I Made That! - Dresser Edition

When my sister told me she was having a baby girl it was time to get some items together and help her with the nursery design. My sister needed a dresser and low and behold I had one that didn't match my furniture.

It was black and that just wasn't right for a new baby girl

So I got Cream Puff paint from Home Depot. I gave it a light sand, I hate this part of refinishing furniture, and a wipe down with a clean damp cloth.

I gave it a few good coats of paint in the cream puff. Try not to paint so much on the slides of the drawers, this will make it difficult to open and close the drawers.

Next up I made some diamonds out of a large sponge and made a pattern on the sides of the dresser. It is important to note that when sponge painting you need to dab off the excess paint on some cardboard or paper before applying to the furniture so that the shapes are light, you can see the base colour behind, and they are all uniform.

I did use a matte clear coat when it was finished to help with wear and tear.

And last but not least, I added so acrylic knobs to give it that girlie look.

Because I had some of the paint left over, I painted Ava's change table to match. It was an unfinished change table from Ikea. I knew this wasn't going to be a lasting piece so I didn't have to give it as much attention as the dresser, but it has held up really well so far.

I know that eventually Ava is going to want to change the style of her room and hopefully we can re paint this dresser together one day. Having a good solid piece of wood furniture is going to last a long time. Although I didn't invest in this particular piece (Thank You Mom & Dad) finding furniture at flea markets, garage sales, or the side of the road can be a plus, especially if it is wood and heavy.

Come back soon and Ill show you what else I made for Miss Ava!

-AR

Lil' Desgn's

When my Sister told me I was going to be an Auntie I instantly had images of me and my lil niece making arts and crafts every time we got together. As a child I was raised that hand made gifts were the best to give and get. I am so glad my family instilled this in me because it is true. I think it is such a great way to teach children to use their imagination. These hand made crafts are great keep sakes for family and friends and a great way to document a child's growth. I especially love looking over the Christmas tree each year and seeing all the ornaments my siblings have made over the years and cant wait until my tree is filled with these sweet gifts! I love making things with my niece any chance I can get. Every time we have a sleep over I try and make something with her for some sort of holiday that is coming up.

Our first ever was a painting for Thanksgiving. I found the idea online and just thought it was so cute and would show her hand prints at such a young age. I wont make this every year with her but every other maybe to show her growth or a different version of this idea.

Next up was Mother's Day. Every Mommy loves hand print flowers, right?

Recently Ava and I made some Christmas gifts to give to her Mommy and Daddy. I painted the Christmas tree and then let her go to town with some Holiday colours and showed her how to use the paint brush. I also added some glitter while the paint was wet to give it a little holiday shimmer.

I have thought a lot about Valentine's Day, St Patrick's Day, Easter, Canada Day and Father's Day and what Ava and I can do next. Can't wait to see what she comes up with now that she is getting older!

Come back soon and Ill show you just what we got up to!

-AR

Desgn Tip: Pillow Cases

I was having a conversation with a Friend the other day about "wall stickers". I think we have all seen this DIY item that promises to add character to your home. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan. Although some of them are very unique and work with certain spaces I find a lot of them are not used properly, especially the script wall stickers.

Exhibit A -



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Do you really need a daily reminder beside your bed to "Live, Love, Laugh"?

 

I would much rather see a beautiful silver mirror on this table leaning against the wall reflecting light into the space, and a mirror is much more functional.

 

Exhibit B -

 



 

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To really make an impact I believe you have to have large scale wall stickers, and these are not inexpensive items to purchase.

 

I think this is a great idea for a children's room or nursery. The added cost can sometimes be too much when expecting a baby though. There are other ways to add impact to your child space through accessories, wallpaper, accent walls and furniture that aren't such large dollar amount items.

 

After talking with my Friend I remembered some images I saw on instagram. Personalizing pillowcase with script. Having your favourite quote stitched into your pillow case is a great idea. You are able to see it when you go to sleep and when you wake up. It can be easily hidden by turning the pillow over or putting accent pillows in front of it. And from a designer perspective it will not interfere with the overall space. I had told my friend to run the script up the side of the pillow case on the open flap, here are some other interesting ways to personalise your pillowcase.

 

 

 

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I saw this one on Kim Kardashian's Instagram. This could be done with fabric paint and a stencil or even iron on lettering.

 

 

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Rhianna's Instagram shows a lot of different embroidered pillow cases, this is just one of them. This could be done with a sewing machine at home if yours has the setting or at a fabric store for a small fee.

 

I think the bedroom is a great place to add some personal touches that not everyone will see but that wont affect the overall design of your space. Remember the bedroom is supposed to be a sanctuary, with minimal clutter and a place where you can escape to. This is a fun way to make it  your own and be playful all at the same time. So remember, have fun.

 

Come back soon, and ill share some more design tips with you

 

-AR