whirly candle chandelier

i saw this whirly candle chandelier on cb2's blog and decided that something like this would be fun in our house.  our dining room is super tiny - our table is practically in our entry - so it is in major need of a fun / unique focal point. 

here's the pic from cb2:

http://blog.cb2.com/home/2010/7/1/whirly-chandelier-how-to.html/

i loved this look - but it was a little too modern for our house....so we changed things up a bit.  i used jute twine instead of the orange electrical wire used in cb2's blog. 

we attached it to the ceiling with an eye hook - but since i didn't want to see a bunch of messy knots at the top - i came up with a way to cover them up.  i took an empty toilet paper roll - cut it in half length wise, wrapped it around the hook, taped it securely and wrapped jute around the roll.  it worked out great and you would never know that a toilet paper roll was used!

it looks awesome when the candles are all lit....only bummer is that it takes FOREVER to turn on each individual tea light - so i have to admit we don't light it very often.  it did give me an excuse to pick up two new table lamps - homegoods has such fun lamps!

dining room hutch

another obsession of mine is dishes......i love collecting seasonal pieces that i can display throughout the year.  i had been on the hunt for a small hutch and was so happy when i found this piece.  it was an off white color when i bought it – so i livened it up with some green paint.  i really like the chicken wire on the door and the size was perfect for our house.  

this will be a new painting project soon as some of the knots are coming through the paint......now to pick the new color!  another craigslist find - $75!

shutter armoire

i wish i still had my attempt at a drawing of this piece – a few months before i found this i literally drew a picture of a piece of furniture that i wanted to figure out how to build.  this piece is pretty much identical to what i drew!  armoires are my favorite type of furniture – they look pretty on the outside, but can hide all of your junk on the inside :) 

this was another craigslist find and we paid around $125 for it.

craigslist headboard

we had been looking for a headboard for months….of course i found several from pottery barn that i loved, however i didn’t love their price tags, so we kept looking.  i found this solid pine headboard on craigslist and thought it would be perfect!  when we bought it – it still was a natural pine color – so i decided to add my touch to it and painted it a fun blue color and distressed the edges. 

i love it!  it has added a lot of character and color to our room.  craigslist find - $75 + $20 for paint.  great deal!

another craigslist find

this is absolutely one of my favorite pieces!  it is so unique and has all the fun details that I love – from the sliding beveled glass doors to the details on the top and bottom of the piece. 

this was one of my more expensive purchases at $200, however it’s a super sturdy piece and would go for at least 5 times that price if i bought it new.  craigslist find :)

feeling crafty

while cleaning out the garage i came across a small picture frame that i bought at least 14 years ago.  it was purchased during my country decorating phase - and was a barnyard red color - which doesn't quite go with the coastal feel we have going through our house.  instead of tossing it - i decided to try changing it up a bit to suit our style.  here's what i came up with:

supplies
small picture frame
hot glue gun
jute twine

so quick & simple and it was great to be able to reuse something that i already had!

i love craigslist :)

one of the best ways to find furniture for your home is by searching on craigslist. 

we have found so many AMAZING deals!  a couple of tips – be patient – don’t settle and don’t be afraid to bargain.  i personally hate bartering – when i go to the flea market – i usually have one of my friends do the work for me since i’m too embarrassed to offer less than the asking price.  craigslist however is different, by being able to email your offer, it takes the awkwardness (not sure if that’s a word) out of the deal :) 

here's one of my favorite finds:

loved the details on this dresser – the ribbed drawers and the feet.  it is still in need of some work, the top is raised slightly from the base, however i love the feel it brings to our bedroom.  another bonus.....it came painted in a creamy white - so we left it as is and didn't have to do anything to it. 

furniture love

for those of you that know me – you know that i am a bit obsessed with furniture….my house is full, however it doesn’t stop me from being tempted when i find a unique piece that needs some love :)  my friend joanne has even put me on “restriction” from buying more.   although i have to admit after rearranging my living room last night….there may be room for one more piece! 

we have pretty much furnished our home from craigslist, local flea markets and family hand-me-downs.  other than outdoor furniture and pieces for the kids' rooms, we’ve only bought one piece of furniture new – which was an investment – but is one of my favorites :)

i'm going to post several articles listing ways that you can find inexpensive & unique furniture....here's my first suggestion:

side of the road:  yes – i am making this into it’s own category as i have found several pieces on the side of the road.  whenever we drive by a piece of furniture left at the curb, my husband speeds up so i don’t have a chance to look at it….my mind is always thinking about the next project and as soon as i see any piece on the side of the road – i quickly start to think how i can refurbish it :)  since our garage is full of my “projects”  i don’t get to “shop” curbside until it’s cleared out :)

so this was one of my favorite finds............

jake and i were on our evening walk and i saw this on the side of the road.  i couldn’t believe it!  it has such great lines and curves and i knew that i could transform it into a great piece.  so my wonderful husband picked it up and carried it home.  i couldn’t understand why anyone would get rid of this……until as my husband was carrying it home i saw it was missing a leg!!! oooops!  well luckily we were able to do our own fix and screwed in an inexpensive finial in place of the leg.  i definitely couldn’t sell this piece, however it works and it looks great in my little seating area. 

before

after

i'm so happy with the way this dresser turned out!  the color works great in our house and the entire project only took me a few hours.   

best deal – side of the road for free!  paint was $15!