BEFORE AND AFTER

You know how it goes.....sometimes you awaken the inner designer in someone!

If you have been reading my blog for a while then you might remember how I helped my friend Angie makeover a rental house back in 2011.  

But first....holy hell....yes this month marks my 8th year of blogging.

Ahem......can you even believe it?  I mean we were still using flip phones back then I think.

#darkages

Anyway....back to my friend Angie.

Starting here ,  here and here   she totally gutted and made over a little bungalow for rental in Atlanta.  The catch is....drumroll......she bought everything on Craigslist.  Everything.

Appliances, cabinets, lights and all the furniture.

Well after another year long trip around the world she and her husband moved to Henderson, NC and are at it again....[without me] and I would say she is a quick learner.

I saw these on FB last night so I thought I would share......and I have no doubt that she got everything second hand.....She is an amazing shopper!

After

High five to whoever invented paint [and mascara of course] because it changes everything.

Put a pretty blue door on a house and you're in business.

The living area before

Shocking that I recognize the same curtains [Angie am I right?]  and pillows we used back in 2011....ha ha.

She said all this furniture came from the West Elm outlet except for the coffee table which she got from a thrift store.

Before

After

Kitchen before

Looks like new cabinets.....she probably found them at a Restore or something.....

Before

After

She thrifted the chairs for $12 each

Bedroom before

After

Before guest room

Twin beds

Look we have all seen before and afters that have knocked our socks off but I guarantee what makes this one good is how she probably found everything for the cost of a pair of Louboutins :)

She is a crafty girl.

Y'all it's going to be in the 50's today.....can I get an amen? 

Every time I go out to walk Cami I look like a homeless person after I am done throwing on clothes to stay warm.....hee haw.

Plus it's market week so I will get show you all the new trends coming out.  Yesterday was my first full day back at work and it was brutal.....just trying to remember where I left off with everyone was a challenge.

Shafuzzybrain

8

Angie's blue doors!

Nicholas House is finished and I will have pictures next week.  I know you guys are probably saying...Nicholas House what again???????  I know...I know....you need some design stuff!

Remember Angie and her blue doors??? 

Here is the color of the house when she bought it.  Bad pink.....

But she had these turquoise doors and I loved them so.  Well after all it is my favorite color.

 I told her she HAD to keep the color of the doors.  And...I put it out there in blogland and everyone was happy to give her an opinion.  Most people opted for them to stay.  I was smug when I gave her that info.  My opinion was to paint the house a dark gray with white trim and the blue doors.

Here is the outcome of a little house painting!

 It is now gray with white trim and....

I am happy to show you the doors!

I love!  I want to paint my front door the same color.

I hope everyone has a great weekend....I know I can put one project to bed.....it was all worth it.  But I will tell you this...I did some serious sweating this week.  Throw away your shirt sweating.

29

Queen of CL is back

Ok...I have a few shots of Angie's place.  It is close to getting finished.  If you haven't been reading for a while, you can find more about this project here.  ALL of the furniture came from CL...yep...every bit of it.  The goal is to rent the place furnished while they travel the world for a year, which they did once before 10 years ago.  They sold everything, quit their jobs and spent a year traveling...on only 40,000.

So of course some of the furniture would not be what she would choose if it was a forever place [who am I kidding...what the heck is "forever" all about anyway].  

I think I showed you the rug that we started with.

Here are the pieces of furniture that she picked up for literally next to nothing.

Nothing was recovered.  She painted the blue end table.  Pillows were custom but fabrics were a steal. 

 She did find someone to make them really cheap and bought the down forms at Goodwill.

Had the curtains made but just panels and used rings with clips to attach.

The plexiglass table was an umbrella stand that was just turned upside down.  Chair...CL

Chair and small hide...CL.  Also...there is one of the mink pillows she had made.

OK...she did buy these bookcases from Overstock to go on either side of the fireplace.

She just scored this small table at a yardsale this weekend.  Still needs  a piece of glass.

Yep...there's the art work!  I know...I know...but art is  subjective.   The table and chairs...CL.  3 milk glass vases at GW.  Light fixture online and the curtains from Ikea.

Another mink pillow.  Seems kind of funny that everything came second hand but she has mink pillows.

Bedroom...All CL.  New mattress...from CL.  Pillows were custom made.

Mirror at a flea market and the curtains were from Ikea.

I was with her when she found those 2 turquoise jars at Salvation Army.  I think the lamps were from Homegoods on clearance.

The laundry room is in the powder room so she had burlap curtains made [someone on Etsy].

Just used the curtain hardware from Ikea to slide them open and closed.  That saved a lot of room instead of using doors.

Also in the powder room, she had found this really expensive sink and faucet on CL.  It was a plumbing store going out of business...then after really looking for the perfect chest...[really hard] she finally found it.  You can see how tight the space is.  The toilet is right next with just inches.

I have to say that she really opened my eyes to CL.  I made my first purchase and it was exciting.  The thrill of a deal.  I was high driving home from picking up my purchase...smug like I got away with something.  I wanted to roll down my windows at stop lights and tell people what I had in my car.  That's a quick way to be labeled crazy.

On another note...here is a picture of what is happening at my house.

Yep...a leak....from the dishwasher.  Floors ruined.  Goodie.  Explain later.

34

Sunday afternoon

Well...never made it to the beach yesterday...or today.  I am DEFINITELY leaving tomorrow.  I kept trying to get it together to leave but I felt like my feet were stuck in concrete.  One excuse after another...it's raining....I don't feel like packing....my back hurts.....I am going to miss my dogs....and the biggest one is I DO NOT FEEL LIKE GOING DOWN THERE TO CLEAN.  

Just trying to keep it real.  But OK I am definitely leaving tomorrow morning.  I swear.

So just a few random pictures.  I went to a small showhouse last week.  Actually 2 of the three were decorated by a store.  One by Room and Board and the other by a really modern store called Cantoni.  The problem is when one store does the whole house...well you know what I am going to say.  It looks like too much of a showroom.  I LOVE modern but I like it mixed in with other styles.

The middle one was a few different designers and I found it so much more interesting.

Here are a few shots I took.

I took this because I liked the art and I thought it was interesting how they used those clips to mount it.

A closeup.  Cute huh?

Look at the top of these curtains...neat idea on hanging them.

Yes.  Me likey.  Very much.

Now I have seen the molds done a lot of different ways...but this was cool.  I have some...where the heck are they???

Close up...just using a L bracket.

OK...see this mink pillow?  What a great idea right.  Well I was talking to Angie [CL queen] and she told me that she bought 3 mink pieces on Goodwill.com for really cheap.  Of course...what was I thinking.  Pictures...

Not the flip flops :)

So...mink pillows will be made.  Here are a few more that she got.

and this little number.

Who wants one?????

 I saw this the other day for $25...Geez...I need a truck to drive around in.  Of course then I need a store cause I have a sofa.  But I could change it.  But then my husband might change wives.  Decisions....

Finally got the cafe curtains up for my client.  I am loving this type of window treatment right now.  We just used a very light scrim for texture.

 Ok...I have a little sneak peek of Angie's house.  We are still accessorizing but it is starting to look really cute.

Sofa...CL

Table [painted] CL

Fabric for pillow....I found at GW .  One window panel for $5.00.  It is a very expensive heavy linen fabric.

Lamp from Scott's.  OK maybe that was a little over her usual budget but I convinced her she needed it.

That is all you are getting :)

Oh yeah...I have been pretty smug about you guys talking about all the chairs you keep buying.  Inner monologue "Whew...glad I am over the chair thing.  I am happy with what I have".  "Crazy bloggers".  OK....never say never and what a joke....I bought 2 sets of chairs this week.  Yes you read that right.  WTF.  Change is coming I guess.

Think of me driving 5 hours by myself tomorrow.  Bored.  Eating "Cheese It's".   The best.  NOT cheese Nips.  Crappy. 

30