With about five months left in my last lease (with roommates, and I should mention they are two of the most awesome girls I know), something just...clicked. It was as if I woke up one morning feeling totally ready for more independence...I was completely ready for a place of my own. After finding my one bedroom, eclectic little gem in LP I was excited to settle in and set the mood of my new place.
One of my most favorite things about getting into a new space is making it your own. Giving it those personal touches that not only make it a home, but make it your home. Over the years my style has morphed into a mix of vintage & new, with a healthy sprinkling of personal touches - it's cozy & inviting & interesting. I typically don't hang things on the walls unless I made them (like the prints I did in Venice when I was 20), or someone I know made them (like one of my uncle Matt's prints he did in college); I have numerous vases, dishes & jewelry from my mother, grandmother & great-grandmother; black & white original photos of my grandparents from the 1950's; my late grandfather's hand drawn blueprints framed above my bookshelf; and a headboard made by my incredibly talented Aunt Jo (she should seriously have her own HGTV show).
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| Papa's blueprints & family photos |
I have also added some new sentimental items by way of an antiques fair last September in Clear Lake, Iowa. I was visiting my Aunts who have a place by the lake there, and I had been searching far & wide for a unique (and affordable) coffee table...with zero luck. Suddenly - there it was - one of the most beat-up, unique & beautiful benches I'd ever seen. I knew it would make the perfect coffee table & conversation piece for my new place...and I was right, for the fantastic price of $60.
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| Coffee table close-up |
I also found my kitchen table at the same antiques fair that weekend - $40! This table, however, had seen most of its better days - BUT I wasn't about to give up. It took me several months of the table sitting in my place, just as I bought it, to realize what direction I wanted to take it in: a bold & beautiful shade of teal - Peacock Tail by BEHR was the color I chose. I'd never painted furniture before but growing up working in the shop on occasion with my dad, I knew there would most likely be some scrubbing & sanding involved before I could apply the paint.
After a quick trip to home depot I came home with my sand paper & quart of paint, ready to transform my kitchen table. It took one night of cleaning & sanding the table, and another two nights of applying the paint and wallah! - I had a brand new kitchen table with a story & sentimental value behind it. My kind of piece! Have you ever painted or revamped antique or flea market furniture for your home? It's a great first-timer DIY project!
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| Table before & after! |
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| Dining room set-up |
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| Headboard by Aunt Jo topped off with my prints from Venice |
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