Campaign Dresser 3.0

So, I'm here again.  You know when I said that there are times where I do shit, and I can't leave it alone.  There is something off about it, or something I half-assed (let's get real here), and you can't appreciate exactly what you did until that little thing is fixed?  Have I rambled enough?  I think so too.

These campaign dressers.  Man, I knew they were going to be something that would require work. Who knew I would be talking to you about their third update.

Just to recap - remember when?

Not terrible.  I was clearly very excited at the time. But, let's get back to half-assing.  I never actually got around to attaching the wood.  In the two years or whatever, the wood slid around, scratched up the top and my ego.

Then I had an epiphany.  These dressers were never conjoined in the first place.  So why dress them up like they are?  It was time for these sweeties to part ways.

They got a new paint job - different colors.  And were encased (or topped) with some good quality poplar wood, stained and secured with brads.  The hardware got a new metallic paint job too.  If you can make your original hardware shine with a little love and elbow grease, by all means.  But this brass hardware went from pretty to dingy in a month.  Plan B.

Spray Painting Hardware Tips:

For perfect hardware the first time and every time, pick up some Clean Metal Primer by Rust-Oleum. This is one serious heavy metal ass kicker.

Give your hardware a nice, even coat of primer and let dry.  Flip hardware over and spray other side.  Any knicks or debris can be sanded with fine grit paper.  Spray additional light coats as needed. Once your primer is set, any paint type, color, sheen, you name it, will be flawlessly applied.  Let dry.

While the hardware was basking in the sunshine, I began sanding away flaws that I overlooked the last time I decided to "fix" these dressers.  I noticed there was still a lot of leftover laminate stuck in various spots.  The medium-coarse grit sandpaper and orbital sander took care of that.  With the wood settling over the years, there were some tight spots.  A little buffing allowed for the drawers to glide a bit more easily.  Once the sanding was done, I took a damp shop cloth and wiped down all surface areas.

Onto the painting!  I did two different colors for two dressers - I used Rust-Oleum's 2X Ultra Cover in Antique White, Satin finish, for the babes room and Stone Gray in Satin for our bedroom.  Hardware was painted in Rust-Oleum Universal Pure Gold.

When it came to the wood, I can't remember if we went with a large slab of poplar (my favorite), or pine.  The wood was cut to size, sanded, and stained.  I ended up applying a few coats of poly to the top of the babes dresser - just in case convenience factor plays a role, and we use that space for a changing table.  I don't need shit getting into the grooves.  No puns here.

Otherwise, the wood was stained with Minwax in Puritan Pine and Natural.

The babes dresser was completely encased in wood.  Only a top and bottom trim piece were added to the dresser in our bedroom space - it's interesting how much room an inch takes up when you have limited space to work with.  Small brads were used to secure the wood to the dressers.  We opted to carry the dressers inside before securing the wood slabs.  One of the smarter choices we've made - because those dressers are heavy AF with the added wood. 

Here's a little snapshot of the beans dresser:

And ours:

Same same but different.  But still same.  On that note. 

Happy fall!

Calm

So, we have this room in our house that serves no other purpose than being my "closet." Not a bad gig, I mean after all, I do have some pretty cool shit.  But someday we would like to have it serve another purpose, like a room for another human.  This is not a pregnancy announcement, I repeat.  But it is most certainly a form of planning, and a planner I tend to be.  

Four years ago we kinda got with the program, and started going neutral when it came to our wall color.  I had no idea what neutral even meant, as it means something different to everyone I've talked to.  And according to the lady at the paint store, neutral meant Shaker Beige.  She knows, right?  So, I hopped on the beige wagon and rode that hue to sunset. Well, after four years of still riding the wagon, my eyes started getting all shifty-like, and I hopped right off.  Turns out, Shaker Beige isn't my neutral.  It's brown, which is still a form of color, oh, and goodbye.

After numerous nursery pins to my "Babes" page, I settled on Calm by Benjamin Moore. Settled as in 6 hours of research in total, I suppose.  In conclusion, this room will never be painted again, by me. Ever. Plus, the name. I mean... Right? Mad color vibing.

Here is an image of what the room looked like prior to us moving in in all of it's lilac glory--

Shaker Beige walls (and new carpet) 2015--

Calm walls 2016--

A well thought out decision.  The room became insta-bright, and my furniture wasn't competing with the wall color anymore.  My clothes are certainly going to like it, and maybe, hopefully even that human someday.  Speaking of tiny humans, hello year of babies!  I always try to paint my friends and new baby owners a little art piece to hang in their nursery.  Our next door neighbors recently welcomed a baby girl, and her older sister just so happens to be a 90 pound bulldog...

Sales Pitch:  I do commissioned work, so if you or someone you know would love a dog portrait, or any other kind of portrait for that matter, feel free to contact me.

As always, thanks for reading!
:) Jenna

Where the Magic Happens

As we all know, bedrooms are the last place to see a lot of love.... wait.  Let me rephrase that. In most homes, bedrooms get the shaft.  At least in our case. Our bedroom has seen a lot of changes. Anything from wall color to extra furniture storage space, to curtains.  I'd say our bedroom sat without trim for oh, 2 years?  It's always been the first door I close when I know people are coming over.  Until recently that is.  

I can't say the "master" bedroom is luxe by any means, or a master bedroom for that matter, but it's better than it ever was before. I will take better.  The space is pretty sparse and minimal, but that is our style.  Less fuss that way.  Practical.  Clean.  Our black dog, who loves the bed, doesn't help the matter, so having less to dust is key.  

When we first moved in, circa 2007--

Aren't red walls supposed to make you hungry?  And awake?  And angry?  The previous homeowners did a great job painting everything red, and I mean everything.  Carpet, switch plates, vents...  It was one big f***ing mess, really.  A coat of green paint, then gray, then green again, then the color we have now, Old Prairie by Benjamin Moore, was added to the walls.  

And now (queue drumroll)--

Obviously we are "missing" a few corners of the bedroom, but you have to remember a jail cell is roomier than the hovel we have to work with.  The angles, man.  The angles.  

What We Did Do:

* New carpet, extra plush

* New ceiling fan

* New door and trim

* Fresh coat of paint on the ceiling and walls (3 times over)

What's Left:

* New windows (you can hear a pin drop from outside)

* Window Treatments

* Thrift furniture finds (headboard, dresser, lamp)

* Art wall

We've had a lot of people ask us, "Why don't you sell and move?" or "Why are you continuing to invest in the house?" That would be like telling someone who is 75% done with a coloring sheet they have been working on for the last three years to stop.  And we know how crazy people are about their sophisticated coloring sheets... Honestly, our split level is enough house for us.  We've literally put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it.  It would be a shame to walk away not seeing its full potential, not to mention sentimental value.  

Thanks for reading.

-J

The Bell of the Bathroom

Running a few days behind here, but I wanted to give you a quick peek at the CB2 Bell lights from this "Updates" post, that we finally got around to putting up in the art studio/guest bedroom.  One half of the room is almost complete.  All that is left is filling and painting the wood trim white + window treatments.  Oh my Lanta!

We have also been hard at work in the upstairs bathroom.  Previously I shared a planning board of everything that was in our bathroom at this very moment--

Split level bathrooms do not give you a lot of room, or light to photograph.  Without natural light, everything just looks orange and muddy. Without further adieu- this is the best I could do.

Everything has been stripped down.  No art, no decor, no nothing.  Minimal.  I have to tell you, I really don't mind it.  I actually like it.  No fuss.

A little side-by-side action:

Then

Now

Up next on the chopping block-- our "master" bedroom.  More to come on it's progress.  Just for giggles, here is the before we moved in shot:

Redrum.

Thanks for stopping by!