Remember those Louis XVI style chairs...

Those chairs I wrote about here.
Are you surprised that they still look the same as they did 3 months ago? ha.

Well, thanks to Lisa @ A Vintage Vine I have found new inspiration!

She just recently wrote a post about creating her own Wisteria Like Furniture.

Her $9 vintage table was transformed into this lovely.

The look she gave her table is exactly what I wanted my chairs to look like...
something like this.

source

So now I just need to convince hubby that stripping the stain

 and dealing with the harsh chemicals for me is a great weekend project... 

otherwise I'll have to wait until post baby to check this item of my 2011 goal list.

And I am just really getting sick of the fabric on these chairs!

blah.

and once they're refinished I'll recover the front and arms in a twill chocolate fabric

source

and the backs in this plaid, to add a little pizzazz and coordinate with our kitchen stools.

source

I love all the inspiration that is around every corner blogland.

Thanks, Lisa, for re-inspiring me to tackle this project!

Inspiring Outdoor Spaces

I love dreamy outdoor spaces...

the kind where you can imagine sipping iced tea, reading your favorite novel,
sitting for hours, evening entertaining, and chatting over lunch with friends.

Houzz
The neutral umbrella and furniture really allow the natural elements to pop.
and that stone fireplace makes the space just as enjoyable in the winter.

source

 Rene, at cottage and vine, has a fabulous outdoor space.
she calls it her "staycation spot"
and just look at it! why would you want to go anywhere else?
love the pergola and beautiful landscaping.

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This pergola has a retractable shade in case you want to catch some rays
or protect yourself from a spring shower...
and that beautiful brick fireplace welcomes guests outside during cold spells.

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The towering trees and lush landscaping create such a cozy atmosphere
in that darling gazebo...and the lighting is essential for outdoor evening entertaining.

when we moved into our home over 2 years ago, there wasn't much outside the back door.

a few dead fruit trees, one weeny oak tree, and lots and lots and lots of grass!

hubby decided that he would take on the task of building a patio...

and quite the task it was! 

he'll probably never do it again but we sure do love it now!

there was just one problem...no shade. and in the middle of a TX summer,

you have GOT to have shade if you plan on spending any time outside, 

while not fully submerged in a pool.

so these last few weeks have been spent searching and deciding on our favorite furniture,

and essential elements of shade. 

monday through today have been especially exciting because it's all being delivered!

I am currently waiting on a call from the furniture delivery company telling me 

that they're 30 minutes away and bringing the furniture!

here are a few of the pieces that we chose:

source

This will definitely give us ample shade on hot, sunny days!

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Our color scheme is very neutral, allowing for the colors in nature to stand out...
which is why we love this outdoor rug.

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Last but not least, our lounging furniture!

My parents have this set, so we know it's incredibly comfortable.

We spent last weekend relaxing on it, in fact, this set started the whole idea for 

creating an outdoor space and better utilizing the beautiful patio that hubby built!

here is a before picture...actually saved from the realtor's website.

the expanse of grass

the small patio that Hubby busted out and rebuilt!

and the after will follow shortly, with all our new additions! 

have any of you created outdoor spaces in your home? 

if so, share your link in the comments. i'd love to see!

Armoire, found!

This post begins the saga of striving to solve the problem of the TV over the fireplace.

My post here told why we ended up with a blank wall space, 

which had my mind's little wheels spinning.

My post here told how we thought we'd solved the empty wall dilemma.

A few weeks ago I wrote this post, almost at my wit's end with looking for an armoire. 

I am so thrilled that now my post today is to tell you that I FOUND IT!

THE PERFECT ARMOIRE!

 It took lots, lots, lots, and lots more patience, but C-List came through again!

I checked it every day, at least once, sometimes twice, and maybe three times if I was feeling desperate!

I had seen an add for this armoire a couple of weeks ago and they were asking 3x my budget.

Last week, I started noticing that each day they dropped the price little by little.

1,000

750

650

500

375

Finally, on Friday the add said 

"$350 or best offer. Pick it up today because the lease on our storage unit ends tomorrow."

They were des-per-ate!

I offered $300 and they accepted!

Hubby took off work early so he could pick up a friend's truck and it was in our house that night!

I breathed a huge sigh of relief, until...

It was WAY too big for this wall.

I wish I'd had a camera for you to see hubby's face.

priceless.

And honestly, I didn't even take a picture of it in that space because I thought I'd made the 

biggest decorating mistake ever.

My mind was racing. What are we going to do with my "dream" armoire?

Now what's going to fill this huge empty wall space?  Maybe I'll get used to this monstrosity. 

What am I going to write about on the blog? Will I even admit that I did this?

PANIC!

Hubby could tell I was losing it, along with being so so super disappointed.

He brilliantly suggested trying it on another wall.

Amazing how your mind can freeze dead in it's tracks when you enter panic mode.

Why hadn't I thought of that?

So we scooted it over to the wall where the loveseat had previously been.

What do we do with the loveseat?

So we moved the couch into the area between the living room & the kitchen,

and put the loveseat in front of the windows.

The poor little thing looked dwarfed.

Here is my disappointed Hubby.

He was googling "flat screen armoires"

Then we moved the couch back to the window wall.

Like.

And we moved the loveseat onto the empty wall.

Like.

Now the plan is to purchase a sofa table for behind the loveseat, 

place two lamps atop, and hang a sunburst mirror on the wall!

In case you're wondering about my chairs-to-be-bleached,

they went one on each side of the white couch.

Truth be told, I hadn't been thrilled with our living room arrangement before,

and now I am so much more in l.o.v.e.

It's cozier and more inviting. 

Along with looking for the sofa table, I am also on the lookout for a new coffee table. 

There is a lot of wood in that room, and I want to break it up with one 

similar to this...

source

Love how one piece of furniture, in our case very large furniture,

has the ability to dramatically change a room!

Sharing my thrifty find over at Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday and Cottage and Vine

Don't forget to enter the Home Goods giveaway and share the news!

where are you, armoire?

Ever since this post, I have been searching, searching, searching, for the perfect armoire! 

I couldn't be more eager to remove the tv from the wall, hide it away in a beautiful armoire, and 

create a fabulous display above the mantle.

I have been searching C-List for months and haven't found the perfect one. 

I am craving a classic, dark wood piece with clean lines.
Similiar to this one... but it also has to be within my budget.

If I come across one that I like, they're usually not wide enough for our tv.

I secretly want to sell the tv and buy one that fits, but I doubt hubby will give it up.

He compromised a lot to agree the tv could come down from the wall. 

I don't want to push my luck!

Usually, after a few weeks I can find what I am looking for,

 but finding the perfect armoire has been quite the challenge!

It's time to put the petal to the metal and get out and find what I'm looking for!

Watch out consignment shops. I'm coming, & I'm on a serious mission!

bleached furniture

Last week I told you about my latest thrifty find and asked for your opinions on their recovering.

Erin, mentioned bleaching the wood which peeked my interest.

I researched, found lovely images, 
and I'm currently learning about all types of wood bleach!

Enjoy browsing these lovely images of bleached wood furniture!

mrs. howard

 country living

cote de texas  

wisteria

wisteria

This last image captures my vision for the chairs!

Now I need to find the best wood bleach, 

and add the project to my 2011 to-do list! 

2010 :: A Year of Learning & Experimenting in Home Decor

It's just hours away from 2011!

And so hard to believe that 2010 has already flown by.

So many wonderful memories from '10 and so much to look forward to in '11!

In the spirit of all things home, here are my favorite projects from 2010!

stripping and painting the breakfast room table.

painting the corner hutch

painting the Ikea curtains 

adding the c-list credenza

sitting back and enjoying my transformed breakfast room

beginning ::project office::

I am anxious to start new projects and finish others throughout 2011!
Stay tuned for what's to come! 

Sharing my 2010 recap with:
 Southern Hospitality, Savvy Southern Style and Shabby Chic Cottage

thrifty finds

I have spent at least the last 2-3 months looking for Louis XVI style chairs for our family room.
I have been craving seating in front of the fireplace.  

house beautiful 

decorpad

Their shape, style, and size are perfect for the room, but their price tag wasn't.

They usually ranged between 150-200 each, even in consignment stores. 

Then one day in early December I stumbled upon a recently opened thrift store via C-List.

The location is about 30 min from our house & worth every second of the drive time!

They had (2)  Louis XVI style chairs for $129.00! TOTAL! 

I saw the add around 11:00 one night, 

and first thing the next morning I loaded little one in the car & we were on our way!

Aren't they just perfect in that space?  

I had found that round ottoman a few months earlier and with a tray atop, 

it will serve as a lovely side table for those chairs.

These are my two recovering options, as of now. 

I would love for you to leave your opinion,
in favor of either {A} or {B} because I'm being indecisive.

{A}

Recover the front-back and front-seat in the stripe of the decorator table fabric (above picture),

and recover the arms and back-back in a twill khaki.

ballard designs

{B}

Paint the chairs white and distress them.
(similar to the decorpad image)

Recover the front-back & front-seat in this large check

ballard designs

which is also the fabric on our bar stool cushions.

Recover the arms and back-back in this dark chocolate twill.

 ballard designs

I am leaning more towards option B because the brown would help anchor that area of the room...

but I haven't made up my mind 100% yet!

decisions. decisions.