skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Every January I get the urge to get my act together and organize my stuff. It must have something to do with the new year, since one scroll through my Instagram feed tells me that I'm not the only one in organization mode. The current trend is to throw away or donate nearly everything in your home using the KonMari Method, but after donating unwanted items I still have plenty of things that need a home within my home. Because I'm a single in a two bedroom condo, I have the luxury of an entire closet in the guest room offering up some extra storage space. Where else would I keep the ironing board, tool box, drill kit, sewing machine, photo albums, beach towels, gift wrap, suitcases...? I'll leave you with the short version.
I had shelves installed previously in the guest room closet, but they were too shallow and too weak to handle the weight of the items stored on them. As soon as the Ikea wardrobe event started (on now through February 1st) I grabbed my sketchbook and picked up all of the components necessary for a mini closet makeover.
I itemized and measured most of the items that would be stored in the closet before I drew up the sketch, so there was just a bit of tweaking during installation. After putting in an afternoon of sweat equity, the left side of the closet became a spot for guests to make themselves at home and the right became home to all of my hard to store stuff.
How has January been for you so far? Have you been getting organized too?
The guest bedroom in the new condo is sooooo close to being complete that I've deemed it ready for guests and a reveal. This room has been in the works for more than a year - gosh it takes a long time for a plan to come together!! The faux bamboo bedside tables were found on Kijiji in December 2011, and they were given a makeover as part of a D.I.Y. challenge in June 2012. In the meantime, I put together a floorplan and design scheme, which was largely inspired by the chartreuse lily lamps I purchased in a Peterborough antique shop.
With the idea to spread costs out over the course of the year before the move, I tackled projects one at a time, slowly building my design arsenal. The vintage lamps needed to be rewired and new shades were custom made by Lia at Mod Pieces. I had my old headboard reupholstered in a grey velvet found at Designer Fabrics and upgraded to diamond tufting for a touch of luxury.
While rug hunting last summer at the Elte Outlet, I happened upon the SDH diamond coverlet, and then sewed my own pillow shams from a fabulous printed linen also found at Designer Fabrics. You may remember when I found the kantha quilt at a West Elm event last spring; I like how it adds just a touch of pink to the room.
The showstopper in this guest room is the Sanderson "Lilia" wallpaper in lime & silver. I painted all of the walls in Para Paints Pearl (SR30 from Sarah Richardson's designer palette) to match the ivory background of the paper, and then had the focal wall behind the bed and side tables professionally papered.
Some small finishing touches and the room is ready for guests to arrive. Drapery is happening soon, and then the room will be at 100%. My Mom has already stayed in the unfinished room a few times, but now I'm super for her to see the finished product next weekend!
Source Guide:
Sooooo...the wallpaper didn't really work out this weekend. Total bust. I prepped the wall, pre-cut seven strips of paper, applied the paste, "booked" it, waited 5 minutes and put up the first strip. It was all going so well...
...Until I tried to trim the edges. Blurggghhh. The brand new blade tore the paper. No big deal, it's at the bottom and it won't show, I'll snap the blade and try again. Total mess. It was so bad and so unfixable that I tore the sheet down, rolled it into a ball and jammed it into the garbage. Then I cried (this happens on a lot of my DIY projects). I decided right then and there to call a professional. Needless to say there won't be a room reveal this week :-(
Here's how I cheered myself up: retail therapy. I hit up Southworks Antiques on Sunday afternoon and I found some great deals, including a Royal Doulton tulip vase designed in 1982 by Gerald Gulotta. It looks so pretty sitting on my coffee table alongside the Jill Rosenwald vase I received as a birthday gift.
Fingers crossed I can get a professional wallpaper hanger to come in this week or next so that I can put the guest room back together before Easter. My busy season at work starts April 1st, so the sooner the better!!
.JPG)
.JPG)
