Bedtime.

When it comes to buying things for the house, I usually lust after what is currently in my favorite stores like Pottery Barn but then try to find less expensive versions elsewhere. 

So was the case with the beds in our house. I had recently been eyeing the Pottery Barn Coleman bed (pictured below) for the guest bedroom but definitely did not want to spend $750 plus $150 in delivery charges.

I can't take credit for finding this less expensive version (my sister-in-law found it) from Overstock.com .

With a coupon I had, it came to just under $300! The reviews were really good, it was pretty easy to assemble, and it is sturdy and feels like good quality.

As for the master bedroom, I have always liked the Crate and Barrel Colette bed but again, 

couldn't fathom spending $1800. Yikes!

But then I saw this blog post from Honey We're Home and immediately tracked down the bed on Overstock.com . This version was about a third of the cost of the Crate and Barrel bed!

 I am also very happy with this bed and glad I bought it!

I can't seem to find this exact bed on the Overstock website anymore (our bed was purchased a year ago) but it is on there in a different color.

Don't you love a good (and cheaper) find?

-Caitlin

Rocking chair re-do

We spotted this rocking chair at a garage sale months before we bought the house.  

There was no room for it in our last place and now that we are in the house, 

we are still not sure where it will go! 

But we couldn't resist. We knew with just some new fabric, this chair would be pretty great.

And we were right, right?

It was worth every penny ($40 to be exact). 

Despite its original not-so-attractive fabric, we focused on the shape of the chair and the wood detail. Sometimes you gotta look past the ugly to see the potential!

The fabric we re-covered the chair in is from Ballard Designs.
It was pricey per yard but the chair didn't require much. And re-covering it was pretty easy. We just used a staple gun.

Now...where to put it?

Happy Friday!
- Caitlin

Cute as a button (pun intended)

One of the week's projects was this framed button initial
that I made as part of a gift for two of our friends that just had a baby girl.
The "A" stands for Addison. Great name!

 

For the background, I wanted something light and airy but I only had brown burlap.
That was until I spotted this wine tote made of white burlap that I got from a garage sale.

Like I've said before, use what you got!

A person with patience would probably sew on each individual button. 

However I am not that person. I just used a hot glue gun.

I also free-handed the letter "A" although I'm sure a stencil works too and would be easier.

The frame was originally a gold/silver so I painted it with a combination of 

Annie Sloan's Paris Grey and Old White. Then I distressed it and waxed it.

I also added a white mat to give it a more finished look and wrote baby's initials and birth date.

She's a Gemini like me :)

This was a simple project to do and (as you can see below) one that I have done a couple times before.

By the way, baby Addison is cute as a button. 

Congrats Taylor & Kelly!

West Elm inspired apartment

I really like visiting other homes because I get inspired for decorating my own home.
And that was exactly the case this weekend when a bunch of us headed to our friends' place by the beach.

 Their home was nothing short of inspiring!

One of the show-stoppers of the apartment is this barn wood sliding door they had installed to separate the living room from the guest bedroom.
The door is by Matthew Belfi of Custom Craftsmen Construction.

How great is this wall collage?

The turtle shell is from here.

Here are some shots of what they have going on in the living room.

This coffee table is from West Elm outlet and it opens up for storage.

The polka dot throw is from Ikea. So cute!

Their outdoor patio is probably my favorite part of the place. 

It is HUGE, has views of the ocean, and is decorated amazingly.

This table is a one of a kind. 

Chris made it from reclaimed barn wood!

He and Tara also refurbished this bar that was Chris' parents'. 

You would never know this outdoor sofa and chaise lounge are from Ikea!

And Tara found this tree stump turned table on the street!

Here are some pictures of their bathroom.

This is DIY art made from Farrow & Ball wallpaper samples.

 Just a few more shots around the apartment...

Thank you Tara & Chris for being "the hostesses with the mostess"!