Befores and Afters

People are always saying how ironic it is to fix up your home just to sell it.

Zeb's dresser before
We're not selling our apartment. We can't - because it belongs to our landlord. But still, putting a lot of work into it just to move right on out of it feels strangely self defeating sometimes. Most of these changes, it's true, we'll be bringing with us because they're objects. But they were all added to our household with specific walls and corners in mind - specific walls and corners that will not be going with us to our new house. There will be walls and corners there of course, but they might be different colors and sizes and the light on them will be different and I really hope that I don't have to start all over, but sometimes that's what it takes to get your house just right. Don't tell Zeb I said that.

Zeb's dresser after

It is a well known (and often lamented by a certain someone) fact that I have some mad Craigslist deal finding skills. When we got married we splurged on a dream couch from Urban Outfitters (later proved to be one of my worst purchases ever), and we bought a bed. We figured those two things were important and the rest could accumulate later. Random bookcases and cupboards, on the eyesore side, were given to us to hold us over. Slowly, oh so slowly and with much diligence we've replaced hand-me-downs and make-do's with things we love to look at, loved the price, and that fit certain nooks in our home just right. The above dresser/cabinet is one such example.

$5 Salvation Army lampshade before

It is also a well known fact that I spend a lot of time on Apartment Therapy. There are new posts about every five minutes and I read every single one of them. They give me many ideas. Apartment Therapy combined with spray paint and/or Mod Podge have enabled many a DIY project. See below, lamp and cabinet. And chandelier. And spice rack.

Shade made into lamp after
Lamp matched to hand-me-down Ikea-hacked cupboard

I take it back. It's not self defeating. Because I love that particular wall of our house now. It does and will make me happy every day that we live here and that's worth a lot.

$15 Craigslist chandelier before

Chandelier after an attack of spray paint
Has anyone else heard of the theory that you should have at least three sources of light in every room for optimum ambiance? I'm up to two in every room and I definitely think it's helping.

$5 Thrift store spice rack before

After - fresh spices and paint

Is it tacky to mention the prices? Because that's most of the fun for me. Even if I had $40 to spend on a cute spice rack, I wouldn't, because it's so much better to get it and rehab it for $6. And then to boast about it. Sorry if that's bad taste.

It's looking better around here. The walls are filling up, so is the floorspace. Just in time to pack it all up. It was nice while it lasted.