Breakfast Nook Redo - During

This weekend, my dad delivered my free Craiglist table to add to my breakfast nook redo.  I was so excited to see if the ideas from some of my inspiration tables would work.  Rusty and I set it up in the breakfast nook to check on size.  It is a 48" table, and we needed to still be able to open a pantry and back door in the nook.

The size is PERFECT!  However, there is one small problem.  {And I say small because how big could a problem be when the goods are FREE?}  The only problem is that the table top itself is not wood.  In order for us to be able to stain it to match the chairs we already have, we need to be able to strip it.  Here are some close up pictures of each of the pieces for you to see.

Wood pedestal

Salvageable wooden trim 

Wood veneer top

Here is our inspiration photo.  We already have the four walnut stained chairs.  We will need to paint the pedestal and trim white and stain the table top.

How will we press on?  We called up our friends at Black Mountain Furniture {who also made our custom office built-ins} to build us a table top.  They are able to cut it to size and leave it natural for us to stain to match our chairs!


I am still working on getting that room painted, hanging some curtains, getting a drum shade and putting some plates on the wall.  We are very much in the "during" stage.


What's the best free item you ever scored?

Guilt Free Office

It's no secret.  There is no bun in my oven.  My oven is not even on pre-heat.  Let's get real.  Not only have Rusty and I not even been to the store, we haven't even made the shopping list!


The good news?  Our 3rd bedroom is a GUILT FREE office.


Back in June, Rusty and I commissioned Black Mountain Furniture to design our custom built-ins.  We desperately needed them.  Between the two of us, we had enough books to fill up the bed of Toyota Tacoma.  It quickly became an issue when we got them all in one room.

http://www.davidrobertbooks.com/books.jpg

Since Black Mountain Furniture is local, they came out to our house to measure and draw out plans.  After asking us a few questions, they had a complete vision and got to work.  After about three weeks, they were calling to set up an installation date.  Thankfully, Rusty and I had gone through our books and pared them down.  We forced ourselves to only keep one or two copies of Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm and Atlas Shrugged, and I finally talked Rusty into only keeping his favorite Dean Koontz books instead of every one he ever read.


Here are some pictures of the built-in bookshelves and free standing desk:

Since the owners of BMF just happen to be our good friends, Craig and Reginia, they stayed over for dinner and Reginia staged them really quickly to get some pictures for her website. 


*Note - these would be about 1/4th of the books we kept.  What did we do with the rest of them?  Well, we boxed up the manuals, textbooks and other resources and stored them in the basement.  We donated about 2 boxes to a book drive at our school.  The BEST thing we did was list them on Paperback Swap and earned credits for new books we were dying to read.

We absolutely love the built-ins.  The detached desk is a great feature because it allows us to be flexible where we want the piece to go, and it allows for us to open the room up as a make-shift guest bedroom.


Do you have a space that you think would benefit from built-ins or special storage? What ideas do you have in mind for them?  

Mantlescape #1

It's not every day that we can tackle a big DIY project like this.  If we're lucky, we might get the time and money to do one large project a month.  The other days are spent dreaming, making lists and moving around what you already have for instant change.  Today's change was obvious for me.  My mantle.

For the past 4 weeks, my mantle was decorated for Christmas, and Christmas ended yesterday in the Casa de la Transue.  Here is what I whipped together in literally 3 minutes.

My goal was to try to come up with something that could last me through the winter and create a smooth transition into a spring mantlescape.  After enjoying the White Christmas we had this year, I was inspired.  I gathered up white items from all over my house.  When placing them, I made sure that I varied the heights and textures of my items.

Look at the difference it makes when I put my tallest items at the ends of the mantle.

Now, it looks a little "matchy-matchy" with my larger items on the outside.  My poor, glass apothecary jar looks all alone out there since it is clear.  It just doesn't look grounded in the setting.

Now look when I change out the paper mache bird and the lotus flower.

Again, it looks too matchy with the birds equally flanking the wreath.  When decorating, you want to vary your heights and textures while tying them all together as a scene.  In this mantlescape, the color white works in tying everything together.  I even made sure to select books in colors that would work with this display.

In case you like something you see, I have created a source list for you.

• Finials - Home Goods garden section (under $20.00 for the pair)
• Lotus flower - Home Goods ($2.99, but needed to be sprayed white)
• Owl - West Elm ($10.00 with free shipping)
• Apothecary Jar - Thrift store on the square in Dahlonega, Ga ($6.00)
• Books - off of my Black Mountain Furniture built-ins in my library
• Paper Mache Bird - West Elm ($10.00 with free shipping)
• Shutters - Thrift store on the square in Dahlonega, Ga ($20.00 for the pair).  Using shutters as decor was inspired by photos at The Nesting Place
• Wreath - Crafted by Yours Truly (under $10.00 in supplies) after reading this blog at The Nesting Place.  That's right, people.  It is made from coffee filters.

Although it was sad to see Christmas go, it was so much fun to change up my house with a fresh, new mantlescape.  What fresh changes do you have planned for your house now that Christmas is over?


Linked with The Stories of A to Z and Funky Junk Interiors.