{Trash to Treasure} Dresser Gets a Makeover!

I love when this happens. When you have a vision of something so specific, you just can't get your mind off it, and then *poof* it miraculously appears... just the way you hoped it would!

Yep. I hoped. And I received.

I know what you're thinking...

"What were you thinking!?" OR "Lucky you!!!"

Here's the truth: I'm a sucker for "diamonds in the rough" and anything that resembles "vintage". This was definitely rough and vintage-inspired, and perfect for my soon to be changing table!! 

Now you have to ask me how I hauled this piece home... long story short, an older gentleman (old enough to be my grandpa) saw me struggle with my cute IKEA dolly and this very large piece of furniture and offered to deliver it to me if I could wait for his daughter to get home from work. I jumped for joy and hugged him!! #goodpeoplestillexist!

When my darling arrived home (the piece not the old man) I was elated but also terrified. I know my Mister is not a fan of my "garbage picking" ways, I like to think I treasure hunt... tomatos\tomatoes. I sneaked it into my 'work room' aka the boys bedroom and through a blanket over it. I'm so good at this hide and go seek business. Not.

It didn't take long before the kids made use of it, hence the books.  

My littest helper, sanding so meticulously. 

Phase 1: The piece didn't need much sanding. I gave it a good cleaning with water, vinegar and lemons, let it dry and followed it with a coat of primer. Before painting it a bright satin white. I highly recommend using primer for any and every project. Primer allows your paint to adhere to any finish AND helps to save on paint, especially when going from dark to light. 

Phase 2: While the piece dried, I fixed the broken drawer and sealed the others with wood glue, to ensure it's well supported for future use.

(extension ropes helped keep the pieces in tact while drying)

 Phase 3: I then lined the inside of the drawers with self-adhesive drawer liner. 

I found this chevron pattern at Marshalls for $3.99!

Sure, no one sees the inside of the drawers. But here's why I recommend lining drawers:

1. It's a used piece - the liner serves as a clean platform for storing things, especially baby things.

2. Some liners come scented, keeping your things fresh when stored, if they don't sprit with some water/lavendar oil mixture!

3. Its a pretty surprise every time you open the drawer :)

Phase 4: I planned the  "gallery wall" that would be above the changing table. I wanted to achieve two things with this idea: 1. a simple, yet sophisticated design 2. serve a purpose; the wire rack (from Target) was the perfect diapers n' things organizer!

The frames, as you can see had pictures already in them so I swapped them out and cut scrapbook paper to size to serve as a simple backdrop.

Before

After

I just loved how everything came together. I happened to have the baskets from our first born's nursery, perfect for blankets and extra diapers. Read more about this baby space HERE. The knobs, also from Target, gave the vintage vibe an upgrade. Moreover, I knew I could live with this look in our room, a perfect balance of sweet and simple. Pun intended. :) 

El Fin.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Sincerely,
Sarah

At-Home Corner Office? Uhm Yeah!

Let me start by saying that by "corner office" I mean, a corner in your home that can be utilized to hold a desk, supplies and a seat. That is all you need to have an effective working "corner office" ;)

This is a corner in my room by the window. Under the desk is the radiator. Which is not used during spring or summer and manually turned on during winter. It was the perfect opportunity to make use of this space. The desk is from Ikea. My mother in law gave it to me after she had no use for it. I love it because the legs screw on and off so easily. Before I put here, it was under the bed and I would pull out when I needed to craft. Its what you do when you live an in apartment and don't have an extra bedroom to call your craft room (sniff, sniff).

I then added shelves above the desk and on that blank wall

The shelves are also from IKEA. They're inexpensive and versatile! I added a personal flair by painting the shelves with some white paint I had in stock and sprayed the brackets gold... along with some other office supplies that I wanted in gold:

The Before.

The After!

I didn't stop there:

Then all I needed to was organize my things. The shelves help keep the clutter OFF the desk, which I need for my laptop, or cutting mat, or my sewing machine and so on...

I then added more elements as I saw fit and necessary.

Yep, that is a plate rack. I used it to hold my notebooks and planners. I  liked that it was designed to fit in a corner and it was cheaper than buying a paper sorter - which isn't as wide as this bad boy. 

Oh yeah, that's my little guy's crib! Great if your kiddo isn't standing yet.
Not so easy when they can pop up and grab whatever is at arms reach. Eek!

Living in a small space doesn't mean you need to sacrifice your needs.

Rethinking your space and giving each room/corner a purpose will help you utilize your space more effectively. 

I'm currently trying to empty a closet in my apartment so I can make it my office, I mean, officially anyway, I find myself hiding out in the closet just to text my friends back and check my instagram and emails. That's my life, with kids. 

Sincerely, 

Sarah