The Soulful House

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Teeny Weeny Makeover on a Teeny Weeny Budget

by The Soulful House on February 27, 2013

Take a look at my half-bathroom wall…

This is the scene that greets you as you enter the room. Are you bored yet?

It’s impossibly lackluster and after two years it was time for a fix.

If you know me, you know my love for board-and-batten and all things cottage/farmhouse. (Not to be confused with “country” which is another thing entirely, and not my thing at all.) I wanted this bathroom to feel larger than it is, with a little “farm charm” and reminiscent of the aesthetic in my grandparents’ 1921 lake cottage in northern Wisconsin. (The most beautiful piece of paradise you never imagined in the North Woods.)

So began my transformation, starting with white paint on the bottom 36.5 inches of the wall, overlaid with lattice strips of wood spaced 10.5 inches apart.

I followed much the same process as the board-and-batten in my son’s room you can read about here. And remember that faux Roman shade I made for the kitchen? I decided to try it out in this room for a different effect.

I cut each of the lattice boards to the exact length needed (my house isn’t exactly square) and then alpha-labeled each board so that my power tool recruit (aka good husband) would know where to place each board.

So the new, improved and not-so-boring-anymore bathroom is…

The map on the wall was the perfect size if I turned it sideways, so naturally I did. (Hey, when you think about it, we never use maps ONLY in their “North Up” position. They’re meant to be used in 360 degrees.)

For inexpensive artwork I bought a 1970s National Geographic map of the Great Lakes ($7 on Etsy), mounted it to foam core and cut it in quarters.

It reminds me of my childhood and wonderful summer vacations to Wisconsin and Michigan and those gorgeous lakes.

I pulled in a little nostalgia with a vintage Campfire tin my Grandmother gave me last summer. It had been in her kitchen for about 80 years.

I replaced the light fixture glass with seeded glass covers that cast really interesting shapes on the wall and give an artwork quality to the light.

The total cost for this space was $120 for paint, oval mirror, wood strips, a new towel hook, the National Geographic map and the foam core.

And so it is complete. I love walking in the space now!

BEFORE

AFTER

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How To Make Designer Window Panels with a Cake Stand

by The Soulful House on October 17, 2012

Soooo, my master bedroom is undergoing a makeover that resulted in a need for new window panels.

Having no inclination or budget for $100+ apiece designer panels, I went shopping in my house for something that could work.

I found a ceramic pie plate, a glass 10-inch pedestal cake stand, a sample-size of Sherwin-Williams “Socialite” plum paint, and two white queen flat sheets.

Yes, that IS a pacifier. It’s a multi-purpose life people.

After filling the pie plate with paint and turning the cake stand upside down in it, the work began.

It took multiple sessions and a fan blowing on each section of the fabric for hours at a time until everything was complete. (My 3-year-old is still trying to figure out why he was cast off to the picnic table outside for days on end.)

After many many MANY circle-stamps with the cake stand, the finished product is now my favorite DIY of all time.

First, here’s the only “Before” photo of the room I could find, taken when we’d first moved in.

And NOW, here it is.

‘

If you look closely, you can see variations in the line width and paint coverage. That’s what I love about these. They’re obviously not machine-made, and the dribbles, dots and imperfections lend a truly artistic quality.

I’m in love.

No, lust.

No, complete infatuation!

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Living Room Makeover – Warm and Dated turns Cool and Zen

by The Soulful House on October 6, 2012

This is one of my favorite before-and-afters ever.

Take a look at Becki’s warm but dated living room when we started.

She had never loved it, and for the longest time had wanted something more reflective of her zen and minimalist taste. Many months of planning and hard work later, (and trips to Pier 1, Lowe’s, and Chik-fil-A!) here is the reveal.

I still can’t believe it.

Before:

After:

The yellow and red window dressings were replaced with these lovely rich and textured brown tones.

Before:

After:

(Had to get a live shot of the desk in use.)

Bookcases before:

Bookcases after:

(Next up will be spray painting the brass accents on the fireplace to a black.)

We found baskets that carried the accent colors of dark brown and sage into the shelves.

Drapes before:

Drapes after. (Click here for the how-to on making these DIY painted drapes.)

We were able to keep papa’s favorite chair which brought a nice industrial and minimalist element to the space.

I somehow forgot to take pictures of the sofa wall before we started work, but just imagine a completely blank yellow-y wall above a tired tan sofa.

And now, the wall is this:

We brought in textures, color and contrast with the sofa fabric, pillows, blankets and rug.

The walls are painted Sherwin-Williams Amazing Gray in flat and the floors, stairs and banisters were stripped and stained to a walnut finish.

The picture frames were all spray-painted the same shade of espresso.

Okay, one last look at the dramatic change from this:

To this:

Be still. My heart.

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Removable Drapes for a Windowed Door

by The Soulful House on April 19, 2012

A few months ago we gave our bonus room a makeover to create a more comfortable family hang-out space.

Since then, we’ve replaced the original interior door with a windowed door to open the room, let in more light, and make it feel bigger.

BUT we needed a way to create privacy for the room since it also doubles as a guest room when we use the pull-out couch bed. With only days to go before our second child arrived I was exhausted and out of ideas, but the good Hubs landed on something perfect.

THESE babies for $1.48!