If you haven't heard the exciting news... I'm moving! In a little over a month, I'll be settling into a lovely main floor, two-bedroom unit in a Victorian house oozing with charm. I'll have more space to work with (and a location super convenient to antique shops), but since I'll be paying more in rent I'll need to be more thrifty and crafty with how I fill up the space. (No more Target shopping sprees.)
So in gathering inspiration for my new digs, I've rounded up some do-it-myself projects on my to-do list. In no particular order...
A Re-Upholstered Desk Chair
Firstly, I've always wanted to learn how to reupholstered - and an easy to disassemble desk chair seems like a good place to start. My current retro, brown leather chair works great in the office nook in the corner of my bedroom, but once my desk has its own home in its own little office, I think a patterned chair would suit the space better.
Now, I didn't luck out enough to get a dishwasher. (That luxury just isn't a deal breaker for me, so I don't hunt for an apartment with one.) I will, however, be downsizing to a smaller refrigerator if only for the time being. I love the look of this type of tile on ceilings and it looks fab on this dishwasher, so why not apply the same concept to my fridge?
Photos Transferred to Canvas
This project is an oldie but a goodie. One of my old roomies pulled it off and her crafty wall art turned out great. I like hanging canvases because they're so lightweight and can be put up without hardly any damage to the wall - especially over the bed or sofa, where I have an irrational fear of pictures suddenly falling off the wall and onto my head. Plus, it'd be a fun way to display some of my favorite Instagram shots.
Marquee Letters
These vintage-inspired letters are everywhere now - some may go so far to say that they're a dying trend. Designers will soon be "over it." I say: when you like a trend enough, it never goes out of style in your own space. I love this look. It's circus-y, theatrical, dramatic, and fun. I'm going for it, but I might go for a more Ringling Brothers font.
This is another fad that I'm not quite ready to let go of - probably because I've only been allowed to do it on a small scale (painting canvases, pumpkins, and wooden boards with chalkboard paint). In my new place, there's a flat door hiding the pantry. It's the only door in the house that isn't original Victorian, and right now it's painted a bright red. I love the red, but it's not a color in my planned scheme for the space, so turning it into a full-length chalkboard is just the ticket. And since I'm always losing pieces of chalk all over my apartment, these up-side-down drawer pulls are a lovely solution that will fit well into the historically charming aesthetic.
So for the first time since moving to this town, I'm going to have space to actually entertain. I can have friends over without them having to sit on top of each other! I'm thrilled and I'm already planning little dinner parties with cute appetizers and beer flights. However, I'm not such a frequent hostess that I want to create a big dining room. I'd prefer being able to amp up my current one. My current dining table seats two on retro lime green vinyl chairs. And I want to leave it that way, so this project takes a cue from my grandma. I have a big family and whenever we all gather at her house, we quickly run out of dining chairs. She keeps some red folding chairs in her closet to pull out for those occasions. I think I might have to whip out some lime green ones. Or maybe chrome? We'll see!
Curtain rods really aren't that expensive - there are simple, elegant options available at both Walmart and Target. However, they add up fast when you have a bunch of windows. (I'll have a set of three bay windows in my living room alone!) So while I plan on updating the curtain-hanging hardware over time, this project is a great temporary solution: wrap the plain curtain rods in twine. In the past, I've spray painted white curtain rods, too. And with this for inspiration, I'm sure to come up with a couple other options.
When I move into the new place, I'll be trading in my spacious bathroom (and clawfoot tub) for a teeny, tiny bathroom with a standing-only shower. But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the extra square footage elsewhere. Nevertheless, it will be a challenge taking my spread-out bathroom products and squishing them into a smaller space. I really like this idea of wall planters for hair products and styling tools - though I might go with a more industrial/wire look.
There's something about this that I just think is adorable. Granted, I probably won't sit a book right on top of the toilet paper, but what a perfect spot for a candle, air freshener, essential oil diffuser, or antique knick-knack?
Now this is the most dramatic and ambitious project on my list. Since I'll have my own office/library space, I'll get to have all my books in one place rather than scattered throughout my apartment. I have a thing for books and thick frames, so this idea just speaks to me. I will, however, be tackling it on a smaller scale.
Which of these projects would you consider taking on for your space?
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