Office Update/ I'm a Flake

  I'm such a flake.  Its only taken almost two years, but my office is done.
I know your thinking "Yeah, yeah... shut your face. You always say that."
Really. I WANT to be done.  I've tweaked and changed so many things along the way, and I finally have it how I like it.  Remember, this room started off almost 6 years ago as a nursery.

Its been about 4-5 different colors, but I kept going back to the pale pink. So pale pink stays.

I painted a chinoiserie mural on my closet/whiteboard wall

(there is a flip down queen size bed inside that closet so this doubles as a guest room).  Behind the doors there is yellow and white stripes and a leopard headboard.
I'll take some photos next time a guest comes.

 The bookcases (actually my entire office) are all IKEA pieces that have been trimmed out with crown molding or hacked in some way.
Lots of storage for all my junk.

The base cabinets are IKEA Sektional kitchen cabinets that 

I added homemade faux bamboo trim to. (see last post)

My I made the giant cork board over my desk from high density 3/4" thick foam insulation board wrapped with fabric and nailheads. It was a cheap fix, costing me under $25.
It herds my all my visual crazy to one area.

Starburst light tutorial is here.

 My white boards are made out of a 4x8' sheet of tile board ($13 a sheet) that I cut down into 4 pieces and framed with flat stock molding.  I will do a post on these.. really easy and they clean up great.  The trick is using a rag dampened with Windex.
Look how clean they are! They are usually jammed up with jibberish and to-do lists.

I made some more bamboo trim for these babies, and painted a yellow lattice background...

I change shit around here so much that I forgot how many looks this room had.
Here's a little memory lane montage...

Starting back in 2010 when I starburst the crap out of it and made it the guest room with a tiny desk jammed in it.  It was always a mess- note the laundry basket and printer on the bed!

 Then I got crafty and put my office in the big closet, and painted out the sunbursts with a dark charcoal brown:

 I really loved this set up, but the bed still hogged the room and collected crap like a magnet...

 I tested out a sofa bed option, it just wasn't comfortable.  I had a vision that I would lounge on it and read mags.  Never happened...

 I also built a work station, but the height was weird and I constantly had back problems from craning at the computer:

Then the room went coral for about a month:

And finally about a year ago I built a work area using a giant laminate counter and two IKEA Malms:

 The Malms started to buckle under the weight, not good! So that lead to where I am today.

I think this situation is going to stick around for a while.  I'm too tired to change it, and I think I have finally found a layout that is functionally pleasing.  The only thing I still need to do is make a new slipcover for my desk chair. That thing is pretty tired.

Happy weekend peeps!

(First 4 photos by Tabitha Sherrell- thanks lady!)

Update: One year ago today...

...I painted my Formica kitchen countertops to look like marble. 

I have received a lot of questions about how it was holding up over the past year so I decided to show you (and also I realized how many changes my kitchen has undergone!)

Here is my Ikea Docksta table I also painted today.

This surface has the most wear since it used for homework and eating. There are a few permanent marker spots I can't remove, but I figure I can paint them out...

 Here is was a year ago...

 The counters one year ago...

 And today...

Upclose now... 

 I do have a few mystery marks I can't remove.  A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser takes off most marks and stains though. For those that are stubborn I will eventually paint them and add a fresh coat of polyurethane to the entire counter. That is the secret to keeping them looking new.

 What I found entertaining was all the changes. 

Yes. It is a well known fact I like to change things up and I might be 

crazy when it comes to all things decorative. 

 To me paint is like underwear and I change mine often.

I was one of those kids that rearranged their room monthly, so this has been going on for a long time and I don't see it ending soon. I also get bored easily and am way too visually stimulated. 

In one year the kitchen had:

4 wall colors (turquoise, white, pink, and blue)

3 light fixtures

2 tables

2 types of chairs 

2 different curtain panels

and we replaced the dishwasher, refrigerator and faucet.

Phew!

(the pink, orange and purple kitchen)

(the "pink for a day- then the men in my life had to have opinions" kitchen)

 And the present kitchen.  Got my pink in little punches.

 The only remaining original appliance is the Brady Bunch ovens. 

The top one broke, so they too will be leaving soon.

 The one thing that hasn't changed? 

The orange mudroom...

Tweaking...

I have been busy freshening up the painted Ikat Chevron in the entry.  It needed to be brightened...

AFTER

 Added some greens and pinked up the lavenders.

More spring, Less winter.

 BEFORE

P.S.

The bathroom wall has a coat of primer, and Madame Butterfly is moving in shortly.

???? and the traveling art/lamps

I'm stuck folks.  I have been sporadically painting and rearranging between working and the kids being home all week. Spring fever. I started a stencil in my bathroom earlier this week that I have yet to finish because as soon as I started I saw the Designers Guild crazy gorgeous Madame Butterfly paper from my last post and can really see that in here with a white linen roman and banding. Run on sentence, sorry.

Here is the space...

+ this maybe

Should I attempt to paint something like the above??????

I had originally wanted to get some yardage to do some pillows in my living room, but now I just don't know.  This is where I hate design and the prettiness overload on my brain. 

MAJOR BRAIN CRAMP!!! 

So for now the bathroom is dormant.

SO in other areas, we had the house reappraised yesterday to do a re-fi since we decided to stay in "el rancho".  Let me tell you, there is nothing like an appraisal to get your ass in gear and your house spotless. I spent all yesterday cleaning, rearranging, etc.  In the process I found some old treasures.

My Genie Lamps came up from the basement and into my bedroom...

I had forgotten all about a pair of pretty crystal candlesticks I had too. Need shades.

I am ALMOST done with the family room!

I moved some art around.

"Big Pink" came out of my office and over the fireplace, the black round mirror moved to the entry...

(hello, pig butt)

I still need to schnazzle up the bar a bit...

 and my lotus candle holders I got from Sissy's Blue Hudrangea Bazaar now have a place on the buffet...

and that is all I can show you because my camera died.  

So tell me now, do I paint craziness in the bath or go the safe and geometric route?

My weekend is in your hands.

XO

Danika

Spring and it's effects on me

I reallllllly want this...

I saw this over on Heather Bullard's FB page yesterday and have been daydreaming of pretty little herb beds wrapped in wattle.  It also has me itching for spring!

Love these beds too...

I have been scouring the internet for places to buy such panels, but it seems the UK is the only one onboard.  

I found a how to here, but I really don't have the time, patience or access to enough branches on my property. 

 Anyone have a good source for wattle panels?

On the home front, it is school vacation week.  Both kids have been fighting a lovely cold that has led to a cough, and now it has landed in their ears. Boo.  

So to keep myself sane I have made them little beds on the couches, got ON DEMAND going with movies and I am in spring cleaning mode.   I am painting and rearranging everything!

Here are a few projects I have going...

Priming...

The big bamboozle is finally getting its day to shine and is going green...

It is now the center of attention in the family room.  Sadly, anything with a TV on it is the center of attention in our house...

It is huge, like 8' long and fits a lot of crap.

And the entry is getting zhushed up.

Pretty french table going dark, and some art and lighting is about to change...

All because I am trapped in the house and hut happy for spring.

I hope to have some afters for you by Friday.

xo

Danika

Why I can't finish my bedroom...

Two words. I've said them before, but here I go again... Design Schizophrenia.  I'm back from vacation, all refreshed, well sort of.  I returned home wide eyed and excited for that "I haven't seen my house in a week and it looks so different" experience and I was greatly disappointed. 

 I cleaned before I left, but that didn't help.  I just saw all the unfinished chaos I have going on.  My bedroom in particular.  Been in this house almost 2 years and all I've done is there is redo one of my Malm nightstands with O'verlays because I HAD to. The other one is staring at me all dark brown and sad, waiting patiently for its turn. 

I need a plan. I head to the computer to O.D. on Google Images and get inspired. I land on House Beautiful's crack den of 101 Bedroom Images and I realize I have a big problem. I can't commit and I like way too many styles.  See...

Love all the craziness and color here,

 and that bed & dresser are all killing me and such ...

Also like it a bit more tailored, but colorful

Monochrome is good...

Maybe simple with some bold pops...

Some ethnic boho brightness...

And I like rustic clean masculine too...

Or traditional, eclectic global...

So that's where I'm at today.

Certifiably a mess, blender brain and can't make a decision for myself.

Anyone else with this issue? How do you deal with it?