Homefront: Making a Preschool Playroom for the Boys

I talked about kids room inspirations yesterday, so today, let me introduce you to what I am working with. I thought it best to have my blogging/computer station in the midst of the room, so that is where everything is centered around.

These are my cheap finds: $100~ish Craigslist hutch, two Walmart $25 bookcases, $10 garage sale chair, $10 garage sale student desk, $5 garage sale bookcase (we painted ivory), and a $5 goodwill toy chest. These black bookcases  are already scratched up and marred as soon as we got them out of the box, but I figured, they would be marked up quickly here anyways, and since they are black, nothing tragic should happen that a sharpie couldn't color over.

I was going to paint this hutch a shabby grayish white before I did the whole black bookcase flanking thing, so now I am thinking, paint it black to look like a wall unit. Or I could leave it natural... what would you do?

I still have some bulletin boards and artwork to set up on this big empty wall, maybe some pegs for superhero capes and such underneath those and then the train table to set up again. I'm still trying to decide about a playmat or area rug, for this large space that will be easy on the boys to play and learn.

Caleb even found the reading corner and got right at home fairly quickly.

This little den area meets with the breakfast nook and kitchen in an interesting way... like a triangle of roominess. That doorway leads to the 'formal dining room' that we won't use and the living room. Across from the dining table is the laundry room and hallway to the front door.

 An old Kick-n-vent vintage hood... anyone know anything about these? This home was built in the 60's

 More about that dresser piece, kitchen and table here... I hope you like our pipe cleaner fan extension pulls! Just one more thing on the to do list, get fan pulls. *post included in Censational Girl's Where Do You Blog Party.

Homefront: Accessorizing with Vignettes

I'm sure most everyone has seen a version of the "Home Rules". I loved this little vintage plaque of them I found thrifting and had to bring it home.

To me, I see things for more than what they are; the search of finding that little treasure and bringing pieces together to tell a story. The antique mattress spring I found at my favorite antique mall, the vintage leather gloves with the pearl buttons, and my favorite little brass owl family I found at a garage sale for $1. I see these owl families for sale on Etsy very often.

It looks so nice in my little vignette here. This is the reason I love shutters. They can be used anywhere (even propped on wall to hide outlets and plugs). But for vignettes, it creates that height it needs to create balance, otherwise it's just a bunch of stuff on a flat surface. Well, many people probably still think it is that too.

 Also, with larger accessries, like the ones on top of my hutch, it creates a little background for depth.

Basically, when creating a vignette, things to consider are angles, varying heights and groups of at least 3. Staggering the items, creating layers and playing with different textures are also essential. And for good measure, throwing in a touch of nature helps bring beauty and life. That can be accomplished with pinecones, acorns, seeds, dried leaves, flowers, branches, feathers, driftwood, wheat, potted grasses or sprouts, birds eggs, nests...

Try and avoid having an "Accessories on Parade" as penned by designer, JoAnne Lenart-Weary.
 It means to avoid the urge of stacking up all your favorite pieces and crated a 'parade' or straight line of them. Read how to break up the parade on The Nester. You will notice I break the rule of having 3 items, but one's got to live a little. I like to work in a triangle, a larger item in the back that acts as a spring board to branch out accessories in front and to the side.
 

My mom's little ice cream dish, makes a great notions holder. Old wooden spools, laundry clips and skeleton keys are the perfect size to hold small lengths of pretties. You never know when you will need a touch of lace, baker's twine, vintage seam binding or a dash of sequins to, tie on a necklace, wrap around silverware for a dessert party, wrap around your wrist, add to an accessory add to a giftwrap. You can read all about the use of goodies in my packaging series.

Part 1: Artful Giving
Part 2: Artful Tagging
Part 3: Artful Embellishing.

White, Black, Gray & Paint

dining room ~ in the fun lane

One day, coming up soon (as in before it gets too hot), I would love, LOVE to paint my wood furniture. We have an armoir, tv stand, kitchen table with 4 chairs, large desk with hutch and two dressers.We would let the boys stay at grandma's for the weekend (okay, maybe 2 weekends) and just do a paint marathon for 2 days straight! I love the suggestions on Shabby Chic Furniture on preparing the wood, to use water and sugar soap to clean the furniture as regular cleaner can keep the paint from sticking. Holly of In the Fun Lane has some of the best painting advice out there.

black table  via Veranda

 dresser painted black over a red glaze ~ bhg kids rooms

I am considering going black with the kitchen tables and chairs. There is a large burn hole from a small fire on the table that will need to be filled and layers of wax from small details. Reading this advice forum on redoing kitchen tables make me balk, so we'll see...

 white hutch ~ in the fun lane

white night stand end table ~in the fun lane

But what about the rest? I have a find love of all white distressed wood ever since I grew to love antique malls and seeing the vintage pie safes in all of the layers of peeling paint, some with even 4 or 5 different colors peeking out from underneath!

my house of giggles gray hutch makeover

gray painted captains bench ~ life in the fun lane

Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic

But, the more I see grey, the more I grow to love it. It's not to light, not to dark, it has an urban county chic appeal and can pair most any color I choose to decorate with.

Maybe, I will do a mix of white, grey and black. What do you think? Do you mix and match your furniture? Do you prefer light or dark? I like how she keeps some of the natural colors with the painted pieces.

white dresser with caster feet and natural wood chair ~ in the fun lane

white dining room with natural chair ~ in the fun lane

As a note, I love natural wood and stain, especially mid century modern pieces,  but trust me, none of our furniture is lookin so hot for that right now, though I do think that maybe a few chairs would look neat! I do need to get two more for the ends of our table anyways...