DIY TV Stand Dresser Make-over

Hey friends! It always seems like I'm playing a game of catch-up with you all whenever I write a new post. Maybe I need to get better at this.. 

In case you haven't heard, as of tomorrow I will have spent my first whole week living in Duluth! I'm super pumped to begin my classes and find out what opportunities this new city has to offer. The past few weeks, however, have been absolutely crammed. I've been running around like a crazy person trying to get all my stuff together for my new place. Today, I'm going to introduce you to my biggest project: a TV stand made from a dresser! A week or so before I left, a wonderful co-worker informed me that she had a dresser she wanted to get rid of. I told her I'd gladly take it off her hands. :) 

Here's the before picture: 

It turned out to be the absolute perfect size. Although I liked how it looked previously, it wasn't quite the style I was going for. So I peeled the zebra print duct tape off and removed the hardware. Since it was already white, I just gave it a good sanding and it was ready to go. 

I had picked out deep red, navy blue, gold and various matching colors for my allover color scheme, so luckily I had a quart of beautiful deep navy leftover from my bedroom. (In case you wanted to know specifics, it's called "Lost in Space" from Ace Hardware).

Ta-da! Then I spray painted the original hardware that came with the dresser (the black ones were replacements) with white Rustoleum spray paint. Luckily, I had this project in mind a few months ago and my mother brought home a couple refrigerator shelves from a fridge they ended up tossing at work. They slid in perfectly between the boards for the top drawers. 

Then I used this little guy, a circular saw attached to the drill, to make two holes in the back for cords.

BAM. Easy as pie.

So now I'm all moved in and everything is set up! Unfortunately, the sound system and speakers didn't fit in the left side shelf so I ended up setting another table next to the dresser. Instead, I slid in a crate full of paints to fill the negative space. Above that is my record player and the tv, and under that is my trusty VCR. I am currently using the four drawers as storage for VHS tapes, DVDs and extra blankets. The setup makes me look forward to cold winter nights when I can pull out a fluffy blanket, snuggle up and watch an old movie or listen to a peaceful record with cup of coffee :) 

Keep an eye out, much more to follow :) 

Have a happy weekend! 

-Al

Problem Solving - Coffee Table Transformation

Oofta! What a busy week I've had! But I have to say, I'm absolutely pumped to share my latest project with you. Last summer I picked up a coffee table from the side of the road. At first, I had planned to remove the finish and then re-stain a pattern on top. That failed miserably, and I left a nasty black mark from incorrectly attempting the removal. That's when I said, "Hey, what else could this be?" And thus, the bench was born.

So here we are, before I started destroying the wood..

And here's after. See that big black stain? Yeah... oops.

So I painted the legs white instead :)

I used some spray adhesive to get my 2" piece of foam, measured to the size of the table, to stick more securely to the wood. I have to say, I was pretty impressed with how well it worked. I flipped it upside down and it didn't even fall off! Neato! So after the foam was on, I measured and cut a piece of quilt batting to help soften the edges and give the bench a little more cushion. Then..

I made friends with a staple gun :) 

Voila! Next, I cut my cover fabric and did the same process.

:) I left it on all fours and stapled it from underneath instead of flipping it like I did with the batting so that I could make sure my fabric stayed tight and even. And my hair kept falling out..... 

Then after lots of hard work, it was finished!!

I'm so incredibly happy with it. It's going to make the perfect bench to sit and read, play ukulele, or draw on during the summer. I have big plans for this patio room, so stay tuned :) This is just the first element.

Can I also say how incredible the weather has been these past few days? Gollee, it's just swell. Have a wonderful week and get outside a little! 

-bunny

Little Yellow

So guess what, guys!

 I recently obtained a smartphone and after taking a week to figure out how it works, I realized it has a pretty decent camera! This is very exciting news, especially since I've been working on projects up the wazoo over here. I mean, what else was I supposed to do while being stuck inside for 3 days straight during a horrible ice storm that shut down the entire city?? 

One of my many projects included finishing up a desk I picked up this fall at a garage sale. I don't know why it took me so long to finish up, but I'm so relieved that it's finished and I'm ready to get it out of my house!!! 

So now I present to you, my first finished piece of refinished furniture! 

Okay, but really. How horrible is the hardware on this? That's why I chucked it. :)

And this is the result...

To break up the boldness of the yellow and bring out the white of the knobs, I added three white stripes to the insides of each of the drawers. BAM!

And aren't the new knobs absolutely adorable? I sure think so. 

Forgive the fuzzies please!

Overall, I'm really pleased with how it came out! I'm really looking forward to my next furniture project, and the fact that I can take pictures until I get a legitimate digital camera makes me so happy. :)

Have a great week!!

-Alison