One More Thing About the Den

When we had our floors redone, Dino took out the radiator.  

See it down there?  

It was white.

I'm kind of in love with the after colour!!

It was inspired by a great friend who is also knee deep in reno!  

Don't be afraid to go off the grid...try something a little different.

(Of course, in this case, maybe Dino would not have happily repainted this if I had not liked it, but it was worth the risk!)

Our New Den

In my last post you saw how the den has been sitting for a year and a half.  

In the past few weeks Dino has been busy.

First he filled in some big holes.

And some more.

And a few more.

He painted and did baseboards and we had the floor refinished.

And finally this past weekend the room was ready for me to load!

I was VERY excited.  Filling an empty space is one of my favourite things.

 It can be daunting though, to start with a clean slate.  

So take it one step at a time.

First, figure out furniture placement.

Remember to place lamps in a convenient location for both light and outlet availability.

Put curtains up.

Next start loading shelves.  I start with books and plants so that I can get them balanced well.

Then I gathered all the decorative items I'd been saving for the room and brought them in.

Shelves can be tricky.  You have to be willing to move stuff, and move it again.  Balance books with decorative items and picture frames.

The table got a dark stain.

The bench got some white paint.

The new purpose for the den is to give the kids a dedicated place to study.  

I used an old window as a white board so that we can list their homework each day.  

I made sure they had the supplies they need right at their finger tips.  

And I added our family motto in there for fun ~ "BE" ~ as in, be here, in this moment, satisfied, content, not wanting more or wishing for different.

These old chairs were given to me so I updated them with some white paint and new fabric.

(My lovely sister Leanne sewed the cushion covers.)

My final step was to add some pictures and wall words.

I stuck a vinyl chalkboard on the piano.

My fantastic hubby bought me this cowhide at the Texas State Fair.  

I love him.  He is a long horn.  The rug...not Dino.  I love him too! 

And here they are, trying it out for the first day.  

And that, was my weekend!!

The Den

31 Days of writing and then I had to speak at a mom's group.  

Whoosh!  

This weekend I get to do what I do best.  

(And what will not cause me to feel beyond ill with nerves.)

Once upon a time our den had a fireplace and built ins.  

And then when the fireplace was preventing our house from lifting, it got torn out and tossed all in about 20 minutes.

Whaaaaa.

And this is how it has been for over a year.

C'mon back after the weekend and see the new look!

Day 31 ~ A Made Bed

 For me the act of making our bed each morning gets my day on track.

A - Because I am less likely to climb back into it rather than getting on with my day.

B - Because it creates a sense of serenity and peace rather than hurried chaos.

And that, my friends is the end of our 31 days together!  

Thank-you for joining me in a walk through our home, and may you always feel 

Pretty Organized.

To read other posts from my 31 day series click

here.

Day 30 ~ Scarves

I keep my scarves tucked in this corner behind my mirror.  I used an Ikea wire and hung a loop of ribbon from each clip for the scarves to hang in.  

I can easily pull the mirror out of the way to reach scarves in the back.

To read other posts from my 31 Day series click

here.

Day 29 ~ Chalkboards

Chalkboards come in all shapes and sizes, vinyl, paint, you name it.

I like to use them to share messages,

as training reminders (for me too!),

to count down to important days,

or to give instructions.

I read this quote today on Jones Design Company.

Beautiful.

To read other posts from my 31 Day series click

here.

Day 28 ~ Information Storage

I'm sure it's quite obvious to most of you, but it took me awhile to realize that I should be keeping all sorts of useful information in here.

Like which Starbucks drink each of my childrens' teachers prefer.  Or what gifts I need to purchase this month.  Or, my Costco number!!  Do you know how many times I've ordered pictures online in my 3rd floor office only to have to trek down to the main floor to dig out my Costco card?  Duh.

This thing is always with me...so I might as well use it to help me stay organized.

To read other posts from my 31 Day series click

here.