Just Some Stuff I Finally Did

I'm sure many of you understand the never ending to-do list that quite literally never ends simply because you never seem to get to the 'do' part. I've just passed four years of living in the "new" condo and there are several things that I've only just managed to cross off the list. Mind you, design is a process, and things have to happen in a certain order, and sometimes those things just take time.

Case in point: Shortly after I moved into my condo I created a gallery wall at the end of the front hall next to the built in study nook (see the finished product in this post). When I painted the wall a dark navy blue two years later, I took most of the artwork down and hung just four gold framed paintings. My intention was to recreate the gallery wall in the master bedroom. The plan was to hang the photos above a marble top commode (which I had yet to purchase) and also to incorporate a small bedroom television. It was nine months before I would find the right Louis XVI chest of drawers (see this post) and another 15 months before I wall mounted the tv and hung the photographs to recreate the gallery wall.

Et voila!

Of course I'm still not 100% done. I'd like to replace the Toronto photos in the center triptych with three new photos, but there's no rush, I'll get around to it eventually. If you're really paying attention, you'll notice that I went the extra mile and added a paintable cord cover to camouflage the ugly television wires.

Since I was on a roll, I also took the time to add a custom touch to the Pax drawers I had installed in the master bedroom closet four years ago (here is the original post). This past fall, while looking for cabinet hardware for a client, I fell hard for these Martha Stewart brass bin pulls. I ordered them up and they've been sitting in an envelope for months just waiting to be installed. I was nervous to do the installation on my own because the job required  precision - the pulls all needed to be perfectly aligned and level. Turns out it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, it took less than an hour, and the pulls added the custom look I was hoping for.

 

It's always nice to get things done around the house. The to-do list dwindles and there's a real sense of satisfaction that comes with a job well done. Onward & upward.

Not Exactly Quick, But We're Making Progress...

So according to my previous post, things were moving along quickly, and that is still true for the most part. Ninety percent of the key pieces for this bedroom makeover have been sourced, orders have been placed and furniture has been picked up. I'm still stuck on finding the ceiling light fixture and mirror, but other than that, we're chugging along.

The sloooowest part of the process has been the "elbow grease" pieces. The thrifted dresser ($29.99!) underwent a makeover, and since I could only work on it intermittently, it took about 10 days from start to finish. Sand, prime, dry, sand, prime, dry, sand, paint, dry, sand, paint, dry, sand, paint, dry...you get the picture.

Done at last!! Updated from scratched & dented 1960's veneer to a crisp, modern white (Para Paints Whitewash White, 2089-00):

Without missing a beat, I'm onto the next project. I submitted a max bid of $100 through an online estate auction, and the hammer came down at 95 bucks for this pair of bedside tables. I was completely sold when I saw the hardware. The drawers were a bit sticky, but some candle wax easily along the runners quickly sorted that out. After a good wipe down, it will be time to get back to sanding, priming & painting. Good times!