Our 1970'S Identify Makeover Component Subdivision 9: The Utilisation Makeover

DIY budget decorating ideas for the habitation purpose Our 1970's House Makeover Part 9: The Office Makeover

Hey ya'll! If you've been next along lately, you lot know I've been spending most of my gratuitous time* finishing the office. And I finally experience similar it's decent plenty to share. Kinda.
*Free fourth dimension = that i weekend inward August when I wasn't traveling to see family/friends or traveling amongst Jesse for his work. For those of you lot who've been curious, Jesse is component of a media startup too the to a greater extent than it's grown, the to a greater extent than oft he travels. And I acquire amongst him because it's exactly a cracking chance to pass fourth dimension together, travel, read books (a passion I totally forget I take keep unless I'm stranded inward a car), remain inward a comfy hotel room, too swallow multiple breakfasts at Cracker Barrel.
Plus, I exactly kinda loathe beingness habitation alone, which I fully blame on Macauley Culkin, circa 1990.

Anyways, thence it's finally fourth dimension to discover the purpose inward it's updated state. And since the purpose has been through multiple changes over the past times ii years, let's start at the beginning.

This is what the purpose looked similar when nosotros foremost moved in.

It had dark woods trim, beige carpet, too peach walls.

I was running my foremost work organisation at the fourth dimension (finding novel too used article of apparel at thrift stores too thence selling it on eBay) too at that topographic point was e'er exactly junk everywhere. At the time, I was transportation 100+ packages a week, barely making whatever money, too barely remembering to seat my pants on each day.

Decorating was at the rattling bottom of my to-do list.

So, if you're ever feeling a piffling less than awesome (something I usually experience when reading blogs or exactly perusing the cyberspace inward general), exactly know that you lot are worthy, you lot are capable, too most off all, if your solid looks similar a creepy 'before' picture, at that topographic point is hope.

During my thousands of trips to the thrift shop to notice article of apparel for my eBay store, I began to come upwardly across materials for our house. We didn't take keep whatever coin at the time, too our solid was nearly empty, thence I started repurposing stuff.

One of my foremost finds was this desk for $50.

We didn't take keep a dining room tabular array at the fourth dimension (and silent didn't upwardly until nearly a calendar week ago...and I can't hold off to present you!), but for some argue I decided to utilization the tabular array every bit a desk inward the office. It was ii unlike colors when I got it, too I wasn't super excited nearly that, but I knew I could in all probability cook it.

This was all happening closed to the fourth dimension that I had decided to closed my eBay work organisation too start my spider web log (which was terrifying too exciting at the same time). So, i of the rattling foremost posts I ever made on this spider web log was nearly the purpose makeover.

In the below picture, I had exactly painted the walls (Behr Sandstone Cliff) too painted the reduce too doors (Ultra Pure White). And then, I decided to pigment the top of the desk dark to fit the legs.

I had never painted a tabular array before, too was exactly a total novice.

So, I ruined the tabular array on my foremost sweat at painting. And thence spent an entire level scraping pigment off. It wasn't awesome. This moving-picture present never made it onto the spider web log before, too in all probability never should, but I know you'll notice some comfort inward my mess.

I finally got all of the pigment off the table, did a piffling to a greater extent than research, too eventually used a combination of dark chalk pigment too several layers of polyurethane. That ended upwardly working, too it's held upwardly perfectly ever since.
So, this is what the purpose looked similar afterwards the foremost makeover 2 years ago.

I silent totally dear the higher upwardly version, but frankly, it was exactly fourth dimension for an update.

So, dorsum inward February, nosotros emptied out all of the furniture.

Then, nosotros ripped upwardly the carpet too replaced the subfloor.

Then, nosotros installed the hardwood flooring, which took four months too nearly drove me insane.

Then, over the course of written report of the past times month, I basically lived inward the haunted house room too spent my days sanding, priming, too prototype all of the reduce too all of the doors.

So, if you've been wondering why it's taken me MONTHS to complete the trim, I chose to take keep the route less traveled (in monastic tell to preserve money), too I chop-chop learned that it's the route less traveled for a reason. Basically, nosotros got a bunch of raw woods from a mill too thence nosotros had to sand it, woods create total it, sand it, prime number it, sand it, pigment it, cutting it, install it, woods create total it again, caulk it, thence pigment it again. As it turns out, nosotros did preserve nearly $2000, but it's been an absolute nightmare too I'll never practise it this agency again.

But, hey, you lot alive too you lot learn, too highfivewefreakindidit.

Once the reduce too doors were finally installed inward the purpose (more on that inward a minute), I was able to movement materials dorsum into the room too start to decorate.

Here's how it looks thence far.

So, let's intermission it down.

For the primary furniture, I kept the original thrift shop tabular array too paired it amongst a lucite chair, since the cats basically destroyed my in conclusion purpose chair.

I've wanted i forever, but could never notice i inward my cost range. But, thence I had a flake of luck before this month, too I flora a inexpensive one.

I flora it here where they were blowing out some manufacturing flora defects for $40. They only had 300, which seem to live sold out now, but they silent take keep some for $70. Luckily, when mine arrived, I couldn't notice a unmarried defect, thence I take keep no catch what it was. I volition warn you lot however, that they don't listing a transportation charge, too afterwards you lot pay, they volition transportation you lot an e-mail telling you lot that you lot take keep to transportation them an additional $30 for shipping.

So, perchance that was the 'defect'.

But nonetheless, silent a cracking deal.

I had this chair inward a box for almost iii days before I took it out because I feared the 'Jesse Response'.

And for no other argue than I exactly KNEW.

Jesse is a rattling masculine homo who lives inward a rattling feminine house. And he never complains.

In fact, he pretty much gives me gratuitous reign to acquire every bit crazy every bit I want, too he totally embraces my crazy.

And you lot see...I exactly knew. I knew deep downward that my piffling see-through chair was pushing it.

So I eventually took it out of the box, too he exactly happened to walk downward the hallway at that exact second.

And it was similar he walked past times genuinely fast, totally distracted, too thence stopped all of a sudden. And thence tardily backed up, too exactly lost it for xxx seconds, laughing hysterically, totally amused too confused, until he could gain his composure too live similar 'Oh, babe. Is that your novel chair? I mean, that's awesome. But whoa.

Can I sit down inward it? Will it break? Will it spray me amongst estrogen?'

Needless to say, Jesse really is such a gem, too i hateful solar daytime I volition brand him the best of homo caves to vantage him for enduring this madness.

So, moving on. The carpeting is rattling similar to the i inward the living room, too is from Rugs USA.

If you lot ever read part 8 nearly the living room, you lot may recall me maxim that I had bought a similar carpeting days before they sent me the i that nosotros ended upwardly using inward the living room. Well, this is the i I bought, too although it's non every bit prissy every bit the i inward the living room, it's thence much cheaper too silent looks genuinely great. I got the 8' x 10'' too waited until at that topographic point was an 80% off discount code, thence it only cost me a piffling to a greater extent than than $100. They almost e'er take keep crazy sales going on, thence there's a skillful jeopardy you lot tin acquire it for genuinely inexpensive if you're patient.

As for the mirror, it's i of my faves, too plainly ya'll's, too. I've never gotten thence many questions nearly an item. I originally showed it here inward the painted dresser post a few weeks ago. It was a clearance score from Home Goods for nearly $30. There was a chip too a few scratches inward the frame that I exactly fixed amongst some Rub n Buff inward the 'Champagne' color.

I think it was originally $199, which is CRAZYTALK, thence score i for the piffling guy.

Now, before nosotros utter nearly the other side of the room, here's exactly a piffling reminder of what it looked similar afterwards the foremost makeover ii years ago.

I'm feeling variety of embarrassed, but I'm exactly gonna breathe through it.

Mostly nearly the narcissistic chalkboard.

I don't know. I was telling all my friends too solid unit of measurement I was going to live a blogger too it was hard. I was a piffling over the top too in all probability annoying. Just a component of the journey, I suppose.

And here's what it looks similar today.

I removed the bookshelf too brought inward the dresser that I painted amongst white petroleum paint, the gilded leafage art that I made, too I also changed the light fixture too curtains, too replaced the reduce too doors.

The piffling nook amongst the dresser too gilded leafage fine art is past times far my favorite component of the room.

And I'm poor to inform you lot that my infant orchid has lost his blooms.
I tried thence hard, ya'll.
I forgot to give him his recommended shot drinking glass total of H2O before nosotros left for Statesboro, GA in conclusion week, too I came habitation to notice him one-half dead. I'm trying to resuscitate him inward the kitchen (where I'll recall to H2O him), too inward the meantime, I exactly seat a fake orchid inward here. Because how practise all these people take keep orchids too I exactly CANNOT brand it work?

I kept him thriving for a total calendar month before he succumbed to my inevitable plant-neglect.

Will he re-bloom if I give him the proper care? I'm non sure.
I'm feeling inept.

So, straightaway let's movement on to the cupboard doors, because this is the component that slowed me downward for a duet weeks.

Here's a piffling glimpse of how the doors looked inward the purpose a few years ago. I had painted the door into the purpose white already, but hadn't gotten closed to to prototype the cupboard doors yet. They are exactly your typical hollow pith 1970's doors.

Also of note: some other boob light.

They were EVERYWHERE.

I eventually got closed to to prototype the cupboard doors white, which was a temporary cook until I could afford to supercede the doors.

It made a genuinely large difference, made me experience less gloomy nearly my house, too it held upwardly pretty good over time. So, don't live afraid to pigment your doors if they põrnikas you. All I did was prime number them too curl some semi gloss white pigment on amongst a high density foam roller.

During the flooring renovations, I removed all of the doors inward the solid too threw them away. It was my sweat to forcefulness us to supercede them. And it worked. Granted, I removed them inward Feb too we're exactly straightaway getting novel ones on inward tardily August, but nonetheless.

Also, that's the to the lowest degree amount of materials that cupboard has ever had inward it. It may exactly hold off similar a pile of junk to you, but to me it's a glorious achievement.

Also, my mom gave me those ii piffling antique flora stands for my birthday, too I can't hold off to utilization them. But, first, I take keep to tame the horror that is my yard. You know you lot saw it.

So, anyways, the doors on all of the closets inward this solid were bi-folds. And they were e'er coming off of the rail too causing me to describe my pilus out, thence I decided to essay something different. So, nosotros went to Lowe's too bought a bunch of slabs. (Jesse has informed me that 'slabs' are what the doors are called when they don't take keep pre-drilled holes for the doorknobs.)

The slabs were super inexpensive at only nearly $20 a door.

And thence I spent nearly a calendar week of my life prototype them.

And thence Jesse attached the doors to the cupboard too installed a magnetic closure to each door too to the top of the frame.

And thence nosotros drilled ii holes inward each door too attached kitchen cabinets, only bigger. Not only practise I exactly dear the agency it looks, but it allowed us to preserve coin past times buying slab doors too past times non having to purchase a bunch of doorknobs.

And it was variety of a hurting (simply because doors take keep forever to paint), but it was thence worth the effort.

Switching the doors from bi-folds to french doors was such a elementary change, but it made i of the biggest differences inward the agency this room feels. I'll live doing this to every room inward the solid now.

You may take keep also noticed the low-cal fixture inward the higher upwardly picture. This is the piffling fixture that used to live inward the original chamber that I flora at a thrift shop for $5. It was originally a prissy 1980's brassy gold, but I spray painted it silver. It genuinely goes perfectly inward the office, too it saved me some dollars.

It could in all probability utilization a piffling Windex afterwards getting dusted past times the flooring sander, but what tin ya do. Well, I suppose Windex it, but you lot know...who has fourth dimension for that.

As for the curtains, I was determined to brand my own. So, I taped upwardly ii acre white drapery panels, mixed some textile medium inward some gray paint, too I started prototype my curtains.

I've seen a lot of people practise this, too thence I figured it wouldn't live besides hard. I was thence wrong.

First of all, trying to record direct lines on a drapery panel is similar trying to brush a cat.

Impossible.

Second, I made my stripes besides broad too past times the fourth dimension I was done taping too prototype the foremost panel, I realized I had iii jumbo in-your-face stripes.

And third, I spent nearly iii hours exactly on that i panel, too thence I realized that it totally sucked too that I was going to take keep to start over if I wanted to relieve the project.

Basically, cutting to me laying on the floor, crumpled inward a ball...covered in tears too sweat.

And rage.

So, every bit luck would take keep it, I was walking closed to Marshall's on Mon looking for a mistaken orchid, too I exactly happened to spot a pair of striped drapery panels inward the clearance aisle. I've never seen striped curtains anywhere. Much less for $20.

I'm pretty certain I cackled to myself similar a maniac too in all probability did a round-off or something. It's a blur.

A few of you lot guys asked nearly the piffling gilded mug inward the in conclusion post. It's exactly a thrift shop notice that made for a terrible java mug (it gets agency besides hot), thence instead I turned it into a pencil holder. By putting pencils inward it.

And those pencils are an Etsy find, too I variety of gaze at them longingly each too every day.

It's the dorsum to schoolhouse phenomenon where you lot acquire excited over schoolhouse supplies.

Even if you're old.

And of course, the flowers are exactly some pinkish roses from the grocery store.

I don't take keep flowers inward my purpose every hateful solar daytime (although I wouldn't seat upwardly a struggle if someone tried to choose me some), but I'm an average lensman at best, too a piffling impact of flowers e'er makes fifty-fifty the worst photos hold off better.

And I spider web log for a living, thence sometimes you lot take keep to practise crazy things similar purchase flowers too sit down inward your kitchen for an hr arranging them, knowing fully good that your truthful cat is going to essay to swallow them the infinitesimal you lot go out the room.

Please take keep bill of the orchid, fighting for his life inward the corner.

I'm guessing that hacking upwardly roses amongst my pair of scissors in all probability didn't encourage him.

Furthermore, my roses started dying off past times this morning. They lasted a day.

I gauge that's what you lot acquire when you lot purchase the $2 bundle from the clearance bin.

Half of them were slightly moldy.

And that's how you lot ruin the mirage of a perfect habitation amongst fresh flowers everywhere.

So, anyways, ya'll. That's the office.

I genuinely practise dear it. I'm certain it volition alter fourth dimension too fourth dimension again, but it has a fighting jeopardy of staying the same at to the lowest degree for a piffling flake spell I movement on to other rooms inward the house.

Plus, straightaway I genuinely take keep a identify to spider web log again, which is awesome since I literally blogged from my bed for nearly four months spell the solid was nether construction.

Cheese likes this novel life upgrade, too.

That pic was taken when I had the desk facing the door. I genuinely similar it that agency better, but demand a slightly smaller desk if I'm going to proceed it that way.

I suppose that leaves us room to improve, right? :)

Speaking of Cheese, before I go...

So, I'm certain you've seen the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge all over social media these past times few weeks. Jesse too I were nominated past times a handful of people, too since nosotros were traveling too tardily to respond, nosotros donated some of our dollars too Cheese too Tootie offered to assist us out, too.

They're obsessed amongst ice/water/anything they tin splash in, thence I figured nosotros could indulge them exactly this once.

So, here's my piffling video amongst Cheese.

Jesse did his video amongst Tootie, too it's the most precious affair I've ever seen, but I'll spare him exactly this once.

Cheese's sweetness piffling personality is on major display too it's fourth dimension you lot acquire to run into her inward action. She played inward the bathtub for a total xx minutes batting shaved H2O ice closed to afterwards nosotros were done. She's absolutely ridiculous.

And also, if you lot take keep a few spare dollars, I encourage you lot to transportation a few to ALS.org. Feel gratuitous to follow my lead, also, exactly for fun, too sprinkle a shot drinking glass worth of H2O ice on yourself, too. :)