Gray MCM Tallboy

December 20, 2016 Cate | StyleMutt Home

It's T-Minus 5 days to Christmas and I gotta ask: does anyone else have visions of furniture dancing in your head? I can't tell you how many times I have asked Caleb for furniture for my Christmas/ birthday/ justbecauseitstuesday present. This year, I'm hoping he'll approve setting aside funds for a headboard. Or a new armchair. Or another plant stand. (I know: I'm trouble).

The good news is, if you are hankering for home decor that doesn't exactly fit under the tree, StyleMutt Home has some handsome new pieces in the garage shop!

In all my pre-Christmas dreaming, I stumbled across this dashing (albeit pricey) devil. There's no way I'd be willing to pay such a steep asking price, but I was inspired nonetheless. So when I first saw this chipped white & gold dresser on Craigslist, my wheels started turning.

Pretty close to the inspiration yes?

Inspired by the double-breasted pulls of the inspiration piece, I added whistle pulls that match the brass-capped tapered legs. The greige color was a custom mix using some leftover paint from our Navy Yard Condo client. (Waste not, want not!)

Although it looks like 5, this piece actually has only 4 dovetailed drawers - one is a faux double-front with extra deep storage for bulky sweaters and such.

And on the underside of the drawers, you can find the original maker's mark. Apparently this fellow is Swedish!

The styling for this piece was especially fun. I really felt like I was channeling my inner Urban Outfitter with the colorful art and moon phase chalkboard.

But the best part is this white and gold cactus by GoodNight Light.

Yeah, you heard right - that cactus lights up!

It is safe to leave on for hours at a time and made of a shatterproof vinyl which, to my surprise, feels more like a matte porcelain in person! It would of course be adorable (and safe!) in a nursery (one day ;) but for now it's the perfect light to leave on for Thor since we're not getting home before sunset on these short winter days.

If you are still looking for a last-minute gift for any little-ones on your list, I highly recommend browsing the quirky inventory at GoodNight Light to see if any of their quality products pique your interest.

And if you are local and looking for an affordable MCM tallboy (for you or anyone else on your list ;) this one is in our shop!

Gray MCM Tallboy
Now Available for Sale
36"W x 18"D x 43.5"H
$345

If you're interested in this gray & gold Swed (or a custom order like him), please email cate@stylemutthome.com.

"Built-In" Benches

December 12, 2016 Cate | StyleMutt Home

Guys I'm behind. This happens to me every year: as I round the corner on Thanksgiving and enter into the Christmas season, I am caught off-guard by the extra stack of things to do in my personal life: Christmas decorating, holiday parties, gift shopping, cookie baking... (jk on that last one - I don't bake), so... cookie eating, you get the idea.

It's T-minus 20something days to 2017 and I still have two items left on my 2016 furniture flip bucket list (including the delinquent DIY bakers rack from 2015 *hides face in shame*). At this rate I might as well walk naked all the way to the Red Keep with a bell ringing nun behind me (that's the standard punishment for not meeting your New Years resolutions right??). I even have a line up of flips in the shop that I have yet to share with you here!

Well, I might as well work on my penance now and share one with ya now ;) A while back I ran across this pic on craigslist for a "stackable dresser." Intrigued I clicked to read more to find out that they were solid pieces with two drawers each.

It was clever of them to use both as a makeshift dresser but they looked a little odd when stacked to me. I decided to buy them with the plan to un-stack them and figure out a better way to use them...

Storage benches!!!

When I got my hands on these twin pieces, I realized just how SOLID they are. They could totally handle the everyday demands of a mudroom or entryway: book-dropping, boot-pulling, galosh-flinging. So I painted it in our favorite glossy white by Glidden Door and Trim to give it a matching indestructible finish.

I replaced the old handles with shiny new brass ones and moved the pulls up you wouldn't have to bend down as far to pull the drawers open.

Putting them side-by-side makes for a super long mudroom bench - perfect if you have the space but not the budget for a built-in. I could also easily see these underneath a window as a window-seat plus toy storage.

Wherever you decide to use it, the drawers are deep and can hide a multitude of clutter (my kind of storage piece ;)

Hoping to really sell the mudroom bench idea, I styled this shoot like a typical "command center" for the on-the-go mom complete with a calendar, fresh flowers, coat hooks, and a basket for dumping.

"Faux Built-in" Mudroom Benches
48"L x 19"D x 18.5"H each
Now Available for Sale
$500 for both or $265 each

If you are interested in this piece or a custom order like it, please contact cate@stylemutthome.com. My hope is that these handy fellas will help ease someone's organizational needs out there - especially during this busy busy season. And that reminds me, despite how hectic the holidays can get, don't forget to spend your time thoughtfully and wisely! And on that note, I leave you with the lyrics from a favorite underground Christmas song:

“No gifts to give, they’re all right here
Inside our hearts, the glorious cheer
And in the house we see a light
That comes from what we know inside

I’ll come to you, I’ll sing to you
Like it’s Christmas in the room
I’ll dance with you, I’ll laugh with you
’Til it’s Christmas in the room”

— Christmas In the Room, Sufjan Stevens

Handsome Holiday Flip

December 8, 2016 Chelsea | StyleMutt Home

Hey, sweet friends! Welcome! I've missed connecting with you all here, but you know...life! I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and that you're enjoying this time of year at a pace that feels right. I know that's different for us all but as I'm getting a wee bit older every year I'm learning that what I choose to take on doesn't have to be the status quo. This season with all of our children in school for the first time still feels fresh and new and I've found that the adrenaline I used to have to get things done in a pinch while juggling our brood of multiples has leveled out a bit. Still, I wrestle with that desire for busy-ness and the Lord has been teaching me quite a bit about Himself in the constant ebb and flow.

One of my joys that's carried over into this new season of life continues to involve thrifting and flipping furniture finds! Today I've got a handsome flip I finished recently - an unexpected score from an unexpected thrift stop. Those finds are my favorite. I never seem to find what I'm looking for, but I always find what I'm not looking for. (I got your line, song writers).

He's a dapper tallboy, isn't he! He started off an orange-y stain which really wasn't doing his brass pulls justice. And we just can't resist good brass around here! I wanted to create a bit of contrast against the brass with a crisp white coat of paint, but left his base wood. White + wood + brass has been my favorite refinishing combo these past few years; it's a timeless classic especially if you want to maintain the integrity of an older piece.

He was also a bit petite when I found him since he didn't have any legs to stand on. Thanks to a set of tapered legs my dear Cate had on hand and graciously gave me for this project, he has a bit more presence now. Tell miss Cate 'thank you', my handsome boy!

I'm really enjoying seeing the versatility of tallboys lately! In a smaller home or apartment these work beautifully as a bar, buffet and storage piece in a dining room. They don't take up a large footprint so they're fun to move around and play with here and there. :)