Making the Most of Small, Unused Spaces in Your Home

 

I love the idea of discovering new, unused spaces in your home and making them functional (and pretty).  This will be especially true as we go forward settling into our home that we bought with three kids but will raise five in, instead.  I’m not a big fan of unused spaces, which is a good thing—since we’ll need every square inch. 

Here’s an example in our last home.  There was no mudroom but an abundance of backpacks and jackets.  So, we used this small hallway by the back door to serve as a drop off point for everybody’s stuff and I added the chalkboard for notes, messages, etc.  I’m working on a similar set up in our house now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some other great examples of how you can take a small, unused space and make it a functioning part of your home:

 

 

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 House Beautiful

 

 

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Ohdeedoh.com

 

 

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 Country Living

 

 

 

closet book nook

Thrifty Decor Chick

 

 

Design Sponge

 

 

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Apartment Therapy

 

 

Brooklyn Limestone

 

 

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Anne Coyle Interiors

 

 

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Ohdeedoh.com

 

 

 

 

 

How have you maximized the small spaces in your home?

 

Colorful Inspiration via House of Fifty

 

 

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The new issue of House of Fifty  is out, and the one thing that stood out to me was bold, vibrant color throughout.  Here are some of my favorite images:

 

HoF page 54

 

 

HoF

 

 

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pages 114-115

 

 

HoFpage 125

 

 

HoFpage 126

 

 

 

HoF  page 134

 

 

HoFpage 136

 

 

 

HoF  page 155

 

 

HoFpage 163

 

You can read the entire issue online here.

 

A Fun Day Trip

 

Earlier this week, I spent a day in Greensboro, NC, helping MirrorMate with a photoshoot to showcase some of their frame styles for their website and print ads.  (You may remember I blogged about this product here.)

 

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It was a lot of fun seeing the process of how they made this bathroom look magazine-worthy with some great lighting and styling.

 

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This specific shot was for their Arcadia frame, and the bathroom was one of my favorites:

 

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To top off the day, I had the chance to meet up with Rene of Cottage and Vine for dinner.  It’s so fun to hang out with someone who understands all of my crazy blogger talk :)  She is even more adorable in person and doesn’t look close to being old enough to have two teenage sons.

 

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Have a great weekend,

 

PS—After yesterday’s post, some of you shared your own favorite DIY projects, as well.  I have posted some of these to my Facebook page and will be posting more later. 

Pillow Giveaway from Elisabeth Michael

 

This giveaway is  now closed.

 

 

Today, I’m happy to announce a giveaway from my  sponsor, Elizabeth Michael.  It’s been fun to watch her grow her Etsy shop and expand her offerings.  Besides pillows in fresh, modern fabrics, she now offers curtain panels, shower curtains and bedding.  And, if you have something specific in mind, she also takes custom orders.

 

 

 

 

Decorative Pillow Cover Premier Prints Peacock Blue Denton Chipper Ikat 12x18 Made to Order

 

 

Decorative Pillow Cover Premier Prints Zig Zag Chevron Village Blue Natural 16x16  MADE TO ORDER

 

 

2 pillows 24x15 in. Decorative Pillow Cover Dwell Studio Boteh Camel,  MADE TO ORDER, Tan, Gray

 

 

 

Rod Top or Grommet Drapery Panels Robert Allen Dwell Studio Vintage Blossom Citrine 50x84

 

 

 

Rod Top or Grommet Drapery Panels Oversized Zig Zag Chevron Black and White Premier Prints

 

 

Shower  Curtain Standard Size Barber Summerland Natural Premier Prints 72x72

 

 

Shower  Curtain Standard Size  Waverly Cross Section in Grey 72x90

 

 

Giveaway Details. . .

Elisabeth is giving one winner a 20x20 pillow of their choosing plus a 30% discount off any curtain.

To enter, please visit Elisabeth’s Etsy shop and leave a comment on this post letting me know the name of your favorite item.  A winner will  be drawn at random and announced on my Facebook page on Tuesday, Jan. 31st. 

 

Good luck!,

Send Me A Picture: The DIY Project You’re Proudest Of

 

Today, I’m kicking off a new (semi-regular) series called “Send Me a Picture.”  It’s a take-off on the monthly feature in House Beautiful  called “Send Us a Picture” where they ask designers to send in a personal photograph based on the topic for that month.

 

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In the same fashion, I asked several design bloggers to share their photographs based on this month’s topic . . .

 

SEND ME A PICTURE: 

The DIY Project You’re Proudest Of

 

 

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The DIY project that I am proudest of to date is probably my wall of Intaglios in my dining room. Framed Intaglios are not cheap. Ahem, you can buy ONE framed Intaglio at Ballard Designs for $299. This wall of 18 Intaglios, which cost a total of $194 is now the center of my dining room. My favorite part is that people who see it in person ask me where I bought them. When I tell them that I made them they say "Oh, I think I can do that." and they can. It is very simple.

Krista Salmon, Kiki’s List

 

 

 

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Upon moving into my house this past summer in Seattle with some roommates, I knew my whole room was in need of a serious makeover. First up was a place to store my clothes and so, my DIY chevron dresser was born! I measured out the chevron pattern, taped it off, painted the lines in with "Natural Gray" by BEHR, added some cute vintage knobs and called it a day! I love the modern pattern paired with a trendy color and shabby chic knobs."

Michaela, Michaela Noelle Designs

 

 

 

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This Ikea Malm dresser got a little glammed up with some fretwork from O'Verlays and spray painted gold. I love the classic greek key motif and it makes a perfect credenza for my home office.

Amanda Eck, Amanda Carol at Home

 

 

 

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You could say I'm pretty proud of my powder room redo -- or you could just ask my friends and neighbors, plus the sprinkler repair man and the UPS guy, because I've forcibly made them all come in and admire it.

Lindsey, Better After

 

 

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One of my favorite DIY projects was a striped wall I did for my sister's apt. Since she is a renter we couldn't paint the walls, but we didn't let that stop our desire for stylish walls. I came up with a cheap solution and used black electrical tape to make my stripes. It was inexpensive and didn't damage the walls. A win, win for a renter. (You can find a link to the steps here.)

Camila, Effortless Style

 

 

 

 

 

 

They say first impressions are the most lasting, so I wanted to give my entry foyer a good dose of our family's personality.  This was an easy diy project that involved magnetic primer, chalkboard paint, and gold spray paint. I'm most proud of this project because I followed my heart, stopped listening to those voices in my head that are constantly making me second guess myself, and just went for the gold (literally and figuratively)!

 Carmel, Our Fifth House

 

 

 

FHD checker board floor web

 

We needed an inexpensive solution for flooring in a large room in our addition; so I painted this large checker-board pattern directly onto the subfloor. It is sealed with poly and has held up very well, even with two young boys.

Darlene Weir, Fieldstone Hill Design

 

 

 

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These DIY striped drapes were a labor of love. Although they took a long time to make, I am thrilled with how they turned out and they are definitely the DIY project I am most proud of to date!

Courtney Fernan, A Thoughtful Place

 

 

 

abby's buffet

 

This was my grandmother's hutch. After she passed I was the only one who wanted it. I removed the top portion to create a buffet. Then I painted it white and added new hardware. I am a big believer in making the furniture you have work for you! Now we have a beautiful piece that still holds sentimental value.

 Abby, A Delightful Design

 

 

Thanks to these bloggers for participating.  Hope you enjoyed the first installment of Send Me a Picture.

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