ReStore the Basement

As I slowly chip away at my mountainous basement mess, I've been daydreaming of my fantabulous work space that the piles of crap stuff will eventually morph into.  It will be a wonderfully organized work/project area that is part basement, part creative inspiration.  So far it's been all basement, but I now have a few items that will help bridge the gap. I finally got a chance to go to the new (as of 8ish months ago..) Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Worcester (where my sister lives).  Since the ReStore is a new novelty in this area, allow me to explain.  It's like GoodWill, but for all things house and building.  They accept donations and all the profits go to local Habitat for Humanty.  It's a wonderful collection of awesomeness furniture, tiles, doors, windows, light fixtures, cabinets, and whatever other home or building items people have donated.  It's a fun place to explore.  A few weeks ago, my parents had gone and told me about a piece of countertop that could serve as my workbench, so I had to check it out myself.

I left the ReStore with the countertop and a light for UNDER $10!!!  Nope, that's not a typo.  Check out my loot and their prices:

$5

$4

I don't have a complete plan devised for the countertop yet.  It's 36"x64" and finished on 3 sides, so I could use it as a peninsula coming out from the wall, or I could cut it down a bit and put it against the wall.  Basically for $5, I can MAKE it be what I need it to be (once I decide what that is).  The light was a no-brainer.  I saw it when hubby went to grab a volunteer to help us move the countertop.  It was love a first sight.  When I saw the price tag, it was love at second sight too.

My new goodies will help keep me motivated through my basement archeology.

Must. not. let. couch. win...

Pin and Tell: Graphic Novel Antique Geek Chic

Welcome to my “Pin and Tell” weekly series. If you missed my previous “Pin and Tell” posts, check them out here. ___________________________________________________

This week’s Pin

Why

Does this room look familiar?  If you watch Secrets from a Stylist it should.  I have a confession: I have a HUGE girl-crush on Emily Henderson (HGTV stylist extraordinaire and Design Star winner).  I think she's fantastic- I love her personality, LOVE her rooms, I'm envious of her talent, and I want to be her bff. (Emily, if you're reading this, I'm probably not a stalker, we should be friends!)

Anywho, today's amazing room was her creation for a fantastically fun couple.  I wish I could take credit for the title of today's post, but that was Emily's genius concoction too.  It aired over the summer, but Pinterest reminded me just how much this room made me swoon.  Check out Emily's break-down and sources here.

Why am I obsessed with it?  As always, her styling is flawless.  The chic vintage accessories seem effortlessly timeless.  Mix that with the graphic letter  on the dresser and the black and white sketched figures on the wallpaper and you have a space that's got personality, sophistication, and just makes me smile.  I'm totally in love with mid-century dressers lately, so she gets major points for that amazing piece, too.

Bottom line? It's graphic, its antique, its geeky (in the best possible way) and it's sooo chic.  Emily hit the nail on the head again.

What a Hoot

Last month, I went to NYC  to visit my sister-in-law and drag her around antiquing/thrifting.  It was a learning process, so I didn't come home with the thrifted gold I was hoping, but I did get a few neat items.  One item that I adopted is this cute little owl votive holder.

I left him untouched by my DIY wand for a few weeks, but after much internal debate, I decided he needed bit of pizzazz.  Whenever I looked at him, I couldn't help thinking of these guys from West Elm.  (I may be irrationally drawn to owls lately, seems to be a common ailment though...)

Now I obviously couldn't turn him into mercury glass, but I started experimenting.  I had been wanting to try silver leaf for a while, so that's what I did.  My little orangey-brown owl got a coat of spray adhesive then I used a paint brush to apply the silver leaf.  It was kind of a big mess, so I'm glad I did it outside.  I was on the fence if the finish was worth the time and mess, and I may have ruined the finish a bit when I finished him with a matte finishing spray (live and learn).  He sort of looks like I spray painted him silver, though.

Despite my incompetence with silver leaf, I still like the outcome- he's fancy.

Isn't he snazzy?  I think so.

Even though he came out different than planned, I'm really glad he's not orangey-brown anymore.  I'm not giving up on silver leaf altogether, but I think next time needs to be more strategic and researched for the best techniques.

Have you had any projects lately that didn't quite end up as planned but still had a positive outcome?  Do you have any silver leaf tips?