A new addition to the office...

Gotta love the rotating 50% off sales at Hobby Lobby.   We're getting there.... slowly.  :) 

-Courtney

Board and Batten treatment

I've known for months now that I ultimately wanted a board and batten look in our front room. 

However, I mentioned it to my husband those many months ago and he was really less than enthusiastic about it.  So, the compromising lady that I am, decided that I could make do without the lovely architectural addition and just get away with painting one wall blue.   The husband was on board with that idea, so I ran with it, and you can read about the results of that in THIS POST

And here is a little photo of how that turned out... 

Well.  I liked the results, I really did, but something was bothering me about it.  I guess since one blue wall wasn't really my initial vision, I was having a hard time with it flowing with the rest of my plans.  Our neutral walls were now looking really yellow and it was beginning to look very kindergarten classroom-ish, with our one blue wall, yellow-y looking other walls, and our bright red filing console on the other end of the room. 

So, I pulled up some images of board and batten, done well, on Decorpad.com and showed them to Brandon.   He was totally on board this time; I'm guessing the room was looking just as odd to him as it was to me.

We measured out the room and determined that we would need 20 ten foot boards to do the whole room minus the one blue wall.  I still wanted it left the same.

So, off to Home Depot we went.  Our ten foot boards were about $5 and some change each, so we loaded them up, and also put in our cart a gallon of white paint.  Cheapo that I am was a little disappointed that our total was going to be around $150 for this wall treatment.   $100 + for lumber, almost $30 for paint, and a few paint brushes thrown in there added to the total.  I was also I little bummed because the wood that existed in my mind, didn't seem to exist in real life.  Ultra thin (to not stick out over the baseboards), and ultra cheap.   Oh well.  I really wanted it done.   So, we were standing in line at the contractor checkout, since our local Home Depot has EVERY other register as self-check out now.  Ugh.. how annoying is that?  I like self checkout stations, but I like at least one other normal register open.. especially for lumber and whatnot.

Anyhoo, we were standing there with our cart full of lumber and I notice this display of bender board, 3 3/4 inch wide, 1/4 inch thick, by 96 inch long strips of MDF, used by concrete contractors to shape curvy sidewalks or driveways. 

In hindsight, had we not been in the contractor line, I'd have never seen these strips!  I thought to myself that these would be perfect... and wandered over to the display to see how much they were.   $1.60 something each.  Say what!  Needless to say, we put all of our other lumber back and loaded up on 30 strips of the MDF.  We ended up picking up more since the lengths were shorter and we didn't want any weird seams.  Actually we over estimated and we have about 10 strips leftover! ha!  I have another project in mind for them though, so I'm happy we over bought.  Anyway, at this point our $150 project was now around $80.  How great is that??  I have no idea if others have done the board and batten look with these bender boards, but I highly recommend it.  Cheap, thin, PERFECT!  You definitely need to prime first, since the MDF is absorbent, but if you're planning on doing that anyway, then it is really no big deal.

So, after all that jibber jabber, time for more photos!

We are no where near being finished with this space, but we've seen quite the progress so far!

Here is a reminder before (actually more like a during):

And a few during the wall treatment addition:

Ahhh.  This room is finally starting to feel like it is a part of our home.  Love it.

Thanks for reading!

Linking to :  Between Naps on the Porch

:)  Courtney

More Home Office updates.

So, as you can see here we decided to go with the Ethan office chair, a modern white chair, from World Market.  Before buying, I was still really undecided on what I wanted, so we decided to stop by the store to see it in person.  The minute I sat down, I knew it was the chair for us.  SO comfortable.  Seriously.  My visions of having something cushy to sink in to, just melted away.  I assumed the chair I wanted look wise, would not be the chair I wanted hiney wise.  Not true.  

They also had a banker's type chair that my husband was favoring, but after he tried out the Ethan chair, he was sold too. 

How come every gosh darn thing we buy is assemble it yourself?  LOL!

At least this item only took about 5 minutes.

I could go ON and ON about the frustrations we had with getting this desk.  Reminder to self: check reviews of local furniture stores before proceeding with purchase!  Apparently the specific store we dealt with is known for not delivering on time and just feeding you lies.  Of course, we didn't realize this until after we'd paid and placed our order, and waited over two weeks when we were told it would be 3 days.   BUT.. it finally came.

While we did have to attach the legs, it was pretty much in one piece.  Thank goodness.  ha!  Ignore our cords.  We need to replace this desktop with a laptop, but until then, I guess our cords will just show.  But hopefully not quite this badly.. sheesh!  I really need to do something about that!

:)  Courtney



Our new filing console.

So, a few weeks ago I posted THIS, sharing with you which filing console we ordered, along with the desk we picked out.

Well, the filing console arrived a few days after posting those photos, in two VERY large boxes.  (Too bad I can't say the same thing for the desk!  It did finally arrive, but two weeks late!)  Anyhoo...

As you can tell from the bottom, right of the above photo, the boxes were pretty badly damaged, but no fear.  Each and every item in the boxes were encased in about 2inch thick pieces of Styrofoam.  These boxes could have fallen off the truck, gotten ran over a few times, and I'm pretty sure the contents would still be in tip top shape.

After about 5 hours, (NO, I am NOT kidding... not a single part was assembled, not even the drawer handles), I finally had that sucker together.  Believe it or not, the hardest, most time consuming part was getting the darn drawers in!  Oh. My. Word.  I actually plan on writing a pretty detailed review of this item on their website, to help out future buyers, because after about an hour I finally figured out a trick to get them to go in.

Talk about a labor of love.

Look at these bums... I should have been down on the floor with them after all that!

Oh, and I have a secret...  that I guess I'm going to go ahead and tell you.. ha!   Those walls in the above photo don't look a thing like that anymore.  We've been busy the past few days! 

I'll probably post about that in a day or two. 

Oh, and here's another baby on the boxes photo, just because he is so darn cute.  :)

-Courtney

Damask meets the 1970s.

If the 1970s and Damask were to meet and have a rug love child, it would be this.

Um.  Yeah.  That's not going to work for us.

At first I couldn't find the rug in the store, and then I finally saw what SORT of looked like it, but NO.... surely not.  Then I saw that a runner was available to spread out on the floor.

Yep.

What looked brown in the online photo, was actually gold in real life.  What looked like a compact weave, was actually a shag.

Yeah, baby, yeah.  ha!

Do you know how annoying it is to load three children into a car, and then into a racecar cart..

 only to leave empty handed?  Hate that.

After my husband got off of work that evening, we went to 4 different stores, with no rug luck, finally making a full circle back to Lowes. 

I showed him some of the rugs that peeked my interest earlier in the day...

but we ended up going with a tannish, yellowish rug with a very simple Berber like weave.  I didn't even notice it on my earlier trip, but we both liked it and a great bonus was that it was ultra cheap.  We scored TWO 8x10 rugs for under $200.

When we got home and unfurled them to see all of their glory, we both stood back and wondered if we measured the room correctly, ha! 

(Ignore the crazy looking, disorganized room... exactly WHY this room is getting work done.)

Despite the size fitting scare, they do both fit, and I'm thinking we made a very good choice going with something so neutral.

Meanwhile, I've painted a wall in here, and our new console arrived today...  in two big boxes, and in one million tinnnny little pieces.  :)

-Courtney

Home Office.. Coming together.

Maybe I shouldn't say coming together, lol.   In all honestly nothing is actually in the space, but things have been ordered, which is major progress in this ol' book!

Yesterday we bit the bullet and bought THIS filing console:

and this desk:

..which, the desk isn't as red looking in person, it is more of a walnut color.  If you've been around for my previous ponderings on the office, you'll remember that my husband wanted this style of desk.  Honestly, it is growing on me and I'm excited about seeing it in the room. 

We REALLY debated on the console since it is such a strong piece color wise, and part of me is regretting not getting it in black instead,

but it is on its way (in RED!)... so we shall see if it works!  lol.

I'll be headed to a Lowes in our area to check out this rug today..  LINK HERE.

The price is great for an 8x10, but I'm a little concerned the curvy ornate desk, with the Chinoiserie-style console, and then such a boldly patterned rug might be a little overkill.  Plus since this room is joined with the dining area, I want matching rugs for both.  Pattern Pattern Pattern.   I'm sure it will all come together, it's just making me nervous while we wait for everything to come in.

We're stuck on a chair though.  Modern desk chair, or more traditional cushy chair?  I love both, and I like the white in THIS chair,

but I want something I can really sink into also.  Maybe something like THIS..

Too executive looking?   We're also debating just finding a white slipped wingback and attaching casters the the bottom.   Decisions, Decisions.  What kind of chair would YOU go with?

-Courtney

Step one.

Silly title, I know.  I have the Special Agent Oso song in my head.  Step one.. find a desk.  haha.  If you have no clue what I'm talking about, lucky you.  :p   Step two.. buy the desk.

Well, step one complete.  We found THE desk.  

Unfortunately step two will have to wait until this whole budget thing is sorted out.  No, not our budget.  The one that pays my husband's paycheck.. wins the bread... brings home the bacon.  Yep, that one.  Argh!  

Anyhoo, it is just what my husband wants, and it's $399 full price.. I'm hoping it will go on sale, haha.  Oh, come on.. you know the cheapskate in me would say that, right?

Honestly, even full price is a pretty good deal for this full size, solid wood beauty.

Here it is:

Sorta kinda resembles this one from Office Depot for $1069.

I actually think it would look better and less frou frou with different hardware, and I might try and talk him into changing it.  That is.. when we buy it.  You know.. if the store still has it when we're guaranteed we can pay our mortgage.  LOL... ahh.. I think the stress is getting to me and I'm losing my mind a little. 

:)  Courtney



Designing for the Sexes, and Good Luck vibes.

So, I love my husband, but he and I are very different.

One of these differences is our taste in decor.  We're not polar opposites, we do tend to like some of the same looks, it's the small details that make us different.

For example, right now we're talkin' shop about our soon to be office space.   We need a desk.  I want something cheap.  LOL.  Duh, we're talking about me here.  I'm thinkin' anything under $200 should do just fine.  There are actually a LOT of choices in this price range, believe it or not, but my husband seems to have this vision of a desk he wants... and this vision is not available at Target, Wally, IKEA, or any of my other go-to's for low cost digs.

He likes ones that look a little something like this...

He likes the look of drawers combined with legs like the above versions from Pottery Barn, but he actually prefers curvier legs, like this one from Office Depot.

I'm okay with this.  Not really my taste- especially the last one, it is a bit ornate, but I'm willing to give a little, especially since I'm optimistic I can make any of them work.

So, what is the problem?  They're all around $1000!  The two from PB are each $999, while the one from OD is $1069.

Yeah, that just isn't happening.  Do you guys run into this problem often?  Do you and your spouse agree on design choices?  Does he/she even care what you do with your furniture/home?  I feel like I need Emily Henderson to come in and do a style diagnostic on us with her little hats, shoes, and random stuff, so that we both end up happy.  lol.

On another note, I was perusing Craigslist and actually came across a desk JUST like what my husband wants... for......

$50. 

Say what?  Yep.  It needs a paint job, and it's in the next town over, but I'm okay with driving 15/20 miles for something that's that good of a deal.  So, send me some goodluck vibes that this baby is still available and that they'll actually write me back about it.. I have random luck with craigslist people NEVER writing me back.  I mean, you post ads to actually sell stuff right?  A big part of that is actually contacting the people that want to buy your unwanted junk!  :)

Courtney