Home Projects

According to avid housing blog reader and husband, Cap thinks we probably won't be able to buy a house in LA for, oh, maybe 7 years. Depressing. Maybe we should move to Ohio. With that mental readjustment in mind, I've decided to throw myself into home decorating projects here in my apartment.



Inspired by this project in an issue of Sunset Magazine, I made this photo wall over a year ago. I never was able to figure out a way to successfully hang it though (duct tape as the article suggested didn't seem to work for me). It's been hiding behind our sofa since then. Now that I've discovered the joy of 3M command strips, I dusted off the picture frames and finally hung them up. Success! Since Addie is about 2 1/2 in these and Eliza is completely absent, it's probably time to update the photos as well. Hopefully it won't take another year for me to do that!

You may also have seen my facebook update a few weeks ago when I snagged this gorgeous Mahogany china cabinet for $80 off craigslist. I feel a little guilty. The cabinet belong originally to the mother of an elderly gentlemen who was moving from his one bedroom into a studio apartment. We promise to take good care of it, Sir! My dining room was starting to look a little grandma-y though and needed a face-lift. We moved the cardboard deer head from the office into the dining room to bring a little humor and levity to all the heavy antiques. Then this past weekend, I lined the back of the cabinet with a wrapping paper I found for $1.99 a roll at Tuesday Morning. My mom reminded me that Nana lined her China cabinet with wallpaper to spruce it up. Nana was an interior decorator in Chicago and her style has definitely influenced my own design aesthetic - traditional but with a twist. I guess being grandma-y can be a good thing!


Before


After

When I was on maternity leave, I also had a pair of chairs recovered. They were gifts from Nana to my parents and then to me. The fabric has been in tatters for over a decade after a certain black kitty decided to use the chairs as a scratching post. I never could make a decision about the fabric, but when Eliza was a week old, My mom and I drove to Calico Corners and made an ultimatum that we wouldn't leave without picking a fabric. Sometimes I just need a hard deadline to make a decision.


Addie wanted to get in on the action too. She and I made paper chains on Sunday and she hung them (with some help from Cap) from the ceiling in her bedroom.


Other home decorating projects on my list include:

- Sewing new curtains for Addie and Eliza's room
- Roman blinds in the office (another DIY project)
- Headboard for the master bedroom (DIY?!??)
- Reupholstering 2 side chairs (definitely a job for the professionals)
- Curtains in the dining room (dare I make them myself???)
- Maybe a rug for the dining room too (I like the look of sisal but the thought of cleaning maple syrup or spaghetti sauce out of the fibers makes me reconsider)
- I'm obsessed with the concept of removable wallpaper. Maybe for the front hall? Perfect for the renter and/or commitment-phobe (i'm both).