Painting the Master Bath

I'm continuing to keep busy and making decorating improvements around the house seems to be something that can keep my mind occupied pretty well.  Last week, I tackled the master bath.  The walls needed painting and I went with a wonderful green.

The cutting in process was a nightmare.  This room will probably never be painted by me again!  Or maybe it's like childbirth... I'll eventually forget the pain and do it again.

I also made new curtains from a chenille bedspread.  They look better in person - the texture is fun.

Rudy made the bench a couple of years ago.  I'd like to paint it white, but can't bring myself to change it.  That's probably stupid since I'm the one who painted it in the first place.

There are some funny memories associated with this bench.  I wanted a simple, vintage-style, rickety-looking bench, but that wasn't up to Rudy's standards.  When he built something, it was generally strong enough to withstand a tornado.  This bench has all sorts of extra reinforcement.  He actually made it for me to sell in my booth, but I'm glad I still have it.

Exactly the Chairs I Was Hoping For!

Sometimes Facebook is annoying and other times it's wonderful.  Today, I think it's wonderful.  It helped me get the word out to my friends so I could get exactly the chairs I was looking for in record time.  Let me explain...

I have been wanting two matching chairs for ages.  I actually started the hunt when we first moved into our current house in 2008.  I couldn't find the chairs and I gave up looking for a while and headed in another direction.  Then, a couple of years ago, I started looking again.

I wanted the chairs to be sturdy and comfy, but they also needed to be pet friendly.  I wanted two loose cushions in each chair and no fabric around the outside because that's way too attractive to my super destructive cat, Cindy Lou.  She has scratch pads of all sorts, but she prefers furniture.  I've tried (without success) every trick on the internet to keep her away.  I give up.  It's easier to decorate around her issues.  She likes to scratch fabric - upholstered chair backs and sides are her favorites.  So, I needed chairs without fabric on the sides on backs.

There were a number of styles that would work for me, but I never seemed to be able to find them.  I did not want to buy new.  I knew I'd eventually come across a used set at a decent price.  I've been pretty patient, but my patience finally wore thin and I decided to get more aggressive in my search.

Any of these styles would do.

Yesterday, I posted a collage on Facebook showing the various chair styles that would work.  Then, I tagged a number of my treasure hunting buddies and asked them to keep an eye out for me.  Within a few hours of that post, I had a message with a photo of just what I was looking for.

Spoon Sisters in Tyrone

Lynne, the wonderful owner of Spoon Sisters in Tyrone, saw my post and showed it to her vendors right away.  Betty, one of her vendors, had these chairs at her house.  She was planning to put them in her booth as soon as she had room.  No need for that!  I went to her house and picked them up.  By the way, Betty's house was fabulous - lots of incredible pieces of furniture - and she had the prettiest pond out back.  I wish I'd taken a photo, but it was hard to concentrate on anything but my new chairs.   I couldn't believe my search was finally over.

Love those details!

I love the details on the bamboo (or is it rattan?).  The chairs are sturdy and comfy - they definitely passed my test. They're roomy, too. I'm looking forward to having company, now that more people will be able to sit comfortably.

I didn't care what kind of shape the cushions were in.  I was pretty sure I'd be getting new cushions and having covers made for them.  As it turns out, I won't be in any rush to do that.  These cushions are in great shape and the black and white check fabric looks just fine in the room.

This is the second one on the opposite side of the sitting area.

As a bonus, these chairs will be super easy to slipcover.  I can change the look easily.  Each chair came with a small throw pillow, also in the black and white check.  I prefer to have a contrasting pattern, so I added yellow and white pillows there for now.  I will probably change those soon.  There are some other colors I want to bring out in the room.  One decorating change leads to another and I have a number of changes in mind for this room.

It's crazy how quickly I got exactly what I was looking for.  There's probably a lesson here. Good things happen fast when you ask for a little help from your friends!!!

How Many Mugs Does One Person Need?

My newest decluttering inspiration is Marie Kondo's The Magic of Tidying Up. I read all the online articles I could find on her and then finally purchased the book.  One of her big things is not to declutter & organize room-by-room, but rather by category.  For instance, you may have books scattered all over the house.  You won't realize how many you actually have until you bring them all together.

I haven't been following her plan in the order she recommends. I've been working on whatever category seems to need attention.  Today, my coffee mugs begged to be culled.  I pulled them all out.  There were 15 of them in the cabinet. I also have a few special hand-made mugs that I use in other ways. I'm not including those in this category.

Despite the evidence, I'm not a mug hoarder. Most of these mugs were gifts, collected over many years. The most functional ones are scratched or chipped.  Many are colors or designs I don't like.  I'm keeping 5 and tossing the rest.  In true Marie Kondo style, I thanked them for their service and sent them off.

Unfortunately, I'm not all that thrilled with the ones I'm keeping. In this case, the decluttering hasn't left behind what I consider to be beautiful.  One day soon, I'll replace them all with a matching set of simple mugs.  They'll be the perfect size and the perfect color and will feel just right in my hand.  They won't have quotes or cartoons or distracting designs.

Tidying up really is a bit magical.

Office Mini Makeover

So, it looks like I'm going to put a bit of effort into this whole "heal by decorating" thing.  I'm worn out after today's work, but I have to admit, it's been a boost to my spirits.  Today, I dismantled the office and painted the walls.  It was an all day affair.

The previous color was Sherwin Williams Creamy.  Even though I tested tons of samples when I went with this color in 2008, it turned out to be a mistake - too much yellow.  The new color is Sherwin Williams Watery.  It's the same color as the side entry room.  It's an interesting color -  a blue-ish turquoise. I don't think any of my photos truly captured it.

I swapped some wall art around and ended up hanging these flowers over the shelf.  One day, I hope to have two wall-to-wall shelves where that picture is.  I *think* I might be able to do that myself, but will have to work up some courage before I try.

I've always loved the long shelf that's on the floor.  My hubby made it for me years ago.  He even made wooden drawer-like boxes for the bottom row, but we got rid of those a few years ago.

It was starting to get dark by the time I got my desk put back together.  That desk was a real pain to move.  It's super heavy.  I'll be taking aspirin or ibuprofin or something tonight.  Quite a few of my muscles are complaining, especially in my back.  Ugh.

I swapped some window treatments around.  A few days ago, I decided to try using Shirley's Grandmother's tablecloth as a window treatment.  I tried it in the laundry room and loved it.  Today, I decided that it would add a little bit of girly vibe to the office, so I moved it. The curtain softens the feel of the desk.  That desk is a bit too masculine for my tastes, but it's wonderfully functional.  I recently sold a prettier desk.  It was a big vintage oak beauty, but the drawers were heavy and hard to open.

The flowers on the desk are real.  My sweet friend, Susan, brought them the other evening when she came to dinner.

The office is functional, but there's still lots of room for style improvement.  I don't like the door that's propped to the left of the window.  That'll probably be the first change. Anyone need a vintage door?  The room is still not "me" but these changes are a step in that direction.  My life is still not "me" but at least I'm doing something.  That's gotta be good, right?