"Built-In" Benches

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

Winter Eclectic Home Tour

Welcome to our 800 sq.ft. 1 bedroom apartment!  If you are arriving from French & French Interiors on the Winter Eclectic Home Tour hosted by Domicle 37, thank you so much for stopping by!  No we are not decorated for Christmas just yet (I know, I know... LAME).  I promise you I'm not a scrooge, just a procrastinator and we only just got our tree yesterday.  But I am so grateful for the opportunity to share all the little changes we've made since the summer tour.

Growing up, my family would always put a basket of special Christmas-only books under the tree to peruse in your PJ's at will.  My favorite was an I Spy Christmas Edition.  I kid you not, I've practically memorized all 13 double-page spreads plus the bonus round at the end!  So even though I don't have oodles of holiday decor for you all, I thought I would (in my own way) invite you to join in on my beloved Christmas tradition  and invite you play a rousing round of I Spy between my Summer and Winter Eclectic Home Tours.

Did you spot the major differences?  Other than the dog lol?  (And no, I didn't replace him with a rug ;)  The basic layout is the same (the vintage cot under the window, the tufted sofa dividing the living and dining room).  As a general rule of thumb, I like to decorate with a lot of color - no matter the season. To me, layers of colors and textures always make a space feel warm and cozy (especially for the holidays!).  Ok I'll give you a 5 more seconds before I divulge the answers... 5...4...3...2... 

First, I finally brought home the killim pillows I had my eyes on since before we moved in last November (huzaah!)  After waiting so long, I like the idea of leaving them out through the holiday season instead of switching them for something more obviously merry.  Besides, I consider them my pillow children and it wouldn't be Christmas without them.

Probably the biggest difference in the room is the big splurge of a rug.  Weighing in at $250, I saved up for her for over a year and finally bought her from target last spring with some birthday money.  The bonus is that Thor LOVES it - it's a high pile so he rolls around on it like it's real grass.

Still hanging on the wall are the three drawers I rescued from a rotting desk on trash day.  Below them is one of the suitcase tables I scored off Chelsea and the brass floor lamp of my dreams. 

If you looked closely, you may have noticed that the floor lamp is actually a change: I sold the old faux-gold one when I found this true vintage one for only $5!

In addition to pillows, we also have many plant children (who for the most part are alive and well).

We've added Figadora the Fiddle Leaf Fig to our sunny plant corner which is where we plan on putting the Christmas tree.  (But don't tell Figadora - I honestly don't know how the fragile diva will take it).

The brown vinyl chair was about $40 off craigslist and may or may not have smelled like...

“Mothballs and old man farts”

— My Husband

The smell has definitely subsided since it's had the chance to air out (and marinate in the fleet of Christmas-scented candles we light anytime someone's home).  Unfortunately, the chair is not the most comfortable so I'm using it as a place holder until I find the perfect camel leather armchair or affordable sectional (even though that would mean also saying goodbye to my bestie the blue tufted sofa).

Sharing the wall with our front door is our makeshift TV stand (also a roadside rescue) - another placeholder until I can convince Caleb we should get a proper piece of furniture that will allow me to hide the necessary evils (aka all our electronics).

Next to the rug, the second most expensive item in the room actually is the little wooden set of drawers which was a recent find for a whopping $75. 

I answered a craigslist ad by an elderly gentleman who lives right around the corner from my parents.  His listing wasn't very clear so when I arrived to pick up, I was pleasantly surprised that he had two for sale!  So I impulsively shelled out double the money right then and there and have been using one as our new end table.  Turns out the seller was a retired US Patent clerk and the unique design for these drawers dates back to 1903 - he actually had a the original patent on hand and sent me home with a copy! 

Behind the sofa is our dining room that always packs a colorful punch.

In such a small space, the round table makes a huge difference for maximum maneuverability. 

The white triplet campaign bookshelves allow my feral love of color to really take over.

Since they are a little on the short side,  I have space above to prop artwork I can switch out at will.

The clean, white finish is a nice contrast to my budding collections of books, minerals, terracotta pots, cloches, brass candlesticks, and moss balls.  (I'm 99.9987% positive Caleb is rolling his eyes somewhere.  At least they are all corralled in on place).

Above the round table hangs my DIY 4-arm brass chandelier.  Since we're in a rental, I used a recessed light conversion kit to retro fit the original can light.

Since installing it, I've added elongated bulbs to play off the quirky angles.

Hanging from our copper pipe curtain rod is a happy electric green pothos plant - which makes me smile every time I see it even though Caleb wrestles with it almost every time he tries to close the blinds.

There is actually one thing we have already set up for the holiday season: we repurposed our magazine-turned-shoe-rack into a record station.  Caleb loves putting on some Perry Como or Rosemary Clooney during the holidays so pulling them out from their usual spot on the TV stand and putting them out in the open gives us easy access.  (Bonus: he's been waking me up to holiday tunes almost every morning!)

Past the bathroom and down the hallway is our one and only bedroom.

Nope, we still don't have a headboard but we realized taking down the giant chartreuse curtain makes the room feel a lot brighter.

For now, we've moved the Johann Steingruber 1773 "H" replica blueprint above the bed and I've started to tinker with abstract and geometric art on either nightstand.

Flanking the bed are my entries to a friendly Flip Off competition against my sister-in-law and business partner Chelsea.  She sold her flip, but I held on to mine for some extra bedroom storage.

Above them are the brass swing arm sconces I rewired to plug-in (rental probs) which I snagged from a fellow DC furniture flipper for a steal! 

Opposite the window is my dresser and my beloved jewelry collection.

I love being able to see all my accessories in the printer's drawer (even if it is a dust trap).

Opposite the bed is Caleb's dresser - another thrifted MCM find.

I found the waterfall mirror separately on Craigslist but it looks like it was made the dresser no?

In the corner by the window is probably my favorite thrifted find: the brass + leather cantilever chair which sits next to my DIY mcm plant stand.

Well that concludes our tour!  (800 sq.ft. goes by fast doesn't it?!?!)  Thanks again for swinging by my style mutt of a space (even one that's sans holiday decor)!  I promise you that everyone has some EPIC holiday home tours rearin' at the gate.  Be sure to check out tomorrow's epic line-up of home tours (and be sure to catch up on yesterday's as well - you shant be sorry my friends!)

Please Note: Links to Home Tour are not live until day of tour

Monday

Bright Green Door // Michelle Matangi Home // Sharon Williams // CAD Interiors // Domicile 37

Tuesday

Casa Watkins Living // Maggie Overby Studios // House Homemade // French & French Interiors // StyleMutt Home

Wednesday

Up To Date Interiors // The Striped House // Designing Vibes // Iris Nacole // Fearfully & Wonderfully Made // Blue i Style

Thursday

PMQ for Two // Maker of Home // Go Haus Go // Whimsical Blue Living // FOXY OXIE

Friday

This is Our Bliss // Monica Wants It // Insieme House // Jest Cafe // The Gathered Home

A Little Holiday 'Treat Yo Self'

If you're anything like me, you used the weekend after Thanksgiving to finish all your Christmas shopping - and I mean ALL. Of course, I'm in this wonderful phase where I only have a small nuclear family to purchase for... so someday, I'm sure my tendency for immediacy will be forced into remission. 

But after all was done, I realized something. I'd failed to get myself a little sumthin' sumthin'. What's holiday shopping without treating yourself? 

Now, most of you know my home decor story. I'm still in a solo 500 square foot basement apartment in DC, and I know I'll be moving for the fifth time in four years in the Summer. What!?!?

This is the current look. I can only imagine how it will keep changing! 
Even though I know I'll be out of here in a couple of short months, that doesn't stop me from constantly adding to / refining / changing the space. One of my favorite sources for affordable and versatile decor right now is Target. Does anyone else agree that this year is the best Target has had to offer in yearrrrrrssss!?

My favorite piece recently is this Target mirror. You've probably seen it everywhere on the Internet & social media. It lies so perfectly flat and the brass finish looks good with every decor type - which is so important to style mutts!  I added a little garland using an over-the-shower towel hook to hold it in place, just for a little festivity. 

Now, time to find something else fun to add! A little Christmas gift to myself. Anyone else planning to treat themselves with some new goods during this holiday season? What do you have your eyes on? 

Use this link and get 20% off your Home Decor order from Target from 12/4 to 12/10. Looking for more inspiration? Try this. 
Happy shopping, Mutts! 

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.