few weeks.

One of the bedrooms in my house has been long overdue for a facelift, and I made a commitment to myself to tackle the job before my work season resumes in the spring. When completed, it will serve as a guest room I can feel comfortable to offer to overnight visitors. The contents of this room are currently in my bedroom; therefore, I’ve been sleeping on the couch. The dismantled bed is in the living room, as there’s no other “convenient” spot to stash it.

Now, one would wonder why a small, spare bedroom overhaul would take this long. Well, after I cleared the room, I spent a few days wallowing in misery because my normally tidy home was no longer so. Then I spent a few days in avoidance anxiety and procrastination mode. To alleviate those feelings, I decided to vacuum my basement, organize my garage and make some crafty things. Oh, and all of a sudden, I had lots of errands to run. Then I found myself absorbed in reading other people’s blogs. Blogs about pretty and fabulous room re-dos. Go figure.

Then three days ago, I finally bit the bullet and got started on what I should have been doing about two weeks ago. I was going strong the first two days; I cleaned all the surfaces, spackled, and began sanding. Today, I had a slip up. Somehow, I had more errands to run, and then I needed to take a nap; therefore, I didn’t get back on track until about four o’clock this afternoon. I managed to get some more sanding done, but then I thought it might be best that I write this post. And, soon it will be time for dinner.

I crafted some darling little Valentine’s Day decorations to share with you. Sadly, though, I have no spot in which to photograph them because this crab apple’s home is in such disarray. To top it off, after I tackle this room, I’m taking on my home office.

Is this not the most sorry-a$$ed-pathetic post you’ve ever read?

Yes, I know there’s a light at the end of this tunnel, I’m just not seeing it yet. When I do, when these beastly battles are fought and won, and when I turn back into my chipper self, I look forward to sharing with you the reward of my efforts.

Until then……….

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