Home Office - Odds and Ends and One Month to Go!

If you've been following along, let me know when you joined with a comment on this blog.  Which transformations have you seen...the Foyer? ...The Bathroom? ...or have you just started with the Home Office?  Whichever point you joined my challenge - WELCOME! 

These last few weeks have involved some tedious work which is not going to look like much progress.  Nevertheless, I will continue to report every other week as promised.  Here are some of the odds and ends that are bringing me closer to the end of this challenge.

Window Bench

I finished off the window bench with trim around the front and the installation of the decorative metal sheet.  I ended up putting my shredder under the bench since there is an outlet and space to spare, still allowing the heater vent to have room to push air into the room through the decorative metal.

My shredder inside the window seat bench

Closet Door Knob Jewelry

I didn't think I'd be able to use the door knobs I bought at World Market since the screws were too short.  Showing my mom my dilemma, she just started unscrewing it and we both saw that I just needed to shop for the right length screw.  Voila!  Jewelry for my closet doors!

Another Accessory in my Color Scheme

Found this pretty decorative dish/bowl that I couldn't pass up at the Agrace Thrift Store.  Can't think of a thing I'd use it for besides brightening a spot in the room.  Candy?  Paperclips?  Air?!

Drawers Painted and Installed

This dresser did not have nice wood to grab onto the paint.  I think I ended up with 4 coats of paint after sanding and using a deglosser ( which I'm convinced didn't work at all).  The end result works for me.

Coming up (in less than one month!)

I have a bunch of sewing to do to create valances over the window and over the old shelves on the other side of the room, and to create the white flowing curtains I envision will cover the clutter of the old shelves and also the window.  I still want to sew a window bench cushion, too.   I have to find a piece of art for the wall I'll be looking at when sitting at my desk.  I also have an entire wall to tackle that will be behind my chair and one of the first views seen when walking in the room.  My idea has always been to add a cork board with some decorative twist yet to be settled on.  Here are a couple of ideas:

For now, let's enjoy the holiday our fore fathers helped us achieve - Happy Independence Day!

Foyer Finale!

To recap this portion of my challenge, here are the goals for my first room, the Foyer:

• Add color 

• Organize the closet 

• Build a bench 

• Change lighting

• Do all this by Christmas and with a budget of no more than $300.00. 

  What follows is the end result:

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Accessories

• Flooring - I searched quite a few stores and online for an area rug and ended up getting two.  Both came from Target for under $20 each.
  

• Art - A painting done by my daughter in an old IKEA frame and an Asian print I had in my basement.

 

• Wall Decor - An antique ironwork piece found at an antique store in Indiana for $18, plus a basket I bought for $1.

 

• Plants - Brought the geranium and asparagus fern in from outside.

• Wreath - I looked and looked for a wreath under $35, but didn't find one, of course.  So I made it from the Magnolia leaves from our backyard tree, pine cones from our lake cottage, and wood shavings from our basement work shop.  Woodstock, our cat, helped!

I didn't need that box of leaves!

I  started with a styro-foam wreath form, wrapped it in scrap fabric, added 3-4 leaves at a time around the front, then around the side, and finally hot glued pine cones around the center and a few pieces of rolled wood shavings between the leaves.

I used floral pins to hold the leaves

The Bench Cushion

I sewed this cushion up with such focus, I forgot to take pictures of the progress.  It is about 47 by 16 inches with a 3 inch foam slab.  I thought about putting cording around it, but didn't have enough material.  In the end, it still looks good to me!

The Budget

I did it under budget, on time, and I'm really happy with the change in the look and the added functionality.  I hope this inspired someone to take a chance to make a big impact in a small area of their home.

 

A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!   

Hope you'll be back next year to see 

the start of room 2 of this challenge.