Take the Side Street

Hardwood Floor Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

A while back I shared our plan to have our old, yellowed hardwood floors refinished this spring. I haven't mentioned it since, but we have been taking small steps forward... so it's time for an update!

First, we got bids from three local hardwood floor businesses. All three men were friendly but of course we had to pick one! It turns out that the company we selected has done several (beautiful) floors for homes my brother-in-law has built... which was a happy coincidence. I know I like their work already!

We are going with a water-based, satin finish in a medium-dark tone (I'm not quite sure exactly what that will be, but when the time comes they'll put some samples on the wood and I will, of course, pop them online and share them with you.) The water-based finish did end up costing us a tiny bit more, but I'll gladly pay $100 extra to be able to stay in my home during the process - fewer fumes, quicker recoat times and non-yellowing... worth the money in my mind!

As far as scheduling goes, the hardwood floor guy had a little break in his calendar and offered to come this next week but my blood pressure couldn't handle such short notice. You see, we have to clear out almost 1,000 square feet and stuff all the furniture (including the behemoth of a bunk bed) into our one upstairs carpeted room and the garage. We'll live in the kitchen and the "finished" basement (I use the word finished loosely) for a week. It will be horrid. The thought of it is enough to send me into fits. Somebody pass the smelling salts...

Unfortunately, I really want it done and in the past. Say it with me: pretty floors, pretty floors... so I think we're shooting for the third week of March. Still. So. Close... So. Much. Furniture.

With the new floors will come a few changes:

1. The upstairs bathroom will finally have a threshold. One of the previous owners tiled the room, but they put it on top of the existing floor which has created a couple odd little issues like a partially tiled over heat register cover and a height difference between the bathroom and the hallway. I'm looking forward to having a threshold added for both safety and a more finished appearance to the space.

2. We'll add a few built-in wooden register covers. We decided to have the hardwood floor guys cut around the heat registers in the dining room and front room in order to install wooden covers that sit flush with the reset of the flooring. I think it will add a nice, finished touch to the main living space for anyone who is detail oriented such as myself! We'll continue to have use regular metal covers in the bedrooms.

3. Our skinny entry hallway will take the first step in its much needed makeover. As you can see from this photo, half of the flooring in our entry is wood and half is a mosaic tile that was added on top, probably in the 60's or 70's, and then painted beige sometime later (it was originally a mixture of red and green, I think). The uneven floor is tricky to work with and I don't care for the combination of peeling beige paint over oddly colored mosaic tiles at all. So we'll be removing both the tile and the wood in the entry up to the point where it meets the front room, and replacing it with lighter colored slate tiles.

4. The doorway between the dining room and front room was the recipient of a little calculated demo! This door is probably the busiest doorway in the house, but it was a tight squeeze at 36". We opened it up to 48" in order to help traffic flow better. It immediately made a huge difference, and now we find ourselves standing it in chatting with people -- this unfinished doorway is now party zone central in our house. We are so cool.

We were prepared to pay the hardwood floor guys to patch the hole in the floor that would be created, but we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the walls in our 1960 home were placed on top of the flooring, and so no patching will be needed!

I can't wait to get the flooring process underway! Well, no... that's obviously not entirely true as I pushed it off three weeks so I didn't collapse from a panic attack, but I'm still pretty excited for my floors to receive some much needed T.L.C. and be pretty and new (to me). I just wish I could say a little spell and have the 700 pound bunk bed disapparate. And then I want one of those magic tents I can pitch in my basement that includes several bedrooms, jetted tubs and a full sized kitchen. Oh, and a butler. Magic tents need magic butlers.

Don't mind me, I'll just be over here waving my geek flag (it's 14 inches long with a unicorn tail hair core).

My Life, My Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Do you ever feel overwhelmed when it's time to start picking colors? There are literally so. many. colors. I remember several years ago being paralyzed by my fear that I'd mess up... I was so afraid I wouldn't finish right, I couldn't start! Silliness, I tell you.

Then I finally realized that you can't really mess up, even if the paint color on your walls that you applied during a pregnancy hormone-induced fit of bad decision making only served to help you further refine your tastes in colors and styles, right?

Decor is fixable, so stop stressing out. It also evolves and changes, just like you. The key is to find out what makes you tick; not just what you think is pretty (because there's a bajillion beautifully decorated rooms online and in the pages of magazines that we all subscribe to), but what makes your heart happy and your soul feel at home. That's going to be different for every single one of us, no matter how much we all like the 175,000 DIY chevron {rug, wall, pillow} projects out there.

Take me for instance: I like to be inspired by nature. I love weathered wood in beautiful silvery gray-browns, blue-greens of sea glass, yellow-greens of new spring plants, and warm golden yellows. I like to use those colors in my home, and I'm drawn to them a lot.

I also know that I love bright colors when surrounded and offset by a lot of crisp white moulding or calm, neutral walls. I also like chevron in small unexpected doses, so please no knickers in a twist - I just like to pick on that poor pattern because it seems to pop up everywhere lately!

The problem is, sometimes we don't know where to start. We're so confused by everything we've seen online and in magazines or catalogs that we need a litle help figuring out the difference between the rooms and styles we admire and the rooms we would actually live in happily.

Glidden has introduced a site called My Colortopia that is geared toward just that -- finding out who you are in color! In addition to helpful posts written by some of our favorite home bloggers and an advice column, the site also features a couple tools to help you in your decorating quest.

Today I want to share the "My Life My Colors" quiz -- simply answer a few questions about your (fabulous) self and see some colors pop up that may just be what you were searching for: a fabulous jumping off place. You can find this quiz on the My Colortopia site or right here ('cause I'm magic like that).

Go ahead, I dare you! It's like perfumes, I promise -- just because it smells good doesn't mean you want to wear it. So take the quiz, stay true to yourself and make sure your home avoids being a decor version of your best friend's perfume that doesn't smell as good on you as it does on her when you borrow it on the sly for a hot date. Or something like that. It sounded better in my head. Most things do.

Disclaimer: I have been sponsored by Glidden brand paint to write this post, but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Easiest Envelope Pillow Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

There are tutorials all over the internet for envelope back pillow covers... I even have one on this blog. So why another?

Because I stumbled across another way of doing things, and it completely revolutionized my pillow making process. Am I being overly dramatic? Not at all. Okay, maybe a little. But really, this new way is the best way and I was cranking pillows out at top speed, which is saying something for a girl who took a full year to warm up to her sewing machine enough to open the user manual.

Seriously, if you've never tried making a pillow... now is the time. The time, I say!!!

(I do love some good melodrama)

Prepare yourself for awesomeness. Before, sad Anna would cut 3 separate pieces (2 for the back and 1 for the front) and pin them together. Ha. New, improved Anna laughs at old sad Anna.

That's right. One piece. This pillow measured 20x26" so the piece of fabric I cut was 20x56". If this is your first pillow, try a fabric with a geometric pattern -- it will make it easier to sew a straight line without guides or rulers or marks... just make sure the edge you start with it straight, measure a few places and then cut a straight line, using the fabric's pattern like a grid.

Next, finish both of the short ends. You could mark widths and be all precise about it, but I say it's the back of the pillow and if it looks straightish, it's good enough for me. I eyeball it: fold it once and fold it again. Iron it. Pin it. Sew it. My folds are probably around 1/2" each. Ish.

It's a pillow, not a skyscraper.

Next, lay the pillow on the ground right side up. Fold one of the short sides over, make sure it's straight, then fold the other side over -- all you should see is the wrong side of the fabric now. I doesn't matter where the folds overlap -- remember, it's the back side of the pillow. Center shmenter. Check the width; it should be the width of the pillow (26" in my case). Adjust until it's right, and pin along the top and bottom.

Sew two straight lines (I do reverse the machine and go over each finished end again for reinforcement since that's where the pillow will get the most abuse from inserting and removing inserts, but that takes maybe an extra 10 seconds total). Did I mention this was an easy project?

Use pinking shears to trim the excess fabric and to help prevent fraying.

(ignore the fact that your pillow has suddenly turned green.)

Turn the finished cover right side out, stuff it with a pillow, and admire your work. The fact that you didn't worry about adding length or width for seam allowances (blah blah blah) makes the pillow cover fit nice and snugly, which is how I like them anyway.

Here's the finished pillow again so you don't have to scroll up:

Easiest thing ever. Anybody can sew 4 straight lines, y'all. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to figure this out, because it is light years easier than my last method (which still wasn't even that difficult).

Are you sewing-challenged like me? Because you can do this, I promise. Throw pillows for everyone!

Bias Tape "Hotel" Duvet Cover

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:09:00 +0000

Even with this past weekend's silly inexplicable chalkboard fail, I'm still so very close to finishing my boys' room... I'm starting to get antsy. It's a combination of wanting to move on (you know me and starting new things... this whole "finish a room" thing is a new challenge) and being incredibly excited to see and share the end results.

I have a few packages coming this week to help finish things up, and I. can't. stand. it. Packages send me into orbit anyway (I must need a real hobby), but packages with decor and/or furniture inside? That's even better than opening up a box full of replacement vacuum bags!

It dawned on me this morning that I'm a little behind in sharing some of the projects I've been working on since I've been running around in 18 different directions lately, so I'm going to do my best to get y'all caught up this week. First, I finished the duvet covers for the bunk beds and it was easier than I thought it would be!

I bought 4 packages of navy blue wide single fold bias tape and joined them to make 2 super long strips (2 duvet covers!), then created boxes with mitered corners on top of duvet covers and sewed 'em up.

I found a fabric glue stick at a local craft store and it worked perfectly. Costing less than $4, it was a great replacement for a more expensive basting spray and it held the bias tape securely until I ran it through the sewing machine to produce straight, crisp lines!

1. Grab a duvet cover that needs some fancying.

2. Pull out some pins and a temporary fabric glue stick (or basting spray)

3. Measure a box on the cover, mark the dimensions and lay the bias tape. Fold the corners in to create a mitered look, and secure with the fabric glue stick and an occasional pin (making sure the pins only go through the top layer of the duvet cover so it's still open inside).

4. Stuff that monster through your sewing machine and sew both edges of the bias tape the whole way around.

Easy peasy, and it looks so tailored! I'm love-love-loving it.

P.S. You can see that I got the wall lights installed, too -- my brother found them in IKEA, although in his first time shopper sensory overload he ignored my homemade map with the words "do not go up the escalator!" on it and has now pledged never to return to that store. I should have asked for more things if I knew this was my one shot. Drat!

P.P.S. Yeah, we read "Captain Underpants" around here. Nothing funnier to little boys than potty humor, right? We're incredibly high class around these parts.

P.P.P.S. I think tomorrow I'm going to have to share my new and improved envelope pillow sewing process... easiest thing ever. Why did it take me so long to figure this out?

Chalkboard FAIL

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:08:00 +0000

Ugh. I'm so bothered by my recent DIY mess up. If I've got to fail on a craft, why can't it be some ridiculously complicated procedure that's never been accomplished before in competition, like the quadruple axel of craftiness?

But no... I had to fail on a chalkboard. Something that I've done before (along with 90% of the crafty world), with success. Even after I primed (seasoned) my boys' closet doors you'd never know it was supposed to be a chalkboard; it just wouldn't erase. Ghosts of writing past everywhere. I tried seasoning it again, and again. I sanded it. I did a ~~rain~~ chalk dance. I crossed all my fingers. Twice! Boo. Hiss.

Do you know how long it takes to prime a chalkboard this size? How many pieces of chalk it takes? Blerg.

Has anyone else run into a problem like this before? I've pulled the doors down and I'm going to sand them as smooth as possible and then try spray chalkboard paint instead of my old brush-on can (I don't know, maybe it's old? Does chalkboard paint go bad??)

Send any tips my way... I have no idea what went wrong. Wish it had gone wrong on a 5x7 chalkboard instead of two bifold doors. :)

Say It with Me: "This Room Needs to Be Done. Yesterday."

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:36:00 +0000

Happy Friday, guys. What will you be up to this long weekend?

I will hopefully be finishing my boys' room. Hopefully. Gah. When one has to DIY 80% of a room plan, it can end up being a little time and labor intensive... and I'm not the most patient person in the world. Also, I freely admit that I'm not always stellar at managing my time. So lets all cross our fingers for a giant sprinkling of room redo fairy dust in this room over the next few days.

I have a feeling this brand of fairy dust probably resembles chalk dust. But whatever gets the job done, right?

Edited to add: OH. Downton Abbey season 2 finale. I will most surely be doing that this weekend, too. Anyone else? Don't be coy, identify your awesome selves!

{Lovelies} 02.16.2012

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:10:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is behind us for another year, but now Mike and I are staring down our upcoming anniversary -- we'll have been legally wed lovebirds for 7 years at the end of this month. He's pretty cute, so I think I'll keep him.

These are just some things I'm loving right now and want to call my precious. I figure a list like this is the least I can do for my poor man (since my birthday's coming up soon in April too, and then Mother's Day in May... poor man doesn't stand a chance each year around this time. It. just. keeps. coming. at. him.)

Maybe you'll love some of them too!

west elm's Modernist Bowls

Seychelles Good Intentions sandals

(reminds me a little of the Saltwater sandals of my youth... only a grown up version!)

west elm's Dimpled Glassware

Garmin Forerunner 110

Tiny anchor necklace by Anne Kiel Jewelry

Spring can't come soon enough for me!

(The birdies that live year-round in the high ceiling of my local Lowe's store are a-tweetin' while they fly around the inappropriately timed patio furniture display... that must mean something. Right? Right?)

Have Pendant Light, Will Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:45:00 +0000

You know what's annoying? When you drive 3 1/2 hours to an IKEA and forget a few things on your list.

My fabulous Salt Lake-living brother is willing to make his very first IKEA run just for me to pick up what I forgot. Naturally, out of concern for his welfare I drew him a map. I'm sending him back in through the exit area so he doesn't have to wander through the showroom and either spend $200 on impulse purchases or get lost and curl up inside one of the 500 sq. ft. display "homes" until he's found by security that evening, sorting through piles of identical sweaters from Target in a walk in closet. I sure hope he makes it out alive.

You see, I forgot wall lights for above their bed and a pendant kit -- all of which I wanted to be plug-in, because I strongly suspect my boys won't have bunk beds or the need for a light six feet up on the wall forever. And IKEA has a couple fabulously inexpensive options that aren't hardwired.

And we only even need the pendant because of a combination of the downward facing warehouse pendant light and a tall bunk bed, which both create a dark little nook. And a dark nook is a useless nook.

So while my brother is doing battle with the most overwhelmingly maze-like store in existence, searching for my wall lights, I decided to figure out the pendant on my own (rather than make him search for two separate things on his first trip. See how nice I am?)

Lucky me, I found IKEA's $3.99 lamp cord kit being resold on Amazon for $8.99, which is still $6 less expensive than the clear/silvery version I found at my local Lowe's. I wanted the thick round white cord, so I placed an order and started racking my brain for pendant shade ideas.

I wanted the light to still look a little industrial, but I didn't want to match the larger pendant in style or finish. I found this utensil crock at a local thrift store for $1.50 and I was sold.

I removed the little round feet with a vice and a little leverage, used wire snips to cut a hole in the base (which was becoming the top) just the right size to accommodate the light socket, spray painted it a glossy orange and hung it up.

I love my little DIY cage light, even if there's still nothing worth mentioning in the nook it's illuminating.

It makes a huge difference in that dark space.

I'm laying the groundwork, people. Or something.

DIY Faux Metal Arrow

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:43:00 +0000

For quite some time I've been planning on making a decorative arrow for above my boys' bunk bed. Just because. I thought it would look cute and take advantage of the weird pocket of above-bunk wall space that is created. (Seriously, bunk beds come with some decorating challenges)

Originally I was going to paint the arrow a few different colors and distress it, but at the end of last week I was lucky enough to stumble across a pin linking to a post on Vivienne's blog, The V Spot, about a paint technique that creates a rusted appearance, and I immediately changed my plan.

Are we so very excited to begin? Ready, okay!

1. Cut your arrow

(or whatever shape you want -- draw it on a thin piece of plywood and cut with a jig saw. Go crazy. Not literally though, you'll have a very dangerous tool in your hands.)

Here I am gettin' all crafty. I made my husband take this photo because the only part of me that ever shows up in these blog photos is my hand. Check me out in one of my eleventy billion haaaawt painting ensembles (I swear the majority of my clothes have paint on them because I just can't learn to change before I start projects).

2. Create "seams" in your faux sheet metal

(pretend the arrow is unpainted, I only painted it first so you could see the cuts better)

I laid the arrow on a piece of large scrap and used a utility knife and a scrap piece of MDF as a guide. Cut one line several times to score it neatly, then shift the guide board just a bit to either side and cut another line -- you can see in photo #2 that the thin piece of wood between the cuts will pop out.

3. Add rivets to your seams

(we're nothing if not accurate, right?)

Use wire snips to cut most of the sharp end off lots of flat tacks. Apply hot glue to the back of each tack, push it into the wood and quickly secure with a few firm taps from a hammer.

4. Prime (especially the tack heads) and paint your base coat

Your base coat will be whatever color you want to look like is on top: rust, patina, etc.

I used a combination of 3 cheap-o craft paint colors from Michael's: an orange mixed with brown and a little yellow in spots. Keep it splotchy -- only bits of it will show through in one place, so make sure to give it a varied appearance so it looks more natural.

5. Salt

This was my first attempt -- I didn't love how it looked and would suggest on larger pieces to do larger areas of rust vs. non-rust so it doesn't end up looking splotchy. But of course, I only took photos of the first try. Make sure the thickness of the salt is varied so there are spots that end up looking more peppered and spots that look more solidly rusted.

6. Spray paint

Spray your top color; I went with Krylon's Jade, which I thought most closely resembled the color of a heavy patina. I was going for salty, rusty, patina... you know. An old sign on a dock or something. I don't know, just go with me. Maybe it was painted this color and rusted through... I have no clue. I just liked the combination!

Spray lightly so you don't just spray the salt off.

7. Reveal

This is where it got tricky for me; I love the salt idea in theory, but I had some problems with it. On a piece this size some of the small detail was lost - maybe I should have sprayed more straight up-and-down instead of from the side a bit, but I didn't get as pronounced a grainy look as I was hoping for. Maybe something larger and less melty (to use a technical term) would do better on a bigger piece, like sand?

Also, the salt was difficult to scrape off where it hadn't been piled up, so I did end up using a metal grill brush to scrape it off in places (the brush is now in the trash, no worries!). The bonus here was that I decided that I actually liked the look of the salt bumps and thought it made my "metal" sign look even more weathered. So I kept a lot of them and ended up using a dry brush to stipple rusty highlights and gray lowlights on in places (I just used a gray primer for the gray spots).

I glued a couple sawtooth picture hangers on the back and hung the arrow above my boys' top bunk. Pointing to nothing in particular. I just like the look of it!

Like it? We love it. Even if it is random. And pointing to the corner. Who cares? Have fun!

Resources: Spray paint technique posts at The V Spot and Shortline Modelers

'Just Because' Flowers (from me to me)

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:38:00 +0000

I'm working on a post that will hopefully be done later today or early tomorrow (I still underestimate the time it takes to edit photos, especially a lot of them)... but in the meantime, I thought I'd share a little breath of spring that appeared in my house this morning.

Flower bundles like this are so inexpensive, and they make such a happy little statement, so of course they had to hop right into my cart. I love these tulips with their relaxed stems, gracefully arching over the sides of a crystal vase Mike & I got for our wedding.

Happy pre-Valentine's Day to me... maybe you should go pick up some 'just because' flowers for yourself today, too!

"Earth laughs in flowers."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

What's Happening in My World 02.12.2012

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:01:00 +0000

I love progress, and I'm actually finding this whole "stick to one project at a time" thing pretty fabulous. Granted, I'm still doing little things on the side but I think I'm actually going to have a room done pretty soon over here. Fancy that... a room, done! This is an entirely new concept for me; and of course it won't be done permanently, because I do love a good tweak, but it will be something I can check off my list. I get tingly just thinking about it.

I think I'm hyperventilating. Where's my paper bag?

Boys' Room

I finished both the duvet covers the other night, and I'm working on the pillows this weekend. I learned a new skill while working on the duvet covers - joining strips of bias tape. Does this count as a skill? I'm going to say that it does. I'd rip out carpet before making a quilt any day of the week, so it's important to savor these small crafty milestones.

Also, the new legs for my oogly thrift store chair arrived yesterday!

Yes, I'm getting rid of the rocker. Don't hate on me -- it's old and broken anyway, every time someone over 40 pounds sits it in and leans back they smack their head on the wall.

Baseboard

If we've been friends for a while, you know that several areas of my house haven't had baseboard in years. We are truly high class around these parts. Well, I am pleased to announce that my living room now has baseboard...

(it's really not short, the carpet ate it. boo on carpet.)

I know, I can't believe it either. And the best part? There's enough leftover base to do the upstairs bathroom (which is also lacking baseboard, naturally) so my handy contractor brother-in-law is cutting a notch in it to accommodate the toilet's water supply line so we can install it. I may have just reached my baseboard quota for 2012. I feel faint.

And last, but not least...

There's a hole in my wall!

Musical Rugs

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:49:00 +0000

A year or two ago I bought an 8 x 10' braided jute rug for my bedroom. I wanted to love it, and I did in theory... but it just didn't work in there.

So I moved it to my front room, but I didn't love it there either. It wasn't quite the right size (natural rugs aren't always right on size-wise), plus it was in the middle of a high traffic area and it wasn't really holding up well. The constant foot traffic over rows of braided jute that were sewn together started it fraying and I started to rue the day I bought it.

Fast forward to yesterday.

I knew I wanted a rug over the carpet, but the one I had wasn't working. It was a 5' x 8' rug which was way too small, and the colors weren't jiving with my master plan for the room.

(See the rug? Sort of? A little? Way to take a before photo, Anna.)

I rolled it up and dragged the jute monster in from the front room. Again, it's not the perfect size (it's the skinniest 8x10 rug I've ever seen) but I love the natural fibers in the living room. The carpet also helps keep the rug from shifting, which seems to be the braided rows' worst enemy.

And while I'd love to eventually have a bigger rug (think 9 x 12) to fill up more of the room, it's impractical to even consider it while the "worst wall in the world" is still in place, bisecting the traffic through the room:

Down with the wall. Boo. Hiss. It'll happen, and then I'll have one big room instead of two smaller ones (not literally two rooms, but as far as functionality and traffic flow is concerned they are two separate spaces). And bigger rooms need bigger rugs. Patience, Anna... patience!

It definitely works for now. Rock what ya got, right?

The only downside is this game of musical rugs has left my front room bare - but I think I'm okay with that.

I'm tackling the front room this spring, and it needs so much work I can't worry about a silly thing like a rug at this point. I've got bigger problems in there, y'all.

Help Wanted: A Corner Conundrum

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:43:00 +0000

I'm currently trying everything I can to avoid sewing, although I'm running out of other things that need to be done in my boys' room... except...

I need a little help with a weird little corner in the room, and who better to turn to than y'all?

(um, ignore the mess. Obviously it's completely out of character because my house is always 100% clean and perfect, 100% of the time. So this was just a fluke.)

First off, I love a good reading nook as much as the next gal...

the boo and the boy via Pinterest

(P.S. How similar is that space above? An awkward nook at the end of a bunk bed... I wish mine had a nice window though. Sadness.)

Real Simple

Places like this make me supremely happy, make me secretly want to put my kids in timeout for a made up reason so I can steal their nook and curl up with a book (HA! I kid. No worries... I'd probably read a magazine. *rimshot*)

The problem is there's already a little reading nook action happening in this other corner -- there's a chair, a window with natural light (and a lamp! It's a two pronged lighting attack!), and books... so I'm feeling like another nook mere feet away might be nook overkill.

So. What to do now? Stick an easel in it and call it artsy? Find a new home for my collection of old decor magazines? You guys had such great ideas and feedback about my wood floors, I decided to check in with you again. It's a pretty small space, right around 36" or less, but I'd love to find a use for it if possible... share your awkward space knowledge with me!

IKEA Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:23:00 +0000

At the end of last week I said to myself, "self. Let's go to IKEA." I had to hand it to myself, as it was a fabulous idea (and totally in character since I'm super good at coming up with fabulous ideas).

I had been waiting long enough for an Expedit in my boys' room. It was the entire reason for our last trip to Salt Lake's IKEA in October... I just accidentally bought too much other stuff before making it to the furniture bay and couldn't find room in our car for the Expedit's 6-foot long box. Drat. My husband was less than amused. (But hey, it all worked out! I bought the RAST nightstands and hacked them up good!)

I knew it was risky to take my entire family and 70-pound dog on an impulse furniture shopping adventure, so we stopped at my parent's home in northern Utah, unloaded the car, and let all the boys out to do manly things like fly fish and watch "Despicable Me." My mom hopped in and the two of us continued down to Salt Lake for her very first IKEA trip; needless to say, she was overwhelmed and walked out of there with only a package of 100 tea light candles. (I didn't buy anything my first trip either... I felt like my head was spinning and I needed to just take it in...back then though, I lived 10 minutes from this IKEA and not 3 1/2 hours away... big difference. Critical mistake, Mom!)

It was all okay though because I did enough shopping for the both of us, especially considering we had gone down just for the Expedit. (Surprise, honey!)

Please note this photo was taken before children, a large dog, luggage and fishing gear (which I, with the foresight of an oracle, advised against taking!) were added back into the mix. Like I said... the trip was risky.

So what did I get? Well.. hmm. A little of this, a little of that. Some baskets. Some feather pillow inserts, frames (can't leave without a few of those, right?), glass storage jars, decorative doohickeys... the kinds of things that don't seem like much at the time but illustrate my need for adult supervision in stores like IKEA(and Costco and Target).

It was all worth it, though. Of course I'm very glad to have a larger jar to store the popcorn in, because my husband is almost militant in his ever present need to have at least a couple pounds of the stuff in our cupboards... but mostly, I'm just so happy to have this:

I do love a good toy-hiding basket in a cleanly lined shelving unit. The whole scene makes my heart go pitter patter. Now just to finish the room...

Art Love: Michelle at unitedthread

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:08:00 +0000

Last week I the pleasure of receiving a package in the mail. Now, I'm a girl who loves any package, even a boring box of replacement checks... you still get to open it. It's like a miniature Christmas, right? It's important to enjoy the little things!

This package, however, was something special. It was a print I had ordered from an etsy shop called unitedthread, run by a woman named Michelle; a print of an original watercolor called "Five Whales Stacked" that I knew would be perfect for my boys' room. (My oldest is following in his mom's science-loving footsteps and has adopted the whale as his favorite animal... it's mine, too!)

I found the print via Pinterest and stalked it through the internet jungle until I came upon this etsy shop and sent Michelle a message to see if I could get a copy of the whales I loved so much (it wasn't listed in the shop at the time, but I did notice it there today). She agreed right away, and when the package arrived it even contained a little thank you note - love that!

Michelle is very talented and has even been a featured seller on etsy -- hop on over there and read more about her and her creative process... and take a look at a few of my favorites out of the many prints available in her shop:

Heron

Zebras At The Water Hole

Hawk Owl

Bee Hive

Six Whales Stacked

(almost bought this one instead... love them both!)

P.S. I didn't receive anything in exchange for this post, I just loved my print so much I wanted to share her talent with you!

P.P.S. If you love these like I love these, it appears there's a 15% off sale happening at the unitedthread shop right now...

Hardwood Floors: Here We Go...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:01:00 +0000

Exciting grown-up news, over here. Guess who's having her hardwood floors refinished? I'll give you a hint: it's me! (oops, I'm not very good at that game...)

The decision to look into spending a nice little chunk of change having the 800 square feet of original red oak flooring in our 1960 home refinished originally stemmed from practicality... so out of character for me, I know. The floors aren't in great condition after 50 years; there are stains and entire boards that need to be replaced, the poly is glossy and yellowed in some places and almost completely worn away in others, which is really hard on the poor wood below. Yep, the hubster and I decided that the floors needed a little love if they were going to last.

See? So practical. Look at me thinking of ways to take care of my little house to make sure that the floors are in good condition for a long time. Are we so impressed?

After we got all that ~~boring~~ responsible reasoning out of the way, it dawned on me that I would have orange oak floors no longer - it was a monumental realization and the moment I officially climbed aboard the "refinishing floors is cool!" bandwagon. I haven't built a house or undertaken a large remodel project, so this will be the biggest, most permanent and expensive house design decision I will have made... I admit, I'm giddy over the prospect. I get to change the entire aesthetic of my home. I can't wait!

(An aside to consider: what makes a person seem older: grey hair or unreasonable excitement levels over appliances and flooring? 'Cause I have ~~both~~ neither.)

In the last couple of days we've gotten three bids from different local flooring companies and are ready to make a decision soon... and these are the things I've been pondering:

Water-based vs. oil-based poly

All three of the companies we spoke with are comfortable using both types of polyurethanes and advised me to pick what I was comfortable with. To my understanding, the majority of floors are still coated in oil-based polyurethanes, but water-based finishes seem to be the 'way of the future.' They give off fewer fumes and dry faster which allows for less time between coats; however, this can be a double-edged sword because the faster dry time also makes them more difficult to apply, so it's important to find a skilled finisher who is comfortable with this type of product.

via Houzz

Water-based is also more expensive, but I've read that it's just as strong (or even stronger) than oil-based finishes-- note that it's not the same water-based poly that is sold in the big box stores; these are special products that flooring companies can order.

The last thing to consider is that water-based finishes stay crystal clear while oil-based polyurethanes do yellow... and while I was definitely leaning toward toward the clear water-based finish, I know some people really do like the warm glow an oil-based finish can provide to a wood floor and might even consider a clear water-based finish to be cold. It's just a personal preference!

via Houzz

In the end, we have decided to go with water-based both for the non-yellowing finish and because of air quality concerns -- we will be camping out in the basement at night and I'm just not comfortable with the higher level of fumes produced by an oil-based poly.

via Houzz

Sheen level

If you so desire, your wood floors can be glossy like a gymnasium. Well... I don't desire - glossy floors feel so formal to me. The less shine, the more forgiving the floor. Higher gloss finishes are less forgiving when it comes to imperfections in the surface, but they also show off scratches, dust, pet hair, footprints and smudges more than their lower sheen counterparts. You had me at dust. Have I mentioned that mopping floors is one of my least favorite chores? We will most definitely be going with an easier, more relaxed satin finish (unless the floor company has something even flatter, haha!)

via Houzz

Stain color

This is the topic that has me tossing and turning at night. I know I want a darker stain, but I also know I don't want deep ebony floors. Some people believe dark floors make a room look smaller, but I think they can actually ground the space, especially with plenty of crisp white trim throughout the room - the combination is enough to make me swoon, really! I also know that I have a golden retriever, and I don't care. I'll ask Santa for a Roomba next Christmas or something. I'll dye the dog black. I'll shave her to look like a Labrador. I don't know what I'll do, but I'll make it work.

via Houzz

Darker floors also show dirt and footprints more than lighter ones -- so I'm shooting for a medium dark brown and hoping that all the grain in my red oak floors will help break the color up and disguise the dirt a bit. I want the floors to be warm without reading yellow or orange. Once the floors are sanded they'll put some stain samples down, but I would like to have a good idea of some floors I like so I can give the floor guys someplace to start.

via Houzz

Does anybody have photos of gorgeous medium dark brown floors they can share? I'd love to see them!

Have a Seat, We'll Make a Plan...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:22:00 +0000

Remember how a while ago, I posted about a chair that I had sort of fallen in love with online?

Well, I bought it. My precious.

I only bought one in case I didn't love it, or it didn't work in the room, or in case I woke up and was suddenly pregnant and had made a furniture purchase based on pregnancy hormones (which in my personal experience leads to nothing but post-purchase heartburn and woe).

The good news is none of those things happened so I'm thinking that I might need another one. You know, a set. How cute.

It is a little greener in real life than it appeared online, much more of a lemongrass color that I thought it would be... but that was a good surprise.

Speaking of changes to my living room, notice the sofa table has moved with the arrival of the new couch? Well, at least for the time being... we'll see what happens. I change my mind a whole lot and find rearranging rooms to be relaxing... have I mentioned I'm a little neurotic and have weird habits?

Last month I also made a design board for the living room, and since we're already on the subject, let's take a look at it:

Anybody else notice that (purely by accident) the color scheme is mighty similar to that in my boys' room? I must really like those colors... ummm, it's all about cohesiveness. I toooootally did it on purpose! Swearsies. Cough.

My husband isn't thrilled with the idea of layering a small colored rug over a large natural fiber rug over the existing carpet, and I can see his point. Darn that carpet! I love the pop of navy though so we might have to introduce it another way. Aaaand I think I'm going to have to find a different yellow fabric, since I didn't realize until now that it's the same fabric I bought for pillows for my boys, just in a different color. Oops.

I like what I like, okay? ;)

Rub 'n Buff Convert

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:10:00 +0000

One the first blogs I stumbled across way back when was Isabella & Max Rooms, which is written by the incredibly talented Janell Beals (she's also the founder of and creative force behind the online magazine House of Fifty). Several times Janell has shared the magic of a little product called Rub 'n Buff -- and I have always been interested in trying it, but it would get filed to the back of my mind (which is a dangerous place to be filed) and then I'd forget. Boo.

Well today, I remembered. This is a feat in and of itself, guys... no shopping list, no post-it notes stapled to my t-shirt, and no personal assistant reminding me (although I'm happy to consider your résumé if you'd be interested in a coughunpaidcoughcough personal assistant internship).

And guess what? I love it. Looooove it.

I came across this mirror at JoAnn today while grabbing some yarn. ('cause I am legitimately crafty when it comes to crocheting hats, but that's it. I'm like a hat vending machine. Don't ask for socks. Or scarves. That would cause the crochet-blue-screen-of-death.)

The mirror was 50% off, so it came in at a whopping $20... and suddenly Janell's face floated from the cerebral-filing-cabinet-of-eternal-cobwebs and into my conscious mind, and I experienced an "ah ha!" moment. Maybe it wasn't her face; that sounds a bit creepy.

Moving on. The before? Meh.

Ze after? Voilà! C'est si bon! Oui, oui! Escargot, s'il vous plaît.
(I took spanish, if you can't tell. Le sigh.)

This stuff? Is magic in a tube, y'all. Incredibly easy to apply, ridiculously fast drying, and it appears that it will last forever.

You can hardly even tell I used any (aside from all the messy gold swipes all over the tube...)

What say you? I wish I was Oprah... "and you get a Rub 'n Buff! And you get a Rub 'n Buff! And you, and you, and you! Rub 'n Buff for eeeveeerryyooooooonnneeee!"

Sharing at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia , Home Stories A to Z, Thrifty Decor Chick

Crazity Thrift Store Chair

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:17:00 +0000

I keep meaning to write about the chair I found for my boys' room last month, and I keep forgetting to do so. You may have seen it in the curtain post yesterday... but allow me to officially reveal it in all its thrift store glory to you now:

It was $10, y'all. Do you believe that something can be so ugly it's cute? I'm not sure that ugly is the right word for this thing... but it's definitely something. (my husband thinks ugly is the right word, by the way...)

Whatever it is, I'm a fan. Of the swoopy arms, the crazy olive and teal floral pattern, how obviously retro the whole thing is... I don't even care that it's worn in a few places. I think the shape is fun and if I ever decide to reupholster it (read: pay someone to reupholster it) it will look snazzy. But for now, it's a perfect read-before-bed chair for two little boys.

The one thing I'm planning to do to it soon is replace the rocker with some feet -- my boys keep banging it into the walls on accident. Even if my husband isn't the chair's biggest fan, the boys seem to love it. And helloooooo, what fun colors! It'll fit right into their room makeover.

What do you think? Spill!

(unless you're on team "ugliest chair ever" and then you should click to some of my other fabulous projects and remind yourself that we won't necessarily agree on everything, but we can still be friends!)

DIY Painted Backtab Curtains

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:48:00 +0000

Yesterday I made curtains for my boys' room. Panels with big wide stripes and hidden back tabs. I'm really happy with them even though they took me all day - that was my fault, not the poor curtains'. I must have forgotten my coffee or something.

I used sheets again, because y'all know I can't turn down a $5 curtain opportunity. I'm cheap like that. I was also on a time crunch, because two curtains laid out end to end in my dining room take up 99% of the usable floorspace, which meant that all pets and children were restricted to half the house (the "boring half," naturally) while I got my paint on. I admit, I might have thought that one through a little better. Hindsight is 20/20, right?

First I made curtains from the sheets - I followed this great no sew backtab curtain tutorial at Design a la Mod, with just a couple of tweaks:

1. First I folded over the extra length that I wouldn't need and attached the backtabs to that section, then finally I sewed the entire folded section in place (following the existing stitch line and going over the iron-on hem tape at the bottom for some extra strength). I attached the hem tape to this folded-over section so there would be less chance of it showing through since the sheet fabric is thin.

2. Instead of attaching the iron-on hem tape at both the top and bottom as in the original tutorial, I used velcro on the top section so that I could "open" my curtains because my boys' new curtain rods are made of galvanized piping. Once you screw all the pieces of pipe together it's solid and has to be entirely removed from the wall to add or remove traditional curtains -- and that wasn't going to happen.

I promise the original tutorial is much easier to understand, so make sure to click over there if you want to make some normal backtab curtains!

Once I finished making the curtains, it was time to lay them out and paint. I taped 9" lines on them and then realized I didn't have a foam roller. Like I said, maybe I forgot my coffee yesterday morning. To the store we went.

Back from the store and new roller in hand, I starting painting with scads of acrylic craft paint and fabric medium. I went with regular craft paint since I had heard that using regular wall paint (even with fabric medium) could result in crunchy curtains, and fabric medium seems to be "designed" for the regular craft paint. News flash: mine are still a tad crunchy. Oh well! I might sand them lightly to soften them up.

Regardless of what paint you choose, buy more than you think you'll need; fabric sucks it right up. I used 9 bottles of craft paint and 4 small bottles of fabric medium and that was cutting it close. Did I mention that I had to run to Michael's midway through painting to buy more? I am a super planner, guys. Who wants me to plan their wedding? Ha!

The best part of all my poor planning? My ~~prisoners~~ children were ~~forced~~ lucky enough to have a picnic for dinner! A... um... front room floor picnic! On plastic Christmas plates I forgot to put away! Thirty minutes before bedtime! Go me!

Okay, so it wasn't my smoothest project ever, but now that it's over I'm really happy to have these curtains up even though my 6 year old dubbed them "weird." Pfft. What does he know? I think they look great!

So does Robin over there. We think they look great. Holy cool curtains, Batman!

Sharing at Home Stories A to Z ,Thrifty Decor Chick

A Girl Can Dream: Built-in Bunks

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:25:00 +0000

Kids love a good bunk bed. Do you?

Regular bunk beds can be extremely practical - great for small spaces (like anything in my house) and shared rooms. But most of them leave me wanting more in the fabulousness department -- they can be big and sort of clunky looking. Is it just me? Yes, I built one for my boys and yes, I've made peace with it (sort of). But I can't admit I don't get miniature design pangs when I stare at fabulous bedroom designs sans bunks.

I will tell you though, there is a type of bunk that leaves me weak in the knees (because I'm officially the world's biggest geek who gets jelly joints over cute furniture). What I really want when I escape into my fantasy and renovate a home on the coast in order to become a professional beachcomber... is a room of built-in bunks. Be still my heart. Who can resist a row of beautiful built-in beds? The charming ones with ladders and rustic sconce lighting? And beautiful architectural details? Oh, how I love them. Love them love them, "pass a note across the desk asking them to be my Valentine and to check yes or check no" love them.

via

via

Do these built-in beds stir the same feelings in you? They feel like summer, and adventure, and fun; all are extremely good things in my world. I would love to own a vacation home with a room of bunks - preferably a home with a view like photo #2's, okay? ;)

Boys' Room: Weathered Warehouse Pendant

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

See, I told you I was working on my boys' room.

If you saw the design board I posted earlier, you may have noticed an industrial looking warehouse pendant -- I did buy it for an outrageously affordable $25 from the big orange HD. It was just too shiny and new looking though, plus the inside was white, and say what you will about white reflecting light, blah blah blah... I wanted a more weathered look -- something that looked a bit like galvanized steel or at least something old. Something that may have actually been in a warehouse? Maybe an old one by the sea, oxidized by the salt air? Look at me imagining life stories for my light fixtures.

Time to pull out my trusty spray paint!

The good news is this was incredibly easy, and I'm over-the-moon happy with the results.

I used 3 products:

Gray primer, Rustoleum's Metallic Matte Nickel and Krylon's Original Chrome (the stuff I used for my lazy man's silver leaf mirror frame). Look at me, being such a rebel... Rustoleum and Krylon, playing nicely together on my little project.

1. Prime (I did gently scuff up the metallic side with sandpaper prior)

2. Spray with metallic nickel paint

3. Lightly and unevenly spray with the Original Chrome paint -- resulting in a flecked, mottled appearance with a bit of texture.

I did that on both the inside and outside of the fixture and the ceiling canopy, and that was that. Easy peasy. I think it looks great and I can't wait to throw a couple more galvanized steel-y accents in there with it...

Not bad for a $25 fixture, right?

Sharing at Thrifty Decor Chick

IKEA Hack Nightstand Construction Details

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Yesterday I showed you my fancy new nightstands, and today I'm outlining the steps I took to construct and finish them. Buckle up, because here are the steps to make your own!

Step 1: Assemble RAST nightstand per included instructions.

Step 2: Cut and glue lattice on drawer fronts.

I purchased a few sticks of 1/4" hemlock lattice at my local HD. It's nice and smooth, great for crafts - if you can find it. It took me forever to locate it in my store even though it was just in the regular moulding department... I struggle. I cut it into 7 7/16" lengths and 20 3/16" lengths and attached it with wood glue. Instead of clamps, I used heavy cans of food to hold the lattice in place until it dried - we're super professional over here.

I decided against mitering the corners after looking at several nightstands I liked and noticing this style of joint on their drawer fronts. I'm a total copy cat.

Step 3: Attach decorative moulding to top

Next I used small moulding (removed from various places in my 1960 house, layers of old yellowed poly included free of charge!) and trimmed out the top of the nightstands. I used a thin piece of scrap lattice to fill and reinforce the gap along the front created by the nightstand's wider side pieces.

Step 4: Details!

- Tighten any visible screws until they suck up into the wood so you can fill them with wood putty and sand them flush.

- Cut away a rough opening in the toe kick-thingy with a jig saw.

- Add a few pieces of scrap lattice to the top of the toe kick so that a 3/4" piece of MDF placed on top of them will sit flush with the front of the nightstand.

Step 5: Cut out decorative front piece with jig saw

I drew a template, traced it onto two pieces of 3/4" MDF pieces that were each 23 1/8" x 3 13/16" and went at it with a jig saw. Mine has a little twisty knob that helps make sharp corners, and I just tried to get them as close as possible. Mine are definitely not perfect - I used my orbital sander with rough grit sandpaper to smooth them out and help conceal any boo-boos. After they're done, attach them to the nightstands with glue and nails through the sides and where the 1/4" lattice scrap is.

One quick tip: I stood the nightstands up when I fit the decorative front piece on to make sure it was flush with the bottom of the nightstand and to help prevent any issues with the bottom drawer opening if it was placed too high.

Step 6: Attach table tops

Cut a piece of MDF a little larger than the size of the nightstand + decorative moulding. My tops were 26" x 12 3/4". Attach them with glue and nails.

Step 7: Caulk if you want - I only caulked between the table top and the strip of moulding, I purposefully left the tight joints on the drawer fronts as is. Also fill any nail holes and seams with wood putty, then sand smooth.

Step 8: Prime with oil-based primer (remember, it's MDF and raw wood. Oil-based!)

Step 9: Finish with paint of your choice.

I used Martha Stewart paint in Mushroom (love) and a little bit of Floetrol, an additive that helps minimize paint and roller lines in latex paints (there's also something called Penetrol for oil-based paints, FYI)

I used an angled brush and a small high-density foam roller to apply two coats of paint.

After the paint dried, I applied a non-yellowing water-based poly with a foam craft brush -- do not use a roller as that will result in bubbles. Promise. Coat an area with poly and then work your way back across the entire surface, pulling in one direction to help minimize any lines.

Let that dry, add some knobs and voilà! You have a nightstand. Or two!

Hopefully it doesn't take you 4 months like it took me! I took my time to uh...make sure... everything was perfect. Or something.

Updated to add: Apartment Therapy already featured these nightstands! A couple observant people over there commented on the lack of baseboard/outlet cover in an otherwise nice photo (y'all know how I struggle with baseboard... le sigh.) So, for fun, I made up a pretend photo so we can all imagine it's done and everything's pretty-like.

Ahh. Much better, right? If only it was really that easy!

Sharing at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Home Stories A to Z, Thrifty Decor Chick

Finished Nightstands {Reveal}

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:56:00 +0000

Y'all, I am so excited to share this project. I have wanted nicer nightstands in my bedroom for several years now, but didn't want to pay hundreds of dollars. I'm cheap, I admit it.

I finally finished these (seriously, I'm the biggest slacker ever... I started these in October. The shame.) and got them into the master bedroom. Love them. Weep.
(That was me weeping with joy. What? I'm totally normal. Pfft.)

Would you believe that this....

used to look like this?

Yep, it's an IKEA hack! I had seen a few great hacks of this $35 RAST dresser and I couldn't pass up the chance to have great looking nightstands myself. Love!

Our cat Fig seems a bit suspicious, but she's neurotic. I love them! I'll post some construction details tomorrow, but I just couldn't wait to share. What do you think?

Finishing What I Start... 3 Months Later

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:25:00 +0000

I promise you, I will stay the course and finish my boys' room... I'm actually working on it right now! (Not literally right now right now, since I'm sitting here typing, but you know... right now. Promise)

The thing is, I'm also finishing up a project I started last October -- yep, before Halloween. As in, I'm the slowest DIYer ever? The kind that refuses to work in the garage when the temperature dips and instead wistfully stares at half finished projects occupying the space where her car should be. The same car she does battle with daily as she attempts to scrape frost from the windshield in order to drive children to school, all the while cursing the stupid project sitting frost-free (and probably under a layer of lazy-dust) on the other side of the garage door.

I'm finishing a pair of nightstands for the master bedroom, and then I'll get back to the bedroom. There's only so much stink eye this girl can handle. My husband was getting less and less impressed with my "awesome nightstand idea!!!" so I had to do something quick. I've really been busting this one out, which usually means I end up taking over the entire house for a few days while laundry piles up and the kids eat Cheetos and juice boxes. Not really. (except maybe really, sort of)

I started in the entry, since nobody needs to use the front door or anything. Pfft.

Then I moved over to the dining room, since the Golden Globes were on. (hellooo, priorities!)

Now I just need to put a top coat on them...

...and finish painstakingly painting the knobs by hand...

(that part sort of sucks)

...and we'll be all set. Can't wait to show you the finished nightstands!
Better late than never, right?