Why Paint Neutral Walls? Because the Rug Will Be Everything!

Hello hello hello my friends!!!! 

So it's been a hot minute since we've shared anything substantial in the home decor department. After finishing our kitchen redesign earlier in the year, we took a beat, which was nice. But now the weather is getting warmer, school has officially ended, and we're looking at everything we could squeeze into the extra free time that comes with Summer vacation. 

One thing that's been on our mind (ok, mostly my mind) is our living room. Since the beginning, I've had this vision of a black fireplace surrounded by white built-ins. With the bolder look of our kitchen, and how it's one open room in combination with the living room I thought lighter might be better on the walls, and color would be amazing everywhere else. 

To confirm this thought, we of course created a MOOD BOARD! 

After feeling very confident that this was the direction to go, I began implementing pieces of the design bit by bit. I first painted the fireplace black, which immediately made it feel SUPER chic and was a massive improvement. 

The power of paint is real honey! 

What cracked me up the most about painting our fireplace was the number of comments I received on the blue wall. That wasn't even the thing that changed and everyone was "ooohing" and "aaahing" over it. 😑 It's a nice shade of blue, don't get me wrong, but every time I looked at it the only thing I could think about was what color to change it to. Eric couldn't understand this unrelenting urge to paint. Why do the work to paint something we're just going to repaint and build cabinets over??? 

Because I wanted it to be MINE! Gah! 

That's why at 3:00pm on a random Sunday, I got on my tiptoes, looked Eric in the eye, and said "I'm going to paint this wall black and white. We already have everything here, Harrison said he'd help, so stand back!" 

Once my little assistant and I got started it went pretty fast. The pace really picked up though when said helper got distracted by watching "Sing 2". Kids are the most okay-ist helpers ever. 😂

By the time we went to bed the whole project was complete, and this is what greeted me in the morning! 

With everything back in place, immediately I was blown away by how much LARGER the room looked by switching the blue for white! The perspective totally changed once that singular wall wasn't being pulled by the dark shade. Adding black behind the fireplace created a fabulous bold moment while also serving as a simple trick to camouflage the TV. 

The sunshine just bounces around, filling the whole room with light airy goodness. And don't get me started on those gold velvet macrame curtains. Obsessed. 

With the paint done, the next item I wanted to tackle was the rug. I had been on the hunt for the perfect rug for MOOOOONTHS. Months and months of scrolling, thinking, checking sizes, and swapping this for that in my mood board to see what would look the best. 

But by having the new color on the wall (or lack thereof), I was able to zone in for one more deep dive into the world of rugs. A few clicks later and this beauty stopped me in my tracks. 

She's big, she's bold, she's FUCHSIA, and I fell so hard. 💜 Because if I'm going to have white on my walls, you better believe the floors will be popping. 

So here we are gang! The end of our little living room journey and where she stands today! 

A semi-traditional but slightly bohemian purple rug may seem like an odd choice, but I've been gushing over the play of color and pattern since the moment we laid her down. Plus the 10'x14' size adds another layer to make the room appear larger compared to our old 8'x10'. Choosing the proper size rug for a space can make all the difference.

Thank you for coming with me on this journey. 😄Here is a fun little throwback to when we first moved in. 

My heart flutters a little every time we pull a room together. Eric and I have talked about taking on the built-ins over the summer, and I'd like to freshly paint the rest of the space while also replacing the trim...but we'll see. So even though it's not "complete", our living room now feels cozy, colorful, a little cooky, and well...us. 

Check out all of our home improvements, by visiting the OUR NEST page.

A Green Wall and a Gorgeous Rug

Currently it is Saturday. I'm sitting at my desk sipping a mimosa, and while it isn't quite 5:00, it will be when I'm done writing this post so I'm counting it as an acceptable drinking time.

Confession, this is my second mimosa, but I'm an adult and really just wanted an excuse to use my fancy YETI wine-glass thing. Plus the champagne was already open so why go through the whole "get the cork-screw out" ordeal when pouring a glass of prosecco was WAY easier! 

I digress. The detail I actually want you to focus on in the above rant is this; I'M SITTING AT MY DESK. 

That's right. Who has two thumbs and finally her own space to work at home from? THIS GIRL! WOOP! 

Listen, it has been a JOURNEY. Since move-in day, we always considered the 3rd room upstairs as "the office". Although for the longest time 90% of it's use was for storage. 

Not so pretty. 
But with time, and some general organization, it served its purpose and overall wasn't "that bad" of a space. 

Until I just couldn't take it anymore. 

Every once in a while, in those rare moments of us having no set plans or commitments, Eric will turn to me and ask "So what would you like to get done this weekend?" and that's when I pounce. 

Clear it out, clean it up, and for the love of God get rid of that horrible brown/tan/EW paint color. 

So we did! 

This room has the same sloped ceiling as our guest bedroom, so I wanted to keep your eye away from the shorter wall, and create the sense of unity between the two sides. While painting only halfway up the walls helped in the guest bedroom, I didn't want to use the same method in here. The solution? Keep everything white, except for the one full-sized wall. 

Emerald like my favorite city, Judy Garland would be proud. Did you know she died of a drug overdoes? (_)<<

Paint? Check. Up next? A place to work. 
Now call me a hopeless romantic, but I always envisioned Eric and I being able to type side by side at our own matching desks. Like brushing your teeth at his-and-her bathroom sinks, only nerdier. So one night we went out to a romantic dinner at our favorite little spot, ate Swedish meatballs, and picked out office furniture. 

IKEA. We ate dinner at IKEA. 

2 Linnmon Table Tops + 2 Lerberg Trestles + 2 Klimpen Drawer Units (similar, ours our white) = custom desks that fit PERFECTLY against our new green wall. 

Of course we couldn't settle for the boring drawer pulls, and promptly swapped them out for something with a bit more style.

This makes me want to DO ALL THE THINGS! Be productive, file papers, organize our books, make labels, EVERYTHING! But like any project under the Wellman roof, nothing is 100% complete. I have big dreams of beautiful shelves above and stylish reading lights on either side of the computers. Maybe a floor lamp too! 

I DO need a place to sit though. Even our adorableness reaches its limit at "sharing the same desk chair". Well if I don't get a chair, I can at least sprawl out on the floor with our new rug! 

Isn't she gorgeous!? Rugs USA wins again. 

This room is embracing 2018 head-on. It took a while, but things are finally starting to make sense. Gone are the days of closing the door and ignoring the complete chaos behind it, instead it feels like I've gained an entirely new area of the house! With my big-girl computer, I actually USE the office. I look forward to taking on extra freelance projects because I have SOMEWHERE TO WORK ON THEM!!! 

Life changing. Truly the perfect way to kick off a new year. 



Check out all of our home improvements, by visiting the OUR NEST page.

Staircase Makeover Final(ish) Reveal

Ding dong the carpets gone! 

We've been STAIRing at this unpleasant runner for over a year and a half now, and it is morally, ethic'lly, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably, and reliably dead removed! 

Here's what we've been living with: 

After contemplating a few different styles (discussed in this post) we decided on the geometric grey pattern! 
And with snow storms and subzero temps providing a week off school, we my outright MAGNIFICENT husband, got to work! 

First step was removing the old carpet. Using a few types of pliers and a hammer, Eric was able to rip up the existing rug and pry out all of the staples. 
Having the stairs exposed and bare was already a HUGE improvement. If the condition of the wooden floor wasn't so terrible, not to mention super slippery while wearing socks, I would have considered just painting the risers white and calling it a day.
Knowing only a few inches of riser would be visible with the new rug, we didn't want to waste paint (and time) by covering the whole area. Instead we just focused on the four inches or so on either side, and after two coats we were set.

Since the old rug was attached to the stairs via staples, we reckoned that was the best strategy to install the new rug as well. To make this process easier, we purchased an electric staple gun. We also picked up carpet tape and placed a few strips on each tread, just to be certain the rug wouldn't budge. 

To camouflage the staples, the tops were painted a beige/grey color we had on hand before loading them into the gun. Once stapled into the stairs, Eric gave each of them a few hits with a hammer to make sure nothing stuck up. He also measured the distance from both edges on each step so things stayed consistent, and the rug remained centered the entire way down.

Now you may notice in the picture on the right, the last few steps have yet to be covered. Well there's a reason for that, and it isn't because Eric had to stop and play Grand Theft Auto with his buddies. 

Turns out the two rugs we ordered aren't equal in size...like AT ALL. Our second rug is actually a good inch WIDER than our first rug. Not cool Overstock, NOT COOL! 

So that's why this is the "Final(ish) Reveal" post, and not the "Let's hear the choir sing OMG we're DONE!" post. Our plan of attack is to email the company, explain our dilemma, and back up our claim with pictures. Meanwhile I'm going to brainstorm how to make the transition between rugs look as seamless as possible, and focus my attention to the 3/4 portion that IS complete. 

Compared to where we started, I'm still THRILLED with how things are looking. 
When real-life results shatter your plans and expectations for the better, life is good. :)

***UPDATE!***
Instead of calling the company who made the rug and going off on a wild rant...Eric found an alternative solution. He ripped up the rug up one step, then stretched it as much as he could, so the two pieces met as flush as possible. I personally think he did a tremendous job, and the seam is hardly noticeable.

Bottom line, it looks a MILLION times better than it did before. Bravo sir, bravo, you are the stair master! 

Cincy Craigslist Browsing

It's been about six months since my last post about the great findings that Cincinnati's Craigslist has to offer. So what better time than the present to dive right in?

GERONIMO!

I've included the item's link, but you never know how long these listings are going to last.

First up are these purple pieces of perfection. I swear it's a miracle that every piece of furniture in my home isn't covered head to toe in tufting. For $600, you could have a pair of purple Crate and Barrel Tessa Chairs, originally 1K each. Pretty great deal if you ask me. 

Next up is this dresser for $65. Six drawers just begging for that hardware to be polished to a shine, or replaced with something a bit more your style. How great is that wood grain pattern in the middle though? Kind of reminds me of chevron...but not really...but still in a good way. 

Space feeling a bit tiny or cramped? One solution is...say it with me now! Big. Ass. Mirror. This mirror in particular would be great because that frame is plastic, so it wouldn't be nearly as heavy compared to if it were solid wood. Paint the frame a crisp white to go anywhere, or even a bright and surprising color! $30 and it's yours. 

My heart LONGS for the space to put an adorable little bench. Somewhere you can park your bum to put your shoes on, just littered with adorable throw pillows. Le sigh. For now I'll just dream of this bench that's listed for $45. I'm picturing it with a complete makeover. Spray paint that boring black frame, and cover the bench with fabric for an instant upgrade. Below are some combos I'm particularly fond of: black leopard with gold, bright floral with plum, or a more neutral animal print with dark navy. 

To me #MCM does NOT mean Man Crush Monday, but Mid-Century Modern! 
Personally, I can't get enough of MCM dressers, and this one for $120 is no exception. I'm envisioning leaving the drawers the natural wood, but painting the frame white. Maybe letting those legs pop as the main feature with an accent color. Hardware could easily be switched out, or left as is depending on their condition. 

Right along with my bench obsession, is the desire for a settee. This settee, for $65, is just too cute for words. I'd have to see exactly how "green" the fabric is in person, but that could be reupholstered, and the frame painted. 

No lie, I've been checking this desk out for a while now. I'm not even sure why. Maybe it's the legs, or the really wide drawers. Something about it is calling to me, and for $50 (and if I ever get my own space in the office) it very well may end up being mine.  

And for $60, I could get a retro little 70's pink egg chair to use while sitting at said desk! 

I've never bought a rug on Craigslist, but I wouldn't rule it out. These would 100% need to be checked out in person, since cameras can do all sorts of crazy things with color, and they may not be anywhere close compared to how they actually look in real life. 

That being said, if this 8'x11' oriental style rug is as gorgeous as it appears in the pic, I'm completely won over. First off, $50 for a rug that size should be illegal. Seriously. Secondly, if your space is pretty neutral and needs a boost of color, this rug is your soul mate. Go! Go now and make this beauty yours!  

Last on my Craigslist scavenger hunt are these three Persian rugs. Ranging in size and design, from left to right they are priced $500, $450, and $550. Considering their large size, and the amount of artistry that must have gone into making them, I personally don't think the asking price is too outlandish. 

And that's the whole shebang! 
Well, for now at least :) 
Anyone else out there find a sweet Craigslist score lately???