Hello, Apartment Therapy {plus Shire's room makeover}

Hi friends! What an absolutely gorgeous weekend we had here in Northern Virginia! I didn't think it could get any more beautiful...until Apartment Therapy featured one of my favorite furniture transformations on their site! How completely flattering, to say the least. I love their site and am constantly finding inspiration there!

You can find the article HERE or check it out on their facebook page HERE, (it's made a surprising splash on their fb page). It's an incredible honor that they picked a piece of mine to feature, but the biggest bonus has been some new friends to Chelsea's Garage! So, if you're new to my blog I am so glad you're here and hope you enjoy! I think we'll become fast friends. I have a good feeling about us. :)

If you check into my facebook page now and then you may have noticed a Before / After art transformation I did for my daughter, Shire's room last week. Later in the week I'll share the low-down of the DIY art pieces, but today I'm sharing the full room! It's not a full blown makeover of what it once was before, but when you add a 72"H x 51"L piece into a tiny room, the difference is dramatic.

I purchased this Ikea Aspelund wardrobe used via Craigslist for a great price. It's the riskiest purchase I've ever made. It's a large beast and my daughter's room is tiny, (8.5' x 8.5' with a little nook that her bed tucks into). I have mixed feelings about big furniture in small rooms. The concept can either soar or sink. But if there is one thing you should know about me and my decorating style it's this: I have no fear of trying new things and don't ever take decorating too seriously. If the piece didn't work I would have put it up for sale asap.

Ikea Aspelund wardrobe
(no longer in stores; I found this on Craigslist)

After our Cate, (sister-in-law who guest blogs here now and then with her fantastic creations), helped me assemble the beast and we got it in Shire's room, I was beyond happy with how the room blossomed. I have learned a few things the hard way from having three young kids. Most recently I've learned that they surround themselves with lots. of. little. things. Bits and bobs here and there, all over the place. While her room was fun and cute before, it just wasn't as functional as I had expected. What you see as a neat and tidy 'Before' picture above, turned into an explosion of baby clothes and dolls strewn all over with no place to go. Now my Shire's things all have a spot. Prime real estate in our house run by wild little boys.

More of this sweet little room...Shire is so happy to be sharing her space with you today. :)

How to make a wood pallet bed found HERE.

The paper globe light is Ikea but I found it at a thrift store, unopened, (and I just wrapped the cord in twine for a fun exposed look). The butterflies were from an antique shop. The window headboard I made from scraps of fabric, how to HERE.

There's the DIY art - more on that later!

Bits and bobs on the dresser. (my brother-in-law made Shire that beautiful jewelry box out of recycled cedar!)

My old doll bed from when I was young got another coat of paint and then gently distressed. And wouldn't you know it - this funky gold and cream cloth napkin found on clearance at Anthropologie a while back is the perfect size for a little blanket! I added the pink and teal pom-poms to the corners to tie it into the room a bit more.

A couple small touches: a pair of vintage pink and cream cloth napkins get made into fabric tassels and hung on the wardrobe knobs.

Tissue paper poofs made of various shades of pink adorn the top of the piece. Love making these things, (and now Shire makes them with me, bonus!)

So there you have it! A big piece in a little room. It could have gone either way but when I walk into Shire's room now I think I hear the faint sound of angels singing. It's amazing how even a large piece can translate so light and airy, and I think that was key for this room. Bottom line, Shire's loving it so I'm a happy Momma!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

~Chelsea

This post was originally published on Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Herringbone dresser {Available for sale}

Hi friends! How's everyone doing out there; warm and safe, I hope? We are buried inside the house today and I cannot be more thankful for the countless blessings that have kept my family warm and safe through this winter storm. My thoughts and prayers keep returning to those who are without.

Since the temps have not been ideal for furniture painting I've had to bring my work inside, (an especially challenging task with three little ones literally running laps and going stir crazy)! A compact mid-century dresser was the first one finished and I've been anxious to show you my experiment with a herringbone pattern!

This was not a hard pattern to apply once I figured out what I was doing...(easier said than done)! Here is what the blue tape looked like before I painted on some Old White by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

If you're looking for a perfect herringbone pattern tutorial, this is not the right stop. I've seen intense measuring in other tutorials to get the pattern just right, but I really just eyeballed mine and think the imperfection is so charming on this piece. 

Once I painted the pattern on I removed the blue tape almost immediately. Then once the paint was completely dry, I took a fine grit sanding sponge and rubbed over the pattern in a back and forth motion until there was enough fading to give it a time worn feel.

The body of the piece I also gave a few coats of Old White, by ASCP, and then gently distressed the edges.

This piece has such exciting possibilities! It would make a welcoming entrance piece, or put a whimsical spin on a child's room, (and the dimensions make it compatible with a contoured baby changing pad), or an edgy buffet in a dining room. I can't wait to see who it ends up with!

36"L x 30"H x 19"D
SOLD

Thank you for stopping by! 

~Chelsea

This post was originally published on Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

All American Dresser

Hi friends! It's been a little while since I've had a custom order request for a child's room, and here's a little secret: Those are some of my favorites! If this red dresser doesn't scream 'little boy's bedroom', I don't know what does!

It almost went in a completely opposite direction when I started on it in Annie Sloan's French Linen, a warm, taupey grey. I went outside during a brief break from snow and got one whole coat of the soft color on, came inside, checked my email, and saw an urgent one from a very sweet woman who's first email never made it through the week prior! She wanted the piece for her 5yr old son's room, and she was thinkin' RED! So fun, right?!! Suddenly, the French Linen was just all wrong and I knew immediately that Annie Sloan's Emperor's Silk would be the perfect color. This pure, fire engine red is so classic, and surprisingly earthy.

And let's talk about these awesome rope pulls, shall we? They are from Anthropologie, (find them here), and compliment the rustic nature of the distressed dresser SO perfectly. I don't  currently have another piece to use these on but I may just go ahead and order another handful anyways. Love them!

When you're transforming a piece and aren't sure what to do about hardware, don't be afraid of giving the original pulls and knobs a little makeover of their own, too! For this piece, I painted the round pulls in the middle the same color as the piece, Emperors Silk. I've also frequently spray painted my hardware in flat black by Rustoleum - my usual 'go-to' if I plan to reuse original hardware.

Remember when I first showed you this piece?

 Paint is incredible, isn't it?

Thanks for stopping by!

~Chelsea

This post was originally published on Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.