Home Tour

I have been thinking about goals for 2014.  I only had one resolution last year: to be on time.  It only happened a few times.  In fact, the last Sunday of the year we were 10 minutes late for Sacrament Meeting. Bleh!  But it is in my nature to set goals and be working toward good things.

As I thought about 2013 for me, personally, I realize that I did change, grow, and learn.  In hindsight, the theme of the year was creativity.  I have always loved making things beautiful- crafts, painting, refinishing furniture, and making old things new.  But this year I went bananas on the house, and myself.

I was reading a home decor blog one day early in the year and there was a link to an image of the color wheel, which had a link to color analysis (which is, finding out which colors look best on you as far as clothing and makeup go.)  I quickly became obsessed and amazed by what a difference it makes to wear the right colors!  I revamped my whole wardrobe over the course of the year and had a lot of fun.  I threw out colors that washed me out and bought new clothes and accessories.  In moderation of course, a little each month with my "allowance".  I love scarves and jewelry more than ever. :)

But, back to the home decor... I set aside a "home decor" budget of 50 dollars a month and throughout the year I painted walls, made new pillows, refinished furniture, painted cabinets and cupboards, painted picture frames and rearranged decorations, making a few new purchases here and there.  It took all year and I am not quite done.  50 bucks doesn't stretch super far, but I am absolutely amazed at the changes in our home for only 600 dollars in a year.

Here are some photos: (mind you, I am not a pro and you will likely never see my house in Better Homes and Gardens, but it was fun and I want to have a record of it.  It will be fun to see how my tastes evolve in the coming years and have this to compare it to. I am also not a photographer and do not have a fancy camera, so you get what you get.)

A few BEFORE photos... Kaeleb is cute, but it is the mantle in the background we are focusing on. :)

 I made this apron, but the cupboards in the background are the showcase here.  I was soooo done with oak!!

 I refinished this table and chairs and our kitchen island two years ago, followed by the TV console and side table, but take note of the walls, cupboards, mirror and piano as before shots.

 This is bad lighting, but I painted the kitchen walls greige (Kwint hates that word!) and the cupboards Old White using Annie Sloan chalk paint.  (I spent more than 50 that month, I admit)
I also painted the piano black and reupholstered the bench. (Fabric.com)

 

I painted the walls in the living room (except for the red.  Kwint won't let me.  He likes the red and says I have to stop painting.)

 I refinished the coffee table and made new pillows for the couches.  Someday you will see a post of new black leather couches.  Don't know when. Oooohhh... can't wait!

Coffee table decor from All That Stuff in the Barn, except for the little box which my crafty mom-in-law made for me.

One of my favorite projects was painting the mantle to match the kitchen cupboards. My ultimate goal is to paint the red accent wall greige and add wainscoting to the living room. But that is going to be a big project so I have to rest and save up some $ first. (see also yesterday's post with the holiday decor,  I made new stockings for Christmas, which was part of the fun.  This is my January decor.)
I really love how the white mantle looks.  White calms me and looks nice and clean.  Until it gets smudged by little hands and yes, feet. Washable paint comes in handy.

Next up, the boys bedrooms.  Again, bad photos, but imagine it better:

Brennan loves red, I love navy.  We compromised. (Meaning, I bribed him.  Bad, controlling Mommy!)  I painted his bed and dresser navy (chalk paint again- love it!) and put a red stripe on the wall.  I repainted the stripe after this was taken, it is a deeper red, that just felt too bright, although Brenny loved it and got mad when I painted over it. :)  Bad, controlling Mommy. 

Kaeleb loves blue, lucky for me.  Although I did have to bribe him into switching rooms with the office.  (Bad, controlling Mommy!  The office just worked better for Kwint in his old room because of the morning sun.) He got a navy stripe and white furniture with navy tops.  I still may go back and paint his furniture all navy, I can't decide.  I wanted their rooms to be different, because the boys are so different. But, I love the navy dresser in Bren's room.  Hmmm...  And, yes, designers worldwide are grimacing, the bedding sets are good, old bed in a bags from Walmart.  Likely temporary, but affordable at the moment.  I had a budget, remember.

I painted the boys bathroom and master bathroom cabinets white.  I love it with the tan counters.  It feels so calming.

I painted the office a lighter version of the greige (the office is called Ancient Stone and the rest is Weathered Oak, from Valspar.)  I painted his office furniture black two years ago when I did the table.  I paint in spurts. :)
                                                                          

The bookcase in the hall and the console table on the landing have not been painted.  I can't think of what color I would want them so I kept them for now.  However, I made these fun turquoise candlesticks from table legs with Amy one night a few months ago.  We dipped them in tie dye.  It was crazy but fun.  I painted a turquoise box and put the yellow flowers in it later, but I am still thinking that I need to paint the cedar box.  I just don't want to, cedar is so pretty.  Maybe I will just switch it out with something else...

 I didn't make these candlesticks, I got them at Swiss Days but I love them.  I always struggle with the decor on this table.  I can't be satisfied.  I have had big potted plants, bigger candlesticks, family photos, cute wooden blocks, etc, but I can't seem to find an arrangement that sings to me.  I will keep it in mind for my little budget after I get drapes in the living room.

I also have not painted the master bedroom furniture.  The two pieces above and our bedroom set are literally the only things in our whole house that I have not painted in the last 3 years.  I must be a maniac.  (I admit it.  It is actually embarrassing.) Kwint and I loved the idea of our cocoa colored walls 3 years ago, but I didn't know as much about color then and now it is driving me crazy to have everything so dark.  I still love the walls, but I don't love them with the furniture.  The furniture is good quality and very sturdy, and I like dark wood so I don't want to paint it, though it has enough scratches to warrant a restoration.  Painting it would be a huge endeavor, harder than the more simple square furniture I have done thus far.  So, I am trying to decide how to help this room.  Maybe wainscoting would help?  A little white behind the furniture would add the needed contrast.  Or should I just suck it up and paint the walls?  Or should I refinish the furniture?  These are the lesser things I ponder on when I am not pondering the weightier matters of what is truly important in my life. :)

 

And here are a few smaller, side projects I had fun with in between the big ones.  A little espresso colored Rustoleum spray paint unified a mismatched patio set.  We had waffles one here Sunday morning.  It is buried in snow now.

 I spray painted the frames and recovered the seats of a few folding chairs for family parties.

 I found a little plain doll at Walmart for my little favorite Addy's 2nd birthday.  Her outifit was super lame so I bought these cute onesis in Preemie size and cut a few inches out of the middle before sewing them back together.  Her brothers gave her a stroller and it was super fun to watch her mothering her baby.

 I helped (a little) when Kwint put the trampoline together.  Do I dare admit that this was the bedroom bribe?  Oh, it so embarrassing!!  We were planning to buy a tramp anyway but the boys didn't know that.  And, we were not exactly planning to buy it as soon as we did.  But oh boy, have we had a ton of fun with it this year!!!  This is little cute Krystal during Kaeleb's water party.  I also planted the tiny apple tree at the bottom of this picture...

 ...which leads me to more goals for the future.  I REALLY need help with gardening!  I am so bad at it!  I am trying to copy my amazing neighbors but I just don't know how they do it!  Look at this sad little flower bed!  I tried to plant these flower seeds in 4 rows with the tallest in back and shortest in front.  It was supposed to be very thick and lush.  Brennan helped me plant the seeds and he also "helped" me water them every day.  Unfortunately, the second day, he flooded the bed, thinking he was doing a good thing, and most of the seeds floated away to create the look we have here.  So far, my plan for this year is to plant perennial potted flowers and bushes so I will only have to weed for the rest of my life and never plant again.  My poor mom tried to teach me well, I just hate yard work so I didn't pay attention.  This might be the year I learn to love it!

And that wraps it up for now.  2013 was the year my creative skills blossomed.  Who knows what crazy thing I will try this year!!!  Kwint suggested something free and less chaotic than painting.  Like learning to play the piano better.  Piano and gardening: Here I come!