A Bit of Black & White

After six months of marriage Jason and I are finally settled into a place longer than a month. We are living on the outskirts of St. George in a beautiful little community in Bloomington. It is so nice to finally have a place of our own, not the grandparents' house or company housing or hotels- our own place.

Since I can finally hang pictures on the walls, break out the wedding gifts and pretty much have a place to put things, I've been working on a few upholstery projects to fancy up the house.

This ottoman was super easy to make. I'd been begging Jace to let me throw away his stained suede ottoman for months until I was struck by design inspiration and pulled out my fabric. I loved this silky, houndstooth fabric at Joann's and scored it for a mere $3 a yard. Next I gutted some old pillows for their batting and gave the ottoman a bit of a shape. Stapling the fabric was a bit of a challenge since the satin moves so much, but Jason helped me line up the pattern as best we could. My mom got me the best stuff ever- fabric glue that I used on the corners, and voila- all done! 

So much better than that boring suede. Now we've got a touch of houndstooth, extra storage and possible seating in the living room. Yay! :) 

I finally got around to this little nightstand. Seriously it's taken long enough. I got this little guy at DI two summers ago when I was on my chair-recovering obsession, but it was put on the backburner when I realized how much work it was really gonna be. It was in bad shape, with dings all over the soft wood. So before we moved down to St. G I got out the sander and went to work.

I sanded and primed forever, until it was finally in acceptable condition. Then on went the paint!

I like it so much more than I thought I would. The legs are gorgeous, and the ornate leafed handles add so much character to a little corner of our living room. Love it!

Last but not least are the newest additions to our kitchen- much needed barstools. I'd almost given up on the search until I found some at... drumroll please... DI! No surprise there. All the best treasures are in unexpected places. Seriously everywhere I looked had the most boring, wood stools for $40+. No thanks! I knew I wanted black and cream, and it didn't take long to switch to flat black and recover the seats. They look white in the after pic, but it's actually a cream burlap. I give it a chance everytime I visit the fabric store, appreciating the wide array of colors and reaching for an excuse to buy a yard or two. Thanks to DI, however, I returned with a purpose in mind! :)

With all the satin, silk and tulle I've been buying lately, burlap is a refreshing change. I think it adds a warm, casual feel to the kitchen. The rough and tumble feel of it is exactly the contrast this house needs.

It's so nice to get back in touch with my crafty side. Especially when it saves me a couple bucks in the decorating department!  ;)