This past January marked 8 years since my husband and I bought our home. It’s hard to believe that we have spent almost a decade – our entire married life – in this place. One, because I have trouble understanding how EIGHT WHOLE YEARS could have passed without my feeling any older; and two, because most of the people we know have moved on – usually to newer and/or bigger homes – during that time. [I guess I could have added a third to that list: the fact that some of the projects we started when we moved in are still not, um, quite finished. Ahem, the-basement-of-which-we-shall-not-speak-again.] But here we are, still keeping the promise we made all those years ago to “never move again until we’re 60”.
Making do, as it were, has never been a big problem. With 2 growing kids, our 1,600 square feet of livable space feel a bit more cramped than before, but it’s also about as much house – and maintenance – as we can handle as busy working parents. What we have been slowly doing over the past decade is to make-over our home to make it better suited to our needs and tastes. Emphasis on “slowly”. Sadly, as much as I bemoan this fact with every project, life is not as speedy and convenient as an HGTV show, especially when you’re relying almost solely on sweat equity. On the bright side, my marriage has now survived a number of home DYI projects, so I think we’re doing pretty well.
It helps a lot that my husband and I are on the same page (mostly) when it comes to interior design. We both like a mix of Scandinavian Neoclassic (Gustavian) and Mid-Century Modern influences. The fly in the ointment, so to speak, is that we have what you might call champagne tastes on an IKEA budget. This is problem #1.
As far as décor goes, that mostly revolves around my various collections. My husband kindly indulges my collecting habits, which is a relief because (A) I have a few, and (B) it’s not hoarding if we both call it a “collection”. [I indulge his collecting, so we’re even. It also means that our garage is full of partially functioning vintage cars.] The tricky thing is finding space for all of my well-loved treasures. This is problem #2.
We have made various solutions to these problems over the years, most of them involving some form of built-ins. Our house is a builder’s basic package, so it came pretty much bereft of any architectural charm or distinction. I like built-ins because they add some character, not to mention functionality to even the most undistinguished of spaces. I loved how the built-ins that my husband constructed transformed our family room and master bedroom; last year, I decided it was time to work the same magic on our living room.
I have written about the evolution of our living room before. Adding built-ins around the windows seemed like a logical next step, both as an aesthetic choice and a practical one. As it was, the space was underutilized; built-in would give us more storage and more seating options, particularly when hosting.
I brought my overall vision to my husband, who took the idea and went to town with it. Actually, he went to the IKEA website, because hacking basic IKEA boxes is one of his favourite things to do – and I’m being only a little facetious. He was able to design the whole custom ensemble for well under $1,000, using IKEA kitchen cabinets (on sale!) and wood trim from the hardware store. He is a keeper, that one. Anyway, don’t ask me how, but it all looked like this at the end:
Other than providing the vision – it’s important, I tell you! – I also did the painting of the built-ins, And, of course, my favourite part: the decorating. There are still a few things we need to do (including patching some dings in the wall and eventually changing the wall colour, adding wainscotting, putting doors on the bottom of the built-in cabinet, and changing the light fixture) but we aren’t in a major rush. The space is livable and quite cozy, so I want to enjoy it – and some peace and quiet – for a bit before tackling more work.
This was one of my fave mini DIY projects; we framed one of my thrifted finds, a vintage Italian silk scarf featuring my favourite succulents. The brand is La Mendola, and my internet research tells me that it was a Pucci rival in the 60s and 70s. I tried to thrift a frame, but the dimesions were too tricky (very large square) so we ended up with, what else, an IKEA poster frame. The scarf is simply sandwiched between the cardboard backing and the plexiglass, and seems to be staying in place. Up close, you can definitely see some ripples in the fabric, and the border is uneven, but I think that adds to its offbeat charm. All told, it cost about $30 (including the scarf) which is a great price for such a statement piece.
The trouble with IKEA is that you never leave with only the things you planned to buy. This chair is a case on point. I saw it as we were walking out of the store and ended up going back for it. My husband and I both loved the style and the vibrancy of the marigold yellow, which echoes some of the other decor in the living room and dining room. It’s a perfect reading nook, and it really brightens up the room. With this addition, the whole vibe leans more eclectic than traditiona, but I don’t mind; I think the “bones” of the room are classic, so it balances out.
Some more pics!
All in all, another successful DYI on the bag at Casa J 🙂
