Kitchen Inspiration {Inspiration Workshop Linkup}

Today I’m linking up with Gussy for her weekly inspiration workshop! She’s an incredible inspiration to the blog community and brings such ruffled goodness to everything she does. This weekly link up is a fun community building opportunity that I’m so excited to participate in!

This week’s prompt is Kitchens. Our kitchen is currently in the “much to be desired” category. It’s sadly lacking in counter space, cabinet space, and overall aesthetics. We’re renters….but I’ve got big plans to add some form and function to this boring and sad little space. Here’s our kitchen on a bad day (by bad day I mean a day where my entire day was spent cleaning up bodily fluids from the tiny humans that live under my roof).

I can’t believe I just posted that photo to the internet… this is a great exercise for me to overcome my OCD tendencies about my house being perfect before I share it with anyone.

Here’s my inspiration image, found via Pinterest, originally from House Beautiful. I adore the crispness of this kitchen. The sleek white monochromatic pallet makes my heart pitter patter. I love the chic chairs in glossy black and the country charm they bring to the room. Now I’m just itching to get started on our kitchen!

Be sure to check out all the other inspiring posts through the Gussy community and leave some comment love on the blogs you visit :)

-Erika

What I Wore Wednesday {WIWW}

Today is the first time I’m linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy to participate in “What I Wore Wednesday”. I feel totally silly doing this but it’s a great personal challenge! Photographing myself is completely out of my comfort zone, but something I’ve been working on in order to provide customers with “scale” photos of my jewelry products. Sometimes seeing a piece of jewelry on a person is much more informative than actual measurements. I know I am a visual person and need those descriptive photos for my own perspective before I buy a product.

So…. this little activity will push me to be more creative in my self portraits, challenge me to blog about it every Wednesday, encourage me to connect with other bloggers each week, and motivate me to wear something other than a tank top and baby spit up when I’m here at home. It’s easy to put effort into my appearance when I leave the house…but when I’m hanging out at home with the kiddos my motivation is sadly lacking and I know that has a significant effect on my mood, and not in a good way. So here’s to my first link up!

Shirt: Sister-in-law’s closet

Cardi: Forever 21

Skinny Jeans: Target

Ruffle Sandals: Target (favorite.sandals.ever)

Those of you paying attention might notice the finished desk I’m leaning on :). Here’s a mini reveal! Stay tuned for the complete project reveal when I put up shelves and complete my little “Creative Corner”.

In other news, any other mom’s out there wearing perfume to cover up the eau de spit-up on a daily basis? Please tell me I’m not the only one. 

-Erika

To refinish, or to paint: that is the question.

I scored an adorable antique desk off of Craigslist the other night. I paid $75 for it. In my book that’s a pretty penny, a really shiny and pretty penny. But being an antique it’s incredibly well built with dove tailed joints and solid wood.

This sweet little baby is so perfect for my new “creative corner”. The size is perfectly proportioned to the wall space, not too large and imposing, and not too small robbing me of precious work space. I love the deep drawers, I love the fact that there are drawers at all. I’m so accustomed to crafting at our dining room table, on the couch, on our bed, or on the floor, that I’m genuinely giddy about the hidden storage within my reach.

Here are some detail shots:

I love the drawer handles. These would be given a hefty coat of gunmetal spray paint if I choose to paint the desk.

I love the curved front of the desk. It’s a petite desk and the curve gives it a feminine feel.

So the question remains…. to refinish? Or to paint? When I bought the desk I planned on painting it white. My “master plan” for our living room design, as a whole, is a monochromatic color pallet where furniture is concerned. My hope is to anchor the space, by using all white furniture of various styles to compliment our Martha Stewart “Bedford Grey” walls.

Here are a few inspiration images:

Much like the spaces above, we’ll be combining some sleek and modern white furniture with existing antique pieces; like our coffee table and antique chairs. This desk sits in the back corner of our current living room and will be accented with crisp white shelves above it for open storage.

I particularly love the staggered look of these shelves:

So, do I stick with my master plan and paint this little baby white? Painting the desk also happens to be the easiest option. Or, do I take the, what promises to be a great deal of time, to strip, sand, and re-stain the desk?

Second Chances- Refinished Vintage Chairs

Anyone who knows me knows I love a good bargain. In fact, I wrote about some thrifty finds recently that you can check out here. Craigslist shopping is an art form and no one has mastered it better than my mom. I cannot even begin to tally up the amazing finds she has gathered for free or close to it. So imagine my absolute joy when my amazing (and brilliantly talented) mom, surprised me with these gorgeous antique chairs….that she snagged for FREE. Yep, for free.

These beautiful chairs are a throw back to some chairs I remember having in our house growing up. There was a time when my parent’s home was super “country” and our dining room chairs held up under some serious usage from 3 kiddos and an abundance of friends and family.

I decided these new/old charming chairs would make the perfect porch set for our little front patio area. What a welcoming and quant little greeting they would lend to many a friend and neighbor. With a little elbow grease, sand paper, paint, and wood glue these chairs were given a second chance at life.

Here is our lifeless and dull front porch pre-country chic chairs-

Now welcome to our new and inviting little porch. Don’t you just want to pull up a seat and enjoy some sun tea and fresh baked banana bread with us?

After lightly spray painting the chairs in a sating finish spray paint, I roughed them up a little with some fine grit sand paper. The green geometric throw pillows were made using pillows I already had at home as well as some fabric I had from another project I never completed (seems to be a regular occurrence around here). I made the floral pillows using some $1.50 pillow forms from Ikea, as well as a fabric remnant from their as-is section that cost me a whopping 50 cents. The fabric was actually an ironing board cover that I felt served a greater purpose as my sweet pillows.

I love the pattern combination here and the way the green stands out against our, rather comically painted, blue house. Oh and the sweet and shiny black table was taking up residence and collecting dust in our laundry room. I didn’t have a permanent home for it at the time, so now it’s the perfect combination to balance the country chairs and add some modern charm in a sleek and glossy black paint.

I think they turned out pretty darn awesome, if I don’t say so myself.

Project Breakdown:

Chairs- Free (thanks again mom!)

Paint- 2 cans at $3 a pop

Pillows- 2 pillow forms $3 and fabric remnant .50

Table- Free

Plant- $1 clearance plant from home depot and $1 pot from Ikea

Total cost: $11.50

So, are there any projects you’ve accomplished with a big impact on a tiny budget? Do share….