Window Seat ~ Reveal!

Yesterday was a beautiful winter's day. The unexpected sun was a lovely surprise and a perfect opportunity to finally take some photos of the finished window seat at the top of our stairs. There are still are few things I would like to tweak but for now I am happy with the outcome. It's cosy and relaxing and at the moment decorated for the winter season.

I picked up the red berries from my favourite garden store down the road a few days before Christmas. Their days are numbered but they still add a pretty winter colour to the neutral palette. The clay planter has been kicking around in storage for a while. I spray painted the bottom half gloss black and the top half white to achieve an ombre effect.

The cushions are all made from material collected from thrift stores. I should have ironed the fabric first but patience when working on a project isn't always my strong suit. Oh well. The black reading lamp is from Ikea and the little silver trees are from the Dollar Store. The curtain is an old Ikea sheer panel and the silver balls are left overs from a Christmas wedding I decorated last December. 

I am not overly excited about this art piece. My vision was definitely in a different direction. But true to my nature I tried to fix a mistake by adding more and this is what I ended up with. The owls are a wallpaper sample I had ordered online from a supplier in the UK (still trying to track down the company in my email). I was initially thinking of using the wallpaper to line the back of a shelving unit but you had to order a whole roll so the cost would have been too high in the end. The words are the title of one of my favourite children's books growing up. I do like how the effect on the matte resembles birch bark though. I may definitely revisit this project in the future.....we will see.

The black wooden letters are from Walmart. 

The faux sheepskin rug is from Ikea and the grey material covering the bench is also a thrift store find.

All the art on the left wall is DIY'ed. I have posted about the crayon art and the hockey tape art here and here. The other pieces will get their few minutes in the spotlight hopefully in time.

I have to say my pride and joy in this area is definitely the tree stump side table. I had snagged the stump from my Dad's wood pile last summer and left it in the basement to dry out for a few months. It was covered in thick bark and moss but I saw it's potential right away. It was love at first site. Actually I grabbed two stumps and am hoping to make another side table for the family room in the future. The second stump has a special characteristic so stay tuned.

After this stump had dried out I took a hammer and chisel to it and spent a couple of hours removing the bark as best I could. Then I spent a few more hours sanding it down. The wood was quite soft and sanded easier than I expected. Finally I sealed it with two coats of semi gloss wood sealer.

The two vintage books belonged to my Mum. The silver tea light holders are a Dollar Store find. The white ceramic bird is one of a pair I found at the thrift store a few years ago, along with the grey glass ashtray turned candy dish.

I love the colour variations and imperfections in the tree stump.

Apart from the accessories and decor, we also painted the old ugly wood panelling in this area white, caulked around the window and gave it a fresh coat of paint, repaired the ceiling tiles with dry wall filler and painted them a light grey, found the ceiling light cover in the shed, and finally added moulding around the ceiling. 

Eventually, along with the rest of the house, we will be tearing all of the wood panelling and crappy drywall out, starting from fresh with new drywall and redo this area properly. But for now with a little elbow grease and a few bucks, it's definitely a huge improvement!

Total Cost for this little update:

Reading Light - Ikea = $11.99

Faux Sheepskin Rug - Ikea = $12.99

Tree Stump - Dad's garden = Free

Cushion/Window Seat materials - Thrift stores = Less than $20 total

Cushion inserts - Reused from old cushions around the house = FREE

Window Seat Foam - The Foam Shop = $46

Clay Planter - Reused = FREE

Silver Xmas Trees - Dollar Store = $1 each ($3)

Silver Xmas Balls - Reused = FREE

White Ceramic Bird - Thrift Store = $4.99/pair

Grey Glass Ashtray - Thrift Store = $3.99

Silver Tealight Holders - Dollar Store = $1.50 each ($3)

Canvas' and Picture Frames - Dollar Store/Walmart = Less than $20 total

White Sheer Curtain - Reused = FREE

Black Wooden Letters - Walmart = $1.99 each ($10)

Paint for walls and ceiling - Had on hand from other projects around the house

Total Cost = Approx. $135.00! Not bad for a functional and attractive little nook.

And just as another reminder of what this space started out as....

Collections ~ Fabric

My shades of grey thrift store fabric collection is growing. I claimed each of these for no more than $6.99 a piece. I look forward to putting them to use on some furniture finds, maybe some cushion covers...

Window Shopping ~ Craigslist Part 2

The theme of this Window Shopping installment are items that are priced higher than I am willing to pay, that I believe are slightly over priced, or maybe I'm just a true cheap skate.



 



1930's Boy's book - $25 (White Rock)

I am a sucker for vintage books. Especially children's books. The posting includes photos of some really great  illustrations. $25 seems a bit pricey but if I found this at a thrift store that I was already at, for slightly cheaper, I would definitely give it some serious consideration. (Yes sometimes I'm pretty lazy as well). At the very least I would take the time to leaf through and soak in the vintage stories.

 

 

Antique wood bed frame - $70 (Cloverdale)

This antique bed frame has been listed for quite a while and I have been admiring it from afar. I'm quite surprised it hasn't been snatched up by now. I think it's absolutely  gorgeous and would be a great addition to our spare bedroom. It's a single, so only one guest would be able to visit at a time (obviously a double would be ideal) but design over function right? ;) The owners have just dropped the price from $100 to $70. I still don't know if I can fork out that much right now though. I think I would be comfortable with $50.....

 

Antique Cabinet/Shelves - $60 (Marpole)

This piece would look spectacular in a rustic country kitchen, dining room or just about any room in the house really. It looks great in white but could be painted any colour to match your decor. It is perfect to use as a collection cabinet or as a book shelf.  It looks like quite a large piece so definitely worth $60 (just not to cheapskate over here). I also love that this piece plus the bed above come with a story.



Bamboo bench - $45 (East Vancouver)

This bench is a combination of a few of my favorite things......it has a rustic feel, it's rattan/bamboo and it's black. It would look fabulous at the end of our bed as a catchall for magazines, books or clothing at the end of the night. Unfortunately I'm not willing to pay the asking price right now.



Vintage coal bucket - $20 (Vancouver)

This vintage coal bucket is super cool. It is an excellent way to add a pop of colour to any home decor. It could be used as a toilet roll/extra towel container in the bathroom, a place to store books/magazines in the bedroom, or a wood container next to the fireplace. I would jump on it if it were perhaps listed for $10, maybe even $15....





Box of vintage maps - $20 (Vancouver)

I have always wanted to find a really awesome vintage map to hang in a frame. Excerpt from the posting...."Not sure what the hell is in there but some look kinda cool and go back to the thirties and forties. Kind of an as is deal as I don't have time to go through them all"....Would you pay $20 for a box of maps at the chance of finding the perfect vintage one??.....

Of course almost everything on Craigslist is listed OBO or is negotiable. We will have to wait and see if anything pushs me to take the leap while it's still up for grabs!

Window Shopping ~ Craigslist

So I thought I would let you in on a couple guilty pleasures of mine. My love for thrift stores and Craigslist.

I was wandering around one of my favorite thrift stores after work last night and started thinking to myself...."man I'm glad I have a tiny ounce of self control because I could end up spending a small fortune at these places if I allowed myself to".

Because of this I have come up with a second hand shopping system. I start by slowly scanning my favorite sections and taking inventory of what I would love to take home but I leave everything where it is on the shelf (sometimes hiding the really good finds behind larger objects just in case). Then I retrace my steps and ask myself a few questions.

1. Do I really NEED it?
2. Do I have a specific spot in the new house for it?
3. Is it a one of a kind item that I probably will never see again?
4. Do we have room to store it before we move?

I usually end up finding anywhere between 2-6 things that I would love to have but only end up purchasing 1 or 2, sometimes leaving the store empty handed.

I have also set a price limit for myself.

1. Ceramics and small household items, nothing over $5.
2. Larger household items, nothing over $10 (unless it's really special).
3. Furniture, nothing over $20.

These guidelines keep me from taking home everything in sight! I must admit I'm slightly addicted to shopping at thrift stores. I'm also slightly addicted to scanning Craigslist whenever I have a few minutes here and there. 

I have scored some awesome finds from Craigslist in the past. The free kind and the super good deal kind. I will share those items once we move into the house.

I also end up finding things that I would love to have but the sensible part of my brain tells me to just let them be. Usually because we don't have room for them or they aren't really worth the effort or gas money to drive out and pick up.

So to share the love and found goodies with others, I have decided to start a Window Shopping section. Here I will post Craigslist and thrift store items that I come across and love, probably won't jump on for whatever reason, but maybe someone else out there will!



Round Rattan Coffee Table - $20 (Downtown)

This rattan coffee table doesn't come with the glass. Even so, a piece of something could be cut and attached to the top as a base, turn it upside down and now it can be used as a laundry hamper or other type container. It could also be cut in two and the bottom half turned into a drum lamp shade. Basket lamp shades are hot right now.



Vintage Desk - $20 (Fir and 12th)

 I'm actually pondering picking this desk up. I have been thinking of putting a small desk in our guest room under the window at the new house. This would look super cute paired with a bright turquoise chair. I also have a love affair with black furniture (as you will soon find out).



Mid-century modern home stuff, credenza and more - $5 (East Van)

The glass orb on the right hand side of the photo is the only $5 item. Everything else is under $30 (except antlers are $50). I could find a home for all of these goodies, especially the little yellow bubble desk lamp. That lamp has been haunting my dreams the past couple of nights. It is listed for $20 and would be perfect in our bedroom on one of our nightstands. Not sure if I can bring myself to drive across the bridge for it though......



Vintage dresser - $40 (West End)

I love this dresser but unfortunately I don't have a specific spot for it in mind or a place to store it at the moment. BOO!


 I'm sure as my thrifting obsession progresses there will be many more of these Window Shopping posts. Stay Tuned!!