I see DIY in my future

Karen Goodman

November 18, 2010

Design, DIY, Growing up, House, Inspiration, Projects

I profusely apologize for not posting in over a week. This post-break, however, is going to lead to much more posts, and more exciting posts (if I do say so myself). Why, you ask? We're buying a house! And I don't mean we're looking at houses, or we're planning to buy a house- I mean, we have the inspection Saturday and if all goes well we're closing a MONTH from Saturday!! HOLY CRAP, how did this happen? Not quite sure, but I guess the planets aligned for us to find the right house now.

I have so many ideas swirling in my head and my list of desired power tools grows by the minute. I was more excited for the drill I received as a wedding gift than I was for any kitchen gadgets (ok, so maybe the drill ties with my KitchenAid mixer)... I have longed for a house so I had a reason to play with power tools. I'm my father's daughter I guess ;-). First tool I want? A router. Looking back through past DIY projects on Design*Sponge I was inspired. One particular caught my eye. Hubby has stated that he likes having coat hooks by the door. Functional? yes; aesthetically appealing? not usually. Which is why I found these so intriguing: create mock drawer fronts with vintage knobs to use as coat hooks. Functional and easy on the eyes! I could totally see this by the back door in our new house (made of course with my own personal twist).

I also see some simple reupholstering in my future- for both me and a friend who is soon moving into her new house. Tool for that? Staple gun!! :-) I think my fascination with tools is that with a little elbow grease and just a few simple steps, they help you transform items from ordinary to extraordinary, or from scraps to something cherished. Stay tuned for some stellar DIY how-to's in the coming months. I hope you're as excited as I am!

image and inspiration from DesignSponge

Karen Goodman

November 10, 2010

Design, DIY, House, Projects

im·pa·tient

Karen Goodman

November 10, 2010

Design, DIY, House, Projects

–adjective 1. not patient; not accepting delay, opposition, pain, etc., with calm or patience.

2. indicating lack of patience: an impatient answer.

3. restless in desire or expectation; eagerly desirous.

Yup. That sums it up pretty well. After my rant about my house-commitment-a-fobia, we are waiting to hear back on our counteroffer. Its been 22 hours, don't they know we want to know NOW!?! I've naturally started planning what projects I want to do.

What I find surprising is that the house we choose to put an offer on actually NEEDs no work. I wanted a project, but I'm certainly not going to complain when it's move-in-ready. I'll create my own projects. For example. The house is over 100 years old but has been totally updated... a little too updated for my ideal taste. I would love to find vintage spindles to refinish to add character back into the stairs.

One project I'm excited to get started (whether or not our offer gets accepted): coordinating but mismatching dining chairs. I've been wanting to do this for years: scavenge antique chairs that have similar back and seat heights but different backs and refinish them to match. I have a table that I rescued from my aunt's basement and refinished a little over a year ago that I think would work perfectly with my envisioned chairs. If I can pull this off properly, I think it will look so chic. My eyes are open for chairs- let the hunt begin!

Don't fret, I'll keep you posted on the status of houses (if i don't burst from anticipation first). Keep your fingers crossed for us!!