Nursery: Part II

After picking out the crib and the theme, we moved on to finding a glider or rocking chair.

I quickly realized that I hated all of the conventional glider options and was not willing to spend the money to get a designer one. When I saw Mrs. Wigglebottom's post turning a regular IKEA armchair into a rocker for her nursery I knew it was the perfect solution for us as well.

We picked out the IKEA Ektorp JennyLind chair in grey and were able to find one in almost mint condition for a fraction of the price on kijiji.

IKEA Ektorp Jenny Lind Chair

Once we got it home, we both found the chair really comfortable as is so we actually decided to wait until the baby arrives before we spend the money on a glider or rocker base.

Originally, we intended to use my Baba's vintage sewing machine as a side table but after sitting in the room for a couple weeks we felt that it just did not suit the room. Neither did her vintage lamp that I have been trying to find a home for forever.

On a trip to IKEA for cabinets for our laundry room (which I will post on one day soon!), we spotted a Hemnes nightstand that we new was a much better fit - plus the colour was the perfect match to the crib!

IKEA Hemnes Chest with 2 Drawers

The lamp got replaced with a tall glass lamp base that I found on clearance at Target paired with a simple white linen shade.

Ever since seeing the IKEA Ribba Photo Ledges Sarah used as a bookshelf on Daffodil Designs I knew that it was the perfect solution for the short wall that the rocker would be sitting against. Then the space could grow into a reading nook perfect for bedtime stories.

via Daffodil Designs

The shelves are already filled with books!

The spot has quickly become one of the dogs favourite spots in the house… boy are they in for a surprise!

Amy

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Crown Molding

This past week Dave, along with our amazing friend Rob, installed the crown molding on the main floor.

It is amazing what a deadline and a little motivation will do ;o)

  

Considering we started the kitchen renovation in the summer of 2008 - five years ago! - it is quite rewarding to finally see the last piece of the vision fall into place.

Our Ikea cabinets suddenly look a lot like custom built cabinets.

Just a sneak peak for now...

The whole house is getting painted this week and then I can finally start sharing 'After' photos.

Yes, after five long years of renovating, we are *this* close to being done!

Amy

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Front Entrance: Take Two

When we first planned the front entry, we had the romantic notion that a bench with two large drawers would be sufficient storage in our tiny entry way.

We were organized people, we could keep our shoes tidy, right? Wrong.

Over the past year, we quickly realized that two drawers would not make up for the lack of closet space in our front entry and thus have procrastinated on finishing the bench.

So shortly after we found out that there would be a new member joining our family, this happened:

Yes, Dave broke down and tore out the bench he had so lovingly built from scratch.

We headed to Ikea to gather inspiration for a new solution for the front entry. One that offered a lot more storage.

We had planned to build something new from scratch but we were surprised when we found several pieces at Ikea that would work with the dimensions of our room and would allow us to finish them to look 'built in'.

Godmorgon Sink Cabinet

Hemnes Sink Cabinet

Tarva 6 Drawer Dresser

But when we saw the Hemnes 8 Drawer Dresser, we instantly new our storage problems were solved.

Hemnes 8 Drawer Dresser

It was almost the exact dimensions we required to fit under the window - a little too tall but nothing sawing off the legs couldn't fix - and it offered 8 drawers of storage! Eight! That was two drawers each, one for the dogs and still one to spare!

At $299, the price was a little high for something we would be taking the saw to so we checked kijiji and found one listed for $100. The top was scratched - not that it mattered since we knew we had to build a custom top to fit our space - so Dave was able to talk them down to $80. Sold! We could not have bought the lumber to build our own for that price!

So now we this:

We both love how perfectly it fits the room. It actually looks more suited to the room than the bench. Especially once we switch out the cheap Ikea knobs with the luxurious bin pulls we bought from Restoration Hardware.

Dakota Cup Pull

And the best part - it offers three times as much storage!

Now all it needs is a little paint.

Amy

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How To: Create a DIY Travel Map

Inspired by my sister-in-law, I decided to create a map to plot all of our travels!

It is was fun to remember all of the amazing places we have been... and to see all of the places we have left to explore.

Materials:

• Map (Cavallini World Map Wrapping Paper from Paper Source, only $3.95!)
• Frame (20"x28" Ribba Frame from IKEA, only $19.99)
• Cork (24"x48" roll from Michael's)
• Spray Adhesive
• Contact Cement
• Utility Knife
• Foam roller or brush
• Scissors
• Roller
• Map Pins (Staples, only $2.69)

Step 1: Cut the Cork

Using the fibreboard from the back of the frame as a template, use the knife to cut the cork to size to match the frame.

Step 2: Adhere the Cork

Using a foam roller or brush, coat the fibreboard and cork with a thin layer of contact cement. Allow the cement to dry to tacky as per the instructions on the bottle.

Once tacky, glue the cork onto the fibreboard, sticky sides together, and roll smooth.

Weight down the cork and allow the glue to dry.

Step 3: Adhere the Map

Coat the cork and back side of the map with a generous layer of spray adhesive. Make sure to spray in a well ventilated area and to well protect your work surface - everything is going to get sticky!

Allow the glue to dry to tacky as per the instructions on the bottle. Place the map onto the cork, sticky sides together, and roll smooth. Trim if required.

Step 4: Frame the Map

Once the adhesive has dried, place the map into the frame.

Step 5: Pin Away!

Of course, I could not just randomly pin our map... I had to come up with a colour coded system... red is my travels, blue is David's travels, green is our travels together, yellow is places we have both been but not together, white is significant locations (our home in Calgary, the location of our wedding in Tofino) and black is where Scout has travelled on his own (Silversmith Farms, South Carolina).

Now we just have to work at filling the map up!

Amy

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Crate & Barrel

The Crate & Barrel Fall Inspiration catalogue arrived in today's newspaper. I loved both the rustic "Retreat to the Woods" and the worldly "Collector's Eye" series.

Only one problem... the two items I was instantly drawn to are not actually for sale.

I knew Dave would love this rustic wood shelf and thought it might make the perfect photo ledge for the office... but alas it is not listed anywhere on the Crate & Barrel website.

I also thought the low shelf at the end of this bed would have been an attractive alternate to the Expedit bookshelf I was planning to use for extra storage in the office... expect it is only available attached to a $3000 bed.

Sigh. I guess two more items just got added to the "to-build" list...

Amy

Coming Out of the Closet

Ever since we started planning the renovation, I have been dreaming about closets. Beautiful, neat, organized closets.

In fact, the closet organizers were the first thing purchased thanks to a 15% off sale at IKEA in the spring. In order to create custom closets on a budget, we purchased IKEA Pax wardrobes which will be built into the bedrooms behind doors that match the rest of the house.

Not sliding doors. Not folding doors. Sturdy, hinged, panel doors.

Jeld-wen Rockport Doors

The master bedroom will have four boxes behind two sets of double doors. One side for me, one side for Dave. Although that may be open for re-negotiation since Dave does not own enough scrubs to fill his side on his own...

Ikea Pax Wardrobe

Master Bedroom Closets

In the spare bedroom, we originally intended to have three boxes, each behind its own door.

Ikea Pax Wardrobe

At the last minute (halfway through framing the closet walls) we changed our minds and opted to swap out the last box for a small built-in desk. The room will still have a 5' closet but now we get to avoid the headache of trimming the closet into the sloped ceiling.

Spare Bedroom Closet and Desk

It is exciting to start seeing all of our dreaming and planning start to take shape!

Amy