Fabric Covered Table Makeover

I recently moved to a new home in Minneapolis (I'll share pics soon!), and one of the perks of the new place is that I gained a craft room with French doors.  I moved my old sewing table into the room, but it felt bland.  So I decided to update it with a fun vintage-inspired fabric I found at a local shop in my new neighborhood. 

Before

After

I love the pop of color from the coral and fuschia; isn't it fun?

To recreate this technique, all you need is a flat, smooth furniture surface, some Mod Podge, a paint brush, and enough fabric to cover the piece.

Overall, the project took a total of 2 hours and cost around $25.  Not bad for a fun update!

Home Creative Spaces

Do you have an area in your home for being creative?  I have a small sewing table in my living room, I’m thinking this area will be a great easy home update to refresh my inspiration for the spring.

Here are some home creative workspaces that are inspiring me:

Paper Flowers

I stopped into West Elm this weekend and saw the most beautiful paper flowers.

They are so refreshing and uplifting for spring; and the durability of paper flowers means they'll be around for a long time!  Especially crushing over the white wreath - where do you think I could put it in my apartment? 

Adding Color in a Rental Apartment

After being cold for months, we are itching for spring & all its bright colors and newness.  Bringing in color into your home is such a fun way to spruce up - but for those of us who live in rental residences (our hands go up), something lower-commitment than a fresh coat of hued paint is the way to go.  Try these ideas for some inspiration.

Take a trip to the flea market for the perfect accent piece to paint in a bright, refreshing color, like this unique turquoise end table.  

If you crave a more impactful wall, try removable wallpaper or decals.  This cute polka dot design is a DIY panel project.

Contemporary Frames design by Other Metro Etsy

Art is always a great go-to, but what about accumulating antique frames and painting them in a similar color palate to make a bigger statement?  Hang to form a gallery wall, or lean against the wall on a ledge or piece of furniture.

A bright, graphic shower curtain can be elevated and sophisticatedly refreshing - like this one in a clean, white bathroom.

If you have white or beige walls, you aren't doomed to boredom - invest in a patterned headboard to make a focal statement in your bedroom.  Don't be afraid to commit to a color that inspires you, like this springy coral. 

Will you bring in more color this spring?  

Project Apartment: S's Apartment Tour!

Finally! It's only a few months late, but now that I feel settled and (mostly) decorated, I'm ready to share my living space with all of you- and I'm so excited about it.

I just finished this gallery wall yesterday! I love how it incorporates a lot of textures and shapes.  I'm planning on using that white canvas for an art project... It will be shared here of course! 

Do you remember this rug?

I was so lucky to have family in the area who helped me collect items to furnish my new place.  This gorgeous armoire is such a wonderful statement piece in my living area! I don't have a TV right now, so instead I filled it with some books, journals, DVDs, etc. to keep the entertainment concept in place.  And set up two colorful posters to brighten up the dark space. 

I filled the cubbies of this coffee table with tons of books, since I don't have any bookshelves.  It is mostly full of cookbooks, but you can see there are some nerdy academic books in there too.  A healthy mix!  I love how they fill the cubbies almost perfectly, and look almost a little purposefully chaotic with some books stacked vertically while others are horizontal.

A small ledge that was meant for photo display has now become a great inspiration area above my desk.  The votive candles are great for extra ambiance when entertaining.

The hanging candle holders add a nice soft glow when I'm reading or catching up on Hulu.  I like to fill them with beeswax candles from The Foundry for a nice, natural scent.

So there it is! Welcome to my home. I hope you find it as warm and appealing as I do.  Wishing you all a magnificent weekend!

Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year

Images via Pinterest and OnceWed

How inspiring is this year's Pantone Color of the Year?  From fashion to decor to food, we're loving the idea of adding more rich, luminous emerald to our lives. 

DIY: Canvas Word Art

This Christmas, I wanted to make more DIY gifts to make items more meaningful and keep my budget reasonable.  One idea I came across was the perfect gift for my best friend.  I found this wall art inspiration on Jess Lively's blog.  She repurposed an old canvas painting to display a cute phrase in trendy font.  I took this idea and ran with it, especially because the words chosen are my best friend's wedding song!

What you need: A canvas in the size of your choice (I found mine on sale at Michael's), paint brushes (I already had on hand), and acrylic paint in your preferred colors.  I chose a deep teal and a light moss green.  I also got a slightly off-white color to fix edges and mistakes.

Find your font choice, I used "Tall, Dark, and Handsome" which I downloaded for free online.  Print out the words/letters you want, cut, and trace onto the canvas.  Then, just fill in the letters (or, paint all around the letters if you want a background color) with the acrylic paint.

I love how the canvas turned out! My friend loved it too :)

S's Project Apartment: Odds and Ends...

This weekend was finally the big move here in Chicago! I am officially moved into my new place, and am in the process of getting settled.  I have some furniture and accessories from my previous living spaces, and have been lucky enough to have family that is ready to part with some of their pieces, but there are still a few holes to fill.

I have super tall closets- and a lot of them (luckily!).  Since I'm a bit vertically challenged, this cute Ikea step stool will look stylish as an accessory when piled with books or with folded blankets on each step, but will be well appreciated for the height help too!

I have some counter space, but not as much as I would like.  I'm thinking of going for a rod over my sink that can hold a hanging dish rack for my drying dishes, as well as some cute containers for cleaning supplies, herbs, or even flowers.

I have lots of tables in my living area, but I think one more would be nice to hold a small lamp near the seating area.  I was looking for something that is small, cheap, and would blend into the scene.  This small white side table might be the perfect solution! I can put my smaller scale silver lamp on it to bring light to the area, but it won't overwhelm the space.

My bedroom has some unused space that I would like to fill with an area that is calming, and would be good to use for reading, nail painting, generally hanging out.  I think a small table and chair would be the perfect solution.  Still on the lookout for the perfect fit... any suggestions?  Maybe this small table would work nicely...

I'm still working on the settling and organizing process that inevitably takes forever with a new apartment.  I'm always appreciative of new sources for design inspiration and budget-friendly pieces.  If you have any, pass them along in the comments!

Happy Monday everyone :)