Vintage Revivals • Page 92 of 120 • Fearless DIY

Reno Update: We’re Carpet Shopping Ya’ll

By Mandi | 10/25/2013 | 17 Comments

If you are fairly new to Vintage Revivals you might be a little lost when it comes to this post. Here is a prologue with the Readers Digest version of what you have missed: My Mother in Law is one of the most wonderful people in all the world. Last March I showed you the gut job that we did on her kitchen/living room. It is to date one of my favorite spaces. You can see the reveals here. Now that you are caught up, lets get on with the update!

If you have ever lived in a complete gut job renovation that lasts months you know how exhausting it is. I mean, it really really sucks.

Which is why when Alicia’s Kitchen and Living Room were done and livable it was super easy to overlook the portion that remained in reno mode.

We have talked over and over about how renovating is like giving birth. The pain, oh the pain. But then you are left with a beautiful space that is everything you’ve ever dreamed of, and you forget that you wanted to hurt someone very deeply in the process.

Now that we have found our sea legs again we are finishing the last leg of the remodel. The staircase.

DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!

The staircase that has old carpet, an unfinished banister, and texture spray on the walls. Luckily for Alicia, the rest of the house is SO AMAZING that you really dont even notice.

The plan is to stain the wood the same color as the open shelving in the kitchen. Paint the walls and recarpet the stairs.

You may be scratching your head wondering why carpet? Especially when the trend now is wood or painted or a combo and NO carpet.

For that answer we will turn to my wonderful MIL. And I quote “Right now it’s for the grandkids, but Clare and I aren’t getting any younger. If I have to fall down the stairs, I at least want them to be padded.”

Seems reasonable.

The original plan for the carpeting (if you will please notice the square of sample on the bottom step)

was Martha Stewart Lynngate Magnetite. It has sat on that bottom step for 8 months. Gestation time is OVER. Lets do this.

This week we headed off to Home Depot to finally order it. Of course we had to check out the other options again. Because we love this kind of stuff.

There are SO many options when it comes to choosing carpeting. From the pile (the height of the carpet) to the texture, to the colors, it is very easy to get overwhelmed and just order beige.

Please reconsider.

Simple changes in the style of the carpet can make a space feel intentionally designed, instead of just builder grade.

Before you commit to a simple twist fiber, check out the patterns, they are my favorite. We loved this diamond pattern, but the gray was a little too cool.

I loved both of these colors, but the pattern wasnt prevelant enough.

You can change the entire mood of your space with a different carpet option. If you want your space to feel really urban and super cutting edge, try going with an industrial carpet. I love this gray stripe, it totally reminds me of a funky loft.

Ok back to the story. So like I said before, we knew what we wanted. That is until we were walking to the desk and glanced through one more section of samples.

Alicia and I are telepathic design ninjas. When we saw this sample we both knew without saying a word, that it was all over for miss Martha. (Old winner on the left, new winner Boost: Dark Shadow on the right!)

The color was better (it was a little bit warmer gray and not pulling as blue as the Martha sample.) And the texture was just better.

If you look really closely you can see that the color is called Dark Shadow, which is CLEARLY a sign that this is the carpet for us, seeing as how it is Alicia’s favorite show of all time. I love it when fate steps in.

We then met with Katherine. She was such a gem.

Especially when Dylan was doing this: (fair warning…taking a picture of your child mid-meltdown will only make them cry harder.)

There are a few questions that you should ALWAYS ask when you are buying carpet.

1. How quickly do you need your new carpet? Special order carpet like our take up to 2 weeks to arrive.

2. Where is the carpet going to be installed? High traffic areas need carpet that is ultra durable.

3. Do you need carpet with high stain resistance? Make sure that you know all about the stain resistance for the carpet that you like. Technology is really amazing and good stain resistant carpet has come a long way.

4. Figure out what you like and dislike about your old carpet.

We spent about 20 minutes at the pro desk getting estimates, scheduling measurements, and placing our order.

Because our carpet is a special order we are planning to have it installed by Thanksgiving. Also can I just say that I love free installation? Alicia decided to carpet 2 of the bedrooms in the basement so we totally qualified for the 3 Rooms = Free Install promo.

The one thing that I was a little bummed about is that in order to keep the warranty that is on new carpet, you have to replace the pad. I get why (because if you have something funky in your padding it can seep up through the carpet and ruin it). The reason for the bummedness is that the padding in the basement bedrooms is in excellent condition. That left us with a choice. Saving a few bucks, or voiding the warranty, it really is a no brainer. I just wish that there was a way around that.

Not willing to void the warranty on the new carpet, this is the pad that we chose. You can buy the plushest carpet in the kingdom but without good pad, its going to disappoint. The Scotchgard pad that we chose is 1/2” thick and has an insulating quality that helps slow energy loss. It also has a moisture barrier and is anti microbial.

We cant wait to get it put in! There is lots of work to be done before the carpet arrives, and of course you guys will have a front row seat for all of it!

But the REAL reason you should get your carpet at Home Depot isn’t because their staff is super friendly, or because they do everything they can to get your order to you ASAP or because their selection is out of this world…

…It is because they have their Christmas toys out. That my friends is the best babysitter a girl can ask for.

Ha! Dont you love the orange bucket as a stool? Ivie was over the moon to show me how fantastic Cups sounds on it. Maybe that is what I should get her for Christmas?

If you want more tips for carpet buying, Home Depot’s Carpet Buying Guide is full of useful information.

Time to spill! Do you have a favorite type of carpet? What do you think of the one that we chose?

This post is sponsored by Home Depot and their #letsdothis campaign. All project ideas, opinions, and mid-meltdown children are my own.

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West Elm Knock Off Rug

By Mandi | 10/24/2013 | 22 Comments

Happy Knocktoberfest!!!

Wait, what? You didnt know that normal peeps celebrate Oktoberfest with beer drinking and merry making, and DIYers celebrate Knocktoberfest with freaking awesome projects from brands you covet that you can replicate on the cheap?!

Welcome to an even MERRIER October lovers! Want to dance?! I am feeling the need to pull out Court’s old tuba from his middle school band days. Ok, moment of truth. He actually played the Saxophone… but the sax just seems a little to sexy. The sexy sax man totally ruined me for life.

Holy tangents. So sorry folks.

First let me start off by saying, I love West Elm. Like if I had a junk ton of money and wasn’t allowed to thrift I would totally shop there all day son.

But life is not that way.

About a month ago I stumbled upon these amazing ethnic rugs from WE.

The sisal one was my favorite, but I loved how imperfect the first one felt. Like it was really handmade. What can I say, imperfect makes me so happy.

The problem is that the one I love is roughly $800. That is unfortunately out of my price range and as much as we would all love to drop $800 on a new rug, sometimes that is just not plausible.

This is the part where we get a little creative.

Find a knobby jute rug for the best price possible. This one from RugsUSA is 65% off right now (which makes it only $60 for a 5×8!). I would always check out your local Homegoods. OR you can always stitch together a few smaller ones if you cant find the size that you need with this tutorial!

And you will have to forgive the lack of real pictures for this tutorial, it was past midnight the day before D day and I was lucky to not have woken up to giant green diamonds on my face the next morning.

(The paint that I used was left over from this project)

Start by taping off the stripes for the edges.

When you are painting on a rug that is so knobby you will have one very very good friend to make the paint line consistent. That friend is water.

Use a medium sized paint brush and paint your lines. Then while your paint is still wet, dip your brush in water and go back over the lines. The water will loosen the paint and make it so that it seeps down into the knots without diluting the color.

Once your stripes are painted mark 5 evenish sections (or as many as you want, take matters into your own hands if you must.)

Start by making a zigzag down one section. If you want perfect paint lines feel free to tape it off. If you want it full of personality just wing it. Just make sure that you stop a few inches before the tape on one side so that you can make complete diamonds.

Then go back and do a second line.

Remove your tape and do another zigzag, but this time zag where you zigged.

Then do another line.

Continue on removing your tape as you go, until your rug is finished.

Then smile every time you see it. Because it is adorbs AND because you saved $700. I feel like we deserve a cupcake dont you?

If you want more deets on the table you can check out the full tutorial on building a pipe table here.

So now that you are feeling a little more inspired, there is a whole myriad of Knocktoberfest projects for you to check out over at Makely.

If you are here from 320 Sycamore you get a big fat high five, the only bad news is that I am the last stop on the tour today, but first thing tomorrow make sure you check out Ashley from The Handmade Home’s project.

Miracle the Mighty Stool

By Mandi | 10/23/2013 | 19 Comments

Creating a room design around thrifted and found treasures can be um… a little challenging sometimes.

The reoccurring missing link in Cara’s Office makeover was the stool. For the love of everything that is holy we could not find a stool. Not a cheap one, not an expensive one, not one that could be converted into something fantastic. NOTHING.

To this problem, I may I may have pitched the idea that standing while you get your makeup done is in fact EXCELLENT for your circulation. Cara was not amused.

So what do you do when life doesn’t even give you lemons? You pray. And you hope that somewhere buried deep in the pages of Craigslist that you will find a lemon tree…or even a lemon drop. Beggars can’t be choosers.

Just give me something to work with.

The last 2 hours of the last day that I was in Vegas to finish the office, finally cracked a glimmer of hope. On Craigslist I found a listing for 3 brass barstool bases. They were old and HEAVY and tarnished. Their previous life had been in an old school casino slot bank. Ah the stories that these boys could tell.

They were absolutely PERFECT.

(This is where I would normally insert a picture from the CL ad but alas, it has been forever lost in the abyss of my picture files…)

I think I may have freaked the seller out a little. Sometimes I can be a little over excited. I cant help it. I am like a puppy.

But the good news is that we were able to meet up and for a measly $36 all three were mine.

We mad dashed into the nearest Goodwill store for anything that had a back. Picture Minute To Win It room makeover edition. The winner was the most horrendous conference hotel chair that you have ever seen. It is so bad its cliché.

I mean, dont you want that in your house? Maybe Motel Glam is going to replace Shabby Chic one of these days….

Luckily for everyone that values their eyeballs, today is not that day.

I took the legs off of the hotel chair and attached it to the brass barstool base.

Looking better already! #amiright?

I then used 2 flokati (white furry) rugs from Homegoods and made sort of a pillow case/ slip cover with them by sewing two together (right sides together) .

After I flipped it right side out, I put it over the chair like a pillowcase. I had to cut a slit in the bottom so that the slipcover could wrap around the brass base. Once everything fit nice and snug I used a staple gun to secure Miracle’s new dream coat in place.

And voila!

So next time my lovie you are in the market for an amazing chair, remember to not judge a book by its cover, or a chair by it’s fire-proof 1993 beige and burgundy fabric for that matter.

Total cost for this project:

Base: $12
Chair: $8
Rugs: 2 @ $17.99

Total: $55.98

Witnessing a real life Miracle? Priceless.

I Survived.

By Mandi | 10/21/2013 | 13 Comments

You. Guys.

Have you ever had a date on you calendar marked You Survived!? Today is my survival day!!

The last few months have been crazy and the last 6 weeks have been a fever pitch of insanity.

Crazy to the tune of 2 photo shoots, 3 trips, more projects than I can think of, and everything else that goes along with having a family.4

So please forgive me for the lack of posting the last little bit. I wasn’t necessarily on blog burnout, I was on life beyond the blog burnout, but I am BACK and so excited about it!!

We spent the last few days in Cali with Court’s family and it was exactly what I needed to reenergize and remember how blessed I am to have such a fantastic life.

Just A Few Little Treasures

By Mandi | 10/11/2013 | 30 Comments

You guys! I am on the Outer Banks in North Carolina as we speak. (!!) I am having a bit of a Rachel Zoe moment because everything is ba.na.nas. It is so gorgeous I cant even handle it. Did you know that other than a quick trip to San Diego I have never been to the beach? (I mean, of course you didnt know that. But now you do!) I am here for Click photography retreat with my girl Cara and a pile of other talented ladies.

We flew in with a massive storm brewing and the ocean churning something fierce. The entire street was awakened at 6 am (4 am Utah time) to lightening hitting a telephone pole that is literally 200 yards away from our house. I thought for sure it had hit the house and I was super nervous to touch my doorknob (just in case there was a bit of electricity still lingering.) Cara couldnt be bothered. She had to get her beauty sleep (that is her secret to it all, I am convinced.)

The good news? They are totally prepared for stuff like this. There is so much chocolate here. The bad news?…

Dont judge.

So here is just a little glimpse of the fun.

On the decorating front, I feel like I finally get Coastal decor. The colors that you find in nature here are nothing like what you find in Southern Utah. It is so gray, but not in a dreary way. It just is. And the beach is just so powerful and inspiring.

Fun fact: Did you know that Americans spell the color Gray with an A and people in Europe spell it Grey? So either spelling is right, it just depends on where you are. And you can totes remember it A for America and E for England.

You are welcome.

But the best part is that I discovered that I have this freaky (and a little terrifying) hidden talent.

In an attempt to explain to me why Cara loved a certain baseball team, she brought up the soap opera Passions. Do you remember it?!

Apparently it made quite the impression on me. I could name literally every person in it. I was so caught off guard by it. Because while I loved it, I was not a freaky super fan. I mean, I didnt think I was.

But we are talking prodigy level folks.

Theresa, Sheridan, Gwen, Ethan, Whitney, Chad, Fancy, I mean, I can go on for days.

Did you love Passions? Do you love the Outer Banks? How about chocolate?

You’re Making Me Blush

By Mandi | 10/09/2013 | 25 Comments

I have recently become a bit preoccupied with a new favorite color.

I wasnt aware of the fact that this was even happening, until I was looking at my bank statement and thinking of all of the things that I have bought recently and there was one common thread.

Blush.

Nude Blush.

I present for your consideration my dress in Exhibit A (that is actually a lot lighter and more blushy before Instagram got a hold of it):

My new favorite lamp in Exhibit B:

My new favorite lip color thanks to my Maskcara Makeover as Exhibit C:

‘

Not to mention all of the blush that went on in Cara’s Office (we can just call that Exhibit D-R):

So what is with it? I just dont know. But I am obsessed. And I am itching to do a fun project with it and take my obsession into a full blown disease.

I am dying to know what your favorite color is right now, I was riding the Hot Pink bandwagon for a minute, and before that Green was my go to. But now? Be still my blushing heart.

Thread Wrapped Stool

By Mandi | 10/07/2013 | 18 Comments

I LOVE WICKER! Phew, I am so glad I got that off my chest…again. A month or so ago I was so excited to find this little bentwood cane foot stool at my local thrift stool for $12.

Everything about it is just so good. I debated using it in Cara’s Office for as long as I could. I mean, I really wanted it. But ultimately my good Samaritan decorating philosophy won out.

I have become a wood purist from the early days of Vintage Revivals when I spray painted everything, just because I could. It is hard for me to change something that I already love. But to keep this table wood and have it by the velvet couch (that is already the darkest part of Cara’s room) it was just too heavy.

It needed a lighter brighter makeover. I have been super inspired by all of the colorful thread wrapped antlers, for well, years. So that was my jumping off point. Then as I was googling “Thread Wrapped Antlers” for different color combos this picture from Feliz came up and it was EXACTLY like I was picturing. I love/hate when that happens.

When you are spray painting, you first step is to thoroughly clean your piece. If you don’t do this your paint will bubble and crack and look really horrible.

After I wiped everything down I took the top off of the table because I did not want to paint the woven canning on the top.

When you are painting something that is rounded and/or has a lot of dimension you want to make sure that you hit it from every angle, otherwise you will end up with spots that are unpainted.

To paint the top of the table, I used a piece of cardstock that I bent along the edge of the canning to shield it from the paint.

I didn’t worry so much about the underside of it and just sprayed it lightly to make sure that there were no drips that leaked through to the front.

If you have a few, sandpaper is like an eraser. Use a light grit (like 220) and an even lighter hand to remove any mistakes.

Head to your favorite craft/sewing store for embroidery floss. (They have great color selections at Michaels and Joann’s!) For the stool we used every bit of this thread, and to be honest could have used more. So I would recommend overbuying and then returning what you don’t need.

Start by tying a knot around your stool. Trim off the excess.

Wrap your string evenly around the wood. This is sort of one of this simple but mind numbing activities. To make it look fantastic you will want to stack the strings as your winding them (instead of going all willy nilly). Use your fingertips to push the threads together.

Add in another color by tying the ends of the 2 different colors together and tucking the knot underneath as you are wrapping.

For a more uniform look you can mirror the thread on both sides of your stool. Or if you want something that is a little different, you can do them totally differently.

This idea is so simple, you can thread wrap anything! Like a lamp, or a picture frame, or any thing with legs (except your children, because of the whole “cutting off circulation” thing.)

psst! if you have any left over thread, this project is perfect! And if you missed the tutorial for the Plywood Pinwheel Art you can find that here!