Not much has changed, so there hasn’t been much reason to write. I have no money now for any bigger projects (really, for any projects), so nothing to write about. I am researching ideas for the living room, even though it’ll be months and months before I would get to it. For now – just a small update on my bedroom, approved by Taya the puppy:
Which is great, but it also means that I had to find some place for it :) I will show you in photos (of course) what the process has looked like:
my books are here! :)
As usual, I could count on Taya’s help :)
Third room under attack… I tried to unpack all the clothes in my bedroom, but it was impossible – two boxes went to the living room.
It started to look really scary at one point…
Placing books was quite a challenge… I kept running out of space for a particular subject and had to move the books to another shelf. Then I’ve noticed that the floor was so crooked, that the bookshelves were all leaning to the right! At one moment I thought they would just collapse! Just look here:
Scary! I actually put an old book (it was a really crappy one, but old made with wood-like hard cover) to put under the right wall. There is almost an inch of difference. I was placing only heavy books on left, otherwise they were leaning to the right again.
But, I have now a real library! It still needs warming up, and I have a lot of wall art, posters and other ideas to use, so it will only get better. But I like it already :)
Next, I need to switch computer screens (I am glad I found someone who wants the big, old one) and then get my own computer up and running. My bedroom also gets better, but I run out of hangers and space for my shirts! But I can already show you a sneak peak: my new bed cover:
Even though the kitchen has to still wait till I’ll be able to begin any renovation, as my Mom’s bedroom is first on the list, I does not stop me from thinking a lot about it. It will be a huge project, as I have to combine it with the living room make over. It will take a lot of time, effort and probably money, so I guess I will get to it someday in the early spring.
But to sweeten the waiting time, I will share some ideas that pop up in my head. First, what it is like now:
old kitchen
The cupboards are older than me… But we can’t afford getting new ones, so it will be a lot of playing around it, using what we have and making smart choices. I want to get rid of everything above the counter.
old kitchen
To the right is a very strange, wasted space leading to my Mom’s bedroom. The division from the rest of the living room made some sense 20 years ago, but not anymore.
old kitchen
The other side of this weird room/hallway next to the kitchen, DIY-ed by my Mom with furniture… all of it has to go!
And now some examples of spaces that make me smile and inspire me:
Open shelving
I would like to use as much open shelving as possible. It opens up the small space, forces you to edit your stuff and makes even ordinary things into decorating objects. I am not sure if the under-counter open shelving will be an option in our situation, but for sure wall shelves are realistic.
Open shelving
I love how the open shelving and glass doors open up the space. I also like the nice crisp whiteness of the shelves contrasted with darker wall’s color. I am planning on painting walls in the kitchen vibrant, red (with slight terracotta shade).
dining nook
But what I am missing the most is a nice, cozy dining space. I want to use the space by the window, to create a place for four diners. A round table would probably work best, but this one above is also beautiful. I am still not sure what style I want, that will probably come up later.
dining nook by a window
I love this clean, inviting dining place. I would love to create something like this in my space.
Let’s see a few more photos of inspiring kitchen spaces:
Open shelving and dining nook
Open shelving and vibrant colors
Simply stunning! I wish I could use such dark colors, but I am not living alone ;-)
Just add color :)
I can't stand the color, but love the lively vibe
I have been interested in interior design for years. I have been collecting inspiration photos and books for as long… I had to get rid of my books when I moved, but I am happy to have so many great photos. The problem is, I had no idea at the time that I would create my blog, so didn’t bother with making sure I knew the source of a picture.
I would still like to share some ideas and illustrate projects even when I can’t credit the original source. If you know where the photo comes from, please let me know and I would be more than happy to add this information to the appropriate image. Thanks!
I had a chance to buy door pulls the other day, so I could finally finish with the dresser. I must say they had very limited offer, but I hope the ones I found are ok. So, without farther ado, I give you the all new rast:
and just for a reminder, the original rast:
The Apartment Therapy is running their annual Room for Color competition. I can’t believe it’s been already a year! I entered my old living room a year ago, and even though I was far behind in terms of points, I was happy that I found the courage to open myself for public scrutiny :) I would like to try again… this time with my new bedroom. Unfortunately it’s not ready and I am not sure I will be able to finish it before the contest ends. We will see :) And now trip down the memory lane to my old living room… If I remember correctly I didn’t have the carpet when I was applying, though.
I am searching for ideas to use for the two free walls in my bedroom, and one at the home office. And I think I found something to play with!
I found this on Apartment Therapy, or rather their sister-site, Unplggd. I think this is a very clever idea and I love the esthetics of it. Visual art inspired by music… what’s not to love?
I am seeing a variation of it, directly on the wall, in a shade up or down from the wall’s color. I love the effect of the first one, which would be difficult to replicate… I never do exactly the same thing, I love when I get an inspiration, when the wheels begin to work inside my mind.
Even though I am not done completely with the chest, the main part is done, so I decided to show the result already. I still need to find nice matching pulls, but it may take a while, so I dont’ want to wait till then. I will have a great excuse to make an update post :)
So, the orignal rast (probably the most hacked of IKEA furniture):
The process. I first chose stain named “palisander”, but I didn’t like the result, so did another layer in Graphite. First I thought that I wanted something more “natural”, but nah, nothing special.
In the end, the result:
I used the same fabric I used to cover the table top in home office. I really love it, threat shade of grays, subtle image.
And totally unrelated, but Taya looked so sweet when she kept me company:
I am pretty sure that if there were some surveys done, IKEA’s rast chest would have won for being the most beloved by DIYers. As I am joining the ranks of rast-modifiers, I have been searching for inspiration. Below are the finds I loved the most:
from nouveaustitch.files.wordpress.com
I am not a big fan of that particular fabric, but I think it’s not too bad.
I love the simplicity, clear and sharp edges. Great stuff!
from IKEA hackers
This is of course a very different idea, as it’s a desk and not a bedside table… but I add it here anyway. I love the industrial slate grey, the general feel of it.
This is gorgeous. The simplicity of it makes it a pure perfection.
And for now my rast looks like that:
:)
As I wrote earlier, I didn’t like the result of my attempt to save the old paper lantern from the home office. It was simply ugly. But I also didn’t have the money to buy something spectacular… so a paper lantern it is, again, but this time a bit nicer. I went to IKEA and got what’s needed. So without farther ado, the new lamp:
Simple, clean and nice. The rest of the office is still in a mess, so don’t pay much attention to it, soon it will get the proper attention it deserves.
Both this lamp and the lamp in my bedroom were attached with the great help of Mr. Geniek, mentioned earlier. The electric cords is so old and messed up, even he, a true specialist, was working for a long time on this. So now let’s move to my bedroom:
(the sheer courtains’ color is off, but that’s not the point here)
I absolutely love the result. The walls are still bare, but almost everything else is already in place. I am planning on tackling a small chest today. After that it’s only warming up touches, photos etc. Soon there are clothes and books and other things coming with the shipping, it will help finish up the room.
slavic revolutions 