Anyone else living in an old home knows it's a constant battle to find storage for all of the things we need for modern living that our Victorian friends seemed to manage without. Especially now with little kids, the storage space we built during our renovation just never seems enough. So when said goodbye to our high chair, that spot seemed like the perfect spot for a small sideboard to hold all those little odds and ends that you need for diner parties.
The only problem was that spot on the wall was quite narrow so something ready made just did not exist. So instead of a traditional sideboard, I had to get creative with what would fit in that spot.
Off I went to Lowe's, my go to source for all things DIY. Not surprisingly, they are also a great source of
storage and organizational products (I could spend all day just in that aisle alone). They have everything from bins to pegboards to hooks to closet systems so I knew they would have a solution.
Turns out a small chest or in this case, this beautiful
Chevron nightstand was the perfect fit. (I was really hoping
this beautiful curved pine chest would fit but alas my wall was too narrow.) Aside from being the exact width I needed and visually lovely, it also has two built-in USB ports on the back which was a total surprise. I can create a nice charging station right here down the road.
My first step in turning this nightstand into a dining room storage piece was lining each drawer with shelf paper. I used
Duck shelf liner in their 'Grey Gate' pattern - one roll was more than enough. Aside from just looking a little cuter, the plastic lining helps things stay in place when opening and closing the drawers. Once that was in place I turned to my new obsession;
bamboo drawer organizers. Specifically I used these three sizes:
15x6 ,
9x3 and
9x6. They turned this open drawer into a custom space for every little small item I use for dinner parties including fancy cutlery, cheese markers, votives, napkin rings, appetizer knives and a corkscrew. The stackable nature of these trays makes the most of every inch. It also makes finding these items and putting them away a breeze. The only problem with them is once you get a few, you will want to fill every drawer in your house with them. It's completely addictive.
The second drawer I used for my linens and placemats as well as some of my favorite wood slice trays. Amazing what can fit into a tiny space when well organized. I thought I might need some of these
drawer dividers (which I'm also obsessed with) but everything fit perfectly without me lifting a finger so score!
And finally I saved the third drawer for appetizer plates and serving dishes. Things I didn't use everyday but wanted to have easy reach to. I could have stuffed this drawer with a lot more but by purging a bit, I was able to store my favorites safely and with plenty of space. The shelf paper really helps here keeping each little dish in their place without any extra effort.
Even though this chest is relatively small, it has made setting up for guests so much easier and has freed up some precious room in my cabinets that help me stay organized day to day.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Lowes but all opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to wonderful sponsors like these for supporting my projects.
It will not surprise you that I absolutely love to help friends decorate their homes. All the fun and none of the expense - what could be finer? I can be a little bit ruthless in my quest to get rid of the less desirable but it's all for the greater design good. So when a friend moved into her less than 20-year-old home, naturally I had lots of suggestions.
While I couldn't convince her to do anything drastic (I was really pulling for a black dining room but she wouldn't go for it), I think the change is pretty dramatic. Just goes to show you how much the right furniture arrangement can change the look and feel of a room.
The fireplace surround was a pretty garish green marble but the cost to replace it would have been considerable, so instead, she painted it using a dark grey chalk paint. I wasn't sure if was going to work but it looks amazing! The chalk paint's flat finish mimics a dark stone slate perfectly - you would never guess it was painted marble.
Despite not having the right spot for that lovely bar cart, I can enjoy it vicariously through her dining room. And she scored huge by finding the table and side chairs on super sale at a furniture outlet. I love how clean and updated it feels even though there was no construction required (the joys of a newish home!) What do you think of the living room decor before and after? Both rooms are painted in Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. Links to the specific or similar items found in the rooms can be found below.
You have already seen most of the work in prior posts which you can access at the end of this post, but it was time to do a complete post with sources.
As you might remember, we wanted to keep the renovation tab down so we decided to keep all the plumbing exactly as is. The only real structural change to the room was tearing down half the closet and opening up the space on the left. Essentially we made a galley kitchen into a L-shape – giving us more counter space, a more open feel to the room and allowing the light from the kitchen window to spill into the rest of the apartment. After that it was just finishing work. We went with stock cabinetry and affordable tile flooring to offset the splurge of the marble countertop. The room is so much more open and clean looking now – I really love how it all turned out. 
It does need a few more accessories (perhaps a bigger shell or wood bowl under the jellyfish print?) and some artwork in the seating area (maybe a new whale chalkboard or some old window art?). I haven't found just the right thing but I'll stumble upon something eventually. 
All the details are below (or at least as much as I could remember) but if I missed anything or you just have random question, do not hesitate to ask.
and wall
can even be purchased on Amazon. Flooring: Roca Orion Unpolished in 12x24 purchased at Classic Tile. We wanted slate look without the slate price. At $3/sq foot it was a steal.
and Wood Boards
by Zuo Furniture purchased on sale at Joss & Main
