My friend Beth once said that you can't really be a DIY/Home blogger unless you post a home tour and I believe her. Problem? My house wasn't done. Well, the truth is -- the house is still not DONE. ...but we have lived here for three years now and it is "done enough"...and in the words of The Nester, Maybe This Moment, Right Now is Perfect.
So while I will be updating this tour as more projects get done and rooms will come and go and change function and change style -- well at least you know what you are getting into when you start reading A Nest for All Seasons. Here are my basics:
There has to be life.
Whether it is plants, babies, animals or art -- there has to be life in my house. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate a GOOD dose of peace and quite, but a "dead" house does nothing for me. I would rather have a little bit of dirt here are there than not have plants. I would rather have sticky fingered windows that don't get cleaned than keep the boys from throwing the poor door open so hard it's hinges squeak every time. I would rather deal with a little chicken poop in the garden (and sometimes on the deck) than not have them dancing their two-legged dance around the backyard. There HAS to be life.
Rooms must function.
Simple, eh? You would think so, but this can be difficult because beautiful design sometimes doesn't combine well with actual function in a home full of....you guessed it....LIFE. Creating spaces that WORK for our family and still look fabulous -- that is the constant battle.
I will not spend more money than we have.
We took out a mini-loan once on furniture. When we were young and had NO furniture we bought couches and a bed and a few other things so that our house was livable. We paid that bill off as quickly as possible and have never, ever again spent more than we have in the bank on furniture or home decor. A mortgage? YES. A mortgage on lawn furniture? NO. Some of you reading will disagree with me on this one and wax poetic about the investment of good furniture and while I get your point of you, mine is TOTALLY different. Remember, there is dirt and dirty hands and chicken feet around this house and this backyard and a gardener and a DIYer and 3 rascally boys just don't fit in well with furniture that is an investment. So while reading here at the Nest, you will find a LOT of DIY, a lot of furniture found and rehabbed from the curb, some great IKEA steals (usually from the as-is section) and thrifted treasures. Clearances from major retailers sometimes show up, but for the most part -- we never pay full price for furniture and home decor. Medications? Yes. The right kind of toilet paper? Yes. Ipads? Yes -- we will even go THERE. ...but home decor and furniture? Nope. No mortgages for us tyvm.
Enough about philosophy though -- let's get to the pics! I'm going to walk you through the house room by room, giving sources for as many products as I can remember (remember, most of these were on clearance so shop for the best deals!) and then under the source list, there will be links to the full tutorials and posts for each DIY project that went into the space. Links that are not colored are coming soon!! Ready? Let's jet!
Back Deck and Porch
SOURCES: Table and Chairs - Big Lots | Kid's Table and Chairs -- Lowes | Flowers - Peonies
POSTS: Deck Before and After | DIY Tablecloth Weights | Views from Inside and Out | Landscaping Ideas | Outdoor Shoebox
SOURCES: Picnic Table -- Lowes | Bunting - Consumer Crafts | Flowers - Allium
POSTS: Deck Before and After | DIY Tablecloth Weights | Need a Rug
SOURCES: Flowers - Knockout Roses, Lemon Balm, Star Magnolia (left)
POSTS: Deck Before and After | Views from Inside and Out | Landscaping Ideas
Why start with the deck and the shed? Well, I have to admit that I kind of like them even more than the house :) While I hide away in the heat of summer and the ice of winter, all spring and fall we are outside. The flowers, the dirt, the air, the views -- that is home to me. Want to learn more? You might want to take a skip and a jump over to my Gardening Page.
The Shed
POSTS: Shed Before and After | DIY Bunting | Planter Shoji Screen (left) | Celebrating Everyday Life Magazine Feature
Let's head INTO the house shall we? Another favorite room recently is my little lamb's nursery. Due in 5 weeks, her room is *this close* to finished (I still need to wrap up that hand made quilt I've been slaving over...) and her room is a clear reflection of my girly shed style, don't you think? Watch her be a tomboy...
The Nursery
SOURCES: Penny Letters -- Consumer Crafts | Bunting and Changing Table -- FREE\Craigslist
POSTS: COSTS of the nursery | Peg Rail How-to | DIY Butterfly Mobile | Lace Hoops
SOURCES: Honeycomb Stencil -- Royal Design Company
POSTS: The Honeycomb Wall | The Cheap Wall | DIY Clouds
ENOUGH PINK already! Let's check out the BOY spaces why don't we? There are three main spaces that are pretty much dedicated solely to the boys indoors. The first is the basement, second is a big open loft space and the third is the room all three of them share. How do I keep all of them clean? Well, I don't! At any time, ONE of the three is messy. If the boys want to play in another one of "their" rooms, they have to clean up the messy one (at least reasonably...mama needs to help for it to REALLY get clean and organized again). In any case, here is the first space -- the basement:
THE BASEMENT
SOURCES: Large Canvases -- Shutterfly | Silhouette Canvas -- Consumer Crafts
POSTS: Basement Hallway Gallery (above) | Cork Pinning Wall (below) | Charcoal Silhouettes | Reversible Bunting
THE LOFT
POSTS: THE LOFT PLAY ZONES | Star Charts
The Craft Closet
POSTS: Your Closets Can be Fabulous | Polka Dot Bulletin Board
The boys also spend an INORDINATE amount of time outdoors, split mainly between the fort, the pool and the "burn pile" playground. They have created their own "garden", a secret garden and various holes dug out of the lawn that they consider construction sites. Here is a peek into their outdoor play space:
THE FORT
Building the Fort
The "Burn Pile" Playland
The "Burn Pile" Playland
The Pool
The Pool and It's Daylilies
Moving onto the main living spaces of our home...The house was built as a basic, small ranch house, but then the long, narrow garage was converted to indoor space and a two story addition added onto the far side of the garage. The kitchen and small living area seen below are part of the original house while the living room/dining room areas are the "new" sections of the house. What does all that mean to YOU as a reader? I get small ranch house problems. I really do. I understand living in a space that doesn't seem to work quite right and I have found solutions along the way that I like to share with you.
Kitchen -- Living Room -- Entry Way
SOURCES: Cubbies - IKEA | Frames and Furniture - thrifted | Metal Envelope - Consumer Crafts
POSTS: $1 3D Tile Backsplash | "Granite" Countertops | Strie on Buffet | Custom Whiteboards |
Grid Photo Display (down hallway to right and featured on Nate Berkus!)
POSTS: Frame and Wire DIY | Advent Calendar | GROW | Linen Closet Before and After | Cutting Boards and Trivets IKEA Hacks
POSTS: Dresser Drawer Display (to right) | Bookshelf Makeover | Shoe Dressers
SOURCES: Couches -- Nebraska Furniture Mart | Shelf and Baskets -- Pottery Barn | Black Rug -- IKEA
POSTS: Side Porch Makeover | 8 Easy Plants to GROW on a Tiny Side Porch | Gilded Canvas for Back Desk | Metal Tab Height Chart
MASTER BEDROOM
Sources: Dressers -- IKEA | Coverlet -- Isaac Mizrahi for Target | Lanterns -- Consumer Crafts
POSTS: Twinkle and Wink Lanterns | Book Canvases | DIY Trashed Chair (in closet) | DIY Jewelry Holder
The Office
SOURCES: Architect's Table-- IKEA | Rug -- IKEA | Stools - Target | Chalkboard, Chairs, Baskets -- thrifted
POSTS: Chalkboard | Recovering Chairs | Repurposing Kitchen Supplies for the Office
How to Decorate an Office Space | How to Decorate a Computer Room
The Bathroom
SOURCES: Sinks and Vanities -- IKEA | Mirrors -- WalMart | Lights - Lowes| Towel Racks -- Target
POSTS: Bathroom Before and After
The Laundry Room
Little Laundry Room Makeover
Wondering about a source that I didn't mention? Please just ask!
It typically means I found it in a free bin, at a thrift store or built it, but you never know!! ask away!
If you ever want to reference this post, just head up to the very top of the blog and there is a "Home Tour" button!