Office Dreaming

The moment you all have been waiting for, and the thing I have been talking about for the last 6 months...MY OFFICE! I am finally "done". Well work in progress, which is all any room will ever be to me. It's too easy for me to come up with another cool idea. This has been such a labor of love. I spend the majority of my time in this room. I do projects, I work, and I even watch movies in here. Something I am trying to stop in 2016. I have a very nice new couch that needs some butt action. This is the 4th time doing this room, and I can say with confidence...the last. After years of trying to just make it work, I decided to stop trying to live with something that I wasn't truly happy with. SO, I started from scratch. First the walls and the floor. Check it out *here* if you haven't seen that yet. Now it was time for the fun stuff. 

But...before I show you the room I have one final project. I recovered my office chair. This is like the 4th office chair I've had. I sit in my chair a lot, so finding a comfortable one is really important. My current chair was lower than the desk which made my elbows bend at the wrong angle. One day while driving through the neighborhood, I spotted a rolling desk chair in front of the parking lot donation bin. I felt bad at first taking from the donations, but then some other lady jumped out and started digging, and then so did I. I grabbed the desk chair,  checked to see if it was broken, threw it in the back of the SUV, and took off. What a score! The only thing now was to figure out how I was going to face lift it because ugly generic black, it could not stay. 

I Pintergoogled desk chairs and came across several that were fur. It seemed fancy enough yet still soft so I went with it. I found the white fur I had imagined at JoAnns. It was $40 a yard and in another lady's cart. Needless to say I stalked her until she got what she needed cut, and then grabbed it from her. I bought a yard, and with my coupon it was half off. So, not bad. Especially considering I did not pay anything for the chair.

For the base I went with gold to play off of the walls and the desk. I gave it a couple of coats of Rust-Oleum spray paint. 

While that dried I tackled the seat cushions. I brushed on a layer of fabric glue to the top of the seat and placed the fur on top. I gave it quite a bit of pressure and let it dry fully overnight. 

For the seat I wrapped the excess around both the cushion and the plastic bottom, and hot glued the edges down

For the back I did not have enough fur to wrap around the whole thing fully. Instead I wrapped the fur just around the cushion and pushed the ends in the opening between it and the plastic back. 

To cover the back I used left over remnant pieces and glued them down. The fur backing made it easy to hot glue, and the texture helped in hiding the seams. 

Only thing left to do was put it back together. 

Say WHAT! Isn't she fabulous...and fluffy.

I quite love the way it turned out. Unfortunately, it does not look that fluffy still. Being that I sit in it all the time, the fur on the seat portion looks a little flat and wild now. I also have to be careful when eating and drinking. I can't spill anything on it. Like nothing, or it will be ruined. It's so much pressure. 

 So now on to the amazing moment at hand. My office reveal. I have tried not to show too much of this room since the wall blog. This is what it looked like after the walls were done and the main furniture was loaded back in. 

People I present to you....my new and improved Lab! 

I took my time decorating this space. Last time I tended to rush into ideas and then change them shortly after when I came up with something better. I made a real conscious effort to avoid that this time. The right of the staircase pretty much stayed the same. I did add the makeshift umbrella stand from a vase that needed a new home. 

The TV area got a small makeover. Previously I had shelving and my photos on the back wall. With the addition of the focal wall, I didn't want to cover it over. I used the 2 long shelves from that arrangement, and cut off about a foot to fit this wall. I created a photo collage from my travel pictures. Some of my favorites I blew up to display over the TV. Photos from my travels are some of my favorite things to hang up. It reminds me of all the places I've been, and encourages me to travel more so I can see more amazing things. 

You'll notice the cubbies under the TV don't have anything anymore. (What's in there now are supplies for my current projects) Something will go there, I just haven't figured out what yet. I'm thinking some sort of collection. In the middle of the room is my new art/work table. Click *here* if you want to read about it. It's working out really well so far. I do need to find a chair for it though. Standing is good, but after awhile I get a little sore.

Don't mind the sewing stuff on the floor. That is not normally there. However, if you follow me on Instagram than you know that I'm in the middle of Sewing Palooza. It helps to keep everything out, and at arms reach. The back focal wall I wanted to keep free of too much visual stimulation. The only thing I decided to hang is my Romero Britto print. The wall and the print are actually a good complement to each other. 

The last area is my desk area. My original plan was to build something L-shaped. However that all changed when I found a piece of table top glass in the IKEA As-Is section for $15. Yes people, $15. A total steal considering a table top like that would have easily cost $200-$300. I just couldn't walk past it. I had to rethink the whole design and configuration of the space. I bought a pair of glass table legs also from IKEA, and painted them gold. Next to the desk I added a 12" shelf for extra space. I realized from the last desk set-up that I need lots of horizontal area. 

I made my new mouse pad using Iron-On fabric sheets. I had no idea about these things until I was doing some research. Average Iron-On fabric is thin and used with cotton t-shirts. These sheets were thick canvas material, apparently meant for things like bags, aprons, and (lucky for me) mouse pads.

In addition to the side shelf, I used 2 of the small shelves from the previous back wall and repainted them white. 

I like having somewhere to display things and keep better organization.

Behind the desk also got reconfigured. The file cabinet got a makeover and my desk drawers got moved to the side.

SO that's it. I started this renovation in September. 6 months later this is where I ended up. Now believe me it's not totally done. I still have a few things I want to add, and a few projects in mind that I want to do. This is ALSO the end of my house renovation. YAY!!!! *backflips and cartwheels*... and before anyone gives me a side-eye followed by a "Yeah Right", let me clarify "end". Of course it doesn't mean I won't touch anything, it just simply means that every room is in an official "work in progress" state. I don't have any major room overhauls on the horizon. Now that this is done, I'm hoping to actually get back to a more regular blog schedule. Also a guy I met suggested that I start a vlog. So I've been pondering that lately as well. What do you think? Currently I am in the design, research, and measurements phase of my latest creation. Which I am very excited about, and cannot wait to show you. Trust there is never a dull moment around these parts. 

Until then....It's on to the next project.

Painting With Tape

Hello folks! I hope everyone is off to an amazing New Year. I know it has been quite some time since the last post. I decided to take some time and just sit around, chill, and relax. HA! Yeah right! I wish that was ever my life. You know there is always something going on here. I have actually had quite a bit going on. There were the holidays, where I spent most of my vacation out of town. First I went home to Boston for Christmas and then to Montreal for New Years. Somewhere in there I also managed to build a dining table. 

I am very proud of this accomplishment. Especially considering I had never built anything like this before. I also made myself a dress for New Years Eve. I was going to just wear something I already had, and then I found this fabric at Hancock Fabrics. I knew I just had to make a dress. 

I absolutely loved it. The material was made of small reflective, mirror like squares. I was basically a walking Disco Ball, and for that I made sure to do a twirl in the middle of the dance floor. Currently, I am in the process of finishing up another jewelry storage unit. However the main project of my life has been designing and putting my office back together. If you'll remember the last time I posted I had only loaded in the big furniture pieces and completed my new work desk. Since then I've been taking my time, making sure everything is just right. I'll share the entire room in a later post. There are only a few projects left, so shouldn't be long. I will say though I am well on my way to a beautiful work space. 

In the mean time I figure I'd come to you with a Weekend Project. Originally I wasn't going to post about this project. However, a lot of people seemed to like it. It was really simple, and these days decor letters are really on trend. They're actually on sale at Michael's this week. So, in case folks get bored and need an indoor project to past the time during these winter months, here you go. On one of the many adventures of Ilene and Ethel to Scott's Antique Market, I picked up a T while perusing the giant letter graveyard. The graveyard is basically a section where a guy collects and sells giant letters of old store signs. 

This one came from an Einsteins Bros Bagels sign.

Now, I contemplated just leaving it. However I was not going for the industrial look, so painting it it was. I started by giving it a light sanding to remove loose debris. Then I primed and painted the whole piece white.

Once it dried completely I created a random pattern using Blue Scotch Painter's Tape. There was no actual thought process. I just created something that looked interesting. 

Then using acrylic craft paint, I painted each section a different color. This is after just 1 coat. 

After the first layer dried completely, I went back and did a second coat. 

Once the paint was semi dry, I removed the tape. There was a little bleed onto the white. So I went back and touched up any spots where the paint had seeped under the tape, and there you have it. A fun new art piece. 

This took me about an afternoon to complete. 

I'm quite happy with it. I was originally going to just paint the top, but at the last minute decided to do the sides too. Glad I did. Makes a nice impact to the wall from every angle. 

Hope you all enjoyed my quick post. I am headed back out to the Donut Factory. There's work to be done. It's on to the next project. 

Little Person, Big Furniture.

Hey everyone! I'm moving upwards and onward with this office renovation. I know you didn't just think it was a fresh coat of paint and a new floor. I will say though, those 2 things have made a HUGE difference. It's amazing how much brighter it looks and feels in here. There was a month wait between finishing the walls and getting the floors done. While I waited I decided to tackle the next project on my list, a new Work Table. The one I had while long enough, was not deep enough. Projects often hung over the side, so I decided why not build a new one. Off to Home Depot I go. 

 The table is going to measure 6' x 3'. So I purchased a large 4' x 8' sheet of plywood and had one of the wonderful guys at Home Depot cut it to size for me. I used the big piece for the top, and I combined the left over plus a few other pieces for the bottom.

Now before anyone wonders, I am going to do this project inside. At the time all of my office furniture was in the garage, and being that these floors were going anyway I didn't care if they got trashed. Granted by the time you see this you will have seen the unveiling of the actual room so it should all make sense. First I put the bottom together. I used the left over from the large sheet and bought 2 extra pieces to add to it. I figured out how to create a cutting guide for my saw using a ruler and some clamps. This along with my new saw horses definitely helps with making straight cuts with the Dremel Saw. I'm about to be in business over here.

I put all 3 pieces together using wood glue, and let them set overnight. 

I cut 1x4s to the full depth of the table. These will serve as separators for the top. The plan is to place drawers in between for easy accessible supply storage. 

I added screws and nails to the bottom for strength. Then I painted what would be the inside of each piece.

After the base was set I added trim around the top edge. It just so happened that the large top piece was a smidgen smaller than the bottom pieces. I added extra to balance it out and add a little visual interest. 

It was at this point I realized how heavy and big this piece was going to be. If it had arms it would be building me. It was a task to get it on top of the saw horses so I could paint. I tried to place it on blocks, but it wasn't tall enough. I had to get it up on the horses. It was definitely a task. I don't exactly remember how I managed, but 2 of me would have definitely been helpful. 

I gave it 2 coats of Semi-Gloss white paint. 

While the piece dried I worked on the legs. These were not going to be normal sized table legs because I am going to build a sitting/standing table. One day while standing at my dining table (which is Pub Table height) I realized that it was the perfect height for a standing and working situation. I also knew that would make it easy to find a chair for when I want to sit and work. I recycled the legs that were on the original table, and added 4" wooden legs to the bottom.   

I drilled a hole through the bottom cap, and screwed in the leg addition using Gorilla Glue for reinforcement. 

I painted all of the legs white.

To attach the legs I used the same hardware. The wood is only 1/2" thick, and for proper support I need at least 5/8" or 3/4" screws. So I glued down a large piece of craft wood before adding the plates on top. 

My friend Herb so nicely helped me bring the whole thing inside and set it up. I decided to call for reinforcements as I did not think dragging it across my new floors was wise. Definitely easier with 2 people.

For the top, I painted my logo. It is a freehand of my initials. However to freehand it on such big surface I knew wouldn't look right. So I decided to make tiles. For those of you who don't know what tiling is, you enlarge an image, and then cut it into smaller pieces. In my case I enlarged it in Photoshop, and split it into pieces that could fit on a sheet of printer paper. I ended up with 20 tiles.

I laid them all out on the table.

I cut out each piece being very careful to maintain the image. I traced the outline of the logo and colored it in using a silver paint marker. I know that probably seems odd considering the design on the wall is gold, but I didn't want everything in here to match. Besides I have other things in the room that are silver so it works. To get the color I busted open one of those Oil-based Paint Markers. The paint in them is amazing, and a great alternative especially when using metallics. It almost gives you the appearance of spray paint. It's a little messy though, so you do need to be careful if you're going to actually open the marker up.

To finish this project off, I made trays. I want certain tools and items to be at my finger tips, so I am adding the trays to further organize some of my stuff. How hard could this be you ask? Well this is where the light at the end of a weekend tunnel, turned into 2 weeks and a redo. 

The spaces in the table were 3 1/2", so my trays were going to be 2 1/2". In the art of recycling and saving the environment, I reused some of the pieces from my old desk that is getting replaced. What I didn't have, I bought from Home Depot. I cut all of the pieces to size and painted them white.

For the inside I started with 3 pieces of foam board, and painted them the same color as the walls. I really would have rathered do something cool like a pattern or fabric, but it made more sense to keep the trays neutral and add the color when I organize it. Everything was going good until the paint on the foam board dried. The paint shrunk and caused the boards to curl up something serious. I tried to weight them for a little bit, but that didn't work. Next I had the bright idea to add pieces of solid craft board to the ends hoping that would keep them from curling.

No such luck. Nothing I did was fixing the problem. I even put weights down and they still weren't heavy enough to make them completely flat. 

So I cut my losses and started over. Trays: Take 2. I made an emergency craft trip to Hobby Lobby. I purchased 3 new pieces of foam board. Luckily for me they happened to be on sale. For the inside I looked into fabric, but while I was perusing the paper aisle I saw silver poster board and it was also on sale 2/$1.00. I loved the shiny yet neutral nature. 

With the new replacement pieces I finished this project in a matter of 48 hours, and it only cost me $9. Can't complain about that. I added the border pieces around the new foam board, and let them dry. 

I cut the silver sheets to size, and laid them inside the tray. For security I used double stick tape in the corners. 

To complete the trays I added knobs. My instinct was to add fancier ones, but with so much visual stimuli around the room it just seemed like a lot. I grabbed 3 knobs from my supply stash, and spray painted them a light sea foam color. 

I screwed them in and there you have it...My brand new work table 

I added my work lights back above the table. These helps me get good lighting when working on stuff. 

I love it already, and the fact that I can stand at it is all the rage. I will probably get a chair at some point for those moments when I want to sit. I like standing though, it keeps me more engaged. I may do an updated post when I actually organize the stuff inside. Who knows how that's going to work. I'm glad this project is done. I'm actually starting to see it come together. 

Well with that...I guess it's on to the next project...or rather back to the ones currently happening. I kid you not there are 3 projects going on in my garage, and another 2 inside. SMH. How did I get here? I can't complain though I bring it on myself.