Hello, my name is...
...Janel, and I am a Craigslistaholic.
A while back, I decided that I had "had it" with the carpet in the basement. I am not a carpet person. I'm not sure how you could be when you live on a dirt road with a dirt driveway and dirt patches in the middle of the yard with seven kids and a dog. My hat comes off to the mom who is still sane in this environment! We've had wood floors throughout our main living area now for almost 18 months and it truly has been the source of much happiness in my life. That sounds ridiculous, but me not shampooing my carpet and scrubbing every little stain on a daily basis really frees up SOOO much of my time! So, being the saavy and able person I am, I ripped it all out, including the stairs. Mind you, I had no idea the consequences...I just thought: "you tear the carpet out, scrub the concrete and stain it to have gorgeous solid-surface floors. NOT in this case!
However, anything was better than THIS:
This is our "family room" space PRE-carpet removal.
This is what the condition of the concrete under the carpet: (lots of construction spills, leading to the clean-up, leading to the discovery that staining the concrete was out of the question without first grinding the floor down, which was a $2500 option--thus, the naked-now-cleaner concrete still sits)
A year ago, my brother came and helped me "make-over" our basement living space. It was given new life with paint and a good cleaning/decluttering. This is where the TV was until he came back after this most recent Thanksgiving and helped me add to the make-over.
Again, we started with paint. Oh, what a can of paint can do!! I love the trim in white! I've wanted to paint the trim upstairs, but am a little bit chicken. The basement seemed like a good trial space!
Before:
After:
This storage closet got a facelift too. Doors removed, back concrete wall painted. Much better!
Our family room area changed locations and we added some Craigslist furniture finds. The chair with the green fabric over it is just that--a chair with fabric over it. The fabric is to become a slip cover. Knowing the way I operate, that will transpire in about 12 months or so--probably when I can't find the fabric anymore because it has been shoved in a corner somewhere! The ottoman will be covered as well. So happy that I could pull both of these pieces from my fabric stash!!
We're toying with the idea of sending HGTV an audition tape/plea to come finish our space from floor to ceiling, wall to wall!
While the concrete floors are still bare, it is ok, we actually don't mind at all. Someday, maybe they'll get finished. I am quite pleased with the stairs though! We certainly should do a little more to actually finish them, but considering the decorating turnover here, they'll change in look before they get properly finished!
The sweepability makes all the difference in the world! Goodbye nasty, ugly carpet stains! Thanks Cash!!!!!!!!!
Now, I was totally content with the above projects, and then...THEN...the chair happened! This beauty that I discovered on Craigslist has rocked my world. I now find myself in a state of addiction, all because of this chair!
In my quest for a different desk, (and a matching chair to go with the chair that started it all), I found a table and chairs that I was going to use for the kids in the family room so their puzzles and games wouldn't be on the floor. I decided it would be better preserved in my sewing room after closer examination showed it to be a little more fragile than my kids could handle. And of course, then there is the chandelier that replaced the celiling fan.
Well, as I continued to search for a replacement table to serve as my desk, I found a library table for a steal! I brought it home, but it was a little big, so I hauled it upstairs and started an office redo for Tim. The futon and the big leather chair followed and I think the kids and I surprised him with a nice cozy little space to work from home in the wee hours of the night during tax season! We'd rather have him working here than 20 miles away anyway!!
NO.
NOPE.
I think it all comes together nicely. And now we have room for people to actually sit and visit!
Putting the white TV stand in the living room took my Great-grandma's little buffet back to the dining room where I think it belongs, and it is storing table linens instead of junk.
But putting the buffet in the dining room meant moving my wall pockets elsewhere, so they're now in the mudroom.
And while I was in the mudroom, I decided that two shelves for a pantry just wasn't working...
A while back, I decided that I had "had it" with the carpet in the basement. I am not a carpet person. I'm not sure how you could be when you live on a dirt road with a dirt driveway and dirt patches in the middle of the yard with seven kids and a dog. My hat comes off to the mom who is still sane in this environment! We've had wood floors throughout our main living area now for almost 18 months and it truly has been the source of much happiness in my life. That sounds ridiculous, but me not shampooing my carpet and scrubbing every little stain on a daily basis really frees up SOOO much of my time! So, being the saavy and able person I am, I ripped it all out, including the stairs. Mind you, I had no idea the consequences...I just thought: "you tear the carpet out, scrub the concrete and stain it to have gorgeous solid-surface floors. NOT in this case!
However, anything was better than THIS:
This is our "family room" space PRE-carpet removal.
This is what the condition of the concrete under the carpet: (lots of construction spills, leading to the clean-up, leading to the discovery that staining the concrete was out of the question without first grinding the floor down, which was a $2500 option--thus, the naked-now-cleaner concrete still sits)
A year ago, my brother came and helped me "make-over" our basement living space. It was given new life with paint and a good cleaning/decluttering. This is where the TV was until he came back after this most recent Thanksgiving and helped me add to the make-over.
Again, we started with paint. Oh, what a can of paint can do!! I love the trim in white! I've wanted to paint the trim upstairs, but am a little bit chicken. The basement seemed like a good trial space!
So...before:
After...We created a space for the kids to have all of their craft/art stuff and some of their toys. I had leftover shelf brackets and the shelves are bifold closet doors. The stainless table was our previous kitchen island, and the stools were pulled from storage.
Before:
After:
This storage closet got a facelift too. Doors removed, back concrete wall painted. Much better!
Before:
Our family room area changed locations and we added some Craigslist furniture finds. The chair with the green fabric over it is just that--a chair with fabric over it. The fabric is to become a slip cover. Knowing the way I operate, that will transpire in about 12 months or so--probably when I can't find the fabric anymore because it has been shoved in a corner somewhere! The ottoman will be covered as well. So happy that I could pull both of these pieces from my fabric stash!!
We're toying with the idea of sending HGTV an audition tape/plea to come finish our space from floor to ceiling, wall to wall!
While the concrete floors are still bare, it is ok, we actually don't mind at all. Someday, maybe they'll get finished. I am quite pleased with the stairs though! We certainly should do a little more to actually finish them, but considering the decorating turnover here, they'll change in look before they get properly finished!
The sweepability makes all the difference in the world! Goodbye nasty, ugly carpet stains! Thanks Cash!!!!!!!!!
The painting of stairs led me to the bathroom. I've been wanting to paint my kitchen cabinets, but again, this small space that has the same cabinets seemed much less of a risk. I like the results, but the amount of time involved will keep me away from the kitchen for a little while. Eventually, the countertop will get a facelift too!
Now, I was totally content with the above projects, and then...THEN...the chair happened! This beauty that I discovered on Craigslist has rocked my world. I now find myself in a state of addiction, all because of this chair!
I love what this chair did to my living room. It made it totally come together...a chair! I was lured right into the home decorating obsession because of the chair. Furniture rearranging is totally a hobby of mine, but the chair (and the Christmas tree) caused me to relocate my desk to my current favorite location, and then I decided that I needed something a little different. I had the perfect thought, but now I had to find it. Hello Craigslist!
In my excitement of finding the perfect little table to replace my desk, I listed this desk/dresser for sale on Craigslist. In a matter of hours, it was sold, but so was the table I said I would pick up later that day! GRRRR!! Back to the drawing board!
\
I had this vanity in storage and decided it would make a return appearance as my desk upstairs. That's fine...it was free. I love shopping in my basement!
But then, I changed my mind and decided that it would work better in my sewing room.
This is what my sewing room looked like prior to a few changes that I made compliments of Craigslist.
In my quest for a different desk, (and a matching chair to go with the chair that started it all), I found a table and chairs that I was going to use for the kids in the family room so their puzzles and games wouldn't be on the floor. I decided it would be better preserved in my sewing room after closer examination showed it to be a little more fragile than my kids could handle. And of course, then there is the chandelier that replaced the celiling fan.
This little gem showed up on Craigslist the day I decided I would look for one. (Paint is such a remarkable medium!!)
Well, as I continued to search for a replacement table to serve as my desk, I found a library table for a steal! I brought it home, but it was a little big, so I hauled it upstairs and started an office redo for Tim. The futon and the big leather chair followed and I think the kids and I surprised him with a nice cozy little space to work from home in the wee hours of the night during tax season! We'd rather have him working here than 20 miles away anyway!!
Doubles as a guest bedroom if needed. :)
Remember the furniture in the basement? Craigslist. It was FREE! Sitting on the curb in the town that we live in, and it was still there when we went to check it out! Who wouldn't start to get excited about this? I am furnishing my house and making it feel like a living space for pennies!
Well, when I picked up the library table, the gentleman also had this cute little desk in his garage. "Need a desk?" he asked. "Well..." I didn't buy it, but a couple of weeks later, I looked up his number and called to inquire if he still had it. SOLD--to me. :)
I'm still trying to decide if I want to paint it. It needs a new drawer pull, so I'll be on the lookout for a matching one. I like it. It is smaller than what I wanted, but perfect, and the drawer space that the table wouldn't have had is so necessary! See that white TV stand? Relocated from the stairway. And that little black table between the orange chairs? Relocated from the bedroom.
I don't know yet if I want to repaint this stand a different color? Tim's uncle made it for our previous house...to fit a specific space. It seems to work here too.
I'd actually been scouring CL for a little table to put in between my orange chairs, and then I remembered a bedside table that would work great! It too needs a different look...maybe just some distressing.
The table that used to be there sits between my blue chairs. Blue chairS? Plural? Yes, because I found this pretty blue chair on CL. It makes my other blue chair look less hidious and more like it is supposed to be in the room. Do you see my trouble?? I am in danger of needing to be on the TV show "Hoarders"!
It is a cute and comfy chair though, and it really does look nice in the room! I'm trying to learn how to throw a blanket on a chair and make it look decorative rather than sloppy.
NO.
Still no, but a little better.
See the black table, repurposed.
I think it all comes together nicely. And now we have room for people to actually sit and visit!
So I was reading about how a round coffee table takes up less space, and then, lo-and-behold, I found this:
While it is a nice coffee table, I really like it as a kids table. It keeps them close and busy while I'm sewing. So, since I'm not using it as a coffee table, I bought this one:
Only, it is going to get a facelift and look like this:
I had to make myself a book to keep track of all the creative redo inspirations that I find.
Putting the white TV stand in the living room took my Great-grandma's little buffet back to the dining room where I think it belongs, and it is storing table linens instead of junk.
But putting the buffet in the dining room meant moving my wall pockets elsewhere, so they're now in the mudroom.
And while I was in the mudroom, I decided that two shelves for a pantry just wasn't working...
...I added a few.
This dresser used to be in the mudroom, but I sold it on Craiglist too.
That way I could bring this one out of storage: (It was Tim's grandfather's dresser)
This shoe cubby used to be in one of the shops on campus at UNL, and then used as storage in our garage in Lincoln. We brought it with us and I'm so glad we did!
So, my Craigslist spree should be coming to an end, because I really don't need anything else...except this chair for our bedroom:
It is the beginning of a quest to make our bedroom into a retreat of sorts instead of a laundry room/storage area with a bed in it! On my list of things to do, is to paint this hand-me-down dresser and actually use it to store clothes in instead of things on top! :)
I really am still looking for a dresser for Mathilda and I'd love to find matching twin Jenny Lind beds for the girls, so I'm still browsing. I came across these while looking:
Like I said before, I'm not really a brass/gold girl, so spray paint to the rescue.
Those lanterns came with this: (which may actually get a paint job too and find a home in the mudroom) Why not?
So while I've been busy doing these home-improvement things, which by the way, I really enjoy, some of my other responsibilities have not fared so well...
YUCK...I can't believe I'm even documenting this disasster!
And while I was taking pictures of all these things today, this is what Millie looked like:
And this is what Joe made for me:
These are my most favorite drawings of all time, and he's making tons of them! LOVE IT!
So, I've taken the first step to recovery...admitting I have a problem. But just to make it sound better, I've almost sold as much as I've bought, so it kind of balances out. LOL!!!
