The Library: Part I

My husband and I have not always agreed on home design or decor, but one room where we always found common ground was a library.  We have both always wanted one, preferably something a Victorian Wizard would feel at home in.  Armed with some inspiration photos (yes, some of them are most likely A.I.), Mr. Bleu and I began to tackle building a library.  Mr. B has not always agreed with the decorative choices I've made, but we have both always wanted this sort of library space, so this was a room to unite us if ever there was one.  You'll notice all my inspo pics contain green couches.  This is because I initially wanted this to be the room that housed my green couch.  But in the end, there just was not enough space for all.  

Things that were a must were: sconce lighting, deep colors, lots of books, a fireplace, and plenty of wall space to hang my collection of antique oil paintings.  During the construction of this room, Mr. Bleu built a catwalk so that he could reach the ceiling and I wondered aloud, why we couldn't just keep it.  After a brief discussion, we did and I'll likely do a separate post about that.

Installing laminate flooring has been one of the easiest and most enjoyable parts of all our renovation steps.  Apart from all the cutting, it's very easy and we managed to get the flooring done on this room in only a couple of hours.  Wallpaper on the other hand is less simple.  I ordered this William Morris print from a company that emphasizes sustainability and zero waste.  I didn't realize that meant that I was ordering numbered sheets that had to be used in order.  I ended up being one sheet short of a wall and thankfully Mr. Bleu is a Tetras Whiz, so he pieced together enough to finish the wall and we had enough left over to cover the small wall above the fireplace as well.  After all that, we decided to go ahead and wallpaper the remaining walls and this time, I ordered the right lengths and just bit the bullet on the cost.

Building this faux fireplace was its own job and I'm going to create a separate post for that project.  For this post, however, I will show you where it all began.

The "Billy Bookcase Hack" is all over the DIY internet scene, so we decided to give it a go.  Initially we were going to build our own bookcases, but in the end opted for the speed and convenience of ready-made pieces that I could assemble on my own and then we could install together. We did end up buying two extender units for each shelving unit so they would reach the catwalk, but this photo only shows the assembled units without extensions.

Very important step here is to either sand or prime or both before painting.  I got started only to watch the paint bead up and scratch off easily after drying.  So, I went back and primed all the boards and that allowed the paint to cover nicely, but it will still scratch off easily for about a year or so while it cures if my experience painting MDF panels on the wall or kitchen cabinets has taught me anything.

I got very impatient to get my books back on the shelves.  They've been dominating my dining room table and floor space for a year and I would love to have that room back.  I cut strips of wax paper to lay down under and at the sides of the books while the paint is curing.  I don't want it sticking to my book collection during what is sure to be a typical humid summer.  I chose to put antique books at the bottom and new books at the top.  

I also ordered fabric baskets from IKEA to fit in the cabinets and water hyacinth baskets to go on the shelves.  I applied a light coat of the same stain we used for the baseboards and trim to the water hyacinth baskets so that they would better match the colors of the room.  I really didn't know if this would work, so I started with a test basket.  It took only two coats of stain to get it to a nice shade and cured nicely.

This project was way too big to fit into just one post, so I'm breaking this room into at least 3 and maybe 4 posts.  Join me for Part II of this renovation project to see how the library wall turned out.

Putting the Shine On: Renovation Tools

During my time doing this massive home project, I have had an assortment of micro projects as well and I've discovered some very useful tools along the way.  I thought it might be nice to start a little series where I can share the things I've found to make these touch-ups a cinch.  

My great-aunt was an avid collector.  She was not, however, as enthusiastic about maintaining as she was in acquiring. Much of the beautiful things I have from her estate we're dusty, moldy, crumbling and in need of some TLC.  So, in this post I thought I'd share some of my tips for breathing new life into old treasures.

First I should mention that I'm not a pro, just someone with experience gained through trial and error, so take that for what it's worth.  Second, I should mention that I'm not selling products/ have no affiliate links.  Just mentioning some things that I have found useful while restoring these treasures, the first of those being a little something called Rub 'n Buff.  

Rub 'n Buff is essentially a wax metallic finish that is simply rubbed onto a surface.  It's not cheap, but a little goes a long way.  To date, I've used a single tube to do picture frames, lamps, clock filigree, and two sconce lights, and still have plenty left over.  Let's start with this antique clock.  The metal has become dull and brown and I can't really polish it without harming the wood.  So, after a thorough dry scrub with a toothbrush, I applied some rub and buff.  Check out the before and after:

Next I'll show you the before and after of this little table lamp.  I purchased this at a flea market and the top coat is peeling in many areas.  Once again I scrubbed it with a dry toothbrush and then applied the Rub 'n Buff.  Check out the difference:

I've really used this product a lot in my home makeover.  It has been so helpful, I wish I'd found it sooner.

Artist Spotlight/Style Crush: Dora Abodi

It's been a while since I've done a Style Crush or Artist Spotlight post, but after seeing the art and designs of Dora Abodi, I knew I had to share and really couldn't fit her into just one category since she is very much both artist and a style crush.  Sadly these pieces are far too couture for this humble fashion lover to afford, but I also don't own any Pre-Raphaelite paintings and that doesn't stop me from looking and enjoying.  So, feast your eyes and heart on the work of Transylvanian born artist Dora Abodi who not only makes beautiful clothing, but beautiful artwork around the concept of each design.

Find her work at https://aboditransylvania.com/

Tea in the Key of Chic

Ahh, ModCloth, I loved you so.  This Key of Chic dress in Tea print was one of my earliest ModCloth purchases, probably circa 2015.  I remember that we were living in Japan and I was wearing this dress with some nude wedge heels, walking down the street with my young daughters and was actually very loudly cat-called from a car driving by.  Japan is not a culture that tolerates behavior like that and sure enough, it was a car of foreigners, likely American, that were the culprits.  I remember stopping and thinking, "did that just happen?  Weird."  I also remember that those wedges were specifically purchased before we left America from Payless (rest in peace) to be walking friendly, but after about ten steps the blisters were forming not only on my heels, but also across the tops of my toes.  I went home and directly threw those shoes away.  Walking several miles each day was just part of the routine there and I had no patience for useless footwear.

I loved this dress so very much, but during a very impulsive declutter, I convinced myself that it wasn't getting enough wear and that it was practically a sin for it to sit on the hanger anymore.  I gave it away and regretted it for years.  It's only happened a few times that I've truly regretted parting with a dress or top, but Seller's/Donator's remorse is just as real as Buyer's remorse and I felt it hard for over this dress.  So, when I saw one on a thrift site, I bought it again and it's probably mine for ever this time.

T.V. Cover-Up Part I

No, I'm not talking about some mass conspiracy.  I'm referring to the trend of covering the decor eye sore known as television.  This isn't new.  Actually it's a return to old ways.  In the early decades of television there were two ways of concealing this piece of technology.  Firstly, sets were made surrounded by tasteful wooden consoles meant to help the set blend in with the furniture.  Some consoles even had cabinet doors that closed over the set when not in use to better camouflage its presence.  Televisions at that time weren't though of as disposable.  When the T.V. was on the fritz, it was time to call the repairman.  Something which our family did on more than one occasion. I recall the repairman once had to haul of our heavy set in its bulky console frame to his shop to repair it properly.  That was the beginning of the end for that particular set.  When it finally gave up the ghost, we never again had a set that came in a wooden console.  It was all ugly junk from there on out.

The second way of concealing a television was to have it in a separate room known as the "family room" or the "den."  This room was to be off the beaten path, with a more formal living room saved for having company over.  I remember this being a standard feature in homes when I was a child, but as I grew, I noticed that more and more people, my own family included, began to make the television the center of their living spaces, to the point of having all furniture pointed at it even when the arrangement discouraged conversation with guests or family members.  

Now that televisions are bigger than ever before, they're even harder to hide, but with the return to an interest in having a beautiful, tasteful home there has been a rise in interest in once again trying to hide the television in plain sight.  The largest and least complicated trend I've seen is to make a gallery around the set and then build a picture frame for the television with a screen saver of a painting running all the time.  I like this example from thriftydecorchick.com :

I long considered doing this for my own loft, but I know me.  I'm a bit of a utility freak.  I just can't leave the T.V. on all the time which means I would never use this and would just have a frame on my T.V. and that feels pointless.  Another option which I like much better and would love to do one day is build a custom cabinet like this one by Christine McConnell :

If you're not familiar with Ms. McConnell's work, I encourage you to check her out and then forever feel inferior in everything you make and do and are.  I love her and I love her videos, but I can definitely never measure up.  All that aside, Mr. Bleu is on board for an idea like this...one day.  For now we're swamped with finishing construction, so this just isn't a priority.  So, I continued to puzzle over this little quandary and finally found an easy and inexpensive solution that doesn't waste any electricity.

Before I get to that, here's the space I'm working with.  Originally we were going to put the T.V. on a side wall where it wouldn't get any window glare, but for some reason, probably just to get it off the floor and out of the way while we were building the loft, we decided to mount it to this this beam...and it's jus there...and I have no idea why.  Since we've just kept going, I guess it's there to stay and I am dealing with it.

We purchased this map tapestry years ago from Hobby Lobby and it hung on our wall (you can see a post with this map here)  until that pesky leaky roof damaged it.  I took it down and stored it until we had the roof repaired.  As I have been working on decorating the loft, I thought of this piece and decided to see if it would fit the set.  It didn't quite, but close enough for me.  I filled a sink with warm water to gently wash the dust and water stain off and to my extreme disappointment, the print washed off too.

Fortunately Hobby Lobby still has it online so, I purchased another and when it came in I put it over the T.V. to see how it fit.  As you can see it was just shy of covering it.  Waste not, want not.  I decided to trim the sides off the now ruined piece and sew them to the edges of the new map in order to extend the new cover out to the entire width of my television.

I inserted the old top dowel rod with the hanging loop into the bottom so that I can just fold it up to hang it.  It's easy to move out of the way when it's T.V. time and easy to put back over when we're done, plus it matches the vibe of the room.

While I was still trying to solve this situation, Mr. Bleu finished the shelving for our entertainment center and I now wanted to cover this as well as the T.V. but that will have to wait for another post, which is why I've called this "Part I."  I also would like to do something different with the sound bar and the cords, but again that will come later.  You can also see the progress we're making on other parts of the house in these photos.  The ceiling is finished, just needs a light fixture, and the wallpaper is getting put up as well.  I love the way this print works so well with the color of the loft and the library.  I didn't plan it that way, but am so very thankful that it worked out.

The map works very well in hiding the T.V. and I decided to put another map at the back to hide the back of the T.V. as you walk into the library.  I hope one day to have Mr. Bleu do a painting to hang there, but projects like that have really taken a back seat at the moment, so the map is just to tide me over.  I'll include photos of that when I do a post on the library.  For now, I have a hook in the ceiling that I hang the map on and tuck it behind the T.V. whenever we want to use it.

In Part II of this post, I'll show you how I hid the sound system in this room and hopefully have this entertainment center finished.

Thistle Down

The assumption is that if you wear colorful/interesting outfits you must (desperately?) want attention and comments from others.  I really don't.  I wear what I like; I wear what make me happy and I don't think too much about what anyone else thinks.  In fact, I've had to push through my shyness to make myself wear what I like because I knew it might get me attention and even though it was mostly positive attention that used to terrify me.  But, greater than my fear of being noticed was my love for clothes.  I cannot live my life in jeans/t-shirts or stretchy pants.  I Cannot.  Even if I were 

Previously mentioned items aside, I love clothes.  My parents have this old cassette tape recording of me when I was about five or six years old where I am describing a dream I had.  In the dream I found an abandoned cabin and it was full of beautiful dresses (side street here--one of the dresses had 3D roses all over it.  This was probably based on the 1983 Sweet Roses Barbie that I had had so long I didn't even know where it came from. Another had 3D hearts all over it.  I can't believe after so many decades, I still remember the dresses from my dream).  All this to say that the love has always been there and always will be, which is why all my efforts and progress at reining in my spending always grind to a halt when it comes to dresses.  But, back to my original point, I'm really not interested in attention.

What I really want is not attention for what I wear.  No, what I would love is for wearing beautiful/interesting clothes to become trendy again so that everyone's doing it and feeling amazing in the process and no one really notices me anymore because they're all busy happily admiring themselves.  

Today's outfit is a thrifted olive green dress with matching purple cardi and flats and it is inspired by the thistles which are already springing up around the farm.

Outfit Info: Maeve Dress-thrifted, VIVAIA shoes are old, Cardi is from YeMAK

Shy Butterfly

I don't know why I feel the need to write something/anything to go along with each post.  Chalk it up to the nature of an introvert; we're shy but we still want to be seen and heard in our own way.  And somehow, having a blog accomplishes that while maintaining some sense of privacy.  Is that odd to say that something on the internet is private?  The vast majority of people who "know" me don't know I have a blog and of those who do, I never give out the address or the name.  Some people find it, if they really want to, and that's Ok.  It's public but somehow private as well.  This blog has been active for almost 12 years and yet it's still a very small place.  I like it that way.  

Outfit Info:  Anthropologie Strapless Butterfly dress is thrifted, YeMak cardigan, B.A.I.T. heels